7DeadlySins: I understand your point of view. Delphina wasn't that mad (mostly surprised) mainly because she was too much thinking about her own guilt from the past. At least, Apollo apologized. He realised he went too far. This just shows how much they are complexe characters.
Guest: Contente que tu trouves que j'écris bien. Dix ans auparavant, je n'aurais pas pu écrire cette histoire tellement mon anglais était pourri!XD Et moi aussi, cela me déprime de voir Apollon aussi peu chanceux en amour, d'où l'idée de cette histoire.
Lilii: I am so glad that you like my interpretations! I hope that you will like what will come next.
Rosewater: I agree that there are very few Apollo stories. It is such a pity because he is a very fascinating character!
Thank you for your comments!
Chapter 12: Arion
He was in Sicily. A young man with curly brown-red hair and wearing a blue tunic with a red cloak. In front of the audience in the middle of the Greek-style theater, he held his lyre with the same attention a mother gave to her child. Silence ruled the place. He was ready.
His fingers hit the strings with expertise. It resulted a heavenly melody. Charming, with a certain beat that inspired joy and fun. In fact, it was pretty hard to give an accurate description of the sound. Everybody lucky enough to listen to this magic would agree that it was unique. Something they never heard before. It was like if Apollo himself was playing for them in disguise. Insanely and freaking beautiful. It commanded each person blessed with ears to stay in place and listen, savouring an experience that seemed divine.
When he finished, all the people who assisted at the prowess stood up and clapped their hands loudly. There were no doubts about who was going to win the music contest.
His name was Arion of Corinth.
Pleased by the reaction, the winner bowed to them to thank them for the demonstration of appreciation. Once the judges gave him the first prize rightfully deserved, people came to him, begging him to stay in Sicily. They wanted the virtuoso to play music for them every day and forever.
Flattered by the offer, he politely refused. He promised to his king to come back to Corinth after the contest. And for him, a promise was unbreakable.
He took the bag of silver he won, thanked everybody for their hospitality and prepared himself. The day after, he went to the port.
There, he found a Corinthian ship owned by merchants. The captain had been trusted by the King of Corinth to make Arion travel safely on the sea. And so, without any fear, he embarked on the boat, ready to return to his home.
But jealousy was a sin very common among mortals. The crew became envious when they discovered all the wealth Arion had accumulated. They worked so much harder. Why a musician should be far richer than them?
And since everyone agreed on the thought…they plotted.
Arion wasn't safe at all.
…
Delphina felt happy. Today she came to visit her sister Calypso. It had been such a while since her last visit. The distance between them and their duties often got in the way. Nevertheless, their sibling bond remained strong.
Her twin now lived in Ogygia. A sumptuous island where she ruled with the companionship of some other nymphs. There, she showed her new talents. Calypso had developed her own magical powers. And they were incredible.
She built a big palace inside a cave where plants grew everywhere with the help of a light that penetrated the cave through an artificial sky. The trees were full of fruits that invited birds to make this place their home. A fountain produced a small river flowing in the cave. All around her, Calypso had collected and created many precious objects adorning the room. The richness of vases, fabrics, statues and other stuff appeared as the perfect treasure for a merchant.
In conclusion, Calypso had transformed this cave into a palace worthy of the gods.
The Goddess of Dolphins was truly amazed. "Wow! Calypso! It's incredible. I cannot believe you made all of this. You have become so much powerful. Your magic is greater than mine for sure. I wonder if each nymph possesses that kind of potential. Even the Olympians would be impressed by this!"
"Thank you, sister. It took me so much efforts but it was worth it."
"Obviously. And now, what are you going to do with this new talent of yours? Are you going to share it with the mortals? Do you have any projects?"
"For the moment, I don't know. I don't even know how to use this magic to be honest. It is more for myself… And for you as well."
"Calypso?"
"Remember when we were kids. You dreamed to travel through the sea. You wanted to go on adventures and find a sanctuary for only you and me… I felt like this grotto could be this place."
Delphina was uncomfortable and a little sad. She didn't want to hurt her sister but…but…
"Calypso… We grew up. We changed. I have responsibilities now."
"I know." The nymph replied. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to sound like that. It is just that I wish you would visit me more often."
