Page 1 of Orion: Galaxy Huntress

Chapter 1

Orion - Present Day

“You must return.”

Thunder rumbled amid the vast expanse of pulsing light of the galaxy, making the heavens twinkle brighter and hotter.

I yawned, stretching out my fingers of starlight, having slumbered the last hundred years. “Go where, great Zeus?”

“Save them.”

The stars faded, replaced by darkness, a growing emptiness that threatened to consume the galaxy.

“Save who?” My answer came in the form of dying light, the power being drained, the galaxy turning upside down.

Visions pounded my head. My sisters, twelve in total. Stars of exquisite beauty, radiance, ancient wisdom of the cosmos. Fallen from the heavens to various planets, each being preyed on by monsters that fed from their starlight. Protectors fighting to defend them. My kin running and hiding but unable to stave off the relentless pursuit. The shock to my star body was enough to dislodge me from the heavens, and I tumbled from the position, falling through space.

Horrified, I watched helpless as my home for millennia fell further away from me. Aching for my spot amid the swirling, dancing light, I reached for it with fingers of starlight. Long beams of pearly light—pinks, blues and purple hues stretched out, only highlighting the distance separating us.

Zeus had tasked me to return to my birthplace and save my sisters. Thousands of years ago, I had won his favor, serving him, protecting him from monsters that attacked and attempted to kill him. Beasts sent by gods and demigods within his pantheon, jealousy and revenge their main motivations. The sky god had rewarded me with a place among the stars. Named a constellation after me. Orion, huntress for the gods.

Except, I’d not just battled monsters. There were arrogant, greedy men seeking riches and glory through the hunt. Competitors who stopped at nothing to sabotage me to win at any cost in the hunting games held by the gods. One had duped me into believing he loved me and wanted to partner with me for a prize. Found out the hard way that love was blind and was beaten. The first and only time I ever let a man deceive me. Hurt, vengeance, and anger were powerful motivators to surge me to the top of the ranks of hunters, resulting in my favor with Zeus.

But as I discovered just now, that esteem could be reversed in the twinkle of an eye, and I hurtled through space, a blazing, streaking ball of fire and luminosity. Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled, accompanying my descent to Earth. The cone of light carrying me flexed outwards in a bright flash, slowly transforming me into my former human flesh, removing the full extent of my heavenly light. I cried out as it was ripped from me, like my heart had been torn from my chest. It had to be done. The lower resonance of the planet didn’t allow me to bring my full grace with me. Pure starlight up close to a human could burn, and Zeus wouldn’t let me harm his people. Doing so might jeopardize the delicate balance of the energies of light and dark on the planet. Sun and moon. Night and day.

Below me, dark tentacles of energy suffocated the beautiful jewel that was known as Earth. War had raged for too long on the planet. Darkness and sin consumed it, killing it and the humans dwelling there. But that was about to stop. I, Orion, swore to put an end to the darkness and fill the world with enough light to banish the monsters and save my sisters.

Lower I plummeted, streaking through the atmosphere like a shooting star in the middle of the day, a fiery ball of light with a long, meteoric tail. My human stomach lurched as the land below me shot closer at dizzying speeds. Gods, I was going to crash like a meteor, leaving a crater in the Earth’s skin. But how would my fragile human body survive?

Less than a few hundred feet above the surface, I braced myself for impact, tightening my muscles. Collision from my fall flattened everything in its path … trees, forest, boulders, underbrush, and more. Final impact buried me about a hundred feet into the land and caused massive quakes to tremor through the solid ground. Smoke rose up in curls where my dulled starlight and speed had scorched the surface. Somehow, I landed on my feet, knees bent, hands braced on the charred dirt.

My transition from a being of pure light to one of flesh wasn’t painful as such, but a torrent of emotions tackled me. Chest heaving, I absorbed the familiar but forgotten sensations and emotions engulfing me with both joy and horror. I’d forgotten what it was like to be weak, mortal, and human.

After a few moments, I unsteadily regained my feet, finally feeling back in control—at least somewhat. I released the cone of light, letting Earth’s atmosphere grasp me in its embrace. Wind lashed my face with lose hair from my dark brown locks. Strange. I always wore my hair in a braid laced with leather. The silky material of my summer dress, all the colors of the nebula surrounding my star, rippled along my flesh. Light and dark purples twisted in the light to pale and darker blues. Golden armbands absorbed and pulsed with my starlight, accentuating my bronze skin.

I’d need my bow and dagger if I was to fight the threat to my sisters and me. Without my hunter’s weapons I was vulnerable. Searching for them, I glanced at my surroundings. Mountains in the distance that I didn’t recognize rippled with a faint blue color. Dense forest lay in every direction, consisting of giant fir and pine trees, and strange scented trees I didn’t distinguish. The acrid smell of it burned and cleared my sinuses. Perfect medicine for a blocked nose.

A strange, furry, gray animal with claws stared down from its perch in the fork of a branch, eating the pungent leaves. Cute little thing with fluffy ears and a black nose, much like a small bear. Harmless most likely, but after all the monsters I’d battled, this thing might spit fire or have a long, extending tongue that could burn me with acid. I couldn’t be too careful amid this strange, new land. Wary of the creature, I crept backwards with my eyes glued on it.

“Trust me, sweet furry ball,” I called to it. “Stay and eat your leaves. You do not want to tussle with me.”

The words that dripped from my mouth were not of my mother tongue. Shocked at the foreign language so unlike my ancient Greek, I touched my lips. Where had the vocabulary come from? Native terms spoken in my head that came out different but somehow, I understood them perfectly. Where in Hades was I?

I tripped on my gown and stumbled backward, hitting my backside with a jarring thud. Well that made me appear threatening, didn’t it?

The little beast kept consuming the leaves and turned its attention from me. Not a threat. Thank the gods.

I couldn’t venture through the forest with this dress unhindered. The length would be a problem for starters, restricting my ability to run when the time came, and I didn’t like the idea of tripping every few paces. I yanked at the edges of my spectacular dress and the material gave with a great, rending snap. Several inches tore off the bottom, giving me plenty of room to walk and manoeuvre. Not the most accommodating outfit in which to conduct hunting, but it would do. Once I located the nearest town, I’d buy more suitable leathers for hunting. Sandals and a Pteruges skirt. A firm breastplate to block penetration of arrows. A bronze shield to protect my skin. Fine armor for a huntress warrior like myself.

I patted down the dress, searching for a pouch of coins to use for purchasing my armor. Nothing. Again, Zeus had left me here unaided. No matter. I was a resourceful woman, not a helpless maiden. I’d need to catch wild birds, hare or a deer to trade for the items I needed. Difficult without my bow and arrows. I glanced back at the strange, furry creature, wondering what it might fetch at the market.

“Come here, little furry beast.” I commenced my climb, hauling myself up the tree, sliding at every opportunity courtesy of my bare feet and the ridiculous gown. I gave up after five tries.

“Great, Zeus.” I raised my gaze skyward and called to my patron. “You have sent me here without my weapons and armor.”

Silence answered me along with the whisper of these strange trees and landscape. Rays of sunlight streaked through the trees. A single eagle soared in circles overhead. I bowed my head. I’d lost my immortality. Left alone and vulnerable here, pursued by the same threat as my sisters.

In need of weapons, food, and shelter, I pushed on through the wilderness, ignoring the stab of twigs and rock at my feet. I was resourceful. I’d figure out a way to protect and save my sisters. So help me, Zeus.

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