Chapter 7: Children of Zeus

Hours seemed to have passed since Hades allowed Dionysus to guide him around Nysa, exploring the parts habited by his tribe, the great wilderness, and the lake large enough to be mistaken for the Mediterranean. Hades couldn't stop laughing at the crazy stories Dionysus recounted of his travels.

"… and Pan and I had to go all the way to Phrygia! Can you believe it?" Dionysus pounced on rocks, using his hands to land back on the grass and soil. "Pops got so drunk at that wedding in Lydia, he wobbled all the way through Asia Minor! Ya should have seen Midas' palace, Uncle Hades! He just HAD to buy the fanciest shit, it wasn't enough! Ya could have fed fifty villages with his wealth for six years!"

"So what happened when you got there" Hades clamped his hand over his mouth, failing to hold the laughter down.

"We came to the front door, saying we were looking for our Pops, the old drunk satyr. The look on their faces! They thought we were Zeus and Hermes in disguise, then a stupid guard said 'How do we know they're real? They could be mortals pretending to be gods! That's, like, a total offense!' So I snapped my fingers, the royal gardens was full of my grapevines, and I trapped the palace in a greenhouse. Pops was like 'Yeah, no. Those are my kid. That's obviously something they'd do.'"

"How did Midas react?"

"He was more shocked by the way I made wine out of grapes and caused the whole court to have a drinking party! I was surprised by how pampered Pops got; his hooves were so polished, we could see our faces on them! So I do the right thing and offer Midas any blessing he'd want in return for his Xenia."

"What did he want?"

"Gold."

"He wanted riches?"

"No, like he wanted EVERYTHING to be gold. 'I wanna turn things to gold the way you turn grapes to wine.' So I gave him a Golden Touch."

"You gave a mortal king the power to transform any matter into gold?" Hades stopped in his tracks, alarmed.

"Eh. I helped him get rid of it last month."

Hades' frown loosened. "Oh. What happened?"

"To be fair, he wasn't very clear in the brains." Dionysus quickly caught two apples that had fallen from a tree by the lake. In his hands, both apples turned golden. He tossed the shiny fruits to Hades, who caught each with one hand. In his left hand, the golden apple felt heavier than the average golden block. The other fruit felt lighter. Risking it, Hades attempted to bite it. He was stunned by how, despite the golden appearance, the fruit retained its original juice and texture within.

"He didn't ask me for loopholes. I tried to warn him, but he really wanted it. Like, he could have asked for his food to still be edible even if it changed! Or, make his clothes LOOK like gold but feel light! But the biggest one? He didn't even think to ask about mortals!"

"He turned mortals into gold?"

"He thought it was funny when he did it on servants, his cheating wife, or the tax collector… It got less funny when his daughter turned into a statue. I didn't think it was funny when he dragged the statue all the way to Nysa and begged me to free her. Like, his initial priority wasn't even undoing his curse!"

Feeling worked up, Dionysus bent down to splash his face with some lake water. Hades saw the boy pull on a good piece of hair, glaring at the purple locks.

Hades tapped his fingers. Should he ask the kid? How do you even ask…

"Pops was right, huh?"

"Sorry?"

"You know." Dionysus sat down on the patch of soil, hugging his folded legs together. His horns started to poke out of his hair.

Hades gently put his hand over the tiny horns. Dionysus lost his window to rip them out.

"What do you think I know?" Hades calmly asked. The soil under Dionysus began to darken and dry up.

"I think you know that I don't just call you 'Uncle Hades' because I call a lot of people as my uncles and aunties…" Dionysus said, hesitant. "You… know you're my actual uncle."

Hades stared at Dionysus.

So. Silenus did know, Hades thought. And he hasn't said anything?

"Are you upset that I know?" Hades sat down next to him.

"Not really. You're awesome. I just… Zeus scares me."

Hades widened his eyes. "Dionysus… did my brother do something…"

"Oh, no!" Dionysus waved his hands. "He doesn't even know I exist! But…" He hesitated. "Ya ever like… you have this big black cloud behind you every time ya get reminded who your dad is… and you get scared… because ya can't tell if the cloud's gonna eat ya or if people will run away from ya just because ya have that ONE cloud behind you? They… don't know if it's a regular cloud or a stormy one, but they feel like if they stay away from you, they'll avoid the cloud?"

