Morgane: Glad you like it.
Eranda: I feel like I am very good at making everybody feel conflicted in this story.^^''
RandomFrenchGirl: I know. I am a sadist!
7DeadlySins: I am kind of confused by the comment because I am pretty sure I made it clear toward the end that Delphina never have been really naive but she chose to not follow her gut. Of course, this is far from better, in fact, it is totally worse, but it is the right thing I wanted it to be. Please, don't make me doubt my own storytelling skills!XD Don't worry, Delphina will receive a huge punch from this event and she would have to learn from it. For the powers, it will be explained later. Apollo's POV is going to be a very nice change. I completely missed him! For the scene with the children. I am very sorry. But my weakness is description and since I wanted to demonstrate the horrors of war, I had to find another way besides just describe. So I focused on three children for the symbolism.
Delphithon: Sorry for the wait. This chapter was just so damn hard to write.
Guest1: Rereading value for a story is very important so thank you for telling me that.
Guest2: Wow! It is amazing that my story managed to have this impact on your cousin. The best compliment so far!
Guest3: DONE!XD
Chapter 32: Aeneas
Aeneas had partially succeeded.
'Succeeded' because his goal was to save the most Trojans he could. 'Partially' because he didn't save as much as he would have wished. But he didn't want to diminish his own exploit, although he kept some modesty.
The beautiful son of Anchises and Aphrodite, minor prince of Troy but famous demigod, while possessed curly blond and a fine sculpted body inherited of his divine mother, inspired trust. As a proud warrior, he had many times proved his valor during the war but also his good heart. He had gathered as any Trojans as he could and led them to a secret passage that would allow to escape the city. He had even bore his weak and old father on his shoulders. He refused to give him up even if the man had begged to be left to die in order to save his son's energy. Aeneas would not listen to his father and so, they fled together accompanied by many other lucky Trojans.
Apollo watched over this carefully with a caring eye. Despite being a god, he couldn't intervene in this war as much as he would want to or else, he would provoke his father. But he still made sure to protect as many Trojans as he could. Aeneas had always been one of his favourites and he had to shield him as this minor prince dragged the more survivors he could to escape this city.
He remained their patron god and he was a protector of colony. He would not fail his duty.
He sighed as he looked at the body he held in his arms. Delphina was still unconscious. Her head rested on his shoulder and he deposited his chin on her, his nose breathing the perfume of her hair. He closed his eyes, keeping his self-control as he could finally savour this kind of proximity for the first time since an eternity.
His feeling of appeasement was mixed with a huge amount of anger though.
Two hours ago, he was invisible on a roof of Troy, armed with his bow, ready to defend Aeneas as the courageous demigod gathered all the Trojans he could save. Then, he heard Delphina calling his name. She was in Troy.
His initial reaction was annoyance. What was she doing there?! How stupid did she have to be to come to this city during such a dangerous moment?!
And she dared to call for him after their last fight? After she had dismissed him brutally without any kind of pity? Enraged, he had wanted to ignore her.
But no… No matter what, his heart had never been his to begin with.
At this moment, he had received a vision of her. The image of her being assaulted… It did it.
He deserted his post and hurried up toward her.
When he arrived, he couldn't say if he arrived on time or not. Usually, that was the hero did. Getting to the rescue before it was too late. Well, he was quick enough to kill the foolish mortals who had dared to taint the skin of the goddess with their dirty hands. They were sent to Tartarus. His revenge was gloriously done.
He stared at Delphina, lying down on the ground, half-naked and dizzy. Usually, his first instinct would be to hurry to her and make sure everything was okay. But he was so mad at her. For her rudeness, her eternal temerity and the fact she wasn't even debating when he found her. He unleashed his own power, hoping to make her realise what an idiot she was.
However, he noticed the children. He instantly regretted.
In reality, he hadn't been there on time.
A cry from a raven brought him back to the present. He turned to the bird perched on the branch beside him. "Is it ready?"
