Atemnus and Mephesta went on to bear their first son together. They gave birth to Sotem, who shined with all the warmth of his mother and the force of his father. As a gift, Atemnus bestowed upon his son the gift of fire and charged him with the rule and protection of the earth.

 Sifero, seeing this, became wrought with jealousy and envy and slit his wrist to draw blood as he had no one to bear a child with, unlike his older brother. From his blood he bore a son of his own, Niktos. To his son, for his own gain, Sifero granted Niktos a vast and dark cloak.

“Go my son, and wear my gift proudly for you are my only son.”

Niktos obeyed his father without question and threw open his cloak which coverd half the world in complete darkness. Beneath this darkness nothing was allowed to prosper, which caused not only Sotem to become enraged, but his father Atemnus as well. Sotem gave chase to his cousin yet no matter how fast he ran, he could not catch up to his fleeter rival whose cloak trailed behind him as he ran. As a result there would always be half of the world covered in darkness.

It was then that Mephesta reassured her husband and son.

“Do not worry, for I shall bear you a daughter who will become Sotem’s sister and wife to aid him as I aid you.”

And thus Mephesta and Atemnus gave birth to their second child, Serut. Serut was born fleet of foot and was calm where her brother was temperamental. As a gift from her mother she was given a dress of mirrors to reflect her brother’s light and from her father she was given a bow and a quiver that replenished its arrows. Serut ran to her brother’s side only to pass him up. She seemed just as fast as Niktos. Serut then leapt past the sky and above the darkness in order to take aim at her cousin. She drew one million arrows and fired them all at once however the god was too quick and avoided being pierced by Serut’s arrows. All was not in vain as instead; her arrows pierced one million holes into his cloak for Serut to direct her brother’s light through which was just enough to return life to earth even through the darkness.

Allusions/Messages/Symbols: Creation of the Sun, Moon and Night, the passage of day to night, why the moon shines despite not being a star, the creation of stars/what stars are, birth of the common gods, a child’s faith in their parents, a parent living vicariously through their child, true gifts vs gifts for one’s own gain.