Chapter 7: The Nymphs

Artemis awoke to the sound of beautiful music. She opened her eyes and remembered she had fallen asleep in the north shores of the island of Crete.

She had spent the past few days hunting for some of the wild beasts of Amnisos. None were as vicious as the Python but they had all proven worthy targets.

Her dogs had shown their usefulness in the field. They led her to the direction of a new game. She even managed to train them and teach them tactics that helped corner their targets right into her sights.

But her hunting adventure felt lonely at times. She had grown bored of the solitude and began to think of companions.

During this particular morning, Artemis rose and found the shores filled with girly voices singing the song of the seas. She found the source of the sound by the beach. They were all young girls. Judging from their appearances, they weren't normal mortal children.

"What is this glory that has been bestowed upon this morning?" she asked them.

The young girls bowed to her and sang a praising song of joy and fame about Artemis. Artemis smiled. She fixed her robe to cover her developing breasts and whistled to call her hounds to her sides.

"I quite like the song," she said. "Who sent you here?"

"A gift as commanded by your father, my lady," a deep ancient voice said.

Artemis glanced around and discovered it had echoed from the waters. She stepped onto the waves and looked for the unseen guest.

"Oceanus?"

From the waters echoed a deep laugh. The land and seas rumbled and shook as the waters parted. From the depths rose a giant Titan, larger than even the Cyclopes Artemis had fought and defeated.

It was bigger than most of the gods on Olympus and definitely as big as her uncle Poseidon.

"Ah, the old Titan of the Seas," Artemis greeted. "You have come to deliver your daughters to me?"

"Yes, they are yours, all sixty of them," he answered and gestured to his young sea nymphs. "They will serve you on your many adventures. They are proud to be a part of your retinue. With this wish fulfilled, my debt to Zeus has been resolved."

Oceanus was an ancient god of the sea. He ruled the oceans before Poseidon took over his throne.

Artemis bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Lord Oceanus. I swear a solemn oath that they shall be guarded and raised with honor by me."

Oceanus nodded back before he departed to his secluded corner of the ocean. Artemis led her newfound choir to her temple just half a mile inland where a city stood. She had already spent a day with her Oceanides where they shared a large elaborate bathing pool. Artemis found herself relishing in their lovely voices. Their wide innocent eyes looked at her in admiration. Her choir girls would remain at this young age forever as long as they stayed with her.

"Here you will reside," she told the girls. "Here you will sleep, rest, eat, and sing for me. Many days I will not be around, but I will bring several with me on my hunts."

Artemis smiled and kissed them all on the forehead. Next, she would need more mature companions to go hunting with her.

"Speaking of an adventure, I am craving for yet another," she said. "Oh well, I shall pick up a few nymphs along the way from here."

She then turned to the tallest girl.

"What is your name?"

"Opis," the girl answered.

"You are coming with me," Artemis said. "Select five others just like you to come along. The rest shall wait here and tend to my temple where the thigh-bones are burnt in sacrifice on my altar."

The next day, Artemis was ready to leave with her hounds. A selected group of Oceanides departed with her. They made their way through the forest from dawn to dusk.

While she was hunting near Arcadia, home of King Lycaon, the man invited her to a feast at his splendid palace. The city was bustling with life. Artemis took note of the high regard the townsfolk held for her.

The king was a favorite of her father Zeus.

Artemis stood tall as she was greeted by Lycaon himself at the golden entrance of his palace. He was a large man, with an even larger black beard and small blue eyes, He was dressed in red regal clothing and on his head, he had a glorious golden crown.

"King Lycaon," Artemis said. "I presume you are aware of who I am."

The king bowed at the young goddess.

"Indeed, you are Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, Maiden of the Silver Bow, and Lady of the Wild Things," he said. "I, King Lycaon, humbly welcome you to my house."

It put a smile on Artemis's face. Having many names was one of her wishes, and her father has made them all come true.

"Very well then," she said. "I will surely protect your city and your young women."

"What a blessing, my lady," the king said. "We mortals shall sacrifice many usual goats, sheep, and cattle for you tonight. I have heard that you wish for many hunting companions. I have a group of selected women native to Amnisos to be your faithful servants. All are young and strong. I can assure you that the virgins are also the most beautiful in the land."

"Take me to them."

The king wasted no time and led Artemis and her flock to the garden, where they found a minstrel singing along to the tune of a harp. Inside the ceiling was kept open so that the sunlight and rain could peer through and give life to the plants inside.

Artemis saw there were olive trees, fig-trees, vines of grapes, and the best tomatoes. Frolicking amongst these were more than three dozen women, almost naked save for the soft silken strip of cloth they kept around their bosoms.

One of the royal men clapped his hand twice to get everybody's attention and then declared, "Behold Lady Artemis, Huntress of the Wild, Mistress of the Hounds, and daughter of the thunderous Zeus!"

King Lycaon then turned to Artemis with a deep bow.

"We were told you would pick twenty as your handmaidens."

Artemis's eyes glowed like the moonshine, a sign indicating her godly powers.

"I will take as many as I wish," she said. "I made a pact with my father for twenty and so I will adhere to that unless my eye catches one more than is too desirable for me to leave behind."

Lycaon took a step back and bowed again. "Of course, my lady, of course."

Even the most powerful king in all the city-states of Greece would not dare defy a goddess, much less a favorite child of Zeus.

Artemis did take her time. She walked into a large chamber facing a big garden.

