7DeadlySins: "Damn you for being so good at writing." So this is why I am still alive. Although it has always been my intention to make Delphina hateable during this part of the story, it is still scary how much you confirm that I have succeeded.^^'' Don't worry, I confirm this was the last time they fought (I am not saying that because I care about myself, I just care about the safety of your phone, ok?). No seriously, I always appreciate your feedback because you are honest. Trust me, it helps me to improve. I take note of the comment about Achilles' mortality. It is a smart remark. Certainly, Delphina couldn't think straight at the moment to be truly rational about it. She is more emotional than rational right now. But anyway, if you hate her right now, that was my goal! Or else this chapter couldn't work. You will see!

RamdomFrenchGirl: Sadly, it is not the end of the angst (seeing the subject of the chapter, you can guess what is coming.) Yes, Delphina is selfish here. It was an intentional move from me.

Genny: I am glad you love the story. I hope you will enjoy the rest of it.

Invitado: Comment spot on!^^"

Thank you for your reviews.

Warning: This chapter contains images that can be hard for sensible people.

Chapter 31: The horse

"A horse?" Delphina said as Odysseus explained his plan.

"Made of wood, of course. We will use it to hide some of our men in order to get inside the walls of Troy."

"I am very confused. How a horse made of wood is supposed to allow you to penetrate the city?"

"Well, my apologies. I am not explaining this very well. So, you know that the main objective of this war is to get Helen back. Menelaus is maintaining everyone in here because of the oath. The only way to leave is to return that woman to her husband."

"I know that. Continue."

"So, I suggested Menelaus to allow everyone to leave. We take our ships to sail away and go home. But… We will first build a giant sculpture of wood representing a horse as an offering to Athena to appease the offense made to her when I stole the Palladium and ensure a safe return to Greece. The trick is that many men including me will be hidden inside the wooden horse. So, the Trojans, thinking they have won, will bring the horse inside the city in order to keep it as a victory trophy."

"I see."

"Then, once everyone is asleep, we will get out of the horse and discreetly infiltrate the royal palace and kidnap Helen. Since it all began with Paris kidnapping Helen inside the royal palace of Sparta, it would be a great payback. We do to them the same humiliation they did to us. Menelaus will get back his wife and his honor. We will leave on a boat left here and hidden from the eyes of the Trojans."

"I admit this is very clever. But it sounds so dangerous. You could be caught."

"I know. This is why today when I went to steal the Palladium, I took the opportunity to analyse the city and the royal palace. I am confident that we will make this mission successful."

Odysseus couldn't hide his joy as he added. "And think about it. After that, no more deaths, no more battles, no more blood spilled! Both sides will be relieved of this war!"

"That sounds wonderful, but… What do I have to do in this?"

"Well, we anticipate some suspicions from the Trojans. They will probably be careful, so we need to earn their trust in order for them to fall for the subterfuge. Our first idea was to let someone outside of the horse and attached. This man would pretend to be left behind because he betrayed us and would explain to the Trojans that we have deserted and the reason why we built the horse. But, after some reflection, I don't think it is the best plan."

"And…"

"And I got another idea. When they will discover the horse… You will show off your dolphins."

"What?"

"Trojans respect you. If they see dolphins jumping out of the water, they will see it as a sign of peace. A signal that everything is finished. You have the power to make disappear their mistrust."

Delphina thought about it. She had avoided to interfere directly in this war so far. But here there was no real question to win for a side in this plan. It was to repair an offense and put a definitive end to all the bloodshed. Troy will be left alone. And Greeks will go back home.

She had the power to make everyone win. The prospect seduced her.

She smiled. "I accept. The dolphins will participate."

The Gates of Troy opened and the Trojan army got out, accompanied by the king Priam, his family and his advisors. They had been warned of the fact that the Greeks had deserted the beach. They needed to go there to be sure of this and clear the situation.

The chariots rolled and very soon they arrived on the beach. For the first time in ten years, there was nothing. No tent, no fire, no weapon, not even corpses. The silence was only broken by the calming sound of the waves.

