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Deep within the classic forest of old 
I found myself at the height of my life
Recklessly pursuing a distance just cause
Changing course with most any trifle gust.  
Immersed around the lofty boughs of twilight 
With wild guilt, and self-reproach abound  
I was sheltered when travelers near were lost
Without direction, barren, dry, without a thirst.

Beleaguered, I made oblation to Olympus high
In guiding my spirit on the righteous path
When death himself had found me alone.
Shrouded in the continual darkness of Hades
This figure of ominous sorrow beckoned me near.
I could not help but follow, as death overcomes all
Trudging the path that every soul journeys
Into dreary dreams, trailing with reckless fortune.

The afterlife it seems was different, I recall
Blissful rest, peace and comfort in beaming skies
But here I tire on this darkest dismal course. 
What manor of dusky corridor is this
Who's veiled color is death's common path?
Surely it is the path from nature to eternity
When dark trees give way to tall shadows 
My end is near and here I stay amid the masses.

Hail, O spirits of death's myriad collection!
Great was the world in your day, with wide forests
And endless fields untouched by fallow plow.
Your place was reserved with honor among the gods. 
With sullen reproach the nearest shade said agape,
"Save your yearning solace for we remember not
Better to be alive and poor, or infested in society's ills
Than be king in all this gloomy realm of dead."

Blown from this underworld with a mighty wind 
I was lifted to temperate weald in exposed dismay.
With emerald hue, and modest melancholy
This wilderness had taken on beautiful timbers
Amid sweet smelling roses, and children at play.
The contrast was enough to overwhelm the senses 
So I took heart to this natural world and its wonders
And enjoyed this time 'til time was gone.

Here I Stand On A Mountain

-William Ager 4/25/2008

There once was a girl who live on top of a hill. One day she had to fetch some water at the stream below. When she got to the stream there was a little toad sitting on the other side taking a drink of the clear cold water. She asked the toad, "What are you doing you funny little thing? This is my water." The toad, enjoying his water, did not respond to her. She then picked up a small pebble and threw it at him. In fear of being hit by the angry girl, the toad hopped off into the tall grass on the other side of the stream. The girl then gathered up her water and went back to the house on the hill. The next day she needed more water for around the house and she proceeded to go down to the river and get some water. This time there were two little toads sitting on the other side of the stream taking a drink of the clear cold water. She asked the toads, "What are you doing you funny little things? This is my water!" She then threw a small stone at them, and they both hopped away. Day after day the girl would come back for water and there would always be one more toad than the previous day, and each day her anger grew inside her stomach like a twisted knot. Soon there were so many toads that there was no water in the stream for the girl and she had to move away from her house on the hill.

-William Ager

Diana had often seen the cruel actions of the man known as Caldonis. He came from a long line that defiled the forest, cut it down, and slaughtered many kinds of game. He and his brother, Dephious, took pleasure in watching animals suffer, and die. They took that which is a gift to all men in the forests. Vengeance somehow though, eluded her heart.

There was a woods, deep, dark, and rich with deer, where Diana had her sacred land. Caldonis and Dephious heard of the good hunting, and came to show the other who was the better. Caldonis brought his son, a strong young lad named Thysis, who did not like to hunt so much, but wanted to see his father win. After only a short while, they soon discovered a huge stag, and chased it down into a valley, till it could not run anymore. Trapped, the deer called out for help, calling, and echoing through the woods. Diana sitting near a river, heard the cry, and came on the troubled winds with suspicious eyes. "How often had these two men violated the forests?" The goddess did not know, but the third was guiltless. With their arms already to strike down the stag, Caldonis shouted out his commands, "Watch my son as I add this large animal to my victories. Dephious, hold your volley till I throw my spear! You will not get this one! " When Diana heard that which was said, her plan was complete, and so vengeance seemed an ally. The deer, with a sudden burst of energy, jumped into the thicket behind, and the two men quickly ran in pursuit. But after only a few strides, whether by fate or by divine intervention, a small rock was under one foot of Dephious, and he slipped. The heavy spear that he held fast, flew in an arc guided by divine hands into vitals of Caldonis. The blow knocked all life from him, and his bloodied corpse fell thunderously. Thysis seeing this ran to his side. All he and his sister, Viola, loved, laid on the ground: his lifeblood slipping from him. Thysis saw no accident in Dephious' favor, as his eyes were firmly fixed upon his father at all times. Still Dephious swore to no ill intent. With no delay, Thysis left for his house to get help with the burial. And he left Dephious to his conscience.

