Chapter 6 Hektor #3
Perseus and Medusa looked at each other, something passing between them before the shifter spoke up. “Did he ask you to do anything?”
The centaur’s expression shifted. “Yes he did. He asked me to say I was his son.”
“And then what happened?” Medusa continued.
“Nothing, really.” The centaur frowned. “I mean, I thought he was disappointed, but he didn’t say anything. But that was the last time I saw him. Then I heard that he had been imprisoned and so I just didn’t say anything. I figured it didn’t matter anyway. The herd is my family.”
“And we are,” Corinea said. “Thank you for telling us, Igalus. There are a few other things we need to speak about, but it would be best said in private and if you wish to share with the herd that would be your prerogative.”
“Alright. But what about the others?”
“Others?” One of Corinea’s eyebrows lifted quizzically. “What others?”
“Zeus’s other foals from the other herds.”
“He had more centaur kids?” Liora exclaimed.
Igalus nodded. “A few of us know of each other. He visited all of us.”
“Oh my.” Medusa met Perseus’s gaze once more as she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “We definitely need to have that talk.”
“You may all go,” Corinea said to the herd. “Igalus, come join us in my kezil.”
“We need some privacy,” Medusa whispered to Hektor and the triplets.
Hektor glanced over at Perseus, whose stiff posture belied his otherwise placid expression. “Of course.” He could not imagine what it was like for him, encountering his half-sibling, even if he had been prepared for this moment. “Take all the time you need.”
“Dimeses, perhaps you can show our guests around?” Corinea suggested.
“Of course.” Dimeses motioned for them to follow him. “I’d be happy to show them our pastures. Come.”
Hektor couldn’t help but notice Zara’s pale face as they treaded behind Dimeses. Slowing his pace, he matched his strides to hers. “Are you alright?”
Wide eyes looked up at him. “Using my power just drains me sometimes.”
“You did not seem tired during your last demonstration.”
“That time the only person in the room that we knew was Zeus’s kid was Perseus and we’ve practiced on him lots of times before. He also knows to keep a lid on his emotions when that happens.”
“And today?”
Her mouth twisted. “Well, Igalus didn’t know we were looking for him so his emotions were like a giant beacon. Then when I revealed who he was in front of his herd, he was all over the place. Surprise, fear, sadness—”
“Sadness?”
“Yes. He was genuinely broken-hearted that Zeus never came back to see him, I guess.”
Hektor held up a hand and both of them halted in their tracks. “You can feel all that?”
“Uh-huh. But, it’s okay, I just need to distract myself, so I can get back to my own emotions.”
He was tempted to ask what those emotions were, but held his tongue. “If you need a moment, we can stop.”
“Nah, I’m good.” She brushed a hand at him, then pointed ahead. “Look, they’re already way ahead of us. Wait up!” she shouted to her siblings and Dimeses as she picked up the pace. Hektor followed along until they reached the others.
“…festival tonight,” the centaur finished.
“A festival?” Zara asked. “What festival?”
“Dimeses says they’re having their annual harvest festival tonight,” Elian explained.
“We will be joined by a few other herds,” Dimeses added. “I will be happy to introduce you.”
“That means we’ll be able to find more children of Zeus without having to chase them all over Orunai,” Hektor said.
“And you must stay for the festival, of course,” the centaur said. “We can find a kezil for you to lay your heads down tonight.” He waggled his eyebrows at them suggestively. “That is, if you even get any sleep. Our festivities tend to go on until morning.”
Hektor spoke up. “I’m afraid—”
“A party? Sure, we’ll stay,” Liora interrupted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “I haven’t had any kind of fun since we started searching for geryons and now Zeus’s by-blows.”
“Sounds amazing, I can’t wait,” Elian agreed.
Hektor huffed. They couldn’t possibly think about staying the night out here. “We must return to Alindale as soon as we are done.”
“But we drove so far,” Liora whined. “Do you really want to get back in that van again after today?”
“Medusa and Perseus did say we should prepare to stay overnight in case we get delayed,” Zara pointed out.
Sleeping in an open field did not appeal to Hektor at all. But then again, the alternative was another eight hours trapped in the back of the van, with Zara only inches from him. “I suppose if Perseus and Medusa say it’s alright—”
“Woohoo, party time!” Liora high-fived Elian, then sent Zara a cryptic look. “Maybe you can let loose and get out of ‘silent brooding mount–yeow!” she yelped as she grabbed her side. “You pinched me! Zara, you dick!”
