Calliope - In The Arms Of Morpheus

Epilogue Pt. 3

Under the guest's thundering applause Calliope opened the heavy door and stepped in, followed by the numerous guests.
The large room was now slightly less deep, but had completely changed: Tables with comfy chairs, lit by hanging oil lamps were evenly spread. The walls were lined with mostly empty shelves, divided in triangles, the one on the far wall partly filled with scrolls. On the far end of the room, right in front of the back shelves, stood a large wooden desk, with an intricately carved throne.
Calliope walked to it, barely able to breathe. It was beautiful and perfect. Someone had carved her reading silhouette into the back of the chair, her other eight sisters around her, mom above them.
She sat, under the applause of her guests, tears of joy running down her face.
"A library!" Calliope whispered. "You built me a library!"
An then the gift-giving started: Each one of her sisters knelt in front of her desk, uttered their well-wishes and presented their scrolls. Erato had the copy of poems by her beloved Sappho, Terpsichore, notes for lyre-play, the twins each one a famous play, Urania had copied her atlas of the night sky, and Clio a history of the Temple of Muses, Euterpe a scroll about Marsyas flute-playing technique, and Poli a scroll about the sacred poetry in honor of our father Zeus.
Mnemonsyne stood beside Calliope, one hand on her shoulder, taking the scrolls and placing them in the shelving behind them. In the shadows under the pillars beside the door, stood a proudly grinning man in a black himation. Beside him, his sister in her turquoise peplos, having a soft conversation while watching her.
"I um so sowwy for da trouble de oder groom caused." Calliope looked down, to find Idios, kissing her feet again. "Idios, you may rise."
He shook his head and remained kneeling. "I um nod wordy to be youw supplicant."
"Everybody can come to me."
"You awe such a beaudiful and wise goddes and I am so dumb. I do not even have a scwoll to give you." His body shook.
"Why don't you have a scroll, Idios?"
A sob shook his body. "I can nod wride."
"Oh Idios..." Calliope's heart ached for his pain. "Then you may work to be worthy of my inspiration."
He looked up, eyes wide.
"You must learn to read and write, Idios. I expect you in three days, at sunrise, in this library, for your first lesson."
His eyes glistened, as he mumbled words of thanks. "Rise, now, clever Idios. And let the others come to me." Calliope told him, and exhaled secretly, as he finally managed to let go of her feet.
"Can I join him?" Chloe stepped forward and bowed, handing Calliope a scroll. "Muse Calliope, I offer you a scroll, my husband Marcos provided for me, from his parent's house. These are their family recipes."
"Much thanks, dear, Chloe. You are welcome to join Idios in his lessons. Maybe, one day, we could read Sappho's poetry together, what do you think?"
Chloe bowed. "I would love that," she whispered with burning cheeks.
"I offer you a copy of my grandmother's salves and oinments, helpful with many ailments, such as the bubonic plague and smallpox." Marcos handed her his scroll.
"Thank you, dear Marcos. How is your marriage?"
Marcos blushed. "We had a rough start, but around your marriage I started having these weird dreams..."
Chloe stepped to him and circled her arm around his. "- But now he is so attentive and cares about the small things. He brings me flowers every day!"
"That is wonderful!" Calliope smiled at her. "May you two inspire each others in your married life."
She beamed at her own husband in the shadows.
"I have a scroll about warfare, thif may be good againft the Ffpartanf." Even though Palladius knelt, his face was still at her height.
"Thank you, Palladius. What kind of inspiration would you seek?" Calliope asked him.
"At Chloe's marriage trialf I learned, that I ffuck at lyre playing. D'you think your fifter could, um..."
Calliope looked at Terpischore, who rolled her eyes, grabbed Acheloos' arm and then nodded.
"I think we could arrange something." She smiled.
Then Acheloos stepped to her seat. "My congratulations, Muse Calliope. Instead of copying another scroll from the town, I offer to travel to Alexandria and copy a few scrolls from there for you. And maybe," Acheloos looked over his shoulder at her sister, "the muse Terpsichore would agree to join my on my quest, to make sure, I bring the right ones..."
Calliope's sister beamed. "You may ask her, later on, dear Acheloos."
"Sorry guys, but my turn now. I have to leave, people are waiting for me." Teleute pushed to the front.
"Honored sister-in law." Calliope still did not fully comprehend Teleute's role in the universe, but she seemed nice.
"I do not have scrolls, but I grant you three specific favors. One, to be granted right now, two in the future."
What kind of favors would that be?
"I will deliver three messages, after a beloved one has died, to you."
Oneiros smiled softly, from the shadows.
"...The first one is from Hippolitos. He tells you not to worry. He was happy to die, to distract everyone form your pain. He is in a better place, now."
"Where?" Calliope whispered through her tears. "I am officially not allowed to tell, but he will be the companion of someone called Alexander the Great." Teleute giggled. "Oops."
"Thank you." I whispered.
"The other messages will be delivered later on."
"From whom?"
"Do you really want to know?" Teleute looked up to her and into her eyes.
Calliope swallowed and nodded.
"From your son and your husband."

