CHAPTER 1.

It was, at that moment, a stormy and dark night, but in fact, it had been a really strange day. The weather had been changing all day since very early in the morning.

Eos, the titan goddess of the dawn, rose once again from her home at the edge of Oceanus, and painted the sky slightly pinkish with his rosy fingers. She gently moved and opened the gates of heaven so her brother Helios could ride his chariot across the sky and bring the new day in. Her brother was never easy to wake up, so she nudged him hard twice. The shiny star, as most people thought, was quite lazy, but Eos knew the real truth , Helios had a lover and he enjoyed spending the night with her, his shiny silver lover was Selene, who was also one of his dearest sisters. That morning was particularly difficult for Eos to wake him up, and when he finally did, he was still sleepy and moody. Eos kissed him slightly on his warm cheek and asked him what his problem was. The shiny lover said that he hated when he had to leave his Moon alone, he also added that he felt lonely without his calm and cold soul mate. Eos, as usual, comforted him, listening to his daily protest, which was always the same rhetorical question: why human beings had not found another source of light and energy yet.

Selene had anticipated his lover's rant and so she moved slightly behind him, and being carefully of not to get burnt, the amorous Moon kissed his lover slightly on his lips and, bating her silvery eyes, she bid him goodbye until that very same night and she faded and finally disappeared in the horizon.

So Helios, being alone but happier than before, set himself on his chariot and rode upwards. While he was riding, his strength went on rising; he had not reached his full strength yet because he had still a long way. However, the god sun went on his ride along the light blue path but in a moment, he stopped his journey as soon as he spotted some movement down there. He approached and saw a beautiful young woman, dressed in a light green peplos, and she was heavily pregnant. The god sun smiled at the vision because if there was something he liked about human beings were his innocent offspring. But he also saw that the woman was grabbing her swollen belly and breathing with difficulty. Suddenly, a tall and strong man came running towards her and scooping her up in her arms, they entered the farmhouse.

Helios went on pacing the sky but he could not stop thinking about that woman, she had looked in pain and that belly was quite big for her slender frame, luckily, she had a strong man - as Nikandros Amyntoros - by her side to take care of her. In order to satisfy his curiosity, Helios approached the house and spied through the chamber window. He could see that the young woman was resting on the bed, her hands caressing gently her protruding belly and speaking softly to the baby inside her womb. He could not distinguish what her words were about but he could realize that they were words loaded with love for her unborn baby. He was curious enough to approach a bit further and he heard the words clearly:

-"Soon, my baby, you are due soon, you will come to complete our happiness, we have been waiting for you for so long that it is a miracle that you are nearly here."

Helios smiled at the young woman, he could see her noble heart and the love she felt for her unborn child. The god sun saw the strong man enter the chamber, this time he was carrying a pot with some hot stew, a soft towel and warm water in a pitcher. He smiled at his wife; his eyes showed so much love for her that nobody would dare to say the contrary. He sat on the bed, by her side, next to his wife's belly and leaned over, drying with the soft towel her sweaty face.

A strong cramp struck the woman's belly and she whined lowly, Iris Amyntoros was a strong woman; she would tolerate any pain her baby wanted to give her because she knew that, in the end, she would be rewarded with the blessing of their first child. Another strong contraction signaled the beginning of her labor process and more pain.

Helios went away, promising himself that he would come back to check on her later. Some hours in the day, Helios was standing above the Amyntoros house when he heard a loud cry; he descended quickly towards the house and peeped through the window, once more. Poor Iris was sweating a lot, her face was traced with lines of pain and anyone could easily see the tracks that tears had left on her flushed skin.

Nikandros came inside the chamber again, this time with a midwife who quickly stood up by Iris's bed. The god Sun started to shine a bit less and he also diminished his heat; Helios was really worried about the young woman's suffering so he tried to make the weather not so hot so she could feel more comfortable.

The day was passing by slowly, Helios was getting more and more upset, no matter what he did, young Iris did not feel any better. Shivers and strong contractions were still traveling her body; her midwife was by her side, drying her forehead and letting her take little sips of water mixed with motherwort to reduce the pain.

Grey and black clouds covered the sky in questions of minutes and suddenly Helios felt a shiver, "What a strange sensation for a ball of fire!" thought the god Sun. Seconds later a loud thunder woke up the earth. Several thunders, each louder than the previous ones, deafened the human beings and the animals that caught in the open.

