Hyacinthus

Hyacinthus 

He had entered my life like a blessing. The Spartan prince, Hyacinthus, whose name felt like the start of a song. A beautiful ballad as beautiful as he.

Hyacinthus was art. Carved like a statue by the most talented sculptor. Bright eyes and a smile so beautiful it made the sun itself seem lacklustre. It’s no surprise he caught my eye, after all, no one is as capable of appreciating a true masterpiece as I am. 

I would watch him as the sun rose, running through the streets of Sparta, catching the eye of all who saw him. Beloved and admired. Hyacinthus was a true Spartan. Nobody was as dedicated as he was, as skilled in athletics and as good-natured. He was the promise of a better Sparta. Somebody to strive towards. I would see him at sunset, and he was still outdoors. His day was far from over. To say I was infatuated would be an understatement. All these glimpses into his life left me wanting more. I had to see him. I had to meet him for myself.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

I went down to Sparta disguised as sunlight. Weaving through the paved streets, between the brilliant buildings of architectural wonder. Columns amongst columns and temples with dazzling statues. Nobody spared me a second glance, even with my godly aura, I was as inconspicuous as the light gleaming off a statute. I made my way through the dense crowds in the busy streets of Sparta in a hurry. In my true form, any crowd would part for me to pass through. But I couldn’t reveal myself, not in front of all these people. I was saving my true manifestation for him. 

It didn’t take long before I arrived at my destination. A quaint street directly overlooking the Eurotas. By this time, the sun was already setting. I watched it cast its brilliant rays across the river, painting it a liquid gold, around it the leaves on the trees turned a canary yellow, like the leaves on a laurel crown. And then he was there. Hyacinthus leaned on a stone wall, his attention fixed on the reflection of the setting sun against the river. He smiled to himself, his brown eyes like pools of honey in the light, tan skin shimmering. I took a moment to study every curve and angle of his face. The way his brown curls fell over his face. He was resplendent. 

“You can come out now,” he said. “Lord Apollo.”

So I did. It’s only natural he knew I was there. In my fascination I had begun to gleam as bright as daylight. I decided that if he wanted to see me, I would be the most impressive being he had ever laid his eyes on. As such, the form I chose to take was one truly befitting of god. An impressive seven feet of hight with long, blonde hair which didn’t need the wind to flow gracefully around my figure. My golden skin shone as though glitter ran below the surface, and my eyes were the same shade of honey as Hyacinthus’s had been against the light. I chose to wear a golden laurel and a white toga of fine silk. I could tell Hyacinthus was impressed by his admiring smile, he begun to bow but I stopped him. 

“To what do I owe this blessing?” He asked, daring to look me in the eyes. Just the sort of boldness I had expected from him. 

“To catch the attention of a god, one must truly be special. And I happen to have the best taste of them all.” 

To this simple compliment, he smiled warmly. “That’s quite the compliment, I am incredibly honoured, Lord Apollo.” 

I shook my head. “Just Apollo will do.” 

“Apollo then.” The sound of my name from his voice, the voice like music, sent an unmatched feeling running through my bones. Like the gentle warmth of sunlight. My hair seemed to glow around me with excitement. 

“I will not lie, I have taken quite an interest in you. If you would allow me, I would like to come down to earth to see you more often.” As I said it, his eyes seemed to light with something like surprise. A wonderful rose colour spread across his cheeks. 

“I would like that.” 

𖤓𖤓𖤓

Hyacinthus loved all manner of sports, and he was good in all of them. The second time we met, he smiled in way of greeting before simply taking off in a sprint. Naturally, I followed him. He lead me through quieter streets, careful not to be spotted. We ran out of the city, through a clearing and into a forest. By the time we stopped we had reached a quiet spot near the Eurotas, far from the city and therefore far from any prying eyes. 

It’s not that I didn’t want to be seen with him. If it were up to me I’d show him off to the world, I’d announce my love proudly in front of all the gods. But me being spotted would cause quite the commotion, and it certainly would complicate things for Hyacinthus too. So I was more than content to spend our time secluded, where all my attention could be reserved for him only. 

“It’s a beautiful day, is it not?” It was the first thing he’d said today. So natural and calm. It didn’t seem to matter who I was.

“It truly is.” But my eyes only saw him. He let out a soft chuckle, noticing my gaze, acknowledging the way in which I looked at him.

“Are you any good at swimming, Apollo?” 

That was enough to snap me away from my daze. I frowned, but Hyacinthus didn’t stop smiling. 

“I am a fantastic swimmer, almost unmatched.” 

“Then what are we waiting for?” I barely had the time to process the question before he dove into the river, submerging entirely in the crystal water before resurfacing. His dark curls now tendrils of silk around his face, water making his skin gleam beautifully in the light, too perfect to be real. I let out a genuine laugh, following him into the river. I had always been a fan of the water,  because swimming felt much like flying. The way Hyacinthus swam certainly made him look like he was flying too, natural and composed against the currents of the river. I noticed him shiver once he reached me. 

“It’s colder than I thought.” he muttered. To me the water felt just fine, but since he was human he likely had a higher sensitivity to these things. So I wrapped him up in a hug, letting some of my warmth transfer to him. Hyacinthus’s cheeks turned a rose colour, like the colour of the sky at dusk, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable. He leaned in, returning the hug with a shy smile. And nothing had ever felt so right.

𖤓𖤓𖤓

I hadn’t been to my shrine in Delphi for days, hadn’t played the holy lyre, or used my bow and arrow to track down aby beasts. All my previous duties and hobbies paled in comparison to the time I spent with Hyacinthus, to the point where I wanted nothing more than to be by his side. So I left it all behind to spend my time in Sparta. Even then it felt like our time together was limited. And of course it was, he was mortal and I would live for centuries to come. Together, we made every moment count. Hyacinthus especially, with his boundless energy and skill. I quickly came to realise that he was quite competitive, too. 

