Page 22 of Arrogance
I let out a grunt at his brazenness. The cocky little human should know better than to speak to a goddess in such a tone. The indignation of it all. If Aphrodite were not here to hover over him, I would cast a terrible omen to teach him a lesson or two for speaking to me in such a manner. “I would not be so confident, young human. For even you should comprehend that you coming this far in the tournament was likely the result of a lucky streak.”
Adonis folded his arms over his chest. “If that is what you think, then so be it. I will just have to prove myself in the next round.”
I glanced over his shoulder to spot Aphrodite now making her way in our direction. The last thing I needed was to have her involved in our conversation. I wanted nothing to do with the shameful knave. So, I turned my back to him and strode off, preparing myself for this final round. Losing was now out of the question.
It had been several hours that Adonis and I had spent going back and forth with our shooting. Not one of us missed the target. I saw no signs of weakness in him. I was expecting his endurance to take its toll, however, he continued to surprise me. There was no indication of falter within him. This could go on for days and no one would be willing to watch this match for that long.
I had to decide on some sort of tie-breaking scenario that would end this once and for all. So, I came up with a creative challenge on the spot and shared it with him. “It seems like we could go at this for an eternity, and I know you don’t have that kind of time, mortal. So, here is what I propose. Each of us shall fire three arrows at once, in a single shot. We will continue to do this until one of us proves to be the victor. Do you agree to the terms?”
Adonis nodded. “Of course. This is your competition. You are the Goddess of archery. I would agree to any terms you decide,” he assuaged.
Perfect. It had been settled. It was now my turn to shoot all three arrows. I approached my line where I was to stand at and pulled out the golden arrows from my quiver. I held them firmly against the string of my bow, concentrated heavily, and fired. I didn’t need anyone to tell me the results at the other end of the arena. With my keen goddess senses, I could easily see how accurate I was. Two of my arrows hit the very center of the target. The remaining arrow was located in the concentric circle surrounding the center.
It was nearly perfect but not quite there. Still, I knew this human stood no chance at being as precise as I was. I wondered if he could even manage to maneuver himself to be able to even fire all three rounds in a single shot. No matter what, I was thoroughly intrigued to watch him try. And thus, he stood holding all three of his arrows against his bow. The moment of anticipation had finally arrived. He released his grip on the back of the arrows and they flew.
I inspected the end of the course to see his arrows. My mouth gaped, once I saw that all three of his arrows hit the very central target.
He had beaten me!
The crowd jumped up and down and madly cheered. A human had defeated the gods in a game. It was blasphemous. It was supposed to be impossible, yet it had happened. Adonis had defeated the Goddess of archery at her own game. I was ashamed. I was bitter. I was outraged. There was no way a mortal could have won over me. Things were not adding up.
An eruption of incredulity overcame me. Had Aphrodite and Adonis cheated so that he could win? I was skeptical of the whole thing. It wouldn’t surprise me if Aphrodite resorted to chicanery to allow her lover to win this competition. But as of now, I had no proof to justify my beliefs. I must accept defeat graciously and with dignity.
I approached Adonis and slightly bowed to him. “Congratulations. You are the winner of this year’s Archery Games,” I announced.
Adonis scratched the back of his head, seeming slightly unsure of himself. Aphrodite sprinted towards us and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
“Thank you. I honestly have no idea how I even managed to win,” he genially admitted.
It was a far outcry from his earlier cockiness, but I could not help myself but to be vexed by the entire outcome. “Yes. It was of the purest luck. Clearly, the Fates were on your side,” I stated.
“I’m not so sure the Fates had a say in Adonis’ win,” Aphrodite added. She had a smug look on her face, one I wanted to instantly slap if I was given the opportunity to come out of it without consequence.
“I agree, Aphrodite,” Adonis responded. “Perhaps a new day is upon us. This evidently proves that I am the best archer in the world. Even better than the Goddess of archery herself.”
He said it with such sanctimony as if he were a god himself. It angered me to no end. How dare this mortal disrespect me in such a way? No human should ever speak to a goddess with this sort of boldness. Had Aphrodite not been here for his protection, I would turn him to ash right here, for all to see. To teach him and everyone around us a lesson as to what happens to those who are discourteous to the gods.
“Be careful in what you say,” I informed him. “Although I am gracious and accept defeat cordially, many others may not take so kindly to your bravado.”
Aphrodite let out a heavy groan and flipped her hair dramatically. “Come, Adonis. I’m overly bored. We’ve wasted long enough time here.”
Adonis nodded at her suggestion. “Yes. I think I’ve proven myself to everyone. Humans and gods alike now know my name. Adonis.” He turned away and then strode off with Aphrodite.
Once they were out of sight, I proceeded out of the arena, away from everyone. Once I was finally alone, I bursted out in a frenzy. I screamed as loud as I possibly could in a rage, my voice echoing through the woodlands.
I went on the hunt that evening, killing all fauna that I came across, showing no mercy. As I sprinted and hopped from limb to limb among the trees, my mind was consumed with disappointment. How could I have lost to such a despicable and disgraceful human-being? I could not stand Aphrodite and her new lap dog, Adonis. I would never be embarrassed again by the likes of them. This would be the one and only time, for if it happened again, I’m not so sure I would be able to control myself in front of them.
Chapter 11
Apollo
I had finally met him. Adonis. I just wished it were under better circumstances. There was not much I could do or say to him under the public view at the arena. Not only that, but I had my sister and Aphrodite eyeing the two of us like hawks, to the point where I thought even making an innocent introduction to him would make them suspicious. After all, what god would go out of his way to speak to a stranger, much less a mortal?
I needed to ignore Adonis, pretend that he wasn’t even in my existence. Give him zero acknowledgment. However, I found myself going against my better judgment and constantly stared at him longingly as he passed by me on the course. That beautiful man was unlike anyone I had ever come across in my eternal life. No mortal or god could compare. His body was flawless from head to toe. Muscles were toned at just the right amount. His skin was as smooth as a melodic hymn from my lyre. Lips pursed like a budding rose. My thoughts were in disarray as I mapped out his figure so that it was ingrained in my memory. But at the same time, my concentration on the archery event was wavering. Soon enough, my aim was slightly off and inaccurate. As a result, Adonis had won. And I knew this would not be the only time he won me over. I needed to be patient. My time to gain his privacy and then claim him would eventually come. It was a prophecy I had envisioned. So, it had to be true.
For now, I would return to Delos to check on my mother after the archery competition. It had been nearly a year since I last visited her. My place was on Mount Olympus now, my birthright. Artemis and I were summoned by Zeus to live there once our powers and skills were exorbitant. Our duties and tasks on Mount Olympus as a newly established god and goddess were assiduous. We had sparse time to enjoy ourselves during the first few years that we were officially Olympian gods. Because of this, I had limited time to visit Delos to care for my livestock and meet with my mother.
Once I arrived in Delos, I approached my mother’s home to see the wooden door slightly ajar, which was unusual. My mother always scolded Artemis and me when we were younger if we ever left the front door open. She claimed it was just asking for predators and foul creatures to be invited into our home to harm us. Yet here she was, not abiding by her own advice. As I entered the home, my eyes bulged at the sight of streaks of red stains spattered all across the ground. I quickly followed its trail leading into my mother’s bedroom. I covered my hand over my mouth. Leto was sitting on the floor, her back against the side of the bed which propped her up. Blood was profusely dripping from her torso, thighs, and arms. I sprinted to kneel beside her to place my hands over the wounds that appeared to be vicious bite marks.
