~ Like the Stars ~ The Cevitan

[Vulpexia]

**Like The Stars**

A story of Love, Duty, and Betrayal.

One of these chapters is in the writing arena. Feel free to read that chapter (its far ahead from where this is though! lol)

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MagnificentMeghan

i love it!! soso much!
i need more!!!! lol! mrgreen

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[Vulpexia]

The Story of Nuit Night
Oh brother of mine…

I must make clear my pains, how hard I work to keep peace in a land filled with disputes and disasters. My brother is the cause and my father reuses to assist me, and I have grown tired. I have tried to preserve the human race; the weak world of Earth from my brothers greed and destruction. But Jud wouldn’t stop. He keeps tossing his fire balls back and forth in the sky, first destroying the race of Dinosaurs… then continued killing off the rest of the living creatures our father had created. The least I could do is keep this race alive; they had no protection, and with no knowledge of us and feared each destructive earthly movement that sent many to their deaths. They didn’t know that each disaster was a direct result from my brother’s hands and I believe they never will. I kept trying to protect them, but every time I tried, he kept breaking through my defense. I went to my father for guidance. He went to the rulers of the earth kingdoms to make a compromise. When my father came back to Cloud Castle with the news that Jud and I were to marry Lord Jour and Lady Lundi’s twin daughters, I was dumb struck. I was practically engaged to some one I have never met, heard of, or seen in my whole life! It was ridiculous! I dreaded the day that soon came for me to pick a bride of two total strangers. Jud and I took the Ice staff and Fire staff and left on our chariots. He jumped silent onto his sun chariot and I on my moon chariot; and we drove off to the palace down on earth. Once there, we walked nobly into the palace and walked with guard escort to the throne room As I walked down the hall and entered the room…I didn’t know what to expect, till I looked up and saw the two girls standing there with their heads down. I looked at them both, one caught my eye, and at the sight of the pale child in front of me; I was breathless.


