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Rudo can barely hear anything over the sounds of screaming people, many tripping over each other to get out of the burning homes. He himself is tripping and stumbling to get out of Athens before it burns to the ground entirely.
They were loading the ships–some were already gone–and there was clearly not enough room for all of the Athenians on one ship. Soldiers and captains refrained adult men from boarding before women and children could. They would have to wait for more ships.
Rudo ran to board one of the ships, but a man desperate for a position shoved him down to the ground. He cursed under his breath—“shit!”—and got up, struggling due to the crowd, barely boarding in time before they pushed the mob back and got the ship to leave.
He stood by the edge, leaning on the railing, and struggling to regain his breath. He had a small scrape from the fall, but was otherwise fine–especially compared to some of the others onboard; mothers holding their crying babies, children searching for the fathers they’d been separated from, women weeping at the loss of husbands and lovers. The only thing that really hurt was the scarring on his hands and arms.
Rudo too looked around, but not searching for his family family—he knew he didn’t have one—no, rather searching to see if he could get a view of Athens before it burned completely.
He had no such luck. His small build and the crowd of people made it impossible to see past the heads. But he wasn’t stupid, he heard the wails of those around him and he knew there was no hope left for Athens; it was destined to burn.
☆
There’s a kid on board, but unlike everyone else who has their mother–or even a complete stranger– to console them, this one’s alone. His eye bags and messy white hair suggest he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately, if any at all. I myself am occupied with the crying infant in my arms, though–as a mother myself–I can’t help but feel inclined to at least ask if he’s alright.
Moving through the crowd is nearly impossible, but I managed to do so, as other women saw the baby in my arms and moved aside respectfully.
“Hey, kiddo, are you okay? Where’s your mother? Or father?” I asked, trying to stay as gentle as possible. “What’s your name?”
The kid avoided eye contact with me–rude–and let several seconds pass before responding. “Rudo.”
“How come you’re all alone?” I inquired, despite him being a bit stuck-up, he’s still just a kid. But instead of an actual answer, he just shrugged! I mean, I know he’s probably going through a lot right now, but you could at least try to be a bit nicer!
“Do you need something?” He crossed his arms, his tone almost bored.
“I was going to offer to help, but now I’m not so sure.” I scoffed and walked away. The audacity some people have!
☆
There’s kids on board, and a lot of mothers and defenseless women. If there’s anything I have to do, it’s get these people to Salamis. Though, steering a ship so large with so many passengers is easier said than done, I’ll get these people safe if it’s the last thing I do–which it probably will be.
I took a deep breath. You got this captain, they’re in good hands.
“Captain, there’s Persian soldiers waiting to take down our ship ahead,” One of my crew members told me. “We can either face them or take a detour around and face a storm. She’s not big, but she’s strong.”
“We’ll sail through the storm,” I responded, chest puffed out cockily.
“Are you sure, Cap? Surely Athena wouldn’t appreciate you losing her loyal followers.”
“We won’t lose anyone, they’ll all make it to Salamis alive and well.” Big talk for someone who’s scared of thunder.
There’s so many people on board, I had no idea Athens was so populated. And this isn’t even a fraction, no doubt there were many killed in the flames and Greco-Persian war. So many women and children left vulnerable.
I have to get the ones I can to safety.
The storm wasn’t huge, but the waves were violent. The boat rocked up and down enough that the passengers had to hold onto the railing and each other and anything they could so they wouldn’t fall off. Crowds were yelling and screaming both in fear and anger.
“Morons! Poseidon and Athena have no good relations, it’s no wonder the Earth Shaker wishes to capsize us!”
“We just had to get on the boat, didn’t we?”
“I’m too young to die! I haven’t even been married off yet!”
“Mom, why’s the boat shaking so much?”
“Because these people don’t have common sense. We’re all gonna get killed!”
