Saphyria and Aqurthia were two children
born in completely different places around the year 600 BC. Saphyria was
born in the newly founded village of Pompeii, while Aqurthia was born in the
famous island city of Atlantis. At the same time, Sappho, the one mortal
person to ever have been counted to be among the Muses, was growing older.
The nine immortal Muses, who were very proud of their mortal sister, took pity
on her. They told her that they would expand her lifetime, until she found
someone who could take her place. They told her that she should look for
two or maybe three girls of a young age, who had the talent and insight, and who
would have the intelligence to learn the ways of the world.
They told her that when she found these girls, Sappho was to bring them to the
Muses so they could bless the girls. The Muses gave their mortal sister an
amulet so that when Sappho came within sight of a girl who could fulfill the requirements, it would glow. They sent her on her way, telling her that
she'd know when she saw the child. As time passed, Sappho nearly gave up
her search. She still wore the amulet, just in case.
One day when visiting Atlantis as a special
guest to the king, while walking on the beach, she came across a squalling baby lying in a basket. Suddenly, her amulet began to glow with a faint
blue light, so she picked up
the baby and took her home. That child she named Aqurthia, for she came
from the sea, and as Aqurthia grew up, she
became Sappho's protége. In jubilance she took the girl with
her to the Muses. The Muses smiled at Sappho and welcomed her, but all
they said about the child was, "She is but half the circle.....and also
very messy."
Sappho went with the girl, to find the other "half of the circle." Aqurthia was around five years old and was very inquisitive,
and so as Sappho traveled, she wandered in the nearby woods, wading through the
streams they crossed instead of taking the bridge, and getting very dirty, as
children do. One day, as it was getting near dusk and Sappho was looking
for an inn to stay at for the night, they came upon the village of Pompeii.
While they were at the inn eating their
evening meal, Sappho watched the landlord's wife cooking. The lady wasn't
really paying attention to her cooking, but yelling at her husband for various
things. Her husband wasn't really paying attention to what she said, he
just yelled back. Sappho looked away and started over to their sleeping
area. The inn was very small, two rooms. One for visitors and eating, the
other for the landlord and lady. She looked back quickly when she heared a
gasp. A spark from the cooking fire had drifted up into the thatch of the
roof and had caught. It was spreading rapidly. The gasp had come
from the little three year old daughter of the landlady, who had been
playing/arguing with Aqurthia. The landlord and lady ran out and started
yelling for help. Without thinking, Sappho grabbed the two girls, who had
started shoving each other, and ran outside with them, as the house burnt
down. Sappho set them down, panting. Catching her breath, she did
not notice the little girl walking away, nor the amulet. The amulet was
brought to her attention by Aqurthia reaching for it in fascination, it was
glowing red. Spinning abruptly around, she was shocked to see the little
girl giggling as she walked towards the still flaming house. Well, Sappho
thought, I hope her parents won't notice. They probably won't.
They'll still be arguing. She grabbed the girls and ran for the
stables to get some horses so she could leave.
This second child she named Saphyria because winds of change had saved her from a fire. After a wearisome journey, for this new child had a penchant for starting small grass fires and jumping off of high places insisting the "wind would carry her," as well as Aqurthia's continual muddy state and less than friendly overtures, they returned among the other nine muses. The muses confirmed what the amulet had indicated, "She is, indeed, the other half of the circle...and seems to be channeling Prometheus."
