Zeo: Well, I try to update more often, but I will always put quality over quantity. At least, I publish regularly.

Guest: More cliffhangers are coming, I am afraid.

00000: For the monsters thing, you will soon understand.

Yokai: Since I have difficulty to write descriptions, I will take this comment as a compliment.

7DeadlySins: 'I thought this one was gonna to be all Delphina condemning Apollo.' (Sweating intensively). Well, at least you noticed the new turn with the prophecy of Cassandra, so I am still not so predictable. For the wolf, well, this animal is one of the many animal symbols of Apollo, so I wanted to insert this reference somewhere in this story. And for the information, Delphina perfectly knew it was Apollo but I made sure the audience would not know it until the cliffhanger just because I love to make you panic!XD ''I still like Apollo better than Delphina.'' I agree so much with you!XD

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 30: The walls

Delphina had imagined that moment so many times. She knew that they would meet again someday. Fates simply refused to keep them apart forever. She was only pushing away further the inevitable.

But now, she was obligated.

She slowly turned around and opened her eyes. She had to control her body to not crumble under the view of his beauty. He hadn't changed at all. The same curly golden hair so soft to touch. The same mesmerizing blue eyes. The same strong muscular arms which had protected her during her nightmares. Memories of the time they were together and in peace came back to haunt her and her heart broke at all those 'What if' thoughts.

But underneath his skin, she knew that the man she loved was dominated by the man she loathed.

She stared at him, ready for the talk. "So, what do you want? You better have a good reason for tracking me like that like if I was your prey."

"Well, it seems to me that you are already stuck in here anyway. You may need help to get out of trouble."

"Don't take me for a damsel in distress! And I don't need your help. I could have called Hermes if needed."

"Well, I'm here anyway."

"But you will not take me outside of the city. At least, not right now." She defied him.

"You know me well."

"Then, what do you want?"

Apollo tried to maintain his cool. And he was quite good at it. Calmly, he responded. "We need to clarify many things between us. And you know what I am talking about."

"Well, the key-word here is 'many'. Where do we begin?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him and analysed his face in order to see the level of sincerity. She knew what he was talking about. She replied coldly. "But you still did it."

"Yes. I still did it."

"Then, you are only feeling sorry. You are not apologizing. You don't regret it."

He said nothing.

She smirked. "Nice try. But you are revealing too much by staying silent. Now, I am leaving."

She tried to bypass him. He grabbed her by her wrist. She growled. Of course, this time, he would not allow himself to be dismissed so easily. They were now side by side, but looking at opposite directions.

"Why him?" He whispered as his mouth was so close to her ear. "He hurt so many fathers, sons, husbands, brothers. His pride and my pride were of the same size. You cannot deny the ugliness of his desire of revenge. You have not been blind to his anger issues. Just why did he earn your forgiveness easily?"

She lowered her head. "I'm sorry for Troilus. I didn't know."

He increased the pressure on her wrist. He didn't hurt her but she could feel his pain. "You are trying to dodge my question. Don't." He warned.

"Just once."

She felt him turning his head to her. She did as well and they were so close that they felt emotionally naked through the meeting of their eyes. "He has been a monster for a time just once and he finds an opportunity to redeem himself just once. I am always willing to give people second chance. But you? How many times have you deceived me? How many second chances I gave you? How can I forgive you right now and trust you will not betray me once again? I don't want to get my heart broken one more time."

'Don't cry.' She ordered herself. No way she will give him the satisfaction of seeing the power he still held on her. No! He will see the hate he deserved.

She laughed. "And yet, you did it! You broke me. Again. And I am not naïve. You could have killed him a long time ago. Why you didn't act sooner? When he killed your son? When he killed Hector and mistreated his body? What could have held the great revengeful Apollo back? Tell me!"

She listened to his breath while get louder. That meant he was fighting to keep his calm. Provoking him too far was uncareful. Even Delphina feared his wrath although he had always made sure that she would never be the target. But right now, she dared herself to push him to his limits. To see how far she could bring him. She had no fear. She had nothing to lose. She was angry. It was easier to hate him when he was angry as well.

"The Fates had decided since the beginning that I would be the one to kill the Best of the Greeks. This is why Thetis asked you to watch over him."

"She told me. You contained your murderous impulses for my sake. You dared to go against fate. Sadly, you don't care for me enough for your strong will to last. So, what made you lose it?"

He lowered his head. Annoyed, Delphina brough her head under his chin so she could catch the escaping face. She spit with a menacing tone. "God of Truth! Speak!"

'You wanted to talk, then talk.'

