Chronicles of Phthia & Beyond: 50+1 Stories and Myths from the Past

The rocky earth was still warm from the fiery wheels of Apollo's chariot. The children stood still, their brains racing to make sense of what was happening. For a moment, they were witnessing the events of history. Then they found themselves stuck between a monster and a god.

Nikolas let out a shaky breath, his eyes glued to Apollo. "He's real," he whispered, as if saying it out loud would make it any easier to believe. "Apollo is actually—"

"Here," Alexandra finished, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "And so is THAT!"

With its enormous body coiled like a storm about to erupt, Python loomed before them. Its ebony scales shimmered like liquid obsidian under Apollo's light. Upon the divine entrance, the atmosphere was electrifying. The great serpent didn't move right away. It just watched, its golden eyes locked onto Apollo, filled with something old and dangerous.

Then it hissed—a deep, bone-rattling sound that slithered through the air. It wasn't just a warning. It was a claim. This was its domain.

Apollo remained still, his golden bow resting at his side. He didn't flinch, didn't react. He was calm, waiting.

Python edged forward, slow and deliberate, its massive coils shifting against the rocky ground. The sound of scales scraping against stone sent chills down their spines. It wasn't attacking yet. It was measuring its opponent. Testing him.

Dimitris swallowed hard. "Why isn't it attacking?"

Nikolas, still barely blinking, muttered, "Because Apollo hasn't given it a reason to."

The silence between them thickened, stretched tight like a bowstring. The ground trembled beneath them. The air buzzed with tension.

Then, without warning—Python struck.

A blur of muscle and scales, the serpent lunged with terrifying speed. The air split with a deafening hiss as it aimed straight for Apollo. But the god was already moving. In a flash of gold, he leaped sideways, his chariot dissolving into pure light as he landed gracefully on a rocky ledge. His bow lifted, an arrow forming between his fingers as if summoned from the air itself. He fired.

The golden arrow shot forward, a blazing streak against the sky. It struck Python's thick hide—only to bounce off with a metallic clang.

"What—?" Nikolas gasped.

Python let out a furious, earth-shaking roar. The impact of Apollo's arrow had only enraged it. The beast reared up, towering over the battlefield. Then it attacked again, its massive tail whipping through the air.

"MOVE!" Alexandra shouted, grabbing Ismini's wrist and yanking her aside just as Python's tail crashed into the ground where they had been standing. The impact sent a wave of dust and debris flying, knocking Dimitris off his feet.

Apollo, unbothered, pulled back another arrow and fired. This time, the shot struck Python in the side, leaving a deep, glowing wound. The serpent recoiled, hissing in pain.

Panos, still crouched behind a rock, peeked over the edge. "So... are we just supposed to sit here and watch the god do his thing, or—"

"We need to move," Alexandra cut in, scanning their surroundings. "If this fight gets any bigger, we're going to end up squished between a god and a giant snake."

Dimitris wiped dust from his face, breathing heavily. "Yeah, I'd rather not be collateral damage in a divine grudge match."

Nikolas, however, was watching Apollo closely. "Something's wrong," he muttered. "He's holding back."

Ismini frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nikolas pointed at Apollo's stance. The god wasn't fighting with full force. He was testing Python, wearing it down instead of going for the kill.

But Python wasn't done. It twisted its massive body, its tail sweeping across the battlefield like a battering ram. The kids barely had time to react as the impact sent them tumbling across the dirt.

Dimitris groaned, rolling onto his back. "Okay. I vote we do something before we get turned into history."

Nikolas's mind raced. "Apollo's trying to weaken Python before landing the final blow, but if Python sees an opening, it could turn the fight."

Apollo fired again, but Python dodged, its golden eyes snapping toward the kids. It had noticed them.

Then it lunged—straight at them.

Time seemed to slow.

"Scatter!" Alexandra yelled, pulling Ismini away. Dimitris and Panos barely managed to dive aside before the massive serpent crashed into the earth where they had stood. Dust and rock exploded into the air.

Nikolas scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. "We need to distract it! If Python focuses on us, it gives Apollo a chance to land a real hit."

Dimitris shot him a look. "Oh sure! Let's just casually bait the giant monster snake! That never goes wrong!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Nikolas snapped.

Panos, still crouched behind a boulder, pointed to a nearby rock formation. "That ledge—if we can get Python to slam into it, maybe it'll disorient him long enough for Apollo to finish the fight."

Alexandra nodded. "We just need to make it mad enough to charge."

Ismini swallowed hard. "I really, really hate this plan."

Dimitris groaned. "Welcome to my world."

But there was no time to argue.

Apollo drew another arrow, his golden eyes flickering toward them for just a second—as if he knew what they were about to do.

Then Python lunged again.

The kids ran straight toward the ledge.

Panos, being the fastest, darted ahead, waving his arms wildly. "Hey, overgrown worm! Over here!"

Python's head snapped toward him, its forked tongue flicking in irritation. It slithered forward, faster than expected, its body carving deep trenches into the dirt.

Alexandra grabbed a loose rock and hurled it at the serpent's flank. It bounced harmlessly off its thick scales, but it was enough to make Python rear back, focusing its full attention on them.

Nikolas shouted toward Apollo. "Now!"

