Okay! So here's the deal.
I had to write this fic, simply because as soon as I had the idea… it wouldn't go away. And now I love the concept.
So here's a vote for you, my lovelies:)
I'm loving Sess/Kag mytho-style. And I was already planning on doing a series of one-shots using Amerindian legends because everyone loves the cultural aspect found in my fic, "Hakidonmuya – Time of the Waiting Moon", and I've so many great stories I want to use! So I was wondering… should I write more of these little stories, or even one-shots, using Greek/Roman/any-freaking-thing-else myths? And should they be included in the same one-shot collection as the aboriginal ones? Vote away, my loves! Leave me a review to tell me what you think, and tell me how you liked this story in general:)
Oh. Beeteedubs, I call them lovers, but they're not lovers in the bowchickawowow sense, just the I-love-you-you-love-me-awww-how-sweet sense.
On with the show!
...
/|\\
From the moment I first saw her, she was special. Even in the guise of a human, she had a glow about her, a strong thrum of power that shook me to the very core, resonating deep within my chest and vibrating in my veins.
I was never a man to love. Love was fleeting, a mere amusement created by lesser beings to explain their need to couple. I was the son of Poseidon, the great Wave Walker. I lasted where others could not. I endured while they passed on to the world of Hades, right alongside their "love."
But she was different. She provided a precious respite from the mundane goings-on of everyday life, yes, but… this was nothing I had ever known. She was more beautiful than even the fairest of humans, enough to rival Helen herself. I wanted for nothing in her presence. Her power drew me in, her heart caught me as a rabbit in a snare, and her charm kept me content to be so.
My Huntress – for yes, she was mine – would last. She was a daughter of Mount Olympus, immortal and unending. She could stay with me until my end, whenever that may be, and I would die happy in the warm circle of her deceptively soft arms.
I came up with many reasons for this new phenomenon. I told myself that she was simply a challenge, a rival in the hunt that I wanted to pit myself against, hoping to prove my skill greater than the mother goddess of the hunt itself. I told myself that I was only looking for another amusement, and what better than a chaste goddess that gave me her heart like a blushing human maiden? I even told myself that I wanted to show my worth. The son of a god, consort to the goddess of the Hills and Forests, She of the Golden Shaft.
I did myself a great disservice with these claims. Good thing I never once believed them.
This one did not waste his time, and any of the aforementioned reasons would have been just so – not worth my time and effort. What I felt was something different, but very real. Very much alive. It was not something that could be contained in such an insignificant word as love, though I supposed it would have to do. I had none better, and there was no way I could invent such an all-encompassing term so as to describe the way my heart sang at the vey sight of her. The way I knew that, even though she had admittedly more strength than I, I would protect her until my dying breath.
I just never expected said breath to come by her hand.
/|\\
The day was warm, the water cool. I sought relief from the heat and the strenuous training I inflicted upon myself in the waters of the sea. This was my inherited home and the surf rose to greet me. I was comfortable here. I waited for the tug of the waves to pull the tension from my tired muscles.
I did not achieve this level of relief, finding instead that I was plunged into darkness.
Upon rising from the darkness, I did not see the familiar landscape of the shore, nor even the endless waves of the sea. I was in a dark realm, and before me lay a river. Raising my eyes to observe the river, I saw a figure enveloped by shadows, a long beard adorning his chin. His sunken cheeks were blanched of all color, giving the illusion of one dead.
It was with that thought that I knew. This was the Underworld. Here came Kharon, son of Hades and Nyx, to ferry me across the river Styx, border to the realm of Hades. This river, the main river of Tartarus, flowed into the other rivers of the Underworld, the Acheron and Cocytus. It flowed forth from the river Phlegethon to form the border of Hades.
I looked past the shores of this river and was greeted with a sight I had expected – the looming form of Cerberus, the three-headed dog, protecting the entrance to Hades.
Hearing distraught moans, I turned to look, not a single thought in my mind about what I would see.
There in front of me were vast hordes of the spirits of the dead. These were the ones that could not cross the river, for they were left alone and without the proper funeral rites. The time spent wandering aimlessly showed on their haggard faces, their mouths agape with the sounds of their moans.
