Apollo's Crow
Once upon a time in the hills of Thessaly, there lived a mortal princess named Koronis, whose beauty was said to rival that of the goddesses. With skin kissed by the sun and hair as dark as the night sky, she caught the eye of the sun god, Apollo. Apollo, moved by her radiance and grace, descended from the heavens to win her heart.
For a time, the god and the princess were inseparable. Their love burned bright, and soon Koronis found herself carrying the child of the great Apollo—a child destined for greatness, though she did not yet know it.
As time passed, Apollo suspected his lover of treason with another man. In his love and protectiveness, Apollo sent a white crow to watch over her, ensuring her persistent loyalty while he was away.
But mortal hearts can be fickle, and though she was loved by a god, Koronis's heart wavered. In secret, she took a mortal lover, a handsome man named Ischys. While Apollo looked upon her with divine adoration, Ischys, a man of her own world, offered something different, something more tangible and immediate.
The white crow, ever watchful, saw the affair unfold and flew back to Apollo with the news. The god's joy and pride quickly twisted into jealousy and wrath. How could she betray him?
Why did the creature that he had shaped just for Koronis not gouge Ischys's lustful eyes out? The crow, the symbol of Koronis's protection, had failed Apollo tremendously.
In his fury, Apollo cursed the once pure crow, turning its snowy feathers black for bringing such dark news. From that moment on, crows would forever carry the stain of betrayal.