7DeadlySins: I can confirm that Asclepius is going to have an impact in Delphina and Apollo's relationship. And you guessed rightly. It is Hercules but I am going to use his greek name in this story.
LaughingByMyself: Thank you! Asclepius means "to cut open" so I was trying to imagine how someone would react to a name like that!XD
SomewhereSomehow: It is interesting that you are mentioning the pink dolphin legend. Well, I know that legend but I cannot include it in my story because I have to stick to greek myths. But I still have some ideas. So maybe in the future, I will create a separate One-Shot! And yeah, I am going to update just once a month. I am writting another story in parallel and I have something called a real life to keep me busy.
Emmy2O: Well, you will now discover the subject of the chapter! And for Calypso, I tweaked a bit. And for Delphina's powers, I am not going to say anything. I keep surprises.
Thank you for your comments!
Chapter 14: Heracles
They were the best years of Apollo and Delphina. The years when they watched Asclepius grew up. They both invested themselves into his education. And very early, pure love blossomed toward the little child.
They saw him walk for the first time. They heard him say his first words. Each day, a new discovery. His personality developed to be more charming to the eyes of his father and godmother. They assisted to the growth of the boy with sincere interest.
Of course, they couldn't take care of him all the time. They were still busy gods, after all. So they entrusted Chiron to give him his education. But never would they forget to spend some time with him.
He became their biggest treasure.
Delphina played the role of the mother, but she always made sure that he would call her "Godmother". No way would she replace Coronis. And she didn't even hesitate to talk to him about his real mother. At first, she worried he would hate his father once he would learn what he and his twin sister did.
At first, he got silent and mute. And yeah… Apollo didn't get it easy for a big while with his son. But luckily, Asclepius came to find a way to forgive his father. He understood how gods worked. Not always easy to deal with them. Delphina taught him that. At the end, they reconciled and it was what mattered.
And Asclepius continued to grow up. Far too fast for immortals. Someday, they woke up to realise that the child had become an adult.
It saddened both gods to watch the demigod kept going as an independent person. But still, he remained a part of their family. The strong bond between them would never be cut.
And they will always thank the Fates for his presence in their life.
And someday…
…
Today, Apollo was in a bad mood. Like a very bad mood.
No one knew why. The God of Almost Everything would refuse to speak to anybody, not even his own subordinates who had to guess what he wanted. His face was closed and almost menacing. Like a sparkle about to turn into a fire. He acted like a child who had been punished and sulked.
Delphina knew him well enough to understand. This wasn't the first time she caught him in this kind of mood. Often, it was because of a small conflict with another Olympian or a nymph who had rejected him once again. Whatever the reason, it was never too big to worry about it but enough to make him no sociable for a whole day.
The goddess sighed. She hated to see him grumpy. Because he was. But it composed a part of his difficult personality. Most gods just got offended too easily.
It looked like she would need to be patient with him, today. And to make it worse, it wasn't any day. Today, the Oracle was open.
The Oracle of Delphi would only deliver prophecies the seventh day of each month with the exception of the three months of winter while Apollo lived in Hyperborea. And today was one of those days.
Excitement overtook Delphina. She sat on a step near a pool situated in the middle of the throne room. From the surface of the water, an image of the inside of the temple where the Pythia worked appeared. Apollo made it built especially because he knew how much she enjoyed to observe what happened there.
Talking about Apollo, he was on his throne, eyes closed, his body shining with majesty and firmly concentrated on his task. The blond-haired goddess watched carefully all the mortals who entered the temple to consult the Oracle in hope to receive answers to their most tormenting questions. It pleased her to hear the prophecies. None could estimate how much power and influence the Oracle of Delphi possessed. Politics, economy and life's matters could heavily change in the aftermath of an audience with the Pythia. And obviously, it satisfied Delphina's natural curiosity.
Just now, she just heard another enigmatic prophecy delivered to the King of Athens. She wanted to comment. "I truly don't know how to interpret this one. Poor King Egeus. He just wants to save his people from being sacrificed to the Minotaur. But what the answer means? Can you tell me, Apollo?"