He rose his head and she couldn't say if he was angry, sad or something between. After a silence, he said. "You cannot disobey the Fates forever. Or else, they will punish you. I was prepared for the fire of Tartarus. I didn't care. But then, I saw you that night."

Delphina stepped back, taken by the shock. She guessed what night he referred. She couldn't believe he had been there.

He pursued. "At this moment, I received another prophecy. If I refused to fulfill my role in this conflict, then Achilles would live happily and old. He would get the wife and children promised to him… The identity of the wife is my punishment. "

He let go of her wrist. She felt cold. She felt empty.

Achilles. What if… Even after Patroclus? How she could imagine it?

She looked at Apollo. She needed to know. "In your vision… Was I happy?"

Silence. He closed his eyes and turned his head away.

Like a cloud too heavy with water, she burst. Her tears emerged from her eyes and her throat contracted. She ran away. She couldn't stay here anymore. She had to find a way out. Apollo didn't run after her. However, she couldn't say she was free of him. Not in this city, his city.

This city was such a maze. Where should she go? She ran but her feet brought her nowhere. As she rushed, her head looked around for an emergency exit. But her environment just seemed to spin around. With her tears, her sight was blurred.

'I am lost. I am trapped.'

And she took one road that led to one of the walls of Troy. So close, so far. The obstacle was so tall. It seemed to look at her with arrogance. She groaned. She touched the stone which composed the structure. Very solid but time had produced some small fissures. She dug her nails into them and tried to climb it.

She fell. Yet, she tried again. What did she even attempt this?

"They say that dolphins are the smartest creatures. But when I see you right now, I wonder if the bar set is just very low." Apollo said behind her.

Of course, he followed her. She frowned her eyebrows and replied. "Well, just like you are too often unreasonable, God of Reason."

Silence again. Well, at least, she was winning the verbal war. She grabbed the wall once again. She foolishly hoped for a miracle to happen. For new powers to awake in her. No way she will ask for his help!

He didn't interfere. As she was using what remained of her energy, he just stood there, observing her. Then, maybe he felt bored but he decided to say. "Ah! These walls… Do you remember when Poseidon and I built them after my father punished us for helping Hera to betray him? It was my first time here in Troy. Ho! I remember how you scolded me for being such an idiot. Yet, you visited me often during my exile, with Asclepius who was still a toddler at the time. I was also watcher over the sheep and I showed my son everything to know about these animals. The experience taught me a lot about how mortals live and I was happy to share it with him. Ho! Do you remember the day Asclepius saw the birth of a lamb? He was so impressed to see the baby walking just one hour after being born. He called it a miracle! We both laughed. Then, I told him about what I did at only four days old and he wouldn't believe me. He was such a sweet boy."

He took a break then pursued. "Of course, once I had finished the walls, the king of Troy had refused to pay me and Poseidon. We had both been furious and punished them. Poseidon flooded the city and I sent the plague. You couldn't protest against your own king but how you did scold me! And in front of Asclepius no less. Well, once I saw how sad he became because of my actions, I totally regretted it. I failed as a role model. I promised you that I would end it and I did. You came back the other day. You had forgiven me."

He sighed. "Life was so simple back then. And I was happy. Even though our relationship remained platonic, I felt content.

'Don't listen. Don't let him affect you.' But as she fell from the wall once again, she had the time to answer. "You know that reliving these memories will do nothing to bring me back."

"I know. But I cannot help it. Those memories are too precious to me. And I know that you cherish them as well."

"Of course, I do. I am not ashamed to admit this was the happiest time of my life. However, unlike you, I know where they belong: in the past."

And she climbed the walls once again. This time, she succeeded to cling on it. She rose her head, challenged the wall. She will make it. She pulled up her body and advanced. Her fingers grabbed a fissure and her feet pushed her. What seemed crazy seemed now possible. She was mastering the technic…

Or she thought.

Her foot slid and she lost her balance. She fell from three meters of height and her back fractured as she landed abruptly on the ground. She screamed. She couldn't move, taken by the shock. She lied down, breathing slowly. She saw Apollo hurrying to her side, his hand above her body.

"No! Don't"

He stopped. He looked at her asking to get back her sense but she stared at him coldly, determined to not give in. He growled. Its instinct commanded him to heal her right now, but she will stubbornly reject his assistance.

She grimaced. She was immortal while meant she will heal faster than usual. Still, how painful it was. She looked at the wall. With its height and its solidity, she had the impression it was mocking her with disdain.

"You are a fool. You will never manage to go through these walls on your own." Apollo commented, exasperated.