His loyal companion nodded. Satisfied, Apollo, still holding Delphina in his arms, walked away from the group of Trojans. He took a few steps before reaching a big oak which roots were half elevated above the ground creating many depressions between them. In one of them, a white pillow with white blankets had been installed. Apollo deposited carefully the goddess there, checked that she was truly comfortable, covered her body with the thick blanket and used his powers to warm the improvised bed.
He put his hand on her head to verify the state of her wound. It was almost fully healed. Good! Now, she needed a good sleep.
He should bring her somewhere else though. To a real house, to a real bed. But he cannot leave the place so early. The Trojans are hidden for the night, but tomorrow they will continue to need his guidance and protection as the Greeks will still be around.
Also, he couldn't bear the idea to send Delphina away from him, out of his sight.
Looking at her, he felt like Tantalus. That man who got punished by the gods and was imprisoned in Tartarus, forever hungry and thirsty, unable to reach the food and water so near him for an eternal temptation.
His body longed for her touch. His soul longed for her affection. Tantalus saw the food and water; Apollo had the knowledge of her returning feelings. When Tantalus tried to reach the object of his obsession, magic dragged them away from him. When Apollo tried to approach Delphina, he met the solid wall that represented her stubbornness and pride.
Right now, she was here, under his watch.
He thought about their last meeting. He still tasted the bitterness he had felt towards her. Tired of being rejected. Powerless against her constant denial of her feelings. Pained by her long absence. Extenuated to maintain his self-control.
He remembered he had threatened in his anger to retaliate if she entered Troy again… In return, she threatened the same if he tried to enter her life once again.
'Well, you broke your part of the bargain first so in return, I condemn you to bear my presence.'
He knelt near her and unable to resist, he approached his mouth to her head and kissed her shortly on the front and breathed her smell. The gesture calmed him a little. How he needed that close contact.
For a moment, he could imagine that everything was back to normal. That tomorrow, he would wake up in his bed at Delphi and go to the dinner room, sit at the table in order to eat the breakfast. The Muses would probably be there too. They would discuss of many things. Girly stuff mostly. And Apollo would pretend that he didn't listen, disinterested when in reality, he always paid attention. Just to hear her voice.
The memory provoked a growl of frustration. Normalcy was a myth, an illusion. When Delphina will wake up, it will be…complicated.
The one thing he knew for sure was that he needed her and whether she wanted to admit or not, she needed him.
He lied down on her side and took her in his arms, enjoying the quietness of the moment. To forget the pain of having been away from her for so long. To forget the annoyance of having to see her in company of other men for ten years. To forget their last and brutal fight.
And overall, forget his wrath at Odysseus for having tricked her and brought her in this mess.
…
When he woke up, Delphina was not there.
He rose his head. Her pillow and blanket were cold, indicating the length of her absence. He looked around him. Nothing. Where in Tartarus did she go?
Tired and in a bad mood, he rose and yelled. "Delphina!" She was better not be far away. Or else, he would drag her back here without any mercy. He searched in the forest and thankfully, it only took him one minute to find her.
She was sat on a log, back to him, her head low. She held a white flower in her hand. Fully concentrated, her little fingers grabbed a petal and threw it to the ground to join many others. Once done, she grabbed another flower on the ground, separated it from its roots with strength and proceeded to deflower it as well.
Why was she doing that?
Although curiosity had hit him, he couldn't let go of his anger first. She had worried him for nothing. "Delphina!" He called. "Come back here immediately!"
She stopped. Startled, she had let go of the flower on the floor, half-broken. Then, she did it the one thing he never thought she would ever do.
She obeyed.
She stood up and advanced slowly toward him, her hands tied together on her stomach, her head inclined toward the ground and in silence.
She didn't look at him or speak to him. It was a quite odd behavior from her. But since Apollo was tired and used to be obeyed, he would certainly not complain right now.
He turned around and walked to go back to the oak. The goddess followed him while maintaining her low profile. Once returned to the improvised bed, he ordered. "Sit."
