Beauty of Thebes

Chapter 38: Run, Eutostea… 

Darkness was a symbol of fear. Everyone would have nightmares wandering the vague darkness. It was akin to a dream where you’d not be able to remember anything. Only a sense of fear corrodes your mind when you wake up in cold sweat. 

When she opened her eyes in the still forest, Eutostea thought she was in a still-like dream. 

The full moon’s light leaked through the thick branches. Silver light scattered on the floor, drawing in the leaves. Moss, which grew out of the shade of the rock, gently covered the ground. 

She was in new terrain, but it seemed that she was near Mount Parnassus. 

Eustostea raised herself from the ground. The last thing she remembered was the ivory column from the Temple of Apollo. The temple, which was crowded with people who came to perform ancestral rites, disappeared like a mirage and she was now in the middle of a mountain. 

How did she get here? 

Eutostea did not remember.
 

Then, she heard an echoing laugh. 

At the voice, a sleek shadow jerked up. Artemis’ fairy—who looked like a girl—whispered in her ear. 

“You’re so relaxed.” 

“If you don’t want to die, run. Start running now.” 

“Look at you sitting idly.” 

“Artemis will win the hunt easily.” 

The fairies disappeared over the trees, grumbling. It was as if a ghost had come and go. 

Eutostea brood over what the voices said. 

‘Artemis? I’m sure that’s what I heard.’ 

Eutostea looked at the black sky with puzzled eyes. Was this the law of the forest? Did she… somehow invade the gods’ realm? She wasn’t sure, she didn’t know, but she felt something ominous coming.
 

Artemis was notorious for her extreme dislike of mortals walking through the forests she manages. 

Eutostea had no memory of coming to this black forest of her own volition. It was absurd. 

Then, the barking of hounds began to sound intimidating. It was telling her that she had no time to stand idly by. It was the sound of the ominous foretold conclusion the fairies warned her in advance. 

A shrill arrow cut through the wind. Seeing the shivering arrow fall in front of her, Eutostea instinctively rose and moved her stiff legs. The arrow was meant for her. If she remained like this, she’d die. 

Then an idea struck her. 

There was no way to know where to escape. The roads of the forest were shaped by old tree roots and raised rocks. It was a sacred forest with too few mortals around. There was not even a gentle path tamed by man. All over the wild grass were densely packed with shrubs that were just right enough to obstruct anyone from walking. 

Eutostea ran barefoot. The pebbles splashed wildly from beneath her feet. 

Less than five minutes after running, she realized the idea was foolish. 

Even a veteran hunter familiar with the terrain would never consider running around the mountain path at night. How fast could a mortal man run on two feet compared to a beast with four? 

Eutostea prayed for her safety eagerly, shoving the branches that stood in her way with her forearm. 

‘Please don’t fall. Please!’ 

Eutostea ran straight, not daring to think of the pursuer chasing after her. 

Artemis’ arrow penetrated her shoulder. 

Eutostea screamed as her eyes went dark for a moment. 

No matter how much she screamed, she couldn’t express the searing pain she felt. The arrow pierced her flesh and tore her muscle. In the meantime, it occurred to her that she became an easy target to chase when blood poured from her shoulder one after another. 

And sure enough, the barking of the blood-scented hounds became more ferocious. 

The fear of wanting to survive overtook any pain that she felt as she released sets after sets of endorphins. She needed to survive. She needed to run. Don’t think, just run. 

Eutostea moved forward, moving her stiff legs that seemed like it was made of wood. 

Artemis’ arrows with brown feathers flew one after another. Whether it was intentional or for intimidation, it stuck through the path she passed. 

Eutostea felt like she was passing through a storm of arrows. It wouldn’t be strange to be hit blindly by the arrows pouring in like a meteor shower. The prediction hit the mark. The second arrow hit the wing of her back. 

This time, she could feel her bones crack. 

With a shrill cry, Eutostea collapsed. 

When she coughed, bitter blood soaked her throat. 

‘I can’t run anymore,’ she thought, ‘No. You have to run. You have to survive.’ 

The barking of Artemis’ hounds was getting closer.