Apollo wanted to turn back time to before he entrusted Eutostea to him. But his inner voice whispered. Would there have been a better option if time indeed turned back?
“I can’t completely trust you now and leave you with Eutostea. It’s up to me whether I go find her or not. I’ll go every day. Don’t get in my way.”
“…You’re just wasting your time anyway when she can’t even remember you because of the curse,” Dionysus laughed; his shoulders shaking. But his legs were also shaking unnoticeably.
If this arrogant fellow doesn’t notice that Artemis’ curse has been broken, then what should he do? No, even if he were lucky enough not to have been caught when Apollo met Eutostea today, what should he do from now on? He thought furiously as he flashed a self-deprecating smile.
“Don’t make me repeat the same thing uselessly. And being a selfish bastard is a compliment to me.” Apollo bent down and stuck his nose close to Dionysus’ face. “Let me personally show you how selfish I can be for my love.”
“This… son of…”
“I’ll also live up to the profuse praises of being a son of a bitch.”
“Apollo!” Dionysus called him with a shout. He looked very angry. His chest was already aflame with rage.
Apollo jumped over the terrace, flapping the edge of the sky.
Four faithful horses waiting for him loaded themselves into the chariot. The silhouette of his chariot disappeared, leaving a trail of wheels on the soft night clouds.
Dionysus stamped his foot angrily. The impact ripped the grass off the ground near the bench and broke the soil. The golden chalice clattered at the violent vibrations and rolled down at the feet of its owner.
He was angry, but in the end, he felt like he was completely cornered by that arrogant bastard. Dionysus, however, soothed himself with the idea of Eutostea, who would greet him when he returned to the temple.
The goddess of strife and discord, Eris, crept up to the bench the two gods had left. A black-haired warrior following her searched around the terrace.
“Goddess, something amusing seems to have happened, but we’re a step late.”
“Apollo and Dionysus argued.”
“Dionysus’s alcohol scent is really fragrant.”
Eris raised her lips, listening to Moussa’s whisper.
“Shh. I’m just going to sit by and trim my nails until their fight breaks in earnest. Depending on who my sharp fingernails leave scratches on, the game shall be fun.”
“Eris, this is Dionysus’ golden cup.”
“Well, I’ll give it to Ares as a present. He enjoys drinking, too.”
Eris made a sound by scratching the surface of the cup, which Moussa had passed over with a short, pointed black nail.
***
Ares put the cup he had received as a gift on the barracks table where he stayed. No one has seen his pet snake, who likes shiny things, swallow the cup down its mouth. But that’s not what’s important in this story right now.
***
“These are all the candles we have, Miss Eutostea.”
Moussa spread out five candles with a sullen look. Eutostea recalled Dionysus’ saying ‘poor’ as she accepted them.
“I need to make candles tomorrow.”
After asking the Moussa to get wax and other materials, Eutostea toured the roughly organized assembly hall.
A green light hung on the line above the empty pond. It was a natural lantern made by the Moussa to light up the darkness which also caught fireflies with a spider web.
Looking inside the temple and into the garden illuminated by a subtle glow of green light, Eutostea remembered that Dionysus’ eyes were green, too. He was still absent after receiving a summons in the afternoon.
Fatigue weighed down on her. Eutostea saved the oil from the lamp and climbed onto the leopard and headed for the inner room.
When the morning dawns, there would be a mountain of work to do, so she should go to bed early to replenish her energy.
Dawn has broken.
Eutostea opened her eyes early, worried that the firewood might get wet. Fortunately, it didn’t rain.
Surrounding her bed, two leopards lay asleep on the floor.
Raising herself, Eutostea saw Dionysus’ back dozing off in the corner of the bed. He was asleep with his left knee up, holding it in his arms, with his chin resting on his knees.
Apollo wanted to turn back time to before he entrusted Eutostea to him. But his inner voice whispered. Would there have been a better option if time indeed turned back?
“I can’t completely trust you now and leave you with Eutostea. It’s up to me whether I go find her or not. I’ll go every day. Don’t get in my way.”
“…You’re just wasting your time anyway when she can’t even remember you because of the curse,” Dionysus laughed; his shoulders shaking. But his legs were also shaking unnoticeably.
If this arrogant fellow doesn’t notice that Artemis’ curse has been broken, then what should he do? No, even if he were lucky enough not to have been caught when Apollo met Eutostea today, what should he do from now on? He thought furiously as he flashed a self-deprecating smile.
“Don’t make me repeat the same thing uselessly. And being a selfish bastard is a compliment to me.” Apollo bent down and stuck his nose close to Dionysus’ face. “Let me personally show you how selfish I can be for my love.”
“This… son of…”
“I’ll also live up to the profuse praises of being a son of a bitch.”
“Apollo!” Dionysus called him with a shout. He looked very angry. His chest was already aflame with rage.
Apollo jumped over the terrace, flapping the edge of the sky.
Four faithful horses waiting for him loaded themselves into the chariot. The silhouette of his chariot disappeared, leaving a trail of wheels on the soft night clouds.
Dionysus stamped his foot angrily. The impact ripped the grass off the ground near the bench and broke the soil. The golden chalice clattered at the violent vibrations and rolled down at the feet of its owner.
He was angry, but in the end, he felt like he was completely cornered by that arrogant bastard. Dionysus, however, soothed himself with the idea of Eutostea, who would greet him when he returned to the temple.
The goddess of strife and discord, Eris, crept up to the bench the two gods had left. A black-haired warrior following her searched around the terrace.
“Goddess, something amusing seems to have happened, but we’re a step late.”
“Apollo and Dionysus argued.”
“Dionysus’s alcohol scent is really fragrant.”
Eris raised her lips, listening to Moussa’s whisper.
“Shh. I’m just going to sit by and trim my nails until their fight breaks in earnest. Depending on who my sharp fingernails leave scratches on, the game shall be fun.”
“Eris, this is Dionysus’ golden cup.”
“Well, I’ll give it to Ares as a present. He enjoys drinking, too.”
Eris made a sound by scratching the surface of the cup, which Moussa had passed over with a short, pointed black nail.
***
Ares put the cup he had received as a gift on the barracks table where he stayed. No one has seen his pet snake, who likes shiny things, swallow the cup down its mouth. But that’s not what’s important in this story right now.
***
“These are all the candles we have, Miss Eutostea.”
Moussa spread out five candles with a sullen look. Eutostea recalled Dionysus’ saying ‘poor’ as she accepted them.
“I need to make candles tomorrow.”
After asking the Moussa to get wax and other materials, Eutostea toured the roughly organized assembly hall.
A green light hung on the line above the empty pond. It was a natural lantern made by the Moussa to light up the darkness which also caught fireflies with a spider web.
Looking inside the temple and into the garden illuminated by a subtle glow of green light, Eutostea remembered that Dionysus’ eyes were green, too. He was still absent after receiving a summons in the afternoon.
Fatigue weighed down on her. Eutostea saved the oil from the lamp and climbed onto the leopard and headed for the inner room.
When the morning dawns, there would be a mountain of work to do, so she should go to bed early to replenish her energy.
Dawn has broken.
Eutostea opened her eyes early, worried that the firewood might get wet. Fortunately, it didn’t rain.
Surrounding her bed, two leopards lay asleep on the floor.
Raising herself, Eutostea saw Dionysus’ back dozing off in the corner of the bed. He was asleep with his left knee up, holding it in his arms, with his chin resting on his knees.