The words of Queen Luna
To love the Night

My late father and mother wished Nuit and Jud would live in peace. They fought over everything, creating volcanic explosions when Jud got mad, the Ice age when Nuit tried to save the creatures of the earth. These two brothers were the god Epsilon’s sons, the only gods that lived on earth.
My father was told through a dream by Epsilon that to create peace, he should give the two brothers choice of a bride of my sister and I. My mother walked my sister and I out of the back room into the grand hall. I remember it well, what I wore, how I felt; I wore a thin white dress that fell over my body and my old tattered slippers; they were my lucky slippers with stains and holes and ripped…my mother thought it foolish to wear such filthy things. I believed at the time that if one of the brothers wanted to marry me, he would like me for me, and not what was on my feet. My sister wore a sassy red two piece and sandals and ankle bracelets.
“I hope I get the Nuit… He’s so handsome.” she told me. I didn’t respond. I didn’t want to marry any one, I was only 14! I wanted to learn magic, learn alchemy; I wanted to run free on the clouds of my father’s palace and fly on my beautiful cumulous cloud pet Calud. I wanted to sing in the darkness of my room and dance with my invisible love, and play in the grand gardens. I was so upset and felt so betrayed. My life was being torn from me with out my consent…and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I kept my head low as my mother introduced us.
“Your royal prince’s,” my mother said as she bowed. She snapped her elegant fingers to signal us to bow.
“Your majesties…” my sister and I crooned, I mouthed.
“Look up daughters.” My mother commanded, and I had no choice but to obey. I looked up and saw the two men standing only feet in front of me. I almost gasped; the two princes’s looked like they were only 18. I looked up at them, just like my sister and I… they were both twins yet totally different. The tallest had dark tanned skin and fire orange hair, and wore warm colors and held a staff of gold in his hand, on top of the staff was a ball of fire. His red eyes frightened, feeling as though he was burning me, searing me through. I looked away, only to find myself looking to the shorter twin, he had short black hair, his black eyes deep and dark and mysterious. I found my self being drawn to him. His light peach skin looked about as soft as mine his face handsome and shadowed. His eyes looked back to me in wonder as I stood up and clutched my hands together.
He wore ice-cold colors, blues, greens, and purples and silvers covered his elaborate armor and attire. He held a silver staff that had a ball of Ice floating above the top. He was gorgeous; he was…
“Beautiful…” we both said in unison. After finding out what we both uttered we both some how blushed. I looked to my side and tensed as he coughed lightly and tapped his staff on the ground.
“Lord Jour…Dearest Lady Lundi…are you sure on offering your two only children to the sons of Father time and Mother Nature?” the dark haired twin asked. I had looked up to him in curiosity and wonder as he spoke, his voice was beautiful…as beautiful as he was.
“Yes…to stop the deaths of my people, I’ll do anything for the Sky Kings…”
“Prince’s” The dark twin corrected.
“Right. Here are my two daughters, my eldest Luna… she sings and weaves and-”
“I don’t need benefits.” The dark twin stated kindly. “Names will do just well.”
“ And this is my youngest…”
“By a minute…” my sister uttered angrily.
“ Aurora. She... They are at your whim. Prince Nuit…since you too are eldest…you get to pick first I guess.” My father said. I didn’t see the tears that fell from my parent’s eyes. I just watched as the prince walked to me. He soon stood only a foot in front of me looking down into my eyes. I almost gasped when he lifted his hand to my cheek.
“Luna?” his voice a soft sigh. I looked up shyly at him as his hand caressed my cheek. I nodded.
“Yes sir…” I said. He smiled and shook his head.
“No Sir…just Nuit…" I was sure he could hear my heart pounding when he leaned forward and took my hand in his, kissed each finger. "You're beautiful,” he said softly. I knew my sister was livid...this was the twin she had wanted...but now, I didn't want to give him up. "Luna...would you dear Luna…come to me to my castle in the clouds?” he asked, his voice kindly ringing in my ears. I gasped and went almost breathless. “So?”
“Yes…” I whispered. His eye lifted.
“What?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes.” I said louder. I smiled as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. The other twin looked angrily at us and marched to my sister.
“You’re mine.” He said. My sister looked shocked and pissed my way as Nuit took my hand in his and placed my hand on his ice staff, and the ice ball started glowing, the symbol of marriage.
“Palte de guana, my dear child.” My father said as he smiled, seeing how happy I was. I was my parent’s favorite, and Aurora knew it when she saw our parents welcome Nuit into the family and congratulate me. Aurora stood by Jud as they leaned against the wall and crossed their arms.
I turned to my sister, I was happy...only Jud tapped her shoulder and said something I couldn't here. Aurora nodded as she turned with him and took hold of his staff, the flames on the top of the staff flared and they walked away and disappeared on a chariot driven by flames and horses whose mane’s are of red flame licking at their backs. And since then I haven’t seen my loving sister again.