So that was the reason. It saddened Delphina even more. Between her role as the Goddess of Dolphins and patron goddess of Delphi, she hardly found time to go visit her dear sibling. Something that always would have been unthinkable but was truly happening. She totally felt ashamed.
"Sorry, I should try to visit more often. I just…" What kind of excuse could she provide?
"It's alright. I know that you have duties now. By the way, I am the one who decided to live so far from our previous home. So, I have my part of responsibilities."
"Calypso…"
"Forget it, ok? Now, let's enjoy our time together! What would you like to do?"
"Well… I would like to go swim with you. It has been such a long time."
"That's perfect… Your dolphins will be with us?"
"Of course, why not?"
The way the braided-haired nymph looked at her… Delphina had the impression there was something her sister didn't want to tell. She prayed it was only an impression.
"You truly love them, right?" Calypso suddenly asked.
"Of course, they are my children, after all! I became who I am now because of them. You also love them, right?"
"Of course, I love them! This is why I asked the question. Let's go!"
That represented such a fast change of attitude. Delphina wasn't even sure if she should be worried or not. Calypso became more enigmatic, for sure. She now lived on this island where she developed an insane magic that she didn't know how to use it. The Goddess couldn't even guess her motivations.
She felt like there was something she didn't understand about her sibling. Did things changed that much since the day she became the Goddess of Dolphins?
But seeing her sister truly enthusiast about going to swim like in the good old days chased her worries away. Somehow, she changed but remained the same in a good way.
And they both spent the perfect afternoon, laughing and playing together, letting their inner childhood getting out.
They were happy.
...
Arion couldn't believe what was happening. The sailors who were ordered to transport him back to Corinth betrayed him. Once they had left the port, they all turned their back on him, circling and threatening him with their swords. Not an ounce of mercy could be read in their eyes. Only murder and revenge. He panicked. The captain came to him.
"Why?" The musician asked anxiously.
"You want to know why? You have got so much money by only playing a musical instrument when we are struggling despite the fact we are doing a so far harder job!"
Arion took a step backward by instinct, holding his lyre strongly against his chest. The captain's fury reflected in his eyes scared him.
"You understood that it is completely unfair!" The sailor pursued. "You may be talented but you don't deserve to be so rich! So, we are just going to take the opportunity to improve our own situation!"
"You want to steal my fortune, do you? Well, if it can make you happy, then, take it. I don't really need it anyway."
Sadly for Arion, instead to get an agreement, all the matelots began to laugh.
"Seriously?" The captain asked. "Do you think that by just giving your money, we will spare you? Ho! No! We are not fouls! We perfectly guess that as soon we will be back at Corinth, you will tell everything to the king and we will be in huge trouble! Sorry, but we cannot take the risk. We have no other choice but to kill you!"
Arion trembled in fear. He didn't want to die. He was still young and enjoyed life too much. He wanted to play his lyre again and share this talent with so many other people. But, in his current situation, it was pointless. His fate was sealed…
Wait! They were above the sea. So maybe… Yeah! He had to try!
"Fine. I understand, but… May I have one last wish, please?"
"Well, it will depend. What is it?"
"I would like to be able to play one song with my lyre. Just a last one, here, right now, before I die."
All the sailors were confused by the request. They expected to be asked to do a task for him. Like saying goodbye to someone for him… Not that. The captain looked at all his subordinates. They all appeared confused but not protesting. After all, why not? Arion was truly a skilled musician. It would be nice to be the last people to hear him play before his death. What a great story to share with their children!
And so, they complied with his wish.
Grateful, Arion bowed before them and held his lyre. He took a breath. And he played the song. A hymn to the God of Music, Apollo… And a friend of the one that could save him.
…
It was time for Delphina to leave. Her duties required her to go back to Greece. She stared at Calypso. Her dear sister, the person she loved the most. Again, they will be separated for a long moment.
Delphina loved her but she still felt like there was something wrong with her sibling. Her new life certainly changed her. How? She clearly couldn't tell it. But she felt the change. She doubted she liked it. She only hoped it would not increase through the years when her duties would keep them more apart.
"Are you sure you will be fine?"
"Ho! Please, Delphina! Trust me when I tell you that I am feeling alright. It is nothing more than a little stress. Taking care of an island represents more work than you can believe it is!"
The goddess laughed. "Ok! I trust you. You will always tell me when there will be something wrong."
