Kinard Mythology Anthology Volume III

by Kinard Middle School

  Those few words started a relationship that would last an eternity. On the last day of visiting Earth, Stelinteri said “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll come back to visit as soon as I can.”

  One of the fine young men Stelinteri had met on Earth had caught the flu and died, and had been sent to him, where all he was thinking about was Auriol. He sent this man, named Andreas to Zeus to ask for Hebe’s potion to turn Auriol into a goddess.

  Zeus said no. “There is no point to turn a mortal, who doesn’t have much potential to be a god, into a goddess because of young love.’’

  Stelinteri sent Andreas to heaven and appeared at Mount Olympus himself.

   “Zeus!” Stelinteri yelled in a fiery temper. “Why is the exact reason for your reasoning?”

  “If you would like to talk to me like that, punishment will come your way.” Zeus retaliated back.

  “What could you do to me you old man?” said Stelinteri. “I’m already the most lonely and useless god!”

  “I see. You deserve punishment and it’s coming your way,” Zeus revolted

  Stelinteri visited Auriol one last time. Auriol had become extremely sick, and her doctor had told her she only had 36 more hours to live. She was depressed and feeble, barely  wielding the power to cry.

  Stelinteri stayed with her the whole 36 hours.

  On August 18th, she lay still not responding to Stelinteri, not opening her eyes, and having no pulse.

  Stelinteri took her body and left it on her favorite place on the beach, wrapped in the finest silk in the world.

  He left the beach and traveled to Mount Olympus where he begged Zeus to give back the one and only love of his life. Zeus had thought about it for days, even bringing in the royal council to decide if he should revive her. He decided to at least preserve her body until he made his decision.

  At last, on August 25, Zeus decided not only to revive her, but to give her the potion of Hebe in the Goblet of Patera, but under her consult. Zeus traveled down to Pangea where Auriol’s body had been preserved and placed a note by her side with the goblet.

  The note read: “Auriol, you have been revived by the gods and are invited to become one. This goblet has the potion of Hebe, with the aptitude of giving great powers no mortal has ever wielded. By drinking this potion you become one of us, permanently. You are also able to spend the rest of eternity with Stelinteri. By drinking this you agree to these terms.”

  Auriol woke feeling refreshed and better after having what seemed like the longest dream ever. She read the note and blushed at the note after reading “spend the rest of eternity with Stelinteri…” She happily washed down the contents of the goblet and was overjoyed she had the privilege to be immortal with her love.

  And so the day Auriol swallowed the sweet nectar of the potion, Stelinteri knew she was the one. The happy couple started planning as soon as the engagement and only 1 month later they were married on the same beach Auriol had been revived, the same beach where the two met, and now the same beach they had been married on.

  And so Stelinteri learned his lesson, never take love for granted. And now every soul sent to Stelinteri who had love but lost it to death, was sent into space to burn until they stopped grieving for their lover.

   

  Cups of Migale

  By Ryan Chen

 

  ‘Twas was a cruel, horrid time. The once thriving desert people of Calicempolis were at the mercy of the great god of all water, Poseidon.

  Meanwhile, as the council was discussing what to do, James and his best friend, Stella, were training for the next Tournament of Warriors.  It was a big deal since the winners of it would win 100,000 pecunias which were the ancient currency they used.

  James had scruffy brown hair, and had a great sense of comedy. He also was 4’ 10’’,  twelve years old, and wore a light jacket and sweats. Everyone knew this because his comedy would get him in trouble with both the police and the papers.

  Stella, on the other hand, was a mysterious girl that barely any people knew at all. James was the only one who knew all about her, but she made it a point to keep him from revealing anything. She was a thin, seemingly harmless ginger girl who wore a dark purple cloak and her hair in a long ponytail. That’s about all people knew about her.

  After the new year in spring, they were having a drought, and Poseidon was feeling lazy. He had put a river near the village, but it was across the border from Calicempolis’ rival village, Aemula.

  The Aemulans didn’t care much at all for the Calicempians because they had once fought a war that the Calicempians won.

  Since there was no way they could cross into the other territory, the Council had decided that the two young adventurers, James and Stella, would win the tournament and get the money to buy water and save their village. Guessing the plans being made, James and Stella continued training even harder.

  Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, followed by a wondrous rumble. Zeus had materialized in James’ backyard!

  “You two need not win the tournament. You can simply climb the Sacred Mountain,” he boomed. Zeus, just as quickly as he appeared, dissipated into thin air.

  The Sacred Mountain, known by all soothsayers and priests alike, was the largest thing known to man. It was said to have evil monsters guarding whatever greatness lay at the top. And so it began.

  Stella, in total control of the situation, told James, “Cool, le’s go!” James on the hand was absolutely flummoxed.

  “Uhhh...d-did Zeus j-just appear in my backyard!?” mumbled James in absolute disbelief.

