Part 1: Chapter 6

Dionysus

I was on the beach, standing exactly where the water's reach ended. As I looked out at the distance, seeing nothing but more of the vibrant blue-green sea, I stood still and let the water wash over my bare feet. I listened to the sounds of the waves and the calls of the birds. I breathed in the sea breeze, imagining myself to be drinking its lovely fragrance.

It was quiet and peaceful, and I allowed myself to enjoy this nice moment.

But all of a sudden, I felt another presence approaching. There was no sound to indicate its appearance; the aura just slowly started to become more evident the closer it came. Feeling it, I turned, and when I did, I instantly saw Artemis standing right behind me.

No longer did she don the white full-length robe she had on when she went to Ariadne, but once again back into her emerald green chiton that reached a few inches above her knees. Her face was no longer partially hidden by the hood of her robe, now exposed for many – or just me – to behold her immense beauty. Strapped to her back was her bow and quiver, which had been hidden when the goddess had gone to see the mortal girl.

Turning around to face my body to her, I asked, "So? How has it gone?"

I hoped with all my heart that Artemis had decided to accept my plea to seek her help for Ariadne. But I also hoped that Ariadne had not done anything wrong to lose the mighty goddess' good graces. I know of how rude and haughty the mortal girl could get, since she had shown it to me personally the previous night, and I only hoped that she hadn't shown any of the fiery attitude during her encounter with my half-sister.

Letting out a small breath, Artemis answered, "So far, she seems alright. Weak and exhausted, yes, but alright. She had done nothing to insult me and she had treated me with respect, so I take it that it would be two good things about her." Suddenly, Artemis began to look deep in thought for a few seconds, before she sighed and told me, "I cannot deny the fact that I cannot be her guardian anymore, Dionysus. She is no longer a virgin."

Hearing that last bit made my heart drop a bit. So what does that mean? Does that mean that Artemis would not give her protection in these wildlands of Naxos? If so, then I worried how exactly Ariadne was going to survive here.

But before I could part my lips to start pleading her once again, she cut me off by telling me, "However, I've decided that I may provide her some sanctuary here in my wildlands. I could tell that she is indeed in need of a helping hand, so I have given a little bit of aid to her." Pointing to one direction to the forest behind her without turning her body towards it, she informed me, "Currently, I have told her to stay in a small grove by a stream. Continue to walk straight in that direction and you will find the place."

The dropping feeling of my heart from just a few seconds immediately turned into one of relief. Thank everything that Artemis had been kind, despite her initial gruff and reluctant attitude from the beginning. I smiled widely to show her how much I appreciated what she had done.

"However," she suddenly said with a new tone of warning, "I had done so on the condition that she does not do any harm to my domain." Her voice then took on a more menacing tone as she added, "If ever she acts in defiance, I will not hesitate to take away her privileges in my domain, and also make sure that she pays for wrongdoings."

I gulped, but quickly nodded in understanding. That was one thing about Artemis that absolutely frightened me; the way that she could quickly transition from a gentle and merciful soul to a fearsome and deadly being. Truly, one had absolutely better be careful with their words and actions when in the presence of Artemis.

"I will make sure that she does not do anything to insult you," I told her in a voice that I had managed to keep stable. "And if she ever does any slight mistakes that offend you, I will take full responsibility."

I had nearly felt hesitance when I said the last part, but I knew that I had to take responsibility over Ariadne, since I was the one who made the effort to know her and I was the one who had personally called Artemis to give protection to her, even persuading her even if she had initially said that she couldn't – or maybe wouldn't – do it.

All menace in Artemis' facial expression and voice slowly disappeared as she told me in a more neutral tone, "Good to hear that."

Just then, she slung off her bow and gripped it tight in her right hand. "Now that everything's settled, I should be off," she told me, starting to move off. "I would be returning at any point of time to check on her, though I will expect you to do that more frequently." And then, the warning tone returned as she told me, "She is your responsibility, Dionysus. Remember that."

I nodded immediately. "Yes, Artemis." And then, with a slight bow, I told her, "Until next time."

She bowed her head to me before jogging off into the forest. Her aura lingered for a minute, until it finally disappeared.

Ariadne

I now sat beside a stream that held water that was clean and pure and was very tempting to drink. I had done just that, helping myself to a few handful scoops, relishing in its refreshing flavor.