Nuit and I were so happy, we lived in his Castle in the clouds of the night sky while my sister and her husband lived in the Flame fortress over on the eastern lands. It wasn’t long till we had our first child, Evening, a girl.
“Nuit… didn’t you want a son? To take the throne?” I had asked.
“My love, any child with you is a joy to me,” he had said as he kissed me. "And I'll love you with our with out a son." Evening wasn’t the last child. When she was ten I had another child, Midnight, our first son. Evening, who’s pet name was Eve, and Midnight, Minui, were the best of friends, and when Eve was eleven and Minui one, I had another son, Dusk, making Dusk and Minui Irish twins, and three years later I had two beautiful twin sons…Perseus and Orion. The only thing that was strange about my twins was that Perseus had white hair and Orion had black hair, they seemed to be totally different children. So now my children consisted of Eve, eighteen, Minui, fourteen, Dusk, thirteen, then the twins were eleven.
My sister wrote a lot, she told me the day before Orion and Perseus’s birthday of her children, The eldest was Dawn, being seventeen, then Morning who was fifteen, and Noon who was fourteen, and her youngest, the fiery red head Cornelio, who was also eleven; I congratulated her on her children. But all where girls other then Cornelio and something seemed wrong with her son considering Jud didn’t like him and Jud said Cornelio wouldn’t be a good heir.
After the twins celebrated their eleventh birthday, Nuit and I had an unexpected visit from my sister. She was crying and had started sobbing at the sight of us. She begged us to save her from her husband who was going to beat her if she didn’t produce a new male heir. I instantly ran to the chells, I called my father. He didn’t answer, my mother did, and she was hysterical a swell. My father was dyeing, from poison inserted into his drink at a banquet last night. At hearing that, Aurora cried out even louder.
“It was Jud! He said he wanted our father’s palace! We were at the banquet!” she cried in agony. I ran to Nuit and begged him to do something. He said he would go see his father for a remedy to save my father and to talk to him about Jud. And he left me with my sobbing sister and mother on the chell.
After my mother hung up and my sister made a temporary residence in my guestroom and fell asleep, I sat up late into the night and waited for Nuit to return from ‘work’ and talking with his father. When Nuit returned from speaking with his father, he entered the room I sat in and looked to me sullen. I stood quickly from the chair that I sat in, horror to evident in my face to hide it.
“Luna…I’m sorry.” Was all he could say before he let his head hang low. I gasped, my hands flying to my lips.
“No…” I muttered. “No it can…”
“Jud was as cruel as he was terminal…”Nuit said, I didn’t know if he was trying to make me feel batter, but it didn’t work.
“No…. No!” I started sobbing, falling to my knees with my head in my hands. Nuit had quickly ran to me and took me in his arms to comfort me. “Father!” I sobbed so much, I didn’t hear my sister walk into the room from her sleep, to sad to see her standing In the door way, to horrified to see her lean on the frame and smile smugly. I couldn’t believe father was gone. And when I looked up, my sister was standing white faced as she to fell to the floor, an act my husband saw through.
“Father? Jud did this! I know it! And it’s all my fault, all my fault! I can’t believe…. No!” she sobbed as she cried on the ground. I wanted to go over and comfort her for our loss, but Nuit wouldn’t let me. He had leaned into my neck and kissed my neck. Holding me tightly
“My love…” he whispered, so quietly that I barley heard it. “I spoke with my father, he told me something more sorrowful. Come with me to our chambers.” He finished. I couldn’t stand something worse? Was one of our children in danger from this same assassin? What was to become of this? I found myself in my husband’s arms, holding my close as to not drop me. He looked down at my sister and told her to go to bed, to leave us to sleep over the sorrow. Aurora had asked if Nuit would return to help her, for her legs hurt. And to my shock, Nuit said no.
“My dear sister –in-law, I have to care for my sick wife. I’ll send Eve or one of the Whisps to help you,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning”
I almost shouted in protest as Nuit left my sister on the ground, till that is I saw her face as he walked away with me in his arms. Her eyes were yes, filled with tears, but I saw the most hateful, scornful, jealous glare that burned me with the fires of her being. She stood slowly and rigidly as we disappeared around the corner.
“Nuit…” I was going to ask what had happened, only to have his mouth silence me. When he broke away, I was again breathless.
“Shh, please silence, till we are out of ear shot,” he whispered. I nodded and leaned my head against his shoulder. We had been married for over twenty years and I trusted everything he said. When we had finally gotten to our room, and closed the door, Nuit placed me on the bed and sat next to me. “We are safe now…” he uttered. Waving his hand to the door, sound proofing it with ice, so any eavesdropper would hear nothing.
“Nuit…my sister, her face…she looked as if she knew…”
“She did, she has been planing to take your fathers castle for a while now, and only my brother had the guts to commit the crime.”
“No…” I gasped. I couldn’t believe my sister…my silly sister could do such a thing. And I cried.

