Beauty of Thebes

Chapter 42: Apollo’s Tears 

Meanwhile, inside the Holy Temple of Apollo… all those who offered their sacrifices went back to their lodgings outside the temple. They put enough firewood on the brazier that Pyatia, Apollo’s priestess, remained and did not go out until dawn. 

Eight carts of well-dried firewood came in from Delos. The priestess was satisfied. The offerings and tributes placed on the altar at the rally hall were left overnight and kept in a temple safely for one year. 

In the space where the priestess left, only the burning sound of the brazier rang quietly. 

Dionysus, sitting on the throne of Olympus, looked down and rose from his seat with a clownish smile. Golden sandals glided on the air, accompanied by the night. 

Without his usual companionship, he entered the temple, spreading the leaves of the grapevine under his feet. 

He went to a place full of purple silk—meant for Apollo—and draped it on his naked right shoulder. He turned his head, observing the golds and silvers. 

“With all my heart, no one will notice.” 

Dionysus tied a bag to his back. With a pocket full of gold coins on his belt and a silver ingot processed like pebbles in his hand, he walked towards one place. There lay a pair of a familiar golden chalice. 

“The more I look at it, the cuter that princess becomes. I wonder what she’s doing.” 

Thinking of Eutostea, he savored her offering. From the moment the wine poured into his golden chalice, the color changed to his symbol. Dionysus drank the dark wine, the nostalgic aura remaining. 

After tasting the wine, Dionysus lay on the altar with a sigh. Though the festival was over, he had yet to hear an answer from Eutostea. 

‘Where can I go find her?’ he thought, agonizing. 

A lira string next to him bounced and lightning flashed. It fell far away from the north of the temple. The sky swarmed with grotesque red clouds gathering over the forest near Mount Parnassus. 

“Is that Zeus?” 

Dionysus stood at the side and observed the scene from afar. The color of the clouds was murky. Zeus’ specialty was to create thunderstorms in the dry sky, yet it was somewhat different from the smell it exuded. 

Dionysus felt the power of a strong curse. An uneasy shudder sprang upon his forearm. 

Then, a new shadow appeared behind him. 

“!” 

Dionysus slipped down the purple silk on his shoulder and kicked it towards the altar with his heel. 

Apollo had seen him. 

Dionysus blinked and cleared his throat. 

“Apollo! You’ve come back so quickly to Delphi. I thought you were still in Hyperboria. Haha… what are you holding in your arms? There’s no way you’re holding a mortal woman, right? Haha…” 

“You’re right. It is a mortal woman, Dionysus,” answered Apollo. 

Apollo’s voice was more demoralized than usual. 

Dionysus came close to him, pulling out a bow and throwing it at the floor at random. His eyes opened meaningfully wide when he saw the woman’s face. 

“I was caught up in Artemis’ hunt. I managed to cure the trauma, but she’s still unconscious from the pain it caused. She’s the princess of Thebes, Eutostea.” 

Swallowing the words lodged deep in his throat, Dionysus put his hand on her forehead. Eutostea looked like she was sleeping in peace, but somehow, he could hear her piercing scream echoing in his ears. 

“Are you crying?” 

Dionysus looked at Apollo in astonishment. 

A transparent teardrop formed around Apollo’s bloodstained mouth. His teardrops gathered at the tip of his chin and became rose-colored drops of water and fell down. 

“Will you wake up? Will you open your eyes? Of course… you won’t right away. Will you come to consciousness? I’m nervous…” Apollo murmured to a whisper. 

“Did Artemis do anything? I’m sure the princess will soon come to her senses when she recovers from her internal injuries.” 

Dionysus quickly took on the position of a brother comforting his sibling, Apollo. 

There was a hidden story, this Dionysus knew. 

Apollo told the truth with a painfully distorted expression. 

“She’s cursed… a severe curse. The target is directed towards Eutostea and me both. I couldn’t stop it… I could only dumbly listen as Artemis mouthed off her curse.” 

Dionysus was only then able to determine the cause of the mysterious lightning strike he had witnessed earlier. It was a wave caused by the powerful power of a curse, which drew the goddess’ anger. 

“Um…” 

Dionysus scratched his chin, gaze alternating between the chalice cup he was holding and Eutostea’s pale face. 

“How come this always happens to every woman who manages to take a place in my heart?” Apollo dropped his head and whispered in a small voice. 

A diamond-glowing drop of tears fell ceaselessly from Apollo.