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“Pythia…” Anahit replied, stepping towards the old oracle. “We need your help calling upon the spirits trapped here.”
“And my sweet Tir could not do it?”
Anahit had moved towards Pythia now. One hand allowing Pythia to lean on her and the other grasping the dead oracle’s hand, the two walked back over the center of the room. Tir, previously kneeling beside the summoning spell now was stand up straight, facing the two of them.
“You know how Anahit is Pythia. She summoned you specifically.” Tir replied, shifting awkwardly.
“Ah… so then it is not just about the spirits?” Pythias glazed white eyes seemed to reflect a sense of excitement and anticipation. Before Anahit could answer she continued. “The spirits here are vengeful, angry. I can hear their cries. The pain. The resentment. Winding tunnels encase them, keeping them gliding upon the surfaces of this brothel. Forced for sex and kept for bidding. You four were wrong to come here.”
Silence filled the room of Anahit and Eros. In that silence there was deafening unease. All four deities now looked at each other, a hint of sadness lingering on their faces.
“Can they be released?” Anahit found herself asking.
“Only if their wish is fulfilled.”
“And that is?” Aries said, appearing slightly impatient.
Pythia’s cane struck loudly, sending earth shattering vibrations across the wood floor. The wood now creaked and groaned. Pythia let go of Anahit’s and moved about the room, striking the floorboard as she went.
“Has she gone completely mad?” Aries whispered to the rest of the group.
“Quiet!” Pythia let out with a hiss. “If you seek to fulfill their wish and release them then you must destroy the person responsible.”
Just then, in the corner of the room near where the beds were set, Pythia’s cane struck the floorboard. An echo seemed to come from under this part of the wood floor. Striking it again caused a slab suddenly to shoot up, revealing a hole. “Follow them. Follow the spirits. They will guide you to where you want to go.” With a pause the great oracle made her way back to Anahit. Facing her she inquired. “And? Is it the fates you desire your highness?”
“Pythia, tell me more about my fate. What are we to face in Epithmia?”
“Foolish.” Pythia enunciated the word, her tongue gliding across her rotted-out teeth. “I do not play the fates, Anahit, you know that. If you wish for the fates, you will have to visit the three sisters of Moirai. Although…” Pythia paused, tapping her decayed finger across the hymn of her robe. “I will provide you with this: Surety, then ruin.”
With the enunciation of the last word Pythia vanished into thin air. Her lack of presence allowed the coldness and the smell of rotting to precede the room. All that was left was the four staring blankly at the spot where the blind oracle once was.
Anahit let out an annoyed sigh. “What good is that old verse? We learned nothing.”
“Not nothing.” Tir was staring intently at the ground. His gaze landed on the spot Pythia once stood. “Some verses are worth repeating Anahit. We need to be careful; there is something Pythia feels we should not commit to with full certainty.”
“And what could that possibly be?!” Anahit’s eyebrows creased.
Aries seemed to be scanning the hole that had once been covered by a wooden slab. “I’ll be damned… That blind hag wasn’t crazy after all. There’s what looks to be a tunnel below us.”
“A tunnel! Didn’t that oracle say that the souls were trapped down there? Will they really show us the way of the one responsible?” Eros asked, fear slightly slipping from his lips.
“They must.” Tir responded, taking a step towards the hole. “My guess is that there’s a second sight.”
Turning his head towards the major god, Eros responded, slightly shocked. “A second sight? Does that mean…?”
“The pornai were taken from this brothel, most likely during the night while they slept, and dragged to a second sight.”
“Which means…” Anahit started. “That they were no mere prostitutes… they are slaves; trafficked and forced to work by whomever stole them in the dead of the night.”
Eros’s eyes widened slightly. “Then that woman… could she possibly be—”
“No. She’s the mere face of the operation. She most likely brings in people and informs whomever of the room they are staying at.” Tir expressed.
“We have to be careful then.” Aries stated with his chest out. The war god then jumped down the hole. As he landed, he caused the inner walls of the tunnels to shake, bringing about some rubble to fall.
Before Tir could protest about the abruptness of the decision he saw his sister quickly follow suit. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Eros, “Come on. Just like the war gods to act without any thought.”
The tunnel was dark and damp. A cold breeze blew past Anahit, kissing the sides of her cheeks and arms. Looking around briefly, she was struck by the number of souls residing in the dark space. Blue hued orbs bounced and bobbed across the surface of the muddy shaft. Their colors cast eerie shadows around the four deities.
