A flock of crows flying round in the air gathered around Apollo. He turned white with the new news they had given him.
“Was it Artemis?”
‘The fire started from the inside. The River God ws trying to put out the fire somehow. However, the river is not able to invade the insides and is only slowing down the fire. At this rate, it’s really going to burn all up.’
“I couldn’t see Eutostea. The smoke is so thick… it’s hard to see.”
Apollo’s heart plunged. The face of Dionysus, who smiled lazily, flashed through his mind.
An ominous feeling overtook him but he hoped it wasn’t true.
Apollo encircled the arrow quiver. He had to retrieve the dead fairy’s body so that he could not be tracked down by Artemis, but the topmost priority was saving Eutostea. He arrived at the temple of Dionysus in the blink of an eye.
“!”
The neat temple, which Eutostea and the two gods had diligently swept and polished, was like a barren place akin to the aftereffects of a volcano erupting. The blazing fire was red and blue. As soon as he touched them, the branches which turned to white charcoal, snapped and fell. The area turned completely dark with the smoke emitted from the burning trees. Apollo walked into the flames, swinging his arms.
“Eutostea!”
he exclaimed at the top of his voice, which travelled and hit a wall Somewhere then came back forming an echo. Apollo ran on instinct. It was hard to tell what the original structure of the temple was because of the blazed collapsing debris. Eutostea would be either in the inner chamber or in the assembly hall. He hoped it was not the latter. The heavy roof, which had lost its support as the wooden pillars burned down, had fallen. The altar was buried under the rubble.
“Eutostea!”
Apollo cleared the way by kicking the wreckage. He wanted to drag the stream down and sweep the whole area away. but even the isolated Eutostea will be swept away. He clenched his teeth. A blue vein popped on his forehead. He glanced over the fire with nervous eyes, hearing a faint cough from somewhere. he ran there. It was an exit from the inner room. The heavy weight of rafters that had been crushed by the fire was blocking the entrance. Two leopards ran into it, but the rock didn’t budge.
“Eutostea!”
Apollo grabbed the bow and struck at the blackened marble. The stone broke into pieces with a roar. Eonia was protecting Eutostea. She was coughing, covering her nose and mouth, lying on the floor. she couldn’t open her eyes because they were burning, but she heard Apollo’s voice. Apollo took off the black cloth he was wearing and tightly wrapped it around her. Eutostea coughed in his arms. She’s already inhaled a lot of smoke. A little more would have clogged the entirety of her lungs. Apollo escaped from the flames with the two leopards on his side. The Pactolus River, to which Dionysus’ temple was impenetrable, was hovering nearby. He arrived by the river in the blink of an eye.
When he put her down, the leopards crawled into the river and moistened their burning throats. Apollo curved his palms together like a shell and scooped up river water to give Eutostea. After inhaling the fresh air and coughing, she opened her eyes with a more comfortable look upon drinking water.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Apollo searched every nook and cranny of her body and asked urgently.
“It was hard to breathe because of the smoke, but it got better. What about the temple? What about Dionysus?
“The fire hasn’t gone out yet.”
Eutostea looked at the flames she had barely escaped with a puzzled look.
“He set the fire himself,” said the River God who walked out of the river leaning on a cane. “It’s a fire caused by his will, and it won’t go out until it’s all burnt down.”
“I can’t quench it either,” said Apollo.
“I will…” Eutostea swallowed dry saliva. She furrowed her brows. she looked to be in pain. “I tried to burn the temple and the whole place. Dionysus didn’t stop me. Rather, he had hoped I would.”
“…”
Eutostea saw that all the vines surrounding the river had disappeared. The things that shackled her in the temple were burning. She’s free now. The River God is not stopping her. She can see a stepping stone floating like a silver plate. But she sat back in Apollo’s arms as if her legs had loosened up. Eutostea’s hand touched his thigh. Apollo rewrote his shaky expression and stayed still like a wall so she could hold onto him.
The fire went out at dawn. As the wind blew, ash rained like a flood. There was a sense of heat on the floor. Though she wore shoes, Eutostea felt that she was burying her bare feet in the scorching white sand. she walked all the way there.
“He will be in the western forest where Ariadne’s tomb is located,” said Apollo.