I was to be one of them. I held no obolus, no coin to pay my way. I would spend all of eternity in this place, this place I knew to be Erebus, named for the son of Chaos and Gaia, caught between the world of the living and of the dead.
Kharon came to a stop at the edge of the river. His eyes, full of endless sorrow and death, flashed at me as he held out his hand in a waiting gesture. He wanted me to give him my golden coin, my fee to cross, but there was nothing I could do. I shook my head and he lowered his hand.
Absently I made a mental note to be angry at the one who dared leave me without coin to cross the river. It was disgrace for one such as I to be left here in Erebus for all of eternity.
It was while I was caught in the midst of this peculiar thought that Kharon did something curious: he lifted his bony hand once more and beckoned to me. I knew not why he would allow me to pass without the necessary fee, but I was not going to question such a development.
I boarded the ferry and we crossed the river Styx. We made our way past the dog Cerberus and through the gates of Hades in our ferry. Our course led us away from the Styx and onto a river whose name I did not know; I was not terribly familiar with the exact geography of this Underworld, though I supposed I would find out in time.
I hid my surprise when the ferry slowed, showing that we had reached our destination. The surrounding land was filled with asphodel flowers and poplar trees. I saw around me the great virtuous heroes that I had come to know through the stories of old. And so I came to know the Elysian Fields, home to the spirits of fallen heroes and initiates in the Mysteries.
Faintly I wondered if I would meet the god Hades, for he was, in fact, my uncle.
Stepping deeper into the field of white flowers, there suddenly appeared before me what looked to be a mirror. Its frame was adorned with depiction of snakes and vultures, an eagle at the top; I recognized these all as symbols of Ares, god of war. How very appropriate for such things to be seen in a place of fallen heroes.
It was in this mirror that, when I peered deeply, I glimpsed the events the led to my own death. A strange feeling, that. But nevertheless informative, and I found that ice began to creep around my heart at the sight.
It was her. It was my love that took my life, she that let fly the arrow of death. And she that would have let me sit in the rotting place called Erebus, never to move on. Ice came to coexist with fire as my rage mounted. I saw nothing but her, pulling taut the bowstring and loosing the golden arrow, fletched with the feathers of a buzzard hawk.
But then there she was, in all of her shining beauty. I had paid little attention to her words up until this time, believing them to be feeble, speaking nowhere near as strongly as her actions. It was then, as I saw my own lifeless body laying limp in the warm shelter of her arms, that I heard her voice bargaining for my life.
My anger slipped away, the ice melting even as the fire dimmed. Her love for me shone through in the way she spoke with passion in her voice, warmth and the sorrow of loss in her moist eyes. I wanted nothing more than to do the impossible, reach out and brush the tears from her porcelain cheek.
My last though as I faded once more into the blackness was that I could never do such again.
/|\\
I could feel the life enter his body once again. My Hunter's face was no longer drained of color and he no longer lay limp in my arms. I reached down to stroke his face and welcome him into the world, but was stopped by the firm voice of my father.
"Daughter. A deal has been made." He said no more, but I understood his meaning. My love had been granted his life, my father's end of the bargain upheld. I could not indulge in the feel of the Hunter's strangely soft skin just yet; he still had to prove his worth.
I nodded and left them there, my Hunter cushioned by the sand, accompanied by the glow of Zeus and Asclepius the healer. Once again I returned to the top of Mount Olympus, finding it to have the feel of a prison more than a home now that my world was not to include my mortal love.
But then… our bargain was that I may not see the human. I quickly decided that my father had meant in person and called forth a favor from Prometheus, Titan god of clever council. It was he that gifted me with a looking glass of sorts, through which I was able to view the doings of my beloved.
I looked on eagerly as he was informed of the deal we had made over his body, as ever-kind Asclepius told him that he would have to prove his worth to all before we could be together. I felt stirrings of amusement when I remembered my lover's fierce pride, how the thought of anyone doubting his skill and strength would irk him so.
It was in the midst of my giggling at the situation that she appeared behind me.
"He is bound to fail," said Eris. Goddess of discord and strife, she wanted nothing more than to get under my skin and cause trouble. Daughter of Nyx, the night goddess, Eris was always looking for ways to bring contention to us on Mount Olympus.
And she did not fail me now.
