Relics of the Gods

Chapter 12 - The Pythia - As they wake up the next morning, Atheas, Sirosa and Odysseus almost forget where they are, surrounded by beautiful green meadows with apple trees to feed a city and so many waterholes it would be able to extinguish a fire in the underworld.

Fed and well rested they gather their supplies and start to make the final journey to the temple of the oracle.

After another full day of traveling, they can finally see the steps to the Oracle’s temple.

Looking up at the temple from the bottom of the steps, Atheas, Sirosa and Odysseus are in awe

at what they see, the temple of the oracle.

“There must be about one thousand steps to the entrance.” said Sirosa.

“it’s not meant to be an easy journey to the Oracle’s temple.” replied Odysseus.

“Well let’s get moving you two.” said Atheas.

As they begin their climb up the steps, Atheas cannot help but wonder, is it her father’s location that is the information the Oracle has for her or will it be something different.

As they continue their climb up the steps, they begin to see other people at the top of the steps.

“Who are they?” asks Atheas.

“They are travelers like us.” says Odysseus.

“They seek information and council from the Oracle, they also seek answers to their questions and knowledge, but only a few will be satisfied with their answers, as the information they receive is not always the information they want.”

“So, you are telling me that once we reach the Oracle, the information she has for me may not be the information I’m looking for?” Says Atheas.

“that’s exactly what I’m saying sister, you might not be happy with your information from the Oracle, just keep that in mind and do not get excited to receive your answer from the Oracle.” Replied Odysseus.

They make their way past the halfway point of the steps, Sirosa beginning to breath heavily from the tiredness of climbing the steps.

“Do you want to take a rest, Sirosa?” asks Atheas.

“No Atheas, I will be fine let’s just keep going we are almost there, we need to hurry, we need to get that information.” He replies as he is panting like a dog.

A little while later they finally reach the summit of the steps and reach the entrance to the temple of the Oracle.

They proceed to the door, tall and made of solid stone, it is so heavy the door requires Sirosa and Odysseus to push it open, but they are so tired and exhausted from the climb, Odysseus and Sirosa struggle to push the door as they have no energy left.

Finally, they get the door fully open and proceed to the center of the temple, as they walk through the hall of the temple, they take in the beauty of its craftsmanship, on each side of the hall stand statues as tall as three full grown men, the designs of the statues may be of past Oracle’s as neither Sirosa, Odysseus and Atheas recognize the faces of the statues.

Bowls of fire in between each statue to illuminate the way to the Oracle through the hallway, as they walk further in, they finally see the chamber of the Oracle, but it is strange looking as the Oracles seat is behind a huge open pit in the middle of the floor, with purple fumes omitting from the pit, Atheas wonders to herself,

“Are those fumes the rotting corpse of Python? are those fumes the source of the Oracles divine knowledge?”

As they approach the alter of the Oracle, they can see a woman’s body lying across the Oracles seat.

Suddenly the purple fumes begin to rise and travel towards the woman’s body, entering through her nose, as soon as the smoke from the fumes touches her, the woman’s body comes to life and begins to twist and contort.

Atheas, Sirosa and Odysseus confused and startled, they all take a step back from the alter, a moment later the body of the woman falls gently into the seat.

With a deep inhale, the woman comes to life and raises her head.

“Atheas, you finally made it to me”, she says.

“Are you the Oracle? The woman from my dreams?” Atheas asks the woman.

“Yes, I am the Oracle, the Pythia, the bridge between worlds, come forward Atheas, and ask your question.” The Oracle replies.

Atheas steps forward and asks the Oracle,

“Please, tell me the location of my father, Lysander?”

“Your fathers’ path has proven to be one of recklessness and rage, he has murdered your mother and stolen from the gods, he wishes to release the titans to destroy his enemies.”

Listening to the Oracle speak the truth about her father, Atheas struggles to hold back the tears, Sirosa then rests his hand upon her shoulder and whispers in her ear,

“it’s going to be ok Atheas, we are right here.”

The Oracle continues,

“Your Fathers location is at the gates of Olympus, waiting for someone.”

Suddenly the Oracles head falls into her chest and the purple fumes retreat to the pit.

“Is that it?” asks Atheas, “now what?”

“We leave, we have our information, we know where your father is, we need to get moving,” Says Sirosa.

As they turn to leave, suddenly the purple fumes begin to rise again, making its way back to the Oracles body, again a deep inhale from the Oracle, her head rises.

“Odysseus, son of Lysander step forward and ask your question.”

With a shocked look on his face and not knowing what to do, Odysseus steps forward and asks the only question he can think of.

“King Minos of the three judges of Tartarus told me I would betray a loved one, can you tell me who that loved one is?”

After a moment of silence, the Oracle speaks,

“Yes, the loved one you will betray is your sister, Atheas.”

“What? That’s not true.” Odysseus shouts.

“The divine power of the Oracle is always correct.” says the Oracle.

With a worried look on his face Odysseus steps back and looks to his sister,

“Sister, I would never betray you, this information is not true, you must believe me, I’m your brother.” Odysseus pleads with Atheas for her to believe him.

Atheas then looks to Odysseus with a worried and sad look on her face.

“I would like to believe you Odysseus”.

She then steps away from Odysseus.

Once again, the Oracle raises her head and says,

“Sirosa, son of Zeus, step forward and ask your question.”

A shocked Sirosa did not expect to have the chance to ask his own question.

A reluctant Sirosa steps forward to the Oracle to ask his question,

“If I am to wear my helm, will I become like Lysander and become enraged and hateful?”

“It is true, when you place your helm upon your head you will change, but what type of person you will become, I cannot see, for a better understanding of your helm you must seek out the king of the gods, Zeus.” The Oracle replies.

With a disappointed look on his face, Sirosa joins Atheas and Odysseus as they all watch the purple fumes retreat from the body of the Oracle and disappear into the pit one final time.

“Is that it?” Asks Atheas.

“Yes, we have the answers to our questions, we need to leave, we now know your father is at the gates of Olympus, that is where we will go” replied Sirosa.

“that’s if he is still there, by the time we get there he could be gone and we would have missed our chance,” said Odysseus.

“The Oracle said he is waiting for someone. I wonder who it could be and why” says Atheas.

They gather their things and make their way back down the temple steps.

After hours of climbing once again they reach the bottom, Atheas and Sirosa begin to make their way to their next destination.

Suddenly they turn to see Odysseus still standing at the base of the steps.

“What are you doing brother? let’s go, we need to make haste and find our father.” Says Atheas.

“No sister, if it is you, I will betray, I cannot be around you, I need to leave.” Replied Odysseus.

“What are you talking about? we need your help Odysseus.” says Atheas with a worried sound to her voice.

“Let him leave, Atheas.” Sirosa says from behind. “If he believes it, he must leave.”

Odysseus looks to Sirosa with a friendly nod, he turns and walks the opposite way, not saying another word.

After a few moments Atheas turns to see if she can still see her brother but he is gone from sight, wondering where Odysseus will go, Atheas and Sirosa are now on their own to find her father.

“I wonder if I will ever see him again.” Atheas says to Sirosa, as she tries to hold back her tears.

“I’m sure we will.” replied Sirosa. “Now we must travel north to Mount Olympus, to the gates of Olympus and find your father.” he says as they begin their long journey north.