A flock of crows flying round in the air gathered around Apollo. He turned white with the new news they had given him.
“Was it Artemis?”
‘The fire started from the inside. The River God ws trying to put out the fire somehow. However, the river is not able to invade the insides and is only slowing down the fire. At this rate, it’s really going to burn all up.’
“I couldn’t see Eutostea. The smoke is so thick… it’s hard to see.”
Apollo’s heart plunged. The face of Dionysus, who smiled lazily, flashed through his mind.
An ominous feeling overtook him but he hoped it wasn’t true.
Apollo encircled the arrow quiver. He had to retrieve the dead fairy’s body so that he could not be tracked down by Artemis, but the topmost priority was saving Eutostea. He arrived at the temple of Dionysus in the blink of an eye.
“!”
The neat temple, which Eutostea and the two gods had diligently swept and polished, was like a barren place akin to the aftereffects of a volcano erupting. The blazing fire was red and blue. As soon as he touched them, the branches which turned to white charcoal, snapped and fell. The area turned completely dark with the smoke emitted from the burning trees. Apollo walked into the flames, swinging his arms.
“Eutostea!”
he exclaimed at the top of his voice, which travelled and hit a wall Somewhere then came back forming an echo. Apollo ran on instinct. It was hard to tell what the original structure of the temple was because of the blazed collapsing debris. Eutostea would be either in the inner chamber or in the assembly hall. He hoped it was not the latter. The heavy roof, which had lost its support as the wooden pillars burned down, had fallen. The altar was buried under the rubble.
“Eutostea!”
Apollo cleared the way by kicking the wreckage. He wanted to drag the stream down and sweep the whole area away. but even the isolated Eutostea will be swept away. He clenched his teeth. A blue vein popped on his forehead. He glanced over the fire with nervous eyes, hearing a faint cough from somewhere. he ran there. It was an exit from the inner room. The heavy weight of rafters that had been crushed by the fire was blocking the entrance. Two leopards ran into it, but the rock didn’t budge.
“Eutostea!”
Apollo grabbed the bow and struck at the blackened marble. The stone broke into pieces with a roar. Eonia was protecting Eutostea. She was coughing, covering her nose and mouth, lying on the floor. she couldn’t open her eyes because they were burning, but she heard Apollo’s voice. Apollo took off the black cloth he was wearing and tightly wrapped it around her. Eutostea coughed in his arms. She’s already inhaled a lot of smoke. A little more would have clogged the entirety of her lungs. Apollo escaped from the flames with the two leopards on his side. The Pactolus River, to which Dionysus’ temple was impenetrable, was hovering nearby. He arrived by the river in the blink of an eye.
When he put her down, the leopards crawled into the river and moistened their burning throats. Apollo curved his palms together like a shell and scooped up river water to give Eutostea. After inhaling the fresh air and coughing, she opened her eyes with a more comfortable look upon drinking water.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Apollo searched every nook and cranny of her body and asked urgently.
“It was hard to breathe because of the smoke, but it got better. What about the temple? What about Dionysus?
“The fire hasn’t gone out yet.”
Eutostea looked at the flames she had barely escaped with a puzzled look.
“He set the fire himself,” said the River God who walked out of the river leaning on a cane. “It’s a fire caused by his will, and it won’t go out until it’s all burnt down.”
“I can’t quench it either,” said Apollo.
“I will…” Eutostea swallowed dry saliva. She furrowed her brows. she looked to be in pain. “I tried to burn the temple and the whole place. Dionysus didn’t stop me. Rather, he had hoped I would.”
“…”
Eutostea saw that all the vines surrounding the river had disappeared. The things that shackled her in the temple were burning. She’s free now. The River God is not stopping her. She can see a stepping stone floating like a silver plate. But she sat back in Apollo’s arms as if her legs had loosened up. Eutostea’s hand touched his thigh. Apollo rewrote his shaky expression and stayed still like a wall so she could hold onto him.
The fire went out at dawn. As the wind blew, ash rained like a flood. There was a sense of heat on the floor. Though she wore shoes, Eutostea felt that she was burying her bare feet in the scorching white sand. she walked all the way there.
“He will be in the western forest where Ariadne’s tomb is located,” said Apollo.
