Page 3 of Arrogance
She nodded as she reached her arms out to grab him from me. “I’ve decided to name him Apollo. He is your baby brother. Your twin. You two should forever look after one another,” she explained.
Although she referred to Apollo as mybabybrother, the termbabywas very short-lived, for just as I had grown into a young adult in just minutes, Apollo was now doing the same. The only difference was that his stature grew to be higher than mine. Not only this, but his limbs and torso widened, much greater than my own, into that of a muscular and masculine man.
Thus was our very brief birth and adolescence. From that moment forward, I became infatuated and honored to be a goddess, a female. Women had a gift that no men could possibly attain, which was the miraculous ability of childbirth. I valued this gift and all that it meant to be a woman. I vowed to honor and cherish my womanly body. I would remain a maiden and would swear to never marry. As a result of this vow, I became Goddess of chastity and midwifery.
It wasn’t just me assisting in the birth of my brother, Apollo, that sparked my passions and interests in life. This whole serene scene gave me a deep devotion to nature… to the forests, the wilderness, the animals. I would become one with it and it would become one with me. I would learn to apply myself and live in the forest among these beautiful creatures of the world.
After that day, I clung onto my mother’s words carefully and carried them with me.Apollo… he is your baby brother. Your twin. You two should forever look after one another.I would love Apollo and he would love me. We had the same mother, the same father, the same blood. It was a sign and a blessing that we were both born on the same exact day. That sign could never go ignored. He was my counterpart, and I was his, like the sun and moon. Apollo was of the sun, and I, Artemis, was of the moon. But just like the sun and the moon, there is a distinct contrast between the two. Apollo and I would both possess that same contrast. Our personalities would be so different and it would be what resulted in much of the drama and feuds that would occur throughout our lives.
Chapter 3
Apollo
Even as a god, I grew up in humble beginnings. My sister Artemis and I lived on the floating island of Delos for many years with my mother, Leto. We were the only three that inhabited the place, besides the wild animals, of course. My mother was quick to tell us the reason behind our extended stay on this island. She held nothing back. “Your father wants you both to be raised here until Hera’s wrath dies down,” she explained. “He is constantly watching over you. So, just remember that before thinking about getting into any sort of trouble.” Leave it to my mother to use my father, Zeus, as a leverage and as a threat to get my sister and me to behave.
It was bizarre to think that we were Olympian gods who possessed such great power. I had no idea how to use or harness my powers. So, it was one of those things where I would eventually have to see it to believe it, I suppose.
My sister and I were constantly competing in everything we did, whether it was running, seeing who could lift the heaviest of boulders, chasing down and catching wild marsupials, etc. Little did we know that our strength, agility, reflexes, and every other skill possible was so much greater than that of the average mortal. After all, we had no way to make any comparisons.
I spent most of my days on the island by the sand dunes and in the fields, whereas Artemis preferred the forests and mountains. Today, I decided to pay her a visit in one of her favorite spots, where the tallest trees on the island formed a canopy over a section of the forest. The sun was barely able to creep through the small spaces to greet the ground of this place, which I was not so fond of. I preferred to remain in a location that had full access to the light at all times. There was something about the sun that put my mind at ease. As its rays struck me, I could practically feel their heat radiate through my flesh and bones, providing me with this unexplained invigoration and vitality. In this forest, I was missing and longing for that feeling. It made me feel slightly weaker and, dare I say,emptyon the inside?
I could now hear the whistling of the leaves in the trees in the far distance become louder and louder with each passing second. I lifted my head to spot my sister effortlessly gliding from tree to tree, limb to limb, towards me. She soon jumped from a high branch to the ground to greet me. “I’ve been waiting for you, brother.”
I smirked before giving her a long hug. “Whatever for?”
We separated from our embrace before she responded to me. “I was on the hunt and killed a goat that had the longest horns I have ever seen on this island. There is a cluster of this species of mountain goat on the high mountains in the east.” Artemis reached behind her to pull out a garb of silk fabric, which I presumed had the horns wrapped within it. She unraveled it to show me. “Here. Take it. It’s yours.”
“These are the whitest and longest horns I have ever seen!” I exclaimed. It then hit me. I could use these hard, pristine objects to build a sturdy structure of some sort. “Would you be able to get me as many horns as you can? I could use them for my creation.”
“Your creation?” She had a quizzical expression on her face. “What sort of creation?”
“I’m not exactly sure yet. But I know I will want more horns like these to make something spectacular,” I revealed.
My sister tapped on her bow and quiver full of arrows that were hanging on her back. It was a gift given to her by our father when she was younger. Artemis had never gone anywhere without it. Her skills as an expert huntress had grown extraordinarily every day since then.
In only a matter of days, my sister had provided me with an extravagant amount of goat horns to add to my collection of materials. I used them to build an elaborate platform in the clearing of one of the fields on the island. When the final product was completely finished, I showed it off to my sister and mother.
“What is it?” Artemis asked.
I rubbed my chin vigorously, trying to come up with a concrete description. “I’m not exactly sure, but it looks like a…”
My mother cut me off before I could finish that statement. “An altar. It looks like a very fine altar,” Leto explained. “How impressive, Apollo.”
“Thank you, mother,” I replied. “And what exactly is analtar?”
“It is a table that you find in shrines and temples. Mortals present offerings, gifts, and sacrifices on these altars to the deity they worship.”
“Oh okay,” I stated. “But wait, if I’m a god, then does that mean there are temples and shrines in the world specifically for me? Do I have altars?”
My mother could not help but chuckle at my ignorance. “I’m sure Zeus has already informed the world of you and Artemis. But as you become older and are able to flaunt your powers and accomplishments, the mortals will grow to respect you and will build even more temples and shrines in your honor.”
It was hard to believe that I would have complete strangers building temples and monuments in my name. On the inside, I was secretly elated by it. A sense of pride and confidence overcame me, knowing that I would have people pray for me. That I would acquire this fame where everyone across the lands knew of me and my name. What a rush!
My daydream was put aside as I saw a flying incoming object from the sky making its way over to us. “What is that!?” I pointed towards it, drawing my sister’s and mother’s attention to it.
Artemis didn’t even flinch for a second. Without hesitation, she kneeled on one knee and drew her bow and an arrow from her quiver. She positioned herself strategically and closed one eye, ready to fire at what seemed like an intruder. It was then that my mother extended her arm, raising her palm out to block my sister’s firing aim. “Wait! Don’t strike it just yet!” Leto commanded.
My sister’s shoulders relaxed, knowing she would not get the chance to take her shot. She lowered her weapon and rose to her feet, watching as the object in the air continued to approach us, becoming clearer now.
