Stories of the Woods

To Play A Game

Apollo stood very still as he looked at the temple.

It was a full moon that night, and it was high in the inky sky. Its pale rays caressed the ruins of the temple and lit up the empty expanse beyond it. Some pillars still stood stubbornly although their facades were crumbling and yellowed with age. Oral tales told that the temple of Artemis had once been majestic and beautiful, but after having been rebuilt three times the temple had finally been left to tire away in the elements.

Apollo put his hands deep in his pockets as he looked around. The moon illuminated his pale and beautiful face, but he wasn't looking back at it. This was his third visit here in more than five decades, and it was as empty as it had been the last time. Astera wasn't here.

He sighed and wandered forward, eventually coming to lean against a weathered pillar. It held under his weight, and Apollo brooded to himself as he looked at the vegetation creeping up around the crumbled stone. He wasn't quite sure why he kept thinking she would be here. Artemis wasn't even her namesake, but Apollo couldn't shake the feeling that the goddess was somehow important to his sister.

"Here once again, Apollo Ambrosia?"

Apollo didn't jump in surprise at the voice, as many others would have. It was the dead of the night, about two in the morning, and no one should have been there. Apollo turned around slowly, his face only curious.

Sitting on the width of a felled pillar was a young man. He was very handsome, by human standards, but he wasn't nearly as beautiful as Apollo. He had dark hair he grew to his shoulders, and smooth olive skin that glowed, even in the darkness. His eyes were remarkably similar to Apollo's though - they were a bright emerald, and they shimmered with intelligence. The man was slender; his loose shift fluttered down to his calves, and his feet were encased in leather sandals.

Apollo took all this in evenly. "Hello." He didn't bother questioning how the young man knew his name.

The stranger tilted his head and smiled. "You're not going to ask how I know your name?"

"You wouldn't tell me even if I asked." Apollo replied pleasantly. His hands were still in his pockets, but his shoulders were relaxed.

He laughed. "You're very right. I wouldn't tell you. I will tell you this, though; I know you very well, and you know me."

"I don't believe I do."

"Well, to be more accurate, you know an aspect of me." The stranger was still smiling. "Shall I propose a game?"

Apollo stared at him. "What is the nature of this game?"

"It's a guessing game. " He looked very pleased for some reason. "Except you only get one chance, and one chance only."

It was Apollo's turn to tilt his head. "What am I guessing? And if I guess correctly, what do I get in return?"

"Oh, it's very simple." The man rose a hand and examined his fingers casually. "You must guess who I am."

He paused, but Apollo said nothing.

"If you guess correctly," He went on, "I'll help you find her."

Apollo digested this. Whoever the stranger was, he knew his name, that he'd been here before, and who he was looking for. It was dangerous, having someone know so much about him when he knew nothing about him, but Apollo couldn't resist the allure. This man knew all about him; perhaps he knew all about Astera as well.

"Alright." Apollo nodded and wandered a little closer to the young man. "Let us play."

"Good, good!" He rubbed his hands together, pleased. "You have until the end of  our conversation. If you guess incorrectly, I get to choose what you give me."