Nine Lives
Chapter 2
When it was discovered that something or someone had destroyed the statue of Aphrodite, a crowd of Athenians gathered around the scene. They knew they must rebuild it- and quickly! Or suffer the goddess of love's wrath. Unnoticed by the throng of people, a small tabby cat slinked out from under the debris and made its way out of the temple.
Outside the temple, the city was alive with the sounds and sights of Pyanopsia, the festival held every October in honor of Apollo, god of the sun, prophesy, healing, and the arts. The cat walked through the streets of Athens, carefully avoiding the many stamping feet. Many of the people carried with them olive branches with jars of honey, oil, and wine attached. They would offer these to Apollo in exchange for the promise of good health. The cat was then struck with a most brilliant idea.
He leapt onto the nearest high pillar and cried, "Hear me, Athenians! Hear me, men, women and children! I come from a land across the sea upon a ship! I bring you gold, wine, and sweet leg of oxen!" The cat paused only to make sure he had the attention of the crowd before continuing, "I also bring you bountiful fleas from the beds of plague-stricken foreigners!" On all sides, people stared at the cat in shocked silence. "Enjoy!"
Pandemonium is the only proper word to describe what ensued. Commoners ran to and fro, left and right, into each other and on top of each other. They shrieked, hollered, and hyperventilated. The cat (who, incidentally, was quite well-groomed) watched, seated neatly with his tail tucked over his paws, nice and safe on his tall pillar, and was soon laughing delightedly.
"Oh, you think this humorous, do you?" The cat felt himself be jerked roughly off the pillar by the scruff of his neck. He saw the sky whirl above him for a moment, then came face-to-face with a young man, handsome and smooth-cheeked. The cat gave no answer.
"Look at these people! You've driven them into hysterics! Plague!" he chided scornfully. "I've never heard such a forked tongue. You are a loathsome cat." He tossed the cat down at his feet and wiped his hand off on his toga, as if it really did carry plague.
The cat, true to his name, landed on his feet. "What's it to do with you?" he asked promptly.
"I," he replied, "am always present at my festivals. I come to hear their prayers, to partake in the frivolity."
"Your festivals?" the cat began. Then it dawned on him. "You're Apollo."
The god sniffed. "Do you know, cat, why I am known as a healer of sickness?"
"Hm." The cat picked his teeth. "Is it because you can create sickness and disease, as well as kill it?"
"No, it-" Apollo scowled. "Yes, that is why. And the plague is a specialty of mine. This little trick you played- you have made a grave error playing it on this, the day of Pyanopsia." Apollo raised a cold hand, pointed it at the cat. "Die."
Thanks millions my lovely reviewers ^_^ I've gained a bit of confidence now (if you haven't stopped by my profile, you won't have noticed, but this is my first-ever story). I'm very pleased, but know that critisms, questions, suggestions, predictions, ect. are very much welcome!
Later,
-Kayla