She turned to the God of Prophecies. His eyes were still closed. He didn't respond at all.
Ho! Yeah! She forgot. "Are you going to stay grumpy all day? I don't know what annoyed you once again but do I truly deserve the silence treatment? Seriously, just talk to me a little!"
Still nothing. Damn! What a stubbornness!
"Apollo! Come on!"
Suddenly, a nymph in a high position stepped between her and the Olympian. On her face, she could read an expression of coldness and authority like a mother to her disobedient child. "Lady Delphina, I have to ask you to stay silent while Lord Apollo executes his duties! Stop disturbing him, please!"
Delphina stared at her, mouth dropped, completely stunned. How dared she to talk to her like that? She was a goddess and the mistress of this palace for Zeus's sake! She hated to think like that since she usually stayed humble but it was normal to expect a little more respect even for someone like her! Seriously, did the nymph remember that she knew Apollo for far longer than her? In fact, she always spoke to him when it was an Oracle day and he usually discussed happily with her. It was a habit, not the problem!
However, she would not direct her anger that much on the servant. She turned her attention on Apollo. He refused to intervene, showing that way that he approved what had been commanded to her.
Now, her eyes saw red. She got up on her feet. "Fine! Looks like my presence is unwanted here. So, I am just going to leave you alone. Be happy by yourself, Apollo."
The god still didn't reply, too focused on the prophecies he had to deliver. Angry, she left the room, causing as much noise she could just to irritate him even more.
She felt insulted. Her friend should learn to manage his bad temper better! Why should she tolerate such a bad attitude when she had nothing to do with whatever happened with him? Damn! He was so exasperating!
She walked outside, ignoring all the servants and guards on her way. In fact, she intended to leave the palace. Luckily, no one stopped her, believing she was going to the sea. But no, she planned to stay at Delphi longer. To be more precise, she walked toward the Temple of Apollo itself. She still desired to observe the Oracle in action! But in live, this time. She couldn't bear the presence of Apollo anymore at the moment.
On the other side, going there would annoy him. The Master of Delphi never approved of her wanderings among the mortals and even forbade her to penetrate the temple. Mainly for her security since it was a restricted area and disguised as a mortal, she was denied access if she wasn't a priestess or a visitor. So, she would just sneak inside. Very dangerous. In all honesty, it angered Apollo so much that it was how he decided to install the pool in the throne room. So, she would get what she wanted while being safe.
But today, she decided to be rebellious.
She wore a cloak with a hood on her head to cover her blond hair. Then, she entered the temple by some secrets passages only she knew. The advantages of having been there when the temple had been renovated. She checked carefully around her to make sure that no one would see her. She got inside the chamber just behind the priests and the Pythia. She hid behind a column. From there, the view was perfect.
The visitors came and left. Some exited, worried, confused, reassured, angered or saddened. You could never predict what the Oracle would answer you. Well, this was exactly what was exciting to Delphina's curiosity.
Suddenly, a newcomer entered the room. A big man. A muscled man. A man with a thick dark beard. A man with a stature so imposing that everyone felt like a bug in his presence. Delphina opened her eyes when she recognized who he was.
Heracles, son of Alcmene and Zeus.
She heard of him like all gods. The famous other bastard of Zeus. But this one was born with an incredible strength. So strong that he killed too snakes by himself when he was only a baby. Some people said he could even rival Atlas.
She shook her head. She didn't want to think about her father.
She observed the famous demigod, trying to guess the reason of his visit. Sadly, like most bastards of Zeus, he was the target of Hera's wrath. But he seemed to be more harassed by her than all the others before. The Queen of the Gods was making his life very miserable in a cruel way. The worst recently happened...
She made him mad to the point he killed his own wife and his children. So tragic!
She suspected that this terrible event had something to do with his visit to the Oracle.
She heard him shout with a very loud voice. "My name is Heracles of Tiryns, son of Alcmene and Amphitryon. I came to consult the Pythia about a request of mine."