A lightning stroke the tree beside the chamber window and the tree caught fire immediately, like a huge candle, sending a signal towards the gods in the sky.

At the exact moment that the lightning struck the tree, a baby cry was heard and loud and delighted laugh lightened the dark atmosphere.

The new father went out of the house, he did not care it was pouring heavily, and ran towards the small altar he had built next to the house as soon as he knew about the pregnancy. He offered and then burnt the guts of a young white calf and thanked the gods for their good fortune. The Amyntoros name had been, once more, honored with a true heir.

One of the grooms came running to find his master and asked:

"Has the baby been born?"

"Yes, he is here, Theo" answered the proud father.

"What is his name, master?" asked the groom with a wide smile crowning his face.

"He is called Hephaestion Amyntoros" replied Nikandros while looking after the embers in the altar.

"Why have you chosen that name, sire?" asked the boy puzzled but knowing that his master and lady would have a good explanation.

"Because he was born at exactly the same moment the tree next to the chamber caught fire and Iris's green eyes caught the reflection of the flames in them; apart from that Hephaestus is such a powerful god that we decided to name him after the god of fire" Nikandros explained the young groom.

"Good choice, my lord. May the gods bless him with a long life and strength to face everything that life presented him" said Theo smiling to his master, who returned the smile while patting the groom's shoulder.

"Thank you Theo for your good wishes. I will go back to the house now. Can you tell the good news to the rest of the workers?" asked Nikandros.

"It would be an honour for me. Do you think we could meet him later?" Theo asked.

"Of course, go and ask the rest to come over before Lady Iris takes her very well deserved rest" said the man while walking back to his family.

Helios, the all-seeing sun, was overjoyed; a new human baby had been born, bringing happiness to the young Amyntoros couple, he had been given a good name, his father had honored and thanked the gods and not only the mother Iris, the lady rainbow, but also the baby seemed to be doing fine, a bit exhausted but healthy.

Grooms and maids, shepherds and farmers entered timidly the farmhouse and they went on walking until they reached the master chamber, they knocked slightly onto the door and Nikandros let them enter. All of them came bearing gifts for the newborn and his mother. Most of them were very modest gifts, product of their own work but all of them had been made with so much love that the newly parents were thrilled with joy.

The eldest maid, Helena, who had been with Iris since the lady were a baby, took a look at baby Hephaestion and said:

"By Zeus, he is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen, you should believe me as I have seen nearly a hundred babies in my seventy years on these lands. You were truly blessed with him, my lords"

"Thank you Helena, and now you have the duty of looking after another baby as you did with me and my siblings" answered Iris with love in her sweet voice.

"It would be my pleasure, my little rainbow; you were the most beautiful baby girl of all in these lands; and you grew to become a decent and noble woman" answered the old lady.

"That was one of the reasons why I married her and so it is also my wish that you, our dear Helena, help Iris with the baby and be his nanny" said Nikandros who couldn't fail seeing the tears falling down the wrinkled cheeks of the old woman in front of him.

Helena was about to answer when the baby yawned and, as if the boy could understand his parents' wish, he opened his eyes and focused them on the old lady by his side. Helena gasped and exclaimed:

"By sweet Aphrodite, look at those cerulean eyes, they are like to pieces of heaven set on that face, two waves stolen to Poseidon to make the bluest eyes ever seen, two jewels that can show that they are older than his age. I can also see a silver and golden halo covering his body, it is a good sign and remember what I say today: this baby will be special, he will be loved as much as hated but he will always outstand his peers until he finds his place in this world, a place next to someone in power, but who would love him until the end"

Everybody looked at the old woman, who was coming out of her trance, and smiled at the good omen. They bid them farewell and let the family get their more than deserved rest.

Helios, who was watching through the window again, was happy to see so many things offered to the baby boy and even though he was feeling joyous, Helios was still a bit skittish so he decided to take some measures in order to assure the baby's wellbeing.

When he met his gentle lover, the god sun commented her what had been happening in the little farmhouse and Selene, seeing his lover a bit anxious, promised to look after and have a watchful eye over the woman and the new born baby boy. The sun spent some hours with her beloved, until the silver queen of the night had to travel along the midnight sky to give light and calmness to the mortals.

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