Athena's Saints
Eirini
ONE
The Beginning of a New Era
III. Mystikos
Selek had met Maur’s parents before the child was born. He was a friend of them both, Alexandros and Megara.
Alexandros and Selek had been friends ever since the latter entered Sanctuary and the first didn’t; Alexandros wanted to be a Saint with all his heart, but he was physically handicapped. Alexandros was limp. But when he met Megara, his entire world changed. He found the Goddess to rule his life and forgot his resentment due to his “problem”. And began a new life.
Megara was the most beautiful and enchanting woman both men had ever known; and both fell for her. She started a clandestine relationship with Selek however, because they didn’t want anyone to know or ruin their happiness; yet, one day, without previous notice, Megara decided to get married to Alexandros. She’d chosen him over Selek, and although he felt broken-hearted, he sort of understood. Alexandros’ heart was made out of pure gold and he didn’t have the responsibilities of a Saint; therefore, he was the only one who could make her happy. So he withdrew and remained as a friend of the family.
And there was another thing on Alexandros’ part; he was not an assassin, as he was.
What he never expected was the birth of a child some months later, Maur. Alexandros was so happy with his newborn son, that he didn’t give Selek any time to recover from the surprise. Since the moment Maur came to the world, Alexandros decided his future. And as time went on, the topic suddenly became compulsory every time the Saint was of visit. “He’s to be a Saint of Athena, and he’s to be your apprentice Selek. Maur will be the future Scorpio Saint.”
Yet, Megara was determined not to allow it.
“He won’t be so, Alex. Stop saying nonsense. And you Selek, don’t even try it.” The woman used to tell them. And although the Saint felt more than happy being around them, it was really hard for him to be in the middle of the fights, then he always tried to avoid the topic; but it was almost impossible, it happened during the meals, in the small sitting room, in the kitchen. Everywhere.
“He’s perfect Selek,” Alexandros used to tell him, “He’s growing fast and he’s strong and brilliant; you know it. How come you say no? There’s nobody better than you to be his Master, besides, he’s a Scorpion, just like you”
“Alex, try to understand,” Selek used to tell him, especially if Meg was around, “we can talk about it later, when he’s old enough, when his time comes, not now, please.” And then he looked at the child and got lost in his turquoise eyes—and in that smile, just like his mother’s.
One night, Selek was in the house with them. The atmosphere was really alluring and their conversation was very pleasant until the topic came out again. Selek decided not to be in the middle this time and took Maur, who had fallen sleep to his bed and then he walked out the house. He loved to stand right there watching the sea from his friends’ little house, trying without any result to find something in the darkness of the water.
“I won’t allow it Selek, you hear me?”
He turned and saw Megara standing there, wearing a long dress and covered with a shawl, her arms crossed on her chest, her hair floating in the wind.
“I do Megara, I listen, it is your husband who insists, but if Maur is to—”
“No!!” she stopped him. “I won’t let him.“ I can’t lose him, not the same way I lost you, she thought. Her faced looked out of proportions. Her soul boiling inside of her.
The man looked at her strangled. She was more than angry now, and he could feel hatred coming from her. She was out of her mind.
“I won’t let it happen! I hate Athena! I hate you!”
Selek stared at her in disbelief. He started to feel angry with her. “Athena has protected Greece and the world ever since the time of the Myth—How could you say such a thing? Answer me!”
“Just listen to yourself, you don’t care about what I feel for you, but about what I said of her!” Her blood rushing to her head quicker than she thought, making her feel angrier. “ I hate her because she took away what was mine!” She said tears of anger falling down her cheeks, “Athena was always more important, you duty was always more important; you couldn’t stay over, because you had to go back to her. She took you away from me!! Away from me and our son!!”
She put her hand over her mouth and for a brief moment, they just stared at each other. Speechless.
“What did you just say?” He finally managed to say, “What did you just say!” he repeated and this time he took her by her shoulders and shook her violently.
“You heard me!! Our son. Yours. Not Alexandros’!! She screamed trying to free herself from his grip.
“Woman—” he stopped. He knew he was in the edge of losing his temper and with it, his common sense. He had loved her with such strength and passion, that he had despaired when she had made her choice; he had felt his world disappearing when he and his best friend fell for the same woman, he almost died when he had to move away; and here she was telling him Maur was—his—his son? He started thinking of the past; no wonder the sudden marriage, the soon birth of the child— He let her go, covering his face with his hands, then passing them through his hair angrily, wishing it wasn’t true, that she was lying. That it might be a joke from the Gods.