The next day, my father-in-law and Nuit met with Jud to make a compromise. When Nuit returned; my sons and Eve were standing with me in our palace door. Nuit walked up to me and looked to Orion. I wanted to know why he looked so sad.
“My father, Jud and I agreed to place an Astra on the earth, a fallen star to walk among the humans; and that one of our children would go and woo her. Who ever she chooses, would gain complete ownership of the sky,” He said. “There are rules…the Astra must remain alive for more then a year after choosing, and Jud and our son’s must remain alive. Knowing Jud, death might be an option that I hope to avoid…” I tried to hold in my tears; he had looked to Orion, my quiet little Orion.
“Don’t tell me he chose the children….” I was almost frightened. I wasn’t going to let Orion, only eleven, to wander earth alone. “Don’t tell me he chose…”
“It wouldn’t hurt our child, they’ll have celestial being that might get bruised.”
“Nuit! Don’t tell me he picked the children!” I cried. Nuit walked up to me and took my face in his hands. He wiped some of my tears from my eyes, sadly gazing into them.
“He picked Orion and Cornelio.” Nuit said. Orion stood silently, while Eve went and hugged her brother. “Orion, you’ll have to woo the Astra…and stay alone on the earth with the humans for as long as it takes to do that.”
“But Nuit! He’s only eleven!” I cried as I ran to my son and took his shoulders in my hands.
“He wouldn’t be send down till he’s twenty. Father made that rule; he wanted it to be fair. He also has to let the Astra…. Um ‘ripen’,” Nuit bent over and knelt in front of Orion. “My son, do you understand what that means?”
“Yes father. That I’m supposed to marry this Astra.” He responded. “Right mother?”
“Yes. And you’ll live on earth for as long as that takes.” I said. “You wouldn’t see us for a long time…”
“But that wouldn’t be for a while. You have a while with us…till then.” Nuit said. He kissed all of his children and sent them to bed, other then Orion.
“Father…why do I have to marry her?” the child asked. Nuit bent and looked into my son’s eyes.
“Many innocent people are dyeing at your uncle’s recklessness…” Nuit said, I wiped tears from my eyes as I continued to cry. Orion looked so confused, so obediently paying attention. He had no idea. “We have no other choice…”
“Yes Father…” Orion hugged Nuit and was sent to bed, only after my husband held Orion tightly. “Good night” Orion trotted over to me and hugged me. I kissed his forehead and held him tightly. “Night mum,”
“Night my baby.” I said and let him slip through my fingers and run off to bed. Nuit stood behind me and took my hand. I turned and buried my face in his chest and cried.
“Shh…” he cooed and kissed my face. “It’ll be alright…” I nodded and turned and let him lead me back to our room. I couldn't think of my little baby, Orion, down on earth. How dangerous it was, and that wasn't with Cornelio and Jud planning Orion's death. How could I just let him go like that? I couldn't, I couldn't think of it. Are we not gods? Can we not just settle this with strength instead of useless words? But Nuit was a just man, he knew what he was doing, but still Orion would be left alone in that other world. Didn't we have the power to protect him? When Nuit and I arrived in our room, before he opened the door, he took me in his arms once again and held me, and let me cry softly.
“My father…wouldn’t want this game of royalties…. To think, that we would be competing for such things…that his death led to this…a tug on a poor woman’s heart”
“Shh. Nothing will go wrong. I promise." I didn't believe him.
"Orion's my baby, I don't want him in danger," I cried. Nuit held me tighter.
"I know, I don't want Orion down there either…but my father's word is law, I am so sorry,” he said. He kissed me and led me into our room. After that night, we never mentioned the compromise again.

Then…Orion turned 19. My life went upside down once again.

 

[Vulpexia]

Orion’s Story

The Descent

I was the youngest of 5 children, children of the god and mortal goddess of the night. My father Lord King Nuit Night, and my mother the beautiful Goddess Queen Luna Diana. My father and my uncle fought over the sky constantly, and after my uncle killed my mothers parents, my grandfather, King Epsilion, decided to make a compromise. He said to stop the war he would place an Astra, a fallen star on the ground to make the decision for us. He proposed that the Astra would chose which side. That one of the children of my uncle would be sent down to earth, and one of my fathers…me.

I was told I was chosen when I was eleven…and when I turned 19, they came to me and said ‘Your time has come to descend to earth to woo the astra.’ And I shook my head. After eight years of teaching and constant pushing on how to woo her, what to do, all about her…I was sick of the Astra. I didn’t want to go and I refused till a month to my birthday…my grandfather refused to change his mind, and I was tossed down to earth to Athens, Greece quicker then I could protest. And I lived there to see the pre-picked Astra. Astra Artemis.


The First Astra

Artemis was so beautiful, ivory skin, dark brown eyes, dark blond hair…she was smart, witty, graceful, a feminist, the virgin huntress. Every one loved her…It wasn’t such a big surprise that my grand father, King Epsilon, chose her for the Astra. And as it was, it was my responsibility to woo her and marry her; to save the Cloud Castle and planet Earth from Cornelio and his father’s destruction. But I was only 19, and I wasn’t interested in the married life; nor in saving the world. At the time I didn’t care if Cornelio, Greek name Apollo, took control of the world, I just wanted to hunt.