In the midst of it all, there was one child with no one to cling to, odd. Everyone else–regardless if they knew each other previously or not–had found someone or a group to bond with–heck, even the few men on board had managed to find their families and if not, they found each other to combat loneliness–except the boy. He stood on the edge, hand gripping the railing hard enough his knuckles whitened. Despite his independence, he seemed to be struggling with the crowd of people constantly crashing into him.
He didn’t seem to want help, so I paid him no further mind. Until a yelp was heard and I looked up. Sure enough, the boy was nearly falling off the edge and no one was doing a thing to help.
“Hey! Someone grab him before he goes overboard!” I yelled to the crowd. Either no one heard me, or everyone assumed someone else would do it, resulting in no one helping. The boy’s mouth was moving, but too quietly to be heard. Though he looked to be denying help.
A bolt of lightning struck near the ship, resulting in more screams and wails. The bolt hit very close to where the boy was standing, though he barely flinched. Who is this kid?
“Hey! Kid! You alright?” I yelled once again, meeting the same lack of response.
Eventually, the crowd cleared enough for him to claim a spot inside the railing, preventing a fall before it happened.
☆
The storm finally cleared enough, but apparently, it had thrown the ship off course by at least a few hours.
I hate to say it, but I’m kinda glad about it. That gives us time to sleep ’cause I am exhausted!
Dad still refuses to explain why we had to leave, but I think it has something to do with the huge fires back home. She told me we can never go back, but I think we will someday. Right now, she’s busy talking with someone. I think he’s scared of fire but doesn’t wanna tell–and I’m stuck babysitting Dear.
I’m looking around but there’s not much to see, people who look like moms and dads are all sleeping or talking with their own kids in their laps or arms. There’s one guy that’s awake and standing, but he looks kinda mean. Or maybe he just has the thing that makes you look mad when you’re sleepy–Dad’s friend has that too.
“Dad? I’m gonna go say hi,” I said before walking over, holding Dear by the arm and pulling him along with me.
This guy’s holding onto the railing pretty hard, I think he’s seasick.
“Hey! I’m Guita, what’s your name?” Now that I look at him, he can’t be much older than me, and I’m 14 so he’s not that scary anymore.
He doesn’t look me in the eye like Mom says is polite, but he does answer. “Rudo.”
“Whatcha doing all alone, Rudo? Where’s your Mom and Dad?”
“Uhh–I dunno,” He said. This guy’s kinda boring, but also kinda mysterious and cool. “I don’t have any.” He shrugged like it didn’t bother him. He must be lonely.
“Wanna say hi to my little brother? His name’s Dear!” I nudged him forward with a big smile–because Dad says smiling makes other people smile and this guy isn’t very smiley.
He looks kinda scared of her. “Hi, Dear,” He says, but he says it like he’s talking to a stranger. He uses the same voice Dad uses at work, not the one people usually use with her.
“Why’re you so serious? It’s cool but also really boring,”
I don’t think he liked that because the wrinkles around his eyebrows got deeper and he huffed like he was annoyed. I don’t think it’s annoyance though, ’cause Dad says I’m not annoying. “I dunno, I guess I can’t control it. Sorry.”
Ooh!
“I forgive you! Hey, if you don’t have a Dad, I do! Do you wanna share mine?”
I don’t think he liked that either, because the wrinkles got even deeper–wow, should they really be so visible?–and looked away. “No thanks.”
“Meanie. I was just being nice!” I stuck my tongue out at him and walked away, back to Dad. He wasn’t ever so mean.
☆
The night always felt so much longer than any other time. Especially today, after my village has been burned down by Persians. Revenge, they said, vengeance for burning one of theirs, but no one should have suffered like this.
I was sitting on the cold ground of the ship, my kids and new friends sitting with me. Guita—my oldest—ran off earlier with Dear to chat with another kid her age. She told me about the boy: how he didn’t have a family, how he was mean but very mysterious, and how she wanted him to come live with us if he didn’t find another family. I had to say no–why, we didn’t know this boy, and whether or not he really did have a family waiting for him. She looked so sad at the thought of not having another sibling, but perhaps it was for the best.