She sat on the blanket. Without any complain. Still refusing to look at him. It was almost as if she felt nothing at all.
Apollo crouched and said. "Let me see your head." He touched her head where she had been hit by the Greeks who had assaulted her. He had healed her a little but he needed to verify how it had evolved. Maybe the impact still influenced her state.
He touched and pushed. Everything seemed back to normal. "Do you still feel in pain?" He shook her face to answer. Well, at least, she wasn't that reluctant to communicate.
"Good." He went to collect food brought by the raven servants near their bed. He took ambrosia and nectar and deposited them in front of her. "Now, eat."
In a hesitant and slow move, her hand approached and grabbed the golden food. She contemplated it for a while, analysing its nature and its texture as if she had never eaten that before.
Annoyed by this strange reluctance, he repeated. "Delphina! Eat!"
Startled, she finally took a bite.
Apollo regretted a little to have to raise his voice with her. On the other side, Delphina's presence always provoked in him a medley of contradictive emotions. His love for her remained strong like a curse. But his rage towards her couldn't be denied. He had to fulfill his need to care for her and on the other side, he couldn't prevent himself to be assertive with her with an iron hand. Right now, both feelings were easily satisfied by her submission.
And that was very abnormal. Delphina was never submissive. She would yell at him, roll her eyes, do nothing or even going against his instructions, but never give in like that.
In the actual context, he liked it. But his heart rang an alarming bell as an important part of her seemed gone.
While she was still eating, he decided to change his ideas by closing his eyes and using the sun to observe how Aeneas was going.
The group were eating some animals they had managed to kill in the morning and many berries that had collected. Everyone appeared fine. They had walked enough to find a place surrounded by hills to protect them from the cold wind, enough vegetation and small stones to provide with material, large trees to protect them from the hot temperature and a river nearby to drink some water. They were also far away enough to not be found by the Greeks.
Apollo offered them his protection. He used his healing powers to protect them from disease and heal quickly all their wounds. He brought them some harmony in order to maintain the group together. He also blessed the archers so they could capture more easily many preys to feed themselves.
Back in Troy, it was another story.
He felt so enraged. Priam, Hecuba and all these people that had been under his protection being treated worse than cattle. The Greeks had won with a ruse without any honor and true fair-play. If he had all the powers, he would have punished all of them but Zeus forbade it. He couldn't go against the will of his father.
His body trembled as he contained his dangerous ire as much as he could. Suddenly, he felt hands touching his neck behind him. He opened his eyes, his mind back to his current place. The fingers began to massage him and appease the tension in his muscles. They just knew the right spots where to push and provoke the moans of calmness.
He knew who it was from.
He turned his head and, gasping, Delphina retired her hands to put them on her knees and crouched back to the depression of the tree, her head low and silent. She seemed almost ashamed of her act as if she had outstepped her rights.
Apollo stared at her. She was back to her submissive position but for a single instant his old Delphina had been back. He touched his shoulders where he could still feel the marks of her touch. She had massaged him… Just like a long time ago every time he needed it.
'Apollo. You seem grumpy today. Would you to share with me what put you in that mood?' He remembered.
'Apollo, I know you are immortal but skipping sleep like that is no good. Just let me take care of the stiffness in your back before the beginning of your audiences of the day. Seriously.' He remembered.
'Apollo! Sorry for surprising you! I am just so happy that you are back from Hyperborea! The travel must have been extenuating. Just let me take care of you.'
The memories were too painful. He wanted to cry. He stared at her who appeared so absent and non-reactive. "Delphina?" They needed to get over it. He couldn't bear it anymore.
"Look at me."
It was the one order she would not resign to today. She turned her head, afraid to confront him.
Her attitude reminded him of another time: when Asclepius died. She had been in a similar mutism. The chagrin devouring a huge part of her soul, it had taken some time for her to open up to him.
But this time, it didn't seem like a mere shock caused by a grief, it was deeper in the worst sense.
This wasn't his Delphina.