Hades' expression saddened. The thundercloud left by Kronos behind his back still hung on. He wished he could tell Dionysus that he shouldn't have to feel such terror at that age… but at that age…

Kronos' stomach…

"You OK?" Hades shook his head when Dionysus spoke to him. "I guess we have our own clouds, huh?"

"I do wish you didn't have to feel that way at your age," Hades calmly admitted. "When did Silenus tell you?"

"Diaper years. And I was born just after Auntie Persephone got banished… In the retinue, everyone tries to forget that… thing about me. It's harder for me once I leave Nysa and meet new people. All they need to do is see my hair…"

"Aphrodite and Apollo have purple hair," Hades pointed out.

"Aphrodite's lilac and Apollo's just ugly." Hades couldn't hide his smile when Dionysus insulted Apollo. "And seriously? Golden tunics on THAT skin? Complimentary color fashion is SO last century!"

Hades burst out laughing. "I can't! That's a good one!"

"Why's the Sun God purple, anyway?" Dionysus stretched out his legs. "At least with me, it makes sense! Purple's a wine color! And purple and green are a good look on me when they're on the same tunic!"

Hades kept himself from rolling on the ground. This was too hilarious!

"But… I guess it's our label as the children of Zeus."

Hades stopped laughing when Dionysus got gloomy again.

"Besides the purple… There's also that… old goat essence and the whole Xenia thing. People pick it up, they know you're Zeus' kid. Either you get pampered with stupid Xenia because they think 'Hey, Zeus will bless our town if we treat his kid well', or they'll mob me out of town because I happen to be the kid of the God of tantrums who goes around with nearly every single lady he knows! They think my first act as his kid is my dick! I'm ten!"

"Did you try telling them?"

"Who listens to a demigod? If they aren't the rulers of some kingdom, they're off killing monsters and getting their lives ruined." Dionysus rubbed his face in frustration. "Ya already know Tantalus."

Hades hissed his teeth. NOT a pleasant nephew, that king.

"Amphion literally marries his own niece Niobe! Don't get me started!"

"The twins never really got a permit on that act of wrath."

"Arcas' mom Callisto got turned into a bear and his mortal grandpa tried to sacrifice him, so Zeus turned him into a werewolf! Tityos got killed by Apollo when he pulled a move on Leto! Perseus…" Dionysus paused. "Uh, wait, no. Perseus was actually pretty cool, but he's way dead. Like, centuries ago dead. And HERAKLES!"

Hades stiffened. "Yeah, Hera doesn't like him. I guess you heard about the labors. He was the last demigod I saw just when the borders got sealed. I should have thought of hiring him as Cerberus' babysitter. You've seen him?"

"He's broke and drunk." Dionysus shook his head. "The fame of his labors, his status as Zeus' strongest demigod bastard, AND the abs? Got mixed with that cloud I told you about. He just split with his wife when we got back to Nysa. Returned her to her rightful husband. He comes here a lot."

Hades couldn't comment on that. Zeus had treated Herakles like the ultimate trophy of his infidelity, showering him with overconfidence that Herakles would ascend to the next plane of existence like Perseus. Branding him 'the glory of Hera' and putting him at Hera's disposal. Forcing him to undergo a series of labors that would kill the average man. The first time Hades had met his nephew, it was on that very same day.

That day was years before Hades met Persephone. Roughly around Hebe's first birthday… What was meant to be a small family party to celebrate the first birthday of the rulers' youngest daughter turned into a full blowout between Hera and Zeus when the infidel waltzed in with the muscular, purple stubbled, coffee-skinned 20-year-old demigod. When Zeus and Hera left to release steam in the next room, Hebe had cuddled to Herakles for comfort. The demigod was terrified of the small child.

"And I really don't wanna talk about Helen!" Dionysus got up. "She's the worst!"

Hades tilted his head. "I didn't know that my brother had demigod daughters. He usually sires boys…" Which is ironic, considering his general disdain of his own divine male offspring, he thought.