'Of course, you built these walls. You ensured their solidity yourself.' Again, another proof of how weak she was compared to him. She was in pain on her back stuck in a city. Being immortal, she would heal quickly but she still had to wait. Apollo could heal her quickly. She couldn't climb these walls and she couldn't change her form to pass above it. Apollo could do that in the blink of an eye.

She hated that. She hated him.

Then, she began to laugh. Laughing made her pain even worse, but she couldn't care less as she considered what a mess she became.

"What makes you laugh?" The god asked.

"There was a time when I cared about your happiness, Apollo." She said with resentment. "Soon after I refused your proposal when we met, I felt so bad for you. I wished nothing more for you to find someone that will make you complete. To find someone that could cherish you in the way you wished that I would. Many times, you have been deceived. Daphne, Marpessa, Hyacinth, Coronis… Ah! And now, I have just learnt about Hecuba and Cassandra."

"Ho! Please!" Apollo interrupted with annoyance. "I needed to give a child to Hecuba for the prophecy and for Cassandra… Well, I tried to forget you. I tried many times to get you out of my heart but I gave up on such an impossible project."

"Well, you should have tried harder!"

"Delphina…"

"But that didn't give you the right to forbid me to try. To rob me of my own happiness! Ho! I thought you could have learnt your lesson with how you broke your sister's heart. But no, you remain the same!"

In her rage, she hurt her back again. She should calm down and let herself rest until she healed, but she needed to stand her own against him. Her voice was the only weapon left to her to show off her strength.

She knew she had hurt him by reminding him of what he had done to Artemis. His sister might have forgiven him, but Delphina had been right to refuse to trust again a man so full of himself and unable to control his own jealousy.

"For Achilles, it was Fate." He proclaimed. "I had no…"

"Yes. You did have a choice! The Fates gave you a choice. I may even say that they dared to give you the hardest but most important choice of your life: a chance to choose my happiness above your own."

Her face was red of rage when she uttered. "You have made your choice, now deal with the consequences."

Silence. She could only see Apollo's fists tightening and his expression turning cold as he stared at her with no mercy.

Delphina shivered. He was furious. Did she manage to make him lose his temper with her?

Without any warning, he crouched and put his body above her own. His arms circled her. Still wounded, she couldn't move. She gazed at him. His stare reminded her of a predator who just captured its prey and was reflecting on the good way to finish it.

For the first time in her life, Apollo truly terrorized her. She feared anything he could do to her right now. His ire seemed to have eliminated his limits when it came to her. For once, he might hurt her physically.

"Tell me you don't love me." He said.

She knew what he wanted. She would not let him win!

"I hate you!" She yelled.

"That doesn't count. You can love and hate someone at the same time. Try to say it if you can: you don't love me."

The God of Truth got his victory. If she said it, he would see the lie. But if she said nothing, he could suppose his own satisfying conclusion.

The Goddess of Dolphins saw red. She rose her arms and attempted to hit him, scratch him, anything to make him feel physical pain and obligate him to step back. But he captured her wrist and, in her action, she twisted her broken back and screamed while a new wave of pain struck her.

Apollo's other hand instinctively grabbed her and pulled her close to him. He used his powers to heal her against her will. Then, they were surrounded by a big cloud of mist. She closed her eyes. She felt herself floating in the air. Some seconds later, she felt the ground under her body once again with the pain completely dissipated. Apollo rose and let go of her. She opened her eyes. She discovered they were now on the other side of the walls of Troy.

Angry, she got up. She sent a cold glare to Apollo. If he expected a thank you from her, he better prepared himself to be disappointed. He sighed before saying. "Have you thought for one second that I would dare to force myself upon you?"

She trembled. Of fear? Of rage? Both? At least, she had the strength to reply. "Yes. I could have believed it. You have hurt me in many ways I would have never thought you could. So, I would not be surprised of you being able to do much worse."

Apollo appeared angry once again. But she could also see how much he tried to hide how hurt he felt. The precious trust between them that had been present since their meeting had vanished. They were both fighting to protect their pride.

They might have both reached the point of no return.

He turned his back and said coldly. "Leave! Never come back to this city. If I ever see you again in Troy, in the one place that belongs to people that I cherish, the same people your late demigod has terribly wronged, I swear that I will retaliate. Understood?!"

The nerve! How dared he talk like if she was the one guilty here? How dared he dismiss her own pain like that? Was he that much selfish? The arrogance of his dominated his whole being to the point he couldn't resist order her around and menace her. She hated how he would subtly remind her their positions: he was an Olympian and a son of Zeus, she was a minor goddess and born as a nymph. He was far more powerful than her and will forever be. And he would never accept any offense, no matter how much he knew he deserved it.