"Look at the horizon!" A soldier yelled.

Plenty of eyes looked up. A thousand ships were aligned in the line separating the sky and the sea. A familiar vision they had witnessed ten years ago. This time, instead of growing, the ships shrank until they disappeared.

"They are leaving." Priam commented, relived.

"Father, I don't trust this." One of his sons, Helenus, said. "Maybe they just want us to lower our guards."

"You think they would put all the effort to pack everything and prepare the ships just to trick us? Even if they return, we can still go back inside the walls at any moment, so that sounds futile as a plan."

They all looked at each other. They wished nothing more than for the Greeks to leave so they could go back to their previous peaceful life. They had endured too many sufferings during the decade. It was so tempting to believe that everything was over and they could finally breathe.

But wisdom taught to reflect before assuming anything. After all, it sounded way too beautiful to be true. Hecuba approached her husband to share her concern. "My King, our son may have a point. Are we supposed to believe that Menelaus would give up on Helen so easily? That Agamemnon would admit defeat after sacrificing so much and without acquiring any glory or wealth?"

Everyone nodded. There were too many things that made no sense.

"Your Majesty! Come to see what we have found!" A soldier screamed.

They followed him. On the other side of a sandy hill, they discovered one of the strangest things ever.

It was big. As big as the gates of Troy. It had clearly the shape of horse, built with many planks folded and soldered together. It stood over a large platform of wood. There were many bags probably full of food and treasures hanged on each side of the sculpture.

It was quite an unusual discovery.

"What is that?" Deiphobus, another son of Priam, asked.

"Considering the presence of the bags, we may guess that it is an offering." Andromache, the widowed wife of Hector, noticed.

"An offering?"

"Well, if we reflect about this." Priam intervened. "We all have noticed there was a strong wind in the last days. Probably, they decided to build this in order to repair an offense made to the gods and be able to go back home."

"It makes sense if we conclude that they indeed left for home, while I still doubt." Helenus commented.

"My son, it totally makes sense. Just think about it. We may have lost Hector but the Greeks have lost Achilles as well. For what I know, there was a prophecy pretending that the Achaeans couldn't win this war without the legendary demigod. His death might have demolished their will. Therefore, they certainly chose to give up after more failed negotiations with us. In other words, we have won."

It sounded pretty logical. Nobody could propose a better theory. Then, Deiphobus suggested. "We should bring it inside the city. There is so much food and many treasures we should share amount our people. Let's use it as a symbol of our victory. Let's feast joyfully around it!"

This provoked a lot of discussion among the Trojans. Many supported the idea with enthusiasm, others opposed it with mistrust and some just remained undecided with doubts. Priam had a headache in reaction to this brouhaha. He had to take a decision that would satisfy everyone and sound wise. Easier said than done, thus was the burden of a king.

"Eh! Watch over there!" A soldier screamed, his finger pointing the sea.

All eyes were directed toward the blue waters. They were blessed with a sight unseen for ten years.

One dolphin jumped out of the water. Followed by another while was also followed by another. Then, three dolphins jumped in synchronization. And more followed. Really soon, a dance of dolphins jumping, flipping around, moving their fins and laughing was offered to the witnessing Trojans. Many of them cried at the view, as if they had forgotten what a demonstration of joy looked like. For a moment, they were allowed to let behind their grief, their fear, their regrets, their scars.

All excepted one… Cassandra began to tremble.

Ignoring the extern signs of distress of his daughter, Priam rose his arms, totally relieved. "Dolphins! The dolphins are happy. The Goddess Delphina is in peace. I had the privilege to meet her. She helped me to recuperate the body of my dear Hector. And now, she is celebrating. She confirms to us that the war is behind us."

All doubts dissipated, they all rejoiced and chanted praise to the gods for their protection and blessing. After ten years, it was over. No more wives in the morning to become widows in the evening. No more old fathers to bury their younger sons. No more harvest burned. No more trade roads blocked. Troy will again feel like home instead of a prison. Freedom and peace never felt so precious and glorious.

"NO!"