"You lover will fail, and his life will once more belong to Hades. You've no one but that brother of yours to blame. Sure, that mortal would die soon anyway… but to think that you could have had more time with him. If only Apollo hadn't tricked you…" she trailed off, ending her statement with a tsk, tsk noise. I tried to ignore her even as I felt her cold, calculating gaze boring metaphorical holes in my back.
"Eris, let our dear sister alone," came the slow drawl of Aphrodite. "She cannot help her love for the mortal, can she? We may as well give him a chance." She giggled a bit behind her hand, as if the thought of him succeeding was ridiculously funny to her, extremely outrageous.
I was quickly becoming irritated with their distractions, but I did have one true defender.
Sister Pallas Athena, goddess of warfare and reason, came forth and cast a scathing glance in their respective directions. "You shame yourselves. We have no reason to doubt this mortal. On the contrary, I have seen him perform many heroic acts. Perhaps he will succeed with the inspiration our dear sister provides," she declared. She nodded to me with a small smile on her face at the mention of me providing him inspiration and I found a blush spreading across my features.
Athena was the embodiment of feminine strength and I liked to think that we were similar in that way. We did not indulge in the childish arguments of our family members and we had ever been on friendly terms.
I turned my attention once more to my looking glass to see my Hunter returned to his full strength. Still he stood with my father and nephew, not afraid in the least. I felt a rush of pride flower in my chest at the sight of him standing with the King of the Gods, not intimidated and sure of his own strength.
"I must prove myself worthy of her attentions or I return to the Underworld," he clarified, his voice ringing strong in what may have been a question if he had not spoken it as a statement.
Asclepius nodded in response. "Yes. You know, many of the gods fear for her. Her infatuation with you seems to have grown to inordinate levels, so do not be surprised if you find you are met with resistance. Many may fight against you in this. The true test of your strength will be in your dealings with those of us that would harm you."
My love inclined his head to show that he had heard. Almost as an afterthought, he asked Asclepius, "Will you be among those that would hinder my progress?" His voice held no hint of accusation. It was merely a question, and I knew that he would take the answer in stride, no matter what it was.
Asclepius, that kind healer, gave an easy mirthful chuckle.
"I brought you back, did I not? To do such and then work for your death would be a bit of a contradiction on my part, I should say." His kind smile reached his eyes and his laugh lines crinkled with mirth. Truth be told, Asclepius would never willingly hurt anyone. And he knew that to hurt the Hunter was to bring me pain. Asclepius had always been fond of me in a friendly way and to bring me pain was something he would never do; it was simply not in his nature.
His declaration was met with a soft "Hn," of assent before my father turned to him.
"Set your task, mortal. The gods will be watching." With that booming statement, Zeus promptly vanished from the side of the Hunter, only to reappear in our midst on Mount Olympus.
Seeing me with the glass clutched in my hands, he gave a soft shake of the head before turning and walking away. I ignored him and looked back at my glass. Asclepius had gone too, and my love stood on the shore alone, his hair ruffled by the sea breeze.
He stood looking out over the vast stretch of water, his usually emotionless eyes betraying his confusion. His brow wrinkled in a way that told me he was lost, unsure of what task could bring us back together. My heart ached for him and I wondered if he knew of the reasons behind his death. Something told me he knew, but I could not be sure if I was forgiven. After all, most were not put in the position of having to forgive their killer. And it didn't help that the killer was his lover.
I hoped against all hope that we would once more be together, that we could put this all behind us. My only desire was to be with my Hunter once more, to roam the forests of Crete as we had done for so long.
It was then that I realized his life was more important to me than my own happiness. For even if he could not forgive me, I wished for him to live and become happy without me. I longed for him to see past my betrayal and join me again in the hunt, but if he could not… I at least wanted him to be safe.
I've come to realize that this was the true measure of my love. That I cared more for his happiness than my own should have told me that I was in much too deep.
/|\\
I watched him. Always I watched him, staring into the looking glass as if hoping he would feel my gaze if it was strong enough, know that I guarded him so fiercely. I came to wish for many things, one of them being that he would feel the caress of my eyes upon his back as he ran through the forest.
His task did not seem to be set specifically. I saw him wandering about much as he had always been wont to do. This became another of my wishes – to know his thoughts, to understand every bit of what was going on in his mind.