I took a glance around the deck, noticing how everyone had formed groups, even those who came on this ship alone. I couldn’t help but look for the boy, wondering if he’d found someone to huddle with during the cold night. He hadn’t, and was still alone by the rail, but sitting this time, the wood hitting his head on occasion from the boat’s rocking.
I was about to give in and get up to go over and talk to him, but someone else beat me to it. A man from one of the nearby duos–composed of himself and another man–stood and walked over to the kid. I almost got up to intervene before I saw the guy wrap the boy’s hand with bandages–seemingly to prevent blisters, and help whatever made them so scarred—and cover them with gloves. They exchanged a few quiet words, too hushed for me to hear even with the lack of voices now.
It was more the man talking and the boy listening, but he didn’t push him away like he apparently did with Guita. Maybe she misread him.
They finally raised their voices enough for me to make out a few words. “Wanna join our little group, kiddo?” The man asked, his voice holding a surprising fondness for someone who seemed like a stranger. The boy seemed to contemplate it before responding what I assumed was a no, seeing as he would walk away alone. “Well, you’re free to change your mind. I’m Regto, by the way.”
The boy hesitated before responding with his own name. “Rudo.”
“If you ever do—change your mind, that is–feel free to look around for me. See you around, Rudo,” The man, Regto, ruffled Rudo’s hair–which I don’t think the kid loved–and walked away.
I turned back to my own group, my family. The kids were sound asleep against me. I distributed kisses to their foreheads before allowing myself to fall asleep as well, content knowing everyone on this ship–especially my family–was now safe to some degree.
☆
I met Regto on the ship.
He and I were among the few men, so we bonded pretty quickly. I told him about my family–my wife and how we were expecting a baby–and curiously inquired about his own life.
“Oh, I don’t have a family, my parents passed when I was little and I haven’t been married or had kids,” He replied, surprisingly accepting.
“I see. Isn’t that lonely, though? Not having anyone around?” I couldn’t help but be a bit curious, I can’t imagine living alone for so long.
“Not at all,” He smiled softly. “I spend time assisting a poetry teacher in a small school. Or, I suppose I used to before… y’know.”
We talked for a while, exchanging stories of our lives and religious beliefs. I learned he was a loyal man who had a soft spot for rebellious children–“I feel inclined to get them back on the right path,” he’d said–and there was not a single bone in his body capable of doing wrong. I learned this in just hours of knowing him.
He kept glancing at a kid by the railing of the ship, and I didn’t call him out at first until he stood. “Where you going?”
“You don’t mind an addition, do you?”
“No, but–” He was gone before even letting me finish. I watched as he offered something to the kid, which he presumably rejected. He came back empty-handed, and I couldn’t help but snicker at how disappointed he looked. “Kid reject you?”
“I hoped he would join us. I’ve seen him around the streets before, always rummaging around for food and shelter,” He had a look of sorrow on his face. “I suppose, in a way, I see myself in him. I wish he would open up and let someone in, I’d hate it if something happened.”
I sighed and leaned back. “Look, what difference does it make? He’s just one kid, he doesn’t contribute to society much anyways. Aside from sparing us some garbage we’d have to throw away otherwise, he’s uneducated, orphaned, and from the looks of it, foul-mouthed. No place for him in society.”
“But every child deserves a chance at least, and I won’t give up on him until I see he’s making a change for the better, now that you say that,” Regto suddenly had this determined, almost annoyed expression when looking at me. I shrugged it off–maybe the seasickness is getting to him–but the look disappeared every time he spared the kid a glance.
The boat docked at Salamis a few hours later. People rushed to get off the boat before it had even fully stopped, but what waited for us wasn’t what anyone was expecting. No homes, no warm welcomes, just stares and people fighting over space that didn’t exist.