This wasn't the woman he saw when he first opened his eyes the day of his birth. Where was the light that illuminated her face? Where was the compassion that made her loved by the mortals? Where was the playfulness that made her company so enjoyable? Where was the determination in her own conviction that made her so admirable?
"Delphina. Speak to me." She could yell at him. Still better than acting like a ghost.
Nothing.
Apollo sighed. He knew why she was in this mental state. He needed to speak first. "I'm sorry for not having been there on time. I really wish to have been able to save these children… And I know you did all your possible to save them as well. It wasn't your fault."
At the last sentence, she deliberately turned her back on him. The 'It wasn't your fault' didn't pass. Of course, she felt responsible, Apollo should have known better.
"I can let you know that I saved as many as I could on my side. So, not everybody died, ok?" But most did. That was what she would probably reply if she had the strength to talk.
Apollo knew it would take a big while to digest all the consequences of this terrible event. Delphina was known for being way too sensible. Having been a part of this struck her mind deeply even though she had been tricked by Odysseus.
He growled in frustration. He hated feeling powerless overall. He didn't know how to manage this tricky situation.
'Why are you complaining?' His subconscious told him. 'She stopped being mad at you and she is now completely submissive to you. Isn't what you wanted?'
Yes… Just not like this. He didn't want to end up with a lifeless doll.
He attempted again to connect with her. He took her by the shoulders and begged. "Please, Delphina, look at me!"
She only closed tightly her eyes, her lips sticked together, her cheeks red and hidden behind her hair. All he saw was fear and shame. A cowardice to confront her own problems including him.
He let her go, but not without groaning loudly. The sound made her quiver and she covered her face with her hands before crouching in the bed, definitely unable to stand up her own. She was lost, unable to decide how to react as if her brain had stopped working normally.
Apollo rose and told her. "I need to reflect. I will be back. You don't move! I want you there when I come back! Understood?"
She nodded.
Apollo turned his back on her and walked a little until he was far from her view so he could take a breath. He hated to lose his temper. He should not be that much authoritative with her in particular when he could clearly understand she was coping with a serious trauma but the line of his patience was constantly threatened to be crossed. He needed a moment to cool down.
Delphina had never been so close and yet so far from him. He knew the loving woman he loved was still there and willing to return his affection. However, if the barrier of hate and pride was finally demolished, another made of guilt and self-hatred had been erected. Easier to manage as he could finally approach her without being pushed away but it was no less exhausting.
Apollo needed to think about it. What he should do next? He couldn't bring her to Delphi since she was bound by an oath on the Styx River to not go back there on her own free will. Locking her there would not improve anything. He could bring her to his home on Olympus. But she wasn't very familiar to this place. He feared it would bring her much more anxiety. He didn't want to bring her to the sea yet. No! He would keep her by his side for a while whether she wanted it or not!
He noticed that he had reached a hill where he could have a good view to the walls of Troy, at the main gates. The Greeks were prepared for leaving, dragging the new slaves and packing all the stolen treasures. He interrupted his own thoughts when he noticed a figure at the top of the wall. A woman was screaming on the ground. Using his sight from the sun, he identified what was happening.
He lost his breath.
Andromache was crawling as she desperately watched Odysseus holding her baby in his arms. She cried, begged, implored, screamed as a madwoman. A broken mother who gave up what remained of her dignity in order to save her child. But no pity for Astyanax, son of Hector and last heir of the Trojan throne.
From the height of the wall, Odysseus let go of the crying toddler.
Apollo fell on his knees, closing his eyes, unable to witness this atrocious act. He had watched over Hector. He had seen his joy when his baby was born. The proud expression of a new father, something he had experimented when he held Asclepius for the first time in his arms. The heir that they had patiently waited for more than ten years.
Gone in order the avoid the prospect of revenge if he grew up.
He tapped on the ground. It was like losing Asclepius once again. Or Troilus. He could feel the pain of Andromache who has lost her husband, her child and her city echoing in his own heart.
