The first time I let Artemis drive my chariot is the only time I've seen her scared.
After another few months with the hunters, I decide it's time to begin Artemis's training. I can't push it off forever and the loss of a moon in the sky is starting to affect the mortals on Earth. They've begun to spread rumors of a coming apocalypse, leading to some mortals believing they can get away with crimes without having to deal with the punishments. As we travel, I heard more and more stories of bandits on the roads and ships being plundered by pirates.
It's time to put the moon back in the sky.
Before I start training Artemis, I decide to take the chariot out myself a few times to retrain the bulls. The first evening I arrive at my palace, I can't ignore the dread building in my gut. What if my bulls no longer see me as their master? What if they refuse to obey me?
But the moment I whistle for them, they come charging out of their stables, already harnessed and yoked and ready to go. I climb into the chariot, flick the reins, and we're off.
The moment we take off, I can't imagine why I'd ever given it up. The wind whips through my hair, howling in my ears until I can't even hear my own thoughts. The stars twinkle merrily, guiding our path. There are entire new constellations since the last time I rode across the sky - new heroes who died a noble death and were saved forever in the stars.
Each night as I ride, I try to guide my chariot a little closer to its original course. If I did it all at once, my bulls would buck and kick, thinking something was wrong. It must have looked odd to the mortals though, the moon slowly moving across the sky each night.
The first time Artemis joins me, she looks startled when I hand her the reins halfway through the ride.
"How will I know where to go?" She asks, looking at the reins as if they're snakes about to come alive and bite her.
"Just follow the stars," I tell her. "And I'm here, too. I won't let you get off course."
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Artemis was born to be the goddess of the Moon. I know it from the second she takes the reins. Her eyes light up, filled with a wonder and amazement I know all too well.
"It's beautiful," she says. "I've seen the stars before, the night sky, but it's somehow... different now."
"It's the chariot's power," I tell her. "It allows you to see things no other being can. Not even Chaos could see the universe like this unless he became master of this chariot."
Artemis turns to me looking confused. "The master? But isn't that you?"
I shake my head, smiling to cover the sadness welling in my chest. "The chariot knows Hera's curse. The second I passed over the reins to you, I was no longer its master."
"But then... then you can't see any of this?"
"I can see the stars but only in the way a regular Titan would." I put a comforting hand on her shoulder, turning her to face me. "I still have my memories though, which is more than most have. And it is enough for me to know you are the one to replace me."
Artemis stares at me for a moment and I can almost see her mind working behind her wide dark eyes. "Wil you be leaving now?"
"Do you want me to?"
"No," Artemis says without hesitation. "I don't know enough yet, and what if I get lost or drive too high or too low or mess something up or -"
I begin to laugh, and she stops, looking at me in confusion. "What is so funny?"
YOU ARE READING
Cry of the Moon
FantasyHave you ever looked at the moon? Not just at a passing glance or to admire how bright it is that night, but really looked? Have you ever wondered where the marks on it came from? How the mountains and valleys and craters appeared? Have you ever won...
