Chapter Text
pasteli*: a sweet snack of sesame seeds and honey dating back to ancient Greece. It’s said that the Olympians consumed them for energy.
peplos*: an outer garment, such as a robe or shawl, worn by women in ancient Greece.
Killua and Gon arrive back at Axia late into the night. Walking up the street, Killua’s surprised to see the windows of the ground floor bright against the darkness. The second story is dark, but the windows of the ground floor tavern are bright with a soft yellow glow. Zepile must have kept the fire burning in the hearth for them, long after the patrons of the inn have gone to bed. Feet aching in his sandals, Killua is quite relieved to see the building that’s been home for him and Gon for the past few days lit up against the night like a beacon.
Gon opens the door, and Killua spots Melody, Baise, and Zepile sitting at one of the tavern’s tables with a platter of pasteli* between them. At the sight of Killua, Melody and Baise immediately vacate their seats in favor of rushing over to embrace him. And although Killua is not used to affection from grown women, he wraps his arms around both of them, returning the hug. The scents of warm bread and woodsmoke that often cling to both women’s clothes after days of working in the tavern fill his nose. He hopes he doesn’t smell too awful by comparison, having been covered in blood and grime and then soaked by the rain.
“Thank the gods you both are safe,” Melody says, her tone heavy with relief.
Baise pulls back with a frown, and Killua tries not to cough when the scent of her perfume (iris and cardamom) hits him square in the face.“Don’t you ever go running off like that again,” she scolds. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?”
Killua can only hang his head sheepishly. He hadn’t meant to worry his friends. “Sorry about that,” he says. “They were talking about Gon, so I had to follow them before they slipped away.”
“Well, the important thing is that you’re both safe, albeit a little worse for wear,” Zepile chimes in. “Now, let’s get some food in you two. Help yourselves to the pasteli too, Melody made them fresh.”
“And while you are filling your stomachs, you can fill us in on what happened. We want all the details,” Baise says pointedly.
He and Gon gratefully sit down as Zepile goes to the hearth and ladles them two bowlfuls of stew from a pot on the hearth. Killua starts on the pastelli immediately, the honey and sesame blessedly sweet on his tongue. He and Gon regale their friends with the events of the previous day: how Killua was taken hostage by Hisoka, Gon and Hisoka’s epic fight, and learning of Chrollo’s plan to attack and annex Gon’s home with the Zoldycks’ assistance. They skillfully omit the parts about Killua nearly dying and Gon losing his powers.
Being forced to spend the entire afternoon as Hisoka’s hostage afforded Killua the perfect opportunity to devise a plan (he had to do something besides worry about Gon) to get to Kujira for the inevitable war with Chrollo’s army.
“I’ll use one of my family’s eagles to get a message to Bisky in Peril Forest. Her expertise and fighting prowess would be a huge boon for us if she can come to our aid,” Killua says. “Then, Gon and I will ride to the nearest coast we can find. There’s a nymph who owes me a favor, but I need to be near the sea to communicate with her.” Killua ignores the raised brows that statement elicits from his friends before continuing, “We’ll acquire a boat and row as fast as we can for Kujira after that.”
“Is Kujira to the north or south of here?” Melody asks.
“The South,” Gon answers.
“Athens would be―”
“Not an option,” Killua cuts her off. “I’ll be arrested on sight if I go back there. Long story.”
Melody hums in thought. “You’ll want to ride to Megara then. Chalcis is the closest port but it’s to the north and the currents of the Straits are treacherous waters.”
“If I remember the voyage correctly, it took about three weeks to sail to Swardani from our harbor.” Gon grimaces. “And Chrollo already has a head start.”
“It will be a long journey.” She turns to the window, peering at the sky. “It’s already very late. You two should head to bed, since you’ll be spending a lot of time on the roads.”
Sleep sounds like a novel idea to Killua, so he and Gon bid their goodnights to everyone and make their way heavily up the stairs, their limbs dragging with exhaustion. Killua follows Gon into their room, shutting the door behind him. Almost immediately, he feels Gon’s body heat against his back as the other man wraps his arms around Killua from behind.
“Killua,” Gon whispers his name like a prayer.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
Killua sighs. “Gon―”
“I mean it,” Gon stops him. “I-I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few days. But you being here right now, willing to fight for my home, it means the world to me. I can’t not be incredibly grateful to you.” Gon’s warm breath tickles the skin of Killua’s neck as he leans in to press a kiss to his shoulder.
Killua lets out a pleased sigh before turning around in Gon’s hold. Wrapping his arms around Gon’s neck, he looks up at his lover. Gon’s amber eyes look golden in the moonlight streaming in through the window, his gaze steady and unwavering as always―but Killua can see the worry pinching them at the corners. “I don’t know what’s going to happen either, and going up against Chrollo’s army will be risky even with a plan. But no matter what happens, I’m seeing this through with you to the end, for better or worse,” he vows. A thought crosses his mind and he smirks up at Gon. “Besides, you promised to host me and Alluka on Kujira and show us the time of our lives. No way am I letting Chrollo ruin that for us.”
