The witch's mountain

Chapter 3: The Missing Part Of History

In my head, I heard Sargon's question, "Pandora's Box?" "Isn't that something entirely different?" "I'm not entirely sure," I replied. In most cases, there are multiple versions of these myths. Mainly to keep humans from finding out what's really going on. And to keep both, magical and human worlds balanced. However, not even the people in the magical community were aware of this tale. Having the opportunity to hear this should be quite interesting.

"Isn't that story already in history books?" Jack asked. Grandpa William gave jack a small smile. "We all know one version of Pandora opening the box," Grandpa William began. "However, we don't know how Pandora's box came to be. Nor the true story of why Pandora opened the box." Grandpa William turned his attention towards the image of the shadow woods. "There was a time when these woods were called the glistening silver meadow." "A scared meadow that was planted by Gaia herself in order to give birth to the titans."

Grandpa William's face suddenly went sour as he then used his staff to change the image of the shadow woods.

It was blood. Massive sights of blood. Heads were being cut off. Bodies were being hung. Some were even burned alive at the stake. Innocent slaves were beaten to death by their masters while slave babies were either killed, r***d, or sold as high as they could go. Death was everywhere. It was a harrowing sight to behold. The brutality of slave masters was unparalleled. And the deaths of the wrongily accused was even more repulsive. It was an inhumane and barbaric scene.

Moreover, we have seen people being exposed to diseases that have no treatment for them. Others were being thrown out of kingdoms due to betrayal by one of their own. In which triggered acts of war that stalled out for days. Even years, in fact. It looked like there was no end until the very last man was standing.

It was sick and disgusting! It made me not only want to puke, but to tear all the evil bastards limb from limb.

"During the 16th and 17th centuries, the chaos you see before you not only plagued our world, but all over," Grandpa William said solemnly. "As people prayed for a miracle, thus the fight for heaven and hell commenced." Once again, Grandpa William used his staff to show images of angels, demons and gods going head-to-head with each other in a fierce battle above our worlds.

In the images that we saw, it was looking like the gods and goddesses were losing. Though, within the turmoil, there was a mischievous little man lurking in a vault on Mount Olympus. He stared at an immense burning flame. If history serves me correctly, it was Prometheus, the titan god of fire. He was the one who stole the fire from the gods to give to humans so they could progress further as time moved forward. As punishment, Zeus bound him to a rock and sent an eagle to eat his liver throughout eternity.

"Wasn't this around the same time as when Pandora got the box?" I asked, remembering the history classes I took back in college. "Yes," Grandpa William answered. "However, what I'm about to show you is what wasn't written in the text books." Grandpa William urged us to watch the flame. When Prometheus was bound to the rock, the flame that Prometheus had taken had suddenly turned black, and smoke was rising up into the sky. Creating a massive storm. "Why did the flame turn black?" Ianira questioned curiously. "Prometheus was known to be a famous hero of mankind during his time. And like all heroes, Prometheus tried to stop the plagues and tragedies that were happening on Earth by using the flame." Grandpa William explained.

"But the flame went out," Jack noted. "Isn't that a sign that he failed?" Grandpa William shook his head. "The flame Prometheus took can achieve anything the holder commands it to do." "And once Prometheus returned to Earth, he went to the tallest mountain and wielded the fire to do just that. But Zeus punished him before he could restore it to its original state."

Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the sky. Purifing the dreadful storm. "What was that?" I asked. "That was Prometheus's daughter, Hope." Grandpa William responded cautiously. "When she was just 10 years old, she became ill with an unknown disease. And Prometheus wanted to use the flame to save her as well as the people." Grandpa William pauses heavily. His eyes filled with sadness and his voice became soft. "The poor child died before he could make that happen. And she sacrificed ascending to heaven to cleanse the land."

What bravery. I thought. And she was just only a little girl. She clearly had more sense than any of the "powers that be" who were more concerned about holding onto their positions of power instead of caring for the people. The light from little hope's soul sank to the bottom of a box that Zeus was holding. There were several angels surrounding him along with a few Demi gods and humans. Their hands started flashing different colors as they joined together. The immense power that was radiating off of them cleared all the darkness as Hope's soul dissolved in the box along with her light from it.

Zeus had to act. And he had to act fast! This amount of evil couldn't slip into the wrong hands. So he had an idea.

Zeus summoned a few gods and goddesses and made a woman out of mud. They named her Pandora. She was considered the "first woman" that the gods ever made. And before they descended her to Earth, Zeus gave her the box as a gift. Zeus thought if someone of their creation could hold on to the box, they won't have to worry about anyone else trying to claim it. For Pandora was extremely obedient at the time to the gods. And not once even considered opening the box. Nor even questioned the gods whatsoever. That is until several years later, Pandora's curiousity gotten the better of her and she finally opened the box. But she had some help.

