When the Stars Fall by Aptionia




As a child, my mother always warned me of the day the stars would cease to burn. I knew that one day, the sky I had admired during restless nights for so many years would lose its scattered moondust. I just didn't think it would be so soon.

My mother's soft words echoed in my head as I craned my neck to peer into the sky. "Be wary of the night where the stars are vanquished, Euthalia. It will be the beginning of an augury of death for our village."

I frowned as, one by one, the stars faded. The moon still hung brightly, helping me hold onto a sliver of hope, but I knew this was a dire situation. Without the goddess of stars, travelers would be unable to navigate the dark lands. Sailors wouldn't be able to steer their ships to land without running the risk of crashing into an iceberg. Perhaps, the other gods and goddesses would follow the path of Asteria as well. Would Zeus surrender his reign and leave our world to suffer?

A dry breeze ruffled my raven hair as I stood. The summer season had treated my people well, with blooming crops and a plethora of rain. But tonight, the air felt empty. Frigid. I couldn't help but wonder if the nip lingering in the air was because of the extinguishing stars that continued to disappear above me. I slid off my balcony and slipped into my house, grabbing a candle and my leather sandals.

I'd always been curious; my parents joked it would one day be my downfall. Despite being a girl, I'd had an interest in traditionally masculine activities – reading, writing, even fishing. I'd never been one to be content with tedious housework and cooking. Whenever the men of the village were busy, I'd been the one to help with the heavy lifting. I'd always loved my town. And I'd be damned if I let them suffer without attempting to fix the wrong.

I slipped my sandals on and quickly lit my candle, placing it into a metal candlestick. The front door creaked as I opened it, causing me to grimace. My father had always told me I wasn't allowed to leave the house by myself. It was 'too dangerous' for a 17-year-old girl. But I knew I could handle myself. I always kept a small dagger tucked beneath my tunic for that reason. No one expected a quaint, dainty girl to carry a blade and much less be as lethal with it as I had grown to be.

I glanced up towards the sky. The moon's corona glowed a soft silver, illuminating the land with a dim glow that the stars could no longer provide. Few stars remained. I knew if there were any travelers out right now, the same gnaw of worry was chewing at their stomach as well. Stars were considered beacons of hope for all the lost souls of the world in my village – if you were lost, following the brightest star in the sky would eventually bring you to safety.

The edges of my tunic brushed against my feet as I began my walk into the woods. It was a path I was familiar with; despite my father's warnings, I'd come out here to clear my head whenever it was a particularly difficult night to sleep. I'd never seen anything that would indicate I could do anything about the vanishing stars, but there was no harm in trying. I'd been told stories as a child that the gods and goddesses were fueled by candles. I'd scoffed as a child, and I had the same reaction as a young adult. But if I could find this lost candle, perhaps I could reignite it.

Brittle grass prodded my olive skin, but I ignored the small jabs of pain. The wick of my candle was burning quickly, and it was providing me with a sparse amount of light. I would not give up on my village so fast, though. We'd banded together through thick and thin. That would not end because of a lack of light. Critters deeper in the wooded forest chirped as my sandals crunched the leaves below my feet. I could hear rustling to my right, but it was likely a deer at this time of night. Had Artemis called her companions to her side to flee, just as it seemed Asteria had?

I shook the thought away; now was not the time to get distracted. I quickened my pace, the chilly breeze from earlier knotting my hair. I wrapped my tunic tighter around my body as I lowered my candle. The flame had become dangerously close to extinguishing because of the wind. I cupped a hand over the front of it in an attempt to protect the remaining wick.

I dared another glance at the inky canvas above me. The white specks of paint were minuscule. As I counted in my head, I could only reach the number 3 until I frowned from the lack of stars. Although I knew this journey likely wouldn't have ended the way I wanted to, I could still hope I'd be the one to restore the stars.

Will the sun rise now that half of the night has been destroyed? I wondered to myself as I ducked under the emerald needles of a pine tree. I couldn't imagine Helios would drive his chariot through the sky without the stars to guide him, much like the humans on our lands. My muses were interrupted as I broke through a line of bushes into a small clearing. Even under the low amber light, I could see the smooth white marble of a shrine sitting in the middle of the clearing. As I neared, colorful flowers and glimmering golden coins were lit up by the slowly waning light of my candle. Offerings.

So I was at a god or goddess's shrine. The unanswered question weighing heavily in my mind: who's shrine was it?