And a feeling of guilt.
He remembered when and how the whole mess in his life truly exploded. When out of pride, he had killed the children of Niobe. The images of the children he had merciless struck with his arrows with the help of his twin came back to haunt him.
The sight of the distress of Niobe and her husband. He had felt no remorse back then. These kids just meant nothing to him, only what they meant to the ones that had offended him mattered.
He remembered Delphina's face when she found out what he had done.
He remembered her face yesterday when she had looked at the dead baby she had failed to protect.
He understood now… How much she had hated him. How much she had been disappointed in him. How much she felt guilt for what happened recently.
'I am the one responsible for that mess between us. I truly needed that punch to realise it.'
He had committed so many mistakes. He had hurt so many people in his life. Getting hurt as badly in return was probably a fitting punishment that he had been too stubborn to accept as he was too proud to confront his own faults. What an irony for the God of Truth to be able to be blind when it came to himself.
How could he hate these murderers when he was one himself?
Suddenly, his senses felt another presence near him. He looked up to whom was beside him. He gasped in horror.
At a few meters from him, Delphina stood motionless like a statue. Her eyes focussed on Troy without blinking once.
'Please! Don't tell me she has seen it!'
She was supposed to stay under the oak! Why did he follow him? Why did she dare to disobey right now? Why did she have to watch this when her mental health was already crumbling?
"Delphina!"
The goddess turned slowly to him. A sad smile. And overall, two pearls of water falling on her cheeks.
"DELPHINA!" He screamed louder and hurried up to comfort her. But he got stopped by the palm of her hand which indicated him to stop. He did it with reluctance. Bu then, she surprised him with her next move.
She squatted and she picked the first branch she found on the ground. She used it to trace lines on the dirt. Apollo easily understood that she was writing something as she still didn't have the strength to speak.
Once she finished, she stood up and he approached in order to see.
"I apologise." He read.
He heard a sob from her as she hid her face with her hand. He looked at her. His heart felt a warm he hadn't felt since a long time.
"I apologise too." The God of Truth confessed.
She cried once more. Unable to resist, he took a step closer. He caressed her arm with the end of his fingers. She shivered under the touch. He feared she would run away but she stayed there. The tension between them threaten to explode, begging for a release. And so…
Apollo embraced Delphina.
The goddess wanted to protest against this gesture of affection she didn't feel worthy of but as the powerful arms contracted her trembling body, submitting her to a love that never faded despite all the storms, she surrendered.
The hug tightened. The god would simply not let her go. He needed it as much she needed it. Her body stopped shaking, her face plunged in his chest and slowly, he felt her hands circling his torso. Those delicate fingers while caressed his skin and appeased him.
'Finally.'
And they comforted each other, so glad to be once again together.
…
Apollo still needed to reflect.
He was back under the oak with Delphina sleeping on his lap. He had insisted for her to take a nap as he could clearly see she was deeply emotionally exhausted. He caressed delicately her back and fully savoured the moment.
It felt so good being forgiven.
But what next? All he wanted was to bring her back to Delphi and restore their previous routine and hopefully with more intimacy this time. But her oath she had made a long time brought many complications.
He also wanted to take his time. Their relationship was still fragile and never again would he take it for granted. He acknowledged how much the Trojan war had affected her. He despised Thetis for having dragging her to this mess but blaming the Nereid when she had only wanted to protect her son‒a feeling he could totally relate to‒ would bring no good.
He also didn't know when she would have the strength to talk again. She was probably too afraid to say the wrong word as she struggled to cope with her own emotions. Her sensibility coupled with her pride never mixed very well. It may take years for her to get over these events and the role she played in it without wanting it.
Well… Like always, when it came to them, it had to be complicated.
He decided that the best thing would be to bring her to what she loves most than anything in this world: the sea and her dolphins.
He carefully took her in his arms and lifted her up. He maintained her asleep as he managed with a few efforts to reach the salt water. Once his feet plunged in the kingdom of Poseidon, he deposited her there. The contact with her element woke her up.