"Eh. Some threesome thing. Helen and Pollux are my half-siblings, but their opposite twins are mortal. Pollux isn't too bad. He makes a great team with Castor and they got that big brother instinct on their sisters. They also hang by occasionally to drink or go hunting with Atalanta. Pollux never leaves Castor, though."

"Why not?" Hades got up.

"Together, they're the amazing twin duo. But if they do separate things, Pollux gets mobbed for being Zeus' kid. So, yeah." Dionysus checked the light reflecting on the lake water. "Wow. We've been out for a while. Pops and Auntie Persephone might be awake."

"You want to go back?" Hades asked.

"Depends. How fast can we go on four legs?"

Dionysus didn't expect Hades to pick him up and give him a piggyback ride. "High enough for you?"

"WAAAH! I'm King of the Mortal Realm!" Dionysus spread out his arms. He quickly sniffed and frowned. "Ew! You smell like a corpse being bathed for a funeral!"

"Do I?" Hades smirked and walked.

"Yeah! Here, when somebody dies, we wash their bodies so they are cleaned before their burials! You know, gotta have the shades cleaned of their sins before they go to the Underworld! You smell like you just got bathed for your funeral! With rose water shampoo!"

"Well, you stink of smelly feet!" As he held Dionysus carefully over his shoulders, Hades slightly rubbed the child's soles with his thumbs. Dionysus laughed.

"You're fun, Uncle Hades! I bet it's gonna be just like that when you and Auntie Persephone have kids!" Dionysus rested his chin on his uncle's hair.

"What makes you say that?"

"COME ON! You're super funny, you're nice, ya respect a lot of people, and ya got that snuggly feeling you give people once they get to know you! I bet if you and Auntie Persephone were parents, your kids be a whole lot nicer than my half-siblings. Like Helen." When Dionysus hissed that word, Hades couldn't see the forked snake tongue sticking out of Dionysus' lips.

"Is she THAT awful?"

"Ya know when ya got that REALLY self-centured, narc, bitch in fancy clothing and a big rep for a relative? Oh, and added with that Spartan attitude? Helen's just like that! But WAY WORSE!"

…

On the other side of Greece, just by the region of Attica where Athens, was the region of the Peloponnese. And in the Peloponnese, the crown jewel was the city of Sparta.

By our current modern times, EVERY knows Sparta! Movies continuously referred to Spartans as incredible warriors guided by Ares. Scholars remember its queen's abduction leading to the Trojan War.

Sparta was part of what is now identified as the Laconia administrative region. Even in winter, the weather was above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Taygetus was the local mountain. And besides the whole warfare thing, Sparta had one thing most regions in Greece didn't do at the time: gender equality. In this setting, it was frequently joked as the Amazons' designated summer vacation spot.

Which meant that when Apollo, disguised in mortal form, was alarmed by the presence of female guards at the palace. In the outdoor courts, soldiers were coaching boys and girls into wielding swords and striking dummies. By the fountain, female and male politicians were discussing the upcoming city council.

And out of the palace, decapitated heads were tossed out.

"Strike! That'll teach you for eyeing me incorrectly!"

Apollo eyed the trails of blood on the white marble steps. Blood stained the dagger's golden, reflective blade. Perhaps a fitting tool for Artemis, but not so much for the demigod princess.

Like her mortal mother, Helen had the tan complexion of all mortals. Feather-shaped freckles framed her neck like a halter underneath her necklaces of shells and diamonds. Her divine father, Zeus, had given her his long purple hair, but since, based on what Apollo heard, the king of the gods had assaulted the mortal queen as a swan, Helen's straight hair ended in feathery curls. Whenever the wind blew in it, the illusion of swans in flight came. Her royal blue eyes struck out like polished diamonds, rumored to have been a blessing from Aphrodite.

The legendary demigoddess deemed the most beautiful of all female mortals… was an outright sadist that was surpassed by Eris. Apollo wasn't sure what birth defect caused this, but Helen's beauty caused trouble… and she took advantage of it. As a baby, an Athenian prince had abducted her… and Helen laughed in glee when her twin brothers, babies as well, trashed their home's rival city. As a Spartan princess, she reveled in combat and murdered men who… observed her inappropriately.