The head priest looked at him, raising his eyebrows. "Heracles? The same one who has killed his own family?"
At the accusation, Heracles got enraged. His fists tightened and his face lowered. It was purely rage toward himself. Rage for having done something so unforgivable. Something terrible to the people he had loved and who were now lost forever because of him.
Despite his internal pain, he found the courage to utter. "I know that. Why do you think I am here? I want to ask a question to the Pythia. I want a way to purify my crimes."
"I am afraid to be obligated to refuse this request."
"What?" The demigod could not believe what he just heard. "But why? I paid like everyone else!"
"Indeed. But you are a murderer. And murderers cannot receive any services from the Oracle. That's our law."
Heracles got stunned by the response. How?! He didn't travel all this distance for nothing! "I don't understand! You serve the god Apollo! He is also the God of Purification! Why cannot he grant me such demand?! I know what I have done! I regret it enough like that! Now help me, please!"
It wasn't only the enraged Heracles who had appeared. It was also the broken and desperate man. Delphina looked at him with compassion. She prayed that they would accept to make an exception for someone who had suffered so much from the actions of Hera more than his owns.
But the Pythia herself looked at him with a cold stare and blank eyes. She told him. "You murdered your wife and your children. I have no oracles for someone like you."
Disappointment invaded Heracles's mind. He still possessed the images of his family in his head. Still very livid. The body of his beloved Megara, his beautiful princess, lying on the floor with her neck broken, her skin cold and her eyes closed. Just beside her, his sons also lied surrounded by their blood since their father had struck them so strongly against the wall.
He didn't know why he lost himself during this night but that didn't change what he had committed. How he wished to find a redemption for his crimes to appease his own pain!
But no, the gods had to deny him this small request and punish him even more!
No! He would not accept this injustice! He hiked this whole mountain in the ultimate goal to get an answer and he will get one!
However, he could not trust those people to give him what he sought. So…he will do the most irrational thing ever!
"If the Oracle of Delphi refuse to give me what I want, then, I am going to settle my own Oracle right here!"
And with that, he ran forward with the fury of a lion, scaring everybody around. He pushed the priests and charged toward the Pythia who screamed. All the guards who kept the temple entered in attempt to control the wrathful demigod but they all got defeated on the ground quickly. They were simply no match against the strongest mortal of all time.
He pushed the Pythia on the floor and took the tripod in front of a public in panic. "The sacred tripod now belongs to me!" He yelled.
Delphina watched all of this, powerless. She pitied Heracles's situation but disapproved his attitude right now. He was crazy. His reasons were comprehensive but not justifiable!
She couldn't simply stay there as a spectator! This man were terrorizing people and trying to usurp the sanctuary! And wait! It was her sanctuary as well! The circumstances where she became associated to this shrine might have been complicated but she grew attached to it. She couldn't stay there and do nothing! She needed to defend it!
"STOP!" She screamed.
She left her hiding place. She took off her hood and ran to the main place. Her sudden apparition attracted the attention of everybody present in the building. Her striking beauty and her godly halo left no doubt about which kind of being she was. Everyone knelt. All with the exception of Heracles who stared at her.
"I am Delphina, Goddess of Dolphins and Patron of Delphi. I order you to leave my sanctuary alone!"
Unimpressed, Heracles let the tripod go and went toward her but with flames in his irises. Delphina tried to not let her fear be seen. She remained in place, standing up.
"I repeat. I order you to…"
Suddenly, he took her by her neck with his big and strong right hand. He lifted her and she found herself suspended in the air. She attempted to get free but the hold was too tight.
Now she panicked when she realised that she was at his mercy. She felt his hand around her throat tightening painfully. She opened widely her eyes. Before her, she only saw madness! Heracles looked at her like if she was a prisoner to torture.
It scared her!
Heracles whispered. "Apollo was able to claim Pytho after slaying Python… Does it mean I will be able to claim Delphi if I slay Delphina?"
