Guest: Well, I know that Apollo can get pretty dark but it was important to show his humanity in order for him to go through some necessary character development. There is also the fact that if he appeared too dark, it would be hard for me to make him transform into a healthy love interest while it is very important for me. Now that you are talking about Percy Jackson, I admit that I have never read the books, but once, I read the free first chapters of the trials of Apollo just to get a glimpse of how his voice sounds like in Rick Riordan version. And ho boy! This Apollo and my own couldn't be more different (I know these books are intended for kids but still). They would be in the same room, they would probably fight!XD
7DeadlySins: If you hate me for this, now, I wonder if I will survive 2020!XD I am glad that you caught the complexity in Apollo's reaction. And thank you for the explanation. Well, the raven is still associated to Apollo but since the day it became black it became a symbol of bad news (mostly death).
Invitados: You will see what will happen to them in the next chapters. I hope you will enjoy them.
Gary: I truly needed this comment to kick my ass for the last sprint of writing!XD
Thank you for your reviews.
Chapter 29: Cassandra
To say that the funerals were sad would be an understatement.
The ceremony was grandiose. All the Greeks had united themselves in order to honor properly the warrior. Priceless treasures offered to the family, big monuments built in his name and the burial pyre itself was so immense that the Trojans were probably able to see the top from where they were.
Thetis had come for the occasion. She got the honor to lit the fire.
Delphina watched her carefully. Her eyes were soulless. She kept her emotions for herself in order to not ruin her reputation in front of the mortals. But the Goddess of Dolphins wished she could evacuate everything.
Just like when Delphina lost Asclepius. The loss of a child: there is no greater kind of pain.
And the body burnt. Thetis looked at the mortal body she had once despised. That body that couldn't retain the soul she had learned to love. A few hours later, the last thing left for her was cinders. She collected them. For now, it was time to honor her son's last wish: to mix his ashes with Patroclus' and bury them together in the same tomb.
Once it was done, they both stood in front of the funeral monument where the name of the hero was written alongside the name of his one true love. After many homages, the guests had finally left, leaving the two goddesses alone.
Freed from the eyes of the mortals, Thetis cried. Delphina held her hand and deposited her head on her shoulder. She would not let her go through it alone. And in full honesty, she needed this as well.
"I'm sorry for not having succeeded to prevent his." She said.
"And I'm sorry for not having told you the truth." Thetis replied.
To this, Delphina thought it would be better to not say anything. Deep inside herself, she still felt rage…but not toward her.
…
Despite the death of their best warrior, the Greeks had not given up. They still woke up every morning and prepared themselves for the battlefield. More deaths were added without any hope of seeing an ending to this agony.
Ten years… Many missed their home. There were many wives who waited for their husbands. Many children who grew up without their fathers. Despair ruled the army.
When Paris died, there was some hope. If the one who stole Helen was now sent to Underworld, maybe the Trojans would finally agree to give her back to the King of Sparta, ending the conflict once for all.
Deception never tasted so bitter. And one man seemed more fed up than others: Odysseus.
The King of Ithaca was tired of this war. Glory wasn't worth all those wasted years spent away from his family. He even wondered if he would ever come back.
Yet, he felt responsible for all the troubles. Of course, he wasn't the one who started the conflict. This burden belonged to Helen and the deceased Paris. But who got the idea of the oath of Tyndareus? Who offered to make men swear to defend the interests of the suitor of Helen in order to avoid a conflict? Who proposed this solution in exchange of the hand of Penelope in marriage?
He decided to consult an Oracle. Athena, his divine protectress, had asked Themis and came to him disguised as an old woman to provide an information pretty useful.
He shared the word with Agamemnon and now he waited for him to try to organize negotiations with the Trojans, the only way to execute the plan.
He took a walk on the beach. He didn't expect to find her there.
The Goddess Delphina
Her mortal disguise couldn't fool him anymore since he had found her in true form. In reality, there weren't that much difference. Some imperfections on her skin like acne and bruises. Her hair a little messy. But otherwise, her eyes remained the same. She would just mask her beauty and divine halo.
