Sun & Moon

[Minoas Stratis]

Set on January 2036

Cloaked under the cover of a powerful disillusionment charm, both Minoas and his steed were soaring the skies above Wellington city. Mithos was no longer a little foal but a strong stallion and he was no more the reckless boy getting trouble all the time but a grown up young man who knew exactly what he wanted in life. What he wanted the most had him that afternoon on his ebony, flying horse, preparing all day the perfect set for the night. The wind was rushing through his light brown hair and into his grey eyes which he had to squint against the light of the sun already descending down the horizon. He shivered and for a moment he lost the city bellow them as they only thing he could see was white. They both emerged out of the cloud and he could see again the stretching city and the clear droplets of water sparkling like tiny crystals on his skin. The cold wind battled the warm sun to dry him first but the fervor of the creature underneath him was comforting. Mithos would have never accepted to be saddled so Minoas was riding the proud stallion by holding onto the scrawly but beautiful flowing mane. Flying horse and rider were communicating so flawlessly, without the need of bridles. There was a strange connection. Minoas was feeling the horse's power and Mithos his power too. It was as if they could read each other's minds and they were one heart. This sense of euphoria that Minoas was feeling every time he was flying with Mithos could not be compared at the slightest with a broom and the way those huge wings were flapping against the air, it just felt they were his own.

Minoas tapped gently Mithos' thick neck and the winged horse obeyed immediately. The wings folded to its sides and Minoas had a better grip of the flying horse's mane as they free fell. The wings to his sides spread again against the wind when they were just a few meters above the tallest buildings of the city. Muggles were tiny spots on the streets bellow which stretched like veins and it was so good that they couldn't see him. Mithos maneuvered gracefully amongst buildings as if he exactly where they were going to. Minoas had organized everything well except from this last part. A new chapter in his life was going to begin soon. Tomorrow around this time, he will be travelling to Europe to attend to Zardosh Academy, something he was looking forward to but at the same time he wished that the time hadn't arrived just yet. The couple have been exchanging owls the past few day, their letters having a hint of melancholy and writing the last few of them was an absolute ordeal for Minoas, especially the last one in which he said goodbye and left a promise of meeting again soon. Of course he wasn't intending to leave for the other side of the world without before seeing her beautiful eyes but Artemis had no idea about it. That was the part he was afraid of. What if she wasn't at her parent' apartment or what if her parents were going to find out that someone had came with a winged horse to take their daughter away for a few hours. Minoas was more than eager to risk it and put to the test the saying 'fortune favors the bold'. They found the building and the apartment where the Jacksons were residing in Wellington but the tricky part was going to find Artemis' room window, let alone the chances of her being there. After they flew in circles for a while, Minoas' petted Mithos to evince where he thought it was Artemis' room. It had a small balcony but he couldn't see anything as curtains were blocking the view inside. Mithos floated a few meters away from that balcony. The person in that room could hear the flap of the long wings but Minoas drew a small stone from his jeans' pocket and tossed it in front of the balcony door to make whomever was inside to come inside and check what was going on outside. With the disillusionment charm still concealing their presence, he could try again at another balcony if he was going to be wrong.

 

[Artemis Jackson]

Laughter erupted from Artemis Jackson's lips as she threw a pillow at her casually clad sister, who was modeling for her in the silliest way. Currently she was seated in Ally's medium sized bedroom and truth be told, Artemis enjoyed staying more in Ally's bedroom than in her own. The atmosphere here was brighter and youngish and the black and white color scheme that held the walls of Artemis' room just did not improve her already bored mood. The only thing that could brighten her up was to spend some time with her sister, who was apparently blooming to be a party animal. Artemis knew that in a few minutes time she would be left alone in the apartment since she declined the invitation from Alliyah to go out and have some drinks until the living lights in her brain knocked themselves out. That was why before Ally would desert her to her own devices, Artemis suggested that some stupid modeling session was in order for the kicks and giggles. This was the last outfit Alliyah was posing for her and truthfully Artemis did not want to be left alone for the nth time in their family apartment. Being surrounded by the comfort of silence was great, but too much of it could definitely cause longer-than-normal naps and overeating with no apparent reason. When Alliyah clarified that she had to go, Artemis nodded with a slight pout protruding her bottom lip. She watched her sister put the final touches to her make up, whilst she sat on the messy bed with no make up on, faded jeans and a worn out Slytherin t-shirt. It was not the best outfit she was in, but for the rest of the day she would be stuck in the apartment anyway. Might as well dress in the most comfortable way possible.