When my thirst had been satiated, I took a look at myself in the water, and I was suddenly fully aware of how filthy I looked. I could finally feel the sweat and grime that lightly-coated my entire body, with the dried tear trails on my cheeks now feeling uncomfortably sticky. I could also feel that my hair was in a complete mess, feeling tangles and even tiny grains of sand.

At first, I hesitated at the thought of washing up, afraid that somebody might see me. However, I remembered that the part of Naxos I was in now was the inhabited part, and that the nearest civilization was a few days journey by foot. With that thought in mind, I slowly shed the pale yellow dress that I wore and prepared myself for a good wash. But just to be sure, I made sure that I was well hidden.

Not wanting to taint the pure water of the stream with my body filth, I searched for something to scoop up the water with. In the nearby trees, I found a sizable fern leaf that was able to do the job. I then began to use it to scoop up the water of the stream and pour it onto myself. I sighed in relief at the feel of the water on my body, feeling myself getting cleaner and more refreshed.

When I felt absolutely clean with not even a hint of sweat left on my body, I redressed myself in the pale yellow dress, since it was the only form of clothing I had other than my sandals. I ran my fingers through my long wet hair to free it of any stray tangles and sand, pleased to feel none.

The area I was in had a few fruit trees; few of which held fruits that I knew very well were not poisonous. My heart started racing at the thought of the fresh fruits and my stomach began to growl more desperately. Hurriedly, I began to pick an apple from the branch I could reach and took a big bite out of it. I sighed in pleasure at the fresh, sweet and crisp taste on my tongue, eating it slowly to relish the flavor.

As I slowly ate my apple, I began to feel thankful for the woman, Cynthia, for leading me to this place. If it hadn't been for her, I don't know what I would do now.

But at that moment, my mind flashed back to Cynthia. Instantly, I was overwhelmed with curiosity about her.

One thing that made me curious was where she came from. Didn't the stranger from last night tell me that there was nobody that was living on this side of Naxos? If so, where exactly was Cynthia from? Either the stranger was telling me a lie about this side of Naxos being inhabited, or Cynthia simply lived by herself around here. But if it was the latter, then it was strange for a woman like her to be by herself.

Another thing that made me curious was who she was. While she was leading me to this grove by a small river, I had asked her questions about herself, like where did she live, or what did she do, or where she was from. I even asked her why she wanted to be called 'Cynthia' when it was not her real name, and what did she meant when had she had said that she 'watched the wildlands'.

But instead of answering my questions, she just kept mum about it; a clear sign that she was not going to answer it, maybe for personal reasons. I did not attempt to press her for the answers, afraid that I may be annoying her.

But what made me amaze about her was her immense beauty. From the short amount of time I spent with her, I do not think I have never stopped being amazed by how she looked. I don't know why, but she had looks that were too mesmerizing to behold. She was so beautiful that I could not look away for long, even if I wanted to. I felt myself feel pangs that I could never be as beautiful as her, although I also wondered how she managed to look the way she did.

All of a sudden, something inside my head clicked.

I began to recall how the stranger from last night looked, easily remembering how enchantingly handsome he was. And then I thought of the gloriously beautiful Cynthia. Somehow, both the stranger and Cynthia's beauty had stood on par with each other, only differentiated slightly due to their gender.

I did not find it too coincidental that two different people could hold such beauty of a very high scale.

What's more, why was it that I was able to come across two people when there hadn't been any the morning of the day before? Why did they come only after I…

Wait…

Could it be?

Maybe it was just coincidental that they came after I had prayed last night to the deities of Mount Olympus. Maybe the great gods and goddesses had taken mercy on me and sent me the help I had begged them for. The help must have been stranger and Cynthia, both sent by the deities to be my aid.

Besides, didn't the stranger from last night also said that one of the Olympian gods had heard me and will ensure my safety?

All of a sudden, that little bit of information only added fuel to the fire of curiosity that was burning within me. How exactly would he know that a god had heard me? Unless he was a priest, which I doubt he was since he did not look like one, there was no way he could.

Unless…. he had said that on his own will. He had said that to speak for himself.

But that couldn't be it. If he had really done so, then he might be trying to impersonate a god, and I knew very well that impersonating a god and wanting to claim rights was a great and terrible hubris and punishment for it are extremely severe.

