Page 5 of Arrogance
“So is that why you killed my cow!? To make this…thing!?” I shouted.
I motioned forward in his general direction, my head still fuming over what Hermes had done.
“It’s not just anything, Apollo. Here… listen.” He then plucked the thinly carved intestines of the cow with his delicate fingers. A beautiful sound was elicited from the object. I paused in my tracks as Hermes continued to strum the instrument.
Upon hearing the sound, the speed at which my heart was racing suddenly dropped. The boiling temperature within my blood was reduced. It was as if all the anger and frustration I had with Hermes drifted away with the wind that was carrying the melodies. I had never heard anything so soothing in all my life.
“What is it!?” I asked, with more sincerity rather than annoyance.
“Let’s call it alyrefor now,” Hermes recommended. He continued to swipe his fingers across the various different entrails wrapped along the inside of the turtle shell, creating a variety of different sounds that worked together to create a harmonic hymn. I was instantly entranced, light-headed. A euphoric sense had overtaken me. I needed to hear more of this sound and desperately wanted my own lyre so that I could make these sounds of my own.
But there were no turtles here on the island of Delos that I could use to create my own lyre, and I had to have one.
I needed it now!
“Would you happen to have another lyre you could give me? It’s theleastyou could do.” I heavily emphasized that last part of my statement, making sure Hermes knew that he still needed to make it up to me for having stolen my cattle.
He placed his hand over his forehead and shook it while chuckling. “Of course not! That’s the reason I had to come here to get my hands on one of your sacred cows, in order to make it to begin with.”
“Well, since my cows are so valuable to you in order to make these lyres, why don’t we have a trade-off?”
Hermes rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “What kind of trade-off?”
“What if I handed you over all of my cattle in exchange for the current lyre that you have?” I explained. As much time as I devoted to my cows, I was more obsessed with that lyre and the sound it evoked. There was something so tranquil and serene about the noise it produced that drove me wild. And now that I experienced it, I could no longer avoid this passion and longing I had for it.
“Hmmm. I’ll have to take some time to think about it more. Weigh out my options,” Hermes replied.
“Well, there’s nothing to think about,” I asserted. “I am doingyoua favor with this trade. For if you don’t accept these terms, I will go to our father and inform him of your treachery and deceit towards me. I wonder what he would say about it? I’m certain he wouldn’t be pleased.”
The whites of Hermes’ eyes became more noticeable as he bulged them, raising his brows. He looked shocked by my threat, but I would not falter.
“Fine. I’ll take the cattle. But next time, I won’t be so willing.” Hermes threw the lyre in my direction for me to catch before he ran and flew off and away. The wings on his sandals and helmet flapped to carry him in the air.
I watched as his full figure became a spec in the sky, the farther he flew off in the distance. A smirk then creeped up on my face, as I glanced down at the beautiful instrument in my hand. This was my first official try at using my negotiation skills and I was thoroughly impressed with myself with how well I handled the situation.
I loved when I got my way. And I wanted to continue to get my way when it came to anything I desired. Such is the way of the gods, after all.
It had only been a few days since I last encountered Hermes and already, he was returning to Delos to meet with me once more. I held a stick firmly in my hands, making intricate patterns within the sand. Hermes’ steps towards me in the sand smeared my entire work from the morning. I let out a heavy grunt now that he had disturbed me once more.
“What is it now!?” I asked with agitation.
“Ouch! Such a cold greeting from one sibling to another. Very unbecoming of a god,” Hermes chastised.
I rolled my eyes heavily at him. “Well, what do you expect from me? The last time we met, we weren’t exactly on the best of terms.”
He let out a disappointing sigh. “You should know by now I meant no harm. And in fact, I came with a special delivery. Consider it an apology for my behavior a couple of days ago.”
Now he had me very intrigued. “A special delivery? What kind?”
“Here… see for yourself.” Hermes stepped out of the way, which allowed me to now focus behind him at three figures that suddenly appeared out of the blue.
Three beautiful women with different hair colors: blonde, auburn, and black. But these weren’t just any women. Yes, their faces were that of a human, but their lower bodies formed that of a bee, with hundreds of black and yellow stripes on them. Each of the females had wings that, like bees, were constantly flapping and fluttering at an intense speed.
“We are here to serve you, Master Apollo.” The bee woman with the auburn hair flew forward, lowering her head down to me in a bow.
“To serveme?” I questioned.
Hermes slapped his palm to his forehead. “These are the Thriae, also known as the bee nymphs. Corycia, Kleodora, and Melaina.” The other nymphs too bowed when Hermes called out their names, leaving me to know that the one with the auburn hair was Melaina, whose head was nearly down at my feet.