The flame revealed to us a small, black imp with red eyes sitting next to Pandora, whispering in her ear. Pandora, at first, was hesitant about opening the box. Zeus had told her not to open it. Though she never knew why. The imp had told her that it holds great power and that Zeus lied to her about it being a gift. Zeus only wanted to ensure that no one would take the power for themselves. Pandora thought that wasn't fair. Such power should never be hidden away. Due to her being endowed with generosity, she opened the box. And chaos ensued.

Once again, the world plunged into darkness. However, Zeus called upon the angels, demi-gods and humans that sealed the box before, to seal it again. As far as I could tell, there were seven of them. "Why are there only 7 people sealing up the box?" I asked. "Those 7 creatures represent the seven virtues; the opposite of the seven deadly sins." Grandpa William responded in a low raspy tone.

"Oh yeah. I've heard of those from the humans I go to school with," Ianira said.

"Um, those were passed down even to us dummy," Jack griped. "Sins and virtues are taught to every individual because every individual is prone to sin."Jack looks at Grandpa William for reassurance. Hoping he was right about he just said. And he was. Grandpa William smiles and nodded at him. And continued to say, "living a life of virtue is the best way to overcome the temptation of sin." "And these seven creatures did just that. And they are the only ones that can seal Pandora's box."

"But what does that have to do with the white wolves?" I abruptly asked. Though this history lesson was very interesting, I wanted Grandpa William to get to the point now. Upon hearing Camilla's name, Sargon began to experience anxiety. That has never happened before. And yet, it was as though that name meant something to him. To us. But I couldn't figure out why.

The soft glare on Grandpa William's face changed to a hard stare. It was though he was trying to read me for some reason. Seeing my eagerness, he smiled. "I'm getting to that part my little prince," he says softly. Then he waves his staff over the fire once again. Now we're back to the face of Hecate. But this time she's not alone. She was standing face to face with who I knew to be Artemis. My first clue that it was Artemis came from her long wavy dark brown hair, silver eyes like the moon, crescent moon crown on her head, and pink peach skin. However, her dress, which was usually white, was different. Her dress was now a deep blue, with silver and white stars all over it. It was long and flowed down to the floor, and it glittered as if it had been sprinkled with stardust.

And her aura....it was dark. Almost pure evil. "That's not Artemis," Sargon says in a dark tone. "She's different. She's not herself." I nodded in agreement. The Artemis that we were taught as kids had a settled, serene aura about her. And she never wore long gowns. She was a huntress. Her clothing was loose and short. It was easier for her to move that way. In addition to being the goddess of birth, Artemis also had a nurturing nature. But the way she looked in the image, it was as though she could careless. Similarly, her white bow now has a silver color. It, too, had been surrounded by an intense black aura. It made me tremble with fear.

"What the hell happened to Artemis?!" Ianira blurted out with frightened, worried eyes. "That's what I like to know," I said looking at Grandpa William. "I'll get to that part in a second." Grandpa William said. "For a time, the pandora's box was guarded by two beings. An angel and a demon. And while they guarded the box, they recruited several beings of their own to help protect the forest." He cleared his throat before starting again. He gives me a quick glance then turns his attention back to the fire."Two of the beings were the strongest among them." "One of which was Artemis's son Jerico. And the other was a priestess and Medea's, Hecate's daughter, mid-wife, Camilla. She was Jerico's lover and mate."

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I heard! All this time, Jerico was Artemis' son! But how? Artemis is a virgin goddess. How did she have a son? And Jerico and Camilla were mates!? Is that why I'm so anxious? I'm so confused! What the hell is going on!?

My mind reeled as I tried to make sense of it all. What other secrets lay hidden beneath the surface?

Grandpa William noticed my questionable expression. The other two were also examined, and he decided not to show us anymore fire images. So he straighten up his back and turned the fire back to normal. "Why did you stop?" Jack asked, furrowing his brows. "You have questions,"Grandpa William replied. "Therefore, you may ask them." I went first. "How in the hell did Artemis get a son!?" I cried out. "Yeah, isn't she a virgin?" Jack asked. "I still wanna know what happened between Hecate and Artemis." Ianira said crossing her arms. Grandpa Williams chuckles a bit as he puts up a hand.

"One at a time children," Grandpa William said. "To answer your question, alpha prince, when Artemis was wandering the Earth, she met a man who helped her and took care of her. Therefore she fell in love with him. But since she was a virgin goddess, she extracted sperm from him one night and merged it together with her egg and planted it inside her belly." A gasp escaped my lips. Jack shoots me a look of shock as well. Jack and I didn't expect this news and were taken aback. Ianira shakes her head in disbelief!

"But how is that even possible?!" Ianira cried. Grandpa William raised an eyebrow. "Did they not teach you about the story of Zeus turning into a swan? Or the story of Posideon and Medusa? In which, she's still sore about, by the way. Gods and Goddesses can do anything if they want it badly enough." In disgust, Ianira squished her face. Normally, I wouldn't agree with her expressions. But this time I did. Gods and Goddesses just do whatever they want, no matter what the consquences maybe. But Artemis wasn't known to be a goddess who fell in love. She kinda kept to herself. So Jerico's father must've been really special.

