Aphrodite was slightly frustrated. She had been hoping that the Moirae would help. 'No matter,' she thought to herself, 'I've still got plan B.' She smiled as she looked at the sparkling ring around her finger.
She walked a little closer to Hermes, who was standing at the other end of the temple room. A sunset peeked through the marble pillars and made long shadows across the room. The flower incense made the room seem magical. She got so close that Hermes could feel her breath on his cheek. She walked her fingers up his arm. "I've got another idea."
"Y-yeah?" Hermes stuttered. His mind was going blank. His heart had skipped a beat. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
She laughed. "Yes." She paused to stare into his eyes. Hermes stared back. Aphrodite's eyes were captivating. Looking into them was like gazing into an endless sea. "I need you to go to Delphi. Ask the oracle. She should be able to help you."
"Oracle. Delphi. Got it."
It would've been much quicker to get to the Moirae to help than go all the way to Delphi, so Hermes left swiftly.
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Icarus decided to explore the island. Alice chose to stay on the beach to watch over the supplies and the boat. She kept Sparky by her side and gave the knife to Icarus.
He ventured past the coconut trees to find that the island bloomed even more near the middle. He found an apple tree and picked an apple for himself. He pocketed another one for Alice.
Icarus continued walking and munching on his apple. It was fresh and succulent. He tried to savor it even more, knowing that it would probably be the best thing he would eat for a long time.
He stumbled upon a small clearing. Oak trees around it formed a perfect circle around the clearing. Flowers covered every inch of the ground like a blossoming carpet. A single tree stood in the middle of the circle. Something golden was hanging over one of the branches. It shone so brilliantly that Icarus had to squint to see what it was. It was the Golden Fleece. He dropped his half-eaten apple on the ground in astonishment.
Icarus walked a little closer. He was captivated. Its radiance distracted him from the dragon looming overhead. He stepped closer again. He wanted to touch the fur. He ran his fingers through the soft fleece.
The dragon screamed from above. It landed on the ground and thundered towards Icarus. In his panic, he snatched the fleece and ran. He went as fast as his feet could carry him. The dragon was right behind him. The giant shadow-colored beast bowled over trees and trampled flowers as it chased him.
Icarus reached the familiar coconut trees where Alice was.
"GO!" he yelled. "Get the boat ready!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she shouted back when the dragon came into her view. She grabbed the bag of supplies and threw them into the boat. She started shoving the rowboat back into the water. When she had it off the sand, she gave it one more big push for momentum and hopped inside.
The dragon roared and breathed fire on Icarus. He had been about to jump into the boat, but the flames on his back made him stop in his tracks.
Alice looked behind to see Icarus fall to his hands and knees. He weakly reached out a hand, and Alice stretched out to grab him. He started to go limp, and all of his body up to his neck went underwater. She could hear hissing as the flames went out. The hold was enough to keep his head above the water, but the boat had stopped moving. Alice could let go and escape, or try to save her friend and possibly face a fiery death.
Sparky started barking. The intense volume hurt Alice's ears. She wanted to cover them, but that would mean letting go of Icarus. She glanced up to see the dragon flying away. She sighed with relief. She grabbed Icarus with her other hand and used both hands to pull him over the side of the boat.
Alice looked at Icarus. He wasn't breathing. She propped him up against the coconuts that were piled up at the front of the boat. She waited a couple seconds, but all Icarus did was slide down the pile a bit. She really wished she had been paying more attention in health class. She leaned forward and took a deep breath.
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It had taken Hermes a while to realize that the oracle was dead. Her temple had mostly collapsed. He found a big hole and went in through there. He was shocked to see everything still in order on the inside. Strange smoke billowed through the room. Cracked tile covered the floor and walls. Several pillars stood like marble soldiers along the sides of the room.
He walked ahead like many other Greeks had before him. The eerie smoke started to shift until it resembled a woman.
"I died long ago, but my spirit remains," said a womanly voice that seemed to be coming from the smoke. "My temple has collapsed so that not everyone can find me. But I am still here for when I am needed. What is your question?"
"Where can I find Giselle Stone?" Hermes asked.
The oracle went silent.
"On an island not far or near, you'll find the one you seek. A ring will be your best tool, and you'll find her by the end of the week."
"That's it?"
As if answering his question, the woman deformed again. A goodbye was whispered into the still air as Hermes left.
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Alice bit her lip. "At least he's breathing again," she whispered to herself. She sighed.
Icarus's burns were really bad. The smell of singed hair was like a black cloud hanging over him. The whole back of his shirt had been burned away. Alice decided just to take it off and give him the blanket. Alice found a glowing golden fur nestled under his shirt while she was removing it. She was surprised that it wasn't even wet like his clothes still were. She admired it for a while, and then put it in the pack with the supplies.
She gazed at his face. He looked about 19 years old. It wasn't the same boy that she'd found on the beach . . . or at least it didn't feel like it. He didn't seem to have a shred of childishness now. He hadn't watched the clouds for a long time, but he often remained lost in thought. Alice wondered if he was thinking of Calypso and her island. He wanted to go back there so badly, and he frequently expressed that in conversations with Alice. Was it paradise, or was there something he really missed there?
Icarus was her friend, but Alice didn't know him. She felt like crying. Every time she finally thought she understood something, it would change. Icarus embodied that thought.
She pushed those thoughts out of her mind enough to fall asleep. One thought remained in her head.
Is he going to live?
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Hermes entered Aphrodite's temple again. It had been several hours, and he figured that she was getting impatient. He confirmed that when he saw her again. She was pacing across the white tile. Everything in the temple glowed in the moonlight.
"Oh. You're back. What did she say?"
Hermes repeated what the oracle had told him.
"I see."
"Now what?" he asked.
"Now? We wait. Sit down," she ordered.
Hermes sat down on the cold tile. Aphrodite continued pacing. She looked at her diamond ring every once in a while. Her thoughts had been confirmed. Everything was falling into place. Mrs. Stone was going to die. If not from the car accident, most certainly from Aphrodite's doing.