"Bye!" Artemis yelled over Ally's bedroom door as she closed it shut. Now the room felt cold and empty without her sister's presence. Just like her relationship with her parents, Artemis felt cold and empty without their physical support. Both of them always claimed to be busy and that left Artemis and her sister to find enjoyment elsewhere... Ally found refuge with muggle strangers whilst Artemis stuck to the comfort of her simple lifestyle, where her small circle of friends was whom she depended on for some fun. Being a fresh graduate meant she could have all the free time in the world and currently, this free time was doing nothing to stimulate her mind. She knew she could rent out some sappy movies and cry to the soundtracks of it however that would be pathetic for someone craving for more. Artemis felt that New Zealand was giving her a dull vibe and as soon as she went back to England, she would have to make a fresh start with fresh new faces. At the same time, she was aware she had to keep her old friends that she meant in New Zealand; specifically in Hogwarts where she spent seven years of her life there trying to improve herself through obstacles that she never knew she could pass. Being Head Girl was her most recent and challenging, but at the end of the year she felt the bonds of its responsibilities loosen and now, she was a free woman.

The only noise in Alliyah's room was Artemis' shuffling on the disc bag on her lap. She came across a Breakfast at Tiffany's disc but as soon as she thought it would be a good idea, the other side of her mind told her otherwise. Slouching more, she went through the bag oblivious to everything around her but when a flapping sound came to her field of hearing, she perked up in alertness. Was the electricity screwing up? It could not be anything that harmful and Artemis frowned that a crease on her forehead appeared. Their electricity seemed to be fine consistently but sometimes these things became dysfunctional once in a whilst. Artemis bit her lip, thinking that it was nothing too serious when a sold thing hit the glass doors that led to the balcony Ally's room was attached to. Now that caught her attention too much and she swallowed. They were quite above the ground and it was not normal that stones reached their level. She stood up cautiously and flourished her wand from the pocket of her worn out jeans. She would not dare open the door in fear that something might be there unexpectedly. In a flash she swept the curtains aside, revealing the balcony in a very normal and ordinary state. Artemis thought she saw something move, but it seemed that her paranoia was getting the best of her. She exhaled, her shoulders releasing any slight tension and she tucked in a strand of hair that got lost from the ponytail that gathered all strands. "Jesus," muttered Artemis and consciously felt her grip on her wand loosen.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas' hand reached Mithos neck to pat it and fly around and try elsewhere. However, the balcony door opened and the girl he wanted to see appeared. Her blonde hair were blown out of her face by the gust of wind that Mithos' wings were causing. Minoas wasn't sure how well she could distinguish him or what he was riding with the Disillusionment Charm in effect but her sky blue eyes were forced open shocked. "Umm, nope. Wrong. It's Minoas." he chuckled when she muttered the word 'Jesus'. "Did you really thought I would leave for a school at the other side of the planet without saying a proper goodbye?" he asked, wondering if he was indeed going to leave for quite some time with just writing goodbye on a piece of parchment. "I hope Mr. Jackson is fine for taking you away from this apartment for a while." he said but he was actually hoping that Mr. Jackson wasn't at the apartment in the first place. "Even is he doesn't approve, it doesn't matter. I'm here to elope with you." he joked and laughed afterwards. "Now seriously, get ready, tell whatever lie you think is more suitable to your folks and come and find me at the terrace, okay?" he guessed that the building's staircase would be reaching the building's terrace. He couldn't just land and dismount on the small balcony. There wasn't much room for all of them. "I'll be waiting." he said and casted a smile, though he wasn't entirely sure if she could really see it. He whispered in Mithos' ear and the young stallion flapped his strong wings and they both reached the top of the building. Hooves clapped on the flat terrace with its solar panels gazing at the sky. Minoas jumped off the winged horse and removed the Disillusionment Charm off him. He didn't do the same with Mithos, instead he casted another one on him to make sure the previous won't wear off unexpectedly. Minoas stretched his arms and moved to the edge of the terrace to see the view. Riding a winged horse without a saddle wasn't the most comfortable thing but he had get used to it. As he waited for Artemis to get ready, he inspected all sides of the terrace to make sure it wasn't really exposed to prying eyes.