So I didn’t woo Artemis, the beautiful enchantress of a huntress who bested me at everything; I didn’t even give her an eye. Soon, after much practice, I became as good at hunting as she was; mastering the bow and arrow. I learned to smith, I learned to fight, and soon I opened my own smithy. I worked over the burning flame and hammered pieces of molting metal into lethal weapons. My specialty was fighting swords and arrows. Now, one rainy day, while I was working on my sword Twigh, in walked a hooded woman soaked to the bone.

“Smithy, I need some assistance.” She breathed her voice like music to my ears. I looked up and smiled, as I placed Twigh on the pegs on the wall. “I wonder if you do custom orders?”

“Depends on how custom,” I answered.

“ I need 50 arrows for the hunting contest in a weeks time.”

“Yes I know…I am in it too, ” I answered. I looked from the wall to the woman and almost lost my breath as her beautiful ivory hand gracefully pulled her damp hood from her head. And as her dark blond hair curled and tumbled down her back, I knew instantly it was Artemis. I had recently heard that she had been named a goddess, filled with beauty and wisdom…that there was no other explanation for her perfection. I had heard, she became what the Romans called Diana; the virgin huntress of the moon goddess. I bowed honorably and placed on hand on my back and one on my stomach in a respectful bend.

“How may I be of service, my goddess?” I asked. She rolled her eyes and walked to me. No not walked…she floated.

“Orion right?” she spoke softly as she looked into my eyes, I had to look away, her eyes just swallowed me.

“Yes my goddess.” She smiled and took a crumbled wet piece of paper from her cloak and handed it to me. As she pulled her hand from her cloak, her dorsic tunic was revealed, showing off most of her perfect body. I had to look away to refrain from staring.

“Again, I need 50 arrows of this design in a weeks time,” she said, “Can you handle it?” it was an elaborate design, but I knew I could handle it.

“Sure I can handle it…” I looked over the designs, finding slight flaws that would have slowed the arrow, made it fly on a slight curve…I should fix them…but I wanted to win that contest. “I’ll be sure not too faulty them for you,” I said in a pleasingly calm voice as I looked up into her gaze. She was so beautiful, and with each beat of my heart I felt the affection that was born in me grow; I was so frightened she would see it in my eyes with her deep gaze.

She smiled softly; this young 17-year-old huntress-turned-goddess smiled at me with an innocent smile that made me melt. “Best not anger the goddess, smithy,” she said as she turned on her heal and left in the same quick fluid motion as she floated out my door. When she was gone, I wiped my brow of sweat I didn’t know whether it came from the heat of the fire, or my quickly beating heart.

I stood there, confused at the way I wanted to please her, to show off strengths. I quickly went to work on her arrows, tweaking them to perfection so they matched her perfection as well. I made them quicker, stronger, and more accurate…perfect.

In a weeks time I had finished 50 of them as promised, and I waited eagerly in my smithy for her to collect them, trying to occupy my mind with other small tasks to do, but nothing could sway my mind from the coming of Artemis. Finally she arrived, bow and quiver in hand, and she inspected them carefully. I noticed at each small smirk that she saw my improvements. I waited for her comments, only to smile when she scoffed politely.

“My dear Orion,” She had remembered my name… “You obviously wish me to win.” She smiled as she placed the perfect arrows in her pack. “Now… how am I to pay you? How much for such perfection?” she asked as she searched for her purse in her tunic. I didn’t want her money. Now after months of my mother and father telling me to love her, and months of my refusing, I now wanted her affections…as she offered prices, relatively high ones, I got a better idea.

“My goddess, take them as a gift, from a humble admirer.” I said with a bow. I didn’t see, but by the soft sigh and laugh I knew she was smiling her beautiful smile.

“How kind of you…Thank you, Orion…”

“You’re welcome, Goddess.” I stood and watched as she turned to leave. My heart almost stopped beating when she turned back around.

