Young Writers Society

Chapter 25: The Temple of Apollo

“Is he as dreamy as people say he is?” Harmonia, Josephine’s sister, sat in their mother’s garden, planting numerous new species of bindweed and mint. Josephine knelt down to help, her braid falling down from her shoulder and barely touching the dirt.

“Maybe,” Josephine chuckled, “Jase Vitalis is definitely… something, but I wouldn’t say dreamy.”

Harmonia and Josephine rarely spoke, but when they did it was magical. Even though Harmonia was younger than her, Josephine still adored and looked up to her sister; she admired the serenity she brought whenever the Goddess stepped into any room. Not only was Harmonia elegant and modest, but she was also one of the more beautiful daughters of Aphrodite. The Goddess of Harmony always dressed in a white haltered gown, as she did today, except this time her strawberry-blonde hair was tied into a messy ponytail. Harmonia lived in Aphrodite’s palace ever since Josephine could remember, but seasonally would travel to the Mortal Lands to settle political agendas.

Harmonia wrinkled her freckled nose, burrowing the mint roots beneath piles of fertilized soil, “Define ‘something’.”

Josephine handed her sister the fertilized elixir, “He’s kind of intense. Intimidating.”

“Ooh,” Harmonia purred, “well, from experience, if a son of Poseidon kisses you, run.”

Josephine wasn’t afraid of Jase. But she knew the reputation that came with sons of the sea: players who treat women as pawns in their ever-going game of life. Jase wasn’t like his other half-siblings, though. He didn’t have Poseidon’s blood in his body, didn’t actually have a bloodline. He was created by magic, therefore smashing all the odds that he really was a dickface like all the other kin of the sea. As for Hecate, she didn’t bear many children—if she did, they were mainly Sprites, remnants of the everlasting elements: air, fire, water, earth—so it was unclear whether or not Jase took more after his maternal side.

“I did run,” Josephine smiled lightly.

“Then why is he outside our front door?” Harmonia questioned. A loud knock sounded in the distance, causing Josephine to stand and wipe the dirt from her garments. She rolled her eyes at her sister, who was now in the midst of planting beansprouts, and walked towards the entryway corridor.

Jase stood through the frosted glass, hand scratching the back of his head. Josephine wiped her smile away and unlocked the latch before opening the heavy door, “Two minutes early. Nice, Vitalis.”

“You didn’t expect me to be late, did you?” Jase stepped a foot inside, glancing around at all the feminine décor, “the guards almost didn’t let me through. I had to threaten to mutilate their brains before they finally let me into the courtyard.”

Josephine chuckled and let him up to her now temporary room. She’d allowed her mother’s maidens to bring her bags to the guest house, but she still had some lingering items shoved in her old closet. Her bed was still there too, as Aphrodite wanted to wait for her guards to move it. Josephine pushed open the slightly cracked door to her room, quickly picking up spare underwear or lounge clothes in the process, “Did you speak to anybody, see if you could get any information?” She asked.

Jase wandered his way in behind her, shutting the door gently. His thundercloud eyes scanned her uplifting, romantic abode that was now half empty, “I spoke to my mother. She visited me last night, after you left. It turns out that you and Persephone were right, Hades had nothing to do with this. We’d be better off looking towards the Big Twelve.”

“I assumed this was planned from the inside,” Josephine murmured, tossing the last of her scattered clothes into the overflowing closet, “There’s a barrier around Olympus, especially Grande Hall. It’s a sacred place—Zeus would’ve taken safety precautions centuries ago if he was smart.”

Jase watched her, thinking loudly, “You suggested Apollo, so I say we question him before we go to anybody else.”

“Agreed,” Josephine threw on her black leather combat boots and tied her messy hair into an easy ponytail, “Where can we find him?”

Jase smiled, “Lucky for us, I asked my mom for his coordinates as well. She was easily able to pinpoint them, courtesy of the ancestors.”

“And?”

“Apollo resides in Delphi, his place of birth.”

~

Apollo, the god of sun and light, was one of two twins birthed by Hera; fathered by Zeus. He and his sister, Artemis, were welcomed to the world in Pytho—or Delphi—on the seventh day of Thargelion. Delphi was a broad, mountainous landscape filled with mossy flora and slopes that could slice your hand open if you weren’t careful climbing them. Orange, clay buildings laid sprawled on the bottom terrain of the city from churches to bakeries to boutiques. The Temple of Apollo sat right in the middle of all the architecture, changing the scenery with its cream-colored columns and narrow marble steps.