He felt like slapping her for not telling the truth, for having taken his son away; but she hadn’t, had she?
“You’ve always been here for him, for them—” she said, now her voice was lower and she felt ashamed. It wasn’t meant to be known. He shouldn’t have known.
“It’s not me the one he calls father.”
His cosmos was flaring, red and gold glowing around his body, embracing him, preventing him from hurting her in that very moment. Giving him some sort of peace; and although hardly, he was soon back to himself.
“If he’s to be a Saint, he will.” He finally said.
She was about to reply something when he stopped her, raising his hand.
“If it is his will and fate to fulfil his father’s desires, then he will.”
He breathed again.
“And if he’s to be the future Scorpio Saint as his parents’ friend is, then he will, and I’ll help him through.”
“Selek, I just told you, you are—”
“His parents’ friend, Megara and his. Nothing more, nothing less” he didn’t let her finish. His heart broken twice by the same hand.
“You can’t fight fate, Megara.” And he started to walk away, leaving her standing before the house, speechless while she saw him disappear in the middle of the space, “And neither can I.”
What they didn’t know was that Alexandros was coming all the way to their encounter when he heard them fight. When he heard her say a truth he would have given his life for not having found out. Ever. If Selek was feeling half of what he was actually feeling, then, god help his friend. But damned both of them for having lied to him.
Damned them both.
Every Saint was finally in their own Temples, preparing for the grand dinner they were having in a while.
“Are you ready?” The man’s voice resonated in the place, and the Amazon couldn’t help it but smile. She placed her mask back on her bedside table and signalled him to come in. She looked at him and felt really proud of herself. The most gorgeous man in Sanctuary had placed his eyes upon her. Even before he had seen her face, he had already loved her.
And she had loved him back.
She stared at him; his short brown hair was messy as always, no matter now hard they tried, it was always messy. But his eyes—those bright blue eyes mesmerized her. And those eyes lit her life every time they looked at her.
He was her sun.
She came closer and kissed him deeply, showing him how much she loved him.
When Apollo saw her signal to him to come in he smiled broadly, and once again, he remembered when Phoebe, the strong powerful Cancer Amazon had told him than she had fallen in love with him ages ago. It was like it had just happened to him yesterday.
He saw her walking towards him, her long straight hair moving by the rhythm of her steps, and he acknowledged once again that he could give everything up just to be with her.
She was his moon.
When she kissed him, he held her tight by her tiny waist devouring her lips. “We have to go, Giacomo and Aioria are waiting for us,” She said panting.
“I don’t want to let you go, you know?” He said, his voice dying between her lips, kissing her again.
“Master—” Giacomo’s voice made her stop at the very moment her hands found their way beneath his tunic.
“Coming!” Was her answer and smiled at Apollo tenderly, he did the same and helped her to find her mask. Soon they were leaving the place, heading the grand dining room. Giacomo and Aioria were walking by their side, quietly observing them. When they arrived at the place, they found everybody ready for them to enjoy a lovely evening.
The apprentices gathered together instinctively. Michel still felt sort of apprehensive with the others but Maur got to sit by his side, making him relax a little.
The Masters looked at each other sadly. Shion’s revelations were not what they had expected and though they felt happy for the new coming of their Goddess, their hearts ached for its consequences and side effects.
Suddenly, they all turned to look at the apprentices. Maur of Scorpio, Roberto of Taurus and Aioros of Sagittarius were laughing out loud, Aioros as the bigger one was holding the others so they won’t fall onto the floor.
“Like father, like son.” Nivoe told Selek in his hear, approaching him slowly.
“I just hope he doesn’t have my bad luck.” He sighed.
Nivoe put his hand on the other’s shoulder, squeezing it just a little. “He will be the Scorpio Saint and he’ll be as powerful and handsome as his father. He’ll love and be loved; he’ll know happiness. You’ll see.”
Selek turned and looked at him again. “I won’t and you know it. When he’s ready, I’ll leave—”
“—And he’ll always have you dear to his heart, my friend.”
Selek’s look turned sad. He knew he‘d never be able to tell him the truth. He knew way too well how much Maur loved his father Alexandros, and also, that he couldn’t take those memories away from him. Finally he smiled and Nivoe sort of tried to do the same, however, it was more a smirk than anything else. Despite his kind heart, Nivoe was still a cold person. Someone who could never show his true feelings.
After all, he was the Master of the Ice, and that, Selek knew too well. He had learnt it the hard way. However, he could always count on him as his friend.
“If only...”