“My gods…” Eros let out with a shaky breath.
Anahit peered in their direction, seeing several orbs floating around them. “They seem to like you.”
The demigod nodded awkwardly at this comment and went to touch one of the spheres, only to be stopped by Tir. “You mustn’t. Even if you mean no harm.”
The cavernous passageway became painted in shades of blue. As Anahit scanned the path before her she could see it stretching for a great distance. Seeing the bulbs of light dance across the walls of the windy chamber indicated that this was not a mere passageway, but a channel. As her hands grazed the surface of the forgotten walls she noted the clay-like texture of the dirt.
“This must have been a qanat at some point.”
“How could that be?” Tir questioned her sister. “Rome never utilized such means.”
Anahit further scanned the clay like dirt. “Well, they must have been inspired…”
The goddess did not need to spell it out. Although the Persians were most noted for creating such structures it was Armenians who had perfected them. Meant to transfer water to the surface, qanats were well-like shafts that were desirable in hot, arid climates. In the days leading up to the Battle of Tigranocerta, Rome and Armenia were at odds. By taking down the capital of Armenia, Tigranocerta, Rome successfully settled in the area. With their settlement came the loss of the Armenian people’s culture, religion, art, and personhood. Romans stole everything, including methods long developed before their settlement, like the invention of the qanats.
Anahit’s hand finally left the wall of the tunnel. The deities weaved their way through the shaft of the long forgotten qanat, finally coming to a dead end.
“Look.” Aries said, his hand pointing towards an opening above them covered by some sort of wooden slab.
Orbs pranced around it almost proudly, as if telling the four, “Look, look at what we found.”
“I’m guessing that is our way out,” Anahit uttered.
It did not take long for the four to push the wooden slab away and climb out from under the qanat. Anahit was brushing off dirt from her robe when she noticed her brother bowing in the direction of the opening. Moving towards him she lightly touched his shoulder. “Did you ask them anything? Did you pick up anything on their death?”
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His face seemed to darken at the question. “Pythia was right to say we shouldn’t have come.” Tir looked back in the direction of Anahit. “I only gleaned little, but one name did stick out. One name the spirits kept repeating to me.”
“Who? Who is it? Do we know them?”
Aries and Eros now stood near the two. With an impatient “humph,” Aries started, “What?! Can’t you get on with it! If you know who is responsible come out and say it?”
“It’s Orion.”
The name struck Anahit like an arrow. Her mouth quivered slightly, sweat dripping down her forehead, “Are you sure?” was all she could muster. Bringing a hand to her temple, she stumbled back. Eros was the nearest to her and held her slightly, afraid she would fall.
“Orion? You mean that Orion? The giant huntsman?” Eros said with a hint of confusion. “Wasn’t he—”
“Stripped of his chi.” Tir finished, his brows now creased in a stressed line. “At least we thought he was.
“It can’t be. You must be mistaken Tir.” Anahit expressed.
Aries was now crossing his arms, a frown shown on his face. “Apparently not. Look, care to explain to you two? What happened with Orion? I don’t remember him really being part of the court. I barely remember why Nane stripped him of his godhood.”
“It wasn’t Nane who took his chi.” Anahit paused briefly, calming herself. “It was me. You wouldn’t have known of him because in those days he was a mere minor god. He was once a dear friend, but he betrayed my trust… It was around 600 years ago, before you and I became close Aries.”
***
Occasionally Anahit found herself descending upon Greece, near popular hunting spots. Although she enjoyed the solitude that hunting provided, the blowing of the trees and the sounds of birds chirping had grown tiresome to her. In those days, where silence had become all she knew, she found herself gasping for human connection, for friendship. This time was when she had met Orion. The two became inseparable. There were many long nights bleeding into mornings where the two sat in the woods talking nonsense and joking around. The closeness of the bond they shared was made from their desire to hunt. Besides Tir, Anahit rarely found anyone who would spend day and night in wooded areas, covered in dirt and grime, feeling the thrill of a hunt.
For one of these night hunts Orion and her found themselves on the outskirts of Corinth. Anahit was finishing tying her third snare when Orion awkwardly broke the silence.
“Have you ever fallen in love?”
