CUPID & SYKIE
By Luke Forrest Oliphant
Chapter one
S
ykie was a princess whose beauty was the most wonderous and amazing in all the land. She had two beautiful sisters but their beauty could not match hers. Some say that Sykie’s beauty was greater than any picture ever seen of the goddess of beauty herself, Venus. No one in the kingdom was bold enough to ask for Sykie’s hand in marriage. Her sisters were married two princes long ago, but Sykie remained alone.
Sykie’s loneliness worried the king greatly, so he consulted a fortune teller to see if Sykie would ever be wed. The fortune teller said, “Dear king, your daughter’s beauty has made Venus jealous, and the goddess wants revenge. She has told her son Cupid to spear Sykie with an enchanted arrow to make her fall in love with a hideous beast. That beast is to become her husband. You must assuage the Godess, so in three days, lead Sykie away from the city to the summit of Mount Dragon dressed as a bride. Once there, leave her to her fate.”
Extremely saddened, the king took the horrifying news to Sykie, and in three days, he did as the fortune teller demanded. Distraught, Sykie follow the king away from the city to Mount Dragon where she bid her father goodbye.
There she stood alone filled with rigid fear and hurt. She then heard a low soft whisper that said, “jump off the cliff into my arms, and I will whisk you away to the castle of my master. I am the kind spirit of the west wind. My name is Zephyr. Sykie summend the courage, and threw herself over the cliff. Zephyr caught her and swept her away. The fall into the west wind’s arms had rendered her unconsciencous.
Zephyr left her in a flowery lawn, and in front of her stood a gorgeous castle. Sykie approached the doors and found them to be unlocked. She wondered inside inspecting the grand beauty of this wonderous castle. The air was suddenly filled with a spirit who revealed his desire to do her bidding and fullfill her every wish. Sykie wanted to know where she was and who was the owner of this castle. The spirit told her that the castle was created soley for her and perhaps one day she will have all the answers she seeks. For Cupid, instead of handing her over to the monster to which she had been promised by the jealous godess, had himself fallen in love with her and decided to make her his wife. In order to keep the knowledge of his love secret from his mother, Venus, he could not show Sykie his true form. Cupid visited her as her husband regularly in spirit form. He made regular nightly visits to her. He slept in his secret chamber and regularly left the castle by dawn. Each night he entertained her with stories of the day, and Sykie was charmed and content to enjoy her paradise and night after night Cupid enchanted her with magical tales.
Over time Sykie began to miss her family. They must be heart broken she thought. She wanted to see them again, and she wanted to know the true identity of her spirit husband. All this caused her indescribable anguish. She thought about her husband’s secret chamber where he slept each night, and she wondered how he looked while in his slumber. She had grown tired of this unseen love and was resolved to put an end to the mystery. Sykie formed a plan. Tonight, she would wait until she thought her husband was deep in sleep, then she would sneak into his chamber hoping to catch him as his true self.
Against night-time, Cupid all unsuspecting, arrived at the castle as usual. Somewhere in the middle of the night, Sykie got out of bed. She brought forth an oil lamp and by it’s illumination she crept down the hall and into her husbands chamber. Trembling with emotion she look around the room, and the first thing she saw was a golden bow and a bundle of arrows. She then glimpst upon the bed the most divinly beautiful young man with soft feathery wings. She drew ever close to get a better view. Alas! as she was lifting the lamp over him a drop of smoldering hot oil fell on his shoulder. He awoke instantly shreaking in pain. He grasped his bow and arrows, unfolded his wings, and flew towards an open window, but before he could fly through it, Sykie grabbed the end of his tunic and was carried away through the window and up into the sky.
Chapter two
S
ykie held onto Cupids legs as the flew through the night until he let her softlly down in a meadow. Before he flew away he said, “I am your husband Cupid, the son of Venus. Now that you know the truth, I am no longer able to protect you from the rath of my mother, for she knows what lies in the mind of mortals. And herewith, Cupid flew away and out of sight. Sykie stood alone in mental anguish. She was already starting to miss her sweet husband. She began wandering the land. She felt like she was being guided by some higher arm. She travelled through long, winding, and obstructed paths hoping to see her husband again.
On, therefore, she wandered, praying passionately for her husband to return. She found herself in a strange new land with golden ears of corn and an immense castle. She was startled by the sound of flapping wings, and looking up, she spotted a chariot drawn by fire breathing swans, moving downwards toward the front of the castle.