He watched her. Achilles was gone since a while. Why was she still here? He detailed her. When he had first heard of her in his childhood, he had imagined her differently. Like a very sweet and warm person, always smiling. But right now, she appeared very…intimidating.
"If you have anything to say, say it right now." She said with a godly voice.
He didn't expect that and he almost jumped in fear. She still looked at the sea, but realised his presence nonetheless. Well, she was a goddess.
And she could sound scary.
"I have nothing to say. I was only wondering why you are still here. Achilles is now dead, you know."
She gave him a deadly stare that requested to not insult her intelligence. "My reasons to stay here are none of your business."
"Sorry if I hurt you with my words. I understand your loss must be painful. Maybe you are waiting for a moment to get your revenge."
"What do you not understand in 'none of your business.'?!" She replied while turning her eyes on him.
Odysseus almost froze. He always heard that she was a goddess difficult to upset. Now, how easy it might be to upset the others?
She noticed his reaction and instantly regretted her attitude. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to sound rude. I just feel very irritable those days. But you have nothing to do with any of this. So, accept my apologies."
"Accepted. On the other side, it is my fault for pushing you. You are clearly going through a difficult time. So, I will leave."
"Wait!"
Odysseus stopped and listened. "I heard rumors pretending you are trying to get negotiations with the Trojans once again." She said. "Is it true?"
"Yes. But we don't hope that the negotiations will lead to a treaty of peace. This is mostly a trick in order to get inside the walls and try to steal the Palladium of Athena. A prophecy says that the city will fall if the statue ever gets outside its borders."
Delphina reflected before saying. "If you succeed to enter it, would you consider bringing me along with you?"
What a surprising request. "Why would you want to go there? And why would you need my help? You are a goddess."
"Believe it or not, despite my divine status, I don't have the power of shapeshifting beside the dolphin while is my exclusivity. So, I cannot fly over the walls so easily and I don't want to ask the help of any of my godly friends."
"I see. I still don't know why you want to go to Troy."
"I hear the voice of someone calling for me originating from there. Like a constant prayer very persisting. I cannot get it out of my head. So, I would like to know what this Trojan wants to do with me."
"Ok! I see. Then, I will take you with me."
"Thank you."
…
The Greeks succeeded to get another round of negotiations. Everybody knew that despite the tiredness of the war, those efforts would be fruitless. It seemed to just happen in order to say that at least they tried.
Never mind, Odysseus had other plans.
And Delphina as well who managed to hide among the guards. She didn't care about the Palladium, she only wanted to get to that person who continued to call for her.
"Delphina, come to me." She heard again.
Whoever it was, this mortal was fool. She was a sea goddess. This person was stuck inside a city. What business a Trojan could want to have with her? Anyway, it was becoming very harassing!
She had to be careful. A woman alone in the streets would always be a good set up for troubles. The last thing she needed was to have lonely and lustful men targeting her.
The voice led her to an isolated alley near the royal palace. She didn't like it. What if it was a trap? Nevertheless, she still trusted her instinct and went forward.
She arrived in a dead end. Was it a joke? Then, suddenly, a piece of the wall opened. A secret passage?
Right there, she found a woman red-haired with curl, pink lips, a small nose and dressed with a purple chiton very luxurious. She clearly belonged to nobility.
"Finally, you are here." The woman said, a little exasperated.
Delphina felt almost irritated. Did she think that she could just expect a goddess to come to her at her will? She was kind engough to have come to her despite all the difficulty she had to brave in order to get here!
She crossed her arms. "So, it is you that called me. I don't have all my time. Who are you? And what do you want?"
"My name is Cassandra, princess of Troy."
Delphina will not lie. She was stunned by the revelation. She suspected nobility, yes, but certainly not royalty. How did she manage to get outside of the palace? Yes, of course, probably she used this hidden alley that must lead to the palace. Still, it was incredible that she could use it without being seen. However, more importantly, what would she want to talk to her?
After all, she had in front of her a member of a family who had received a lot of wrongs from Achilles. Priam knew that she had been with him during the whole war. Didn't she feel resentment?
"So, what do you want?" She asked again, eager to receive her answers.
"Someone who will believe me."
She frowned her eyebrows. "What do you need me to believe?"