"Well, if it isn't Zeus' least favorite son!" Helen chuckled at Apollo. "Nice mortal disguise. I'd give it a good grade if those eyes of yours didn't give your ugly personality away!"

Apollo really wanted to strike her. Unfortunately, her liaison with Zephyrus made it impossible.

"Hello, Helen." Apollo nodded, making his way inside the palace. The princess blocked his path with her arm.

"Hosts lead, guests follow!" Helen led the way. Her fingers twirled the golden dagger. Apollo's eyes widened at the carcasses of decapitated men within the palace's entry. "Zephyrus told me about your big screwup!"

"Did he?"

"Oh indeed! Olympus knowing ALL about how you assaulted your future aunt! And I thought Theseus was dumb!" Helen's dagger reflected her smug smile and the god's bitter expression. "You didn't play your cards well, divine half-brother! Most men don't win women's hearts by assaulting them on the first day and feasting their delusions in the next weeks!"

"Well, what would YOU have done?"

"Me? Watch men fight over me!" Helen sheathed her dagger. "Reminds me of the leverage I have when people lose their lives over me! Or, do what Odysseus did! Suggest to my father that my suitors play straws to decide on my fiancée, and whoever wins gets loyalty from all the other suitors against my future husband's enemies! It also helped that I batted my eyes just when they were about to pull! That's how I got my darling Menelaus to win!" Helen patted the dagger strapped to her waist. "Lovely dagger, right? Menelaus gave it to me when we got engaged. Reflects my beauty when I get people killed."

She's a bigger man-killer than my actual sister, Apollo thought.

He didn't quite pay attention to the chamber Helen guided him in until he picked up the marble throne positioned to face the window. Helios was being to hide in the horizon. Apollo had almost forgotten how much Zephyrus enjoyed sunsets.

A broken amphora caught his attention.

"FUCK!" Helen yelled, kicking some boy. "YOU NEARLY RUINED MY DRESS!"

"I'm sorry, Helen!" The boy quickly picked up the shards, only for Helen to backhand him so he'd fall.

"That's PRINCESS, you weak link! Make sure Zephyrus doesn't see this mess you caused!"

Apollo noticed the blood on the boy's hand. Helen clearly didn't care that he was injured while reassembling the debris.

"You're lucky it wasn't ambrosia you spilled, otherwise I'd have scalped your locks off!" Helen pushed him when he tried to stand up. "I need to check on those lazy cooks for Zephyrus' feast! And clean up whatever messes Apollo makes!"

"Yes…"

Helen raised a threatening hand.

"Yes, Princess." The boy lowered his head.

"See, Hyacinthus? You DO know how to be a good boy!" Helen flickered her fingers at Apollo. "Zephyrus will see you soon!" To that, she sauntered off. Hyacinthus tossed the broken amphora pieces into the fireplace.

"I can heal that." Apollo told Hyacinthus. "After all, I'm…"

"I'll tell Zephyrus you tried to assault me if you so much as touch me!" The boy hissed. In the fireplace's light, his sapphire hair shined. Unintentionally, Hyacinthus caused Apollo to fall.

To fall back in the past, his childhood in Delos.

To fall back in the memories of him and Artemis playing in the woods, still learning archery.

To remember how his sole divine friends were the Muses, the nine daughters of Mnemosyne, the sole Titaness to keep Leto company after her exile. To the little shows the children came up with, each focusing on some form of poetry and music.

To the one Muse who barely played with her sisters and the twins because she preferred scrolls and written history over creative stories and theater. A muse who briefly interned with the Fates and worked at nearly every single library on Olympus and the Underworld.

A Muse who just happened to have stopped talking to Apollo the moment of Persephone and Demeter's arrest warrants a decade ago.

"You're the son of Clio. The Muse of History." Apollo's tone softened. "I didn't know she had kids."

"Just me." Hyacinthus wrapped a bandage around his wound.

"But… she never brought you to Olympus! I've met the other Muses' kids before… Rhenus, the Sirens, Linus, Cleophema… And Urania's just had a baby, Hymen! I even met Orpheus!"

"And they all slept with you, didn't they?"

Apollo stiffened.