They all turned to the source of the only protestation.

Cassandra was about to lose it. She sweated and convulsed. She looked at the horse as if she had to face a horrid deadly creature. Then, she directed her stare to the dolphins and she couldn't keep it. "Don't bring that thing inside our city! If you do that, you will condemn all of us to a terrible fate!"

Hecuba approached her daughter. "Darling, please, calm down. You need to clear her mind."

"No!" She grabbed her head and uttered. "Sharp teeth! Huge like sharks! Dark eyes! Bodies elongated like snakes! Scales black like the abyss! We are their preys! They are ready to engulf our boats!"

She pointed at the dolphins. "Monsters!"

The audience gasped more in disbelief than in horror. Priam couldn't believe it. He knew his daughter was mad, but never he couldn't have expected her to do something as crazy as accusing the Goddess of Dolphins, the kindest of them all, to attempt to harm them. The idea alone was ridiculous and even offensive.

He ordered his guards to maintain his daughter and to drag her to her personal doctor. As expected, she screamed and debated herself. But everyone stayed deaf to her pleas.

They only saw a mad girl who reached the peek on her insanity.

Their attention returned to the horse. "Bring it inside Troy." He ordered.

In her mermaid form, sat on a rock near the shore, Delphina observed the city of Troy.

After sunset, they were still feasting. She knew it by looking at all the lights from the torches still in activity. So unusual. But they had the right to. She could imagine all the men drinking themselves while making jokes. The women who whispered to their lovers' ears what they planned to do during the night. The young men who eagerly began to plan their first trip ever outside the walls of the city. The food which smelled good and people who fed themselves with no fear of excess.

They were free. They won peace. It was over.

Delphina felt bad for Helen though. The mortal daughter of Zeus didn't know that tonight, she would be kidnapped and returned to her husband. While everyone was getting their happy ending, who knew what Menelaus would do to punish his wife? She preferred to not imagine it. And yet, wasn't she to blame for all those sufferings?

Delphina was conflicted. In reality, the one to blame would be Eris, the Goddess of Discord. She remembered the apple thrown during the wedding of Thetis that led to the immature conflict between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. Paris just appeared to pass nearby. Still a shepherd at the time, unknown of his own royal blood, he appeared harmless as a choice to end this quarrel between the goddesses.

When Aphrodite promised the most beautiful woman in the world, nobody blinked an eye. They all suspected it would be Helen still not in age to be married at the time. There was no oath of Tyndareus yet. No idea that an imminent conflict would be born from this promise. The gods were used to drama but at this point, they just knew what to expect. The mortals all acted the same. The entertainment they provided began to be repetitive.

Maybe Apollo had seen with his prophetic powers that this time it would be different. That this time, it would involve every single nation under the protection of the gods. That it would divide the pantheon like no event did since the Titanomachy.

Again, Delphina felt a little pity for Helen. She had been dragged in all of this. The goddess tried to imagine how she might feel. Certainly, she had been stuck in a loveless marriage and just wanted to chase happiness after Eros struck her with Paris.

Happiness… Was it not what everyone wanted? More than honor, more than glory, more than wealth, more than power. In particular when you were a mortal. Your life is so short that you have to cherish your good moments while gods lived so long that they didn't mind sadness, anger and fear since happiness could feel so dull.

Delphina didn't find happiness dull at all.

But Helen had ignored the consequences of her actions. Had she truly thought that she could simply marry Paris like in a fairy tale, be accepted easily among the Trojans and that the Greeks would sit down like it was nothing? What kind of naivety did she succumb to when this prince offered his hand?

How did she feel when she learnt about the sacrifice of Iphigenia, her own niece‒she wasn't dead, but Helen didn't know that‒just in order to launch a thousand ships for her return? How did she feel when the first corpses of trojan warriors were dragged back inside the city? How did she feel when she saw the fire of the funeral pyres from both sides‒the people who welcomed her and the people she used to rule over? How did she feel when she learnt of the death of Troilus? When she learnt of the destructions of all villages and cities situated around? When she saw the death of Hector? When she ended up surrounded by so many people hurt and grieving?

