Chapter 1, part one
Eos Anastas – Greece
The First Oracle
475 BCE.
[Not all events will be of any historic reference, other than the canon characters from Odyssey, should there be any.
Other than the characters themselves, the story here for Eos is strictly fanfiction and is not associated with any of Odyssey's main/side story.]
"Alright, Charlie." The technician spoke as the ancient world Greece began to load around her. "I believe Eos will be about 18 at this point in her life."
"Anything else you want to educate me on or can I just get on with things, donut?" Came her less than tolerated response.
"Well if you must know, I believe Eos does not yet know she is the world's first recorded Oracle. To us, that is. For all we are yet to know, there were others before her, even! A-Anyway, my point is that you need to do some digging through her memories. See if she ever came into contact with any Isu. Juno, specifically. Hey, you might even get to witness the moment Eos is announced as Sparta's first Oracle! But you gotta find out how in the hell they ever come to make that decision. What did she do? What was she capable of? Same old stuff.
Now then, best get to it. Don't wanna let the big guy down!.. again…"
The vibrant world of Sparta had been reconstructed. The streets bursting with life, merchants shouting from their market stalls to sell the freshest fish caught from the salt ocean. Or to bargain for the rarest pelts that had been skinned from animals ranging from wolves to lions, boars or deer.
Charlotte had synchronized with her ancestor, Eos Anastas. A fatherless child but born from a loving mother here in Sparta itself. Life was a struggle; even the women had to be strong among the testosterone-filled men who trained hard to be a part of the growing Spartan army, who had a current disagreement with the Athenians and Persians alike.
The women themselves were expected to birth strong children, especially males, or they'd risk having them thrown cliff slide and left to their own fate by the Gods.
King Leonidas wanted no weakness within his land. His small army of 300 had not yet been beaten. Yet the King's attention had been focused elsewhere as of late, due to the noise being made by the Persians. Under the rule of Xerxes.
"Mater!(mother)" Eos called, running into her small home carrying a small basket of freshly picked grapes from the Vineyard nearby. "Forgive me, mater… Less grapes have grown again this year for us to make into your wines."
"Nearos (young one), fret not." Her mother responded, wiping her hands upon a torn piece of cloth. "We'll make do with what we have." Hera, the name of Eos's mother, then gave her daughter a warm smile as she was passed the casket of fresh fruit. "Have you completed your other chores for the day?"
Eos gave a hefty sigh. She was eager to spend the rest of the day with herself and among her small circle of friends. "Yes, mater!"
"So you've cleaned your room?" Hera smirked.
"Yes!"
"And you've fed he cow?"
"… Yes, mater!"
"Washed your clothes? Why is it they are always so filthy, anyway?"
"Mater, it's all been done!" Eos hissed, becoming aggravated, causing her mother to simply chuckle more as she began to inspect her daughter's hair. Eos was too adventurous for her own good at times. Hera only wished for her to find a husband someday soon, therefore, she fussed over her daughter, expecting her to always look pleasing to a man's eye. "Stop mater! My hair is fine!"
"No, it's very knotted. Again. Eos, grant me one simple thing and start thinking about your future here in Sparta."
"But I'm not ready to be courted by some… stranger! I don't want to just be a trophy in a man's eyes, mater. I want to live my life, first. To explore some of the old caves here in Sparta, with my friends. You won't believe what we found last week in one, there were odd symbols and-"
"Eos!" Hera interrupted before the young woman could say more. "You are my daughter. I only want what is best for you. You are 18, most girls here in Sparta are already married and with children by the time they are 15. Yet here is my curious daughter, still a virgin and with no husband in sight!"
"It'll happen when it happens, mater!" Eos continued her plea against this wish of her mother's. "As your daughter, can't you just accept that I'm not ready?"
Hera sighed. Of course she could accept it. The snarky comments of other women in town, the whispers of her child having no interest in giving a strong child to the Spartan army. If her father was here, a man of the army himself he was, Hera knew there'd be no fighting against expectations and requirements. Best allow her daughter to enjoy her freedom now, whilst she had it.
"Very well, Eos. Twisting my arm, like always." She joked, tapping her daughter's cheek. "Go on then, enjoy the rest of the day. But do try to avoid trouble!"
Eos nodded with great enthusiasm. "Yes, mater! Thank you!" With a peck placed on her mother's cheek, Eos left their small cottage to return to the cave she tried mentioning to her mother. Remembering the odd design of the glowing symbols she saw, of how she felt connected to them in some strange way.
The young female certainly respected her mother's allowance of letting her run free, for it was not always such a way.
For Eos was born with an unusual pair of abnormal eyes that the Priests of Sparta would have condemned Eos to death, had they known. The reason her father walked out on them both was so that Eos would survive. He knew the consequence of a child's fate should it be seen as weak or abnormal.
With him leaving, he could renounce the fact he even had a child, as much as he wanted to stay with his small family. His life was truly belonged by King Leonidas and his army.
Young children often mocked Eos. Spoke of witchcraft by her mother, as they only ever knew Eos as fatherless. Even the adults convinced themselves that Hera had intervention from the Gods for Eos to exist and her punishment was that her daughter was born with white eyes.
Her white hues became a common sight over the years. Life had been a little easier as the years passed. People beginning to see that Eos was nothing more than a normal girl who would become nothing more than a soldier's wife made to birth children for the Spartan army.
… If only they knew how wrong they'd be.
