LYSSANDRA

The Minoan ship belonged to the king of Knossos. After harsh travels and forceful partnerships, we and the crew got close to each other. I could see Adamantious trying to spar with them while Thais was trying to learn and flirt with the blushing men.

I could see her eyes gazing upon me, moving her brow as if I could also join her.

Instead, I shook my head and swallowed a few daphne leaves from my small bag, and with one lift of my face, I found a pair of silver wings moving to my side. Landing on my lap, I could see the gray hawk playing with his head, trying to move closer to me. I let out a laugh and started patting it until I noticed that there was a scroll wrapped around his small leg with a rope.

Messenger? Here?

‘’How are you today Oracle?’’ Captain’s dark brow rose up and I tried to cover myself with the veil better. I nodded and smiled at the friendly captain. For the past few days, he was always kind and gentle to me, offering every help that I needed. He was scaring me.

I showed him the hawk.’’I did not know that they can send hawks on the sea.’’

‘Well, oracle, they are well trained, and ‘’A chuckle formed around his gray beard. ‘’Very expensive.’’ His eyes turned to the people with oars that were moving their hands faster than before.

‘’Seems that they are all healthy now. I tried to stop the silence and he nodded.

‘’Thanks to you,’’ He tilted his head and the hawk flew away. ‘’We should have heard you when you told us.’’

‘’Well’’I giggled. ‘’I hope that the people on the land will believe me faster.

I gulped and tried to face away. Wrong words wrong words. But the captain did not seem angry.

There was laughter coming from his grayish beard and sat next to me, looking up at the sky. I tried to mimic him but the moment the sun fell to my eyes I started tearing up so I looked down.

‘’And what does this prophet need to find in the Minoan empire?’’

Well, Corinth was our destination but we slept in the wrong box.

‘’They won’t like you there’’He kept informing me.

‘’Because they are following God Zeus? How can you be so certain?’’I arched my brow as I was trying to hold the shock inside me. If I was born a man I could have been a phenomenal actor.

He let out a smirk and revealed from below him a flask with red liquid dripping down to the wood.

‘’I am certain when they decided to throw prophets of Poseidon from the cliffs.’’

I gulped harshly and looked around the sea with a soft smile.

‘’Seems that he is not upset.’’I chuckled and he laughed back as he finally took the scroll from the hawk's leg and let it fly away freely.

As he started reading it I could see how slowly his face began to lose the drinking color. His eyes darted and then he turned on me, muttering uncertain words. None of us spoke as the crew was laughing and dancing with Adamantious and Thais. One of them seemed to have pulled Thais even closer to him and she did not mind.

‘’I..’’The captain cleared his throat and stood up.’’I shall leave you rest’’

My eye found him moving on his cabinet for a few minutes. Then, he walked out of it drenched with worry and no scroll.

When the coast was clear it was my turn to sneak in.

Inside his small cabinet, there was not much space for people to sleep or even stand. There were flags and even heavy jewels hanging from the ceiling. But now I could see what he was hiding. In front of me, near the end, there was a table that had a statue of a man holding a trident.

It was not from wood but from marble as it was also painted. Around the table, there were also bright candles and gold with grapes moving around it.

And then, there was a chirping sound, coming right next to me. The silver hawk stared at me and then pointed with his beak down to the mattress. There was the scroll rolled up and when I started reading it, the door opened again, making the hawk fly away from me.

‘’What are you doing here Oracle?’’

I moved the scroll back on the bed and started walking around to the right place, around the heavy fabrics, trying to lose him.

LIE WOMAN LIEEE.

‘’I am so sorry captain but my god told me to be here’’

LIE BETTER WOMAN.

‘’So you saw it.’’He rasped and I finally found the exit where the old man was guarding it.

I stood silent before he pointed at the Poseidon altar. Didn’t pay enough attention to it but it was still impressive that the candles hadn’t destroyed anything yet.

‘’It’s a beautiful altar’’I moved closer to him, trying to walk away with the hawk watching me.

What a strange bird.

‘’Do not worry captain, I would never interfere with someone's beliefs.

No response.

I blinked as I turned to him who had his back now covering the door.

And I touched my chest slowly, trying to command my heart to stop beating so fast.

The man laughed and moved closer to my side.

‘’I went to Delphi once’’He announced. ‘’The Pythia that was back then had this empty gaze in her eyes, her mouth was foaming with green smoke as for every expression seemed dead..’’Another gaze fell on me. ‘’You are not like her though’’

I am not that high.

‘’I am not a Pythia you see’’I grinned and lowered my head as I walked away.

The captain’s mouth formed a smile and finally let me pass through.

That night it was heavily cold with Adamantious giving me heavy wolf fur.

I nodded as I noticed that the entire crew was wearing wolf fur too.

I tried curling around the fur with Thais moving to us all drunk and in love. Adamantious did not seem to approve of the tall man who was winking at his sister.