Already most of the day had gone by till he reached his house. Viola was waiting inside the door. Her face pale with hours of tears. "You can save your words, I have heard the story already, from the old woman who lives in the forest." "Who is this you speak of, there was no one there?" Thysis demanded. "It doesn't matter. Is it not true that my father was struck down by the hand of his own hateful brother, and even before he could turn around to defend himself? Maybe even now, Dephious is boasting of how he killed his own brother, and now because of it he is the best hunter in the forests. And you listened to his lies! You are a fool Thysis! You have no honor. Any blind man in the world could hear his words are lies. This man who calls himself our uncle could not be, for he has never shown any kindness towards our direction. And always he is jealous of our father, who is far better than he. So bring pride back to this household, let vengeance take hold of your hand!" All she said was true, but still Thysis was unsure. He fought with his own beliefs of how the act happened. Dephious, who had killed their father, was indeed hateful, and evil, and always fighting with everyone. Thysis just did not know the truth.

Soon after, all anger spread like a wild weed inside Viola, choking and covering all other emotions. She could not bear it, gasping for air from her own hatred. Through all this, she thought of revenge. A hot burning furnace for which to forge her plots. I could poison him, a proper way to kill a snake, who bites you when you do not see him. Though this would not prove his guilt, or help my brother." She also thought of stories; tales where men asked the gods for favors, in the light of just cause. "There near Camae, down the Styx, past Avernus, descending into the shades as Orpheus did, I shall obtain my needs. But I would not be so foolish as he was. First, I would seek an audience with the king of all the dead. He will see me cry, and weep, and give a thousand reasons why my father should be returned to me. If this works, then it was all a little accident. But if he denies him passage back, I know for sure that the greed of Dephious is keeping him there. If this is the case, not far away, Vengeance lives; she will listen, to claim her prize." With this, Viola left on her journey, traveling far.

Diana already knew all that Viola was going to do. Viola had done all that the goddess had expected, and the daughter of Jove would have her revenge on the hateful family. Without delay, Diana went on the high winds, and into the down drafts, which swept, and sank into the realms below, much quicker than any traveler could. It was there, in the shades, in a small corner of Tartarus, where Diana sought her goal. Past a bone dry desert, rising high above the parched infernal lands, lies the house of Vengeance: a twisting towering citadel of black basalt, and jagged obsidian. After coming to the house of Vengeance, Diana pushed aside the huge gates, and kept them open, a task which ten men could not accomplish with ease. Then, the daughter of Jove and Latona walked fearless into the great hall. Tall columns lined on either side of the hall, and in the center sat the daughter of baneful night, on a throne of black onyx. Diana stepped forward, and Vengeance stood up. She was a figure of true divine heritage. For she always appears pleasing to those who have been wronged by others. A powerful image that burns at the hearts of men and gods alike, driving them to unspeakable tasks to extinguish the fires within, so that she may extract her toll of life and misfortune. But Diana was not so easily fooled by her presence, she knew of her false promises of pride and honor, things to which the goddess of revenge had no real conception of. Many great heroes have fallen, for Revenge, and she was rich because of it. Diana spoke up in a cold voice, "A young girl will soon be here to ask a favor of you. You will do what she says, but leave when I say. For this, you will be rewarded." Without any more to say, she left the black hall and its master and took out a ball of woolen string. Minerva herself made the string, divinely crafted into the most intricate detail and irresistible to any mortal. Starting at Vengeance's jaded abode, Diana began to unwind the string and left a trail. When Diana got to the end of the ball, she was at the gates of the underworld. Once there, she tricked all the dead to go see their master, so that they would not escape. Then she put Cerberus back into his kennel, but only for a short while, and then opened the gates. Diana waited for Viola to come, and soon Viola came, shy, and cautious. She quickly saw the divine string, for it stuck out against the barren landscape, glistening. Viola followed it a long ways unable to take her eyes off it, never once did she look up to see the Glooms. For they are a dark and dismal place where all color loses its brightness, and lost souls wander in never ending despair. The trail went on forever, and Viola knew that she was getting tired, but some how this didn't matter. Increasingly, she could feel the hatred swelling inside her. All Viola knew was that forgiveness was far behind. It was there in the house of Vengeance that the string ended, and Viola looked up. When she saw Vengeance sitting there, it didn't matter whether or not she had any doubt Dephious was guiltless, doubt had left her, and Vengeance took hold. Vengeance's eyes were cinderous red pits, ablaze with evil plot. Her skin was pale, and she had long bronze hair. Near Vengeance, stood her sisters, Animosity, and Reprisal, beings of immense power themselves. Viola stepped meekly, and spoke up, "There is a terrible man that lives in forests above. He hates all things. And now his hatred has turned against himself, sending his own flesh and blood, his brother, and my father, to Hades. My fearful brother, who witnessed this act, will not revenge our father. So I beg you, Vengeance, to come upon him and persuade him into the right action." Vengeance acknowledged her by nodding and Viola was on her way. With her mind clouded with mist, she didn't even think of getting her father's soul back from Hades.

