Trojan War Chapter 13

 

13.

“Artemis”

 “Wisdom is her mother’s and …. Courage will be hers. I will name her Artemis; the Goddess of Wisdom like her mother Leto but she will have more.”

“Artemis… It sounds like a butcher.” Leto looked at Zeus.

“Butcher she will be ….. but with finesse. She will be a huntress and none may challenge her at that. She will be a great warrior like Ares and Apollo. She won’t be like any woman.”

So, it was that Artemis will be without an equal among the women. She made it known to Zeus at an earlier age when she sat on Zeus then.

“I will have many qualities that other women will look at me as their Goddess. I will also have the strength and courage like a man and they will envy me.” Artemis told Zeus when he asked her about the gifts she would like to have. The list was more than what was mentioned.

“You will have it all, Artemis. I will get the best in the worlds to coach you.” Zeus had bequeathed her those gifts. Artemis was truly an equal or above the others. She was well protected by Zeus, unlike her mother who was in hardship when she was with Artemis and Apollo.

“The woman will not give birth to his children on any land on the planets.” Hera was enraged at the action of Zeus and had the worlds knew of her wrath.

Leto had fled to the Frontier but was rescued by Poseidon. He had known of her plight and on consent by Zeus, he had taken his mothership; the Oceans there.

“I had come for you, Leto. I am not here to harm you but I will protect you from Hera. These are words of Zeus to me. She will not fight me for you.” Poseidon had told Leto.

“I am with Zeus’s child and they are ready to be birthed,” Leto told Poseidon. It was then when Poseidon took Leto onto his mothership but she was in her labors.

“Let me birth the children here; not on any land and they will not incur the wrath of Hera.” It was done then that Leto was to birth on the mothership of Poseidon’s fleet that sailed the planets. Her delivery of the children while in warp speed between the worlds, thus avoiding the wrath of Hera. The children's first sight besides the mother was the stars and wide void of space.

“Children, you will be influenced like the stars and spread out far,” Leto told her newborn. The birth of the children reached Zeus who had raced there to receive the children and averted the wrath of Hera. He had named the boy, Apollo but his favorite was Artemis. She had looked at with her eyes at that tender age and had the wisdom in her like her Mother.

Artemis was brought up not any women and ranked equal with the men in the skills. She was known for her wisdom and frequently argues with Ares on the matters of strategy and accompanied them into the battles.

Artemis wielded the spear and shield for the battles but in the hunt, her skills with the bow and arrow were unmatched. She wore most times the armor chest plate and metal sewn plates for her skirt. She was the inspiration to some women who later declared themselves equal to men and even formed their legion named the Amazons. The Amazons were frowned on and then banished by Zeus to the Frontiers but their regard for Artemis remained defiant.

It was her alliance with the Amazons that earned her the wrath of Ares but between the two, there were many incidents that Ares was upset at her. Orion, the leader of Ares warrior had tried to force himself on a follower of Artemis at her tower when he accompanied Ares who was a guest of Artemis then. He held a huge frame and stood taller than most.

“Artemis, the mongrel tried to force himself on me.” Opis the aide of Artemis told the Goddess. “He was forceful and I managed to escape.”

“Lies!” Orion had denied the charges when he was accused of it at the Hall of Artemis Tower. “I am a great warrior and many women would have gladly given themselves to me.”

His boast then drew the laughter of the male guests, including Ares. The latter then added in his words.

“We, the warrior of Ares take what we want and when we want,” Ares added to the boast of Orion. 

“I am Orion, Artemis. You may recall that we once hunted together in the forests of Pantheon and … alone we were then.” Orion’s words drew applause from the male guests then.

“Do not insult my sister, Orion. Or I will have you gutted here like the animal you are.” It was Apollo who stood up for his twin sister. “Hold your tongue on the insults.”

“Apollo.” Orion backed by his God, sneered at the other God. “I am not to…”

Orion words were shortened by Artemis who had released the arrow into the other’s throat. All the guests included Ares turned to look at Artemis.

“He is in my vision, a boar, and needed to slew.” Artemis had then notched in another arrow and drew the bod taut. “I will challenge any man who will deny those words.”

Ares was to speak but he saw the stare of Apollo and backed down. He then spoke that he was leaving but his last words rang deep at the Hall.

“This is one of ours which would one day be resolved at the battle.” Artemis was not to be intimidated by the God of War. Artemis was an individual Goddess and had even defied Poseidon who had aided her mother before.

Poseidon had two twin sons named Otos and Ephialtes, who are like their father was aggressive and became great warriors. With the wars averted and the Games to replace it, the twins took their aggression to hunt. The arena of the hunts was under the purview of Artemis and words had reached her of the twin indiscriminate hunting. Artemis had forbidden the killings unless it was for a reason.

‘They have said that they will hunt you and even Hera like the animals in the forest.” Artemis heard those words and was in anger. She then approached Poseidon.

“Truly, my twins are wild and held their own against many. For the latter I am proud but I can’t stop them. They may end up killing each other of their aggression.” With those words, Artemis planned the killing of the twin with her twin brother, Apollo.

“We can’t kill them.” Apollo had reasoned with the sister. He knew of her sister’s vengeance streak. “We have to abide by the rules or even Zeus cannot protect us.”

“I do not intend to kill them but they will be lured to kill each other.” Artemis shared the plan with Apollo and it was soon carried out.

“Behold the wild deer in my forest at Macedonia. They roam freely and without fear.” Artemis had sent the words out. Those words reached the other twins and they took the task to hunt the wild deer at Macedonia.

“Otos, you take this side and I will do the other. We will drive the herd to the clearing and kill them all.” Ephialtes shared with the other. “Then we will leave the carcasses at Artemis Tower.”

It was a bold plan and hastily put together. The twins managed to chase the wild deer but it did not get trapped in the clearing but the thick forest there.

“I can’t see you, Otos.” Ephialtes has communicated to his twin brother but the other could not hear him. He saw what appeared to be the wild deer and shot with his blaster. At the same time, his twin brother had done the same. What they did not know, the image they shared was themselves. Both the twins died then.

“You have caused the death of my twins.” Poseidon had accused Ares. “You gave them the powerful blaster.”

The Gods and Goddess had held an inquest into the death of the twins at the Hall of Zeus.

“I did and it’s the tasks I do well. I can’t be held responsible for every death done by my creation. It’s the one who wields it must be responsible.” Ares had replied then. “They were misled by Artemis to hunt the wild deer which does not exist.”

“You are mistaken, Ares. The deer do exist.” Artemis had brought out the unique deer that was in the forest. “My aide, Callisto is the one who cares for them. Tell them, Callisto. What did happen then?”

“I was in the forest to care for the deer and saw the twins hunting it. I had hidden the deer and then I heard the shots. It was over before I could stop them.” Callisto explained the hunt.

“You lied to us, Callisto.” Ares confronted the other.

“Callisto does not lie. She is my warrior and even Zeus had called her Callisto the Bear for she is brave and held the courage to save the deer.” Artemis defended her warrior. “Would you had done it if it was your …. Warrior there?”

“I …’ Ares was cut off by Zeus.

“Enough is said. I declare the death of the twins on their own. They were uncontrollable and death may have resolved their journey.” Zeus's words were never disputed not even by Poseidon who was upset. He was met by Ares.

“Artemis drives the wedge between us and Zeus,” Ares told the other. Poseidon did not reply and moved on. Ares looked at the departing God and cursed at Artemis.

“Artemis, one day I will have you judged and humiliated.”