****

Morpheus was glad that his sister had agreed to grant Calliope the messages. Best if she forgot all the prophecies, until it was the time to fulfill them. When the time came, at lest he was able to send her some words of comfort, before he went.
But now, it was time to savor the here and now. Live, for the first time. Experience every second of corporeality. Maybe that was what Morpheus needed. A body, to understand his dreamers. He would take every experience he could get. Who better, than a half-human, to guide him through?
They stepped from the shadows of the trees onto the clearing where the Hippocrene sprung and Ios grazed, patiently waiting for them to take them back to the future Dreaming.
The clearing was a silent and peaceful place, only filled with the song of crickets and the smell of pine and fresh grass. A place to rest with his bride, breathe, before they had to get back to the Dreaming.
"Jessamy, fly ahead and tell Lucienne we are to arrive in a little while." Morpheus told the raven on his left shoulder.
"Wwwwwill-do!" Jessamy croaked, and fluttered away.
"I missed this place!" Calliope sighed and danced to the sparkling waters, sat on a stone, and dipped her sandaled feet in the cold water. "I must come here more often, to read, if you'll permit me to take a few scrolls, uh, books with me to the waking."
Morpheus smiled and took seat beside her to savor her joy. How could such an innocent creature hold so much power over someone who has already seen everything. Maybe because he got to experience it with her, for the first time.
Butterflies flocked in the sun, playing and colorful flowers craned their necks towards to sun. Their surroundings looked, as if they tried to reflect his bride's unabashed happiness.
This time, Morpheus forced himself to be there with her, enjoy every precious second. He would only get it once and was ready to hold it dear.
"I miss him a little." Calliope sighed, looking down at her splashing feet.
"The Pegasos, I suppose."
She nodded.
Morpheus wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close. "I know. Me too. The others are but a cold comfort."
"The others? You mean, Ios?" She looked up to him.
He could already hear them, hooves thumping on the thick forest floor. "Hippolitos was a dream brought into the waking by me. A foolish and doomed idea. The others... those are procreated."
The herd of nine pegai-foal burst through the trees and romped to the water to drink. They had every imaginable pastel color, from light turquoise, to pale pink, soft yellow, light blue and even a pale golden one, looking a tad more festive and slightly older than the others. Calliope stared at them, open-mouthed. "Procreated?"
His chuckle did not feel as curious as it used to be. "Procreated. They seem to come into existence, every time I come upon bliss with you, my love."
She looked at him, eyes wide, processing. "So you-... we made Ios in our first night together?"
Morpheus nodded and smiled.
"And one, every time, ever since?" She smiled brightly, and he knew, that if he still had a heart, it would have jumped at the sight. "I love you, Oneiros!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him feverishly.
"We need to slow it down, my love. Look what we've done only in a few days. We risk overpopulating mount Helicon." Morpheus smiled against her lips, and savored her happy kissing attack. "But maybe one or two, here at in this beautiful place, while we watch those come into existence, can not hurt..."

THE END

(To say it with Idios' words: "I ffuck at goodbyef." But thanks for all the voting! I would love to see you read my other publications. If you have any questions left, feel free to comment and I will help clarify.)