“We don’t. They find—” Hektor stopped short. “Us.”
The vibration in the ground was subtle at first, in fact in their group, only Perseus, with his highly sensitive shifter senses, noticed it. He tilted his head to the side, his position shifting into a defensive one. However, the rumbling grew stronger and the sounds of hooves thundered across the plains. What appeared to be a dust storm materialized in the distance, though as it came closer, it was obvious what it was—a group of centaurs. They galloped toward them, stopping a few feet away.
“Welcome, strangers,” the one who broke away from the group greeted as he strode forward. He towered above them with his deep-chested body of a warhorse the color of chestnuts, his tail flicking behind him. His long hair was the same shade of black as his tail, and his face, angular and tanned, was friendly enough but his dark brown eyes held a sharp intelligence as hesized them up. “My, what a strange band you are. A gorgon, humans, and—” His expression turned to recognition as his gaze landed on Hektor. “A Drakkon!Kirobus, welcome back.”
“Hello,kirobus,” Hektor greeted back. As he recalled from his previous visit here, the word was something like “friend” and centaurs used it for those they had an amicable relationship with. He was glad that even though it had been more than a decade since the Drakkons and Centaurs met, they still remembered their alliance. “My name is Hektor, and these are my, uh, team mates.” He quickly introduced everyone.
“I am Dimeses of Moonwish herd.” He gestured to the dozen or so centaurs. “My friends and I were out for a little run on this fine day when we heard you approach us. What brings you to Orunai? We do not often see visitors come to graze on this land.”
Thank Khronathey were getting to the point. “We are looking for someone, actually.”
“Someone special,” Perseus said.
“Oh?” A dark eyebrow shot up. “What do you mean by special? We have many special beings among us. In fact, we believe everyone is special in their own way.”
“We are looking for a demigod,” Medusa said.
The centaur frowned. “A what?”
“The child of a god and mortal,” Hektor explained. “Or in this case, a centaur.”
Dimeses’s face lit up. “Ah yes. We have a few of our kind who are the offspring of immortals.”
“Well, that was easy,” Elian chortled. “I thought we’d have to be sneaky.”
Liora tsked. “Aw, man, I was looking forward to a challenge.”
“Wait, you mean, you know that gods have been mating with your kind?” Hektor asked.
“Of course.” Dimeses’s tone brimmed with pride. “We are lucky to have the gods—and goddesses—visit us and bless uswith foals. And who can blame them, for we centaurs are known for our sexual prowess and stamina.”
“Gods are such perverts,” Liora stage-whispered to her siblings, which earned her a warning glare from Perseus.
Medusa cleared her throat. “We are looking for the child of a particular god.”
Dimeses’s expression turned skeptical. “And may I ask why are you searching for this child?”
Hektor spoke, as he knew the centaur would trust his word. “He or she is in danger, as are the people around them, so we must warn them and offer them protection if necessary.”
The centaur tapped a finger to his chin, seemingly deep in thought before he spoke. “I see. Unfortunately, centaurs do not keep track of our sires. To us, all foals are children of the herd and we grow up as brothers and sisters. Would there be signs that someone is a demigod?”
“Some may have special powers, but not all do,” Perseus said. “Which is why it’s difficult to tell just by looking at someone. However, we have ways of finding out.”
“I can gauge the level of power or magic of a living being,” Medusa stated.
“Your team is lucky to have you then.”
“And we have the help of our friends who are of geryon descent who can detect magical energy.” Hektor motioned to the triplets. “Their powers have been enhanced by the Nightwanderer herself.”
A muscle jumped in Dimeses’s neck as Hektor uttered one of Hecate’s nicknames. “I see. Well,kirobus,if one of my kind is in danger, then we will do what we can to help you.”
“Thank you,kirobus,” Hektor said. “I know there are many of you scattered across the plains so we have our work cut out for us. Your assistance would be most appreciated.”
“It would cut down on our legwork for sure,” Perseus said. “Thank you, Dimeses.”
“Why don’t we begin with our herd? We are settled in the meadow not far from here.” He tossed his head in the direction just over his left shoulder. “I will introduce you to our chief mare. Not only is she the wisest among us, but she will know where most of the other herds have settled for the season. It’s not too far and quite a pleasant walk.”
“I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs,” Hektor said. “Please, lead the way, kirobus.”