"What I am going to tell you."
"Ok! I don't want to sound rude! But I don't all the time in the universe! So, get straight to the point, right now!"
Cassandra looked more amused than anything else. "Wow! I would have never known that the Goddess of Dolphins was so authoritative."
Delphina sighed. Now, she was done. "I see that I am losing my time. I am leaving."
All that was needed to make the Trojan princess panic. "Wait! Please! It is about Apollo."
The deity stopped. She turned to her, her face unusually cold, and advanced closer to the mortal, whispering in her divine voice. "You have my attention. Go ahead."
Cassandra hid her nervousness as she revealed. "We met each other in the past."
"In which circumstances?"
"Well, it seems that mister had some needs to be responded. In particular, since he had lost his queen."
"I am not his queen." Delphina stated, feeling insulted.
"You both rule Delphi and you raised Asclepius together. Where is the difference beside the fact you don't share his bed?"
"Asclepius is dead. And I left Delphi a long time ago."
"Ok! I didn't make you come to debate about this. So, a long time ago, just before the beginning of the war, the God of Light came to me, seducing me in order to get me in his bed."
This last sentence was said in such a casual way. It should have no effect at all on Delphina at this point of her life, but shamefully, it did. She got hurt. Very hurt. "What?"
"Ho! Don't give me this face. I think that you and him are over, right? And besides, he wasn't truly interested in me in a romantic way. He clearly was just lusting after me. He is the God of Truth. He could hardly hide this."
It still hurt Delphina. Like an echo that came from a hollow in her heart that resonated in her head. But what was she expecting? For Apollo to stay faithful to her when they weren't even together? Ridiculous! Still, knowing what he had done to her, she couldn't believe that on his side, he moved on so easily, even if it was just lust. "Did you…?"
But Cassandra quickly anticipated the question. "Have we done it? No! We didn't! I am not the kind of person to give up her virginity for one night even if I could get the most handsome being of Earth. I would not ruin myself like that! I would also find it gross since he is the father of my deceased brother."
Delphina couldn't miss the last sentence. "What?!"
"Ho! You didn't know? A long time ago, my mother heard a prophecy that if she bore a child of Apollo and this same child managed to reach the age of twenty years old, Troy's walls would stand up forever. So, your ex-friend decided to lay with her for one single night. Then, nine months later, my little brother Troilus was born. Only a few people know that including myself and my father who never was bothered by that fact and always treated him as his own son."
Troilus… The name of the boy Achilles had killed in the Temple of Apollo. Achilles had killed Apollo's son.
The realisation almost made her lose reason. It split her spirit like a torn fabric. One side who still hated the God of Almost Everything for the harm he did to her and another who pitied for the pain he had been through.
'I hate him for killing a man who took his child.'
Apollo was a good father. Most gods didn't care about their demigod children but he did. He had cared for Asclepius. He had been present. He had brought him to Delphi despite his mortality. He had taught him everything he knew about medicine. He had been present to his wedding. He had assisted to the birth of his grandchildren.
It was a side of him that had made her fall in love with him.
For what she understood, Apollo didn't raise Troilus himself. It might even be possible that the boy had never been aware of his own divine blood. But she knew that the God had certainly watched him growing up from a distance and had taken great interest in his development.
Until Achilles cut off his life.
Her heart ached. The few love that she still felt for Apollo made her feel pity and compassion for his loss. He had been through the same pain than with Asclepius and she had been absent. She hadn't been there for him.
But had he been there for her?
No, he had been the one who hurt her instead.
This thought alone restored her hate toward him. She refocused her attention on Cassandra and said. "I see. But I still don't get why it is such a deal for you just because he fathered one of your brothers."
To this, Cassandra laughed. "Of course, I forgot! You gods are so used to incest! This is hardly a big deal for you. Well, don't forget that it isn't the same for us, mortals. Remember the big drama with Oedipus?"
"Ok! You just made me come to tell me what Apollo has been doing in my back after our separation? Seriously."
"Of course, no. I made you come to warn you."
"Warn me?"