"Yes. And try to visit me more often! I always miss you."
"So do I. I promise to visit more frequently! Goodbye!"
And after these last words, Delphina finally plunged into the sea in her mermaid form, ready to return to Greece. Her dolphins were gone already. But she was going to join them quickly…
Until she heard a melody. A type of sound she recognized easily: a lyre. And by Zeus, the music was so amazing!
But it didn't come from Apollo. She just knew it wasn't him.
It came from the middle of the sea. And somehow it sounded like a call for her. And out of curiosity, she swam toward it.
As a very fast swimmer, it didn't take a long time for her to reach the boat where the captivating music was played. So surprising that she had been able to hear the music from so far. But on the other side, it really sounded like a call for her. Like a prayer for her disguised as a praise for Apollo. A true creative prowess. But why someone would do that?
She got her head at the surface. But from a long distance enough to not be seen but allowing her to observe the situation. She needed to understand what was happening. Why did she feel so much drawn to the song?
Suddenly, when the song ended, the musician jumped overboard and fell into the water. To the surprise of not only herself but also the whole crew!
What was happening?!
Delphina wanted to go to the rescue, but she first waited. Maybe the sailors would come to his rescue themselves.
"Let's go!" The captain screamed. "He chose to kill himself. Take his wealth! Now, direction to Corinth."
What?! The goddess was very confused but she at least understood they were not nice guys at all. She plunged into the sea. She spotted the musician sinking to the abyss, holding his lyre, not even trying to survive. She swam to him and took the young man in her arms. She had to be fast. Following her instinct, she transported him very far from the ship. Out of the sight of the sailors who were leaving.
Quickly, she hit the surface with the human in her arms. She heard him coughing in order to eject the water out of his mouth and breathe again. She maintained him like that for a moment, giving him time to get back to his senses after the shock.
"Calm down." She told him with her sweet voice. "You are not going to die."
He finally realized he was in the arms of a woman… More exactly a mermaid.
"You are the goddess Delphina?" He asked.
"Yes, I am. Listen, I don't have that much energy with me and we are far from land, so tell me where you want me to bring you so we can hurry without losing any time."
"Oh! Of course, please, bring me home. At Corinth."
Ok! It was far from here. It would be hard to swim with him in her arms until they reach the destination. And since she didn't have her dolphins with her, she will need to become one.
"Great! Hold on to my fin!"
And after saying that, she turned her whole body into a dolphin with its grey back, its white belly and its shade of yellow of the sides. A little surprised by the metamorphosis, Arion still got the reflex to use a hand to hold on to the dorsal fin of the goddess, the other holding the lyre.
And Delphina swam with difficulty considering the weight on her back and the distance to cross. She could call her dolphins for help but feeling particularly stubborn, she decided to keep going all by herself.
Clearly, it was a long travel. But in the end, she reached the coasts of Corinth. It was a long wall of rock with a sandy beach at its feet. Delphina brought the mortal there, completely tired.
When the water wasn't too deep anymore to sink, Arion stood on his feet, happy to finally feel the ground. But he was cold, wet and tired. He almost died! What a terrific experience! Yet, he survived, despite a lot of adrenaline and fear.
He turned to look at the goddess, still in the shape of a dolphin. "Dear Delphina, I am so grateful toward you for saving my life!"
Delphina had lost all of her energy. Now that she had accomplished her mission, she just wanted to stay there, resting. But she still desired to be enlightened about what just happened. "It was nothing. Can you just tell me who you are and why you jumped in the water?"
"With pleasure, My Lady. My name is Arion, musician and friend of Periander, King of Corinth. I was in Sicily where I performed in order to win a contest. I charmed the listeners so well that people wanted me to stay and play for them every day. But I was faithful to my friend, the king, and I promised to come back. I always keep my promise. I embarked on a ship that was entrusted to bring me safely to Corinth. Unfortunately, the sailor revealed their true nature. They had planned to steal the bag of silver that I received as a prize for the contest and to kill me. I asked them to allow me to play one last song with my lyre before going to Hades… And I jumped overboard, praying that my song praising your friend, the Great Apollo, would be enough to attract you. After all, you are known for loving music."
