Chapter Text
When it comes to his secondary gender, Mydeimos never thinks it matters. It never did because why would it matter when alphas and omegas alike repulse him? Despite being an “alpha” as they said he was and presented as one, Mydeimos never thought of himself as one. In fact, just like his existence that was cursed with misery and tragedy, his secondary gender was also another… curse to him.
While it wasn't as much as a curse like the one he truly bears, the capability to defy death over and over again that even Thanatos themselves refused him, it still was one. The curse being an “alpha” (whatever that meant) was akin to a curse that he was forced to wear. Just like the unclaimed throne and crown that he bestowed upon at birth.
(He hates it. Why did he have to be born? Why bother bringing him into the world if he was meant to be a curse for those who were associated with him?
If all he does was bring misery and death by being born, then why was he even born if he was destined to bring ruins to those he cares about?
What's the point of existing at that point?
Was it even worth it?
Bringing Mydeimos to the world?
The disappointment of the centuries. The taint on the Kremnoan Dynasty's history.
What's the point of his mother's sacrifice if all he did was bring shame to her name by refusing to take the throne?
What's the point of his friends' sacrifice if Mydeimos himself refused to do the very thing they died for, wishing to be there in person to witness it?
What's the point of my birth if all I did was bring ruin to those that care for me?
These were the thoughts plaguing his mind over and over again despite his insistence of pushing them away, burying them deep inside.)
If being an alpha wasn't enough and being born wasn't a curse as it was, he also was an outlier amongst every alpha in existence as well. He detest the scent of an omega, even more if it's an alpha. He detests those overly artificial scent those omegas wore that seemed to stuck on his skin even though he made little to no contact with them. He detests the scent of an alpha who flared their scent, for whatever reason it was, at him whenever he simply walked by one.
He couldn't even bear in a room with an omega or an alpha or both without having the urge to either walk out of the room or cover his nose. It was revolting to stay in the room with those two secondary genders in particular. There's a reason why his friends, the ones who were alphas, reel in and cover their scents as much as possible around him. Perdikkas always tried his best to concoct a medicine or at least a remedy for Mydeimos’ unfavorable constitution but in the end, he never managed to make one for him.
After all, Mydeimos was the only one left of their little group. Leonnius, Perdikkas, Hephaestion, Ptolemy and Peucesta had long left him behind as one by one, they withered away. He carried their memories as the lone survivor who remembers them and their sacrifice. However, sometimes, the weight of their deaths, including his mother, started to make Mydeimos wonder if everything he was doing was even worth it.
But the death remains silent and for what it is worth, Mydeimos think that's a good thing.
Regardless, being an alpha was a curse and with the unfavorable constitution that he was forced upon, it was even more a curse. Sometimes, the curse of being an alpha overwhelmed the curse of being someone who was cursed with immortality. Why? His sense of smell was ten times more sensitive than most alphas. One might even say he had an enhanced sense of smell.
And he hates being someone with such an enhanced sense of smell even more during the aforementioned “mating season”, whatever that meant, came around. He gagged (out of view, of course) at the overbearing scents that seem to be penetrating the air and stank up the entire streets. He held his breath whenever he passed by the omegas who were beckoning alphas and any betas, who were interested in bedding one, with their (overly) sweet scents to them. He picked up his pace when he walked by an alpha, instantly growling and baring their fangs at him, glaring at him and flaring their scent as they perceive him as a threat for whatever reason.
He absolutely detest being in the holy city during this time of the month. He never begged (he would never beg) anyone but he came close to doing so whenever he walked through the streets, passing by the people from many cities as most were either Ohkeman or refugees who were staying in the city, flaring their scents and letting it linger in the air. Mydeimos couldn't stand it.
It was nauseating, overbearing and nearly sent Mydeimos into the infirmary because of how sick Mydeimos was by the time he reached the Hero's Bath where Aglaea summons all of the Chrysos Heirs that were currently in Ohkema for a meeting. He didn't even bother with a greeting or anything and simply took a seat in between Phainon and Anaxagoras who happened to be at Ohkema during this time.
Mydeimos put his head in his hands, ignoring everyone as his head was pounding with a menacing headache and sensory overload, thanks to his enhanced and sensitive sense of smell. He suppressed a gagging noise as he caught a whiff of Aglaea's alpha scent and Anaxagoras’ omega scent as the two, for some reason, were next to each other. Mydeimos knew that neither of them were flaring their scent and that it was simply rolled off of them like gentle waves, light and nearly undetectable yet it was enough to cause Mydeimos’ headache worse.
“Mydei,” he heard Phainon say, “Are you okay?” he asked. Mydeimos could hear concern in his voice even through the headache that was determined to make Mydeimos regret waking up that day.
Mydeimos opened his mouth to respond but ended up gagging instead when he caught a whiff more of Anaxagoras’ scent since he was seated next to the omega. It became even worse when he smelled Hyacine and Castorice's scents, both flaring in concern as the twin tails pink haired omega stood up and was about to come closer to him while he could tell that Castorice looked at him in concern. He wasn't surprised that Hyacine immediately wanted to do a check up on him after seeing him act in such a way. She was the resident medic of the Chrysos Heirs.
“Don't come any closer,” Mydeimos managed to say despite the urge to throw up. His head hurts and he really wanted to rip his nose off as the scents of the alphas and omegas in the bath were causing his head to throb violently the more he smelled it. “You will make it worse if you come closer, Hyacine,” he said as gently as he could because despite his reputation, he wouldn't yell at someone for simply wanting to do their job.
