Apollo summoned his chariot from god-knows-where using his lyre. Oh yeah, he's a god so nevermind that.
The chariot was golden – with intricately decorated laurel designs all over it. At its stead were not horses, but rather, crows – the biggest crows that Julius had ever seen. The pair of birds had bright, golden eyes, similar to their master's, and their dark color was a stark contrast to the gold cart they are carrying.
According to records, the laurel was Apollo's sacred tree and the crow was his sacred bird.
"So cool." Julius can't help but admire this piece of divine automobile. In his mind, he considered this vehicle to be the ancient form of Bumblebee from Transformers.
The god only grinned, looking pleased at his reaction. "Hop on, I'll drive."
He was beyond excited to do about just that. Soon, they were flying over Olympia, and they were making their way to the Gulf of Corinth, where Mt. Parnassus was located.
The temple that houses the Oracle of Delphi is under that towering mountain. A spring can be found nearby it, where one must give an offering prior to consultation. Not far, the river Cephissus is also present, where one must bathe before entering the sacred temple. The Oracle is said to be the Omphalos, meaning, the navel, or the literal center of the world. No other shrine rivaled that of Delphi, even to this day.
Delphi is the first of all the four Oracles attributed to Apollo. The rest are the Oracles of Trophonius, Erythaea, and the Sybilline Books of Cumae. The fifth Oracle, Dodona, is not attributed to him, but to Rhea, the former Queen of the Universe.
Right after the Titan war, the giant race of monsters born out of Gaia evolved, and one of them is Python – the serpent that encircled the Earth. This monster once lived in the cave of Mt. Parnassus, and it was this monster who gave Apollo his baptism of fire. Python is Apollo's first and ultimate nemesis. The fight between the god and the serpent was frightful and severe. However, in the end, Apollo's unerring arrows clinched the W. Killing Python made Apollo take the possession of the Oracle of Delphi. This earned him the title as the God of Truth, for the Oracle only speaks nothing but the Truth, to those who eagerly seek for it.
A story says that the final blow to Python was witnessed by a woman called Phemonoe. She was said to be a poet and also Apollo's daughter. When Python died, her spirit entered her body, making her the first host or high priestess of the Delphi. She was later on called the Pythia. And ever since then, the conduit to the Oracle was always a woman.
In the entrance of the temple, the famous inscription "Know Thyself" can be read. Many interpreted this as a warning to be wary of the destiny they are about to hear from the Pythia. The answers to the questions asked by anxious seekers of Truth are delivered by this priestess, who sits on a three-legged stool, or tripod, and goes into trance before she speaks of a mysterious prophecy. The words of the Pythia are absolute but vague, and the real danger lies on how these are interpreted by the seekers.
Julius was taught by his father that many sought after the Oracle of Delphi – from nobles, to politicians, to kings and lords of different city-states, asking for a divination on the consequences of their actions, and what they must do to fulfill a goal. There was even an era when the priestesses often change, because of them dying out of fatigue from going into multiple trances and disturbing visions. During that time, several other priests and priestesses remained around the Pythia to assist her and write down her words and translate them into a poem written in hexameters. The records say this lasted until 4th century BC.
Apollo and Julius finally landed on the base of the temple. Julius was impressed once more with his new body, for he was able to hold out his vomit from that wild ride. Apollo was a terrible driver who had no considerations for turbulence.
"Ah, finally, we're here. Be honored, Julius of Boboston, for you are one of the first mortals to ever consult my Pythia. Follow me, I would like you to meet Phemonoe." The god led the way to the temple.
'So, the Oracle is still pretty new around this time.' Julius thought. 'It's still on the first priestess. This is crazy.'
As they were walking, Apollo gave him instructions. "First, you need to cleanse yourself in the nearby river. After which, you must give an offering to the nearby spring. Only then, can you enter the temple and ask your question from my Pythia."
Julius did as he was told because he was really curious about his destiny in this ancient world. When he was done cleaning his face, he got the last penny from his pocket and tossed it to the spring.
"What was that thing you just tossed to the sacred spring?!" Julius was startled by the sudden voice that sounded from behind him. "That is not a proper offering to Apollo!"
When he turned, he saw a boy maybe a couple of years younger than him. He was dressed in a chiton and he was carrying with him a box full of what appeared to be assorted leaves and other random stuff. He dropped it after seeing him.
"I'm telling you! Phemonoe does not accept anything that won't please the God of Truth!" the boy repeated.
"Piss off, boyo. The God of Truth invited me here himself." Julius wasn't able to control himself from asserting his superiority in this situation.
The boy's eyed widened in wonder. "The God of Truth is here?!"
"Yeah, come here I'll show you." He led to way to where Apollo's chariot was parked, but he too was dumbfounded when Apollo was nowhere to be seen. All signs of the god disappeared.
"You are lying! The Oracle will never speak to you!" Then, the disappointed boy ran away from him.
Julius heard a sigh. "Ah, that boy serves as the caretaker of this temple. Also, he's my son." Apollo said.
Just as how quickly he was gone, he was back in no time. Julius wasn't surprised by that. He knows about the complexity of the Greek gods' extra-marital affairs, and Apollo was no exception. Of course, there might have been some point when he disguised himself as a mortal right? And bear demigod children all over?
"Quite an interesting one you have." He just replied awkwardly.
"He doesn't know, though. And he learns from Phemonoe about the art of healing. Maybe he got that interest from me too." Apollo continued but added nothing more.
"Well, I'll go ahead inside then. Aren't you coming?" Julius asked after a brief moment of silence.
"Ah, no. I decided to never meddle with fate and let my Pythia do her work on her own. Besides, she is independent. I myself cannot argue with destiny, much more interpret her prophecies correctly. Her words are vague but it speaks only nothing but the Truth. It's up to you to interpret it and share it only with people whom you trust. I do not wish to know your fate, for that is yours alone. It was my Pythia who asked for your presence here. So it's no use for me to be in there."
"Fine." Julius scowled at that response but just decided to proceed. He went to the entrance and read the inscription in ancient Greek: 'Know Thyself.'
'This body is a smartass too! Damn, I can even read ancient Greek now!' He felt like he was cheating in life.
There, in the center, a young lady was seated in a tripod. In the limited light that can enter the temple, only her silhouette can be seen. That image alone sent shivers down Julius' spine.
'Crap, I'm really getting myself a poem about my destiny. This is insane.'
Suddenly, the figure moved and uttered in an eerie voice, "Come forth, seeker. Ask and you shall know."
This is it. He's about to know his purpose of being here in Ancient Greece.