The question was delicate in the way it flowed off Orion’s lips. His face was moderately flushed, avoiding looking in Anahit’s direction. His muddy blond hair was cut short, framing his hardened face. A five-o-clock shadow was growing on his face giving him an unkempt appearance. Muscles stretched out across his body with veins rippling a winding under his pale brown chlamys.
“Why do you look so embarrassed Orion? Come on, you know me. Of course I haven’t been in love.”
Orion raised his eyebrow at this. “At all…? Really? After so many years of being alive. Come on Anahit, that’s impossible. What about before you ascended? Was there anyone when you were a princess?”
It was like Anahit had had a cold bucket of water dumped over her. “What is this? Shouldn’t we be sitting in silence. I thought I heard something in the bushes nearby. Let’s sit in silence. Hopefully we haven’t scared whatever it was off.”
“I didn’t hear anything Anahit. Stop changing the subject. You must have met someone. I don’t believe for one second that you haven’t at least had a little crush. Do you not trust me?”
Anahit let out an aggrieved sigh. With a brief pause she glanced in Orion’s direction with downturned eyes. “I have loved only one person. This person is my dearest of friends. They were my companion. We had passed our day hunting and—”
At that moment, Orion grabbed Anahit’s hand, his face that of a wild animal.
“What are you—”
Anahit was interrupted by the abrupt impact of Orion’s lips on hers. Shocked by the sudden kiss she pushed Orion back, causing his to stumble slightly.
“I knew it!” Orion yelled, a proud smile creeping across his face.
“You knew what?! Why the Hades did you kiss me?!”
“What do you mean by ‘why the Hades did you kiss me?!’ Why would I not kiss you after you proclaimed your love for me?!”
Anahit’s surroundings began to spin at that moment. “I was not talking about you…”
Orion froze. An angered expression formed on his face giving him a threatening appearance. “That’s not funny Anahit.” His face then softened. “Anahit, you sly goddess! You’re messing with me. I never thought you would be one to joke at such a serious moment. It’s quite adorable actually.”
Anahit found herself suddenly pinned to the ground by Orion. Confusion. Disappointment. Fear. All those thoughts crossed her mind and more. “Get off of me! I was not joking! You’re mistaken, Orion! Stop!”
The minor god bent down; his body hovered over Anahit’s. The goddess tried to push him off, but his grip was surprisingly strong. “No need to by shy… I always had a feeling you loved me. Don’t worry, I love you too.” His breath was slow and steady, sending shivers down Anahit’s spine. “No need to be so nervous. You’re untouched are you not? I’m very gentle; I won’t hurt you.”
“You fucker!!” Anahit roared. “Have you not been listening, idiot! YOU ARE NOT THE ONE I LOVE!”
Anger crossed over Orion’s face. “Cut it out. The jokes not funny anymore Anahit.”
A lump formed in her throat. Orion was refusing to listen to her, whether because he couldn’t handle rejection or, like Dionysus, he had gone completely mad. Anahit knew that at this point he would force himself on her. Betrayal. The word repeated in her head. How could Orion do this to her? She had made no advances towards him in the years they had been friends, nor any indications of feelings. Had he always thought of her in this manner? Was she even his friend? What had he been thinking all this time?
Orion lowered himself on Anahit in that moment, his hand slightly grazing her side. “Are we not friends?! How can you do this to me! I have only thought of you as a friend.”
“A friend? A woman and a man existing as friends? A god and goddess?”
Anahit felt bile lining the inside of her mouth. His hand began to slither its way under her toga, like a venomous snake. Anahit prepared herself, her knee ready at that moment to strike Orion’s most sensitive spot. Before she could finish her plan though a bult of fiery orbs of light shot out, shooting Orion square in the chest.
Tir stepped out from behind a tree; eyes bulging, and a face taught with anger, he neared the two with murderous rage. Tir had always been shrouded in a tranquil aura. His once placid air was now replaced with perturbed vexation.
“Just what do you think you’re doing to my dear K’uyr?”
Orion stammered, suddenly shrinking back from the sight of Tir. “It’s—It’s not what you think. Anahit desired it also. It’s nothing odd for a man and woman to do such thing. Besides, you sister had told me she loved me.”
“Impossible.” Tir’s eyebrow twitched at that statement.
“Look, I know seeing you sister in that kind of position must have been shocking but—”
Tir interrupted Orion at that moment. Letting out a growl he slowly moved towards Orion. “Impossible.”