"I need to tell you the rest of the story. Well, after my refusal, Apollo still insisted. I was afraid that he would force himself on me, but no, he just constantly courted me until I hopefully give in. What a persistent guy. He must feel truly alone since your departure."
Delphina chose to ignore that comment. Cassandra pursued. "Well. I wondered how far he would go in order to win my favors. So, I challenged him. I told him that if he offered me the gift the prophecy, then, I would accept to sleep with him."
Now, Delphina understood. She stared at the princess and whispered. "He did it."
Cassandra changed her mood in a full turn. She was now serious, almost pitiful. "When I got my first visions, I was scared. I saw things that I would prefer to never know. Trust me, knowing the future is a terrible power. And so, I pledged him to take it back!"
Delphina rolled her eyes. "This is impossible."
"Exactly what he said! Then, he got angry with me, asking me to accomplish my part of the bargain. Disgusted by his behavior, I refused him once again. I have probably pushed my luck way too much: he cursed me to never be believed when I utter my prophecies."
She grabbed her hair and tried to rip them apart as she let go of her despair. "I have warned them! I have warned them that it was a bad idea to let Paris come back in the family. I warned them it was a bad idea to allow him to go to Sparta! I warned them to not let Troilus go outside of the walls. They never listen! Even if I always prove myself right, they still see me as a crazy mad girl! This is the worst kind of torture. Knowing what doom will befall of your loved ones all while being disempowered to do anything."
Delphina didn't even know if she felt any real compassion for the Trojan. Overall, she found her very stupid: you don't bargain like that with a god without thinking seriously about the consequences. On the other side, she knew that prophecy was an awful gift. It was the power that made Thetis aware of the early death of her son.
But she had no desire to reflect deeper on this. She said. "You want to warn me. About what?"
"Of course. Well, since you are a goddess, I hope that you will believe me. I have to warn you: you must leave Troy."
Delphina frowned her eyebrows. "Why?"
"I got that vision. If you stay here longer, something bad will happen. In my head, I see the pictures of the dolphins. All painted in blue, their eyes watching me with care, their smiles covering their beaks. All the sculptures of those creatures with people happily riding them, giving them their entire trust. They are joyful. They are cute. They are lovable. They are perfect."
Suddenly she stopped. She rose her hands and stared intensively. Not at Delphina, not at anything. Her eyes looked at the void as she relived the vision.
"And then, the art isn't the same anymore. No… I see the mosaics, the paintings, the sculptures. They have teeth sharp and huge like a shark. They open their mouths to show their dentition, menacing to eat our flesh all while we are still alive. Their eyes are dark and look hard at us. We are their prey, it means. And their bodies are elongated like a snake. And they have scales black just like the abyss. They hide in the water ready to engulf boats. We fear them just like we fear monsters… Because this is what they are! Monsters!"
Delphina stepped back. Cassandra uttered those words like if someone else was talking through her voice. She had seen the Pythia pronouncing so many prophecies in the past when she still lived at Delphi. But never one that sounded like this one. On the other side, prophecies were always vague in their significance.
Cassandra waited. She waited for a reaction. After what seemed like an eternity, the goddess finally said coldly. "You… You are crazy."
What remained of Cassandra's sanity just died. No… No… NO! "You cannot!" She had to believe her! She was a goddess! She shouldn't be affected by the curse! She had already lost the trust of her family, her friends and everyone else. She was her last hope! No! She needed her to believe her!
"Please. You have to believe me. You must leave Troy right now! Please!" She grabbed the wrist of the divinity while reacted badly.
"How dare you touch me?!" She slapped her hand. "Who do you think you are?!"
Cassandra froze. She let go of the wrist and stepped back as if she had been bitten by a snake. Her head turned dizzy as her will to hope died atrociously as she bore the cold glare of the goddess on her.
She knelt, giving up her last pieces of dignity. She cried and said. "I'm sorry, my Lady. Please, accept those apologies from this low mortal."
A voice screamed inside Delphina's mind. 'This is not you.' But she dismissed it. She had lost too much precious time with this mad princess. It was now late and she wanted to leave.