She freaking panicked! And all of a sudden, Heracles tightened his hold to the maximum. The sound of bones cracking resonated. She screamed!
Until he released her, crying in pain. She fell on the floor, totally hurt and harmed. She didn't want to move at all, traumatised. Nonetheless, she still found the strength to look at her attacker. He gazed at his injury on his arm, provoked by a golden arrow he just took off with his other hand.
She deviated her eyes.
Standing at the entrance of the temple, glowing with light, shining with godly power, Apollo held his bow in position to attack. But there was no arrow, proving what he had just done.
Everyone around him was kneeling to the ground, too impressed by the presence of the God of the Sun, but also afraid by his halo.
A simple look to his eyes showed how madly angry he was. Like a dangerous beast thirsty for blood menacing to be released at any moment. He was overtook by a carnal desire to kill. And yet, he remained in total control of himself.
Apollo got a glimpse of Delphina, her neck marked by a red trace of a hand. An unnamed dark feeling ran in his veins. He looked again at his bastard of mortal half-brother.
"Try to touch her again… And I promise you that your death will be very painful and very slow."
Enraged, Heracles charged to him. Apollo was prepared. He threw his bow and stopped the demigod with his bare hands. The incredible strength of his half-sibling didn't betray the legend. Yet, he was a god.
And a god in a terrible mood!
He fought Heracles in a wrestling contest outside the temple. He had to admit that the mortal was a worthy opponent. Very strong and capable.
Everyone around them gasped, afraid by the violence happening in front of them. Some preferred to run away, avoiding the collateral consequences of the great powers unleashed.
Heracles yelled at his adversary. "You! You fake God of Purification! You denied me of an oracle for cleaning my crimes!"
"And you! You harmed Delphina!"
"Ho! Your pathetic defenseless little queen!"
Suddenly, a big sunburn appeared on his arm, causing a small scream from the demigod. He uttered. "So that's it?! You are not going to be fair-play?"
"Insult her again and I will burn your whole body!"
And Heracles growled before charging again. And Apollo understood. His half-brother still possessed the madness effect given by Hera in him. It didn't succeed to completely dissipate. His rage had caused the resurgence. Using his powers as the God of Healing, he erased the disease completely from his mind.
And from that moment, Heracles stopped. Confusion troubled him once his reason came back. He finally realised what he had done.
And at this same instant, a thunderbolt stroke the ground just beside them. Zeus appeared in front of them, unhappy.
"Would you like to explain to me what you are doing?!" The King of the Gods asked.
Heracles sadly understood the depth of the trouble he was in. Ashamed, he couldn't respond to his real father.
So, Apollo did. "Father, Heracles attempted to steal my own shrine. He assaulted my priests and, even worse, he hurt Delphina. A goddess! One of us!"
"Is it true, Heracles?"
"Yes, Father." He admitted. "I wasn't in my right mind. I deeply regret my acts but it doesn't excuse what I have done. I am guilty and I am sorry. I just… I just wanted a redemption for the deaths of my loved ones. I didn't want any of this, I swear."
As the God of Justice, Zeus had to be careful when managing this kind of conflict. Unluckily, his wife hated Heracles more than any of his others numerous illegitimate children. She would not approve of him taking mercy on him. Overall, since she was the maker of his madness, it would be risky to claim he wasn't responsible for his acts. His unbearable spouse would see it as an act of defiance. He might be the one in power but he wanted to preserve a certain quietness in his domestic life.
And so, he said. "Since it was Apollo that you offended with your recent actions, I will let your fate in his hands. Son, be free to do whatever you want with him. I trust your judgement."
And the Almighty God quickly left. The brothers faced each other. Heracles lowered his head. "Go ahead. Kill me. I deserve it."
But Apollo did nothing. He kept staring at his prey. "You think I am a cruel god, right? The kind that would kill someone who wasn't even in his right mind when he committed his crimes?"
"It doesn't matter. I should have been stronger to resist to the power of this madness. But I was too weak. This weakness cost the lives of the people I loved the most in this world!"