  “Of course, who else could it be?”

  “Excuse me, but the freaking king of the gods just appeared in my backyard! That’s just a normal thing. We have tea every other weekend, no biggie.”

  The next morning, the two set off on their journey up the Sacred Mountain. After the first mile or so of rocky forests and odd dips in the path, James and Stella met their first challenge. A riddle of sorts.

  There was a small pine table with a small slip of paper on it that stated A hundred feet in the air with it’s back on the ground. What is it? In front of the note was a small, roman-looking pedestal with a clear cover on it like something was to be put on it. The two just tried to walk around it, but some out worldly force stopped them. It was like a force field!

  James looked at Stella with a distasteful look. Stella however, remained cool. She took it with a mental approach, something that wasn’t James forte. After a few minutes of Stella trying to put random things on the pedestal, James got bored and started playing with bugs. Something he also happened to do as a toddler.

  Finally, Stella scolded him, “Oh my gosh, why won’t you help me? And stop playing with the stupid bugs! You’re twelve, act like it.”

  “Okay...mom…”

  “WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?” shrieked Stella as she stomped over to him in a blazing fury.

  “Ahhh! Fine, I’ll help...Put a-”

  “A what?” snapped Stella.

  “Just lemme finish! Put a bug on it.” James blatantly replied, totally poker faced.

  “How would that help? This is a riddle of the gods! A bug couldn’t be the answer”

  James didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up a small striped centipede and moved slowly toward the pedestal, brushed the previous things off, put the centipede on the pedestal and closed the lid. He then turned to face Stella and smiled.

  Stella rushed to the pedestal with a stick to whack off the creature, but James stopped her. He was about to explain why when suddenly, the whole pedestal burst into flames! James jumped. Stella screamed. A pulse of blue appeared in front of them. Then, it dissolved into the earth.

  Ummm...what just happen-

  “Yo, Stella,” yelled James, “did I hear you scream?”

  “You most certainly did not,” snapped Stella, “but also, why did that work?”

  “A centipede has 100 feet. You didn’t notice that I flip it over. That makes its back to the
ground with a hundred feet in the air,” explained James. He continued, “See, I’m not too stupid.”

  “Don’t push it,” returned Stella with a laugh.

  So James and Stella continued on their trek only to meet an odd little furry creature blocking their path. It was a short and ball shaped with a small head like a weasel. Stella thought it had a bad scent, but James told her, ”Come on you whine about everything. My umm natural flatulence is worse than this.” He then proceeded to...loudly excrete his unwanted gas.

  “Eeeeww!” Stella playfully slapped him in the back.

  “Actually, I wanna keep him. Please? He’s sort of cute!”

  “Fine.”

  James took the little creature and named him Migale. When James tried to pet him, Migale scurried up his arm, and into James’ backpack. James had a confused look, but went with it.

  The next obstacle was a large gate that James had to use a spell on to get it to open.

  “Holy cow, did you just...you just cast a spell!” muttered Stella, in disbelief.

  “Well, yeah, I do training other than with you, you know.”

  The young warriors traveled on into a garden-like fenced off area with lots of trees, but were startled when they heard a roar! James and Stella nodded to each other. They quickly got back to back and waited.

  A branch suddenly snapped and the duo looked quickly in that direction. James said, “That was cliche.” He then stepped forward and tripped…

  “You are so stupid,”

  Suddenly, there was a huge growl. A crazy manticore jumped out from behind a tree! James took out his staff. Stella did the same with her sword. James used his staff and whacked at the great beast. Stella slashed at its head.

  Stella screamed, “Use your staff for magic, not a baseball bat, you bonehead!”

  In response, the manticore burst into flames, and James stepped back calmly with a smirk. As the manticore leaped up eight feet in the air with a howl, James and Stella ran out of the garden.

  Suddenly, they heard a shriek. Migale was in the clutches of the manticore! He was being stretched out like a piece of rubber! The duo ran toward the small creature as he became longer and longer. James quickly pointed his staff at his small friend and said, “Aloha! Wait um... Alocasempris!” Abruptly, Migale stopped and changed his expression to a relaxed look. He started closing his eyes and slept like  he was just having a massage.

  Stella rolled her eyes at his genius and slammed the butt of her sword into the manticore’s jaw knocking it out.

  The, now stretched out, Migale slept peacefully as James scooped him up from the ground, and placed him in his backpack curled up.

  “Hey Stella, I sorta like him this way. He’s cuter.” said James.

  “Yeah…” Stella replied as she looked off into the distance. James caught up with Stella as she walked ahead. He noticed Stella and turned to see what she was looking at.

  It was a great palace with huge marble pillars and a great dome atop of it. The fountains outside of it were glimmering in the sun, and the amazing trees’ branches were overlooking it. Statues of the gods could be seen standing colossally, superior to all mortal beings.

  “Wow...It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen…” mumbled James.

