Page 23 of Orpheus
“Calais… it cannot be!” I yelled in disbelief.
But I knew it to be true. Apollo may have been heartbroken over my decision, but I knew the god would never dare lie to me about anything. He had no reason to.
I fell to my knees. Every bone in my body had given out. My tears poured out from my eyes and flooded the sand beneath me like a cataclysm. I would never be able to touch Calais. To hold him, to see him, to hear him, to kiss him, ever again. He had become one with the Underworld. There was no means of me saving him from his fate. I felt impotent and so small at that very moment.
I wondered what I could have done differently to prevent all of this from happening. If only I had opened my eyes more and saw the fear within him, knowing that his untimely death was approaching. What I would give to reverse the hours and go back in time and find a way for us to be together.
My denial was finally broken, and now I was going through the stages of sadness. But soon would come the anger. I would be resentful towards Apollo for not being able to do anything to help me. I would grow to be bitter at Jason, for selfishly bringing Calais with him on his journey, knowing full well that Calais would be sacrificed all for his gain in becoming King of Thessaly. I was enraged with Calais for putting me through all of this. It was his fault that I was having these feelings. He played with my emotions the entire time, knowing I would have to suffer in the end, as I was doing now. But most importantly, I was angry with myself for being so weak as to finally learn to love someone, only to have no control over the heartache that came thereafter.
ACT II
Finding Love
Chapter 10
I could no longer go home and face the disappointment my family would have in me for having disobeyed Apollo. I refused to allow that to happen. Instead, I vowed to continue my trek to Iolcus. I knew I would no longer have a warm rekindling with Calais there. No. But I did have a new reason for visiting the city.
I had to speak to Jason. I needed to hear him out. I wanted answers as to why he continued on his journey, knowing sacrifices would need to be made for him to acquire his throne.
How could he fight for the throne, knowing at what costs it came with?
Why would he commit his devoted friends and followers to such a fate?
Did he truly cherish them, or was his friendship with them fake?
How could he be a king, forever drenched with the blood on his hands?
These bitter questions and more continued to swarm in my mind, not being able to fully comprehend how callous Jason could be. This was not the friendly Jason I knew. The man and leader who I became so fond of. Or was that all an act, too?
I had finally arrived in Iolcus. The city was magnificent. Its architecture was far advanced compared to the many other places I’ve visited. The buildings stood tall and cramped together, yet they stretched far and wide.
I was further struck by how clean the city seemed. Every road was made of white cobblestone. The limestone on the walls of the buildings and their columns were fresh, as if someone cleaned them five times a day. I imagined I could eat a meal off the ground. It was that sterile.
No wonder Jason risked his life and went to great lengths to rule this city and the surrounding kingdom. It was beautiful. A prized possession worth ruling over. I could only imagine the countless guards and warriors Thessaly had. Its army was likely to be a huge threat to anyone that attacked them.
But my admonishment over seeing Iolcus for the first time was short-lived. The feeling instantly fleeted as I ascended the roads of the city to its very center, where the impressive Castle of Iolcus stood. It was recognizably the most colossal and noticeable structure in all of the city.
As I navigated the streets, I passed a few of its citizens, who were walking in the opposite direction of me. Most of them were stuck in deep conversation and gossip. However, there was one exchange of words that made my ears perk up.
“What do you think of the new king? He is most certainly handsome, no?” a young woman in a beige tunic asked another woman who appeared to be around her same age.
“Yes. I managed to get a better glimpse of him during his introductory speech he made yesterday. Quite the looker, that one.”
“But his name… Jason. It has a rather bland tone to it, does it not? King Jason. It doesn’t seem very intimidating or worthy of such a brave and attractive leader as him.”
So, it was true. Based on what I overheard in eavesdropping in on the young ladies, Jason had, in fact, claimed the throne. However, he must have arrived in Iolcus fairly recently, if he had just given his first speech to the kingdom only yesterday.
Although I was irate with Jason in allowing Calais to die without seeming to give a care in the world, I could not deny that I held an ounce of elation that lingered within me. Yes. I had to admire that he had managed to go on the riskiest adventure known to man, being able to make it past the most dangerous of obstacles and live to tell the tales.
It would surely be a story that would go down in history. Jason would likely be recognized as a major hero for many years to come. But I did wonder if it all was worth it to him, in the end.
I was eager to know of his rationale and his reasoning behind all that he did, given what he knew. My feet continued to carry me to the outskirts of his castle, surrounded by a huge wall with a guarded gate at the very front of it. Five guards in steel armor and iron helmets stood, holding long sharp pikes in their hands, blocking the entrance to the castle. They glanced over at me. Their suspicion was obvious in their dark glares.
“My name is Orpheus. I am here to speak with King Jason,” I declared.
“Orpheus!?” one guard exclaimed with disbelief. “The famous musician, Orpheus!?”
“The very same Orpheus who conquered the sirens?” another guard added.
