Chapter 8: The village (part 6)

In the time Gwen cutting, Heracles also got his piece of roasted turkey. Amelinda and Lily have some porridge from the pot. Aunt Calliope got a piece of pita bread with small roasted meat pieces from the skewers and salad rolled inside. She ate with tzatziki sauce. 

Heracles stabbed on a piece of roasted turkey, put it in his mouth. He slowly chewed. It’s really juicy Heracles felt grave pouring out his mouth whenever he bit it. The sweetness of the grave, a bit saltiness of sea salt, the crunch and sweetness of the honey covering on the turkey’s skin appeared in his mouth and then blended together. They combined perfectly with pepper sprinkled outer. A lot of Heracles’s saliva poured out, mixing with the sweetness of grave and made the piece of turkey meat turn more delicious. He chewed it for a while then swallowed it. Though the meat had gone through his throat coming to his stomach, its flavor still kept inside his mouth especially on his tongue and made him salivate. Heracles gulped and then hurriedly stabbed another piece, put in mouth. Besides him, Gwen was not gentle as him. He had a big mouth which was full of meat and was chewing. Gravy even poured from his edges of mouth and made him look coarse. As soon as Heracles turned to him, he gave him a wry smile. 

“Deli…cos, righ..?” said Gwen in difficult way.

“Yes, you’re right.” said Heracles. He put another piece in mouth.

“God – looked you – coarse.” squealed Amelinda at Gwen. 

Gwen turned to her, smiled stupidly. “Must eat it – not force yourself not to eat.” he said.

“I will eat but not the way you behave.” said Amelinda, still kept her voice highly. “Heracles – you must try it. It’s also tasty.” Amelinda added, hinted Heracles to the pot of porridge her voice gentler. 

“Oh really?” said Heracles, looked inside the pot. It still spread out the attractive flavor he smelled as he stepped in the kitchen. He stood up, leaned forward the pot, took the wooden spoon then scooped some porridge to his bow. The porridge was slightly yellow, glossy on the surface. Heracles sat down, used his silver spoon and started eating his porridge. As soon as Heracles put the first spoon of porridge in mouth, it poured out whole his mouth giving him delicious taste. It is combination sweet and fatty taste of chicken and sweet flavor of cereal. The porridge was soft melting after seconds. It didn’t make him salivate as like piece of roasted turkey but it gave him another kind of feeling. When he eat, not only his mouth, his tongue but also whole his body was satisfied; each part of his body, each his cell seemed to be given more energy. Heracles felt better and more comfortable after the first bow. Some drops of sweat slid out from Heracles’s forehead. He put his bow down, turned to Amelinda smiling.

“You’re really right. It’s so good. I feel as though I was reborn” said Heracles excitedly, “You should try it Gwen.” 

“Really?” groaned Gwen, still eating meat. 

“Yes, it’s. My mother had spent much time to cook it.” Lily said quickly. 

“Yeah – it’s really tasty. I feel like as I just eaten a hot bow of chicken soup.” Heracles added.

“I will taste it.” said Gwen. He reached on his cup, took it then drank a big gulp of orange juice to swallow meat inside his mouth. 

 “Alright – I get it right now.” he said, stood at one, grabbed on the wooden spoon, took a full bow of porridge then sat down and started slurping.

“You – again – Gwen.” squealed Amelinda staring at Gwen.

“Oh it’s okay Amelinda. I love to hear it. It mean that you like things I cooked.” said Aunt Calliope. A gentle smile appeared on her face again.

Amelinda stopped staring at Gwen, turned back with her meal. There had some small pieces of roasted turkey on her plate.

Heracles on other side wanted to try some pita bread after that so he got a skewer of roasted meat, some salad and rolled them inside one piece of bread. He poured some tzatziki sauce on his plate and used it with his pita bread. 

Their dinner finished after an hour as all people had felt full. It’s really a great meal for Heracles, Gwen, Amelinda and even Lily and aunt Calliope. They all felt satisfied, kept staying at right their places resting. 

“I know that you all have many questions.” said aunt Calliope gently giving Heracles, Gwen and Amelinda warm looking. “Now I’ll answer you all.” she added.

“Yes, we really have many questions.” squealed Amelinda, “I don’t know who is you Lord and the curse people talk about but I can sure that almost and maybe all people here have never seen your Lord a time before. I doubt whether he really exists on the world or he only exists in your stories. He does not exist, right?” Amelinda raised her voice.

“Honestly, he exists - Amelinda.” said aunt Calliope, still kept her voice warmly, “But, very few – I mean very very few people can have the chance to meet him. Though he doesn’t appear, his power covers whole the place. It is why people scare and worship him.”

“There has one thing I don’t understand – Aunt Calliope. Why do people scare us too much? We are just children and not able to harm them a little.” said Heracles. He frowned.

“Lord don’t like outside people. It is the reason.” said aunt Calliope. 

“Don’t like. Are you serious?” said Gwen quickly.

“I’m serious. He don’t like outside people.” said aunt Calliope in her normal tone. She really said the truth.

“Though your Lord doesn’t like people like us, people also don’t need to scare us too much.” said Heracles deep voice.

“Yes, they don’t need. Why do the children look at us as monsters?” Gwen who sat next to Heracles squealed.

Amelinda didn’t talk but she also had same question with her friends. She turned to Aunt Calliope, watched on her waiting for the answer.

“You all don’t know it.” Lily spoke up, “It may be the death waiting for them.” Lily stopped at there.

  “Death? You are serious?” Amelinda the time spoke up.

Both Lily and Aunt Calliope didn’t answer. They both sighed so Amelinda immediately got the answer.

“You did – meet him – didn’t you?” said Amelinda looking toward aunt Calliope; there had a little hesitation in her voice.

“Yes, I did.” said aunt Calliope shortly.    

“Who is he? I mean what is your Lord’s name?” asked Heracles impatiently.

“His name is Hy…”

Heracles suddenly felt very sleepy that he couldn’t hear exactly what aunt Calliope said at last. He collapsed his head on the table. His eyes shut close he almost lost consciousness. He wanted to stand up, opened his eyes to see how friends are at moment or called them but he couldn’t; his body was out of his control. All his felt were dark and voices of Lily and aunt Calliope.

“Why you do it mother? Didn’t you tell them that you would answer them all?”

“No, daughter – I can answer them all. It only brings them to more dangerous. Only this way I can do to save their lives.”

“I call you. You are Agassi. Your name is Agassi. You Agassi from now. You are children born here. Your are my children…”

From the cozy kitchen of Aunt Calliope, a light appeared covering upon Heracles, Gwen and Amelinda. It quickly expanded then cover whole the house. The light covered around house for seconds then as like the monster it frantically expanded to the forest, the village and to the most remote places. When whole the area was covered, the light stopped expanding then disappeared. All the things happened in very short time. It’s too difficult for someone to realize but it didn’t mean no one noticed. In the most remote place of the forest, something woke up.