Apollo didn't hesitate. He leaped onto a higher ledge, bowstring drawn back. The moment Python surged toward the kids, Apollo released the arrow. The golden projectile cut through the air like a falling star and struck its mark—Python's exposed throat.

The serpent let out an ear-splitting screech, thrashing wildly as golden energy pulsed from the wound. The force sent shockwaves through the earth, knocking the kids off their feet. Dust filled the air as Python's massive form convulsed one final time—then fell still.

Silence followed. The battlefield, moments ago filled with roaring chaos, was now eerily quiet.

Apollo stepped forward, lowering his bow. His golden eyes flickered toward the children, his expression unreadable.

Nikolas, panting, adjusted his crooked glasses. "That... actually worked."

Dimitris groaned from where he lay sprawled on the ground. "I can't believe we just played bait for a god."

Ismini, staring at Python's lifeless form, whispered, "It's over…"

Apollo finally spoke, his voice steady, unreadable. "No, it is not over, yet."

The kids turned toward him, their breath catching as they realized—

This wasn't over. This was just the beginning.

Apollo's gaze swept over them, measuring. He studied Dimitris for a long moment before speaking. "You're hurt."

Dimitris, who hadn't even noticed, glanced down at his arm. A deep gash ran along his forearm, likely from the earlier blast. He tried to shrug it off, but before he could speak, Apollo raised a hand. A soft golden glow pulsed, and just like that, the wound was gone.

Apollo's gaze remained firm, unreadable. His presence felt almost suffocating, as if the very air around him carried the weight of centuries. The kids stood frozen, their bodies still buzzing with leftover adrenaline. They had just survived a battle with a mythical serpent—and now they were face to face with a god.

Dimitris let out a shaky breath, his hands still trembling. He ran a hand over his face like he was trying to wake up from a fever dream. 'Okay. So… we didn't just imagine that, right?"

Panos, still sprawled on the ground, let out a weak laugh. "You know, I always figured meeting a god would be more... I don't know, majestic? Less near-death experience?"

Nikolas, however, had no time for jokes. His brain was short-circuiting. He took a shaky step forward, eyes wide, hands flailing slightly—like his entire body was struggling to contain a fanboy explosion. "You're... you're really him. Apollo. God of light, prophecy, music... one of the Twelve Olympians—"

He stopped mid-sentence, overwhelmed, his hands flailing slightly as if trying to physically grasp the reality of the situation. "I— I have so many questions, I mean, I've studied everything about you—well, not everything, obviously, but—" He let out a strangled, nerdy gasp. "Your temples! Your hymns! Your influence on the Delphic maxims—"

Dimitris groaned. "Oh no. We've lost him."

Alexandra sighed, rubbing her temples. "Nikolas, breathe before you pass out."

Apollo's gaze didn't waver, but something about the way he tilted his head suggested mild confusion. "You are... very excitable."

Nikolas practically vibrated with enthusiasm. "Do you even realize what this means?! We are literally—literally—inside history! No, scratch that, we're talking to history! Oh my gods—literally! We are standing in front of Apollo! Talking to Apollo! This is—this is like—I should be writing this down! Wait, does this count as a firsthand historical source? Or—oh gods—should I be bowing? Is bowing a thing?!"

Panos smirked, nudging Alexandra. "Should we stop him? Or just let him implode?"

Apollo, for his part, remained unreadable. He studied Nikolas for a long moment, then, with a voice as smooth as sunlight, asked, "And what use is knowledge... if one does not understand its weight?"

Nikolas froze. His mouth hung slightly open, his mind short-circuiting. "I—"

"Enough," Apollo said firmly. His golden gaze swept over the group, his expression unreadable. "You were brought here for a reason. But not all who arrive are worthy of knowing why."

Apollo's stern gaze swept over them, lingering on each of them in turn. The silence stretched, thick with expectation.

Dimitris swallowed hard, glancing at his healed arm, still feeling the phantom sting of the wound that had been there moments ago. "Okay, I'll admit, that's... impressive. Still doesn't explain why we're here."

Apollo ignored the comment. Instead, he studied them with an intensity that made the kids uneasy.

"You have seen the past," he said at last. "You have stood in it. But tell me— when you return to your own time, what will remain? Will it be knowledge? Fear? Or will it be nothing at all?"

The question settled over them like a heavy weight.

Nikolas opened his mouth, but no words came.

Ismini shifted uncomfortably. "Carry with us? You mean, like... memories?"

Apollo's expression didn't change. "Do you understand what you have witnessed? Or have you merely watched?"

The distinction made their stomachs knot. They hadn't just seen a battle. They had felt it. The dust, the terror, the sheer force of something greater than themselves. They had been part of history.

Nikolas finally found his voice, quieter now. "It wasn't just a story. It was real."

Apollo inclined his head slightly, the barest hint of approval. "Then perhaps you have not wasted this moment."

The kids exchanged uneasy glances. There was something unsetling in his words.

Apollo turned away, his gaze settling on the very spot where Python had first emerged. The ground, still cracked from the battle, held the presence of something ancient, something unseen.

"Come," he commanded. "There is something else you must see."

No one moved at first.

Ismini cast a wary glance at Alexandra. Panos shifted uncomfortably. Even Nikolas hesitated, as if realizing that following a god wasn't something you did lightly.

But curiosity won out. One by one, they stepped forward.

They weren't done yet....