"But what the hell is this?" Creuza was shocked by the image in front of us.
"I have no idea..." I lied.
"I'm going to talk to Apollo!" Creuza lifted her long dress and marched out of the water.
"How?" I asked, wondering if it was that easy to speak to one of the gods.
"Oh, Apollo wouldn't dare refuse to speak with me! Not after offering something so bold to my daughter!" Creuza exuded authority, and I doubted even a god would overlook her strength.
The delicate, fragile appearance of her pale, glowing skin didn't match the fierce personality she was showing now. Her fists were clenched, and her expression was hard. I swear I could almost see an aura around her, as if some sort of magical power was radiating from her. It was mesmerizing.
"Mother..." Saying that word made my stomach twist. I hadn't said it in so long, and now I had to say it to a woman I didn't even know.
"Don't worry, I'll draw my own conclusions!"
"Please, don't do that. I'll find Apollo again, and I can ask him myself."
I was afraid Creuza's intervention would shorten my lifespan. I didn't know exactly what had happened in the real story of Daphne, nor did I know if this was part of the original interactions between Apollo and Daphne or something completely new. In case it was a new development, it might also have a different ending.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" I saw the aura around Creuza diminish significantly, so I took advantage of the moment to ask a very pertinent question.
"I just need to know how to contact the gods."
"That's easy. Being part-divine yourself, you can simply call them, and they will answer."
If it was that simple, I wondered why Creuza had walked all the way into the forest. Perhaps she just needed to think and walk to calm herself. Her long, white hair seemed less wild now, as if Creuza could control an entire sea with just her emotions. I wouldn't be surprised, considering how many unbelievable things exist in Greek mythology...
"So, why don't you stay with me until you have to return to Peneus?"
"You're right, I got sidetracked from my real intention. I deeply apologize. That was irresponsible."
I saw her round eyes soften, and her face once again resembled a calm riverbank on a summer morning—peaceful and relaxing.
"Why did you come?" I asked.
"As I said, I couldn't be present at your presentation," Creuza replied as we walked back toward the lake.
"Yes, there were a lot of people here..." I responded.
Creuza couldn't help but laugh. She sat down on one of the rocks, and I joined her, sitting on a smaller one.
"And you can't even imagine how many of us you haven't met yet. Have you thought about how many we are divided into?"
I suppose our population really was large. There were nymphs for everything and quite a few, actually. Considering that one of my sisters had 20 children... I couldn't help but bite my lip. I didn't have kids in my past life, but I certainly wasn't planning on having 20!
"Are we obligated to have children?" I asked.
"No, my daughter, you're not. But eventually, it will happen." There was a shadow in Creuza's eyes, like an old ghost. I wondered what it would be like to be pregnant with a river... I shook my head. It's Greek mythology—don't try to understand it, I thought to myself.
"Alright. But at the same time, I don't want to be here alone," I said without realizing the words.
"One day, someone will come to keep you company. But for now, focus on being as happy as possible."
Creuza stood up from the rock she had been sitting on.
"I'll be on my way. The sun is about to set, and Peneus will be looking for me soon. I can't be late." With that, she bent down and kissed my forehead. Her lips were soft, and I wondered if mine would be as well.
"Will you return?" I liked her company—it was soothing and fulfilling to have someone to talk to.
"Sooner than a current in a storm." And with that, she disappeared into the water. I still saw her sliding down the river. One day, I would explore that path. Maybe tomorrow, I should take a walk and follow the river.
Apollo's arrow floated above the water, as if it had predicted the future in some strange way. Still afraid, I picked it up and placed it by the riverbank.
If what Creuza had said was true, all I needed to do was call the god. Would Apollo appear before me if I called him?
I intertwined my fingers, rested my head on them, took a deep breath, and spoke softly:
"Apollo, God of the Sun, of Music, and Poetry. Son of Leto and brother of Artemis, I ask for your presence near me." I kept my eyes tightly shut, as if that would help in any way.
I focused on my message, but I didn't feel any warmth on my skin. There was no light, no sound. I gave up and finally opened my eyes—no one was there in front of me. Either Apollo didn't want to attend our little meeting, or Creuza was wrong, or I had done everything wrong.
"Hello, hello!"
I turned toward the voice. A young man, as handsome as Apollo, was floating in the air above me. Judging by the small white wings on his boots, I recognized him as Hermes.
"Hermes," I exclaimed.
"And your name is Daphen. Sorry, Apollo is busy with the Oracle at Delphi, so he asked me to check on you."
"Is that really true, or is he just ignoring me and throwing the problems he caused onto someone else?"
Hermes' laughter was graceful and loud.
"No, he really is busy. But tell me, how can I help?"
"This," I said, pointing to the arrow in front of me.
"It belongs to Apollo, yes. What about it?" Hermes descended and bent down over the arrow.
"Do you want to see what happens if we get it wet?" I asked.
"Sure."
I gathered some water and poured it over the arrow. Nothing happened. I blinked in disbelief, as it had just given me a clear image moments ago.
"Let me try another way."
I submerged it in the water as Creuza had done earlier. A small, bright spark appeared but nothing more.
"Hmm... I'm not seeing anything," Hermes exclaimed.
"Earlier, it showed an image where I transformed into a laurel tree, and the image included Apollo."
"Oh," Hermes' mouth formed a perfect "O". He spun in the air, and as if hearing someone calling his name, he stopped. "They're calling me—the gods need me to deliver an urgent message!"
And he disappeared.
"Hermes! Come back here!!! What about me?!"