“Oh and call me Artemis, Orion,” she said softly. “I’ll see you at the contest.” And as she had before, she floated fluidly from my smithy to the door and was soon gone. I stood there, in awe and admiration as I let my heart slow to the normal beat from its elevated state. I gazed after her and sighed.

“Yes…Artemis.”

The next day was the contest, and I swear, Artemis and I were neck to neck. You see, my heart wasn’t pounding from the thrill of the hunt this time, it was for Artemis. Before the contest began, she tapped my shoulder with her beautiful hand and said softly to me, “Orion, good luck, and don’t count me out as a friend if I beat you.” She said with her soft smile of hers. I couldn’t help but smile back, turning my head away from her gaze to do so. And then the contest began. In the end, after all our work, after every dodge and shot…we came in tied.

“Both Orion and Goddess Artemis won this battle…this contest of hunting wit. There is no prize for ties.” The judge said. I saw Artemis’s face fall when she heard that. The prize was a new horse, and it was a beautiful one. I had no need of a horse, and Artemis had walked over to the creature and pet it kindly. I couldn’t stand her pained face any more.

“Judge…” I shouted, every one’s eyes were on mine, even Artemis’s beautiful brown eyes.

“Yes Orion?”

“I forfeit.” I said. The gasps that rang through the crowd were enormous, but no sound filled my ears other then Artemis’s cry for joy. She smiled and hugged the horse. The judge saw Artemis’s face light up as well and knew my full reason.

“Well if that is what you want,” he exclaimed as he looked over to Artemis. “The horse is yours.” Artemis smiled her beautiful gleaming smile as she leapt onto the horse and rode off.

“Thank you!” she called, but she never said to whom.

Later that night I was finishing my sword Twigh in my smithy, another late night, when my door opened. I looked up and almost lost my breath when Artemis walked in and sat down on the small bench near the table I had eaten dinner at. I stood from my work and wiped my hands on my apron as I took a step toward her.

“May I help you, my Goddess Artemis?” I said in a calm voice. I was proud of myself for keeping my voice so calm with my heart beating so much. She gave her soft half smile as she looked up at me from under her light blue cloak.

“I came by to thank you Orion…For forfeiting the contest.” She said. I nodded as I walked over to the oven to occupy myself, to avoid her eyes. I picked up a small project of mine, a small lunar dagger.

“You’re welcome, Goddess,” I answered.

“Artemis.” She said. “Please call me Artemis.” She breathed as she stood up and started toward me. “No one has done such a nice thing for me before.” I started to get nervous.

“You get weekly offerings and ceremonies…you are going to get a temple like Athena’s…surely my forfeiting wasn’t that important?” I spoke. She only laughed softly as she stood a foot in front of me.

“Orion…they do that because they want me to do things for them, things that I can’t give them. They do that because they fear me, they do that because they are supposed to. They may say I am a goddess, but I am no less mortal then you are.” She said, her expression growing sad. She slowly took my hand still holding the lunar dagger, and held it to her bare shoulder. “Watch.” She said. As she took the dagger from my hand and placed it at her finger. Then she bit her lip as she sliced her finger; the blood from the sliced slowly dripped from the wound. I sighed as she held it up to me.

“What do you want me to see?” I uttered.

“I am bleeding. No immortal, no goddess bleeds.” She stated. But I knew better, even gods bleed. I bleed. She then winced as she took her finger and bit it, I shook my head.

“No Artemis, that will get it infected.” I said as I took her hand and quickly ripped a piece of my clean shirt from my change of cloths on the table. “I’ll wrap it. It should feel better in a little.” I told her as I tied the small cloth around her finger. She only gazed up at me. “What?”

“Why have I never seen you before the first day I came in here?” she asked. I shrugged.

“I am not that much of a man to remember…or notice.” I answered.

“No…You’re beautiful,” She responded. I stopped still, my heart barely pounded, my lungs didn’t breathe, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“What do you mean?” I asked. Here I was with soot and ash all over my face, sweaty, and smelly, and Artemis called me ‘beautiful’. I had to finnish my statement. “I am a man, a man can’t be beautiful.” She smiled softly as she took her wounded hand to my stubbled cheek.