Orion side-stepped, avoiding a bulb of light sent from Tir’s fingerprints. “Tir, calm down. It was only a burst of passion. It is completely normal for your sister and I to act in such a manner. Do you not know the desires of women! Good gods man, stop throwing fire balls at me!!” Another bult of light now struck Orion’s right shoulder, causing him to let out a grunt.
“The desires of women?? A burst of passion?? My K’uyr confessing her love to you?!” Tir let out a sinister chuckle. “Orion, you are pathetic, miserable fuck. She does not love you! Look at you!” Another burst of light left Tir’s palm and whizzed past Orion’s ear. “You’re nothing near what my K’uyr could find herself loving.”
Orion’s face contorted. He wore a dark expression at that point. Raising his right arm, he reached for his arrows in his quiver behind him. “DAMN YOU!” He sputtered.
Anahit pulled herself up. Before Orion had the opportunity to pull out one of his arrows, she shot one from hers, landing it directly in his abdomen. “You fool… you dare try to shoot Tir!”
Orion’s bulged in anger. “HOW DARE I!” He charged towards Anahit, an arrow gripped in his hand. The two collided. His arrow and her bow. Anahit twisted her bow upwards, snagging the arrow, and with her foot knocked Orion off his feet. He stumbled backwards into the dirt, fear showing on his face. “No! Wait! Don’t!” Before he could finish, he was struck by another one of Anahit’s arrows. Orion let out a groan, bending over he coddled his wounds. “What’s wrong with you?! I don’t get it! Do you not love me?!”
A cold expression shown on Anahit’s face as she edged closer to the minor god. “Do I love you? Have you not been listening to me?! Are you too stupid to heed my words?” The words hissed out and slithered its way into Orion’s ears. He could feel beads of sweat dripping down his back. Anahit could feel herself losing it; with her anger reaching over boiling point. And in that anger, disgust, and betrayal she let one of her deepest secrets slip. “I. Do. Not.” She enunciated every word. “I will never love you because you can never be her. My Calisto!” Anahit now clutched onto Orion’s cloak.
Orion face appeared blank at that moment. “H-- Her?” He managed to stutter. “’my Calisto?’” His face was pale and riddled with confusion. His eye wavered over Anahit, and then to Tir, who was next to her. Suddenly, in his face showed something clicking into place. An understanding of Anahit’s words.
“Enough.” Tir muttered. “Anahit, get this over with.”
“WHO IS CALISTO?” Orion was going mad. His eyes were bloodshot and dilated. “IS IT HER? IS SHE THE ONE YOU LOVE!”
Anahit’s knuckles were white as her grip on Orion’s cloak tightened. “SHUT UP!” She roared.
“You have ‘played the whore’! Don’t tell me you are an inhabitant of the ‘island of Lesbos’!”
It wasn’t Anahit that landed a solid hit, but Tir. Orion’s face reverberated off his fist; blood already trickling from his nose. Tir, not wanting to hear his sister spoken ill of, cupped the back of Orion’s head and dragged his limp body to a nearby rock. “WHAM!” Tir sent shockwaves of pain throughout Orion’s body. “Apologize!” He said with a venomous tone.
Orion gagged, spitting out a stream of blood. He looked pathetic at that moment. His face pale, splattered with crimson red.
“Tir stop. I understand that you’re upset but Nane would be displeased if you killed Orion. I wouldn’t want to see you reputation ruined because of him.”
Tir had dragged Orion’s limp body to the great hall of Olypias and presented him at the feet of Nane. During the preceding months, Nane decided to hold a series of trials for Orion for his offenses against the goddess Anahit. Not only had the minor god tried to defile the goddess, but if he had succeeded Anahit’s chi would have suffered. The decision to be celibate was one that coincided with her powers. If she were to engage in anything sexual, the potency of her chi would deteriorate.
The halls of Olypias were bustling with deities of all shapes and sizes. The last trial concluded. Orion was to be stripped of his godhood and expelled from Olypias. Moreover, the goddess to perform such a task was Anahit herself. As every inch of his chi was drained, Orion burned Anahit’s face in his mind. Overrun with feelings of rejection and rage, he festered for centuries. In those years of roaming the earth he vowed to get revenge. To make Anahit feel the way he had felt. Helpless.