‘’He told me that tomorrow we will be in Crete.’’ She kept winking at him and Adamatnious growled.’’He …told you when?’’

‘’Just now,’’She laughed.

‘’Now when you were kissing him?’’

Thais blinked and let out a cocky look. ‘’Stop looking at me when I am romancing. It is disgusting.’’

‘’Romancing?’’He laughed and I let out a cough.

‘’When exactly will we find land?’’I asked Thais.

She sat near me and let out a heavy sigh, watching the others sailing or talking with heavy wine in their hands.

‘’Around sunrise’’

I nodded and touched the scar on my eye.

‘’We have to leave the ship before that.’’

Three people as stowaways? Well the way you described them seems interesting enough. Bring them all to the palace, the king seems to need new slaves.

That was what the scroll had written.

We all had our guard up while half of the crew had fallen asleep. So my search began for everything. I found a few boxes on the corner of the deck and tried to open them slowly.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Food. They were bringing food. Northern fruits, fish, and as I sank my hand even lower.

I darted as I felt the cold bronze against my skin.

‘’Who is there?’’The captain approached closer and I panicked, doing everything fast. Wrapping myself with the fur, I could see him putting off his torch as the sun was slowly rising.

He had that skeptical look again. Above his shoulder there was a silver falcon, cleaning his beak with his feather.

‘’All alone here my oracle?’’He smirked cruelly, exposing his true colors.’’Where are the others.’’

One voice shouted. ‘’ARRIVING AT THE SHORE’’

I replied with a smile and tried to avoid him by lying that they were resting. Not that they were ready to jump from the ship.

He laughed once more with his hands forcing my veil down and exposing my face. And his smile faded. Becoming more distant, more…more disgusted.

Disappointed for what he was going to send to a kong.

‘’I am sorry captain’’I pouted, moving the veil above my hair. ‘’But I need to find the rest.’’

And then he grabbed my arm, stopping me from moving entirely.

‘’Now oracle,’’He whispered to my ear.’’We both know how it will end don’t you?’’

Did he realize that I was a fake? Or was he talking about my vision? I faced him narrowly and moved my lips for only two certain people who were paying more attention than anyone else right now.

Jump, go to the land, I will find you on one moon in the port

With no hesitation, they both jumped from the ship letting a big splash. Some men tried to turn on them but as I was fast, I grabbed the solver hawk from the captain and rushed to the other side of the ship.

Everyone moved now at me, drawing everyone’s attention far before the swimming siblings.

The captain narrowed as he offered his hand so I could give him the hawk who was pinching my skin, letting blood drop on the ship.

‘’You are an insane oracle aren’t you?’’

I flinched when the Hawk kept attacking me.

‘’They are trained correctly?’’I arched my brow. ‘’And expensive.’’

The man kept looking furious and my grip became stronger and the blood kept dripping.

‘’Shall we find them?’’A voice whispered near the captain, who seemed almost disappointed.

‘’She will be enough.’’

They kept me all wrapped with a tightrope near the boxes. I could not move a muscle as the crew mates were now looking at me with a familiar gaze which made my core ache in pain.

But the captain arrived, showing his sword at them.’’Do not play with her, she is an oracle.’’

And everyone obeyed with a simple move of his threat and his powerful words.

And he took a small look at me.’’Who knows what her god will do if he finds out?’’

‘’You will sell me to the king’’I looked above the sky with the captain laughing. ‘’Don’t you think that my god will be upset?’’I let out a bitter laugh and then my smile faded as I realized everything slowly. Stupid people. But the captain seemed to laugh at the expression I was wearing.

They finally threw the anchor and one man carried my body above his shoulder, wrapping his hand around my waist. I could struggle. But I could also see that everyone was armed. And it was my first time in Knossos. I wouldn’t waste my time by panicking, calling for help that would not come.

The buildings were nothing like I had gotten used to. Their structure seemed so asymmetrical and yet people were getting in and out, chatting and laughing. There were people playing music with their flutes and at the center of it there was a beautiful woman with dark curls and dark olive skin dancing with red ribbons on her hand as her face was painted white and her chest was…

‘’Such a strong heartbeat.’’The man called me out with a laugh.’’You finally start getting afraid? ‘’

I did not speak as another glimpse of the city with the fruitful market and with people wearing chains and collars all around their limbs. In front of those people, it seemed a rich man was holding a thin long stick as his appearance was probably just like his personality.

‘’Move’’He growled, hitting them with a stick on one of the slaves’ backs, making them scream in pain.

‘’You shall be lucky. ‘’Captain's voice approached as he was riding now upon a chestnut horse.’’You will be a slave of a king.’’He laughed heavily and leaned closer to me.

I tried to avoid him but looking back I could see a pair of figures staying still behind a building as if they were waiting for something.

A moon.

The palace was greater than the buildings before as it had a dark red shade painted on the white walls. Guards waiting for us in bronze armor and helmets but one in front of us was…

‘’So short’’I muttered looking at the tiny dark-haired man. And as he was looking up at me he was thinking of how tall I was.