Gon bursts out laughing, and Killua thinks it must be his favorite sound in the world; the joy of it seems to soothe the storm of anxieties that had been plaguing his mind since yesterday. Gon gives one last chuckle before cupping Killua’s head and pulling him into a kiss. “I fully intend to keep that promise,” he purrs against Killua’s lips.
“You better,” Killua murmurs back before rejoining their mouths, seeking more. He presses his tongue to Gon’s lips, and Gon obediently opens for him with a delicious moan.
As they continue to devour each other like men starved, Gon’s grip moves from his waist to his hips, stroking them with heavy hands. It takes every ounce of his willpower, but Killua manages to stop those hands just as they reach his ass. He huffs a laugh at Gon’s resulting whine, effectively breaking their kiss. “As much as I’d love to, Gon, we both have to ride a horse for who-knows how many hours.” At Gon’s confused pout, he raises an eyebrow pointedly. “I don’t think either of us want to be in that position with a sore ass,” he clarifies.
Gon seems to understand that part and sighs, resigned. “Fine, you’re right. We should probably go to bed before it gets too late.” Killua nods in agreement and rewards Gon with a kiss on the cheek that transforms his pout into a dopey grin.
It’s a warm night, so they opt to sleep without clothes. Gon lets the pieces of his borrowed armor drop heavily to the floor. Killua peels off the lavender dress he’s been forced to wear for the last several days, which looks more like a rag than a dress after the abuse Killua has put it through; he hopes Baise won’t mind too much since it was a loan from her. The exhaustion from the previous day seems to hit Killua all at once as they fall into bed together, his limbs suddenly feeling like lead as Gon scoops him into his arms. It doesn’t take long for sleep to claim them both.
~~~
They rise in the mid-afternoon, when the sun warms their room to the point they can’t stay under the blankets any longer. Gon gathers their things while Killua goes downstairs to draft his message to Bisky. He sneaks out to the courtyard wearing one of Gon’s leather bracers. After double-checking that he’s alone, he whistles a familiar sequence of notes into the air and waits, resolutely ignoring the pang of nostalgia that strikes his heart like a coffin nail.
In no time at all, one of the Zoldyck Family’s trained messenger eagles swoops down and perches on Killua’s outstretched forearm. The Zoldycks have been training eagles to carry messages between themselves and their clients for longer than Killua can remember, and each Zoldyck always has an eagle close by from the time they enter their first contract. The bird perched on his forearm chirps inquisitively at him, her sharp talons digging into the leather of Gon’s bracer; Killua obliges her and holds out a chunk of meat to her waiting beak. After giving the bird the location and tying his message securely to her leg, he sends her off into the sky.
The gods have blessed them with fair weather for the journey. Zepile, Melody, and Baise manage to break free from the hustle and bustle of the inn long enough to meet Killua and Gon outside the stables to see them off. Zepile wishes them a safe trip and informs them that if they ever need a place to stay in Thebes, he’ll have a room for them.
“Oh, and I’m glad you two liked the bed,” he laughs and waggles his enormous eyebrows, retreating back into the inn before Killua can throw something at him―like a thunderbolt. Gon (the bastard) just laughs, like the prospect of Zepile announcing their bedroom activities to the world is amusing.
Melody gives them some food she prepared for their journey along with big, warm hugs and her own well-wishes. Killua hides his reddened face in her veil and lets the warmth of the hug settle his pounding heart. She whispers, in her melodic voice, that his kindness and courage will never be forgotten, and that she hopes he and Gon “are victorious in securing the future you want for yourselves.” Whatever that means.
Baise, to Killua’s great relief, doesn’t begrudge Killua about the dress.
“Don’t worry about it one bit,” she says, squeezing him tight. “Just make sure you come back and visit, okay?”
Killua grins. “After the kindness and hospitality you showed us when we were in need? We’d be fools not to come back. Besides, Gon will drag us both back here the first chance he gets.”
“He’s right about that,” Gon chimes in. He lets go of Melody and traipses over to give Baise a bear hug. “Will you paint his face and do his hair again when we visit?” Gon asks brightly. “I’ll pay you-”
“Haaaah? What are you saying, idiot?! What makes you think I would let her?!”
“But she made you look so pretty, Killua~ She brought out your natural beauty so well~”
“For you, Gon, I would do it for free,” Baise chimes in, looking incredibly amused and delighted at the prospect of teasing Killua yet again. She leans up to whisper something in Gon’s ear that Killua doesn’t catch―probably some joke at Killua’s expense.
“You have my word as a prince,” Gon says, beaming. Killua looks quizzically at Gon, but his partner merely winks at him and hoists himself onto Astra’s back.
With no more time to waste, Killua mounts Astra behind Gon and they set off at a canter down the main road leading out of the city.
