Maximilian's Odyssey
#1 of Maximilian's Odyssey
The photos reeled through his mind. A young, pretty mouse holding a baby in her arms, smiling. A little mouse playing on a driftwood log lapped by the late-tide beach waves, his mother on the sand nearby. The same small mouse, older now, standing alone at a small grave, the rain and wind pouring down in torrents as he cried.
Alone.
A house, all decorated for Christmas, A Christmas tree shining gaily through the frosty window. Colorfully wrapped Christmas presents sat underneath the sparkling, spinning ornaments, waiting for some lucky child to unwrap them in the morning. Snow fell on the shoulders of the small mouse as he stood outside, alone and shivering.
Uninvited.
Unwanted.
Max shook his head, trying to clear his head from the nightmares of the past as he shivered, the the late fall winds blowing the last of Autumn's leaves about underneath the full Halloween moon. He stopped, sitting down on a bench. As the moon slipped behind the clouds, Max noticed the tall statue erect not far from the bench. It was a tall huntress mouse, clad in a toga and a legionaries sword thrust through her belt. Two wolves stood at her side, guardians of her left and right. It cut a fierce looking figure.
"Wow.." the mouse muttered, staring. It seemed to exude a light of its own.
"Yesss...it is a pretty statue isn't it?" A tall cloaked and masked figure sat beside Max on the bench.
"Y-yes" Max replied, scooting closer to the edge of the bench.
"Why aren't you trick-or-treating in Halloween? The one night in the whole year you get to demand sweets, and you don't even have a costume..." the masked fur asked, the voice soft and smooth. In the silence, Max thought he could hear a soft hissing.
"C-couldn't afford one.." he said.
"Hmm.....what a pity." The masked fur said. " A pity indeed...here...have mine." the masked fur said, and removed the mask.
" Eurayle!"
An arrow landed with a hollow thunk in the mask, cracking it. Eurayle hissed, drawing her mask back onto her face.
" Next time, foolish one..." the masked Eurayle murmured, and disappeared into the night.
Max turned to see the face of his rescuer..and found himself staring into the face of a girl!
She was dressed in a toga, with a bow in her left paw and a quiver of arrows slung across her back. She had deep olive green eyes, just like Max, except her face was softer, dotted with patches of light fur here and there.
"Er.....umm...who was that?" he found himself asking.
"An...aquaitance of mine." The costumed mouse grimaced, shrugging underneath the thick brown coat over her toga.
"Oh! uh...my name's Max, what's yours?" he asked.
She hesitated then sat down on the bench next to him. "Rose." she said. "How come you don't have a costume?"
Max blushed deeply. " I couldn't afford..well..not really into Haloween..." he mumbled.
"Oh." Rose replied. "Where do you live?"
"Over near the warehouse, right by the river." he told her. Max shivered, trying to turn it into a stretch.
"Here." she said, taking off her coat and offering it to him.
"But won't you be cold then?"
"I'll be fine." she smiled.
"Thanks." he said, and slipping the coat on. "Hey, what are you supposed to be anyway?" he asked.
" A goddess, of course!" she replied.
"Oh yeah! cool!" he grinned.
"Know anything about the gods?" Rose asked.
"Sure, lots!" Max replied. "Zeus, and Apollo, and Hades...they're all neat! But I like Hermes the best. He was the god of thieves, and travelers, and had wings on his feet, and delivered messages between the other gods and had a wicked staff..." Max rambled on, Rose laughing.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"It's just..." she giggled. "I've never known anyone that liked the gods so much." she said, bringing her laughter under control.. She took a deep breath, and stared at him for a moment. Then blinked.
"What?" Max asked.
"Nothing..." she replied. " Hey look, the moon is coming back out!" she said, and pointed skywards.
Max looked up at the darkened sky, the clouds framing the orange-yellow moon, giving it a halo. "Yeah...it's really pretty isn't it?" he asked.
"Yeah." Rose answered. "So, you really don't like Haloween?" she asked.
"No, not really." Max said. "I like the whole costume thing, and the magic, and I get this weird feeling sometimes.. but the candy makes it seem like Halloween is only for little kids."
"Aren't you a kid?" Rose asked.
"Aren't you?" Max asked back.
Rose didn't answer.
" Rose?" he asked, looking around. She was gone. Max got up from the bench, and walked over to the statue. "Rose?" he called out, cupping his paws over his muzzle. As the moon parted, thin rays of moonlight hit the statue, and Max gasped. He was staring into the face of Rose! The inscription underneath the statue read......
"Artemis, sister of Apollo, master of the hunt, and protector of the weak......."