Title: Sleep Love, Forever Sleep
Author: Sami
E-mail: Preventer9@aol.com


Time passes in a blur. It also passes in a gut wrenchingly slow drag. Elves, 
who live a great deal longer than humans, pass a hundred years and are still 
considered to be children. Centaurs have life spans more akin to humans, 
and live lives as long as them, if only different by the lifestyles with 
which they live it. Humans live a mere seventy or eighty years, a hundred 
if they are fortunate; most are not so fortuitous. Then there are the immortal, 
the unattainable, the gods. 

Living high above the worlds they have created, 
the gods live in what humans 
see as the heavens, the seas, and the underworld. 
Gods cannot die, unless 
killed by other gods, and only if that deity is 
greatly powerful, more so 
than the other. Due to this, the gods have life 
spans beyond the normal 
comprehension of a person, elf, or centaur alike. 
Nymphs, nor other mystical 
creatures live so long, not even elves. Said 
to be the most beautiful race, 
the elves have finely chiseled and defined 
features. The women are slender, 
though not emaciated, shapely, but not 
wide. Their skin is browned as are 
their woodland homes, their hair is 
as the finely spun thread on a wheel, and 
their eyes are luminous, such 
that if a man is not careful, he may find 
himself drowning in them. The 
men have muscular, but not overly shaped, 
bodies, toned to near perfection. 
Tall, and lithe, they are expert trackers, 
athletes, and warriors. Still, 
none of this compares to the race of the 
immortal.

The gods all have certain realms which they rule. Hades, lord of the 
Underworld, rules the dead. Poseidon, ruler of the Sea watches over the vast 
waters of the world. And Zeus, the almighty, is king of the Gods. These are 
the three main rulers, however there are others, less known to the world's 
best scholars. One of them is  Sally, Lady of the sun, who is better known 
as Eos of the dawn. Treize, a warrior amongst the gods, is lord of the 
sport of war, otherwise known as Aries. The list goes on, but one, sister 
to Sally, or Eos, whichever you prefer, is Lady of the Night, Guardian 
of the Moon. Her name is Lucrezia, otherwise known as Selenity. 

Lucrezia, a gentle, and fair goddess, protects mankind, giving them a time 
where usually all is quiet, all is peaceful, and the humans, elves, and other 
races may rest. Spreading a blanket of night over the skies by way of her 
chariot, flown by a magnificent dragon with scales the color of fine silver 
that shines with a star-like brilliance, she casts a pleasant and welcomed 
darkness over the lands. Then, calling upon the young Artemis, otherwise 
known as  Marimeia, she heralds the stars to grace the skies, as well as 
the eyes of dreamers everywhere. 

She had never loved anyone, for which 
many other gods, minor ones were sorry, 
for they fancied the immaculate 
goddess with stars in their eyes. Lucrezia, 
however, had a love for the 
worlds, Earth in particular, which could not be 
overshadowed by a love 
for any of her fellow gods. Always dressing in robes 
made of gossamer moonbeams 
that flowed like silvery liquid on her slender 
form and with her hair that 
matched the night she cast upon the world and 
eyes the color of the deepest 
parts of the ocean, it was not surprising that 
so many fell to her charms 
and beauty.

It was one cool night, with autumn breezes filled with the scent of pine, 
and northern winds that found Lucrezia traveling the skies in her silver 
dragon drawn chariot. Her eyes roamed the ground below, seeing a flock 
of seemingly stray sheep, she swerved down to check closer. On a closer 
encounter, she saw the shepherd, and her heart soared back up above the 
heavens and into the great beyond. He was beautiful. He was etheral....he 
was human. 

She didn't care. Long, flaxen tresses fell below his shoulders, some of it shielding his sharp blue eyes. Yet, those sharp blue eyes held 
warmth, warmth for what he was doing, because, as she looked into his memory, 
it was the family's one and only job for him, to tend the flock, and he 
did it with care. 

The goddess sighed , staring at the muscular, tan, and lithe man before her. 
He could not see her of course. She wanted to love him, and for him to return 
her love. But she was immortal, and any love they could have would be, for 
her, brief. She knew not to ask Zeus for immortality for the young man. Her 
sister Sally had done the same for a man named Wufei, and Zeus had granted it 
surely, but cruelly and gave him immortality, as a grasshopper. She wondered 
desperately what to do. She saw him asleep suddenly, resting on a small 
grassy hill within the protective flock. He looked so beautiful, sweet, and 
kind, just like that, asleep, peaceful. She wished he could be asleep 
forever, in youth. But, she could not ask that of him, not to leave his 
family so young. It was not right. But still...she wished she could. 
Then, making herself visible to mortal eyes, she made a decision and stepped 
off her chariot and bid her dragon fly off until she called it again. Walking 
on soft grass in quiet, quick steps, she approached the sleeping sheperd. 
Placing her fair skinned hand over his eyes lovingly, she closed her own blue 
eyes. 

She entered his dream world. He was dreaming of exactly what he had been 
doing, keeping the flock. She walked to him, and he stopped dead in his 
tracks. He was spellbound by this creature of eden, this angel of heaven, or 
so he thought her. Suddenly, he loved her, not just simple, short lived love, 
he loved her. He did not know how, he just knew. The way she moved, the way 
she looked at him, the way he felt when she looked at him, it was pure and 
real love. He felt a warm, secure feeling rush over his senses as she touched 
his arm and then the angel spoke.   

"Sheperd, I am Lucrezia, goddess of the night. I saw thee fall asleep 
on the hill, and then did enter thy dreamworld so as to meet with thee. 
I did this because I believed, the moment I set my eyes upon thee, that 
I did love thee with all my heart, though immortal I am, and mortal are 
you. Sheperd, what art thou called in first name?"
   
"I am called Zechs, sweet angel of the heavens. Lady, thou hast captured 
my heart, as thou hast said I captured yours. I care not that I will live 
not as long as thee, as long as I can be by your side, dear angel."
   
Looking at him with a serious visage, she said softly, "Your flock will 
be cared for I promise, and your family looked after, I shall acertain 
that sweet human who is called Zechs. I promise. But are thou sure what 
thou agrees to? Eternal sleep, in which we will live together forever, 
but only if your heart is truly willing, for otherwise I shallt not take 
thee from thy home."
   
"I love thee more than words can say now, but I do wish to tell thee, 
and I shall find time, for I shall come with you into an eternal sleep, 
willingly." he answered, sincerely, unclouded, even by her beauty, hhis 
judgement clear and sure.

   "Then surely, my love, we will go now. Sleep love, forever sleep." the 
goddess whispered as she kissed him into an eternal slumber of bliss.


End