“Handsome then. There is no way I couldn’t have noticed you before, you and your beautiful blue eyes,” she said. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“My beautiful blue eyes?” I tried to keep my voice calm, while I only wanted to take her lips with mine. “I am the one who is enchanted ,your deep eyes swallow me.” She wrapped her arms around my neck after she led my arms around her waist.

She brushed her nose against mine; I spun a long strand of her blond hair around one of my fingers. We stood there, just barely rocking back and forth gazing into each other’s eyes. Finally Artemis kissed my chin and broke the awkward silence.

“Orion…” she said. “kiss me,” and when I didn’t she added “the goddess comands,” And with her permission, I quickly covered her mouth with mine.


The Heartache

After that night, Artemis and I were inseparable. We walked together; hunted together, shopped together, attended her ceremonies together. She came to my smithy everyday and we went riding. She rode on her beautiful white riding horse Equuleus, while I rode my large gray battle horse Pegasus. I felt out of place riding with her. A delicate nymph like Artemis riding a beautiful white steed, and next to her a large battle horse with me, a big burley, ashen, muscled man. I was so out of place, but she wouldn’t have me any other way.

Now Apollo wasn’t happy at how close Artemis and I had become. He walked up to me one day and told me to leave her alone, that I was bothering her. When I confronted Artemis about this, she said that Apollo was just jealous. Now, a few months into our relationship, I invited Artemis on a boat ride with me…and there, on the beautiful Mediterranean waters, I asked her to marry me. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled and glowed as tears of happiness fell down her cheeks.

“Yes! Yes!” she cried as I took her joyfully in my arms “I will!” It was the happiest night of my life. And while we kissed in the boat, I found out later that on the shore only a few yards away, some one was watching us; and what I didn’t know would soon kill me. Now the wedding was planned for two weeks later and I had been called to the city of Athens to use my smithy in building some items for Artemis’s new temple. I had kissed her good bye and left reluctantly and waved good bye till she was far from my sight.

It was only to be a four-day trip, but the supplies I had needed weren’t there yet and caused a delay in my plans. I ended up staying in the city for a week more. I sent Artemis letters every day, giving her detailed notes about the progress, and how much I missed her. I told her I wouldn’t return so quickly, and asked for responses; I had gotten none.

I was easily worried, but I forced myself to think that there was a delay in the message for some understandable reason, and that it wasn’t a terminal illness that held my soon to be wife captive from holding a pen and writing back to me. After the week was over, still with no letters, and the duties I was required for ended, I jumped hurriedly onto Pegasus and rode quickly home. When I arrived at my village, I looked around to the people who walked past, and smiled. But all I got back were hurried and angry glances as people turned and strutted away and mothers grabbed their infants and children’s hands and hurried them away from my horse. I was even more worried. I quickened my horse’s pace to my smithy where Artemis was to be keeping house and waiting for me.

I stabled Pegasus and ran inside and looked for Artemis. “Artemis! Artemis Where are you? Are you home?” I called. When I turned the corner, think of my surprise and wonder when I saw Apollo sitting in my chair near my fire. His feet were up and he had that sly smile on his face where you could tell something was a miss. I walked cautiously toward my cousin and looked around for Artemis.

“Oh Cousin Orion…. Welcome home!” Apollo stated with much happiness, I watched his sly face wrinkle up in a smile. He stood slowly as he stretched and I still searched for my dear Artemis.

“Cornelio…”

“Apollo, on earth Orion. You’re the only one who kept your name.” Apollo said.

“ Ok, fine. Apollo, have you seen-”

“Artemis had me stay here and wait till you came home. She went to wash some of your clothes at the riverbank. She wanted me to tell you that,” he said. I was so cautious, so worried for Artemis that I didn’t see anything, didn’t see the signs, didn’t see the hatred in my cousin’s eyes. I instantly ran practically breathless to the river, Eridanus, just to find her.

“Artemis! Artemis I am home! Where are you?” I shouted. I searched the river shore, looking all over for her. I stopped once, only once, to lean on the tree that held the rocks still above the deep river rapid waters. I felt two hands weave around my neck and come up my face to cover my eyes. I sighed in relief.
“Oh thank god! I was looking all over for you!” I cried out rather loudly.