 

[Artemis Jackson]

She cautiously opened the sliding, glass door to check anything from the outside. There were no muggles around to witness any sort of major attack, so if she had to Stun anything then she would still be keeping the Statute of Secrecy intact. Her lips were in a prim line and it was suddenly broken into a perfect 'O' when she heard a familiar, warm voice to greet her. She almost cursed in surprise, but stopped herself when she felt the wind around her. It was a strong thing - unlike any other breeze. Artemis curiously glanced at the direction of its source, not really seeing what was causing the entire thing. "Well, you terrified me," breathed Artemis with a slightly accusing look on her face. Minoas Stratis was there in front of her, Illusioned, and if she were not in a state of good shock she would have kissed him for being romantic. It was a good thing the pulse of her heart was beginning to slow or she would have been gasping for air because of the wave of surprise that took over her.

The hand around her wand relaxed, because she knew that she was with a person she could entrust her life into. Minoas would never harm her - at least, he couldn't if she had her wand with her. Artemis took a step back in suspicion, a Slytherin trait she could not get rid of. When he joked of secret marriage, she rolled her eyes and huffed a laugh. This was quite odd and surprising, nevertheless she felt like a princess in those muggle fairytales though it did not show in her expression. The shock was receding somewhat and it was all replaced by strange wonder with accompanied warmth. Minoas' instructions were so swift and straight to the point that when he left her to get ready, she blinked. This was happening so fast and poor Artemis, was left to choose whether to leave a note or just simply leave and trust whatever lie her sister could make for her. Artemis thought she saw a stallion Minoas rode on and its magnificence enchanted her as it rode to the sky. She was left alone within a few seconds and her silence indicated the amount of confusion, curiosity and surprise all combined. Urging herself to move, she silently convinced her own self that this was no dream. In fact, this was sweet and delicious reality.

There was no time to put on the right amount of make up and accessories, so she resorted to the make up free look, quite literally. He wouldn't mind, hopefully, because he definitely had seen her face bare as it was. Artemis grabbed a cardigan and some money; both of the wizarding and muggle world and the most important of all, her Fir wand. She ascended to the terrace and saw her boyfriend there, watching the area like a hawk. Hesitantly, she approached him because she really did not know the full reason why he was here when he was supposed to prepare his things for tomorrow. "This is all I've got," stated Artemis as she raised up the cardigan slightly. Her wand was in her other hand whilst the money was in her pockets. "I still don't know what we're going to do. A hint will keep my curiosity in place though." She coaxed, flashing him a look that expected him to explain whatever they were going to do together.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Ever since he had discovered that his animagus form was a golden eagle, his eyesight had improved significantly. He used to be shortsighted and although his low degree of shortsightedness didn't really require glasses, he couldn't discern details from a long distance. This changed from the moment he succeeded with his full transformation. Not only he could descry details from a distance but sometimes he had the impression that he could actually zoom in as if his eyes were scopes. Like now, as he was standing at the edge of the terrace inspecting the street bellow, he could discern the goods included at the top of an old ladies paper bag who was returning from the neighborhood's grocery shop. He also managed to see that what a beggar collected from a garbage bin was a ticket in order to take the bus. Spying came to an end when the terrace's door opened and he turned around to see his girlfriend.

