An ending is the start of a new beginning...

Ares and Selene... Selene and Eros

 

I walk in the same direction I did that night when Mogh caught Ares and I making out. There are no lights tonight though and I feel so… desolate. The wind blows dead leaves in my direction. I walk and walk, remembering to leave a path that I can follow. I choose to leave a fairy path as madam Tsali calls it because it is lined with pink speckled stones. I stop to rest on a log. After I catch my breath I stand and the ‘log’ disappears. I turn around and follow the path that I made right back to the edge of the forest. I return to Ares and Mogh. Neither of them bothers to say anything. “Ares, we need to talk.” Ares leads me to our spot; where we usually go when we don’t want to talk. “I’m sorry for acting like that, you are not insecure.” Oh really. Well you saying those things would not have helped if I was. That’s what I want to say. “I’m sorry too.”

Ares pulls me to him and embraces me. He kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear, “Selene, are you ready to finish what we started the other night?” he traces a line down my back and stops, waiting for an answer. “I thought…”

Ares lets go of me and takes a step back. His face registers disappointment. “Not again.”

“I’m sorry.” I really am sorry, but he doesn’t care, I can see that.

“You are always sorry. Why do you hate me Selene? Am I that repulsive?”

I look at his broad shoulders, his deep eyes.

“What is wrong with me that I can’t turn you on?”

I look at his high cheekbones, his curly hair.

“Selene, what’s wrong?”

And I say goodbye.

Ares is not the guy I thought he was. Ares will dump me if I don’t sleep with him, sooner or later.

“Selene, I have to end this, for now.”

Well, I guess its sooner than later.

I walk away and I do not look back. I feel so empty and void. Who am I in this place without Ares? I guess I'll have to find out. I meet Mogh coming from the lake. He takes one look at my face and says, “Its over, isn’t it.” I nod mutely and sweep past him.

Once inside madam Tsali’s office I try to put on a pleasant facade. Madam Tsali is too diverted by the news she just received to notice me anyway. “Apparently, this war has started sooner than we think. The acting master of nightschool in Azza sent me a letter saying he believes the creatures are planning an attack on the Nightschool there. Selene and Mogh find Ares and then we will all go to Azza. Hurry!” Mogh and I rush to find Ares. I find him, of course, right where I left him. He looks remorseful but I don’t want to look at him at all.

“We’re going to Azza. Hurry up, madam Tsali is waiting.” I let no emotion seep into my voice like poison. Ares follows me back to nightschool. As we climb the stairs leading to madam Tsali’s office he tries to touch my hand and I pull away. “Selene, we can still be friends, can’t we?”

“No.” my heart pounds inside my chest because I want to say yes, I want to tell him that I need him. He shakes his head slowly as if he is trying to figure me out. “You’re making this hard for both of us.”

“It’s always my fault isn’t it?”

He doesn’t reply and I walk quickly up the hall and into madam Tsali’s office.

“Where is Regina?” Ares asks.

“She left us to get her husband, they are coming later tonight.”

The four of us hold hands. I position myself so that I'll be between madam Tsali and Mogh. Madam Tsali concentrates on getting us to Azza. In this realm of being, it is all in your mind. We all zone in, trying to help her. I feel the energy running through her body and Mogh’s. It joins with my energy and Ares’. When I open my eyes we are in a courtyard, similar to the Nightschools’ in Gorrenna but larger. The architecture was different, it was modern and clean-cut. Even Mogh seems surprised. I walk over to one of the low oval-shaped windows. There are billions of stars dotting the skies. The trees lumber above us like fierce giants. Turning away from the window I notice the awesome fresco on the ceiling. It depicts a hill and a half moon. The colours are brilliant and breathtaking. We take the elevator instead of the stairs because madam Tsali is in a hurry. Madam Tsali leads us down a bright hallway. This nightschool is designed like an expensive hotel. There is artificial light everywhere. I comment, “It’s so bright here.”

“That’s because outside it is darker, so we have to have more lights here”

Madam Tsali bursts into someone’s bedroom. “How are you Eros?”

We are behind her and cannot see Eros. A husky voice answers, “I’m fine thank you, and did you bring them?”

“Why of course.” Madam Tsali steps back so we can introduce ourselves.