The Salaminians were trying to be welcoming and hospitable, but it was clearly forced. People fought over food and rations, which often went to children and mothers.
I myself was looking around for my wife, sticking close to Regto in the meantime. He seemed to be looking for someone too, but he had no family. So who…
Ah.
“Looking for that kid again?” I grumbled half-heartedly.
“I can’t help but wonder where he might’ve run off to. No child should ever be alone.”
“Well, he’s probably used to it, so no point trying to recruit him.”
“Don’t say that, we could at least try to help,” He once again looked annoyed with me.
“Look, I don’t wanna worry about another mouth to feed. If you do, that’s your problem. I’m finding my wife and getting on a boat to a less crowded island,” I snapped and walked away. Some people are so selfless, which is usually good, but not when it’s a fight for your life.
☆
“Something about that kid is so intriguing.
If you’d see him, you’d feel inclined to help him in a way you wouldn’t feel with anyone else. I’ve had many students in the past, and yet I feel more drawn to him than I have for any of them. Like he was a child of the gods they wanted you to protect. Maybe that’s it. Or maybe I’ve always had a soft spot for the “independent” ones and this one is just especially rebellious. Either way, I want to help this kid. I tried on the boat, but he rejected that.
Once we docked, my new companion left to find his family. Oh well. I’ve run into some of my students, most of them happy to see me alive and well–“i was scared you’d burned in the fire,” one of them had said–and so were their parents. After such a tragedy, any familiar face is a comfort.
I sat with the others, chatter filling the air around. The Salaminians were nice enough to hand out their extra resources so we could eat. I was given a loaf of bread and a water canteen, though the families around me were given much more.
I was about to pick apart the bread and start eating it, when I felt a small presence beside me. A plate of grilled fish slid in front of me. “What’s this for?” I turned to look at Rudo.
“I’m not hungry. And I hate pity food,” He slid it closer to me.
“Why me?” I smiled fondly at him. Though he wouldn’t meet my eyes, he was fidgeting and antsy. He shrugged in response.
“Everyone else is busy,” he finally said.
“What happened to that other guy you were with?”
“He’s busy, too.”
“Guess we’re stuck with each other now,” He said it like it was the only option, like we couldn’t simply go separate ways.
“Guess we are,” I split the fish into two parts, handing him the smaller one. He opened his mouth to protest, but I beat him to it. “Kid, you’re scrawny enough as is, just eat it for me, will you?”
He huffed in what I recognized as feigned annoyance, but he reluctantly nibbled it. We sat there eating in comfortable silence for a moment before screams and shouts pierced the silence.
“The God of travelers is here!”
“Hermes has graced us with his presence!”
“It’s thanks to him we’re all safe!”
I sat up straight, eyes darting around to see if the commotion was true. People were running and looking around, all unsure whether to kneel or flee. My eyes darted back to Rudo, who looked equal parts anxious and curious. “What’s going on?” He asked, masking the nerves with a sharp tone.
I’ve always found children to be precious and endearing, and this one’s no different.
“I’m not sure, kid, wanna come take a closer look?” I stood and offered him my hand. He stared at me like I’d grown a second head.
“Sure,” his eyes bounced from my hand to my face. “What do you want?” He moved to put some coins in my open palm, which got a chuckle out of me.
“No, I don’t want your money. Just–nevermind,” I took his hand, holding it by the palm and walked over to the crowd. I felt him stiffen beside me, but I guess once he realized I wasn’t going to hurt him, he relaxed a bit
The people–mostly fellow Athenians–were gathered around in awe. I was still a bit too far to see clearly, but felt the ground shake a bit and the crowd dispersed. I stepped slightly in front of Rudo, still holding onto his hand so he wouldn’t wander off.
By the gods, it really was Hermes.
☆
I really don’t like this.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the attention–perks of being an Olympian God–but I don’t like that it’s keeping me from my current mission. Should’ve come in my mortal form.
