Arxiphos the Hegemon

Arxiphos adapted slowly to his new role. He tried to keep the old Hegemon close by and to mend the bonds that had been broken between them, realizing he would need the man's help learn how to run the village. After busy days of moving into the palace, meeting its personnel, and learning the ropes, things began to settle down.

Enypnia never appeared before the villagers again after the events in the palace square. Some claimed to have seen her now and again speaking with Arxiphos in the palace, a young woman cloaked in darkness with electric eyes, gleaming studs of jade and emerald. They watched Arxiphos burn incense and celebrate all the rituals, but they never saw the goddess again. They caught only glimpses, heard only rumors.

Alazoneia tried several times to take her old place in the palace, only to be thrown out by the palace guards. Arxiphos did his best to make peace with her, but she oscillated between seduction and invectives, never finding a middle ground in her superficial heart. For two years she fumed, becoming more ragged and disheveled, until she finally snapped. She approached a fire watcher in the middle of the night, shaking violently. Drool dribbled down her chin. She stabbed him through the heart and threw herself into the flames. They found her body in the morning, black and cracked, her golden curls completely consumed in the fire. Her father covered her body and buried her near the river the next day. He told the story that Enypnia herself appeared and opened a place in the riverbank to lay his daughter to rest.

Soon after the death of Alazoneia, the villagers began to hear stories of a burnt figure wandering through the woods, an enormous creature with course charcoal skin, crying blood from its eyes. But some never accepted the existence of the creature of Tetheia.

The village was at peace. Arxiphos grew old and the people prospered under him. His wife sent rains over their crops, and fish into their nets. Through her administrator, she opened their eyes and hearts to see her beauty in the world. As Arxiphos wrinkled and crumpled with age, the stories of his youth began to fade. The villagers claimed to have seen their goddess less often. Some of the youth in the village began to deny that Arxiphos, Archiereios and Hegemon, had even seen the nymph at all.

In due time Arxiphos slipped into death. His body was burnt and scattered into the Apista. His ring was passed to the next Archiereios and his palace passed to a young and noble Hegemon.

There are those who say that Arxiphos and Enypnia live united and free near the south bend of the oxbow. Some claim to have seen the cloaked maiden and the three-fingered man walking together. Living forever.

Man and nymph. Husband and wife. Priest and goddess.