Just to add to my headache it seemed, the gods of Mount Olympus did not cease their prattle about my Hunter. They would wonder aloud how long it would be until his life was forfeit, what task he would choose, and how long until we can kill him again? I took it all in stride, but my anger grew to dangerous levels and I was quite sick of their childish ramblings. They spoke as if I was not there, pretending to be surprised at my presence when I turned to glare in their general direction.
"Oh, dear sister! My apologies. It was like you weren't even there, so intent upon your looking glass as you have been," they would say.
None of them understood. Their dealings with mortals were limited to meaningless flings and toying with their lives. Yes, the gods would cause wars among those that worshipped them. And then they would take sides as the fighting continued, working to kill the people of the opposing side. It was such a juvenile pastime and in the tradition of children, they would forget about it and move on as soon as one side was either completely decimated or had given up.
I knew it could only be so long until they became sick of just watching and decided it was high time to get involved.
It began innocently enough I suppose. They would send small obstacles just to delay him more than anything else, though none of us knew yet what his intentions were. Hera sent her sacred birds, swarms of peacocks, to block his way. He was then met with the snakes of Ares and even attacked by the doves of Aphrodite.
I had no concerns for him in the face of these minor adversities. My only worry was that the immortals would soon cross the line and interfere entirely too much.
Such came to pass one day, just like any other. The Hunter was in the forest, his dogs baying after game and he following with his spear at the ready. Then I saw through my looking glass the form of a great dog appear before my mortal love.
The dog engaged the Hunter, spinning and twirling in the air, dodging his swift blows. The mortal came to no harm, but he began to tire and I feared for his life. But then, being the fearsome fighter that he was, my lover saw an opening and just as his spearpoint was but a fraction of an inch away from contact, the ferocious beast disappeared with a pop and in its place stood the god Menoitios.
"Ha! Nice try, mortal," said the god of rash action. "You will have to do better than that to uphold your end of the bargain, though."
Once again I felt pride in my heart when my Hunter showed no puzzlement or surprise at the sudden appearance of this god. He also showed no signs of just having been engaged in battle, for his chest did not heave with effort and not a drop of sweat glistened upon his brow.
"Oh?" he asked with a tinge of amusement in his deep, booming voice. "It seems that, had you not transformed, I would have been the victor." His words brought me great entertainment, but I wished he had not said such. Menoitios was truly a brash god, and there was no telling what he would do to my love if he became angered.
Menoitios smirked maliciously, showing entirely too many of his teeth for it to be truly without hatred. "Funny, mortal. Though I suggest you become a bit more serious about your task. The road ahead is difficult, and you have not even set a goal yet. Time is running out."
"I will admit, I know not how to go about proving my worth. My strength is great and I am undefeated. What would the gods wish to see for me to prove myself?" It was then that I felt the first stirrings of dread. Taking advice from Menoitios was a poor decision, for not only was Menoitios god of rash action, he was the god of violent anger and I feared that his rage had been stoked by the Hunter's almost-victory.
The immortal's smile widened. "Well, I would advise you to think of what you are good at. I have heard tell of your exploits, exterminating beasts and conquering vicious animals. I suppose you could make it your mission to destroy the greatest beast in all the land. But I fear even that may not be enough." Menoitios began circling my lover like a bird of prey and the look in his eyes was absolutely feral.
Others had begun to peer at my looking glass now, straining to see over my shoulder. They were enjoying the show immensely, that much I could tell.
"So," replied my Hunter, "what are you suggesting? That I destroy all the beasts of the land? That is an enormous task. It is folly to even believe it possible."
"Hm. And I thought you were the strongest hunter alive? How very sad that you cannot carry out such a simple task. You are obviously not a worthy companion for our Huntress." I could see where this was going and I felt absolutely sickened. Nothing good could come of Menoitios' counsel.
The resolve shone in the eyes of my Hunter and I knew then that it was sealed. He would uphold his end of the bargain in this way if it took him to the ends of the earth and back.
"Fine. I will carry out this task, if it means that I may prove my valor. I will destroy all the beasts of the earth and sky, showing to the gods that I belong with my lady of the Forests and Hills."
With this firm declaration, Menoitios laughed and disappeared as the Hunter set off on his journey.