As soon as I raised my staff, the crowd dispersed slightly, but once it clanked the ground below, causing a small tremor, they really backed off. Finally.
I looked around, scanning for any sign of the mortal boy I was looking for–he really did have a habit of running off and hiding–until I decided to make an announcement. That always works.
“Has anyone seen a boy named, uhh, what’s his name…” I thought for a moment, listening as the crowd spoke in hushed murmurs. “Rudo Surebrec?”
One boy tensed and hid further behind the adult he was holding onto–presumably his father. No, wait, that kid looks familiar.
“Is that you, Rudo?” I called to him.
He looked down and shifted his weight on his feet, likely a nervous habit. His eyes darted between the floor, the man beside him, and me. He continued like that for a bit–can he just answer the question already?–before nodding reluctantly.
“What do you want with him?” Snapped the man beside him, who I now knew could not be his father. Does this guy not know or not care that he’s talking to a literal god?
The crowd gasped and whispered stuff about audacity.
“Relax, I just wanted to see my kid.” That got even more gasps.
After a long while, I was sat across from Rudo–in my mortal form, Alto, this time. I’ve learned my lesson–watching as he fiddled anxiously.
“I heard about Athens, really sorry. I did make sure your boat would get here safely with minimal delay,”
“Thanks,” he responded monotonously.
“How’ve you been these past…how long?”
“A decade.”
A wave of guilt washed over me. A decade ago, I left this kid to fend for himself. Obviously I meant to come back sooner, but a god can’t just clear his schedule for a half-mortal child! “Right. How have you been this past…decade?”
“Fine.”
I sighed. “Look, kid, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for so much time to pass. Let me make it up to you, yeah? What do you want?”
He looked taken aback. “L-like what?” He looked around. I’m not an idiot, I know who he’s looking for.
“Anything you want, I’ll find a way to get it to you.”
His leg bounced anxiously, like he couldn’t sit still without feeling trapped–been there. “Anything? I guess…a place to stay would be nice. Please.”
“Done, give me a few hours and you got it!” I ruffled his hair, which got me a flinch and a recoil. “Whoops, my bad. Anything else?” He shook his head. “Look, I know I can’t magically fix this in a day, but I really do wanna try. Do you think you could try to forgive me?”
He froze for a moment, considering, before nodding automatically, like any other answer would be wrong.
I finally met the guy who’d snapped at me earlier. His name’s Regto and he was a poetry teacher who was especially fond of young children around Rudo’s age. Little does this guy know I’m testing him to see if he’s a good enough babysitter for my kid.
For now, it does seem that way. He’s patient, which Rudo really needs, and seems to have only good intentions.
“What would you do if, hypothetically, you got stuck taking care of a kid you didn’t really ask for?” I asked, sitting with him and a few others.
“I’d take care of them as if they were my own. I may not have asked for them, but what parent does?”
…
He passed with flying colors!
☆
Regto and a group of other men and boys sat, engaged in conversation. About the past, the present, the future, and everything in between. Quite some time had passed since Hermes’ visit, so the commotion had mostly died down by now. Understandably, some were still shaken, but they were now few and far between.
Every now and then, Regto’s group laughed collectively at terrible jokes one had made, making the most out of a tragic situation.
Of course, no one could forget the burning of Athens, and they would talk about it for centuries–even millennia–later. But for now, they’d all found refuge with each other.
Rudo lingered near them, torn between moving closer like he wanted, or moving away like he assumed they wanted. He waited for Regto to look up at him before starting to move away, but halted when the man called to him.
“Rudo! Wanna hang out with us for a bit?” He offered, smiling invitingly at him.
Rudo hesitated. He never wanted to burden anyone, but something about the way he offered, neither forceful nor indifferent, drove him to blurt out the word–
“Sure.” He moved closer and took the small unclaimed spot next to Regto. Rather than sitting stiffly like he would’ve at the beginning of this story, he allowed himself to relax and lean against the man who would become his requested “place to stay” in due time.