I stood at the brink of another day, my flaming chariot perched on the edge of the Moonflower Meadow. Nyx didn’t show up at the cave last night which wasn’t unusual, but Eos was always in the meadow at this time.
She habitually greeted me before another day. She was the dawn, the new beginnings, the light that sparked the sun, everything to me. In the past thousands of years, she had never missed a morning. Maybe she was just running with the wolves again.
Staring out into the Sanguine Wilds, the rogues she ran with were alone, walking around aimlessly, sorrowful expressions on each of their faces. My chest tightened, fingers curling into fists. Something wasn’t right.
After waiting another hour with no luck, I climbed into my golden chariot and chased the moon across the morning sky to see if Selene knew where our sister was. She met me in the west, holding a hand over her eyes to shield herself from me. “Gods and Goddesses, you’re blinding,” she said, slowly adjusting. “Even more so when Eos isn’t around.”
“Where is she?” I asked, fingertips burning into my own skin. “She never missed a day without greeting me at least once. She wasn’t at the Meadow…” My chest tightened up at the mere thought of Eos being gone with Nyx somewhere. “Nyx is missing too.”
Were they lost somewhere in the Sanguine Wilds? Had they gone somewhere and told me but I forgot? Was this some sort of joke they were playing on me? My mind flashed to Erebus, and I tensed. No. He couldn’t be the cause of this.
“Nyx?” Selene asked, eyeing me. “Why do you care about her? They’re probably off together somewhere.” Selene shrugged her shoulders. “If they’re not back by tomorrow then…” She paused and looked down at the forest busy with wolves. “Then something’s wrong. But they’re probably just tired or busy this morning. You know how they like to play with the wolves. You don’t have to get all worked up over it.”
“She always shows up though and hasn't missed a day in the past 4,000 years.”
Wolves howled in the distance, and Selene frowned. “I have to go. If I find her, I’ll tell you. My wolves are fighting the hell hounds again,” she said, worry laced in her voice. “I’m afraid that if I don’t do something to stop it soon, Hella will rise from hell and start destroying everything. That’s if she hasn’t already.”
“She’s dangerous,” I warned Selene, remembering Medusa’s warnings. Was that why Eos was gone? Had she pissed Hella that much already? Whatever the reason, I would find her. “Be careful.”
I had asked everyone in the Sanguine Wilds if they saw Eos, and everyone had told me the same thing: no. My stomach was in knots the entire day, the clouds above blocking out any sunlight.
The following day, I hopelessly waited in the Moonflower Meadows, forgoing visiting the cave to meet Nyx. Eos was more important to me at the moment. I hadn’t been without her for this long since we had been young divines.
I waited all day.
I waited all night.
Wolves ran in the wilds beside me. Monsters hunted deep into the night. She didn’t show up.
The feeling in the pit of my stomach made me sick. Something was fucking wrong, yet nobody had any idea what it was. Where were they? Had Hella taken Eos? But, if that was the case, where was Nyx?