She wanted to make sure each maiden deserve to be her nymph. As promised, they were all virgins from the age of eighteen but under twenty-five, exactly to her liking. Artemis's immortal companions had to be the most beautiful and most importantly they must be free-spirited and wild like the goddess herself. Where other hunters had a pack of wolves or a band of eagles, she wanted her nymphs to be her fiercest band.

One thing was for certain: with each woman Artemis examined, she felt a little bit of warmth burning in her. A slight hint of feeling that went beyond the need to protect them.

Such exquisite creatures, Artemis thought to herself as she caressed and touched each of their soft cheeks. Their lips parted at her divine touch. Their forms so voluptuous seemed to tremble.

"Which maidens shall you take for your companions? Say, goddess, and I will bring them to you."

"I want them all," Artemis said to the king. "They shall leave with me tomorrow."

The King bowed without any rebuff.

Artemis had selected nineteen women in all. They had a strong but lithe build.

"I still lack one more," Artemis told Lycaon. "I shall return to further acquire your young daughter. I know you have a lot of them."

The king looked troubled by her specific request.

"My daughter? Which one, my lady?"

"The one I deem worthy to join my chaste band," she said. "In the meantime, I will test those I have chosen."

"What sort of test will you conduct for the chosen ones?"

Artemis didn't answer such stupid questions. She then turned to the nineteen maidens.

"You will pick eight of your companions and prepare a great dance for this evening and another six to a midnight hunt."

They nodded in response and picked their ablest friends to go with Artemis.

"Come then," Artemis instructed. "We shall go for a hearty chase along the slope of the mountain."

They harnessed the deer she had caught to her silver chariot and drove away. Over the shadowy hills and windy peaks, she draws her brilliant bow, rejoicing in the chase, and sent out grievous shafts. The tops of the high mountains trembled and the tangled wood echoed awesomely with the outcry of beasts.

The maidens ran after her with almost equal speed. The goddess's presence alone had given them strength. With a head taller, Artemis overtops the rest of her companions, and though all were lovely, there was no mistaking which was Artemis.

It was an hour before sunrise when the goddess, her hounds, and her virgins made their way into nearby woods. The tall trees created a vast canopy over their heads and as they went in deeper the light became scarcer. Darkness began to creep all over as the woods got thicker. The only glimmer of light was the reflection shimmering on a nearby creek.

When they came close to a glade, one of Artemis's hounds began to make a low growl.

Artemis raised her hand.

"There is a wild boar nearby. My beasts can smell it from here," she said to the other girls. "Fan out and let us force it into the middle where the moonlight can shine upon it, and we can trap it in a circle."

"My lady." Her maiden Aura said. "I have a plan. I just need to make sure of one detail: the Silver Bow and the Arrows of Moonlight can kill even the toughest of foes, is that true?"

Artemis grinned.

"It can kill a god if I aim just right and strike true."

All the ladies looked at her in pure awe. Cyrene had shown her speed and strength, which Artemis favored and made her a handmaiden. She bestowed her a pair of fine magical dogs to sneak to the other side of the glade. Hekaerge and Amaryllis took the East side while the others headed to the West, each team taking a hound. Artemis was left alone, but she took the opportunity to see her new nymphs work.

Artemis got down flat on the ground and hid in the grass. She inched her way up to a tree where she could get a nice good look at the open glade. There, out in the open and under the moonlight, was a mighty boar so gigantic even the undefeated Heracles would find difficulty in bringing down.

"What will you do, girls?" Artemis whispered to herself. "Impress me."

Fortunately, the Huntress did not have to wait long. Just as the boar was preoccupied, bending its head low to drink from the stream, Cyrene led the charge. Along with Amaryllis and a hound, the trio attacked from the north.

Amaryllis brandished their spears, but they didn't immediately try to stab the beast. Instead, they used their weapons, along with the ferocious snap of the hound, to rally the animal to head to the sides.

The animal took the bait and as it tried retreating to both the West and East, the other nymphs were there waiting. Before it could figure out what was going on, the boar had been trapped in a small circle with only one direction left to flee: south.

Quickly, the animal dashed through the one opening left. Little did it know that Artemis was there waiting with bow and arrow at the ready.

"Ingenious," Artemis exclaimed regarding their plan. She then focused on the incoming monster. She kept her tug on the bowstring tight as she aimed, holding her breath as she waited for the opportune moment to strike.

The boar roared and dug its tusks into the ground as it ran. This maneuver created a cloud of dust that obscured the vision of its pursuers. It did not fool Artemis. She knew that an animal running at this speed would not have the means of quickly changing direction.

She pulled back her bowstring.

She fired.

Artemis watched as the arrow flew through the air, leaving behind a trail of blue light that lingered for a while. When Artemis looked, she saw that the arrow had struck through the boar's skull, right between the eyes. Blood spurted from its mouth and wound. The eyes rolled white and lifeless as the animal crashed onto the ground.

Her maidens also noticed that the wild animal had fallen on its feet. Quickly, Amaryllis dashed through the open glade, her spear in hand.

"It's already dead, my lady," she informed.

Artemis laughed and ran forward to meet her prey.

"Whatever I hunt in the wild, I shall replenish," she told her maidens. "Now, you take care of this one before we go back to the palace. You have served me well tonight."

Afterward, Artemis leaped onto her shining chariot and they returned to the city. Next, the young goddess would claim her last maiden from King Lycaon and complete her retinue. It would be none other than the king's own daughter and a princess of Arcadia.