The chariot stopped and out of it stood a tall, beautiful, and elegant lady of queenly presence, the goddess, Venus. She approached Sykie immediately, for she knew who the poor maiden was, and said, “ Dear maiden, how dare you come here! After you have broken my son’s heart and have badly wounded him due to your impertinence. He rest in my palace where his stubborn wound is slow to cure. You must be punished! I had sent my emissaries to fetch you, but here you stand, already. You shall suffer!”
Venus called aloud, “Grief and Agony, come before me and take this maiden to the dungeon!�
After one night in the dungeon, Sykie was brought forth into the presence of Venus. She waited exhausted and nervous for her penance. Venus approached her and said, “My store of beans is in complete disarray. They lie in unorganized heaps. I need you to sort each type of bean into seperate containers by sunset. If you can do this then I will accept you as my daughter-in-law.
With that, Sykie was lead outside the castle and down a lane where there were huge heaps of mixed beans. Kidney beans, red beans, black beans, and peas, lay there jumbled together. This would takes weeks to do. She looked at the task layed before her with complete helplessness and she wepted. There closed to her came a small voice. She looked and through her tears saw an ant wearing a crown. “Who are you?”, she asked. the ant king said, “You have long forgotten me, but I haven’t forgotten you. Once when your sister threatened to trample me you intervened and saved my life. Now I would be happy to help you. I have thousands of kinsfolk who can sort these beans for you.The ant king left and returned with an immense host of ants all set to work sorting the beans. They worked industriously through the night and then after the work was complete they withdrew.
Not long after the ants left, Venus appeared. She Was astonished and confounded that the work was complete. Venus thought this cannot be. She must of had somekind of divine help. In fustration Venus said, “I’m not done with you yet.” Sykie was once again placed into the dungeon awaiting her fate.
Chapter three
S
ykie, the next morning was again in the presence of Venus. Where her new task was explained.
Venus said, “ I need you to fetch a flask of the black water which you will find issuing forth from a well in the surrounding mountains. This water is necessary to cure the wound that you caused to my son. After which, I will have one more task for you. When done, I will recognise you as my daughter-in-law.�
Sykie forthwith dispatched herself to this new task. It was midday before she reached the chain of mountains. On the other side, she could see the black water spring running down the side of the mountain. The way that lead to it was too steep and too narrow and lowering into a huge abyss. Sykie still climbed towards the spring reaching a huge ledge, but she was too far from the black water spring. Here she heard the sound of hissing and a faint cry of terror. She looked around and saw an eagle’s nest in which lay a baby eagle in the vacinity of an enormous serpent on the very point of snatching and eating it. Outraged, she grabbed a nearby tree branch and hit the serpent sending it rolling into the abyss.
At this moment arrived the momma eagle--bird of Jupitor who is the king of the gods--sent no doubt by him in gratitude. The eagle picked up the flask Sykie was carrying and flew off to fetch the water she was seeking. The eagle soon return to her full of the sacred water and Sykie was extremely grateful. She hurried back with the flask of water to the castle of Venus.
This time upon seeing Sykie, Venus welcomed her with a slight show of gradification. Venus explained, “I require of you only one other task, after which, I will give Cupid back again to your heart. You must descend on my behalf into the underworld itself. The queen, Proserpina, keeps a charm there that restores wasted beauty.� The next day Venus called Sykie to herself and place into her hands a golden box to hold the charm. She urged Sykie to be off immediately to the underworld.
Chapter four
In no time, Sykie started on her journey to the underworld. She pressed foward through dense gloomy forest until night time. She needed to rest herself, so she stood leaning against a tree. She could feel the moonlight on her face and as she looked upward, she could see an opening through the branches and a poor winged creature flying towards her trying to escape a ferocious bird. Sykie welcome the poor creature and shielded it from the bird. The poor creature turned out to be a moth.
