The Oracle of Delphi speaks its prophecies in vague poetry, using the Homeric hexameter rhythmic scheme, where each line is divided into six measures or feet. It is traditionally associated with an epic-style quantitative meter of poetry. Some premier epic examples that features such style are Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses. It's no wonder why many poets find it difficult to write and many seekers find it very hard to interpret.
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"Come forth, seeker. Ask and you shall know."
The eerie voice coming out from the Pythia sent cold shivers down Julius's spine. Her movements caught the light that filtered through the chamber, and the woman's face was illuminated. He really thought that Phemonoe is still young considering her small silhouette that was visible earlier. But she is old, perhaps about in her early fifties. And her eyes – her eyes were only whites, and its glowing. She even became scarier when he realized that her lips were not moving - rather, she's speaking directly to him in his thoughts. If that's not creepy, then he doesn't know what else it is.
'Don't shit now, man. Get it done, quickly!' He said to himself.
He gathered up his remaining courage and braved the peculiar mythic being who was seated before him. After taking a deep breath, he said: "I wish to know my destiny in this world."
As if she wasn't horrifying enough, the woman suddenly convulsed and then abruptly stiffened with her head looking up to the ceiling. Julius wanted to get out ASAP but his feet were glued to the floor. Furthermore, he can't afford to miss what she's just about to say.
/Ye, young man, traveller from afar, who seeks the way of truth, must know
To conquer the quest of ages and alter their stories, you shall go
The way back your home is by leaps throughout time and spaces of old
Only then, will you end your conquest to revive a mad God from the past
Yes, ye, Son of Time, will be God who'll bring chaos to end the world at last/
'WTF is this sht?' Julius thought, his head about to explode from the gibberish he's hearing. From this starting verse alone, things doesn't sound so good for him. He was about to step back when the Pythia threw another slam poetry entry at him.
/By graces, you will not be alone and many friends will come your way
One by one, slowly so, you will shape the world of 'this past' and 'your today'
Divine help too, will find thee, and change the course of your difficult display
But beware, for they will come follow – travellers from your age, you'll find
Listen, to them and weigh thy thoughts, at the end, one won't be your fiend/
'Stop old lady you're not making any sense! You're killing me, you're all killing me!' His head hurts so bad now that he started to crumble down to the floor and wail from the pain and madness inside his mind.
/Soon enough, your powers shall awake – time and space, use wisely, once obtained
Destiny, you can not alter it, but a rare choice of thee will aid
By making that hardest and biggest sacrifice, this bad fate, you might break
Though I do, see, that these options will cause you much terrible, sad, ache
What will thee, Son of Time, do when it comes - that's something only ye can make/
"AAAHHHHH STOP IT!! STOOOOP!!" Julius finally screamed from hearing too much stuff that was driving him insane. The ringing in his ear reached its peak, pounding into his brain. Then, silence filled the entire room and the Pythia also stopped moving. Phemonoe closed her eyes and she passed out after going into that trance, a faint trail of smoke coming out from her lips.
Julius noted the shift in the atmosphere around him and he let out the remaining air that was stuck inside his throat. He heaved several sighs and looked at the fragile figure of the Oracle of Delphi, now with her head bent low. Right then and there, he swore to never consult the Oracle again and experience this different kind of mental torture that can drive anyone insane. He just felt so thankful that he survived it.
"Are you done?" A voice suddenly sounded from the entrance of the temple. Julius turned and saw the figure of the young boy from earlier.
"You – how long have you been here?" He asked the boy, his thoughts, still cloudy after that prophetic exchange. He was breathless.
"I was here ever since you came in." The boy replied as he walked towards him. When he reached by his side, he offered his hand to help him up. Julius groggily accepted it.
As his head was beginning to clear itself, Julius once more looked at the Pythia. She too, was beginning to stir. After a few more moments, she finally tilted her head and looked at his direction. In a groggy voice, totally different from the one that spoke earlier, she asked, "Did I scare you?"
He nodded in response. The woman looked down again and muttered, "Please, forgive me."
"No – no, it's not your fault." Now that made him feel bad for hating what the old woman just did. Because it wasn't her who was talking to him – it was the Oracle of Delphi. She is but the conduit of its expression only.
