APOLLO

‘’Absolutely not’’ The brute man shouted in the temple as the woman made a choice.

‘’Myrto might be dying the moment we speak’’She stated

Hiding now to one of the pillars made me listen to the argument better than the woman’s room And none could see me or notice as everyone was talking about the girl with the name Myrto. Who was that one again?

A glimpse of a memory hit my bair as a shy girl, younger than sixteen, was trying to lurk around in the walls. Her eyes were curious as she watched every move I made by fighting the rest. It almost felt like Themis when she was watching me back then. Her knife on my throat, her judgment falling on me.

Coward traitor of Troy. How does your loyalty fall when someone mortall defies you?

Those were her words. Words that made my eyes bleed gold, making my words pointless.

But now they are shy girls…Such care of the shy mortal? Is that useful for her? I saw her for a moment but she did not seem that of importance.

‘’Myrto, will return sooner or later. If’’The man took a long silence. Was he trying to think what he would say next?

‘’She actually went to the cave, of course, she would be late.’’

‘’But’’ The fast woman tried to speak but the man cut her.

‘’No, we do not need to be more suspicious’’He explained.

Oh? A man of the rules. The first one to die probably or to run away.

‘’What about…’’The woman now had a normal calm tone. A skeptic one.’’We ask the king for help?’’

My head snapped as I heard that. An oracle, asking for help? My Oracle asking for help from a son of ‘Father’?

The brute man seemed to gulp.’’Are you stupid?’’

‘’You can find him and tell him that I saw a vision.’’ explained the woman.’’Twenty soldiers shall go to the cave where the son of Apollo lives.’’A long pause. ‘’There shall find a girl and a boy.’’

Huh, that did not seem a bad idea. If the brute man did not want her to get there then she would use others to…

Wait, why am I complimenting her? No, she was just the mortal who I had to punish.

The brute man agreed at the end and walked off.

It was pointless. I walked away from my hiding spot in the column before anyone would even notice my existence.

I had other things to take care of.

I hated that I had to walk towards the village. I could not fly, I could not run like the light, I could just…walk. My feet began to hurt.

The village was as small as I imagined. The people seemed to have few profits to sell and less seemed the money they were giving. The market had few people now, talking about the king being in the area while soldiers, dressed in blue capes and silver armor, were scouting all over the place.

They did not seem to need any secrecy, especially the main tall house that looked like it had more soldiers than the others. At the top of the marble building, there was an eagle, dressed in gold.

Of course, it would be the house the king would stay in.

Six moons…winter solstice…

Someone from the market started talking now about my child.

The monster had devoured more animals than in the past few years as they were even far from the cave. Sheep, cows, and a lot of curious kids started to go missing near the cave.

I grinned as I kept walking painfully and I found a glimpse of the brute man, moving inside the house while two soldiers accompanied him.

He would really ask a favor of him? Loyal man. Ares would definitely like him. He was as stupid as him.

But not as stupid as the soldiers who did not guard one window.

Jumping inside the house, I found statues of ‘Father’ sculpted all over the room. Watching me, studying me as if he was near.

A memory returned when the panic of Troy was getting higher and higher. Thunder erupted from the sky as if it was now all open. The pain around my body grew like someone struck me with all of their strength.

‘’What did you do?’’ He growled inside my head.

I fell on my knees near the balcony where Cassandra fell.

‘’I’’I tried to breathe.’’I did what I had to.’’’My voice broke.

He was always cruel to me. Even if it wasn’t my fault to be born, if it wasn’t my fault he stayed unloyal, he hated me with passion. Perhaps it was mostly because I looked like him. More than the rest.

‘’You sacrificed your side for your pride.’’

‘’I did what I had to do’’I said once again, staring at the sky with my eyes burning from the pain and letting my hands take an archer position. Aiming at the sky. The sun began to burn, and the light of the city grew more with the chaos going stronger. But I did not care. I had to make the pain stop.

‘’I am doing my best’’I gasped out loud, now back to the room, looking at the statue. How strange it was for the mortals to sculpt us in their image? Don’t they have fantasy? Or are they trying to pretend that we are equal to them?

I kept now moving slowly and carefully with the soldiers around the hall trying to watch for any intruder. Hiding like a rat. If I was at my full potential I could make the sun bright enough to make this entire house burn.

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I could make everyone burn.

I finally found the room where my brother was sitting, dining with soldiers all around him, followers of my father, and right in front of him was the brute, getting down on his knees.

Perseus stopped eating his pig and looked at the brute intrigued.

‘’Is this what your Oracle saw?’’He asked. ‘’Twenty of my men, fighting Python and winning, finding two people?’’

The brute nodded.

One of the followers of ‘Father’ rushed to his side. ‘’Speak to the king.’’He spat.

Perseus halted the man and smirked.’’I am not his king, I understand that he might not have the gratitude of-’’

‘’No, my king’’The brute finally spoke. ‘’He is right.’’

Perseus’ eyes opened wider, surprised by what he was seeing. Hasn’t he seen a mere mortal like him? First time getting out to see people after fighting monsters?

‘’Is it true then?’’He asked formally.

‘’Yes, my king’’He rasped.

