Sapphic Erotica Festival - The Triumph of the Muses

The Triumph of the Muses (ff, myth) By Jan Vincent, 2002 [email protected] http://www.asstr.org/~jan123/ 1. Calliope Apollo's carriage had passed countless times from east to west, and my sisters and I were still on this deserted island, being punished by our hateful father Zeus. I had begged for mercy, to no avail. "It is my fault," I cried. "I am the oldest of the Muses. I, Calliope, am responsible for my sisters' misdeeds and no one else. Please, dear father, forgive us, because we have sinned against you." Despite my sincerity, our father didn't heed my plaints, my contrition, my pain. We tried to conjure the help of Ares, as he was a mighty, powerful warrior, whose knowledge of the martial skills could deliver us from our undeserved prison. He didn't heed us, though. He did not wish to enrage Zeus for mere nine women who had disobeyed the Father of the Gods. Hera would not help us either, as she had never looked upon us with a benevolent eye. Hera was indeed an irascible, jealous spouse. Hera had never forgiven her brother and husband to have slept with our mother Mnemosyne nine times. And nine times she gave forth a female child, one more beautiful than the other, with strands of gold covering her heads and clear eyes. Nine Muses to spur the mortals on to spawning poetry, songs and tragedies. Nine muses so the gods would seek laughter and knowledge of their dwellings in the sky. Nine muses to engrave humankind's actions onto stone or papyrus, so that no one would forget past crimes or heroic deeds. Our mother Mnemosyne was now a frail old woman, who had never dared to question our father's tyranny. Even the mortals were afraid of Zeus, building temples to appease him, while us Muses, the inspiration of gods and mortals alike, were forgotten and forsaken on this wretched island. With nostalgia I remembered the days when my sisters Euterpe, Erato and Terpsichore sang Sappho's poems, exulting the beauty of women, the love of women, the longing of women... They sang it not as seriously as the poems of the Great Poetess demanded. They sometimes mocked Sappho's passion by declaring each other's devotion to Aeolus, while the windy god blew them away with false promises of endless love. They were young and did not know better, I must add in their defense. In any case, youth should be careless and free, filled with joy and laughter, and indeed my sisters and I were all that and much more. The island where the Minotaur had lived, before being slain by Theseus, was now ours alone. We still could see the labyrinth where the monster had dwelled and fed on young women to curb his appetite and spare the life of the island's inhabitants. Since the Minotaur was no more, all the islanders had mysteriously disappeared as if that very place had been cursed by the gods. Too many crimes had been committed to placate the monster. Too many crimes had been carried out to justify the unjustifiable. Nowadays only wild goats and boars could be seen wandering across the green pastures. Sheep, horses and donkeys seemed to have disappeared along with their wicked masters. Struck by hunger, Erato succeeded in improvising a bow, her green eyes filled with pure pride, showing us what she had done with a piece of wood and a string of her lyre. Many attempts after, she shot her first wild goat, making us jump for joy. We would starve no more. Even us Muses had to eat or we would suffer the eternal ache of an empty stomach. I was sure that Zeus had planned it that way, to castigate us with starvation. We would not die of it, oh no. We were as immortal as he was. His goal was to make us suffer and endure a thousand deaths, crippling us, punishing us relentlessly till the End of Chronos. Indeed, our first days on the island were not simple. Melpomene would bring us down with her negativity, reminding us that the life-paths of the gods were often tragic. She filled us with fear of what the future might have in store for us. It soon became obvious that to remain warm and well nourished was no simple task for nine young women used to the instant gratification of their needs when they lived under the roof of the Palace of the Gods. On this island we lacked Bacchus, who would bring us delicious wine; Artemis, who would offer us the product of her effortless hunting; the naiads, who would bathe us; the dryads, who would supply us with abundant firewood for the winter; and the other nymphs, our lovers and companions. There was a time when we thought our situation was desperate. We all wished to be mortals, so we could find peace and cross the river Styx and meet the infernal Hephaestus. But none of that came to pass. Little by little our simple existence improved, our skills became sharper, our eyes quicker, our muscles stronger. We became fearless hunters, able to wield the swords and shoot the bows as any mortal man or hero. We learned how to weave our own chitons, himations and mantiles. We learned how to bathe ourselves in the running streams. We now knew how Hephaestus produced fire, a lesson, taught by the dryads, which Clio had recorded in her scrolls. 