Eros steps out from behind the door. I bite my lips to prevent a gasp escaping. He is shirtless and in his boxers. Ares looks at me sharply. So does Mogh. “I’m sorry, I was taking a nap.” He extends his hand to me first, because I’m closest. I try not to look at his well-defined abs. He is gorgeous. His blond hair is streaked with dark brown and his eyes are a lucid grey. “I am Selene.” I shake his hand quickly avoiding his eyes.

“Nice to meet you.” He shakes hand with Ares next.

“Mogh, how are you? Dude you’ve changed!!! He high fives Mogh who seems flattered at the attention.

Ares looks at him warily. Eros appears in a shirt and jeans and leads us to a small room. It is lined with full bookshelves. In a corner, next to a window on a square table is a globe similar to the one in nightschool. I walk over to it, partly from curiosity and partly to put some distance between Ares and I. Eros appears behind me. “It’s a map of Azza. By the way, are you impressed?”

I open my mouth to speak but no words come. “By our Nightschool here in Azza, I mean.” He smiles bewitchingly. Ares is looking at us.

“Of course, it’s so modern compared to Gorrenna. The architecture is amazing.” I stare into his eyes for longer than I should and he stares back. Abruptly he turns away from me and begins to tell us what he observed to make him believe that the creatures are planning something.

He paces the room dramatically. He stops in front of me. “Have you ever felt invaded, Selene?” the others are all looking at me. “I don’t…”

He continues, saying, “Yesterday I was ill. I had been feeling sick whole day and I brought it with me into the night-realm. I was sleeping, or I thought I was and I had a dream, or so I thought. I was in the forest and Nightschool was on fire.” I was captured by their army. They were undisguised; in their natural forms and I was terrified. When I woke up there was a note scribbled in their language, ‘os vaddamir fi gosf lo Serra’: A sign of things to come.”

Madam Tsali says, “This is serious. Eros, do you think I should send a message to my Nightschool telling them to stay inside and secure the building?”

“Yes, of course, I already stopped anyone from going into the forest. A girl was violated in the forest.” We are all stunned into silence.

Madam Tsali who looks quite shaken, ventures, “By what?”

Eros is obviously upset as he says, “I don’t know, she won’t say.”

“Oh God.” Mogh says.

“Yes it is horrible isn’t it? The five of us stand silently, each of us in our own world of thoughts. Madam Tsali interrupts the silence, “if we find out what did this we can hunt it down, we cannot allow these things to happen. Ares and Mogh will come with me to the forest. We shall kill whatever creature crosses our path.

Eros turns to her, “Madam Tsali do you think that is right? Doing that will destroy any shred of trust that remains between Nightschool and the creatures.”

Madam Tsali faces him, her jaw set, “Is raping a student a sign of trust Eros? If we allow them to overstep their boundaries there will be no end but ours. Goodbye.” she sweeps out of the room. Mogh nods to me before following. Ares hesitates, then waves at me. I do not return it. When I turn around Eros is watching me. “Don’t you agree with me?” he asks.

I shake my head no. “Evil needs to be uprooted. Madam Tsali is right.” He looks at me steadily and then smiles. “So she brainwashed you also?”

“No, but I feel sorry for that girl and I thought you did also.”

“I do, but I am rational enough to realize that a massacre will not avenge her.” “Whatever.” I say. His nostril flares.

“Whatever? As in whatever is between you and Ares?” I sigh. I am not surprised he noticed; he would have had to be blind not to. “We broke up.”

Eros nods to himself. Stupidly I blurt out, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Eros smiles, “No, why are you applying? You seem to have all the requirements.”

I laugh with him and together we walk down to the library. Some students look at us as we glide past them. We pass many closed doors until Eros stops in front of a huge door, unlocking it. “The private library.” He says with a flourish. It is a small library, and I feel a bit caved in I follow him to the back of the library where he says something in Gronnish; the language of Azza. A painting of a semi- nude woman sprawled on a settee vibrates making a rumbling noise and then slides across to reveal a hidden compartment. He smiles at my surprised look and pulls down a small iron box. He places it on a table and stares at me with those eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

“I think I do.”

“Can I trust you?”

I weigh my words carefully as I speak, “As long as you are on our side I will never betray you.”

