Chapter 1, part six
The First
476 BCE.

A year had gone by in the world's cycle of night and day. Sparta remained strong. The spine of Greece herself. Soldiers trained and fought every day, boys becoming men at the ages of 11.
Even the women were not to be spoken down to. Beside every great soldier was their woman keeping them calm under their cotton bed sheets.

Eos was kept by Leonidas's side. Waiting for the next moment she would utter prophetic words. Eos herself had lost a friend in Iris and still mourned the loss of Hector. Even Eos's mother was still viewed upon as the Witch of Sparta down in the white, marbled streets.

Today, however, Eos would be meeting women who were deemed as Greece's most important priestesses. People Leonidas has listened to for prophetic advice since he first became King of these blood-filled lands.
Pyhtia, Priestess to Apollo from Delphi and Dione from Epirus would be within the hall of Spartan rulers on this day.

To judge Eos. And yet these were false Oracle's. Eos knew Juno had not spoken to any of them like she had spoken to her. Yet this day still brought her fear. What would happen if she was deemed a liar? Would death be issued to her and her mother? But what if deemed she was truthful? Would she now become dependent on by Leonidas himself?

"Speak to us once again of what it was you saw, child?" Hummed Pythia, wearing a silk white dress with gold trimmings. Leonidas sat upon his throne with his head resting on the palm of his elevated hand.

Eos quivered. "A battle. Rivers of blood. The land littered in Spartan bodies as Persia try to fight through the Hot Gates. But there stands our King, alongside his 300 soldiers, ready to defend this land from the invaders, led by a man claiming he is a God.
But… Our brave 300, and our King, do not return from their long battle."

"But the fight is still won?" Dione would ask, the more spoken of the two Priestesses.

Eos struggled to find an answer. Remembering such a vision, where the sun is darkened from the downfall of a thousand arrows, it was unclear if such intruders to their home were repelled. "I have no clear answer to give. From what I saw, perhaps it was a retreat more than a victory."

"So Persia has a little prick who thinks he's a God now trying to rally armies and attack my land?" Leonidas could only huff from laughter.

"But her eyes…" Dione then placed her soft palm to Eos's cheek, stroking her thumb under the white iris's she possessed. "Never have I seen such beautiful eyes of white gold."

"This does not mean that she saw such an event." Pythia would disclaim.

"And yet her vision is oddly descriptive, Pythia, unlike some of the mumblings you and your Sibylline sisters utter." Pythia shifted to retaliate, though Leonidas lifted his hand to prevent such a bickering. "She has also walked upon sacred grounds from a civilization that lived long before Greece settled here. How long have we all yearned to see what lurks within that cave, and yet it opened its way to Eos like a door simply opening for a peasant."

"I wish I could take you all there!" Eos then stuttered aloud. "You could see with your own eyes and listen for Juno's voice too!"

"Juno?" Pythia questioned.

"Yes… The woman called herself that name. And she spoke of names such as Eve, claiming I am one of her descendants. But… after I was shown such events, the cave collapsed upon itself, and now there is debris blocking the entrance."

"Aegeus!" Leonidas roared. In an instant, the Spartan soldier of the King's personal 300 trotted into the stoned halls. Kneeling before his ruler. "I'm assigning you to protect Miss Eos Anastas here until the foreseeable. Make it so that she is not harmed." The male nodded, standing to his feet, his toned muscles twitching slightly at the thought of being a babysitter.
"In the mean time, we have able miners working at removing the debris aside to allow us entrance.

Pythia, Dione, I have relied on your counsel of advice for many years. Speak your minds and tell us if what Eos speaks of is that of the truth."

Pythia cleared her throat. "Many ancient scriptures have been found in Delphi over the last century, my King. Items also discovered with otherworldly meanings and capabilities, shimmering with golden auras and patterns that no modern eyes have yet seen, similar to the spear you carry."

"It is also the same in Epirus." Dione would admit. "Mechanisms existing that no modern engineering have been able to replicate, or even use the ones recovered deep beneath the earth.
Faint whispers in the air of all these lost worlds. Eos describes many similarities as to the locations found in Epirus and Delphi. But this is the first ever recording we have of this extinct civilization being able to still communicate so clearly. And so, as the High Priestess of Epirus, I am in favour of believing the words of Eos."

"And as the First Priestess of Delphi, I too am in favour of believing such events have been shown to Eos.
That she, is perhaps, a true Oracle."

"So it seems…" Leonidas muttered, rustling his black beard. "And so it shall be. She will have to be blessed by the Ephors, and given this title. This will bring a great change to the way of life you once knew, Eos. But we all have a duty in this world. To either fight, lead, reproduce, craft or prophesize. We must all give up much for the greater good it can bring to Greece herself."

Eos's eyes shook. The change was coming so fast. Crushing her like a wave that had been tormented by the storm. Her heart rate elevated. Leonidas was Sparta's king, yes, but The Ephors words were law in Greece.

"My mater…" Eos whimpered. "Please, will she be alright?"

"The Witch of Sparta has given us the Oracle. She will remain safe, I give you my word as your King. And you yourself will always have Aegeus with you.
But the journey is long on the path up to The Ephors. And so there is no time for you to say goodbye to loved ones that you have. I will have a soldier inform them that you have a great duty to now uphold for the survival or Sparta."