All because of her own action for her own pleasure.

Paris was dead now and she had been remarried to another prince of Troy. And tonight, she will be returned to her first husband.

Everyone got a good ending but her. Probably they would call it justice.

Therefore, Helen would have to accept that this was a necessity in order to avoid more avoidable deaths on her shoulders.

Still sad, though.

A dolphin appeared nearby and screamed to attract her attention. She turned to him and smiled. "Where were you? We should be together celebrating as well. It is over! We will be free to return to our peaceful life at sea."

'I will return to my routine which has managed to become dull.' She didn't dare to say out loud. She wouldn't want for the dolphins to discover that their presence could not appease her own feeling of loneliness.

The dolphin didn't look ready to celebrate. Quite the contrary… He talked in his language with an alarming tone. "What?!" Delphina reacted. "You are sure?"

He nodded.

She hadn't time to think. She jumped in the water and swam as fast as she could. She had to see it for herself.

And she saw it. She saw how right the dolphin was.

In a beach away from Troy but still at a walkable distance, the ships were there when they weren't supposed to be there. They were supposed to be in Greece, back home, away from the land of Anatolia. Only one ship was supposed to be left for the men in mission to get back Helen. That was Odysseus told her.

Right?

She heard the sound of footsteps. Many footsteps.

She turned her head. The whole army walked on the beach in direction of Troy. There was even more at the horizon meaning they had begun to walk since a while. At this time of the night, the Trojans must be asleep now.

That meant…

She jumped in the water. She had to go back to Troy. Maybe it wasn't too late!

She was tired when she returned. She rarely swam that fast. The adrenaline rate in her body reached a new level. She brought her head at the surface of the water.

The Gates of Troy was wide open and had already begun to receive its first uninvited guests.

It was too late.

'No.'

She couldn't think straight. Her instinct took over her body. She ran toward the city. She had to warn them, help them, save them. Do anything that could be seen as useful.

She couldn't enter before the whole army finished to penetrate the once-have-been impenetrable walls of Troy. When she finally put a foot inside, it had already begun.

She heard screams. From where? Everywhere. From who? Everyone. Rich or poor. Woman or man. Old or young. No one was spared from the vengeance of the Greeks.

Many fires had started. Some soldiers tried to defend the city but got outnumbered easily as they were disorganised. Many people ran in the streets only to see their throats easily cut. Desperate women fought against the force of laughing men. Children cried for their parents.

One hour ago, this place was a peaceful feast. Now, it was a nightmarish hecatomb.

She couldn't stay here. She was disguised but still vulnerable. Many men would target her. Right now, nobody was safe. She was a goddess but passed for a mortal right now.

Also, she had to help. How? She hadn't no time to reflect. She let her instincts direct her as she infiltrated the closest house. She opened the door and closed it.

Suddenly, someone caught her from behind with a knife near her throat. "Who are you?" It was a woman, scared for her life as the situation appeared hopeless and had brought an intense feeling of defiance.

"I… I just want to hide like you." It was war. She could understand that.

The woman trembled, unsure of what to do. Even if the intruder wasn't a menace, the events from the outside still raged and the house offered no true protection. Death awaited her. Or worse, sex slavery would steal the rest of her life. Freedom and peace were illusions. Her fate was sealed. She convulsed strongly as fear conquered her spirit.

For the first time, Delphina experimented what being a mortal must be like.

A scream from outside. Which ones? There were so many, but she could easily suppose that one of them belonged to someone close to the woman as she yelled. "Erasmos!"

She let go of Delphina and exited the house, not caring anymore for the danger. Panic had made her loose her capacity to reason.

Delphina closed the door but let it opened a little just to observe what was happening. The woman was now hugging the body of a man, dying on the ground.

'She lost her husband.'

She wasn't allowed to mourn properly. Many guards grabbed her against her will and Delphina slammed the door as she didn't want to see what they would do to her.