Anaxagoras immediately moved away and sat next to the Tribios, “Hyacine, Castorice, reel in your scent,” the professor said, “Mydeimos here has a very poor constitute when comes to the scent of our secondary genders,” Anaxagoras said calmly as both he and Aglaea immediately suppressed their scents, giving Mydeimos the well needed reprieve from smelling their secondary genders' scent. “It wouldn't do us well to let our scent be. Even the slightest whiff will cause Mydeimos to feel violently ill especially when he is already in this state,” he added as Mydeimos slowly nodded his head, giving the professor a nod of gratitude.
He let out a sigh of relief when Hyacine and Castorice listened to their teacher and reel in their scent. Mydeimos does feel horrible however. They shouldn't have to do this for him and took account for his comfort when this is something they couldn't actively control. “Thank you,” he said, nodding his head at the girls who looked at him in concern.
“Are you okay?” Phainon asked, making Mydeimos look at him. He could see concern in Phainon's eyes.
Mydeimos simply stared at him, “I'm fine,” he said dismissively, “I was already in… unfavourable state even before coming here,” Mydeimos said slowly. Hesitation was not a word in the Kremnoan language but he supposed he was a bit hesitant to let them know, beside Anaxagoras himself, regarding his rather… unfavourable condition. “I would rather not be in the city during the duration of this month,” Mydeimos said quietly, looking at Aglaea. “Everywhere I go is unbearable because of the scents that seem to be lingering heavily in the air,” he added, “I hope you wouldn't mind if I went on a month-long mission outside of Ohkema for the time being.”
Aglaea pursed her lips, clearly debating whether or not she should send him away for time being for his own sake. Anaxagoras gave her a side eye, “It would do him well if you do, woman,” Anaxagoras said with disdain, “Because I can say that his condition will cause some unnecessary setbacks for your little Flame-Chase journey,” Anaxagoras said with a roll of his singular exposed eye.
Mydeimos forced himself to conceal the flinch that he nearly showed. Being a burden was something Mydeimos would never want to be. Especially when it was because of his cursed incapability to suck it in and just act like everything was fine. But of course he had to ruin that. “If it's too much,” Mydeimos cut in, “then don't bother,” he said as everyone stared at him. Mydeimos fought the urge to fidget with something. Namely his braid. “I can deal with it.” Mydeimos said calmly, inwardly dreading the headache and sensory overload, in the form of his sense of smell, he would be experiencing in the time being.
“I shall see what I can do,” Aglaea said, “However, I could only send you away for at least a week at most. After all, we could not afford to send our strongest warrior away for far too long as Nikador and his army still roam free. There's also a possibility that the mad Titan might attack Ohkema in your absence,” she said and Mydeimos nodded his head, relieved that he may have a week away from Ohkema.
“That's amenable for me,” Mydeimos said gratefully. A week was better than none. “You have my gratitude, Lady Aglaea.”
Phainon leaned closer to him, a frown on his face, “You look ill,” he said in concern, “Perhaps it will do you well to go and rest instead,” he said and Mydeimos appreciate the concern the beta was expressing, however, duty always comes first for Mydeimos.
(As it always did for him. Free will wasn't something he truly had.
He doesn't even know if he had any with how chained up he was to his fate.
He doesn't know if…)
“Save your concern for someone else that truly deserves it, Saviour,” Mydeimos said, shaking off Phainon's concern, “It won't do us well if I shrink from my duty as Ohkema's warrior.”
Phainon frowned even harder. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it in the end. However, he did look at Mydeimos with a look on his face, “This conversation isn't done yet,” he said with a look on his face.
Mydeimos shook his head as they began their meeting. He wasn't surprised that halfway through, Aglaea and Anaxagoras started snapping at each other with polite yet poison veiled remarks towards each other. He does inched closer to Phainon when he caught whiff of Anaxagoras’ irritated scent along with Aglaea's carefully fine tuned scent that slowly gave away her displeasure towards Anaxagoras.
He ignored the way their scent seemed to be tinted with each other. It's none of his business what these two were doing or what they were towards each other.
He does, however, couldn't say the same with the way his headache started to rear its ugly head. He silently endured it. He already requested Aglaea for some possible time away from Ohkema earlier, therefore he won't ask more from her especially for something as selfish as his own comfort. He already indulged in his selfishness and incapability to just suck it up earlier and he won't tip the scale even further by asking both her and Anaxagoras to reel in their scents.
He refused to be selfish and greedy, that's why he simply kept his silence and endured Aglaea and Anaxagoras’ ire filled scents wafting in the air. It's the least he could do after all.
What he didn't expect was Phainon to use his hand to cover half of his face. Mydeimos blinked and snapped his attention to Phainon who gave a wry smile, “I might be a beta but even I can smell them,” he whispered softly, “I do think that my lack of scent will soothe your sense of smell ever so slightly,” he said and he wasn't wrong. Phainon's lack of scent cleanse Mydeimos’ clogged sense of smell slightly and he did block most of the smell by covering the lower half of Mydeimos’ face.
Mydeimos nodded his head in gratitude and simply kept breathing, thankful that Phainon could provide a temporary relief for him. Even after Phainon removed his hand from covering half of Mydeimos’ face, his headache wasn't as horrible as earlier and he could continue to endure being in everyone's presence. He refused to acknowledge how Phainon seemed to know when the scents around him were getting overwhelming for Mydeimos and would casually cover the lower half of his face with his hand or rub his wrist on the tip of Mydeimos’ nose.
He refused to acknowledge how his heart started racing every time Phainon did that and how much he wanted the beta. It wouldn't do well for Mydeimos to want during a time like this, with a prophecy of separation looming over their heads. He couldn't bear to burden Phainon with his heart.
After all, Phainon deserves better than him.