Page 10 of Arrogance
She then opened her bedroom door wider, ushering me in. “Come. Have a seat on the bed. We have much to discuss.”
Chapter 6
Artemis
Tossing and turning in my slumber was something I was used to these days. I couldn’t get more than an hour worth of sleep without having to wake up and tend to something. The worst of it was my hunting dogs. Every night they hounded, needing many different things, whether it was new meat I went to have to hunt in the dead of the night, or even just companionship, with being petted and having my proximity to them. Ever the tiresome creatures they were.
Not only was I growing agitated with my sleep deprivation, but the fact that I could barely visit my brother, Apollo, during the day, without having to also tolerate those insufferable Thriae, was beyond irksome. My brother leaned in on their every word and followed whatever their recommendations may be to him. I knew exactly what those three were up to. They were seducing my brother, with their bodies and their sex, pulling him further and further away, not only from me, but away from his innocence as well. I found it abominable for women to exploit their bodies to men in order to get their way. It was disgusting and a poor, unfitting tactic to gettemporarypower. Women should act like men. Work hard, be strong, and be confident in order to acquire power, unlike that atrocious goddess, Aphrodite, who uses her beauty and passion to charm men to fulfill her own desires. I vowed to be a goddess that would be respectful of her body and her mind. To acquire power in a graceful way, which is why I abstained from carnal pleasures and prided myself in chastity.
However, even I could not deny that the Thriae were helping my brother grow and harness his powers at an extravagant rate. He was becoming more fearsome and intimidating the longer they were around him. I was starting to become resentful, wondering when my powers would become as strong as his. But as of yet, besides my hunting skills, I saw no other progress in myself.
Therefore, I sought the guidance of my mother, Leto, in her hut. “Am I doing something wrong? Or am I missing something?” I asked her with vexation.
She shook her head. “Of course not, dear. What would ever make you say such a thing?”
“Well, Apollo has acquired our grandmother’s skills with visions, like the Fates, among many other things. Yet for some reason, the only power I’ve ever acquired is the art of hunting. Can I not attain more than that?”
My mother smirked and walked towards me, placing her hand on my shoulder in a desperate attempt to soothe me, which I must admit, did give me a slight sense of alleviation. “From my understanding, gods and goddesses develop at various rates. Don’t view it as something that is personally your fault. Men and women are just different in that regard. Apollo will just naturally have more strength and power than you, Artemis. That is just the way of our world. I would learn to accept it and not let it bother you.”
Accept it!? How could I accept such an unfair fate? Never!
Something clicked in me then. I’m not sure if it was the over-exhaustion from the lack of sleep or being tired of having to tolerate those three dirty human wasps that now inhabited the island with us, but I would no longer be walked over by anyone. I was a goddess, after all. And it was about time I started acting like one.
“I want to speak to my father!” I demanded.
My mother gave me a bizarre look. “Whatever for?”
“I just want to speak with him. I have every right to. I am a goddess, after all!” I quipped back.
“Well, I cannot simply summon him on the fly, dear. Let me see what I can do. But I cannot guarantee any promises, Artemis. He may consider it an impertinence and deny the request altogether.”
I shook my head. “He can refuse to see me all he wants, but I will not be quiet about it. I will continuously burden him until I get an audience.”
My mother rolled her eyes at me. A sight I rarely saw out of her. “You’re just like him. You know that?”
“And how am I like him?” I asked with interest.
“Stubborn as ever,” she retorted.
Much to my satisfaction, I was able to get Zeus’ attention. In just a matter of weeks, I would be summoned to pay him a visit on Mount Olympus. In the meantime, I kept myself busy, sticking to my ardent activities related to hunting for days on end. I did make it a routine to at least visit Apollo once a week. However, now that the Thriae were constantly at his side, my eagerness to meet and speak with him had greatly digressed over the years.
As I navigated from tree to tree of the forest, I arrived at the end of it, able to make out Apollo and the Thriae standing on the cliffside by the mountain. I sturdied myself on the highest branch of the tree. Reaching my arm behind my back, I pulled out my bow and arrow, continuing to steady myself on the swaying branch. Kneeling down on one knee, I prepped my arrow, ready to fire. Squinting, I focused, aimed, and then fired in their direction. I was able to hear a few high-pitched screeches and squeals before I hopped down from the tree and sprinted my way over to their group.
I could see Melaina was pressed against the cliff, yelping. My arrow penetrated right through her wing, trapping her against the wall of the mountain. Her two sisters struggled but managed to pull the arrow out from her and gave me heavy glares and hisses as I approached them. I couldn’t help but snicker at their dramatic reactions, and glanced over to see Apollo was also trying to hide his chuckle, but to no avail.
“I’m starting to grow tired of these little games of yours,” Melaina complained.
“Agreed. They are no longer amusing to any of us,” Kleodora added.
All I could do was shrug. I really couldn’t care less what they thought. As long as they continued to annoy me and live here on this island, then I would make sure to cause them as much trouble as I possibly could. Serves them right for the way they sordidly act with Apollo.
“I cannot deny that was a pretty clean shot,” my brother admitted.
The Thriae stared at him with shock and uphaul.
“Do not encourage her, Apollo,” Corycia snarled. “Such behavior is unbecoming of a goddess.”
“No. I’m not encouraging her, but that perfect of an aim should not go without praise. Which gives me an idea,” Apollo stated.
