Helene was the first to wake up before the break of the dawn. She was brimming with energy and had a thirst to learn and see everything in this new world. Some things she knew already, from where she couldn’t say. She knew what the different colours were called, how to count, and even how to read inscriptions she found everywhere from wall decorations to the scrolls neatly piled up in the corner of the cellar.

Carefully as not to wake her mother, she picked one scroll up. Helene slid her hand along the fine grains of papyrus, then brought it close to her nostrils. It smelled like salt and grass. She opened the scroll and began reading about the Twelve Olympians. She learned about Zeus, and how he led his family to rise against Titans, the gods of the old. The war took ten years, and finally the Titans were imprisoned in the underworld of Tartaros. Three giants called Hekatonkheires, who had a hundred hands and fifty heads each, guarded them. What marvellous beings. The power of the worlds was the divided between three brothers: Zeus reigned over the sky and air, Poseidon had control over the seas and all waters, and Hades was given the Underworld, realm of the dead.

The scroll was beautifully decorated with colored inks, mildly fragrant of different vegetables. Helene could no longer control her excitement as she hopped onto the bed and shook her mother’s toes.

"Wake up, mother! Is this story true? Are there really giants with fifty heads and hundred hands!"

Eudoxia groaned as she sat up: "Giants? What?"

"The scrolls in the corner, I picked one up and read it. Is it true?"

Eudoxia smiled drowsily. She has my enthusiasm for the myths, that is for certain. "So, you can read. That is truly great Helene, something I could never do myself. The oracle would read me tales in the evenings from those very same scrolls." The seer yawned and adjusted her headdress: "I can say from the last couple of days, I am pretty certain that even the Hekatonkheires dwell somewhere. No one but the gods themselves know of the truth, where as we can choose to believe it or not."

"Well then, I choose to believe. That sounds wonderful! Doesn’t it father?" She picked up the spider on her palm. Eudoxia quickly shushed her: "You can’t speak with him, dear. If anything, you can call Arachnos your pet. It is a different thing to believe a... creature exists, than if you see one with your own eyes. We mortals get scared so easily, child. Nothing good ever follows fear."

The seer stood up, and felt around the bags she had packed last night. "We have the rest of the linen of your chiton in case you get cold, figs, olives, barley bread, mixed wine, a plate, two goblets -- we can have breakfast on the way -- a flagon for water, and my coins- hold on." the coin pouch was much heavier than it should have been. Phem. It must have been her, sneaking when they were sleeping, and slipping some money into the pouch. This is just like her, she knew I would refuse charity. "Helene, I need to have a talk with the woman you saw last night, you’ll be fine on your own for a while, will you?"

"Okay!"

"Good." Eudoxia climbed upstairs into the temple. It is queer how quickly I’ve become fond of Helene. I never thought I would have children of my own, never thought I could take care of them. But I guess it makes this a lot easier that she is already... actually how old is she compared to a mortal child? It further amused the seer how she had adapted the words mortal and immortal to her everyday speech. With her height, weight and voice, probably around five summers.

When Eudoxia reached the tripod, the seat where the oracle usually sat, she didn’t find her there. No, instead all the priestesses and even the servants were all standing next to each other. As Eudoxia passed them, she received hugs and blessings from the priestesses, humble "good luck"s from the servants. After all, she had lived so many olympiads there, most of her life. At the end of the line was the oracle. "Now don’t you talk about the money, we all agreed upon it and wanted to give it to you, dear friend," Phemonoe said as she hugged her friend tight "It is tough out there for lone sisters. Were it a different life, I would’ve gladly joined you in your adventures, but my mission is to stay here and deliver my father’s messages-" she whispered "....to the mortals."

For a split moment Eudoxia was baffled but then, of course Phem would know all about the realms already by heritage. She was the blessed great Oracle of Delphi after all. Eudoxia smiled and whispered back: " I met your mother, she sends her regards." Then she continued with her usual voice: "I’ll do my best to serve the gods as well, in my way."

Phemonoe’s voice cracked a bit as she agreed with her: "Of course you will, of course you will." Then she let out a bubbly chuckle as she backed out from the hug: "You must go before you make a mess of me completely. The fishers are still stocking up their ships at the port. Maybe you can still negotiate a deal across Gulf of Corinth." Eudoxia nodded, and made her way back.

"Thank you all," she said to everyone gathered as they had again passed her. "You all saved me, and made my life into something worthy and joyful. I will forever appreciate that." She nodded and went to get her bag, staff, and Helene.

By the time they were up, everyone had returned to their duties. Eudoxia and Helene turned their backs on the temple and began their journey to the docks along The Sacred Way. There were many things to wonder for the young Helene. At night she had been weary and had not seen the tall column beneath the temple, with a seated sphinx on top. Neither had she noted the golden glistening Tripod of Plaetea, or any of the beautiful dedications along the narrow ravine. Eudoxia was granted no moment of silence as she explained what monuments had been granted from which battle victories, and how the Rock of Sibyll was believed to be the place oracles originally came from.

They had passed the Treasury of Athenians and the Bouleuterion, from which the affairs of the sanctuary were dictated by council members. The staff of the temple has lot to explain to them, Eudoxia thought as she left the building behind. The pair filled their goat skin flagon with the water gushing from the seven bronzed, lion head-shaped spouts of Castalian Spring. There they sat along the rocks of the spring and enjoyed their breakfast, dipping the pieces of barley bread in the wine, finishing with fresh water and figs. Helene offered a small piece of the sweetest fig to Arachnos, but he refused it as he just silently stood there on her shoulder, watching everything. Eudoxia thought it unnerving, but far less than a babbling shape-shifter, so she just shrugged and went along with it.

Following the Pleistos river beginning at the Castalian Spring, Eudoxia and Helene went down the hiking path and soon arrived at the gates of Kirrha, the port of Delphi.

Next Chapter: Possessed by the Nymph