“Oops, my hand slipped,” Zara snickered.
Her sister shot her a dirty look.
Elian let out a sigh that said he had seen this too many times. “Alright, kids, let’s take it down a notch. Dimeses, assuming we get the okay from Perseus and Medusa, we would love to stay.”
Dimeses clapped his hands together. “Excellent. I know you will enjoy yourselves immensely.”
Hektor had hoped that Perseus would insist they leave, but to his surprise, he agreed to stay.
The shifter didn’t say anything else about what had happened earlier, but his countenance had changed.
Hektor even sensed a kind of peace around Perseus.
Maybe his conversation with his half brother had been fruitful.
Perhaps it also helped that his mate was with him, never leaving his side and occasionally taking his hand in hers or giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
A deep longing plucked at his chest, and his thoughts drifted to the state of his own romantic affairs. Truth be told, it had been days since he’d thought of Eleanora.
In some ways, Lord Eros had been right–this job, and perhaps being away from Drakkoria, was good for him. In any case, it distracted him enough from his own misery.
However, once in a while, he was reminded of his own failure at wooing a mate.
“Why the long face, kirobus?” Dimeses said, interrupting his thoughts. “This is a happy occasion. What has made you so gloomy?”
The centaurs’ harvest festival began sometime after sundown with a large feast around the main camp fire, followed by music and games to entertain everyone.
Just as Dimeses said, the festivities never stopped or lulled, as the food and drink never seemed to run out and the merriment only grew louder as more centaurs from other herds arrived.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Hektor found a quiet spot away from the fire where Dimeses and a few centaurs gathered, chatting amongst themselves.
Hektor shifted his expression to what he hoped was neutral. “Nothing at all, kirobus.” He lifted his mug of grass mead—which surprisingly tasted better than it sounded—and held it toward the centaur. “Thank you for your hospitality and welcoming us to your home.”
“Everything we have comes from the plains, and the plains belong to everyone,” he replied, clinking his mug to Hektor’s.
“In truth it has been a while since we have welcomed visitors,” an older centaur by the name of Aeicion, said. “Especially to one of our festivals.” The others nodded and neighed in agreement.
“The crops must have been especially bountiful this year,” Hektor remarked, looking back toward the fire where more musicians and dancers joined the revelry. “Everyone is celebrating like there is no tomorrow.”
Aeicion’s head cocked to the side. “Crops? What crops?”
Confused, Hektor gestured around them. “The reason we are all out here, drinking and celebrating. This is a festival to celebrate your good harvest, is it not?”
The older centaur guffawed. “In case you haven’t noticed, kirobus, centaurs do not plant nor do we have farmland. Therefore, no crops.”
Hektor frowned. “Then what harvest are you celebrating then?”
Dimeses spoke up. “I’m afraid I forgot to fully explain to our guests what we mean by harvest festival. Apologies for the confusion, kirobus. We call this our harvest festival because of the harvest moon.”
Hektor followed his gaze toward the night sky, where the moon hung large and low just over the hill. “I see. I suppose that’s a good reason to have a feast.” They were of a different culture, so of course they would celebrate things differently.
Aeicion sent his fellow centaurs a knowing look. “Well, there are also other reasons we celebrate, right?” They guffawed and elbowed each other. “Oh, to be young again,” he sighed wistfully.
Dimeses chuckled. “Indeed. I’m very glad our fillies and colts are having fun tonight.”
“Fillies and colts?” Hektor paused. “What—” Realization dawned on him.
Glancing back at the fire, he noticed that the dancing and singing had become even more raucous, especially amongst those paired up.
He observed a young centaur couple were fully entwined in each other’s arms, not caring about the revelers around them.
The male pulled away, then dragged the filly to a darkened corner.
Aeicion laughed. “Took you long enough to figure it out, kirobus.”
Hektor couldn’t contain his bewilderment. “This is a mating festival?”
“Yes,” Dimeses replied. “Every harvest moon, one herd hosts the festival and invites the others so the young people may meet and mingle.”
“And plant the seeds for a fruitful harvest in the coming months!” Aeicion interjected heartily, earning him cheers from the others.
“I see.”
“Do you have something similar in your culture?” Dimeses asked. “How do Drakkons produce offspring?”
“And, is it true what they said about…you know. Your special attributes,” Aeicion stage-whispered, glancing down meaningfully below his waist.