Year: Around 700 BCE

Location: Delphi, Greece

The centuries had been lonely. Watching mortals grow old and die, fight meaningless wars, and seeing the world grow and change around her had left Vatra with a bitter taste in her mouth. It was one thing for the gods to treat her as nothing more than a sacrificial lamb, but they'd abandoned her.

Hephaestus, once he'd forged her godkillers, had disappeared. The god that had wanted her to agree to a pact with him didn't even see any use of her any longer. Vatra had been alone for almost a thousand years.

She'd spent most of her time training under anyone who would spare their time. Not many reputable soldiers or warriors took her seriously as a woman, but she was able to find some who didn't care about who she was. They saw her tenacity to fight, and they taught her what they knew. It was a good thing that the shared desire for revenge, whatever their goal was, often helped them overlook her gender. Vatra wasn't going to find herself at the mercy of a god again.

After some time, in fact, she'd started taking back what had been taken. A life for a life. Only from the gods that deserved it, of course. Flaunting around their superiority as if the mortals were insects beneath them. Maybe in the back of her mind she'd believed Hephaestus. In some way, she'd continued what he started.

The first true god Vatra killed was Minos. The god's violent influence over a village Vatra had been passing through was sickening, to the point neighbors were killing neighbors. Minos' prideful gaze overseeing his conquest was too much to ignore. He was a powerful god, with influence amongst a rank that she didn't want to find herself involved in so soon.

But, Minos was arrogant. He couldn't imagine a woman such as Vatra would stand a chance against him. She was able to meet with him in a room, alone, and catch him off guard. Vatra struck Minos down with his own godkiller.

It was Vatra's first kill that brought her to Delphi. Not long after Vatra struck down Minos, she realized the consequences her station as a godkiller would have. Minos was the son of Zeus. And although the god himself didn't call her forth to Delphi, one of his other children did.

At least it wasn't the war gods, Vatra thought as she looked over the Parnassos mountains. I don't know if I'm ready to face them. Maybe they weren't all as close with the extended family.

Vatra scanned the green and brown ridges of the mountains with a heavy sigh, willing in the energy to replenish her tired muscles. It was a journey to the temple, one she hadn't quite counted on. She thought she was in good enough shape to make the trek through the surrounding town without feeling winded, but Vatra had to take a rest before even reaching the steps to the temple.

Patrons to the temple walked by in hushed whispers. They cast shadowed looks at Vatra, eyeing her with uncertainty, before scurrying up the stone steps. Their sandals clapped in hollow strikes with each step they took, as if they took no care to walk as quietly as they talked. Vatra rolled her eyes at their critical expressions.

She'd walked to the temple with little regard to take in the sights of the town around it. Vatra wasn't sure how much time she had to spare, and she wasn't around to just waste what small amount she might have. Though she was technically immortal, Vatra valued her life and every minute of it. It was a bore to be at the whim of a god, and she was restless to find out what kind of trouble she'd found herself in.

Vatra steadied her breathing enough to not feel like everyone around her would hear her struggling for every inhale. She turned to the steps of the temple. The grand columns and archways towered over her like a beckoning omen. Something foreboding awaited for her inside. Vatra didn't have to be an oracle to foretell the chill that crept up her spine.

The stone steps were wider than valleys and taller than trees. They felt like they sapped out every last bit of energy Vatra had managed to gather. Something wasn't right the moment her foot hit the first stone step, but she knew she had to deal with Apollo.

At the top of the steps, Vatra found herself amidst a quiet ambiance. There were no sounds from other patrons. No shuffling of fabric across the floor, or the clapping of sandals on the stone and marble. There wasn't even the flutter of a bird's wings overhead. Vatra craned her neck and looked up the carved columns, unable to see where they ended. It was as if they carried off into the starless, night sky.

Oh, right. It was day time when I started up the stairs, Vatra thought with sudden realization.

She turned, facing an open, rolling mountain rage around her. There were no structures of the town just below the temple. No burning lanterns. No people. It was as if everything but the temple itself had been plucked out of existence from the mountainside. Hours had seemingly passed as well. Within the short span of time it had taken her to ascend the stairs and blink at the top, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon and a starless and moonless sky had taken its place.

Only the burning lanterns on the temple's columns gave any light to the surrounding area.

There was a soft patter of steps behind her. Someone was approaching Vatra, slowly, non-threateningly. If there was a door behind her, Vatra would have thought the stranger was there to open it and greet her warmly.

Vatra turned back around to the temple. She didn't recognize the man that stopped a few paces away from her. His brown, curly hair was disheveled yet somehow styled in a way that made it look purposefully done. Big, hazel eyes reflected the firelight with a look of both mischievousness and innocence. His jawline was strong, chin dimpled, and he had not a sign of a blemish or scar on him. The himation he wore was loosely draped over one shoulder, as if he'd just thrown it on and walked out to greet her.

He had to be Apollo, there was no question about it.

"You look impressed with what you see?" Apollo flitted his eyes around the temple, but it was clear the question wasn't about the columns and marble. A dimple appeared on his left cheek when he grinned at her.

"I've seen better," Vatra said flatly.

Apollo's smile faded. "You're not quite my type, anyway." He stood straighter, eyes narrowing at her as he looked her up and down.

"No? I'm heartbroken," Vatra said. She folded her arms. "Please tell me this isn't what you sent your invitation over to me for."

"Of course not," Apollo said sharply. "I think you know why you're here."

Vatra sucked in air loudly through her teeth. "Decorating recommendations?"

"You killed Minos, you dreadful little child!" Apollo shouted.

The fire flickered on the lanterns. Goosebumps ran up and down Vatra's arms. She wasn't sure if she should have been poking at Apollo like she was, but it was fun to see him squirm.

"Ah," Vatra said.

"I wasn't very fond of my brother, but it caught the attention of us. And by 'us', I mean gods and goddesses from all over. Minos wasn't just killed by another god, he was killed by you," Apollo stated. He drove home his last words by pointing at Vatra with his index finger.

She could almost feel the weight of his words behind his gesture. A threat had been cast out.

"I-"

"Not a god," Apollo interrupted, stepping closer to her, "but a mortal."

"Not that either," Vatra whispered in a hushed voice.

"You killed Minos," Apollo said. He walked up to her until he was eye-to-eye with her, their heights matched, and slapped a hand to either of her shoulders. "You must come and drink with me!"

The laughter that left Apollo's lips was just as confusing as the hug that he wrapped her in, arms encircling her like a snare. Vatra's hands shot out beside her. She wasn't sure how to react to the god.

He was happy his brother died? Apollo had been yelling at her just moments before.

Well, I was being irritating, Vatra thought with a frown. She wasn't the easiest to get along with. A laughing god was better than a god trying to stab her, at least. She'd already met her end with a few in the past centuries of her life.

Vatra didn't want to die at the top of Apollo's mysterious temple steps.

"Fine, I'll have that drink with you," Vatra started, pushing herself away from Apollo, "but you have to start our talk with how you brought me through time in the first place. Unless you drugged me. You didn't knock me out, did you?"

Apollo broke out into another fit of laughter. His dismissal of her question didn't make her feel any better.