Today was his birthday.

Normally today there would be a large celebration, a festival and a feast but not this time. There would be a different kind of ceremony tonight, a funeral...his funeral. Aias stepped out onto the balcony for what he knew was to be the last time. He shut his eyes for a moment feeling the warmth of the sun on his shoulders before he took a deep breath. The smell of the sea filled his lungs and he took it all in. He tried to lock everything up inside him from the sound of the crashing waves against the beach the temple overlooked to the caw of the gulls soaring above and the soft sea breeze that brushed through his hair. Finally his eyes fluttered open and he looked at the sky. It was beautiful...this world was beautiful. The sun shone and shimmered like gold off the water and Aias didn't think he had ever seen it so blue.

"Are you ready?" Aias turned around slowly at the low voice that came from behind him. His older brother Gannon stood there dressed in his ceremonial robes, his mouth drawn into a thin line. He was trying not to look at him, Aias could tell. He slowly stepped forward taking his brother's hand in his.

"It's alright," he said softly. "This is what it will take to save Iasicus. I am not afraid brother. Please do not mourn me." Gannon was just staring at him and Aias knew his brother well enough to tell he was trying to keep himself from crying.

"It's not fair," his brother finally said. "If I just hadn't angered the Gods this wouldn't have to happen...the plague wouldn't have occurred...you wouldn't have to die..." Aias just shook his head, still clasping his brother's hand in his.

"I live for my people. You're their king brother, if royal blood is what it will take to satisfy the Gods then I am not afraid to bleed for my country. I-" he was cut off as his brother pulled him into a tight embrace.

"You're better than me," Gannon said slowly. "You're better than any man alive. I'll have songs written about you brother, you will be a hero, a legend. Your name will be sung on the lips of our people for generations. I promise you that."

"I am ready to go now," Aias said softly, looking up to meet his brother's gaze. It was better to go now, go before he became too frightened again, go before he too would cry. Gannon gave a stiff nod.

"Mother is waiting outside...she won't talk to me. The whole city has gathered to watch the sacrifice." He stared at his brother a moment now. "You look beautiful." Aias had been dressed by his mother for the ceremony. He was clothed in deep blues with strings of small sapphires and diamonds placed in his hair. Sparkling jewels hung around his neck and dangled from his ears and strings of pearls were draped from the boy's shoulders. Aias didn't love it himself, the weight of the finery was heavy and uncomfortable. His mother had insisted that if he was to die he would go out in a way that the paintings and sculptures this day would inspire would live on in beauty. He tried to treasure every moment, the touch of his brother's warm hand on his skin, the feeling of the cool marble beneath his feet as he made his way through the temple. When he stepped out of the temple and into the sunlight he could see the great crowd of people that had gathered around its entrance, the sun caught the glint of tears on their cheeks. He smiled at them. Don't cry, he thought, please don't cry. The precision was waiting for them when they arrived. Normally when going through the streets of Iasicus Gannon and Aias would be carried in a litter but today, his last day, his eighteenth year on this earth, Aias had insisted on walking. As he was led through the streets now crowds began to gather along the road watching in silence. That was until the wails started. The city erupted with it, cries and screaming and shouts.

"Prince Aias! Prince Aias! Prince Aias!" It appeared the city itself was weeping. A few people had even attempted to throw themselves in front of the moving procession with one woman screeching,

"Don't kill him. Please don't kill him. Don't kill the beloveded prince." She was finally ripped away by one of the palace guards still wailing. This brought out a desperate ring of cries from the onlookers. Finally they approached the thin wooden walkway which had been set up over night leading out to the large rock where Aias was to be chained to. His mother stood in front of the walkway now and he could see the tears in her eyes. She hugged him tightly and he heard a small sob escape her when he finally let go. The high priest Colin Karras was waiting for him and he took Aias by the hand now leading him down the walkway. Aias was still attempting to treasure everything, even the feeling of the wood beneath this bare feet and the creeks of the boards as they made their way to the rock. Colin looked solemn and just sighed softly. Aias had known Colin long before he had become a priest of the Gods. He had been childhoods friends with Gannon when they were young. Aias could still remember it clearly, the two older boys running together through the field as he would try to keep up with them. Aias had always admired the other two as a child and he looked to Colin now, seeking some kind of comfort in those blue eyes he had held so dear as a boy. Colin met his gaze now, his face unchanging before whispering softly,

"It will be over soon."

------

Gannon forced himself to watch his little brother be chained to the large rock in the middle of the ocean, his stomach twisted into a tight knot. This was all his fault...if he hadn't been such a fool he wouldn't be standing here now, about to watch his little brother be sacrificed for his sins. He watched in silence now as the gold cuffs attached to the rocks were slowly latched on to Aias wrists. His brother looked beautiful, almost unreal with the light caught in his hair making it shine like a million threads of gold.

"Behold," the high priest suddenly shouted. He had made it back to shore leaving only Aias in the middle of the ocean now. "Here stands the son of Queen Alida and the late King Tito, brother to our King Gannon. After the great plague we prayed to our Gods to see what we had done to anger them. They told us that only the blood of the royal family amidst the waves can satisfy Lichas God of the sea, ruler of the sea."

They waited there for about an hour as the sea began to rise, the water slowly coming up to his little brother's ankles, then his knees, then his waist. More time passed and as the water rose to his brother's shoulders Gannon found himself grimacing and attempting to turn away. He was stopped by a tight grip on his arm and he turned slowly to meet Colin's gaze.

"No, watch," he said slowly. "You need to watch. He's paying for what you did Gannon. The least you can do is-" He was cut off by a screech from the crowd and he turned slowly, eyes widening when he saw the cause. A giant wave had begun to grow.

"The Gods....this is the work of the Gods! They've come to claim him!" And with that the wave came crashing down onto the young man on the rock.