"Anyway, Artemis carried the child to full term." Grandpa William continued. "But when it came time for Jerico to be born, his father and his family were attacked by a pack of wolves." "That's f****d up," Sargon says in my head. "The poor bastard didn't even get the chance to know he was having a son." Let alone what Artemis did to him. I thought. "Did he know?" I asked. "Know what?"Grandpa William asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Did he know that Aretmis was pregnant?" Grandpa William shook his head sadly. My heart ached. Not that I'm surprised, but I was hoping that Artemis at least had the decency to tell him.

"She wanted the pregnancy to be a surprise. That's why she didn't tell him. She also knew that Jerico's father had a wife and two other children. But due to the wife's sickly condition, she couldn't have anymore. And she, unfortunately, didn't have much time to live. So Artemis was somewhat hoping that he would choose her over them. Since he was the first man she ever loved. And when she was going into labor, the only one thing she saw was the white wolf who Jerico's father took care of as a pup. He told her what happened and how he tried to stop the attack."

"Heavily wounded, the white wolf didn't have long to live. And to show gratitude, Artemis took the white wolf's soul and fused it with Jerico's the moment he was born. By doing so, she bestowed not only her powers, but also a portion of other gods and goddesses' powers within them also. And declared that the white wolf would always be the most powerful wolf."

"What about the rest of them?" I asked curiously. "Surely Artemis didn't let the others slide." Grandpa William cleared his throat as he shook his head. "Indeed, she didn't." He said. "Artemis punished the wolves that attacked Jerico's father by also fusing their souls with humans to learn what it means to be like one."

"And that's how werewolves came to be?" I asked.

Grandpa William nods.

Suddenly, a silver-winged sprite with a silver pixie hair cut and a short white dress flitted into the cave. Her blue eyes scan the cave and when she reaches me, she gives me a small bow. I nodded my head in response and looked back at Grandpa William. I wanted to ask more questions but the sprite flies over to Grandpa William's ear and whispers something that even Sargon couldn't understand.

" Her speech is distorted," Sargon says in my head. "That must mean she doesn't want us to know what she's saying." I said to him. "Fairies, pixies and sprites do that when they're either scared or trying to keep a secret." Sargon lifts an eyebrow. "Interesting." Once the sprite finish what she was saying, Grandpa William's face turned very grim. As we gazed at each other, Jack also showed the same look of worry as I did. Ianira was just more annoyed.

"Finish what you were saying old man!" She demanded. I growled at Ianira for her disrespect. Grandpa William gave her a stern look and she quickly lowered her eyes to the ground. She knew she had done something wrong and was expecting a scolding. Grandpa William shook his head and sighed, then stood up and made the campfire disappear with his magic.

"I'm sorry children but something has come up and I must go." Grandpa William led us out of the damped cave. The rain stopped but the sky was still cloudy. And the winds were becoming harsh and restless. "Is everything ok Grandpa William?" I asked. Grandpa William just stood there. He was intensily watching the sky. Also, I noticed the sprite was trembling and hiding next to him. I couldn't tell if it was fear or awe that was taking over him. Grandpa William slowly raised his hand to point at something in the sky. I followed his gaze and saw a huge, bright light hovering in the sky.

"Someone is about to enter here and I must see who it is." Grandpa William explained. "Let us come with you!" I cried. Sargon was restless as the winds picked up more. I could even feel his fangs showing as low and angry growls were escaping his lips. Something wasn't right about that light. And I for one didn't want Grandpa William to venture into it alone without back up. "No." Grandpa William replied firmly. "But you shouldn't do it alone," Jack said softly. "You will go home and remember what I told you."

"But Grandpa--"

"I said no!" Grandpa William's voice roared like a king. I shuddered, my eyes wide open with fear. I had never seen Grandpa William so angry before. Even Sargon shuttered in my mind when he felt Grandpa Willam's overpowering aura. Whoever was coming, Grandpa Willam did not want us near them.

"Julia," Grandpa William called. The sprite came from behind him and flew in front of his face. "Take the children home. I'll join you shortly." The sprite nods and flew over to us. "I'll create a portal. But we must hurry. My magic isn't as strong here now that he's here." Julia says in a soft tone. She closes her eyes and starts to chant. A bright light swirls in the air and a portal appears. Julia turns to the group and says, "Let's go."

Jack and Ianira jumped through. When it was my turn, I looked back at Grandpa Willam. "Don't make this the last time I see Grandpa William," I tell him. "It won't be my prince," he says. He looks back at me and smiles. "No matter where I am, I will always be with you." And before I knew it, I felt a hand pulling me into the portal. I felt a rush of energy, and suddenly I was on the other side. I looked back, but the portal had already closed. I felt Jack's hand on my shoulder.

"He'll be ok Rowan."

"I hope so."