/|\\
He was strong, no one could deny this fact. He extinguished many beasts in his first days and covered much ground. The gods became even more angered when they saw his success, the way he blew through all of their obstacles with ease. I became hopeful once more in the face of his victories and began to imagine what it would be like when we were reunited.
So wrapped up was I in my girlish fantasies that I did not see the maneuvers of the consorted pair Apate and Dolos.
Both Apate and Dolos were minor gods, tricksters both. They enjoyed the adventure of deceit, a lie well told. She, the daughter of Nyx and Erebus, and he the son of Gaia and Aether, god of upper air, they worked well together, striving to deceive us all and bring chaos down upon us.
It was this pair that brought word of the Hunter's intentions to the awareness of Gaia, she who is the Earth Mother. I later learned that she had felt the disturbances, but had thought little of it and not considered the possibility that it could become a larger problem. Apate and Dolos assured her that if something was not done about the Hunter soon, all of Gaia's precious life forms would be destroyed, never to walk the earth again.
You could say that this was when his fate was sealed, though I can't help but think his fate was questionable at best the moment we met.
/|\\
The Hunter went on in his quest, not knowing what exactly was taking place and how the very gods worked against him. He slew all manner of savage beasts, risking his life that he might be with me again. I watched it all in my little glass and waited for the day that both of our dreams would be realized.
I know he did not feel it, but I did. The sudden surge of power, stemming from the earth and growing to great heights. It was almost suffocating.
It was then that I saw the source of this power. For there, running toward my Hunter at full speed, was a giant scorpion. I know now that this scorpion was sent by Gaia to exact revenge upon my lover, but at the time my only thought was that I was going to lose him once again.
The scorpion came very close to the Hunter before stopping and lashing out with his tail at lightning speed. He dodged the poisonous stinger just barely, swinging out with his gold-tipped spear even as he rolled away from the danger.
The point hit home, but its destination turned out to be only one of its eight towering legs. It screamed in anger as my hands clutched the looking glass, knuckles turning white. Everyone was watching now, preferring to stare at the clearer picture in my looking glass than at the vague shapes to be seen from the top of our mountain.
The stinger lashed out once more and the Hunter dodged, almost coming into contact with the scorpion's vicious pinchers that marked the opening of its jaws. He stabbed with his weapon to no avail; the creature's armor covered its whole body and his spear was no match for the hard plates.
The Hunter was knocked back onto the ground and the stinger sped toward his vulnerable body.
What happened next I remember very little, even to this day. They say I screamed and dropped the glass, shattering it instantly. My power rushed out of me, reaching down to the earth and surrounding my mortal love, protecting him from the blow.
The only thing I remember clearly was thinking that if he died I would never see him again. I needed to be able to at least see him in my times of loneliness, or my life would be meaningless.
The next thing I knew was the deep blue of the night sky. I was surrounded by it, seeing nothing else but the star-speckled inky darkness.
And, to my utter joy and relief, came my Hunter, running to greet me with his arms open wide. We embraced in the blue depths of the sky, but only for a moment. For soon I felt his body pulled away from mine as he slowly seemed to disintegrate into a million shining shards of glass, much like my shattered mirror.
The parts of him rose into the sky, growing and growing farther apart until he was nothing but a shape in the stars.
/|\\
It is since then that people have tried to name my lover, using such names as 'Orion', though to me he will always be the Hunter.
I never would have thought to love a constellation, but that is what he is now. Gaia also took it upon herself to make her scorpion a being of the stars, so that he may forever battle with my lover in the night sky.
I only hope that he is happy in his place among the stars. He has his two hunting dogs, Canis Minor and Canis Major, to aid him in his hunting of Lepus the hair in between battles with Scorpio.
Long ago I lost my love to the hatred of the gods, those I call my family. Still, I am one of them and it is not in my nature to hold a grudge. But in the face of my lost love I have decided to forever be chaste, to never lay with a man.
For I could never love another as I love my Hunter.
/|\\
See if you can guess the deities! I gave some of them personalities from IY characters and I want to see if they came through. There's Miroku, Sango, Kikyo in all of her biatchy glory, and Inuyasha (sorta but not too much), in addition to Sesshoumaru and Kagome.