The earth shook under his feet. Eutostea saw vines swarming and covering the road through which the old woman and her son had left. The wall rose majestically blocking her retreat. Eutostea ran into the woods like the Moussa. Eonia, who came running like a flash, put her on her back. The leopard jumped nimbly and crossed the vine obstacle created by Dionysus. Mariad ran in front of them and hit the twigs with his body to clear the path for them.
Dionysus caught up with them, stamping his feet. He grabbed the neck of the beast daring to go against his master’s orders and threw it violently. Eonia paused to hear Mariad’s scream and then ran toward the riverside. Eutostea was flat on the leopard’s back. All they had to do was cross the river. The thought struck her. But when they broke out of the dense coniferous forest, the leopard stopped abruptly. Eutostea raised her head.
The river, breaking with silver in the moonlight, formed a barrier with a huge whirlpool. Even if she ran as hard as she could with Eonia, they will not be able to pass through the wall of water that has soared to the point of reaching the clouds. The god of the river sat on the back of a cow. He tapped the pebbles on the riverbed with his cane.
“It’s the River God.” Eutostea sighed.
“Priest, I’m sorry. I don’t want my long-time companion to die facing the wrath of a god. Your drink is truly too amazing.”
The old man looked behind her with an awkward expression. Dionysus, breathing heavily, stood behind her with his thunderous shoulders rising up and down. Eonia growled at him, showing her teeth. Dionysus couldn’t stand the noise and kicked the leopard in the head. Eutostea trembled and looked at the leopard flying to the other side of the river. Mariad, who limped on his hind legs, came up and licked the back of her ears with his tongue.
“If you go out of here, you die.”
She heard a double meaning in his words. Facing the green glow of madness in his eyes, it sounded like he would kill her with his own hands before the goddess Artemis even caught her. It was a threat. Eutostea’s teeth trembled to the point of biting the flesh of her tongue.
“I don’t want to die.”
She confessed with all her heart.
“Yes, you should value your life. Eutostea.”
“But my family members are taken prisoners, and my home country is on the verge of being defeated.”
“What does it have to do with you? You’re not Thebes’ princess anymore.”
“It’s worth more than my life.”
“What noble spirit you have. You’re going to be the goddess of victory jumping into the battlefield? What can you do? When you have earned Artemis’ grudges, and started serving a god like myself who can only give you the ability to spill alcohol from your hand.”
“You saw the old woman recover from all illnesses after drinking it.”
“Yeah. What’s the deal? You’re not saying you’re going to treat wounded soldiers by raining alcohol on the battlefield, are you? Do you know how dangerous it is in itself for a woman who has no defense capability to walk around in the scene of absolute murder where morality has disappeared?”
“…”
“I’m the god of booze. What I’m good at is getting people drunk, not winning a war. Or do you rather I go make the enemy even madder and induce them to slaughter us? Protecting you from the deep recesses of hell? It’s way beyond my skill set. You’ll die under Artemis’ arrow without uttering a sound. You want me to just watch you die? You want me to let you go even though I know all that?”
“I’m going.”
“No. You can’t go. I won’t let you go. Absolutely not.”
Dionysus was in front of her and the water barricade in the Pactolus River was behind her. She was trapped. Eutostea bit her lip. This is a prison.
“Will you lock me up?” Eutostea jabbed at him.
Dionysus smiled brightly. “I’ll give you the most comfortable prison in the world. Just for you.”
It was a declaration of war with a persistent desire, different from his earlier desperate pleading for her to stay by his side. Eutostea looked around her with a resigned expression. As she dragged her feet, she approached where the leopard had fallen. Eonia with a dislocated pelvis placed her chin on her palm with sad eyes. Eutostea’s teardrops fell on the leopard’s nose. Mariad slightly bit her clothes and pulled them. It was a sign for her to go back.
Eutostea hugged Eonia’s head and burst into tears. The old woman’s words kept haunting her.
The last thing she saw before she left for Delphi was a vineyard that ran over to the horizon. It all burned. People would have lost their loved ones and shed blood and tears. Her sisters would have been dragged away from the hair by scoundrels. Her father and mother would have been humiliated and taken down from the throne. The royal palace, where she had spent her entire life, would have been burned down or got robbed of all its treasures, its curtains torn and replaced by enemy flags. Nevertheless, there are still those who want to protect the country. Why are they holding out so long for? The only thing that remains for them at best is an honorable death. But she seemed to have a vague idea of what hope they were hanging upon like a ray of light leaking from the dark clouded sky. It was an emotion shared by anyone born and raised in Thebes.
Eutostea pounded her chest. She let out a bloody shriek of a cry. She has to go to Thebes. She will definitely go.
Eutostea rose up like a charmed person and left the leopard’s side. She kicked the pebbles at her feet. The fence of water rotated violently as she approached. It’ll swallow her. It’ll gnaw at her. Nevertheless, she walked into the whirlpool without hesitation, as the road that was invisible to others seemed clear to her.