Worried, Apollo said. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to disturb your sleep. I just thought that as a water creature, being here would help you feel better."
Her whole body was lying down on the sand with a few centimeters of water surrounding her. She rose. She observed everywhere around her, silently without any facial expression betraying her inside feelings. Apollo watched over her attentively and protectively. He tried to guess what she was thinking. Such an anxious enigma.
She advanced into the water between the rocks. She reached a point where the surface stayed stable and where the sun created a mirror effect. She inclined her chin, staring at her own reflection. Many clouds passed in the sky as she continued to contemplate her own image.
All of a sudden, she slapped the water.
The violent act alarmed the god. "Delphina!"
She hit the water many times as she refused to allow her own reflection to come back. Apollo took her by the wrists firmly and forced her to look at him.
"Delphina, stop that!"
Like before, she obeyed. She just froze. She looked up. She seemed embarrassed but distressed as well. Quickly, Apollo replied. "Delphina, please… You need to cease this kind of self-denigration. Listen to me. I know what happened. But it is not your fault. It is just that bastard called Odysseus who tricked you and abused of your good reputation! But deep inside, you are still the same, I know it!"
She stared at him for some long minutes. Then, she shook her head negatively. She freed her wrists then went to the sand, squatted and began to write once again with her fingers.
Apollo was behind her, observing attentively. This was clearly the only way she felt comfortable to communicate with him. Now, just what she wanted to tell him?
What she wrote was kind of unexpected. And very simple.
'Cassandra.' He read.
Of course, he knew that name. He had courted her a long time. She had seriously wronged him and he had cursed her in retaliation. She wanted to tell prophecies? Well, let her deal with the downside of this power and accentuate it with the inability of being believed.
And yet, she still inspired him pity but it was too late.
But wait! Why Delphina had to mention this woman?
Apollo closed his eyes. He reflected. He remembered when Cassandra tried to warn the others for the Trojan horse. She had talked about the dolphins. She hadn't said Delphina's name out loud so the goddess probably didn't listen to it and stayed unaware of that event. Then, why would she write her name as if there was a link?
Is it possible she had met Cassandra?
Suddenly, everything appeared clear. He had wondered why Delphina was alone in Troy the other day when he received a vision of her in distress. He also knew that she would probably be immune to the curse.
He gasped at the realisation.
He opened his eyes and said. "You had been warned… You knew it could be a trick." It wasn't a question.
She looked down…in shame.
Apollo stepped back. The shock had fully captured him. It shouldn't affect him that much but it did. It just… It just…
Against the wisest advice, he left.
'Don't' His inside voice warned.
Just for a moment, he told himself.
He couldn't believe it. Delphina would have been so much cautious if she had gotten suspicions. Her sense of justice was too great. Never would she have accepted it unless she was too naïve while what was he believed. But she didn't. She allowed herself to fall into the trick. What would have pushed her to develop such a blind eye to her principles?
Monster
That was the word used by Cassandra. Too harsh, he thought. Yet, he concluded that it probably didn't refer to the dolphin itself…but to Delphina's pride.
His heart ached. He couldn't believe that. It was so much easier to believe she had just been tricked. And yet, he remembered how coldly she had looked at him. How much she seemed ready to hurt him further.
As the God of Truth, he had to face it.
He heard his name being spoken out loud. It came from the Trojan survivors. He closed his eyes and through the light of the sun, he observed what they said about him.
"Lord Apollo, we give you our most sincere praise and adoration for everything you have done for us. For offering your protection and your blessing." Aeneas, the leader, prayed.
"Glory to the Great Apollo!" The others exclaimed.
"May he help us to find another home where we will live in peace."
"He will! We have always been devoted to him. And never he let us down. Don't forget he is the protector of colonies. He will protect us from the wind, will prevent us to have hunger, will shield us from the danger of the sea."
"The danger of the sea? I hope so. We cannot trust Delphina on it anymore."