But I was worse. 

“You win again.” He said one day, right after we had both been throwing javelins. He had told me he had the strongest throw of anyone he knew, and I didn’t doubt him for a second. Of course, my strength was incomparable. 

“Naturally.” I grinned, placing my hands on my hips in a proud stance. Hyacinthus laughed along, the sound more beautiful than any melody I’d ever played. 

“But it isn’t fair, you are a god” 

“Should I hold back-”

“Never.” His expression quickly turned serious, though I found it hard not to smile. “If I win, I want it to be because of my own skill. So promise me you never will.”

I dindn’t hesitate. “I promise.” 

“Good.” He smiled again, radiating warmth from the way his eyes lit up. I hugged him as if it were on instinct. For a while we stayed that way. Wraped up in each other’s arms, in comfortable silence. I took a moment to listen as the birds chirped a romantic melody around us. The sun was out today, too, but I ignored it. Something much more beautiful was right there, in front of me snug in my arms. 

Holding Hyacinthus felt like holding a gentle flower, delicate but beautiful. As if a blow of the wind could steal it away. I took a chance. Put my feelings into words.

“I love you, Hyacinthus.” 

I felt him tense up, before relaxing once more with a sigh that was positively smitten. 

“I love you too, Apollo.” He said. “But you knew that already.” 

I lifted him up in my arms, span arround in a kind of happiness only he could make me feel. He laughed again, that beautiful melody I’d never get tired of. But then he paused, as if suddenly remembering something important. 

“I think I know a sport in which I can win.”

𖤓𖤓𖤓

We ran through a flowering meadow in the middle of a perfect day, a soft western breeze keeping us cool. Naturally I won this race too, but Hyacinthus didn’t take it to heart. By the time he caught up he tackled me into hug which sent us both rolling through the flowers. Shades of violet and rose and cerulean flashed all around us, yet he was all I could see. I held him in a tight embrace, the melodic sounds of his laughter drifting around us in a beautiful symphony. At tha moment, I swore I could stay this way forever. Hold him in this bed of flowers and protect him from all the pain in this world. For he deserved only the best. But it was Hyacinthus who wanted to get up. 

“Come, we can’t waste all day here.” He got up, offering a hand to help me up too.

“Whyever not?” I smiled warmly, instead of taking his hand I put my hands behind my head to rest. “It’s a beautiful day, and we have nowhere to be.” 

“You know I don’t like sitting around!”

It was true, Hyacinthus couldn’t hold still for long. It was actually one of the many things I admired about him. So full of life, with a thirst for adventure. No day was the same when we were together and I loved him for it. “We came here to throw a discus remember? I am certain I can throw it further than you, even with your godly strength.” His excitement was contagious, so I took his hand and stood up. 

“That’s quite a claim, just remember I promised you not to hold back.” 

“And still, I just know I will win this time.”  

I noticed that the wind seemed to pick up around us as Hyacinthus ran to get the discus. He had dropped it in his hurry to tackle me down. Yet I did not think muck of it, not once I heard his voice. 

“Which of us will go first?” 

“I think it should be you,” I said. “Since you’re so overzealous.” 

“Of course. But promise not to cower with fear once you see how far it goes.” 

If anyone else had spoken to me in such a manner, I would have been truly offended. I might’ve even struck them down for daring to make such a preposterous suggestion as me being afraid. Hyacintus could get away with anything when it came to me. Such is the way of love. 

I stood to his left as he got ready to thow the discus, the heavy metal dark in his hand. He extended his arm back while bending his legs. As always, he was the spitting image of a true athlete. Poised and precise. And right as he threw it, I had the eerie feeling that I should have stopped him. 

𖤓𖤓𖤓

I held his dying form in my arms, sobbing tears of golden light as he took his final breaths. The bloody discus was discarded, thrown far away. 

What is the point of being the god of healing if you cannot save the one you love? For as much as I tried, Hyacinthus wound would not heal. Would not stop spewing heaps of blood. The light left those beautiful honey eyes of his, but he wouldn’t peel his gaze away from me. He couldn’t speak, he was already too weak. But I knew what that look meant. 

He was dying and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He was dying and he wanted me to be the last thing he saw. 

“Hyacinthus, please, stay with me.” I begged, holding him tightly, as if it would save him. “You can’t do this, I love you, please…”

His last breath was sharp, pained. His final moments were spent in sheer agony and it was all my fault. His warm body grew cold and his strong frame became light. Limp. Fragile. He was gone. 

The world became silent. The rustle of the breeze was gone. I let out a powerful scream of agony but heard none of it. My eyes shut to let the tears stream down my face. This was my greatest failure. Hyacinthus represented everything good in this world. He was warm, kind and diligent. Loved by all of Sparta. Loved by a god. Somebody like him didn’t belong to the underworld.

No. 

I wouldn’t let him end up there. 

Perhaps it was my final act of love to Hyacinthus. I couldn’t save his body but I could save his soul. Let them punish me for this defiance. I would take it all. 

His body became engulfed in brilliant light as my tears fell down onto him. I set him down amongst the meadow, and it took all my strength to let him go, to step away. The light danced around the meadow, weaved through the flowers as I had weaved though the crowds on the first day we met. It burned through the grass, in all of Hyacinthus’s strength and glory. And from where his body had been, the most beautiful flower of all sprouted. Fragrant bells of pink and purple, blue and crimson and cream. Bright as his soul, though their beauty could never match his. 

Hyacinthus. My love. He would live on.