"My mother never really tolerated you, did she?" Hyacinthus scowled. "You know why she doesn't like my cousin, Helen? 'Children of Zeus. Always think bang first.' It was fine when it was just you and my Auntie Calliope. But the son of Zeus could resist my seven other aunts, right? Most of my half-Muse cousins are your children. You might as well be my uncle."

Apollo's teeth clenched underneath his lips. "It was a long-time ago…"

"And because of her loss of faith in you, she had the Spartans raise me. And since the borders closed after YOU exposed yourself as a son of Zeus, she's been wandering the Mortal Realm to collect history. And she and the Spartan royalty arranged me to wed Zephyrus… because I don't do women and Helen's just what they want as ruler!"

"Zephyrus… is YOUR fiancé?"

Winds blew from the window, slamming Apollo against the floor. A small tornado spun towards the throne, sitting on it and gaining a humanoid form. A tall, lean muscular god in Spartan armor slouched on the throne. His silvery skin was a constant movement of winds. Spread out like a cape, his wings' pastel blue, pink, and yellow colors shined under the lights of the sunset. His silvery hair kept moving towards the west no matter how he tilted his head. His kaleidoscope eyes were a vortex of his wings' colors. The scariest part of Zephyrus, whoever, was the mask covering his face's lower parts. The wind gods, or Anemoi, had a habit of wearing stone masks to hide their expressions whenever they blew. The stone masks were shaped to have pursed lips, with a whole small enough to blow currents the way a human-faced fountain spat water. With those masks, any words spoken by the Anemoi would literally blow on others faces. Like the blunt truth hitting you.

"Hyacinthus," Zephyrus whistled. "Why are you talking to Apollo? You know you can't talk to another god when I'm not around."

"Apollo tried to touch me." Apollo gasped at Hyacinthus' claim. The demigod walked towards the God of the Western Wind, sitting on the ground by his throne's feet. "He was going to use his healing powers as an excuse to be near me. I told him I didn't like him since he slept with my aunts."

"Aw, my poor flower!" Zephyrus stroked the boy's cheek with his wing tips. "I was worried you were going to cheat me with an Olympian! Thank goodness you know your loyalties!"

Zephyrus' weird public touches made Apollo want to hurl.

"So!" Zephyrus clasped his hands together. "Hyacinthus, aren't you going to ask me why my childhood friend, the Olympian Apollo, is here with us today?"

"Why is Apollo here today?" Hyacinthus stroke Zephyrus' wing. "He didn't ruffle your feathers, did he?"

"He did, actually!" The winds echoed Zephyrus' muffled chuckle. "See, Apollo and I have… a little something. A little something that led to an agreement. I keep the little something secret, because if I made that little something public… It would REALLY be bad. So! If he wanted me to keep the little something public, Apollo had to do one small thing! A. SMALL. ONE THING!" At the rise of Zephyrus' voice, the winds threatened to shake the walls.

"So what, Apollo? What happened to 'meet, befriend, besties, lovers, and bang after marriage'?" Zephyrus leaned forward.

"I did…"

"You BANGED before befriending and everything else? WOW!" Zephyrus summoned a cigarette. "I made it clear to you! To make sure you get a fertility goddess, you make sure she likes you before she loves you before you get married and use her powers."

Hyacinthus stared at Zephyrus before giving Apollo an angry look.

"Oh, yes, Hyacinthus! Be angry for me, I can't afford wrinkles. Apollo ruffled my feathers because he fucked up the one thing he should have been able to do effortlessly! Befriend, woo, and marry Persephone. Usurp Zeus as King of the Gods. Make YOURS TRULY an Olympian! First Anemoi to ever become an Olympian! That'll educate Apollo's snobby bullshit of compatriots!"

"And you will!" Apollo put his hands together. "Just DON'T get angry, Zephyrus! I PROMISE!"

"You're lucky a new fertility goddess has been hatched during the divide!" Zephyrus stood up from his throne and floated above Apollo. "I've just had about enough of the lack of respect Olympus has given me since we Anemoi took over controlling the winds! Oh, I use all my breath to make sure Aphrodite doesn't drown, and that your pretty hair doesn't get tangled while you drag Helios, or that the Mortal Realm smells of daisies and hormones at springtime, but have I received so much as centuries-worth of royalty checks? Or at least a B-grade god status? NO, I HAVEN'T!"