Josephine’s smile grew as Jase and herself walked through the City Centre, growing closer and closer to the Temple of Apollo. Townspeople didn’t even bother looking at them, as most were too busy bargaining coins for goods or eating their afternoon lunch. The air smelled of fresh paint and burning wood, as a blacksmith’s shop was just beyond the break in the cobblestone.

Jase stepped up the first few steps, and he braced himself for the cold breeze that came from inside Apollo’s Temple. Every time the door opened, a priestess walked out, wearing modest black clothing. Priestesses were common around Delphi. Artemis, the goddess of hunt, was one herself; having dedicated her life to solemn abstinence. Only women fueled her Temple, which was located on the outskirts of Delphi, a few miles from the Sanctuary of Athena Pronea.

Apollo’s laughter could be heard from beyond the heavy cement doors, as beams of light fluttered throughout the main room. Magic covered every inch of the protected venue—shining gleams of starlight slithered between the holster of the Oracle of Delphi, surrounded by a limitless amount of waxy, white candles. Apollo sat in the corner of the room, surrounded by women dressed in white robes. The laughter came to a halt when Josephine took her first step inside the sacred landmark, her face blushing as her eyes contacted the God of Light and Music.

“…And who are you?” Apollo grinned. The god stood, his fit exterior flexing with every muscle movement of his strong, handsome, body.

Jase could obviously feel the tension, being as he shoved his balled fists in his pockets.

“My name is Josephine Amelia, the daughter of Lord Ares and Her Highness Aphrodite,” Josephine’s voice radiated throughout the room, bouncing off the stained-glass windows and echoing into the rows of wood-crafted seats. Clearly, work of Hephaestus. Josephine could recognize that craftsmanship anywhere— the smooth, flawless artwork was endless.

Apollo’s eyes drifted to Jase, who was now glaring at the God in disgust, “My name is Jase Vitalis, the Son of Lord Poseidon and Priestess Hecate.”

The women dressed in robes exited the room swiftly, speaking to each other in ancient tongue. Their shoes squeaked against the smooth quartz as they opened the golden door in the back of the room and closed it behind them. Apollo didn’t move from his standing position; his chocolate eyes took in both deities standing before him.

“You came about the attack on Olympus,” Apollo shook his head, grin fading, “and I’m going to tell you the same thing I told my father. If I wanted to… destroy Olympus, I would’ve done a lot more than just spare a beam of light into a sacred building. This is terrorism, we’re talking about here.”

“It’s obvious it was a targeted attack,” Jase stepped towards him, hands now tangled behind his back. Josephine followed, the redness slowly fading from her cheeks. They stopped four feet from him, but Apollo held his ground, “our friend was hurt. Surely you know of her. Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Your…sister.”

Apollo raised a tan finger, “Half-sister.”

“Whatever,” Jase’s voice hadn’t faltered, “You get the gist.”

“It truly is sad, and I hope she recovers soon,” Apollo’s response was brief, “but I didn’t have anything to do with it. You should ask Ares.”

“My father?” Josephine’s face twisted into a look of betrayal, “My father is Zeus’ favorite child. He wouldn’t go against treaty, especially like that.”

“Think again,” Apollo smiled, “I’m his favorite child, by the way, so we’ll get that straight before I say anything else. As for my brother’s loyalty to Zeus… that’s always been forced. If you haven’t noticed that already, you’re dumber than I thought, sweet thing,” he winked.

Josephine didn’t respond, stuck in a place between hell and nothingness. Her skin burned, her heart raced, and Jase brushed his hand with hers in attempt to settle her. Her father was the most respected warrior on Olympus, had fought countless battles for his father, and swore an oath of allegiance to the God of Lightning. Josephine didn’t believe Apollo’s words, not for a second.

“You didn’t know, obviously,” Apollo chuckled, “Too bad. I thought that pretty face actually had a brain lodged in there somewhere.”

Jase snapped, and darkness erupted from his hands—travelling every which way. Apollo’s eyes widened as the darkness swept him from his feet and pulled him in a matter of milliseconds towards Jase, who’s eyes were glazed. The son of Poseidon grabbed Apollo by the neck, pinning him against the wall nearest to them. The stone cracked in reaction.

“That’s not how you speak to a woman. I will let you live today, because you gave us some information, but otherwise I would gut you right here, right now. Consider yourself lucky.”

Jase spat in the god’s face, causing Apollo to wipe his nose with his hand and grin wider. His voice was weary because of Jase’s hand, “Ares is the key.”