"Phemonoe, are you all right?" The boy hurriedly went to her side and helped her stand up. "Can you walk? I prepared your concoction to help relieve your headache."
"I'm fine. Thank you, Tobias." Phemonoe replied.
"Here, let me take you outside." The boy helped up the woman and angled her hand around his shoulders. When they were nearing the entrance, the woman turned to him and invited him as well to come with them.
"Please, follow us outside, Julius."
He was surprised that the woman knew his name. Perhaps his shock was conveyed clearly in his expression that the woman just smiled a little and said, "I just know about it. Come with us."
He reluctantly did as he was told and now they were outside by the edge of the spring where offerings to the God of Truth were gathered. Julius knew that it's awkward to ask the stupid question that was inside his mind but he had to do it because he wasn't able to keep up with the Oracle of Delphi's prophetic words.
"Um, excuse me, ma'am, but, can you remember what you just told me inside the cave? The prophecy, I mean?" He scratched his head in embarrassment. That was a long-ass poem and he wasn't able to catch all of it. One wrong wording can make all the difference.
'I should've known to bring with me some paper and pen. But then again, where do I get those?' He thought. Moreover, it was rather foolish of him to just recklessly believe that he can remember the words accurately even with his upgraded intelligence stat. 'Seems like I'm still a dumbass, after all.'
"I apologize, but even I cannot recall the words I have spoken when the Oracle takes over me." Phemonoe sadly replied.
"I see." That's too bad for him.
"Well, I can help you with that." Tobias joined the conversation. "I have an extremely good memory recall and I heard everything that was said there. I'm sorry for eavesdropping, though."
"Thank goodness." Julius softly muttered.
--
Tobias, on the other hand, can't also get the words of the Oracle out of his mind. He took a closer look at Julius. 'So does that mean that this strange person is the Son of Time?' He thought.
When he was orphaned since last year, Tobias got lost around Corinth but Phemonoe found him and took pity on him. She brought her to her home, and he was surprised when he found out that the woman who took him in was the Pythia who was the conduit to the Oracle of Delphi – a servant to the God of Truth, whom his mother have always revered.
Since then, he took it upon himself to take care of the temple, as well as Phemonoe, whom he regards now as his new mother. A few months ago, in a stormy day at their shelter, Phemonoe sleepwalked towards the temple and sat on her tripod. This worried Tobias so he followed her out there, and for the first time, he witnessed the events that happen during the trance that happens to the Pythia before she speaks of a prophecy. "Come forth, seeker. Ask and you shall know."
There was no one else around the temple, so Tobias thought that the seeker the Oracle was referring to was him. It made him so nervous and curious as well about his destiny, so he asked about it. His prophecy was only a single verse, and he will never forget it.
/The day, soon enough, comes to thee – Yes ye will, Son of Truth, shall see
Son of Time will come 'ere, and find you to join him, yes, he will set you free
To travel with him and his dear friends is thy joy – be with him, heed his call
You will know, not later, that so many other men will need thy great help
The future, you also hold it in your tiny, fragile hands that mend/
'He is part of my destiny? How weird. So I must follow this man?' Tobias thought.
"I can recall it from my memory for you. But I will repeat it for you, only in one condition." Tobias said out loud to Julius, who only gave him a baffled look. "Take me with you, wherever you are going."
Julius thought about it…. deeply. He can vaguely remember that he will meet new friends along the way. So without any further ado, he just decided to take the boy with him. "All right."
He wasn't sure what to make of the expression from the young boy's face. But he was the one who asked to join him anyway, so he really couldn't care less if he'll join him or not.
'I just wish I had someone I know here. Like the ones I have at home. Too bad I'm only on my own now.' He sighed internally out of frustration.
"I'm Tobias. And you are?"
"Julius."
"Where are we going after this, Julius?"
He paused for a while before continuing…."Tell me about my prophecy first and I'll tell you where."
Tobias' eyes narrowed at him but said nothing. Suddenly, there was a radiant light that appeared which made all of them cover their faces and close their eyes. And then, Phemonoe spoke.
"It's an honor to have you come visit here, my Lord." Apollo has shown himself.