He walked over to her and smiled as he looked down at her loving face His tall frame and broad shoulders blocked out the glare from the sun that was starting to make its slow descent. He leaned over her and gave her an intimate kiss. When their lips separated he thought how stupid he was for going to put so many miles between him and what was making his life so beautiful. Secretly, he was wishing for that flying ship to never come and pick him up the next day. He casted away these sombre thoughts immediately. He wasn't going anything to ruin this night. "You're great. Besides, it's not going to be cold where we are heading." he added more mystery and gave her a cheeky smile. It grew slightly wider when she tried to extract more information from him. "We are going to fly." he said and gestured at Mithos' blurry outline who was calmly standing a few meters away from them. "And we are going to dine." he added and tucked a tuft of blonde hair behind her ear. He didn't really reveal anything. In her mind could have been parading now thoughts of fancy restaurants but he had prepared something completely different.

He reached out to take her hand and guide her towards the winged horse. "I want you to meet Mithos. We know each other since I was thirteen and he was a foal." he introduced their travelling companion and rubbed his snout. "You can pet him. He's really friendly." he reassured her and let her interact with Mithos. Much like hippogriffs, winged horses were proud creatures. Although you didn't have to bow in this case, you still had to show that you were appreciating the creature for going to carry you on its back. He mounted the winged horse effortlessly as he had done numerous times before. There was no saddle for them to ride on. Mithos wasn't really tolerant of tacks. "Take my hand princess." he gave her his hand to lift her up and mount right behind him. He chuckled as the whole situation was reminding the ending scene of many muggle fairytales.

 

[Artemis Jackson]

The curiosity was killing her and Artemis wished she could coax out more information from him. She was about to open her mouth but she was interrupted by a kiss that made her give in to him easily. She responded with the same amount of intensity he shared and when they parted, she leaned her forward against his and looked at his grey eyes with her own questioning blue ones. Then she relaxed her hold on him and felt her insides turn to semi-jelly. It was a shame that in a few hours time they would be separated physically and it hit Artemis straight to the heart. She refused to beg him to stay though, because that would mean she would be an obstacle away from his goal. The only solution was to trust him and his intentions and really, Artemis was not so sure if she could pour every ounce of her trust on his assurance to be safe always. There were times wherein his unpredictability sprang up and that alone scared her.

So it was not cold to where they were headed but Artemis still clutched the cardigan with her. It was a comfort object and in case she needed something to cover herself, she had the article of clothing. When he mentioned about dining, she instantly had images of French waiters in private restaurants, serving their guests with expensive wine. With what she was wearing though, she considered the possibility of him having a totally new idea. His smile was no help to learn more about what they were about to do. She was still stuck in mystery, but this mystery somehow excited her. Normally she had her nights planned out ahead but with her boyfriend, she was in for a ride, literally and metaphorically. Speaking of, she squinted as she scanned a spot behind Minoas, that apparently had a winged horse that had a Dillusionment Charm. A raw, excited look lit up her eyes and she beamed before her eyes darted towards him and the horse then towards him again.