"Zephyrus…" Apollo knelt down.

"And that LITTLE SOMETHING I helped YOU deal with so that YOU could become an Olympian!" Zephyrus bent down, forcibly clutching Apollo's chin. "You WILL befriend the new fertility goddess, gain her affection over the years, and once she's of age, MARRY HER to secure our deal! OTHERWISE, our LITTLE SOMETHING will be a bigger scandal that what got you exposed!"

Apollo's eyes stared at Zephyrus. In the few second his golden eyes could wander off, he saw Hyacinthus backing away to take cover. A poor step had him trip, his injured hand losing the bandage and staining the throne's armrest. Divine ichor and mortal red blood created an orange stain on the polished marble.

Zephyrus angrily eyed his terrified fiancé.

"Look what you did, Apollo. You caused Hyacinthus to ruin my throne. You're lucky Helen has enough slaves to carve me a new one." He let go of Apollo. "Hyacinthus, go fix that cut. And don't come late to dinner. You know I get upset when you run late."

"Yes, Zephyrus." Hyacinthus lowered his head and made his way to the door. The wind god flew over, hanging just over Hyacinthus' shoulders. Clio's son was more frozen than a Gorgon's victim when Zephyrus stroke his sapphire locks.

"MY pretty flower… See you at dinner." Zephyrus' quick kiss on the head frightened Hyacinthus enough to run off.

"Pretty funny how you don't follow your own advice," Apollo commented.

Zephyrus finally lit his cigarette and smoked. "Courting a fertility goddess versus courting a Muse's demigod offspring. One gives you power over the king of the Gods, the other is basically an offering. You stick to what I told you to do so you can keep your end of the deal… and I stick with my business." The smoke he puffed out of his cigarette escaped out the window. "Why are you still in Sparta? Get the fuck out of my sight."

"Yes…" Apollo gritted his teeth. How he loathed Zephyrus. He aimed to leave through the window rather than the door.

"Oh!" Zephyrus snapped the cigarette in his fingers. "Apollo?"

"What?" Apollo snapped back.

Zephyrus' eyebrows gave him an indifferent glare, but Apollo could imagine the wind god's vicious snarl beneath his mask. What the latter said, however, scared Apollo enough to fly out of the palace.

"I swear on the Styx, Apollo, if I find out that you did anything with Hyacinthus that could lead him to betray me… UGLY things will happen to your sister."

…

Nighttime brought the stars over Artemis' main temple. Priestesses made themselves scarce when their goddess was at the gazebo, watching Selene pull the moon.

Nights with the silver-footed goddess were always a blessing. Unfortunately, this was not one of those nights. All Artemis wanted to do was cry.

How could she have let this happen? In her own home? And done by her own brother? Artemis was supposed to be the Protector of Young Girls and a sacred virgin! How could she fail at protecting her own best friend from her own twin brother? Why did she have to find out about this ten years later? It was already bad enough that Apollo had hidden their father's identity from her!

Artemis always felt that as twins, she and Apollo were each other's halves. But with Apollo being so stained, the tether between the halves was damaged. The sun had eclipsed.

Hestia and Athena were their own item. Persephone had been violated. Was Artemis a fool into believing in the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood of the eternal maidens themselves couldn't be protected? Artemis wasn't sure she wanted to go back to Olympus just yet.

As Artemis brooded in the gazebo, she picked up some priestesses rushing in the courtyard.

"She's here."

"Should we tell her Silvery One?"

"Could cheer her up."

"Tell me what?" Artemis flew down from the gazebo. The mortal priestesses kept their heads down, safely hidden in the shadows of their hoods.

"A devoted worshipper," one of them said.

"Tell them it's late." Artemis began to walk away.

"We've done that before," another priestess said. "She claims nighttime's the only time she can do."

"Very rare when little girls are immediate worshippers," another agreed. "A bit of a wild ruffian, but she's a loyal one. Always comes late with something she hunted. I wished she'd clean her fur clothing once in a while."

"True. Devotion doesn't excuse poor public appearance. You'd think she really was a bear and not some human girl raised by a bear."