The earth shook under his feet. Eutostea saw vines swarming and covering the road through which the old woman and her son had left. The wall rose majestically blocking her retreat. Eutostea ran into the woods like the Moussa. Eonia, who came running like a flash, put her on her back. The leopard jumped nimbly and crossed the vine obstacle created by Dionysus. Mariad ran in front of them and hit the twigs with his body to clear the path for them.
Dionysus caught up with them, stamping his feet. He grabbed the neck of the beast daring to go against his master’s orders and threw it violently. Eonia paused to hear Mariad’s scream and then ran toward the riverside. Eutostea was flat on the leopard’s back. All they had to do was cross the river. The thought struck her. But when they broke out of the dense coniferous forest, the leopard stopped abruptly. Eutostea raised her head.
The river, breaking with silver in the moonlight, formed a barrier with a huge whirlpool. Even if she ran as hard as she could with Eonia, they will not be able to pass through the wall of water that has soared to the point of reaching the clouds. The god of the river sat on the back of a cow. He tapped the pebbles on the riverbed with his cane.
“It’s the River God.” Eutostea sighed.
“Priest, I’m sorry. I don’t want my long-time companion to die facing the wrath of a god. Your drink is truly too amazing.”
The old man looked behind her with an awkward expression. Dionysus, breathing heavily, stood behind her with his thunderous shoulders rising up and down. Eonia growled at him, showing her teeth. Dionysus couldn’t stand the noise and kicked the leopard in the head. Eutostea trembled and looked at the leopard flying to the other side of the river. Mariad, who limped on his hind legs, came up and licked the back of her ears with his tongue.
“If you go out of here, you die.”
She heard a double meaning in his words. Facing the green glow of madness in his eyes, it sounded like he would kill her with his own hands before the goddess Artemis even caught her. It was a threat. Eutostea’s teeth trembled to the point of biting the flesh of her tongue.
“I don’t want to die.”
She confessed with all her heart.
“Yes, you should value your life. Eutostea.”
“But my family members are taken prisoners, and my home country is on the verge of being defeated.”
“What does it have to do with you? You’re not Thebes’ princess anymore.”
“It’s worth more than my life.”
“What noble spirit you have. You’re going to be the goddess of victory jumping into the battlefield? What can you do? When you have earned Artemis’ grudges, and started serving a god like myself who can only give you the ability to spill alcohol from your hand.”
“You saw the old woman recover from all illnesses after drinking it.”
“Yeah. What’s the deal? You’re not saying you’re going to treat wounded soldiers by raining alcohol on the battlefield, are you? Do you know how dangerous it is in itself for a woman who has no defense capability to walk around in the scene of absolute murder where morality has disappeared?”
“…”
“I’m the god of booze. What I’m good at is getting people drunk, not winning a war. Or do you rather I go make the enemy even madder and induce them to slaughter us? Protecting you from the deep recesses of hell? It’s way beyond my skill set. You’ll die under Artemis’ arrow without uttering a sound. You want me to just watch you die? You want me to let you go even though I know all that?”
“I’m going.”
“No. You can’t go. I won’t let you go. Absolutely not.”
Dionysus was in front of her and the water barricade in the Pactolus River was behind her. She was trapped. Eutostea bit her lip. This is a prison.
“Will you lock me up?” Eutostea jabbed at him.
Dionysus smiled brightly. “I’ll give you the most comfortable prison in the world. Just for you.”
It was a declaration of war with a persistent desire, different from his earlier desperate pleading for her to stay by his side. Eutostea looked around her with a resigned expression. As she dragged her feet, she approached where the leopard had fallen. Eonia with a dislocated pelvis placed her chin on her palm with sad eyes. Eutostea’s teardrops fell on the leopard’s nose. Mariad slightly bit her clothes and pulled them. It was a sign for her to go back.
Eutostea hugged Eonia’s head and burst into tears. The old woman’s words kept haunting her.
The last thing she saw before she left for Delphi was a vineyard that ran over to the horizon. It all burned. People would have lost their loved ones and shed blood and tears. Her sisters would have been dragged away from the hair by scoundrels. Her father and mother would have been humiliated and taken down from the throne. The royal palace, where she had spent her entire life, would have been burned down or got robbed of all its treasures, its curtains torn and replaced by enemy flags. Nevertheless, there are still those who want to protect the country. Why are they holding out so long for? The only thing that remains for them at best is an honorable death. But she seemed to have a vague idea of what hope they were hanging upon like a ray of light leaking from the dark clouded sky. It was an emotion shared by anyone born and raised in Thebes.
Eutostea pounded her chest. She let out a bloody shriek of a cry. She has to go to Thebes. She will definitely go.
Eutostea rose up like a charmed person and left the leopard’s side. She kicked the pebbles at her feet. The fence of water rotated violently as she approached. It’ll swallow her. It’ll gnaw at her. Nevertheless, she walked into the whirlpool without hesitation, as the road that was invisible to others seemed clear to her.
