Relics of the Gods

Chapter 11 - The Sphinx - 

Towering over Atheas, Odysseus and Sirosa, the sphinx stands at eight feet tall, its wingspan also a frightening eight feet wide.

“what do you want”, asks the sphinx.

Atheas steps forward nervously and the sphinx growls at them, “we wish to reach the naval”, Atheas replies.

The sphinx looks at Atheas with wonder.

“why do you wish to reach the naval”, the sphinx asks.

“A woman came to me in my dreams and told me to find the naval, for there I would find the information I need”, Atheas says.

“Do you know this woman?” she asks the Sphinx.

With a look of confusion on her face, the sphinx replies, “yes, I do know of this woman, if you wish to see her you must first answer three of my riddles, if you should fail, I will kill all three of you, be warned, no one has ever gotten all my riddles correct?”

“Ok” replies Atheas, “what are the riddles?”

 

“The first riddle is”:

“I am sometimes full, I never push, but always pull.”

 

“what am I”, asks the sphinx? The three looks at each other, “I am sometimes full; I never push but always pull.” They repeat the riddle over and over, suddenly Atheas realizes something, “I have got it”, she shouts, “you are the Moon.” with a worried look on their faces, Sirosa and Odysseus look to the sphinx. “Correct.” the sphinx replies.

 

“The second riddle is”:

“I breath without air, I am always drinking but am never thirsty”,

 

“what am I?”, once again the sphinx asks them.

Once again, they repeat the riddle over and over, “I breath without air, I am always drinking but am never thirsty”.

“Oh, I have got it” says Odysseus, “you are a Fish,” he says to the Sphinx.

looking down at them with disappointment the Sphinx replies, “Correct.”

Pacing back and forth the sphinx takes her time thinking of the final riddle, suddenly she stops and turns to them with a sinister smile on her face.

“This riddle you will never figure out”, beginning to drool with hunger, looking at them as they were going to be her dinner, the sphinx speaks the final riddle.

 

“The third and final riddle is”:

“At night I wake and dance for hours, but when morning comes, I retreat and cower.”

 

Again, the sphinx asks, “what am I?”

Atheas, Odysseus and Sirosa are stumped by the riddle and again repeat it over and over.

“at night I wake and dance for hours, but when morning comes, I retreat and cower.”

Atheas turns to the others, “have you any ideas” she asks them.

“Nothing” replied Odysseus.

She turns to see the sphinx getting ready to make her move and kill them, spreading her wings and standing tall, she raises her arm, ready to strike them with one hit. “COME ON! Guys we need to figure this out”, shouts Atheas.

suddenly as the sphinx is about to strike, Sirosa lifts his head from his hands and screams, “YOURE A STAR!”

With a shocked look on her face the sphinx retreats her strike.

“how did you figure it out”, she asks with an aggressive tone to her voice.

“no one has ever figured out my riddles, this cannot be.”

“Well since we have solved your riddles, tell us where to find the naval”, asks Atheas.

“Very well”, replied the sphinx. “If you continue to follow this path you will reach the naval, there you will find the temple of the Oracle”.

With a surprise, Atheas looks to the sphinx,

“The Oracle”, she says.

“Was that the woman from my dream?”

“Yes, the sphinx replies, the oracle only comes to those who truly need her wisdom and knowledge, you must have an important journey ahead of you if she is requesting your presence at her temple, no man or woman has stepped foot inside the temple of the oracle for many years.”

“Enough of the chit chat we better get going if we are to find your father”, said Sirosa.

“Yes, we better get going sister”, says Odysseus. The sphinx then retreats into hiding until the next man or woman who wishes to reach the naval.

“I wonder why the oracle wishes to see me,” asks Atheas. “I wonder what information she has that I seek”. “Could it be the whereabouts of your father?” asks Sirosa.

“I’m not sure Sirosa.” Says Atheas. “But we better get moving, let’s go.” They gather their things and get moving. As the three continue their journey to the temple of the oracle, their journey brings them down a long dark path, all plant life dead or dying, the sunshine cannot get past the mountains that surround them, Atheas turns to Odysseus and Sirosa,

“How did the oracle come to be? I have heard some stories, but I believe there is more to learn about the oracle.”

Sirosa replies, “yes Atheas there is much more to know, the oracle of Delphi is chosen by the people of Delphi, On the seventh day of each month the oracle would accept questions from all people of Greece, this would only happen through the nine warmest months of the year, but before there was a temple there was Python, a giant serpent who guarded the naval day and night, until one day it was slain by the infant god Apollo, his arrow piercing the skin of Python, when his body fell to the ground it began to rot and produce fumes and anyone who came in contact with the corpse would fall into a trance of violence, when they did, it was believed that Apollo himself would consume them and give them divine knowledge, so the people of Delphi agreed that only one should be chosen to acquire such knowledge, this person would be named the Pythia or as we now know the oracle, a link between this world and the next, but it was not just anyone who could be chosen, it had to be a pure, chaste, honest young virgin woman who was chosen to be the vessel for such a divine task, and eventually the temple was built to house this chosen Pythia”

“That’s an amazing story,” said Atheas, as she looked at Sirosa with an upset look on his face. “what’s wrong Sirosa?” she asks.

“there are disadvantages of being chosen to be the Pythia, Atheas.” Sirosa says.

“For one they are trapped in the temple for all their lives never able to leave, never able to venture outside the naval, they are also a target for negative attention from the men who seek their council, which would result in the oracles being raped and violated.”

“that is awful,” said Atheas, as she began to hold back her tears listening to Sirosa’s story.

“It’s strange to think that Greece is dominated by men, from the lowliest peasant to the emperor and yet they all seek the council of one person, and that being a woman,” said Odysseus.

“How far is the temple it feels like we have been walking for weeks, said Odysseus with an annoyed tone to his voice.

Suddenly as they turn a corner, they see rays of sunshine and wide-open fields full of lush shrubs and apple trees, waterholes every twenty feet, in the distance, they can see a huge stone building with six large pillars holding the up its roof.

“Is that the temple of the oracle?” asked Atheas.

“I believe so, sister.” Replies Odysseus.

“we finally made it, thank the gods,” says Atheas. Without hesitation they begin to quicken their pace to the waterholes and apple trees, hungry and thirsty they begin to fill up on apples and water.

“It looks like we may have one more day of traveling to go before we make it to the temple, so I think we should make camp and rest for the night, a good night sleep will do all of us some good, who knows what we can expect when we reach the temple, we need to be well rested.” says Sirosa.

“I agree, we should rest and discuss what questions we should ask the oracle once we get to her temple.” Replied Atheas.

“there is only one question we need to ask sister, and that is, where is our father?” says Odysseus.

“I agree,” said Sirosa, “besides, you can only ask the oracle one question, she doesn’t give out her divine knowledge to anyone, she will only permit each visitor one question, once the question has been answered we leave, once we know where your father is, we must make haste to get to him, who knows what he has done since murdering your mother, we must find him before he causes more damage”.

They make camp and settle down for the night for a night’s rest before the final journey to the Oracle.