2. Clio My scrolls... I am unable to remember how many times my sisters had poked fun at me every time I registered an adventure experienced, a lesson learned, a song sung. "You should live," said Thalia, "not write your life away." "It's my life," I replied, "and I will do as I please." "Come and dance with us, Clio," said Terpsichore, while she waved her body in an erotic dance with her favorite nymph. And I would steadfastly reply, "It's my life, and I will do as I please." Now all my sisters, older and wiser, recognized the importance of my scrolls and exhorted me to continue my work. I noted down every change in our bodies and minds since we were expelled from Mount Olympus. I noted down when Thalia, our youngest sister, decided to walk and hunt naked. I noted down when Polyhymnia and Urania followed suit, saying that our chitons and himations were no longer needed. "Wait till the winter," I observed. Euterpe turned to me and smiled. "Clio, you're right, as always. But let them be. They are young and they will learn that for themselves." "Foolish they are, though," I maintained. "Hunting naked... Such nonsense." "You utter those words, because you don't know what love is." I looked at Erato, puzzled. "What do you mean? What love has to do with cavorting around naked?" "Everything." Erato kept grinning at me, as if she were mad. "I still don't understand." "That's my point." "No, that's not the point. Because I know what love is. I was in love once." "With whom?" asked my sister Melpomene with eager wide eyes. "Ares," I stated, blushing a little. "Ares?" Melpomene said. "But he's a man! How can you be in love with a man? Don't you know that men only love young boys? And their toys?" "Toys?" I was again mystified. "Everything with pointed ends, like spears, penises and swords." "But you are a woman, and you do like fingers and the like." Then I raised my hand, making my fingers move. "Don't you see? Is that pointed enough?" It was time for my sister Melpomene to gain color in her golden-tanned cheeks. "Yes, but that's different." "How different?" "Different. I like fingers and tongues, not penises and swords." Calliope, Erato and myself laughed at our sister's remark. Melpomene could be amusing at times, in spite of her love for drama and tragedy. 3. Euterpe If my sister Clio was in love with an unattainable man, I certainly wasn't. Although I don't necessarily agree with Melpomene, I can understand her dislike of men. She had never met a sympathetic one, whereas I had. Hercules had always been my hero. I admired his virility, his courage and his strength. But he was a mortal, and goddesses were not supposed to mate with mortals. Zeus, our so jealous father, had forbidden us to approach mortals for our sexual needs. But he was so handsome and I was so in love with him that I couldn't resist. We made love... and Zeus punished not only I but all my sisters, sending us to this island, where no wretched soul lived. My love for Hercules diminished in strength before long. I forget how many times Apollo's carriage crossed the sky from east to west while I waited for him at the beach, staring at the sea, my eyes oblivious to the waves and the sea birds that hovered above. Eventually I realized Hercules was not coming; I would not be rescued from my fate. I cried and cried and cried. My only solace were my sisters, who had never blamed me for our shared fate. Their love for me had always amazed me. It was pure, true and simple. From time to time I would return to the beach with Erato and Terpsichore, my favorite sisters. We all loved music and poetry, so we would sit together on the soft sand, and sing and play together. Despite Clio's cautionary words, we had joined our younger sisters in their decision to walk around unclothed through the island. I felt free, unencumbered, and sexually daring. It was only a shame there was no one to share my sexual desire with. Or was there? Unconsciously I had noticed how my sisters looked increasingly attractive with their tanned, vigorous yet feminine bodies. It was impossible not to, for they had forsaken their chitons for now. However, we had never considered anything sexual between us. It was normal enough for brothers and sisters to get married in the Palace of the Gods: Zeus and Hera, for one. But sex between sisters... was unheard of, I thought. Or was I wrong? This preoccupation made me seek Clio's advice. Probably she could find an example of such love in her scrolls. On the other hand, Clio