It spoke to her, “I am a spirit of the underworld. I’m here to warn you of the dangers you face on your journey. Please listen carefully... Journey as far as the first cross-road then turn leftward and you will then find yourself in front of the gate of hell. Do not enter without one large gold coin, one small gold coin, and two loaves of bread. Give the smaller coin to the ferryman for your fare . Keep the larger coin for your return fare. As you pass the watch-dog at Pluto’s gate throw him one of the loaves of bread. Keep the other loaf for him as you return. The queen Proserpina will welcome you and invite you to sit at her dinner table to eat. Do not eat the food she offers or you will be trapped in the underworld forever. The box you carry, when she returns it to you, protect it carefully and do not be tempted to open it.” With all this said, the moth flew away and left her. Sykie continued off in the direction indicated by the moth. She provided herself with all she needed, and she soon found herself in front of the gate of the underworld and entered it.
Sykie travelled through darkness and gloom, but now, at length, She stood on the banks of the river Styx-- the river of the underworld. In front of her, sat the ferryman, Charon, in his boat. He was a tall skeletal creature and when he saw her approaching, he drew close, allowed her to board, and sailed her over. With the passage finished, Sykie put the small coin between her teeth, leant forward, and offered it to Charon. Charon took the coin in the same fashion it was offered.
Sykie then journeyed on and soon reached the palace of the undeworld. At the porch of the palace lay the huge dog Cerberus, with his three hideous heads and greedy jaws. As soon as he saw Sykie approaching, he jumped to his feet in a ferocious rage. The chains that held him rattled loudly. Sykie stood in terror and she hesitated for a time to pass him, but she mustered the courage, produced the loaf of bread, and threw it towards him. Cerberus greedily devoured it as Sykie flew past him. She made it through the door.
The queen sat, as Sykie entered, in the center of a room filled with gold and ebony. She was holding a pomegranate in her left hand and a bouquet of flowers in her right hand. Sykie approached the queen with reverence. The queen spoke, “What brings you here.?” Sykie explained, “Venus wishes to recieve from you the means she needs to restore her wasted beauty. Here, in this box, I am to deliver it to her.” Queen Proserpina took the box and left her to retrieve the magical potion. Remembering the moth’s warning, Sykie avoided eating the food that was brought to her.
Queen Proserpina soon returned with the golden box, and in it obstensibly, the magical potion. She placed the box into the hands of Sykie and bade her to deliver it to Venus with care. With all respect, Sykie accepted the box, and placed it into her sack.
As she approached Cerberus again, she threw him the second loaf of bread, and scampered passed him. She reached Charon, who this time, was more reluctant to ferry her back. Sykie drew forth the large gold coin and Charon, at the sight of it, unmoored his boat, grabbed his oar, and conveyed her accross. Sykie once again passed through the doom and gloom of the underworld forest. She made it through unscathed. By the time she reached the spot where she had encountered the moth, she was exhausted, so she laided down to rest.
but not long after she had laid down to rest, her slumber was disturbed by the sound of fluttering wings.She awoke to some creature in the form of a enormous bat. She tried to drive the bat off, but it would only flutter back towards her. She then heard it whispering. Turns out the bat was the bearer of a message from the gods and it told her thus:� I followed you from the underworld and I am the servant of Proserpina. Open the box and rub the ointment onto your face, so you will recover your beauty and with that the joy of your husband. The bat then took wing and left her.
Sykie forgot the warning of the moth and she opened the box. Immediately issued out a dark cloud of mist that hovered over her. She looked into the box and saw that it was empty. The mist swelled around her and condensed itself into a greedy looking vampire with long fangs and flapping wings. Sykie was overpowered by the beast as she attempted to fight it off. she then fell unconscious from sheer terror. Thus, she lay extended on the ground as if all the life had left her body. The vampire descended upon her, dug its fangs into her neck and began to suck her blood.
In the midst of the feeding, she could hear the scolding tones of a familiar voice. The voice spoke, commanding her, “Awake Sykie, awake!” Her eyes opened sharply and recovered full consciousness. she could see the beautiful form of her husband with wings and arrows as he appeared to her the first time she ever beheld him. Sykie’s soul quickly reached ecstacy. She was spellbound and wrapped in a speechless jumble of emotions. Cupid stood before her holding the hair of the nasty vampire who shrieked in pain. Cupid called to sykie,”give me the box that this vile creature came from.” She quickly gave him the box, and he crushed the vampire back into it then closed the lid.
Cupid continued to say,� this is an evil vampire sent by my mother and by the queen Porserpina to punish you should any vanity be in you. I am healed by the cures which you procured through your perseverance, and there is nothing now to obstruct our future happiness. So, come now, with all speed homeword.� In one graceful motion cupid threw his arms around her, scooped her up and flew away