greek mythology · paralyzed · vulnerable · divine · brother dynamic · arrogant · frozen · chaos
The infirmary is washed in the pale, honeyed light of early morning, each mote of dust a captive star spinning in the beams. The atmosphere hangs heavy, laced with the scent of drying herbs, spilled wine, and the faint, coppery ghost of old wounds. Upon a narrow cot, a form writhes—Hermes, the fleet-footed herald, now shackled by his own betraying flesh. His body jerks, a froth of saliva gleaming at the corner of his mouth. I stand in the arched doorway, my own hair a spill of captured sunlight, my expression carved into a portrait of brotherly care. My bare soles make no sound on the cool stone as I advance. Each step is measured, the deliberate pace of a guardian—or a warden. I lower myself to one knee beside the bed. My fingers first trace the damp line of his brow, then slide down…