Page 41 of Orpheus
“Then what was it!? What other reason could there be for you killing Eurydalos!?” I shouted at him.
“Because, if I did not send that snake after Eurydalos, you both would be dead right now, as we speak,” Apollo informed me. “I am a prophet, Orpheus. How quickly you forget that. Aristaeus was already on his way to disclose your treachery to the other Olympian gods as you and Eurydalos fled his home. The gods’ decision would be an easy one and it would be final. The consequence of your actions would have been death for the both of you. And I could not allow a mentee of mine to die over such a miniscule crime. So, I took matters into my own hands. I intercepted Aristaeus just before he left the Vale on his way to Mount Olympus and made a compromise with him. He expressed that if he could not have Eurydalos, then neither could you. Those were his final terms. Thus, I conceded, and promised him that I would have Eurydalos killed, but you would go on living.”
Despite this convoluted story Apollo was surmising, explaining that his actions were a means of saving my life, I could not help shake off that this felt like a huge betrayal. At the end of the day, Eurydalos was still gone and could not return.
“But he is the love of my life, Apollo! I cannot go on in this world without him!” I exclaimed.
“Then don’t,” Apollo replied.
I gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean,don’t?”
“Just as I said. Don’t go on in this world without Eurydalos if you love him that much. Go after him,” he enigmatically stated.
“Go after him? And how do you suppose I do that? I can’t just magically get into the Underworld and bring him back.”
“I can get you to the entrance of the Underworld, Orpheus. That is the best I can do. The rest would be on you. It’s your journey, after all. Whatever dark and loathsome creatures exist in the realm of the Underworld, I’m sure they would be no match for your lyre and music.”
“You mean to tell me I have the power to go to Underworld and retrieve Eurydalos?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yes. As for whether or not you will be able to escape from the Underworld with Eurydalos, I cannot say for sure. It is a considerable risk.”
“The Underworld… I know nothing about it, nor how to navigate the realm. How would I possibly be able to find Eurydalos in its vastness? What if I get stuck down there with him? Would we still be together, then?” I questioned aloud.
Apollo shrugged. “I cannot say. But why don’t you sleep on it? Think about it some more, before you…”
But there was nothing more for me to think about. I was steadfast and knew I needed Eurydalos in my life and I would do anything in my power to get him back, even if it meant having to travel to the Underworld to risk my own life.
I interrupted Apollo immediately. “There is nothing more I need to think about. I don’t need to weigh any options. I will do anything to get the love of my life back in my arms. You cannot persuade me otherwise.”
“Very well. It is decided then,” Apollo remarked. “At sunrise, I will retrieve you and then we shall depart for the Underworld.”
ACT III
Finding Absolution
Chapter 18
“If it’s this easy to get into the Underworld, how come I’ve never heard any stories about gods or mortals traveling there to bring back their loved ones?” I asked Apollo as we strolled down the slopes of Cape Tanaerum, settled at the very most southern point of Greece. The hills on the peninsula descended so deep, eventually turning into a hollow cave.
“That’s because anyone can get here. This entrance is never an issue to get to. It’s beyond this cave where the problem lies,” Apollo explained.
“And beyond the cave…”
“Waits the ferryman, Charon,” Apollo finished my sentence with. “He is the only means of crossing the river that separates the living from the dead.”
As we made our way further into the cave with barely any light to guide us the remainder of the way, I became fearful of what my journey into the Underworld would entail. It was one thing to hear about, but another to actually experience the darkest depths that you once thought were unimaginable.
But I could not let my dread takeover. I had so much at stake here. There was a chance that I could see Eurydalos again. I could bring him back into my life and we could go on living together for the rest of our days. That opportunity would be what would truly triumph in my decision to have to endure the Underworld and all of its horror that I would witness.
I missed Eurydalos. Even after a full month since his death, I could still sense his lingering touch on me. The grace of his soft lips still remained against mine. The softness of his delicate fingertips caressing my cheeks, stroking them down to my chin, still made the hairs on my skin rise. My lover was a part of me and would forever have a place in my heart.
But I refused to allow him to be just that. No. I needed more. I did not want Eurydalos to be a drifting memory, where I could appreciate the love we once shared and move on in the world, happily able to accept that I should be grateful for having had him in my life, for even just a short amount of time.
Now that the possibility existed where I could retrieve him and bring him back to me, I would give anything, no matter at what cost, to make that happen.
I needed to experience therealthing. And I would give anything and everything to have that back in my life once again.
As Apollo and I continued to trudge through the pitch blackness of the narrow cave for several minutes, I could finally see a glimmer of light at the end. As we further ambled onward, the brightness became more prominent, and I was finally able to make out colors and figures once again.