She crouched in a corner, trembling, her heart pumping under the overdose of adrenaline. She put her hands on her ears. Stop. She wanted everything to stop. Yet, she had seen the horrors of war before. What made this time so much more…unbearable?

She smelled the odor of smoke. She looked up. A flame burned through the wall, blackening the wood around it. She had to get out from here.

She stood up but then, she heard a cry coming from upstairs. A baby's cry.

She eyed the fire again and she freaked out. No time to lose! She reached the stairs and sped up to get to the second floor. She quickly found the cradle. "Shush! Little one. I am here. I will take care of you."

She took the baby enveloped in a blanket and brought him to her chest. It didn't appease his cries as he knew she was a stranger but she still held him like if he was her own.

A child whose father just died and whose mother was taken away. She hugged him strongly. "Please, don't cry."

She suddenly heard a whisper that startled her from behind. She wasn't alone. She turned around. "Who is there?"

All she saw was a bed, many vases, a table and… She blinked her eyes when the noticed a particular object. A circular table covered with a white sheet falling to the floor. Above it, there was a round pot made with brown clay. Very modest. What was interesting though what the image on its face: a dolphin colorized in blue with golden eyes. Around the pot, she found many candles burned with melt wax still fresh. Inside it, she found flowers as an offering. A mini altar to honor and thank a divinity.

The discovery froze her. Then, she heard the whisper once again. It came from under the table. Still holding the baby in her arms, she managed to switch the position so the head could lean on her shoulder. She used her freed hand to lift the sheet and found two kids, a boy and a girl. They gasped in fear as their hiding spot was opened, exposing them in vulnerability. Delphina quickly reassured them. "Don't be afraid. I will not harm you."

The softness of her voice had its effects since the kids stopped shaking a little. Even the baby calmed down. She smiled. One victory for her…for now.

The smoke intensified and had attained the second floor. The heat had increased as well. They needed to get out of it. "Listen to me." She spoke to the children. "You will follow me. I will take you to a safe place."

They appeared unsure. "But father? And mother?" The little boy asked.

"They will join us. I promise." She hated to lie but she had no other choice. If she wanted to save them, she would need their total cooperation. Deep inside, she felt like their lives were now her responsibility. Literally, if she didn't take them, they had no one. The girl coughed, alarming the goddess. "Hurry! We have no time to lose. Cover your faces with your hands. Don't breathe the smoke."

She commanded them to follow behind her as she descended the stairs and they obeyed. She analysed the situation. The fire had progressed, expanding to half the house's first floor. The main door was still accessible but out of question to use it. Greeks still raged out there, lusting for more bloodshed. Her eyes searched the place and the window on the backside attracted her attention. Just one problem: fire blocked the way. She looked for something else. The time was counting. The children would not survive too long without good air.

Luckily, she found a vase full of water. She moved her hand, levitated the water and extinguished the fire on the way with it. It worked. But it would be temporarily. "Let's go! We have to leave now!"

The demonstration of magic might have improved their trust toward her as they didn't hesitate. They ran to the window, careful to avoid to touch he flames or to inhale the smoke. On her way, she grabbed a chair and put it under the window. "Put a step on it and go outside. Hurry!" They quickly obeyed. Once both of them managed to escape, she hugged the baby. It was her turn. She climbed the chair, put her legs above the low framing and jumped to the safety of the outside.

Did she say safety? What a fool! Troy was anything but safe right now.

Ok! She needed to calm down first. She walked a little bit in the small alley with the children in order to get further from the burning house. Once the air around them was clean, she asked them. "Are you ok?"

They nodded. Physically, they were probably fine. Mentally? They didn't know where were their parents and she didn't want to see their reaction when they would learn the truth. Their home was burning. They had been close to death. Even worse, danger still plagued the streets.

Delphina bit her lips. Stress dominated her. Things shouldn't have been like this. It was supposed to be over! If only…

The little girl began to cry and the view struck the goddess. No! She couldn't rehash her actions right now. She needed to stay strong. She was a rescuer. She will rescue those children. They will survive. She will protect them!