I heard a sly giggle as the owner of the hands that covered my eyes turned me. I came to look into the face of not Artemis, but Virginia…the weaver’s lazy who clung to Apollo, but he rejected her countless times. Why was she here? Where was Artemis? “Virginia?” I felt my face fall to horror as she smiled and took the sides of my face and pulled me to her.

“Got you!” she said as she pressed her lips against mine. I tried to pull away, but for the thin girl she was she held me tightly. She only broke the kiss when some one shouted my name.


“Orion!” at the sound of the voice, Virginia pulled away dramatically and slapped me as she quickly ran to a couple of people in the brush. I looked over and I cried out in horror. There, with her bow and arrow aimed at me, was my dear Artemis. Apollo stood only inches away from her holding the now dramatically crying Virginia. I was framed!

“Artemis! It’s not what it looks like! Please you have to believe me!” I cried desperately…she didn’t believe me.

“I can’t believe you Orion! How could you lie to every one!” she shouted. I saw a beautiful, icy, blue tear fall down her cheek.

“Artemis I didn’t do it!” I prayed to my mother and father that she would believe me. I looked to Apollo, his face filled with amusement.

“Oh really Orion, and poor Virginia who loves only me jumped on you? She forced you to kiss her?” Apollo said. I knew it; I couldn’t trust my cousin…ever.

“She did! Artemis please, put the bow down…” I started to cry, me a strong, grown man; I started to sob. “ Please, Artemis! I love you!”

“You love me? Why should I believe you? You love me? Well I don’t love you! Never did…” she said, I saw the tears, I saw the strong hold on her arrow, the tension in the bow…she was going to kill me. “I never fell for your trap…ever…I was only playing with you!” she cried, her bow started to shake as she began to sob.

“No…Artemis, love…please…Don’t say that…I love you…”I pleaded. She shook her head. The amusement, the glee in Apollo’s eyes, and the now equally amused Virginia.

“Don’t give me your lies! Into the water! Now!” she ordered. I tried, I couldn’t hold back the tears, and I found myself stepping back into the frigid waters. She got me waist deep as she stood on the shore, her feet being washed by the waters.

“Artemis…”

“That is ‘Goddess’ to you, and you angered the goddess. Now you must die. Go drown, Orion!” she cried. And she let go of the arrow… and the next thing I knew, I felt the pain of my heart stopping as the arrow hit me, the loss of consciousness.



I woke up in my room in Cloud Castle, with my mother tending my chest wound. “Good, you’re awake…” she said, I saw her saddened face. I turned away and tried to fall asleep. But once my eyes shut, I saw Artemis’s angered and pained face staring down at me as she let the arrow soar through the air. “I thought you would be out longer then two days…” my mother continued. “With a blow like that to your celestial being…you could have taken far more damage than what you got. I took you from your earthly body before you fully died. I have been taking care of you for so long….”

“I loved her…” I said softly. My mother paused.

“Excuse me dear?”

“I loved her, and she was only playing with me…Apollo framed me, she killed me…I loved her…” My mother quickly scooped me up as if I were a five year old child. And I acted like one.

“My poor baby….” And I started crying once again. She didn’t tell me to stop, she didn’t tell me not to cry, she didn’t say anything. She just let me cry.

“I’ll never love again…” I cried. Though my grandfather wouldn’t stop with one Astra…he’ll keep re incarnating her…just to torture me.

I found out later that Apollo had taken all my letters to Artemis and burned them, forging new letters to Virginia and giving them to Artemis, making it seem as if I were an affair with Virginia; not on the trip to Athens as I had told her. Apollo had planned everything so neatly that I couldn’t see what was going on.

I also found out that later that week, after Artemis discovered what was planned that I had been innocent, and that she did love me, loved me so much that she jumped into the river with metal weights on her ankles. But not before, she went after Apollo and murdered him. She drowned herself, thinking that I would be in heaven with her. She didn’t know her soul would be caught in a jar by my grandfather to be reborn and never find peace, till the perfect world my grandfather planned out came to be.

Her temple was also discontinued, and now she is only a myth goddess. And I became a constellation, not the god I truly am. And once I saw her sleeping soul in my grandfathers soul catcher jar on his shelf I knew one thing was forever to be true.

We were never going to be happy.

 

[Vulpexia]

***reserved***