  The golden gateway creaked as a human figure made its way slowly out of the entrance. It was a girl looking to be in her teens wearing a beautiful light blue dress that went down to her ankles. She approached the duo and as she came near, Migale awoke from his slumber. He climbed onto James shoulder and gazed at the girl. He seemed to nod to her and calmly leaped to the floor.

  “I am Hebe, cupbearer of the gods and goddess of youth. You need not speak, for I have seen what your village is going through. Come with me, and we will see Hephaestus. He will provide you with a solution.

  So they walked on, across a beautiful pathway lined with gold. Each marble brick was elegantly cut with a swirling floral pattern that slowly moved. Adjacent to the path, amazing trees of all types were planted in an endless line.

  Eventually, the group arrived. They were at Hephaestus’ forge, tensed up in anticipation. It was a cozy building with large curtains of old Greek symbols.

  James stated, ”This is Hephaestus’ hut? Cool.”

  Stella scowled and replied, “Of course! What else would it be?”

  Abruptly, the curtains shifted as Hephaestus stepped out with a mumble. He growled, “I am Hephaestus, god of fire and metalsmithing. What is your wish, cupbearer?”

  Hebe stepped forward gently and said, “These adventurers have climbed the Sacred Mountain because their people are suffering from a drought. They require something to quench their thirst.”

  Hephaestus let the group into his forge and showed them around. Streams of lava fell from great cannikin, and a machine hammered some sort of animal figure into shape. Smoke swirled in the air. The blacksmith god said, “I will create you a device that will help your people. Please leave for some hours and come back to claim your device.

  James and Stella treaded out of the forge, but Hebe stayed inside. As the gods talked quietly, the duo set up camp. As it was night, James took out the tent and Stella took out the sleeping bags from their backpacks.

  The next morning, a horn sounded, and the two awoke. Hephaestus came out from his forge with an intricate goblet that radiated a golden aura. He spoke, “This will help. Simply tell me a word, then, when you speak it, the goblet will fill with a limitless amount of water.”

  “Calicem,” James said. “I feel like we should name it after our village.”

  “It shall be as you wish.” replied Hephaestus.

  Stella stepped forward to take the cup with a word of thanks. She was about to say the word when Hebe stopped her. “Wait...first take a drink of this,” Hebe took out a small cup of her own, poured a golden liquid into the goblet, and continued, “Drinking this shall turn you immortal. Please give your small furry friend some as well. You will be gods! I will take you in to live with me or if you desire, you may stay with your people.”

  Stella graciously replied, “Thank you, humble goddess. Please allow us to discuss this amazing opportunity for a moment. Stella and James took some steps away and bent their heads close. The whispered some inaudible words and came back with a smile. James said, “We have decided to stay with our village. We think it would be wise to stay in case they need our help.”

  Hebe nodded as they took a sip. After he had some, James gave Migale some. It tasted like home to them. There was something new about them. They gave a feel of power to those around them.

  “I feel...stronger...and more...in control?” said James with an odd look. Hebe responded, “Yes, it is a normal feeling for new gods like you.”

  Stella and James once again thanked both deities and set off on their way back home. However, when they took some steps away, Hephaestus told them, “Wait, wait, wait...You're not gonna walk back! I can send you through the winds! It’s odd, but much faster than walking.”

  With a wave of his hand, Hephaestus turned James, Stella, and Migale into air! It was unlike anything James had ever felt. He said, or rather, thought, ”Hey Stella, can you hear me?”

  Stella replied, “Yep, this is how the wind gods chat. Pretty cool, huh?”

  The group whisked into the air and suddenly...were back at Calicempolis! They were atop the town's empty central well. Standing beneath them was the mayor with his mouth agape, eyes wider than ever before. James said, “Hello, mayor! Could you please lift your jaw up from the floor and tell us where our home is? Thanks.”

  “Y-y-you g-guys just appeared! From nowhere! Are y-you ghosts? You are...glowing!”

  “We just became gods,” the young warriors replied together with a smile. “Oh, also we got infinite water!”

  Stella took the goblet from her backpack and whispered the word, Calicem. With a small vibration, the goblet started filling itself. Stella poured the liquid into the well, but when it should have run out, water just k
ept coming and coming! When she turned the cup all the way upside down, the water gushed out in a surge of drinkable wonder.

  Stella turned the cup slowly back to its upright position and the water slowed to a stop. “Drink up my friends!” said Stella. The other villagers started creating cups to match the one Stella had. Since this was a new concept to humans, they were crude at first, but got more and more beautiful with time.

  As James, Stella, and Migale got off the well and made their way home, James said, “Stella you sure were formal back then.”

  “Oh, shut up! It’s called respect.”

  Migale curled up in the original goblet and was announced guardian of the cups. After that, James told Stella to walk off into the sunset, with their new godly powers because well, it’s cliche!