was known to be as prude as our mother's archrival Hera... "What to do?" I wondered. "Would she be horrified with me? Would she blame me for our fate this time, for being a wanton woman, who was unable to control her sexual hunger? Even if that meant to mess around with my own flesh and blood?" After a long while, for my body and soul ached so, I decided to unbosom myself to my wisest sister: Calliope! Grabbing her hand I made her come with me to the very beach where I had waited for Hercules senselessly. Unlike our younger sisters and myself, Calliope was fully dressed with a clasp-fastened chiton, her long braided blond hair atop her head. Her serene face was intrigued, her lips set in an undefined smile. "So, dear Euterpe," she said, as she sat on the sand, "tell me what is on your mind." "I don't know how to start." "Is this still about Hercules not coming?" "No." I shook my head. "Hercules is not coming. I know that now." Calliope crooked her head, widening her smile, more intrigued than ever. "So, what's the problem then?" "I was wondering if... Our father has punished us because I had sex with a mortal... But... he never... said anything about having sex with other gods." "No, he hasn't," she confirmed. "Then..." I catch my breath, unable to go on. "Then?" she said, arching up her eyebrows. "What if I had sex with Erato... or Terpsichore? Would that be wrong? Would I be punished for this?" As soon as I said these words, I panicked. Calliope's smile was gone. She seemed terribly surprised. Minutes elapsed before she asked, "You want to have sex with Erato and Terpsichore?" "I... I don't know." "Have you talked to them about it?" "No, I wanted to know what you thought of it." "But I am not Erato, or Terpsichore. You have to talk to them. Not me. I am not Mnemosyne or Zeus to tell you what to do. I am just your eldest sister." "But what do you think about it? Suppose that Clio comes to you and asks you if you would make love to her. Would you do it?" "I don't know," she said, shaking her head gravely. "Everything we do with our lives is never black or white. It depends on the circumstances. Every word, every sigh, every glance, every look, every word, every body motion has a meaning. If it all falls into place, then that's right. If not, then that's wrong. So simple is that." 4. Melpomene When I heard it I could not believe my ears. Euterpe wanted to have sex with Erato and Terpsichore! Astonishment filled my soul and my body. With a galloping heart I ran and looked for them. I had to inform them about the sensational news. I hated for them to know it from my mouth, but I was unable to resist the sweet temptation to tell them what consumed Euterpe. Euterpe, the one who said she would never lie with a woman... Euterpe, Hercules' lover, the one to blame for our friendless, hopeless fate, wanted to have sex with Erato and Terpsichore! At long last I found them on Euterpe's beach, collecting shells and singing their songs of love and discovery. "Melpomene!" they cried in unison, surprised by my apparent distress. "Erato," I puffed. "Terpsichore... You must know this..." And I told them what I witnessed, word by word, sigh by sigh. Terpsichore's eyes, as blue as the sky overhead, darkened for a moment into a greenish hue. Her delicate mouth opened, skeptic, nervous. "Melpomene, I know your love for scandal... I know this, for I had witnessed it so many times when we lived our eventless, dull lives on Mount Olympus. But what you're saying is just plainly ridiculous." "Believe me, it's true. I heard it with my own ears." "Melpomene, I didn't know you were partial to eavesdropping." I looked at my sister Erato and felt intense heat on my cheeks. She was not chastising me. She was smiling at me, with a teasingly slanted mouth. I had been caught, and she was making sure I was aware of that. Erato took a deep breath, looked back at the sea, and sighed. Terpsichore's hand slid on the naked shoulder of Erato. "Why did you sigh, sister?" Erato bade her time before she was able to face us both. "I must say that Melpomene is right." "How so?" Terpsichore said, removing her hand from Erato's shoulder at once. "Didn't you see her eyes when we danced with her? Didn't you notice her eyes lingering on our breasts, our hips, our thighs? I knew her hunger. She is starving... starving for affection, because she is wounded... inside." "Why?" "Unrequited love. The kind of love that hurts most." 5. Terpsichore We left the beach and made our way back to the camp at a brisk pace. I was worried with my dear sister Erato, experiencing a confusing mix of jealousy and powerlessness. Erato and I had always been the closest of friends, but for the first time she had kept hidden the fact that she knew someone else yearned for her. I felt betrayed, deeply betrayed. At the Palace of the