"And yet, I denied you the right to be purified because of my laws. You must think I am cruel for that. Well, as the God of Truth, I am not afraid to confess how cruel we, the Gods, can be. But I can also be merciful."
"So what? You are not going to kill me?"
"Don't get it wrong. I really want to do it. Nothing would please me more than cutting you piece by piece. Sadly, Delphina would have wanted me to forgive you and I am not in the mood to be in conflict with her right now. This woman can be so stubborn! And also…"
Heracles raised his chin to look at him. Apollo added. "I am myself a father. A long time ago, the mother of my child died while she was pregnant because I didn't control my temper. I almost killed my own son. So, I can understand what you are going through. This is the answer you wanted to hear."
Surprised, the demigod listened. Apollo spoke. "In order to be purified from your crimes, you will have to become a slave to the King Eurystheus for twelve years and perform any labour he will ask you to do."
He did it. He gave to Heracles what he craved to obtain. He said. "Thank you, My Lord."
"Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind! I have been far more generous than you deserve it. Don't abuse."
"Of course."
…
When Apollo got a vision of Delphina in danger, he didn't wait a second and ordered his servants to follow him. The subordinates received the command to bring their mistress back to the palace as soon the god would begin to take care of the impudent demigod.
It wasn't easy. The goddess was in pain and unable to walk. They had to lift her on a chariot and drive it to her bedroom. But at the end, they succeeded.
But the task wasn't finished. They needed to appease their mistress's atrocious sufferings.
"My Lady, you should eat some ambrosia. It would help you."
"I can't." Delphina responded with difficulty, lying on her back in her bed. "My neck hurts too much. I cannot eat or drink anything."
"My Lady, be reasonable. You have to…"
"Get out of my way!"
All the servants gasped when they heard the voice of their impatient master. He penetrated the room and hurried toward Delphina with an angry but still worried expression.
"Leave us alone." He ordered.
And they quickly obeyed.
Delphina heard the door closing. She knew there were now only her and Apollo. Ho! Damn! Her neck hurt so badly!
Her friend approached and sat beside her. "Don't move." He said before touching her throat and using his powers to heal her.
The Goddess of Dolphins let him. She felt his warm hand on her skin and the unbearable pain slowly dissipated. She didn't know why but it felt good to feel him so close at this moment. She felt safe after being so terrorized one hour ago. She just wanted to relax.
But suddenly, she felt Apollo's hand getting tense on her throat. Not disagreeable but still, she could detect the intense worries. "What?" she asked.
"If it wasn't for your immortality… Heracles would have killed you."
"Thankfully, I am. At least, it explains what it was so painful if a mortal would not survive it."
Again, Apollo's body got shook by the statement. "Don't take it so lightly!"
"Please, don't begin to talk to me like that. I have been too hurt to endure that right now!"
But she was far from done with a mad Apollo. "What I told you about going to the temple, by the way?!" He scolded her.
"I know! But you were so annoying today! You ignored me for no reason! I can tolerate your bad temper, but can you at least spare me when you are having a bad day?!"
"That's your excuse?! Your excuse for putting yourself in danger?! How did you think it was a wise idea to go against Heracles by yourself?"
"I was trying to help!"
"It is my job! You had to stay out of this!"
"Would you stop, please?! Just stop! I passed my morning with my friend who gave me the silent treatment when I did nothing wrong to him! Just because you have to be such an ass when you are displeased by the smallest thing! Then, I experimented the most traumatizing experience in my life! I was scared, you have no idea! I forgot I was immortal and totally thought I was going to die! I never suffered that much in my life! So, is it too much from me to ask you to be a more pleasant company just for a moment?!"
And she broke. She began to cry. She couldn't continue to be strong anymore. Her whole body trembled. Her face reddened. She was tired and in a bad shape, physically and emotionally.
She felt Apollo's hand touching her cheek, caressing her tenderly. She reopened her eyes. Apollo gave her his worried expression again, but softer this time.
