When the Sun falls the Mother of Darkness rises. She is one of the oldest of her fellow deities. Her were given many names, one of them is Nyx. One night she was doing her usual walk when she heard a child crying. In the old tales she may have a rather malevolent reputation, but she is actually rather kind-hearted. Like a mother strict but loving. So she couldn’t bear hearing a child’s cry and went to investigate. What she found made her sad and angry at the same time. There was a young child sitting under a tree crying and no one in sight to help it. Even those that where would simply walk by. The goddess took form before the child and asked in a soft voice: “Why are you crying, dear child?”
The child’s eyes widen in surprise and it momentarily stops crying. “Hig I was playing with the leaves under the tree. Hig and then- – Before I knew it was dark. M-My mother told me that when I am not home by sundown the Mother of Darkness will eat me. I am scared, but I don’t know the way back because of the dark,” says the child while crying.
Knowing her own reputation amongst the mortals and even the other deities she isn’t surprised that mothers would tell their children she might come to eat them. “Mhh I won’t eat you child. And I have never eaten any child,” she tells the young one. “But I could show you the way home, Little One,” offers the goddess.
The eyes of the child widened. “Y-you are the Mother?” it asks, frightened. The goddess nods. “I am, but you have nothing to fear from me,” she assures the child. “Woah you are so different from the tales my mother told me,” it exclaims.
The goddess chuckles. The sound is as melodious as the song of a nightingale. “Of course, I am because tales are almost never fully as they were told to someone,” she says. The child thinks about her words for a few minutes before nodding in understanding.
“So they don’t like you because they only heard tales and think they are the only thing that is to be known about you?” asked the child. “Oh, you are a smart one. Yes, it is as you said. They hear about me and judge me based on that,” agrees the goddess.
“Now let us get you home, it is late, and Little Ones should be asleep around this time,” she says. So Nyx brings the child home, and the child fell asleep on the way home and wakes in the morning in its bed.
Time goes by, and the child tries its best to change the Mothers reputation with the mortals. It never met her again but has a feeling that she is always there as soon as the sun falls. Other mortals avoid the child some ask why they are doing this and the child always says:
“One never knows the truth of a person’s character until you have talked to them at least once; it’s the same with the Mother. And far more important, the Mother of Darkness is my friend. You look out for your friends even when it’s only making sure no one talks bad about them.”
© Luna_Laurenzius 2023-07-20