“Stop crying for your past, Scorpio.” He said lowly, “You are over it, and you know it, your only concern now is making him a worthy warrior. Just as you are.”
Selek smiled again, this time broadly. “He will, you have my word on that.”
“I know.”
Selek’s look went all around the room and stopped. He raised his hand and excused himself with Nivoe, moving away to meet Cassie, the Virgo Amazon. He took her hand and both walked to their seats.
“I know.” Nivoe repeated to himself, showing nothing, his feelings hidden under the thick layer of ice his face was.
“You’re having an affair with her, don’t lie to me!”
“Nivoe, would you please stop!! I’m getting sick of this.”
“I saw you. They way you look at her, the way you speak to her. There’s something going on between you two.”
“You never say anything different! It’s always the same tune. Would you change it for once? Would you tell me that you love me instead of all this crap?! But no! How could you do it! That’s too much to ask from you, isn’t it?!”
“What do you know about my feelings when you spend your time somewhere else? When you spend your time with her! You never stopped loving her, and now you try to find her in every woman that crosses your way, don’t you?”
“Enough! If you don’t want to trust me, then this is over!” He got up from the bed and started to walk, leaving the other alone.
“Don’t you turn your back on me, Selek. Get back here now!”
The other man walked away without looking back at him. He never did. He walked straight without stopping. He didn’t even enter his Temple. When he was passing through the sixth, Cassie sensed him and walked out to encounter him. When the Amazon saw him, she didn’t need any words to know what had just happened, Selek was too easy to read—
He saw her walking to him, her long greenish hair moved by the wind, her tunic loose; and he felt so angry with himself, with Nivoe that he desired her. He wanted everything Nivoe said to be the truth. He wanted to give him a real reason to hate him.
“Love or hate me, but feel something for me, Icy.” He muttered.
He came to her and took her in his arms. He passionately kissed her, biting her lips softly, but he didn’t fool her.
“Let go, Selek!” she yelled at him and released herself from his grip. “We’ve been friends for too long, and I’m not going to ruin it just to become your toy.”
He gave her his back and started to sob. How could he have been so stupid! He told himself, that wasn’t the way of doing things. He was an honourable man, before being a Warrior, slowly, the tears made their way down his cheeks. Cassie came closer again and hugged him, while he held tight to her.
“I’m here with you,” she said, feeling broken hearted to see him like that. Selek wasn’t a sad person, on the contrary, he was the one to make everybody laugh and feel better, so she walked him into the Virgo Temple. There, Selek opened his heart to Cassie. He told her everything about his relationship with Nivoe. He also told her how much he came to love him after another woman he loved in his past, and how Nivoe’s jealousy was driving him mad.
Cassie listened to him without saying a word. Respecting his confession. She was a Buddhist after all, and patience was only one of her many virtues. Her cosmos flaring understanding, accompanying him, telling him everything would be all right.
Selek stayed over at Virgo’s. Talking, crying, freeing himself from a burden. He loved Nivoe with all his heart but he just couldn’t continue with him. Cassie just listened to him and supported him. That conversation driving them closer as friends. With time that friendship became something more.
Also that night, Nivoe stayed in his Temple, walking from one side to the other in the room, imagining what he might have been doing now that the didn’t come back, as he always did, and then, Nivoe would apologise and they would make love until very early in the morning while Selek told him that he loved him though he couldn’t say it himself.
The night passed by and Selek didn’t return to Aquarius. Many a month passed as well and Selek didn’t return either. And Nivoe’s world fell apart.
Some months later, he almost froze his own Temple, when Shion announced a new couple within Sanctuary, Virgo Cassie and Scorpio Selek.
At the end Nivoe’s worst fear became true.
And he had to acknowledge that he, not anybody else, was the only one to blame.
Now, there they were, still a couple some years later and still happy. Nivoe felt the floor beneath him shaking. It was a happiness that was once his, it was a feeling he couldn’t let go, because it would be almost forgetting himself, because he still belonged to that man over there, the one with his love by his side, laughing, holding hands and he wanted to be the one with him. Now he wouldn’t mind everybody knowing about them. Now that he had lost him. And seeing them only showed them what jealousy did to him. It reminded him that when a Scorpion gives his heart it is for good, and that he pushed him away and sent it somewhere else.
“And I never told you how much I loved you, and you’ll never know that I love you still” he muttered and turned to walk to his seat, without realising that a pair of dark blue eyes were staring at him, not leaving him and noticing the pain and melancholy in his expression after talking to the one they called the Scorpio Saint.
Next: Aldebaran
Back: Synedria
Ariadne, 2004