But still, the man did come only a few seconds after I had finished praying, which may be more evidence in my suspicions that he had been watching me pray. If he did, then I felt very creeped. But he hadn't done anything to hurt me, so I felt a bit relaxed… for now.

Suddenly, all thoughts of relaxation disappeared when I heard a rustle of leaves nearby. In a flash, my nerves reacted quickly, sending my entire body, including my mind, on high alert.

"Who's there?!" I exclaimed in panic, the half-eaten apple falling out of my hand and onto the ground. My heart started racing and my breathing became frantic. My mind filled itself with images of a harmful predator – either animal or man – about to attack me, at the point where I was completely vulnerable.

I felt myself about to faint from my erratic panic, but was suddenly snapped out of it when I heard a voice.

"Be calm, Ariadne!"

In the direction of the voice, a man emerged out of the trees. My panic was about to rise a notch as the thought of being violated began to haunt me, but it lowered down immensely when I realized who exactly the man was.

It was the stranger!

Now, in broad daylight, I could clearly see how exactly does he look like, and it immediately took my breath away. He was even more stunning than how he looked in the dark; maybe because I could not see his features clearly at the time.

In the brightness of day, I could see his flowing mane of shoulder-length hair was of a dark chestnut brown that seemed lighter in the daylight, and his piercing eyes were a deep light brown that seemed warm and friendly. I now realized that the rest of his face was much defined, and his tall body was well-toned with lean muscle. His peach-toned skin was radiant in the sunlight, enhancing his beauty.

Taking slow steps to me, the stranger said slowly in his melodious voice, "Do not worry, Ariadne. It is only I."

I felt myself become even more dazed as I took in the sight of his beauty and listened to the music of his voice. But I stopped myself from becoming too entranced, not wanting to be gawking at him.

Clearing my throat, I replied, "So it is." Shyly, I tucked a lock of my hair as I continued to look into his mesmerizing eyes. "You came to me," I told him quietly.

"As promised," he replied with a gentle smile.

"Well… Thank you," I said to him shyly, but with graciousness. But then, with curiosity, I asked, "How exactly did you find me here?"

I was truly curious about that. There was no way he knew that I was here, since he wasn't with me when Cynthia took me here. Unless, of course, he knew in some way.

Cocking his head to the side as he smiled at me, the stranger replied, "I was just passing by."

His answer was the same answer from last night, when I had first met him. But truly, I did not feel that he was merely 'passing by'. It now seemed to coincidental for him to do such a thing, especially when I was in the same area as he was.

But letting my suspicion aside, I told him, "Alright then. So… thank you very much… For coming back to me."

The stranger bowed his head to me in appreciation before coming closer to take a seat next to me. It was then I was aware that he had a bundled cloth slung on his shoulders, which he then shrugged off and placed it on the grass in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked curiously as his lean fingers worked to untie the bag.

"A gift for you."

Surprise overcame me at his words. A gift?

With utmost curiosity, I leaned forward slightly to look at the contents of the bag when he had finished untying it and opened up the cloth. What I saw was a few folded up pieces of cloth, a silver vial, and a small bunch of plums.

"Oh my…" I breathed, taking in what I was looking at. "I… Thank you so much…"

Taking a piece of dark purple cloth, I unfolded it and found out that it was actually a long dress. It was of very simple design; there were no intricate patterns or any small accessories sewn onto it. But the texture of the silk was incredibly soft and exquisite, and it felt so comfy in my hands.

Fingers caressing the cloth, I smiled to the man. "Really, you don't know how grateful and appreciative I am of this gifts. Thank you…"

But I could not finish my sentence, because I realized that I did not know his name.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name," I told him upon realization. "I wish to thank you for these gifts properly, if you may."

All of a sudden, the stranger's warm hazel eyes suddenly began to look tense. The small smile on his lips disappeared and only become a light-pursed straight line. I could see the hesitance clearly etching his features, and I wondered why that was so, especially why was he suddenly becoming so nervous just because I had asked for his name.

Feeling slightly worried and bit embarrassed, I looked down at the purple dress in my lap and started to twiddle my fingers; a habit I do whenever I was nervous. "I'm sorry if my question has offended you," I told him quietly. "It is alright if you do not want to tell me."