The words struck Artemis. The silver-footed goddess ghosted from her priestesses, flying through the temple walls like a quiet breeze. At this time of day, the brightest lights came from the prayer room. The designated room where mortals, generally hunters and women vowing celibacy, brought offerings and prayed before the goddess' statue. If they came with fresh meat, the priestesses took the opportunity to dissect it to read the worshipper's nature and future before sacrificing the beast.

Artemis hid herself in the shadow of her own statue. Her priestess' back was turned and focused on reading the organs of a boar. Across from the priestess, a small child knelt, eagerly crossing her fingers.

"You're very devout to the goddess and loyal to your family, wild and found," the priestess read. "A prodigal hunter. Not surprising. I personally think you bring the best offerings to the goddess."

"Thank you."

Artemis noticed the bearskin on the girl. This rings a bell, she thought.

"You're a bit… bloodthirsty when it comes to protecting yourself and other girls. You've been killing a lot of men, young lady."

"Not my fault if men can't keep to themselves!"

"True. But the animal indicates… that you let yourself get carried away a bit easily… and distraction is your weakness." The priestess' head tilted upward. "You have no need for valued materials, yet… you can't resist looking at things that shine."

A nervous chuckle came from the girl.

"Things that shine aren't necessarily bad. Artemis herself shines the night. Helios shines the day. The gods shine in their splendor. A mortal's interior value shines in their acts. But sometimes, the shiniest things can be a trap. You MUST work on steering away from shining distractions."

"Yes! I will!" The girl nodded her wild hair. "Will I gain Artemis' favor?"

Artemis chuckled.

"If your devotion is true, keep doing what you are doing. One day, the goddess might bless you… But be warned Atalanta, being blessed by a god has its dangers."

"Not from Artemis! She's the protector of women and children!" The girl stood up. "Artemis can do no wrong!"

A soft, proud smile appeared on Artemis.

"Even devotion to the gods won't stop a devoted from being harmed by outside forces," the priestess warned. "I've seen many mortal women take the vows, my girl. Many have faced retributions when men forced themselves onto them."

"I'll be careful!"

"And be warned! Should you succeed to be blessed and make Artemis proud, you will be known throughout Greece. The mortal father who has abandoned you at this temple might reclaim you. Aphrodite might target you. A life of a true wild animal might await you if you succumb to marital depravity!"

"Thanks!" The girl jumped on her feet.

"Why do I even bother reading your future being threatened by marriage?" The priestess sighed and brought a lit torch on the dissected animal.

"Formalities." The girl adjusted the bearskin to hide her human flesh.

"This is something to laugh off to you, isn't it?" The priestess shook her head. "I told you that you get carried away easily."

"And I'm sure I'll never do something as dumb as getting married or let a male have the upper hand!" The girl said.

"Have you ever considered being a priestess?"

"No thanks." The girl's shadow shook its head. "You're a really nice lady… but most of the times, stories of priestesses getting violated spread fast."

Artemis could sense the priestess pinching her nose in frustration. "Pity that poor Medusa…"

"Don't get this the wrong way. I like sneaking away from Nysa to give my offerings to Artemis, but my family in the wilderness is my main goal along with my worshipping. I value the Goddess of the Hunt as much as she is the Goddess of Women and the protector of kids."

The priestess smiled, ruffling the girl's messy hair. "You're a sweet, somewhat savage child. I do sincerely hope Artemis blesses you."

"Well, this was all great, but I really need to go!" The girl clasped her hands together. "Lord Silenus will have my hide if he finds out I snuck out to worship on an Olympian temple."

"Oh, Atalanta! Take some food before you go. Some nomads gave us good batches of pita when they made a prayer stop. You were pretty hungry when you came in!"

"Thank you for your kindness."

The mortals were exiting the prayer room. Little did they know, their sacred goddess emerged from her hiding spot. Just before the mortals faded into the hallway, Artemis saw it.

Bearskin.

Wild hair.

Claw scratches on her skin.

The bow and quiver full of arrows strapped to her back.

Those odd, green eyes that mortals rarely had.

The same eyes she'd seen years ago, when an Arcadian king had abandoned his firstborn infant daughter at the steps of her temple. The last time Artemis held a mortal infant during the divide.

"You grew up so much…" She gasped.