~~~
Gon spurs Astra into a full-on gallop as soon as they pass under the city gates; for a former cart-horse, she’s quite fast. Killua has to tighten his hold on Gon’s hips and dig his thighs into the mare’s flank to avoid getting flung off. They travel at a satisfactory pace through the lower valley, only slowing when the ground begins to incline. To avoid passing through Athens, they will have to traverse a region with rocky, mountainous terrain; it will be the most treacherous part of their journey. Gon is smart enough not to over exhaust his horse, stopping to water and rest her whenever Astra’s coat turns dark with sweat. Killua is grateful their cloaks are protecting them from the harsh sunlight overhead; going into battle with a sunburn was a pain in the ass.
They keep their breaks as short as possible, taking only minutes to gobble down their rations and some water before setting off again. Gon is quiet for most of their journey, only speaking the occasional commands and praises to Astra and checking in on how Killua is faring. From his seat behind Gon, Killua doesn’t miss the tense set of his lover’s shoulders. He can sympathize―it’s hard not to be impatient when the fate of your entire kingdom is on the line and time is of the essence. They ascend another rocky hill at a slow trot, Gon carefully maneuvering Astra around loose stones. Killua decides to break the tense silence.
“Assuming Bisky gets my message, how many of Chrollo’s men do you think she could take on by herself?” Killua asks mildly.
To his relief, Gon hums in thought. “Probably fourteen, more if she has Shir fighting with her.”
Killua laughs. “Right? She’ll probably beat us to the island and just start taking out squads of Chrollo’s men.” He can’t help but sigh. “We could really use Bisky’s manticore right about now. If we could fly, we’d definitely beat Chrollo to Kujira.”
[Artemis: Hey, that’s not a bad idea actually.]
Gon hums again. “That may be true, but then I wouldn’t have Astra with me.” He pats the horse’s neck lovingly. “She’s been with me practically since the beginning of my journey, and I trust her to get us to the harbor in time to catch up to Chrollo,” he says confidently. His broad shoulders sag slightly. “I wish I could take her into battle with me, but if we can’t find a big enough vessel…”
[Artemis *cracks knuckles: Leave it to me boys. Ask and you shall receive.
Making herself invisible, Artemis descends to earth and whispers her instructions into Astra’s ear.]
Killua rubs Gon’s shoulders soothingly. “I know. I don’t want to leave her behind either, but―whoa!”
Out of nowhere, Astra tosses her head and starts galloping full-speed up the hill. Killua wraps his arms around Gon’s waist to stabilize them both, holding on for dear life. Gon yanks the reins, telling her to slow down, but Astra ignores his commands. As they crest the top of the hill, Killua’s gut drops with the realization that Astra is going to jump.
[Hermes: Why did you tell her to do that?
Artemis: It’s more fun this way.]
Just as Killua contemplates pulling both him and Gon off the renegade horse, a miracle happens.
There’s a flash of golden light, and a large pair of black feathered wings sprout from Astra’s shoulder blades. Those huge wings stroke downward once, twice, and then they are airborne. Killua can’t believe what he’s just witnessed: by the grace of what surely must be the gods, Astra has transformed into a winged Pegasus!
“Killua!” Gon exclaims, his amber eyes shining with wonder and excitement. “We’re flying! We’re actually flying! By the gods, it’s a miracle!”
The wind is so much stronger up here, whipping through their hair and clothes; Killua has to brush his hair out of his face. “Yeah, they answered our prayers alright. Seems a bit suspicious…”
“Actually, Hades did say that we were, um, popular on Mount Olympus,” Gon says sheepishly. “This kind of confirms that.”
“Guess so.” At this point, Killua’s not even going to question it; their biggest problem has been solved, after all. “Looks like we’ll be flying to Kujira after all,” he says with a smirk in Gon’s direction.
Gon replies with a joyous whoop and a blinding grin of his own.
Once they get their bearings up in the sky, they arrive at the harbor of Megara in no time at all. At Killua’s instruction, Gon lands them right on the beach, away from the hustle and bustle chaos of the docks. Killua wades into the surf and softly recites the invocation Palm told him to use if he wanted to contact her. Soon after the words are spoken, the waves shift and the ocean’s surface bubbles and froths a ways out from shore. Then, as if in a dream, two women appear among the waves of the sea. One of them is Palm; the sunlight bounces off the luminescent scales on her forearms and the azure jewel on her crown, making her shimmer and glow in her purple gown. But Killua’s focus is on the younger girl next to her.
Her dark hair has gotten longer since Killua last saw her, done up in a gorgeous braided wreath on the top of her head. She’s clothed in a flowing gown of pink linen with a patterned green peplos* draped over one shoulder. Palm had certainly made good on her word to lend his sister her dresses. Killua can see the color in her cheeks even from afar; the sea air has done wonders for her complexion. She’s obviously been thriving under Palm’s care. He can see her eyes, the same blue as his own, light up as she spots him on the shore.
Overcome with relief and joy that bring tears to his eyes, he calls out to his sister.
“Alluka!”
~~~