Slowly looking up at him again, I was surprised when all signs of tension and hesitancy had completely disappeared from his features, instead now looking very understanding and friendly. The smile had even returned to his lips, now only looking a bit more bigger and more attractive.

"Call me Dion," he told me cheerily.

Hearing his name, I smiled, glad to know that he was not going to be secretive about his name as I thought he might be.

"Dion," I said softly. "That's a very nice name."

It was a perfect name, in fact. It suited him somehow; as though he was made for that name. However, I recalled how tensed and hesitant he had looked when I had first asked him for his name, and I then began to wonder if 'Dion' was even his real name.

Dion's smile widened. "Thank you. I will have to say the same for you too. Ariadne… A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he complimented cheerily.

A blush started to bloom on my cheeks, slowly spreading throughout my face. I could feel myself getting warm with flattery, not completely believing that a handsome stranger had actually complimented my name and called me 'beautiful'.

Shyness was evident in my voice when I replied, "Thank you…" I willed myself to give him a smile, to show him how much I was flattered with what he had said. As a token of thanks, I took the most vibrant dark purple of the few purple plums and offered it to him. He chuckled and said his thanks before taking a good bite out of it.

While Dion ate, I looked through the rest of the things in the bag. The folded cloths were all dresses, all seeming to be in my size. I put those in my lap, with the unfolded purple dress, and then picked up the vial. Holding it in my hand, I realized that it was made of pure silver. I wondered if Dion was rich to own such a vial made of expensive metal.

I could hear liquid swishing inside the vial. "What's in it?" I wondered, my fingers working to unscrew the cap.

When it finally came off, I was immediately struck by the most exquisite aroma I have ever inhaled in my entire life. I breathed in the delicious scent of something tart and fruity – maybe grapes – with a hint of sweet honey and sharp spices. The perfume was heavenly and intoxicating, and I could feel myself become somewhat light-headed when the scent filled my lungs.

Awestruck, I sighed in pleasure, "By the Gods, this is very divine! What is this, Dion?"

As he finished up the last bit of plum, he looked at the vial that was in my hand, and smiled. "Ah, that would be wine, Ariadne. Made out of the ripest dark purple grapes, mixed with the sweetest fresh honey of honeycombs and the most aromatic spices on the island. One of the best of the batches, from where I am from."

I frowned in confusion at the silver vial in my hand. "Wine?" I said curiously. "Why have you given me wine?"

"Just in case you ever feel thirsty," he said, giving a nonchalant shrug.

Wine was indeed such a strange gift to give someone that he had only met the night before, what's more when I had snapped at him haughtily when he had asked me the question of what had happened to me. But I guess Dion was not the type of person to hold no hard feelings, and was quite easy to forgive. Maybe that's why he had given me an exquisite gift of wine.

But still, I did not trust him enough to drink the wine. Call me scared, but like I had mentioned, wine was indeed a strange gift, especially between two complete strangers. What's more, I did not know exactly what was in it. For all I know, it could have been drugged, handled in the wrong hands.

Dion must have seen the hesitance on my face, because he told me with a frown, "You need not drink it now if you do not wish to."

Discretely letting out a sigh of relief, I recapped the vial and set it down on top of the folded dresses. Silence ensued after that. It was a nice type of silence at first, but then it slowly became to be more awkward. It was partly my part to play; I did not know what exactly to converse about with the handsome man sitting beside me. I kept my eyes focused on the waters of the stream as I thought about what to say.

Hesitantly, I then turned my head to the side to look at Dion, and was completely taken aback when I saw that he was already looking at me. His deep eyes were bright, and a smile graced his perfect lips. The smile was nothing else but warm and comforting.

Somehow, seeing that smile on his face made me feel ease at my heart, but I don't know why. Nevertheless, I smiled back for him. But it was then I realized that I had actually given him a real smile, despite the pain I still felt.

I did not why I had done so.

Author's Note:

Had some minor writer's block on this chapter, while also worrying for future chapters which I have trouble planning out. I'm trying hard to not make the pacing too slow but yet not too fast, and I am also trying carefully to progress Dionysus and Ariadne's relationship in an acceptable pacing. Wouldn't want them falling in love too quick without a few problems here and there, do we?

Seriously working my butt off, guys. But because I love all of you, I'm willing to try and make things work out. I'm only hoping you guys would love it in the end!

Next update: Friday!

Muse of Fanfiction