So magical creatures were not Artemis' specialty and frankly she really was not friendly with them. It took more of her patience and courage to deal with them but this horse had her hooked. She didn't touch Mithos, but instead tried searching for its eyes and smiled shyly. "Amazing. He's amazing." The creature took the compliment positively, as it should. She watched as Minoas mounted the horse with ease and crossed her arms across her chest when he offered his hand to help her get up. This was incredibly cliche of him, having to call her princess, but she knew it came from the goodness of his warm heart. "You're so corny. But, I appreciate it. I really do." Artemis laughed and shook her head. Nevertheless she took his hand and with his help, lifted her entire weight and mounted the horse. She settled behind him and drummed her fingertips on his waist before leaning so her lips ghosted near his ear. "So, Prince, take me to your castle? Or wherever. I don't care." Artemis pulled her head back and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. He was a stellar flyer, so worrying about falling would be a waste of time. Her thoughts were currently soaring to places where he could possibly take her and, she was sure as hell ready for whatever was about to come her way.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Watching her getting along with Mithos, evoked a broad smile on his face. If the two of them weren't going to like each other, his plan would have gone to waste. He shook his head and sighed defeated when she called corny his attempt to be romantic. "Women..." he smirked but didn't add anything else. Instead, as soon as she locked her arms securely around his waist, he casted a Disillusionment Charm on her first and then on himself. "Your punishment for mocking my romantic side." he teased her about the initial, unpleasant sensation the Disillusionment Charm was causing on the target. He was feeling it himself as the charm was traveling down his body. After so many times casting this charm on him, he could ignore the goosebumps and leaned over to whisper something in Mithos' ear while patting his neck gently. The stallion seemed to have understood everything his companion had said to him because he flapped his black wings twice in agreement and stood for a moment on its hind legs. Then he started trotting across the terrace and jumped off into the air when he reached the edge. His wings unfolded to take advantage of the air flow and get lifted higher. The three of them maneuvered among buildings but soon the city minimized bellow them as they chased the setting sun.

Minoas kept his lips sealed regardless throughout the flight despite her cunning attempts to pick out more information. The scenery below them changed several times in an almost flowing way. The grey and the lights of the urban area transformed into a green valley, sliced by rivers interlocking and the continuing to different directions like golden veins under the twilight. Slowly but steadily the terrain bellow elevated into a rocky mountain. Its peaks were covered with snow and Minoas doubted they were ever seen bare. He casted another passive charm on them so they weren't going to freeze to death. The mountain got leveled after a while into a deserted plain with grey rocks scattered everywhere. This didn't change for a long time until the see could be seen, embracing the sandy seacoast. They were getting closer so Minoas drew his wand again.

He had visited the area earlier that day and he had devoted more than three hours working on some spells. No one could see it but a transparent dome of protection spells was placed on the beach they were approaching. Anti-apparation jinxes, Muggle-Repelling spells, extensive Disillusionment Charms, anything needed to assure security and privacy. When they got near enough, Minoas flicked his wand and created a hole on the invisible force field of protective charms for them to enter inside. Then the dome patched the hole and engulfed them into safety. Steep, vertical columns of land were towering over the sea level. The sea stacks were standing like sentinels watching the ocean and ready to defend the beach. A pat on his neck and Mithos folded his wings closer to his side and dove. The wind whistled as they were approaching a sea stack with a flatten peak. A lone tree and a few shrubs were its only residents. A picnic basket on a laid tablecloth was waiting for them under the tree, surrounded by a few cushions. Finally, Mithos' hooves clapped against the top of the sea stack and stopped for them to dismount. Minoas climbed down first and helped Artemis to do the same. "It looks more like a tower rather than a castle but hey, look at the view." he gestured towards the ocean and the sun submerging in the horizon where the sea was meeting the sky. Colors of fire were unleashed the sky and the few clouds hovering above them acquired a violet shade.

Minoas casted counter spells for their Disillusionment Charms and he smiled at her as they could see each other. Mithos must had sensed they needed some privacy because he opened his wings and soared for the beach which was in the radius of the concealing enchantments. It was quite the same with the evenings of the last couple of years at Hogwarts but in a more extensive scale. Minoas took her hand and guided her at their picnic spot. "I hope you're hungry." he said and sat down on one of the large cushions. He invited her to sit with him at the same cushion. It was big enough for both. The basket included fruits, sandwiches and a bottle of red wine. He uncorked the bottle, letting the wine breath and took two glasses out of the basket. He poured carefully some of the scarlet liquid in both glasses and handed the one to her. "Here's to us." he toasted with his grey eyes piercing her blue ones with affection and then took a sip.