But how? They were hidden far from the main streets where the worst was happening but the soldiers would eventually venture everywhere. Where they could go? Was there another exit from the walls beside the main gates? And if there was one, how they would get there? No, too dangerous. Maybe they could simply hide somewhere and wait until everything was over with the Greeks gone from Troy. No, it was also risky. That would require to find a good hiding spot quickly and pray that it would not put on fire. Also, other Trojans were probably doing the same thing in panic. The Greeks will search everywhere for the cowards. And with a baby with her, the chances to be found with his cries were too high.

Delphina suppressed her own need to weep. She was weak. So weak. In the sea, it would have been so easy, but on land, she was like a nymph.

A nymph who had been tricked by a mortal.

The children! She had to save them! But there was only one solution left. She swallowed her pride. "Apollo." She called in despair.

He will be furious. She will deserve it. She accepted it as long the well-being of the kids was guaranteed.

She heard footsteps approaching. She murmured to the children to stay close to her. She waited anxiously.

Sadly, it wasn't who she expected to meet. The Greek soldier smirked at her. "Well, well. Did you think you could escape?"

"Run!" She ordered the children. They took the opposite direction. She didn't even know where to go. She just acted on instinct. Survival instinct.

Another soldier appeared to block the other path, trapping them. "Wow!" The newcomer commented. "What a beauty we just found!" He laughed.

The children cried in fear and tightened their hold on her legs as they searched for someone to defend them. She was their hope. Their rampart between life and death.

She groaned as it awoke a fire in her. Enough! She was a goddess. No way two mortals would manage to scare her and overpower her! She would show them how strong she was.

"Don't come closer or you will regret it." She warned them.

"Did you listen?" The second soldier screamed to the other one. "What do you think she can do?"

She concentrated. She will turn them into dolphins temporarily. It was the only transformation power she possessed. She will use it. She will metamorphose anybody in her way. She will save these kids!

Nothing happened.

She blinked her eyes. What? She tried again. Still nothing. She panicked. What was happening? It always worked. When she had desperately wanted to save the slaves from drowning, it worked. When she had wanted to go help Marsyas, it worked. When she had wanted to save the souls of Niobe's children, it worked. No matter what, when she had to rescue, it worked.

Are you sure you are still a rescuer? A voice inside her head told her.

What? She didn't understand. What went wrong?

"So darling." The soldier mocked her. "What will you do? We are still waiting."

She lost her confidence. There was no water nearby and her transformation powers didn't work. She was defenseless. A goddess threatened by two ordinary mortals.

"Please." She begged. She despised showing her weaknesses but had she other choices?

One of the soldiers drew his sword. "The orders were clear. No pity." He grabbed the screaming boy by the arm and before Delphina could react, the sharp blade of the weapon pierced his chest.

Time seemed to have slowed. The sword withdrew and the small body fell on the floor. The scream had stopped, replaced by another one: his sister who ran to her sibling. The baby in Delphina's arms cried once again.

Suddenly, the other soldier jumped from behind the little girl, a dagger in his hand. Quickly, he caught her hair with the other hand and cut the throat of the toddler. The wound proved to be deep as a cascade of blood emerged from her neck. The murderer let go of her hair and the corpse joined the other one.

Delphina trembled with her gaze locked on the scene. Her brain was in fire as she realised what happened. Two children. Innocent. Robbed of their freedom. Robbed of their dreams. Robbed of their parents. Robbed of their house. And now, robbed of their lives.

And what did she do? Staying there, frozen, doing absolutely nothing. A failure. She was a failure.

"Next." The soldier who killed the boy said while turning to her. "Give us the baby."

She held him stronger in her embrace. "No!" She protested. One man took her from behind while the other one tried to take her baby by force. She debated, she kicked her assaulters, she even bit them. Anything just to protect the only remaining child alive under her keep.

"No! Let go of me!"

"You will shut up you whore!" The man slapped her so hard that she lost her grip. The baby slipped from her hold and the next thing she heard was a loud crack. Her eyes almost went out of their orbits. The baby fell on the ground after hitting the wall, his neck broken, his fragile skull pierced where she could see blood. His eyelids closed, his cries muted, his mouth open. A short life.

