Black Star

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I was shocked once she finished the story. It was Hector, Apollo’s relative.

It had to be. But he was Ares’s relative. Jason was much too kind, wasn’t he? Could it be Rowena? What if it was one of my friends?

No. I had to believe that it was Hector. Because it was him, it had to be. I couldn’t believe anything else.

- Menodora?

- Yes? she asked me.

- Do you know who is the relative of Apollo?

- I…she hesitated.

It took a while.

- Hate can melt into love. Ugly can fade to beauty. People die everyday, so love them while you can. But the relative of the sun god…he doesn’t feel mercy. He doesn’t feel anything. Nothing. Like the Black Star, said Menodora shortly.

Could that be Hector? It couldn’t be my friends, they felt too much mercy for the dead. Jason felt love for Ella, it couldn’t possibly be him. Unless he didn’t…if only he didn’t. Rowena, maybe? I was still uncertain, I had to do more eavesdropping.

- Nonsense, we’ll discuss this later, said Menodora, seeing my expression hardening about Apollo’s relative. First things first. You wanted to train, didn’t you?

- Train…? I asked her, not quite out of my bubble.

- Train, Diana! Not a train that goes on wheels and does CHOO CHOO! Diana?

She shook me because I wasn’t paying attention to her saying. I was still mumbling about Apollo’s relative. I think that she ended up dragging me to this special training session.

- First, you need a weapon, she told me, entering a dusty closet.

I watched as she faded through the dust and the darkness of the closet. She came out, not too long later, with a sword.

- What? You can’t be serious? I asked her, stressed.

She grinned. The sword was shining, and its handle was gold. With special curves around it that made it look like there were four leaf clovers on it. The blade was white. Not silver, really white. Like snow. Maybe even whiter.

- It can’t be that white! I told her.

- It was forged in the coldest and deepest area in Tartarus.

- Tartarus? Like…hell?

- Tartarus is the deepest part in the Underworld.

- Underworld? Led by Hades.

She ignored me and tossed me the sword. I easily caught it, but the sword’s weight was heavier than I thought it would be. I tried to swing it. I really did. But it was too heavy.

- Maybe not the sword. Maybe bow and arrows?

She swiftly took the heavy sword out of my hands and got the bow and arrows out. She continued and I watched as I failed the bow, a wand and, finally, she gave me her last weapon. A sceptre.

It was beautiful. Black as a shadow in the night. Dark tree branches surrounded the stick with gentle and smooth moves while I took it. Menodora smiled, seeing that I didn’t drop it. Her red hair was a mess, but I didn’t mind that. It was the sceptre that caught my attention. A crystal ball, as white as the snow, was put on the top of the sceptre. The tree branches held it to make sure it didn’t fall.

- It’s name is Artemidoros. I think that only one Black Star has ever used that. The first one.

- Artemidoros…, I said, tasting the name.