Gods there was no lover, no whisper we didn't share. But now... could I trust her still? Could I? I felt a hand holding my hand, slim fingers intertwining mine. "Terpsichore?" "Yes?" said I, raising my head and facing my beloved sister Erato. "Don't be sad. It'll be all right. Euterpe just needs a little loving, and then everything will turn out fine." Despite myself I smiled at her and gave her cheek a kiss, pressing my palm against hers. "Come," she said, springing forward, "let's run." Melpomene, Terpsichore and I tore up the hill, where our camp was situated, giggling and screaming and daring each other. That was the reason why I loved Erato so. After all, she sang of love, and nothing else but love, I reminded myself, as my heart hammered in my chest, leaving me dizzy and slightly distressed. All of our sisters were back at the camp, a rare event at this Apollo's carriage height, as it was too soon for our evening meal. Euterpe was the last one to face us, and then, to my great shock, I saw her eyes, sparkling with tears. I thought Apollo was playing tricks on my eyes, but eventually I had to give in and accept our fate, whatever that may be. Erato kneeled before Euterpe and hugged her lovingly. "Shh, sister. We'll take care of you. We will love you and protect you, until you feel no pain, just joy in your heart." Euterpe embraced her, sobbing for the longest time. Speechless, we remained seated in a half circle, watching Apollo's carriage approaching the sea's divide, setting off their embracing silhouettes. Sometimes I felt I could not breathe, as I watched Euterpe sleeping quietly in our sister's lap. The pain was gone for precious moments, too precious to be told. 6. Erato Tonight Euterpe and I made love... for the first time. She kept her eyes shut, as if she didn't want to let go of her pain. I kissed her disrobed body, who smelled and tasted like the sea we knew so well. My tongue found the smallest crevices, my hands searched for her nipples, my fingers for her gaping pleasure. Her wetness convinced me I was healing her, until her sobbing stopped. Silent she remained as I caressed her and cradled her in my arms, as if she had become more than a sister: a baby, my baby, my lover. When Apollo's carriage appeared in the east, I awoke, sensing her hands on my breasts, her head on my shoulder, her thigh between mine. I could feel her sex still moist, another proof that the healing had started. When Euterpe woke I had her meal ready, which she accepted with a content smile. We didn't talk, because no words were needed; it seemed as though my presence was enough to calm her down, to appease her still aching heart. Hand in hand we left the camp after seeing to our daily duties. I knew where she wanted to go, so I led her to her preferred beach. We hugged, feeling each other's naked bodies, engulfed in each other's hair, light as Apollo's carriage and soft as sheep's wool. She kissed me with passion, her hands feeling my breasts with unmatched eagerness. Again I sensed her hunger as she wetted my breasts and my stomach with her skilled tongue. She kneeled on the sand, paying her dues, pressing me hard against her mouth, so that her relentless tongue was able to invade me, rape me, and bring me to ecstasy. I screamed my pleasure out, like a mad woman, a free spirit, naked to her appetite. I let myself fall to the sand and heaved a deep sigh. I looked at her lovely, pretty face, full of longing, longing for me, her sister, her lover. We held each other again until we rolled on the humid sand and a wave washed over us. She laughed, but didn't let go of me, kissing me instead, her tongue searching mine in a game of hide and seek. I made love to her again and again, until her pain was gone, until she screamed my name with bliss in her eyes, her pleasure oozing in my fingers. "Erato." "Euterpe." "Let's stay like this forever." "Yes, let's stay," I agreed, burying my fingers deep in her, feeling her pulsating womb, until her body arched up again, her eyes went shut, and her mouth gaped to scream. When she came down from Aphrodite's embrace, she brought me to her arms and said, "I know what love is now." "Yes?" "Yes." I kissed her and smiled, wondering whether she really did know what love was. 7. Polyhymnia "Euterpe's and Erato's union is unholy." "Why do you say that, Polyhymnia?" I observed my sister Calliope and asked myself whether she had gone mad. "Isn't that obvious?" This time she really looked at me, actually seeing what I meant. "You're too young to understand it." "I am not too young. I am older than any mortal who has ever walked on Terra, and you say that I am young." "For a goddess you are young. You're not a mortal, so don't behave like one." "What do you mean by that?" "Mortals are quick to judge and quick to punish. They seldom think, so