Her own divine halo grew in riposte. She was a goddess on her own and she would not let him take her down. She told him. "Well, if I am going to do it, then, you better do me this favor. Don't ever try to get back into my life once again! Ho! By the way, you better stop stalking on me as well! If I ever learn that you spied on me during my private moments whether by using the sun, sending one of your servants or even disguising yourself, I will retaliate! Don't ask me how but I will find a way! Just leave me alone!"

She didn't let him respond. She ran away.

Her feet didn't stop racing through the road that connected Troy to the sea. She needed to get away from him. She needed to not think at all. To occupy her brain to the task of running and running.

Despite not being as fast as she could have been, she accidentally stepped on a stone and she stopped to run to rub her foot. It just hurt a little bit though. As she paused, she looked around her. Nothing. The Walls of Troy were far away and the Greek camp as well. She didn't even hear a cricket.

She was lonely. She cried.

Never Delphina had felt so lost. She didn't even know what she wanted. She felt no desire to go to the sea for the first time ever. She just wanted to lie down and disappear. To stop suffering like that. Gods, humans, anybody annoyed her.

She walked. Her walking style had almost no balance. Like if it required a great effort to just move her feet. Well, mentally, it did. The last time she had come on this road, she had been accompanied by Asclepius. She had taken him to visit his father during his exile in this place.

'Will Father stop the plague? I really hate to see these people suffer.' The child had asked her as she held his hand for a walk outside.

'Of course, he will. Your father may have a temper but he is still a good man. Trust me, he is now feeling bad for disappointing you. He works really hard to be a better man. He wants you to look up to him because he loves you.'

She laughed with tears in her eyes. At the time, she was so happy and yet, so naïve. What Asclepius would say to her if he saw her this way right now?

But Asclepius belonged to her past, just like Apollo. And now, she was scared by the fact she didn't know what belonged to her future.

Her feet led her to the tomb of Achilles and Patroclus. She knelt in front of the grand monument. She sobbed her grief.

Was Apollo in front of the tombs of Troilus and Hector at the same time? She imagined it. This war has brought so much deaths and sorrow. Even Gods had been affected. And it had made the Goddess of Dolphins and the God of Almost Everything opponents.

But maybe they had always been fated to be enemies?

She thought of Achilles. He had had the same temper than Apollo. Maybe she was a fool and he would have going back to being the monster able to profane the body of a man in the name of revenge or kill an innocent young boy totally unharmed. He had participated to so many sufferings in this war all in the name of glory.

When he had repented with Priam, she believed he would change, but now, it was too late to know if this change would have been permanent.

She heard steps coming from behind her. She turned around. In the darkness, she could hardly see the identity of the man in front of her despite the moonlight.

"I didn't expect to find you there, my Lady." The man said.

With his voice, she recognized him. "Odysseus? I am surprised to see you come here so late."

"I have my reasons. But first, let me apologize. I didn't verify if you had made it outside the walls of Troy with us. I failed at my obligations toward you."

"It's ok. I was fine, anyway. Did you succeed to steal the Palladium of Athena?"

"We did."

"Well done. So, now, why are you here?"

"For the same reasons as you." He knelt beside her in front of the tomb. "I may have not be close to them as mush as you, but I have still cared about them. Achilles and Patroclus were truly good friends of mine. I always admired Achilles' strength and courage as much as I admired Patroclus' kindness and compassion. It is just not the same without them."

"Well, we need to reassure ourselves. They are now in the Elysium Fields, together and in peace."

'And I am here, alone and torn inside.' She thought.

"Still, they both died young while my own breath continues. There is not a single night where I go to sleep without thinking of all the lives that have been lost because of this war. The oath that united all of Greece was my own doing. I dragged everybody in this hell. I need to end it."

She would not lie. His sincerity touched her a little bit. She could only sympathise with him.

"I would like it to finish as well. But it looks like a hopeless dream."

"Well, not so much. Fates are working really well, because I needed to find you and my feet led me right to you."

She turned to him. What in Tartarus did he mean? He stared at her in a way that commanded her whole attention.

He said. "I found a solution to end this war once for all… But I will need your help."

Thank you for reading!

If you hate Delphina right now, don't worry! That's the goal!

If you pity Delphina right now, don't worry! That's the goal!

Wait! What? Don't question me! My mind is just messed up!

Damn, that chapter was so hard to write! And you are probably panicking right now if you have guessed the huge bomb I have dropped for the next chapter. Well, this is Greek Mythology, so we are in for more dramas.

I still hope you enjoyed it.

See you soon.