Perseus hummed for a few seconds before smiling gently.’’Very well, twenty of my men it is’’

Both me and the brute stared at the king, shocked. He just gave them to him? Perseus pointed his two clean fingers and told him to send his best men to the cave.

Brute stood up and nodded, thanking him over and over.

‘’It was Apollo’s wish wasn’t it?’’Perseus laughed while the man was now escorted.

He was now dining once more in total silence before he spoke again.

‘’Would you like to eat with me, stranger?’’He asked, taking a bite from one of the legs.

My eyes snapped as I walked out. No need to hold behind the pillars now. Everyone’s sword at my side.

‘’Drop your weapons’’Perseus commanded.

Taking once again a look at him, he was someone that has earned his people's respect. Even the way he was eating was calm and delicate. Ws ‘father’ sure that this was his son?

I did not bow as I could now walk freely towards the man. Everyone’s eyes watching, studying me, searching for every secret I was hiding. I turned to one of the soldiers and smiled gently, making his cheeks flush behind his heavy helmet.

Now, standing in front of him, it almost felt unreal. But he was there.

‘’Would you like some of it?’’He asked., showing the dead animal.

‘’No, thank you’’I said and noticed that one of the followers of Zeus was looking at me with a piercing gaze.

‘’Shame, it is good’’Perseus pouted. ‘’But I believe that I had a better pig in one island that I traveled to years ago’’He muttered now as he was trying to remember.’’There was no sign of people and yet so many pigs, it could make two armies of them you know.’’

Wait island…Oh.

I chuckled as I heard a good joke.

‘’Now, will you tell me why you tried to sneak into my guest home?’’He asked me and fixed his beard.’’I remember you from the temple of Apollo.’’

I arched my brow. Did I get his attention?

‘’Oh, I am here to see if my oracle’s vision will come true.’’

‘’Lies your grace’’The follower of ‘father’ hissed. ‘’He is trouble, he will try to kill you.’’

‘’He is unarmed’’stated Perseus with an almost childish pout.

‘’I saw what he did to our Priest,’’ He explained. ‘’He…’’

I frowned.

‘’I might have scared him a little,’’I explained.

‘’You threatened him’’Hissed once again the follower.’’Is this what your oracle wants?’’

I narrowed and was ready to speak.

‘’Now, will you leave us all alone?’’Perseus asked, looking at the follower and one of his guards. They all replied with a nodding head and as they all left I found a glimpse of the follower, his lips curving a long grin.

What was that about?

Perseus hummed as he poured just by himself a cup of wine.

‘’Does your oracle know you are here?’’

‘’No sir, she doesn’t but if she even did…’’I tried to play that I actually believed her lies, her false prophecies.’’She did not seem to have stopped me’’

There was a slight smile coming from his beard.

‘’What do you know about me, boy?’’He asked me with a cold deadly gaze. Just like the one ‘Father’ has.

‘’I know that you were a mighty warrior, killer of beasts, monster, great fighter and now a great king’’I admitted. Nothing that I did not learn from Hermes.

His brow arched now, growing more curious. ‘’I see’’

Huh?

‘’So who are you, young boy?’’His voice became deeper.

I gulped. ‘’My name is Paris, I am a follower of Apollo.’’

He laughed the moment I introduced myself. ‘’A follower of Apollo, son of Zeus’’He kept laughing.’’And you don't believe that I am also one of his?’’

Oh.

I looked down, trying to be intimidated.’’Forgive me, I spoke lies.’’

‘’A follower of Apollo can lie?’’ He almost laughed this time. Didn’t he believe me? Or was it something else? Didn’t he believe the woman’s words?

‘’May I ask a question, my king?’’I tried to look above him without any thought of punching his face.’’Why are you here? Helping mere mortals? Staying like a common noble?’’

No response for a while.

‘’Are you suggesting that I should not help?’’

‘’You are a king. A son of…of Zeus’’I tried to take a deep breath.’’Someone with your status should not be here. Someone with your blood….’’

The image of the mortal woman once more. Liar and deceiver, Greedy mere mortal who was looking at me so common. Such an interesting girl but still mere. Clever but yet someone’s attention like a half god’s or someone Olympian shouldn’t be drawn to her.

He stayed silent again, this time longer. Had he fallen asleep?

‘’I’’His loud voice snapped me out and looked at him. Why did it snap me out? Why?

‘’I was once to my lowest, imprisoned in a kingdom, trying to save someone dear to me…’’Another long pause.’’When you are the lowest of your life, you will try and see the mere.’’He arched his brow. ‘’The common things differently.’’

Mortal lives are simple numbers. ‘Father always told. Their existence is to bow their heads to us like sheep. But you will appreciate the sheep that wears gold. Because their words will matter most for our existence. And the rest of the cattle will always follow the most bright.

‘’Why?’’I parted my mouth. Perseus looked at me curious.

But instead of talking again, I walked away.

He was nothing like ‘Father’. He had his eyes, the eyes that spoke pride but his words, his presence were kind. Were pure even of what he wanted conquest. Every word he was speaking the truth? He cared for the mere, for the common. And ‘Father’ loved him, making a feast for him while his Olympian children were suffering the punishment. To humiliate us while we broke no oath and he broke his.

Why him? Why not me?