The declaration of the commoner triggered a portion of the group, but not as much as it should for good reasons. The guy just added. "Come on! We cannot lie to herself. The Goddess of Dolphins betrayed us! The princess Cassandra warned us about her and we didn't listen."
"Be quiet! You shouldn't speak like this about a goddess. In particular, someone dear to our good Lord Apollo." His wife interrupted.
But another person told. "I agree with him. By the way, we all know that Apollo and Delphina have been in war with each other. We also know she was close to Achilles. She probably wanted to have her revenge on his death."
Some agreed, others hesitated. The fact that nobody strongly opposed was very worrisome.
A woman said. "There must be some misunderstanding."
The first man quicky replied. "Do you think Cassandra would have described the dolphins as monsters if it was just some misunderstanding? First of all, there is no way she didn't know that there were people hiding in the horse. Or else, why would she have found so important to gain our trust by showing her dolphins? For someone known mostly for her neutrality, her behavior should have appeared so suspicious, in particular soon after the death of Achilles!"
Everybody nodded. "We need to all accept the truth. Delphina betrayed us and hurt us in the worst possible way. The Goddess doesn't deserve our respect anymore!"
Apollo stopped listening as he couldn't bear it longer. In normal circumstances, he would punish those mortals for talking like that about one of the three women he loved the most in this world. But… He just felt paralysed.
Why he had to be the God of Truth?
He heard a scream. His eyes opened widely as he recognized the voice. "Delphina!" Why did he leave alone?!
He ran. Fast. He needed to get back to her!
Too late.
When he arrived, she had disappeared. He searched everywhere and called her name countless times. Not a single trace of her. Pure silence. Panicked, Apollo quickly consulted the sun to see what had happened.
He saw the exact moment when she screamed… He never expected to see that.
She had transformed herself into a mermaid. But her tail was different. It had nothing to do with the dolphin one he was used to. No…it was a blue fish-like tail.
What the… What was that?!
Delphina looked up to the sun and although the sunray blinded her, he still could distinguish her face. He saw the tears. He saw the shame. He saw the guilt. He saw the despair. He saw her shattered soul.
Her name had been spoken out loud. She knew what they had said about her.
Then, hiding her face, she quickly plunged in the water.
He stopped the vision and looked straight to the sea.
He screamed with the whole capacity of his lungs.
"I hate you!" He yelled to the element. "You took her away from me again!"
What a bloody idiot he was! Why did he leave her like that?! After everything terrible he had himself committed without any mercy, how could he have dared to have this hypocrisy? A single instant had been enough to break her down indefinitely!
And for what he knew, something was wrong with her powers. If he had learnt one thing, it was that Delphina didn't forgive easily.
And now, she had to learn to forgive herself.
Her stare went dark. A fierce determination took over him.
Enough was enough! This time, he would not hesitate. He will take control of the matters between them.
He needed to talk with his father.
…
For ten years, no dolphin was seen.
Thank you for reading!
My mind: "Do you think you can write this chapter without making Delphina say a single word?" Me: "Challenge accepted!"
So, this is why this chapter took so long to write. It was so heavy in emotions that it was kind of tricky to get the right action, the right thought and the right feeling. In the end, I think I managed pretty fine.
It felt so good writing Apollo as the good guy! By the way, there is no proof that Apollo was there to protect Aeneas and his group but since he was the Patron God of Troy and he was the protector of colonies, I think it is pretty fitting. And like I said, I just wanted to show off his good side for once!
I know what some of you must be thinking: "Did she just kill another child?" It is the last one, I promise!
As you can guess, in the next chapter, we will have an ellipse of ten years. So, I separated these two once again, but it is very short (and Apollo will be way more active this time!) and I needed to do that for the following chapters.
If you know the Odyssey, guess which character will come back in the picture?
By the way, congratulations! You made it to the Breaking Point! That means the worse is done and the story will now gradually grow toward the happy ending!XD
I hope you liked it! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
See you soon!