You are rescuing nobody. The voice inside her repeated.

Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. As if she had lost her own children, her heart broke. She heard the laughs of the murderers and she exploded. "You are monsters!" She hit them as hard as she could. Her rage blinded her. She just wanted them to suffer. To make them pay for their horrible actions.

But they were bigger and stronger than her. One pushed her so hard to the wall that the impact on her head made her feel dizzy. She stopped fighting. All she could feel was the pain and her senses being troubled.

She felt herself being thrown on the floor, lying down on her stomach. "Now, I advise you to stay calm, sweety. It would be a waste to have to harm such a perfect body."

She stopped listening to what they said. She wasn't an idiot. They were men. She was a woman. It was war. She knew what was coming.

Her head hurt so much. But she forced herself to open her eyes. She found herself face to face with the dead baby. The blood flowed a lot to the point she could touch it with her fingers.

'Dead. They are dead.'

Her robe was lifted above her waist while exposed her naked behind to the cold air.

'Not just them. How many kids? How many men? How many women? How many died tonight? How many had trusted me?'

She heard the sounds of the act of undressing behind her.

'It is my fault. I thought I was strong. I am not.'

She felt something hard rubbing against her ass.

'I certainly deserve it.'

She closed her eyes, awaiting the burn of Tartarus.

It never came. Instead, she heard a loud scream followed by another. A body fell beside her. She opened her eyes. Her harmed head still blurred her vision but she forced herself to turn to look. She found the soldier motionless on the floor, with a golden arrow through his skull. His friend was sat, leaning on the wall, with the same kind of arrow in his chest on the exact place where his heart was situated. No need to verify. They were dead.

She heard footsteps approaching. She turned and her nose met sandals she easily recognized. She lacked the strength to look up though. But she knew who he was. Was he mad, worried, sad, relived? Absolutely no clue.

But she felt his halo. A power that came from his status as the God of Truth and it affected her to help see clearly.

Admit it. The voice of her subconscious talked again. You knew that Cassandra wasn't mad. Her curse didn't affect you at all.

It was true.

You decided to dismiss her warning because you were too arrogant to believe that your reputation could turn so bad.

It was true.

Deep inside, when Odysseus talked about his plan, you suspected that there was something wrong. But you decided to not question him. You were too thrilled by the perspective to prove that you hold so much power. That your influence is so great that it could allow to enter the impenetrable walls of Troy. Congratulations! It worked.

It was true.

Deep inside, you told herself that if things turned bad, you could still pass for a victim. But are you truly a victim if you had initial suspicions? See what taking the risks cost!

True! True! True!

Thetis warned you a long time ago. You didn't listen. You succumbed to the power of pride like everyone else.

Stop!

You have made your choice, now deal with the consequences.

She looked at her hand. All tainted with a red liquid.

Monster

She fainted.

Thank you for reading.

So all I have to say for my defense is... Don't worry guys! 2020 is almost over!^^''

Now, it is time to explain the thing about Cassandra's vision. During my research about the dolphin in Greek Mythology, I found an article that compared the images of the dolphins in Ancient Greece with the images in Ancient Rome. The author had noticed that the images depicted in Greek art were always accurate and looked friendly. However, in Roman art, it was another story. The dolphins are all depicted as scary creatures, totally inaccurate, like true sea monsters. The contrast of the depiction of the animal between both civilisations is so large that it is intriguing considering that the Romans mostly imitated the culture of the Greeks. The article concluded with: "I don't really know how they became such terrifying monsters."

Of course, as a writer who decided to write about the subject, I had to invent an answer to that mystery! And as you know, according to roman mythology, the Trojan survivors are considered as the ancestors of the Romans. Now, you can see why I did what I just did.

Now, just to tease you more, I can tell you that the next chapter will be from Apollo's pov. But it promises to be a very challenging chapter so it may take me more time to write it than usual. But I promise to make the wait worth it!

I hope you enjoyed it.

See you soon!