busy are they with their own lives." "Zeus is a god and he has punished us... on account of Euterpe's disobedience." "Our father is a god who has bedded many mortals... Only Zeus knows how many diseases he caught from the mortals. I think the deadliest of them all was fear itself." "Fear?" "Yes, fear. Fear of the unknown. And apparently he passed it on to you." "That is not true," I protested, leaping to my feet. I ran, being overcome by intense anger. Calliope was not being fair. I was not as childish as she claimed. I hated for it and for having defended Euterpe and Erato. And I was not afraid. And I was not as Zeus, our merciless father... although I had been his favorite Muse. "Polyhymnia!" I heard someone call. I came to a halt and searched for a face. I saw Urania and Thalia waving at me. They beckoned me to come closer and keep my silence. "What?" I whispered, hunkering down where they kneeled. "Look," said Urania, giggling. I craned my neck and what I saw left me breathless, again. Erato and Euterpe were making love in a close-by field, where goats used to come and eat the tall green grass. I heard Euterpe moan Erato's name, murmuring her love for our sister, the one who sang love songs, so the mortals could fall in love. "They really are so lovely together," Thalia snickered. "Yes, by the Muses, they are, indeed," said Urania with visible longing in her eyes. "They are two Virgos in one. I wished I were one of them, and feel what they feel for each other." "Do you wish that?" Thalia looked serious for once. "Indeed. With all my heart. I think to be in love is the best thing a Muse can hope for, long for, pine for." "Even if that hurts you no end?" I said, a trifle disgusted with their desire. "Yes," Urania said. "If your heart doesn't hurt, then your love is not pure enough. That is written in the sky. Look at the stars and you will see it." "I don't understand," I said, shaking my head. Suddenly we fell silent. Erato's beautiful face was drawn tight, as if in pain, as if in intense agony... But I knew better; she was in the arms of Aphrodite, feeling the goddess' embrace. She exhaled deeply, then opened her shining, loving eyes, sitting up and covering Euterpe with gentle kisses. Urania's face, so similar to mine, turned to me and smiled graciously. She said, "Don't worry, sister. One day you will." 8. Urania Seeing Euterpe's and Erato's love for each other made me want the same. I wavered a long time before I had the courage, the nerve to go and tell them what I felt. I wanted them to teach me what they had learned with each other. It was true we had already been loved by the nymphs, but somehow I felt that the love of a Muse for another would be unlike any other love we had experienced. Maybe because we had known each other since we were born... Maybe because we trusted each other with our lives... All I knew was that I did not know nor did I comprehend this longing. I looked for answers in the sky, but the stars and the planets remained silent. I knew Zeus had a hand in it. Even Ares, Aphrodite, and Hermes, so close to Apollo's' carriage, did not answer me. I cursed my hideous father. I cursed him with all my strength. One day I saw Euterpe and Erato walking hand in hand through the fields, their naked bodies merging into one in a long embrace. Their long, resplendent hair becoming one as they kissed and felt each other's breasts, while sighing against each other's mouths. My whole body tingled, experiencing exquisite giddiness. I could no longer resist, and so I darted across the field and joined them, breathless. "Urania!" They watched me as I closed in, my hands shaking, my legs weak. "Sisters, forgive me. I love you both... so much. I want to learn. I want to feel... the same." "Is that all, sister?" Erato asked with a mischievous smile. "Yes! I swear!" "Then come with us. We'll teach you." 9. Thalia "Avenged!" I said. "We are avenged!" "Avenged?" Clio asked, holding her scroll, where she set down our sisters' lovemaking, describing in detail all the tongue-flicks and moans they were experiencing at each other's hands. "Don't you see, Clio? We are happy now! Even on this god-forsaken island. We have each other, and Zeus' punishment is actually a blessing." I shut my eyes, feeling another powerful wave of pleasure rushing over me. I gave an intense kiss to Urania's mouth. Urania, my dearest sister, my so beautiful lover, who kept her very deft, very wet hand inside me. And on that very moment, Zeus saw how wrong he had been. We had been stronger than his punishment, and our triumph over tyranny was as clear as the Greek sky. He freed us from our destiny, allowing our return to Mount Olympus. We resumed our duties, and to this day we keep mortals and gods inspired till the End of Chronos. This is our story. The Muses have spoken. THE END