I bent down on one knee, the dead grass itching my bare skin as my tunic was swept to the side. I leaned closer with my candle, careful to keep my long, wavy hair away as I examined the shrine. The night's breeze kissed my cheeks, cold against my flushed skin.

Intricate inscriptions adorned the shrine, cut deep into the ivory marble. Curled waves wrapped themselves up the legs, leading up to a large carving of a woman. She was dressed in an elongated robe, reaching her feet. Her hands were extended into the air, reaching for the cuts of stars dancing above her. In front of her laid a white candle; the wax melted into the marble. Chunks of the candle were missing, almost as if they'd been clawed out by someone...or something. Despite the clear warning signs to run far, far away from the shrine, I tucked my other knee below my body. I carefully reached my candle's flame out to the neglected candle sitting before me. Even if this shrine wasn't Asteria's, I'd be in the god's good fortunes for restoring one of their candles. I could only hope they'd reward my village with something better than starlight.

I watched as the candle began to burn more brightly than my own. It quickly basked the clearing in an orange light, which was accompanied by a rumbling that started to grow louder from behind me. The dirt beneath my feet began to shake as I stood, clutching the base of my candlestick tightly. Despite the clearer light, I could see nothing in the overarching depths of the dark forest.

A whip of cold prompted me to turn around. What my face was met with was not what I expected. Instead of the candle's flame swaying in the wind, there was a lion crouched in front of me. Its teeth bared, it began to stalk towards me as I backed up.

I'd heard lions roamed the wilds in Greece, but I thought it'd been no more than children's tales intended to keep curious kids out of the woods. I'd never seen a lion myself; I'd only heard of their appearance. But this lion didn't look like what I'd imagined. Its golden fur was shimmering, almost glowing in the moonlight. Its lip was curled back, revealing teeth sharp enough to certainly rip apart metal and bone. Its jagged claws dug into the ground as it lashed its tail, continuing its stalk.

My breath was caught in my throat as I grabbed my dagger, thankful I'd attached it to the leather strip around my thigh. While I was doubtful I could fight off a lion, I'd at least go out fighting.

Is this the Nemean Lion? The lion from the god's tales had been slain by our village's hero, Hercules, or so we'd thought. The glowing beast before me certainly was not a mortal's foe. Gripping the leather hilt of my dagger tightly, I risked a glance behind me. The trees were quickly approaching, and I'd never strayed too far north in fear of getting lost. If I had to run and I survived, I'd be stranded from my village.

"Stay back," I said, my voice feeble as I jabbed my dagger at the lion. A guttural growl escaped its curled lips as its eyes narrowed.

In a flash, the lion pounced. It knocked me back, and my head slammed into the ground as the lion dug its claws into me. I cried out in pain as I could feel my skin tear; fire burned beneath my skin as I weakly kicked at the lion.

The white flame became hotter as a bright light grew from behind the lion's head. Its breath was hot against my face as I shut my eyes. I was giving up so soon, but how could I win against a beast like this?

"Do not give up yet, mortal," a melodic voice rang out as the pressure on my chest alleviated. I dared to open one onyx eye, stifling a gasp as I did so. The fangs of the lion no longer swarmed my vision; instead, a woman made of starlight stood before me.

"W-Who are you?" My voice was but a whisper as I breathed out the words. The pain in my chest melted as I sat up, my body shivering.

"The goddess you've saved." The corners of the woman's lips curled up in a smile as she moved closer to me. She was wearing a long, jet-black robe with a headdress of moons atop her midnight curls.

"Asteria?"

Her only response was a silent nod. I noticed the limp body of the lion to her side, and her starlit eyes moved to its body as well. "He will return to his rightful place. When one of your people attempted to destroy my candle, he was sent back to your plane of existence. He's lost his place among the stars, but it's time for him to return."

As the words left her mouth, the body of the lion began to disintegrate. Its ashes floated upwards towards the sky, and I watched as white specks began to appear in the inky sky once again. A constellation in the shape of the lion slowly appeared.

Stars began to fly out of the shrine in front of me as the body of Asteria faded. As I stared, a smile grew on my face, realizing my home was safe. A million words ran through my head, but nothing came out of my mouth as my mouth hung open.

However, Asteria was able to say two words that I would remember for the rest of my life. Her sweet words hung in the air as she completely faded, becoming just a memory.

"Thank you, Euthalia."