She cried again. "I was so frightened. More than when I faced Python. I…"
"Shush. You are safe now, ok? I'm sorry. My bad mood from earlier was because…"
"Don't. I don't want to know. You are sorry. It's all I care. Thank you. Can you just…stay with me?"
The God smiled. "I will."
Delphina closed her eyes, happy, still feeling the warm hand on her cheek. There was just one last thing she wanted to discuss. "What did you do to Heracles?"
"Believe it or not, but I spared him. I even gave him what he wanted in exchange to not come back to annoy me again."
"Thank you for going against your own wishes."
She felt so good, right now. Laid down in her bed, warmed and looked over by the God of the Sun. She began to forget her previous fear and just enjoyed the comforting feeling. Who knew that being taken care of by her friend could have this kind of pleasant effect?
But her relaxation got interrupted by a knock on the door. Trying to hide his displeasure, Apollo asked. "What?"
"Sorry, My Lord, but your son is here."
That surprised both gods. Apollo got up. Delphina tried to do the same but she screamed of pain and she fell on her pillow.
"Don't try to stand up." The God of Healing advised her. "You are not totally healed. Get a rest and eat. You need it. I will talk to Asclepius."
Delphina looked at him with worry. Apollo spoke again. "I promise to come back soon after."
The goddess smiled.
…
In the throne room, a young man in his twenties waited. Like his father he displayed curly hair but colorized in light brown. His chest was very muscular while the rest of his body was covered by a blue cloth.
He waited until he finally heard. "Asclepius!"
The demigod turned to encounter the magnificent god and master of this palace. "Father." He greeted him.
"My Son, what a surprise to see you here. Are you not supposed to be with Chiron?"
"I heard what happened to Godmother."
Apollo stopped. He was stunned. "From who?"
"Uncle Hermes. He is the one who brought me here at my request."
Hermes again! His brother was too quick to learn all the news. Asclepius said. "I want to see her."
"No. She needs to rest. She will not if she sees you. So, you will need to wait."
"At least tell me how she is!"
"She is fine. We are lucky that she is immortal though."
"What?! It was that bad?!"
"Keep quiet. I healed her for the biggest part. Don't forget I am the God of Medicine. I can take care of her."
Asclepius did keep quiet. He had now begun a deep reflection.
"Asclepius?" His father called.
"Can you teach me?"
"You need to be more precise."
"Can you teach me the art of healing?"
Ho! Now, that sounded interesting. Asclepius added. "You know how Godmother love to help people. Mortals worship her for the goodness she brings. Like her, I want to help people… I just didn't know how until today. After hearing what happened to her, I was wishing I could have done something to appease her."
Apollo understood. His child was a big man now. "Of course, My Son. I will teach you everything I know about medicine. Chiron will help as well. Anyway, I am the God of too many things."
"The God of Almost Everything like Godmother says."
They laughed. "You are right! I can share with you some of my attributes. It would not be a big lost."
"Thank you. I hope to make you proud of me."
"I already am, Son." Apollo replied with a sincere smile. Time had passed too fast… Well, still longer than four days, obviously. "I think we can go to see your Godmother, now. It will make her happy to see you."
"Please." Asclepius said.
Delphina and Apollo will always thank the Fates for the presence of this child, now a grown man, in their life. However, it was definitely time for him to follow his own path. He proved to be a very good student.
And a very few years later, he became known as Asclepius, the new God of Medicine.
Thank you for reading!
In Greek Mythology, the episode of Heracles trying to steal the tripod of Delphi does happen but not after the murder of his family. It was after the murder of Iphitus, a guest in his city. But since the time he went at Delphi to receive the order to do the labours is far more famous, I allowed myself some liberties. Anyway, both circumstances are very similar.
Also, you can guess that Asclepius didn't chose to be a God of Medicine after that. No one know how, but I found it would be nice to imagine that for this story.
I hope you enjoyed it. Your hint for the next chapter: Minotaur.
See you soon!