She didn't even acknowledge Cassandra anymore. She turned her back on her, letting her sob lonely on the floor, crying out loud her despair. It let Delphina unmoved. She was pissed off that she had to take all those risks for an idiotic and insane princess just to be told that her dolphins would turn into monsters! Nonsense!
And with that, she just learnt that despite the fact he didn't hesitate to eradicate all the men who got close to her, Apollo still had the hypocrisy to go play around with other women, even producing babies!
She growled. Rarely had she felt so insulted in her whole existence!
She walked with only one thing in mind. Getting back to the sea as soon as she could! But there was something wrong. She looked at the sky, very dark and red at the horizon. Nighttime was coming.
She panicked. Time had flowed faster than she had estimated. The Greeks must have left the city a long time ago. That meant her way out was gone.
She grabbed her hair, unable to maintain her calm. The Trojans hardly opened their gates during the night, even for their own people to go outside in order to protect them.
In conclusion, getting out of here will be complicated.
Damn it! Here she was, a goddess trapped in a mortal city. The ultimate humiliation! She cursed herself for being so weak. Why she never bothered to master the power of shapeshifting? It would be so much easier to just turn herself into a flying animal to get out of here or just become a cloud or something like that.
But no, she could only transform herself into a dolphin. She can manipulate water, conduct souls, use echolocation, swim and run fast but nothing very useful right now.
A very useless goddess at the mercy of the mortals.
Ok! Don't panic! She will find a solution. She could still call Hermes. He would help her. He would probably mock her and play some trick on her just for fun, but she could let it pass for once as long as she could return to her home.
First, she wanted to explore to see if she could find an exit on her own.
She put on her hood and covered her divine halo. She needed to be careful. She was a woman and alone. Last thing she desired was unwanted attention.
But as she wandered in the streets of Troy, she remarked that nobody paid any attention to her. She even lost her breath when she crossed a group of men pretty drunk and certainly horny but they didn't even acknowledge her presence. The more she walked, the more she seemed invisible to the eyes of the mortals.
She probably was. But she didn't possess that power. Unless…
She looked up again. The sun had set.
All of a sudden, she heard a growl from behind her. Loud and menacing. Chill ran in her spine. She slowly turned around.
It was a wolf bigger than average. Its thick fur was white with grey shades on its back. It presented large paws with long claws. Its eyes glowed in the darkness all the while it gazed at her.
Delphina's heart pounded fast. 'Run'. Her mind screamed. And she obeyed.
She activated her godly speed and ran in the streets. Where she will go? No idea! But she needed to escape this wolf while didn't hesitate to pursue her.
She accelerated the rhythm. She heard the animal bark behind her causing her fears to increase. She tried to zigzag in the streets in order to disorientate her predator.
'Don't stop running.' Her instinct ordered. And she ran. Her fatigue began to show some signs but she used all of her remaining energy to continue her escape.
She soon remembered that she didn't know the streets of Troy very well. What a disadvantage. She moved randomly. Was the wolf still behind her? She didn't hear any growl anymore. Did she outrun it? She hoped so. But she was still stuck within the walls of Troy.
Another turn. She rushed through the alley. Until she discovered a cul-de-sac. 'No'. She was trapped.
And she heard the growl again right behind her.
She closed her eyes. She tried vainly to not tremble. Her lungs absorbed more air. Her head hurt with the amount of stress she had to cope with. She told herself to stand up. To not show her weaknesses. She wasn't in a true danger. But still, she didn't want to confront this, yet.
Tired, she deposited her body on the wall that blocked her path, resigned to her fate. The wolf, now quiet as it knew she couldn't escape anymore, approached slowly.
Delphina heard the sound of paws coming closer to her. Magically, they transformed into the sound of steps. She maintained her eyes closed, ignoring the beating of her heart as her senses felt this presence for the first time in a long while.
This feared moment arrived.
"We need to talk." Apollo said.
Thank you for reading!
Now, I imagine what you are thinking. "How dare you cutting just there?!" Well, I am a sadist. Now, you have the proof.
And right now, I am stuck between two possibilities: either I will be fast to write this chapter because I will be excited or I will be slow because I will want it to be perfect. So, I cannot promise anything. Just that you know I always update regularly in general.
I hope you enjoyed it.
See you soon!