‘’You wrote that they were three’’He narrowed and I noticed his bronze bracelets and his plain white tunic above his colorful skirt. And yet as common as the man looked I could feel that he had power. Not a king perhaps but ..an advisor?

‘’And what’s with her face? The king wants a beautiful woman, not a boar.’’

Me and the captain narrowed with anger but I could still do something to not end up like this. One thing that I knew would not benefit me. It seemed that the captain tried to spare me by not bringing this. or that he could get richer with a slave.

‘’Well, we can use clay for her face.’’ He hummed and he grabbed my hand.’’She is wounded too?’’

They tossed me to the cold bath with clothes on. There were two servant girls now chatting in whispers and laughing behind my back. I could tell as they were pulling my hair down and then they were scratching my back roughly that they did not like me.

But there are always whispers escaping to the echoing room. Valuable whispers about the palace. And they seem to not mind whispering louder with a new slave being forced down to the water.

Focus, focus.

After hours of pulling wrong- combing my curls- one of the girls put a slight piece of clay around my scars, making sure none would notice if they saw me from afar. Another laugh as the girl’s soft lips muttered one more word that I did not catch but the others seemed to laugh too.

I just smiled and thanked them as I walked far from them with bronze guards accompanying me to the halls.

With the statues of Zeus dressing up the road to the king’s room,I found the short man and the captain of the ship laughing together as the short man was giving him a sack of money.

For a moment’s captain’s greedy eyes found me and his lips curled to a grin. And I smiled too as I started rushing close to him even with the soldiers telling me to stop.

‘’Ah’’The short man faced me from above.’’You look, alright, now follow me.’’

‘’Before that I would like to thank you’’I turned to the captain.’’To make sure that the king will listen to my prophecy.

Both of their gazes faced me and I knew that the captain did not speak about it.

‘’You are..a prophet?’’ The short man gasped with a smile forming on his mouth and he turned furious to the captain, ready to grasp the money away from him.

I nodded.’’My name is Lyssandra, the prophet of Apollo.’’

‘’Oh, you are a follower of him.’’ The short man seemed to be disappointed now

‘’He gave me this gift my lord’’I replied with the best lies I could think of that moment.

‘’Just for your rking’’I flattered my lashes and kept looking at me.

Another woman? Seems that the previous one died not long ago.

No matter, the healer said that the king would die soon too.

It’s a shame though, do you think that the sickness will catch on too?

Nonsense the healer did say.

Those were the words of the servant girls and I knew what had to be done.

‘’Your king is very ill my lord, isn’t it?’’

His eyes snapped and nodded as he moved on to the captain who was shaking his head. Seems that they did not want those words to come out.

‘’Of course, you want this to be a secret’’I said, lowering my tone. ‘’And I know what it can help, you see my lord my god gave me a vision that your answer lands on the mountains.’’

Everyone now looked at me, silent for me to speak. Thanks to the captain who had his scroll tossed around on his ship, making it easier for me to read about the nature of the island.

‘’Silphion is your answer for his sickness and you will-’’

The short man now suddenly hushed me. He was all so interested in a prophet before. But when I spoke something about information.

‘’That is…’’Now the captain faced me with anger.’’A lie, it cannot.’’

I blinked confused and turned to the short man.

‘’Oracle, thank you for your vision but there must be another way.’’

The servant girl said that he has been like this for a year and he simply needs the company of women to feel better. But each one of them gets sick and dies not even a week later.

‘’This is the will of Fates my lord’’I bowed again. Why was he getting upset?

The short man nodded.’’My oracle I think that you know this but the mountain Ida is cursed. For twenty hole years when mortals moved to the side of it..’’His lips shook.’’They never returned.’’

After the whole incident, I was waiting at the door with the guards looking at me with great care. In front of me, there was the captain, rushing left and right, irritated looking and he turned on me worried.

‘’Are you sure that this is where the antidote is?’’He asked me calmly.

I simply nodded.

He let out a chuckle and looked at the guards before telling me the truth.’’Years ago, people were climbing the mountain, entering its forest to contact Zeus. But Apollo, jealous of his father’s glory in this kingdom, cursed it by letting it swarm with terrifying wolves that cannot be killed.’’

I tried to hide my narrowness as much as I could. Seriously, did I actually believe that the mountain was cursed by a God?

But then again, I could now understand their worrying brows when I told them that. That I am mocking them? Or that Apollo was giving them a chance.

I have a bad feeling about…

The door opened and the soldiers forced me to bow down by moving my head close to the floor.

‘’We can give you a ship back home, Oracle, if you do not mind. We thank you for everything and we apologize for our actions.’’

I simply nodded and I hoped I could find the others fast so we could go away. But then the captain spoke with his hand wrapped around my shoulder.

‘’Oh my lord do not worry about anything.’’He grinned. ‘’In fact, the Oracle just told me about another vision. That the oracle herself shall find the treatment the king desperately needs.’’