Sayo and Rexis actually had no idea where the Shrine of Delphi is located. They only know it's in Mt. Parnassus, that's it. Luckily for them though, they were already in the mountain itself, and the only remaining problem now was the exact navigation of that famous Temple.
"When Julius told us about him getting a prophecy from the Oracle, at first I really doubted him. But thinking about it now, it makes so much sense that he sought for that Oracle's advice, or else he wouldn't know his directions. I wonder how it went, though." Sayo's eyes wandered all over the place in search for clues as to their destination while telling Rexis her thoughts.
"Me too. But I erased my doubt immediately after accepting the fact that us being transported here in Ancient Greece is unbelievable in and of itself." He replied.
"So….now that we are placed on the same shoes he was once put through, let's solve this problem the traditional way around. Hah – there it is." Sayo confidently said after spotting a chest full of the finest silk she saw in this era. She ran after it, and Rexis soon followed.
The fabric was so silky that her hands glided smoothly as she ran it over the thing. But Rexis wasn't as happy as she looked when he laid his hands on the silk. "Uh – Sayo??" He gave her questioning looks about her actions.
"Look forward, Rex. We're on the right track. We only need to follow this trail."
'Trail?" He thought.
"What trail? Oh you must be thinking that, right?" The girl asked teasingly. "FYI Rex, many people who go to the Oracle give offerings first prior to consultation. These offerings must've piled up for now after being left untouched because of their sheer number. If you focus on the trail from here, you can actually see more. Like – oh – that one over there! I think that's a gold nugget!" From the chest, she pointed further ahead and Rexis saw what she meant. There, shining on the ground, was indeed something that resembles a gold nugget.
They went after it, and upon closer scrutiny, more and more precious items were leading up to a certain location. Sayo warned him not to take any of these things regardless of how tempting they look, because these are offerings to Apollo, and the god might punish them if they take anything that's not theirs to begin with. "Better be safe than sorry Rex. We dun wanna get the wrath of those gods."
Soon enough, they came upon a spring, where a lone boy was trying to sort through some plants and herbs. The boy probably heard them coming, so he looked up to their pair and met their eyes.
"Are you on your way to the Oracle?"
Their surprised faces revealed their answers, to which the boy only replied. "That's where people usually go to when they come visit around here. Come, let me show you the way."
The two gladly took the boy's offer. As they walked, the boy gave them a little overview and instructions prior to the consultation. He also said a little about himself. "I'm the guide to the seekers who wanted to consult the Pythia, who is actually my elder sister. Before you go in to the temple, please remember the following. First, cleanse yourself in the nearby river. Maybe wash your face or something. Then, give an offering near the spring. Nothing much is required, the bare minimum will do, the Pythia won't judge. The ones you saw on your way here were probably blown away by the strong winds coming from this mountain. But as you can see, there are plenty of offerings there left untouched. Even my sister and I never took interest in them. Sometimes, the God of Truth pays a visit to just poke around the stack and then go away bringing something with him for whatever reason."
"So you've already met the God, Apollo?"
"Uh – no, it was my sister who told me that he visits sometimes."
They walked in silence until the boy pointed ahead. "There. That temple." Then he faced them. "Best of luck to both of you, and please don't forget to do the honorific rituals first."
Rexis and Sayo took into heart the boy's instructions – they washed their faces, and offered the most valuable thing they possess right now aside from the blessings of the gods to them – which is rather cheap actually compared to the other offerings – the fine chlamys that Rexis was wearing.
Later on, they came face to face with a temple that still has a classic elegance in it despite its obvious old age. At the header, prior to the entrance, there was a weird inscription. Rexis and Sayo can't read the Ancient Greek text, but from the stories of Julius, when they recapped their adventure during their 5-day stay at the good samaritan's house, they knew that the inscription is a warning for the seekers to be wary of what they are about to come across with.
'Know Thyself.'
The two of them looked at each other prior to entering the unknown before them. "Ready?"
"Nah, but let's go."
The stale air inside the temple was cold, and the horrifying image of a skinny girl sitting on a tripod convulsed, sending shivers down the spine of the two seekers. Suddenly, the lady on the tripod moved its head up, and then froze on her seat, before she uttered the chilling words, "Come forth seeker, ask and you shall know."
--
House of Eros
*
Psyche woke up the next day finding the other side of the bed empty. Of course, her husband already left her. Saddened by this fact, she got up with a melancholic expression, obviously disappointed that she wasn't able to cuddle with the gentleman who spoke to her last night.
"Good morning, my lady. Breakfast is in the dining area. Please do have some." Her invisible servant said.
Psyche forced herself to eat, and interact nicely with her figureless company. She might be living the most luxurious life right now, but it wasn't really enough to make her happy. This didn't escape the watchful 'eyes' of her servant.
"My lady, you seem to be sad. Tell me, what bothers you right now?"
Just for the sake of keeping the conversation going, Psyche managed to draw out a reply for the servant's question. "It's my – my husband. He didn't show himself to me last night. Although he talked to me, and I felt reassured that he is no monster, I still feel lonely that I can't be a proper wife to him."
"But you don't have to feel that way, my lady. It's not your job to become just his wife. You are to be his partner. Those are different things."
Psyche's eyes lit up from the servant's words. "How so?"
"You aren't just a trophy to him, as the fairest woman on Earth. But to him, you are his everything. A partner in life. So I beg of you, to trust him and his love for you. My Lord is…. kind. And as he always says to people whom he helps during his days in the outside world, love cannot live in a heart without trust."
Somehow, that made Psyche a bit guilty for feeling bad about her husband's behavior. Nevertheless, it further strengthened her resolve to trust him. After all, she too, found herself falling deeply in love with the husband who is yet known to her. "Thank you, I feel better now."
"I'm glad to be of help. But I think I can offer you something else to make you feel even better."
The girl raised her brows, intrigued by what she just heard from the servant. "What is it?"
"Please go to the fountain outside, and look at its waters."
The curious maiden did as she was told. She went to the fountain outside the grandiose house and looked at the sparkling water that was reflecting her melancholic face.
"Now, my lady. Touch the water and tell it to show you whatever you want – except of course, the whereabouts of my Lord, as the magic of the fountain does not apply to that request."
Again, Psyche did it, and the water from the fountain emitted a faint shimmer, before it began to show various swirls of blurred happenings in the Mortal World. Yes, this is actually a Vision Magic similar to that one from Olympus. Of course, the gods of Olympus have premium subscriptions of that one in their homes outside their real home.
"I – I wish to see my father." Psyche said.
The Vision displayed the image of the current King of Corinth, who was bedridden, and looking like he's the loneliest man on Earth. Beside him, were her two other daughters, comforting him during these trying times. From the Vision, Psyche can hear what they were talking.
"Father…how are you today?" One of her sisters asked.
"Psyche? Psyche, is that you?"
"No father, Psyche still hasn't come back."
The king sobbed from his bed, sick from worrying about his daughter, who was taken away prior to her 'wedding' off to nowhere. "Oh, my daughter."
"Tomorrow, we will go back again to the cliff where Psyche was supposed to go. And we'll tell her to come visit here father, so please stop worrying."
Psyche teared up from what she just witnessed, to which her invisible servant started to feel bad about.
"Oh, my lady, I am so sorry. Please allow me to make it up for you."
The crying girl only gave her a questioning look, so the servant continued. "I will ask permission from my Lord if he will accept them here as guests. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll understand. He is kind. Maybe later, when he returns, he'll tell you all about it. I will message him now."
"T-Thank you."