Delphina understood. He couldn't have prayed directly to her since it would have drawn suspicions from the crew who would not have let him jump into the sea in reaction so he had tried to use music in order to bring her to his rescue. Very clever.
She also understood why the music sounded so beautiful. She heard about Arion. Apollo himself truly admired the skills of the mortal who thankfully knew how to be humble despite the insane talents. And she shared his admiration.
"Such a bad experience you went through, young man." The goddess answered. "I am glad I was able to save your life. Now, you should go back to your home."
"But, Lady Delphina, you look weak. Can I do something to help you in return?"
"No need to. I am just going to rest here for a moment. To recharge my energy. Trust me, I am used to it."
"You put so much effort for my rescue. It's incredible. I shall ask for a big temple to be erected in your honor!"
"No please! I am not that kind of divinity! I am just happy to have been able to help you, Arion."
"But…"
"But if you really want to thank me. Then, you can come near the sea more often and play music for my dolphins. They would love that!"
Arion wanted to protest but he found it would be a good idea. To play his lyre for the greatest creatures from the sea would represent a big honor. And so, he bowed in front of the deity and walked to the shore, in direction of the palace of Corinth.
Meanwhile, Delphina stayed there, totally extenuated. She turned back into a mermaid. She advanced until she could lie down on the beach. With her back on the sand, welcoming the waves on her body, she relaxed under the sun.
Until she heard someone. "There you are."
She slowly turned her head to her left. In front of her, a familiar god stood. Easily recognizable with his curly gray-brown hair, his white tunic, his caduceus with his cap and sandals both winged.
"Hermes, you came here very quickly."
"Nothing less you could expect from the fastest god. By Zeus, you look a little exhausted. Have you exercised too much?"
"Kind of. My job can do that."
"I see. Well, you should get up very soon. I know someone who is watching over you from the sun and is very impatient to see you again after your travel."
The mermaid smiled. She guessed too easily who he was referring to. "You came here only to tell me that?"
"Kind of. But also, I wanted to see how you were doing. Seriously, next time, you should call your dolphins for help. They are there for a reason."
"You are right. I learnt my lesson."
"And you should keep an eye on this young man, Arion. I have the feeling he is doing to do something. Goodbye."
She was about to ask for more precision, but the god was gone already at the speed of light. She kept lying down there for a while before returning to the sea where she took the road toward Delphi.
…
Periander, an old bearded man and the king of Corinth, couldn't hide his happiness when he saw his dear friend, Arion, back home. However he didn't expect to find him wet and alone. Worried, he ordered his servants to provide care for the musician. Once he was washed, fed and properly clothed, Arion entered the throne room where his presence was required for an audience.
In front of his monarch, he bowed. "Sir, you asked to see me."
"Obviously, I did. I need to know what happened to you. So please, tell me everything."
"Of course, Sir." And he told the whole tale of his journey. The contest, the betrayal of the sailors and finally, the rescue by the Goddess of Dolphins.
"You encountered Delphina?" The king said. "And you say that she brought you here to safety? Wow! How lucky you are to have been able to get her attention."
"I was only able to find a good way to call her without praying to her directly. All with the power of my music. I knew she would come. She deserves her reputation as one of the kindest goddesses. She didn't ask for any kind of honor, only for me to play for the dolphins, but…"
"But?"
"But I still want to honor her. The fact that she didn't want any great gifts ironically makes her even more deserving to receive one."
"I agree with you. I already know how to properly honor the Goddess of Dolphins. But first, we need to take care of the merchants who betrayed you!"
…
The ship of the men who attempted to kill Arion finally arrived at the harbour of Corinth. Most of them were happy with the money they got. But others were superstitious. Everyone knew the existence of the Goddess of Dolphins. What if she came to save him? Yet, they didn't see a single dolphin out there when Arion drowned. So, even if she came, she couldn't have saved him in time, right? But on the other side, why Arion would have killed himself by jumping into the sea? After all, dying at the sea was the worst since they was no proper burial on land. Arion couldn't have risked to live the torment that came with not being able to cross the Styx in the Underworld. It would be too stupid!
No need to say that doubts planned above the crew. And anxiety invaded them even more when the king's guards came to them as soon they put their feet on the shore. They were ordered to come to the royal palace.