He nods, satisfied with my response. The box is made of smooth black iron with no way of opening. As he touches it, there is a flash of darkness and then it cracks open like an eggshell. He picks up a little book and dusts the papery splinters away. It is crimson with black vein-like patterns on the cover. It is written in Gronnish, but he translates it for me. He reads,

Freon is tall, unnaturally tall. He has a smoky complexion, but he is beautiful. It was the perfect symmetry of his face that made it hard for me to resist staring at him. His hair was long and flowing; like a woman’s. Strands of it blew across his face as he spoke. He begged me to join him, promising me riches and luxuries. What he did not know was that I would join him if he were a beggar because I understood him and he understood me.

Eros stops reading.

“Who wrote that?”

“Hera.”

I gasp in shock, unwilling to process the information I had just received. “Hera!?”

He puts the book down on the table and with one fluid movement steps next to me and places his hand on my shoulder. “Hera is here in Azza and she has joined Freon’s forces.”

“Hera is supposed to be dead.” Hera cannot be alive, no.

“No, Freon saved her. She is with him now.”

“Hera would do that?”

“She betrayed us once.”

“She can do it again.” I say this slowly, horrified by the thought of it.

“Exactly. I need your help Selene.” His eyes pierce mines forcing me to look at him.

“How?”

“You know Hera better than I do, perhaps better than Ares and Mogh.” I want to tell him that I don’t think I do, that Hera never confided in me, but something about the way he looks at me as if he trusts me completely and knows that I will not let him down.

I raised my head, “I'll try my best.” I walk away from him to look at a painting titled ‘The golden awakening’. A girl is of getting out of bed eager to greet the new day. Her expression is pure and angelic as if she has not a care in the world. Her brown hair is plaited in the old Athenian style and trails over her pale shoulder. Her bed is next to an expansive window covered by thin muslin curtains which fail to veil the rising sun which shines through casting beams of light across her forehead, chest and hands. Eros comes behind me and says, “Charming isn’t it, look closer.”

I c**k my head to the left, trying to see what he meant but I could not. I felt stupid just standing there. I am tempted to shake my head no, annoyed at myself for not being able to see it.

Eros just shrugs, “I guess you're not experienced enough.”

I am embarrassed and upset. Eros is not looking at me and I feel as though I've disappointed him. I am surprised to see a smile on his face when he turns around. “You passed my test.”

“Your test?” I am relieved and annoyed at the same time.

“Yes, I had to be sure you were trustworthy. Some people would lie to cover up their 'so called' inadequacies. Mogh might, if he did not see through the trick. Your friend Ares certainly would. Thats why I'm not confiding in them.

“Oh,” I say. I feel chosen. Special.

Eros interrupts my reverie saying, “We should leave now. I have a plan to defeat them of course, but I'll need Madam Tsali's approval.”

we leave the library and then we separate; him going upstairs to his office and me going out into the courtyard. Since it is not safe outside and Ares and Mogh are with Madam Tsali I have nowhere to go, nothing to do. I loiter aimlessly until I hear Mogh's voice in my head. “We're back now, we finished our duty for the day.” A pause, Mogh's breathing. “look, Selene, I don't want to upset you or for you to think I am taking his side because I am not. Ares is a selfish, self centered, horny b*****d, I know, but I think he actually cares about you. Think about that.”

I think before replying, “Thanks Mogh but I am alright. Ares was the one who broke up with me, you know. How was the hunt?” I say this playfully as if I do not feel confused and unhappy. Why I feel as if a part of me had been ripped out and replaced by metal, heavy and unyielding. “It was wonderful if you have an appetite for blood, gore and pleadings of innocence from adults and their spawn; madam Tsali ordered us to execute the adults, male and female and capture the young she wants in bondage.” Mogh says all this lightly but I know he is not a killer by nature. “Where are you now?”

“Your friend Eros' office.”

I sigh, “He is not my friend, I barely know him.” Mogh laughs, a strange quality crawling into his voice, “I'm sure you will get to soon.”

I decide not to reply to that. Instead I ask, “ You know him, what is he like?”

“you mean what does he like? Sorry I couldn't help that. He is normal enough. Strong, dedicated, brave, an awesome fighter, and leading a Nightschool. If you really are over Ares then you should try for Eros, its worth it I'm sure.”

 

Author's Note

hmm, what do you think of Ares/Eros/Selene?
is their behavior natural?