Chapter 215: KAZI: Comfort
Kazi did not like mountains. They reminded of a memory that he would much rather forget; of blood and tears and the misery of the world. Thermopylae was a narrow pass he had once visited, gravelly and light-brown. In the distance were the limestone mountain ranges that ached his heart. Kazi Hossain sat cross-legged, sitting across the man known as Ephialtes. From his armour, it would be difficult to tell him apart from any other Spartan. Bronze as well as equipped with a helmet, Ephialtes’ importance couldn’t be picked out by those that were uneducated.
Because he was who mattered. The mountain did not matter. The hot spring that Heracles was rumoured to bath in did not matter. The gate to Hades did not matter. None of it was important. None of it was what made Gate 12 tick. Kazi understood that more than anyone.
He was seated on the ground.
So was Ephialtes.
"My father was a helot. There was no escaping from that fate. It’s a status as deep as blood. That is how it is in Spartan society. He sacrificed himself to let me escape, but...at the end of the day, no matter where I go, Sparta is there. I must serve them." His gaze was stuck to the gravel and he swallowed the fear in his throat. Across from him was an individual he could only consider divine. Fighting was meaningless. He knew it as soon as he saw him.
"I hate them," Ephialtes muttered. "I despite them. I have no wish to serve them."
"Even...?"
"Yes." Ephialtes met the eyes of the divine Kazi. "Even if it means betraying my friends."
Kazi closed his eyes. "I understand. You don’t believe in solidarity, do you?"
"Solidarity between Greeks? As if. I refuse to accept that. Not after what they did to my father. Not after how they treat us as...as disposable warriors. A number to add to their endless, meaningless war!"
"And where do you see yourself in ten years, Ephialtes?" Kazi asked, his tone gentle yet probing. "What do you envision for your future?"