Above in the world of the living, Thysis laid down under an olive tree to rest himself from a long day. While he slept, Vengeance came upon him, sleeping there guiltless, and innocent. She came like a sharp knife into his heart, filling in him pain, and hate, where there was none, and driving thorns into his liver. Thysis dreamed peacefully though, seeing great graceful stags running through the forests, but turning, and suddenly fleeing, taking flight from an evil man. When he awoke his eyes blazed as Vengeance's did. Thysis could not stand it. He knew what he had to do to revenge his father's death. Thysis now hated Dephious more than anything in the world, quickly taking fast pace towards the man's house, with his father's spear in hand. He soon found Dephious, behind his dwelling, right where all serpents hide, in the grass looking for something to strike at. Before Dephious could see his nephew, Thysis threw the weapon in rage. A bad throw, the heavy spear swayed and wobbled through the air, taking an infinite time to hit its mark. But it did, hitting the hateful man in the side, spilling his entrails; killing him there. Thysis left the body of Dephious there in the woods, for the wild dogs, and animals. He went back to his house fulfilled, and relieved, for Vengeance had left him. Waiting in the house was a happy Viola, seeing the blood on her brother's hands; she was proud.

After only a little while, things went as normal, and Viola was proud, too proud. She went one day, as always, into the forest, to gather wood. Whispers from the trees surrounded her. Viola could hear the voice of a goddess who could not keep a secret to the Nymphs, who gathered around her, "And I made that Dephious, kill his own brother. It looked as though he was all to blame, and then the hateful family turned in on itself, plotting, and using Vengeance to kill one another." Viola heard this, and was blind with rage, she went to strike at Diana, with an axe she was carrying, but missed. Diana having no arrows left, picked up a flower, and blew pollen in her face. Viola took a little sneeze, and that was the last human thing that came from her. She became a Violet flower, "A nice sweet change, but still a weed in some places," the goddess thought.

Before the fate of Alalanta and Hippomenes, Alalanta bore a child, Pathaus. After his parents no longer could care for him, Pathaus went to the king of Boeotia and was raised in that royal house. He grew up a skilled hunter, like his mother. With just a spear he killed many great beasts of the forest: lions, boars, and bears. Pathaus was swift and quick and could beat anyone in a foot race, and like his mother he was a devoted worshiper of Diana.

One day a great boar came and ravaged the garden where Pathaus worshiped. Now Pathaus knew the ways of many animals. He also knew that the boar would be back to feed until nothing was left, so the next day, Pathaus hid himself in a tree at the center of the garden in order to slay the wild beast as his prize. When the boar appeared just before dusk it was of enormous size, much larger than any Pathaus had ever seen. It was the size of an ox and had tusks that were like tree trunks. As the beast drew near, Pathaus readied his spear, and leapt onto the creature's back. He thrust his heavy spear deep between the boar's rib cage and the beast fell with a mighty rumble. Calling over some of his servants, together they dragged the beast to Diana's altar and burnt the sweet smelling fat in offering to the swift-footed goddess. Bending down to cut the last of the entrails, Diana herself came to him and said, "Pathaus, you have proven to be a great hunter and a devoted worshiper." She then picked up his spear and gave it to him. "Whenever you throw this spear, you shall never miss. This is my gift to you." With those words the goddess vanished.

Pathaus became very proud of his "skill", and would challenge anyone to an unfair hunting contest. He soon grew tired of the contests though, because he would never lose to any opponent or quarry. Pathaus next decided that he should have a wife. He scoured kingdom and countryside to find a worthy mate, but no one could live up to his ideal.

One day while he was out on a hunt in the temperate Arcadian forests, he spotted a beautiful woman sitting near a river. Pathaus approached the fair young lady and asked her name. "I am Aion, daughter of Oceanus." She replied quite apathetic to his advances. "I am waiting for my love Thanis, son of Neptune, to return to me." Pathaus instantly grew jealous of Thanis and decided that he would challenge him to a hunting contest to prove himself the greater man to Aion. When Thanis came, Pathaus confronted him and challenged him, but Thanis was uninterested in any contest and turned to leave with Aion. Pathaus now grew angry and he threw his spear and hit Thanis in the back, killing him. Pathaus then grabbed Aion to take her back to Boeotia, but Aion broke free of Pathaus' grasp and dove into the river and swam far, to the ocean, to Neptune's great hall under the billowing waves. There, she told Neptune all that had happened and that his son was dead. Neptune was so angry that he came to Pathaus on his way home and surprised him, " For the murder of my son, you will be forever the hunted. You will have spears, slings, and arrows shot at you, and for all your pride, the truly hungry man's spear shall never miss you." Pathaus turned and tried to run, but his feet and hands became hoofs and his head sprouted horns. He tried to scream, but all that came out was an inhuman screech. Pathaus fled into the forest as a frightened but swift stag.