“Hey, coach canceled practice on account of how cold it is, but the girls want to go out together.” Sarah told Orion. “They…”

Orion hugged her. He wasn’t sure about anything that had happened this morning, but what he knew was that his friend was hurt and she needed to be cheered up.

“I guess you heard I got dumped, “ Sarah whispered as her throat tightened. “I need a raincheck on the rest of this hug. I can’t cry right now. The girls want to take me out to cheer me up and I don’t want to be that girl that breaks apart in public because she got dumped.”

“Whatever you need,” Orion promised. “Text me when you’re home and I’ll come over.”

“Deal. Bring that Belgium chocolate your mom brought back?” Sarah said as she opened the door to head out. Orion nodded in agreement.

As Orion watched her jog back to the field for her things, he couldn't shake the image of Sarah's sad and brokenhearted expression from his mind. She was one of those genuinely nice people and sometimes suffered for it. Orion wished he could do something more than just offer her some chocolate.

“Pretty girl. Are you in love with her? I wouldn’t really know about that sort of thing.” A woman’s voice rang out behind him. The voice was clear, firm, and confident; it sounded familiar to Orion.

Orion spun around and found himself staring at a short girl… or woman? This person stood merely at his shoulder height, but her face was one that held eons. No wrinkles appeared on her face and her skin looked flawless, but her face was taut with the tension of age. However, it was more than perceived maturity emanating, there was an unseen force from her that Orion could sense would burn him alive without effort if provoked.

“Who… who are you?” Orion barely was able to ask before he felt her life force slam the air out of his throat. He doubled over and gasped for air.

“Hera,” she replied with a look of concern for Orion. “Oh drat, I’ve overestimated your constitution. Here, this should be better.”

“Orion felt the force diminish and he could regain his breath. Putting both hands on the floor to help himself up, he slowly stood up again. Looking once more at Hera, he wondered if he dared speak.

“Hera, as in wife of Zeus?” Orion mustered the courage to ask. He wondered if she had come for the arrow.

“No.”

Orion didn’t know what to say next. Her voice was oddly familiar despite not something any human could produce. She had to belong to the pantheon of gods that his arrow belonged to and yet she claimed not to be… or more strictly speaking she said she wasn’t Zeus’ wife. Maybe this was one of those fiction that only has a seed of truth. Orion racked his brain for who she could be and recalled one other name.

“Are you also known as Mother Flame?” Orion hesitantly asked.

“Goodness no!” Hera exclaimed and once again nearly knocked Orion over. “And I’ll thank you not to use her name so lightly!”

With that exclamation, Orion’s mind recognized the voice finally.

“You saved me when I first touched the arrow! You commanded the voices!” Orion was sure of his suspicion.

“Voices? Oh, is that how your brain perceives the Multitude? Yes I suppose that makes sense. Oh, yes I was the one who saved you. I thought it fair since I’m the one that put you in danger. I seem to have a habit of overestimating your constitution. I had no idea you couldn’t handle The Multitude. It’s a shame. They really are quite convenient and friendly, you know.” Hera stated all this casually as she circled Orion looking him up and down. Her observation was eagle eyed raking every inch of him and more.

Orion noticed as she walked that her black dress didn’t rustle or shift. It was as if it was an extension of her body and moved only when commanded. Everything about her was curious and overwhelming. Nothing she had just said made any sense to him, but he did understand that she seemed to know about this situation he found himself in.

“I think I have to give this arrow back to Cupid. Do you know him? Can you give it back to him for me?” Orion hopefully asked.

“Back to him? Not when I’ve gone to so much trouble to steal it from him and give it to you. I know that the Multitude was unable to instruct you, but surely the Voice gave you some clarity?”

“You mean the mysterious one that speaks at random? It’s helped a little I suppose, but I still have so many questions.”

“So ask”

“Why did you give me this arrow? The voice said I had to give it back to Cupid. What do you want me to do with it?”

“I want to see if you can use the arrow. Candidly speaking, I’m starting to doubt it, but I suppose I might as well see the test to the end. Find someone to shoot the arrow with and we shall see the results.”

“Use it? But the voice said the arrow was dangerous around people. I don’t want to hurt anyone”

“True, the test has risks, but what I’m hoping to achieve outweighs them. In addition, an instrument of the gods is most dangerous when there isn’t a god around to shield them, but here I am. I may not hold the arrow, but I’m close enough to prevent catastrophe. Now enough questions, time for you to see if you can shoot this arrow. I have other candidates to try, you know,” For most of this conversation, Hera seemed like she had all the time in the world, but now she looked eager and ready to move on. “Take out the arrow”

Orion reached into his backpack for the arrow. It was full of his books, so it was proving difficult to find. Orion rummaged around until he started to worry it had fallen out of his backpack.

“I swear I put it in here! Did it fall out? I don’t think I have any holes in my backpack.” Orion started to get worried and frustrated. Why did things have to go so wrong when all he did was spot a stick in the morning?

Hera stood there without any emotion or expression. She betrayed no movement; not even a single lock of hair rustled. It seemed like time stood still for her and Orion lost all sense of it.

“So… it seems I was thrice wrong. You have indeed utilized the arrow,” Hera finally spoke. “Time to see the results.”

“Wait, I didn’t shoot the arrow. I don’t even have a bow!”

“Fool! An instrument of the gods is not so clumsy as to rely on your body. Did you think we would allow our instruments to be bound by the natural physical laws of the universe? Our instruments answer to a higher power.” Hera immediately pulled Orion through the double doors out into the cold. It seemed her body too did not obey physics as she casually dragged him along without effort.

“Wait, hold on, where are you taking me? Hang on. I can walk. Stop dragging me!” Orion cried out.

“Walk if you want, but keep up. We don’t have any time to waste. We need to see the results of your choice.”

“Choice? What choice?”

“The test is a choice!” Hera snapped. Orion saw the capricious nature now; Hera was only moments ago a far more pleasant individual. “If you’re going to replace Cupid, we have to know you’re in tune with his arrows to make the best choice for each arrow. Every arrow has a destiny and Cupid is best at figuring out that destiny and enacting it. When an arrow isn’t perfectly used, an imperfect event will unfold. If you got it really wrong, it will be death and tragedy. And if I was really really really incorrect in my assessment of you, the entire world will end.”

“Wait someone could die!? Who?” Orion breathlessly asked as he sprinted to keep up with Hera’s stride.

“Fool again. I already told you that the arrow doesn’t obey the physical world. It obeyed your will. Your thoughts. Your mind. Whom have you directed all these at?”

Orion paled as he came to a conclusion. He ran faster and followed Hera across the field after Sarah.