The captain penetrated inside the throne room where Periander was waiting for them. With a sad face, he opened his arms in a welcome gesture before to say. "Dear men, I entrusted you to take Arion to Sicily and to bring him back here safely. But I strangely don't see him with you."
The captain decided to answer. He was prepared for this situation. "Your Majesty. I am very sorry to announce you that Arion doesn't belong to this world anymore. On the boat, he dared to brag that he was a better musician than Apollo himself. We tried to warn him about the danger of hubris, but he didn't listen. Suddenly, a huge wave hit the ship and Arion fell in the water. We tried to save him but it was too late. Poseidon took him to drown. No one can insult the gods without consequences. We are sorry for your loss."
"No, you are not." The king replied angrily.
The crew was afraid by the sudden change of attitude of the monarch. What did he mean? And suddenly, to answer their question, Arion entered the room, wearing the same attire he wore the last time they saw him.
Fear expanded in their bodies quickly like a thunderbolt. It was impossible! Was he a ghost? They all fell on the floor at the feet of the victim of their villainy, begging for forgiveness, admitting their awful betrayal.
However, Periander, furious, would hear none of their pleas. "I trusted you and you attempted to kill one of my best friends! And you dare to ask me to spare your lives?"
"We are sorry, My King!"
"Your Majesty." Arion intervened. "I would like to ask you to spare their lives. I don't want to be a revenge hungry man. You may punish them. But give them a softer sentence."
"If it is your desire, Arion." Then, Periander ordered the captain and his crew to be banished forever from Corinth and to never seek to put their feet in the kingdom again.
And to commemorate this incredible miracle, the king commanded a bronze statue to be build close to the temple of Poseidon. A monument representing Arion riding a dolphin.
And everybody from all corners of the world travelled to Corinth to hear Arion play and sing. He took the opportunity to share his tale and praise the goddess Delphina through his songs. And of course, he kept his promise to always come to the shore and play music for the pods of dolphin.
He totally contributed to the divinisation of the creature. All by thankfulness.
…
Delphina opened her eyes. In front of her, Apollo stood, taking his hands off her head. She had asked him to use his powers to share with her his vision from the sun.
Sha had seen it all. She was touched by Arion's acts. He was totally not obligated to honor what represented for her only a simple job but he did it anyway. She still appreciated the attention.
Apollo spoke. "I have a prophetic vison of your worship growing immensely, following this event. Poets and singers will celebrate the beauty, the grace and the compassion of you and your dolphins. People will travel to admire the statue of you carrying Arion on your back. People will learn that they can trust you no matter what happens."
"You talk like if they didn't before."
"They thought they did. But you are a goddess and like most gods, you can inspire fear, whether you want it or not. But now, with the world wide famous Arion as your devoted worshipper, expect most doubts to disappear. They will know what a pure being you are."
"Ho! Apollo…" Delphina whispered. "Don't overpraise me. It is too much expectations for me to live up to. I'm not pure."
"You are right. You would be perfect if you weren't a stubborn girl who loves to push her own limits uselessly."
"Eh! That's not nice at all!"
"Well. Next time, don't do all the work by yourself. Call the dolphins to help you. They are there for a reason."
Delphina laughed with sarcasm. "Be careful. Repeating Hermes 'words doesn't suit you so well."
"I am the God of Truth. If someone says the truth, it is normal for me to confirm it."
"You should know that it was a very good workout for me to do all the rescue alone!"
"Whatever."
And again, they would argue for a while in front of the servants of the palace. Never aggressively. More for fun.
But time will prove that Apollo was right once again. Dolphins became even more venerated when people heard about the tale of the famous singer Arion. And Delphina couldn't be prouder of the lightness she was able to bring to the world.
Thank you for reading.
I know that it was not the most exciting chapter. But I couldn't write a story about the dolphin and not include the myth of Arion and the dolphin.
This is a myth that it is said to be set around 700 BC. That means far after the Trojar War... But I don't care!XD
Of course, I did some obligatory modifications for my story. For example, Periander didn't believe that Arion was saved by a dolphin. In a world where Delphina would exist, I had to change it!
Anyway, this myth is also an alternative version of the origin of the constellation of Delphinius (the main one being the myth of Poseidon and Amphitrite). This shows how much this story is important to the mythology of the dolphin!
I hope you enjoyed it. Your hint for the next chapter: Raven.
See you soon!