Forest of Dodona, Kingdom of Achaea;
The forest of Achaea was thick with the scent of a fresh and earthy aroma that filled the air as the sky darkened.
Eudora, a nine-year-old in luxurious attire, sprinted ahead of her older sister, her small hands grasping a peacock feather she had just discovered. "There must be a peacock around here somewhere!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
However, Alethea only smiled softly in response, her eyes lost in the vast sky above them.
"It's going to rain soon," The 10-year-old remarked with a calm certainty, her gaze fixed on the dark clouds that loomed over the forest.
Before Eudora could answer, the thunder cracked across the sky, and the first drops of rain began to fall heavily, drenching the forest floor.
"Kyaaa…" Eudora squealed, her arms flailing in panic. "It's raining! We'll get soaked!"
But Alethea remained unfazed. She turned to her sister with a smile, "We are already drenched, Eudora. Why bother. Just enjoy the rain." She raised her face to the sky and shut her eyes.
Eudora too started smiling and spinning around, her arms stretched widely, enjoying the rain shower.
However, as the rain intensified, Alethea's smile faded, her eyes snapping open in sudden seriousness. Her hands moved instinctively, reaching out to touch the nearby trees, the plants, and the soil beneath her feet. "This…"
"What's wrong?" Eudora asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and curiosity as she spotted her sister behaving strangely.
Alethea's expression hardened. "The trees are afraid, Eudora. The soil is uncomfortable. They are cold," she murmured, her eyes scanning the dense woods. "Something is coming. We need to leave, now."
But Eudora laughed, dismissing her sister's words as nonsense. "Come on, Sister! It's just rain! The trees and the soil naturally become cold, just like our skin. The peacocks will open their feathers now, we should hurry and find them!" Her excitement returned as she dashed forward, leaving her sister's concerns behind.
Just as she took another step, the ground beneath her feet gave way. The heavy rain had softened the soil, and Eudora's feet slipped out from under her.
"Kyaaa…"
She screamed, tumbling down the muddy incline.
"Eudora…" Alethea was quick to follow, reaching her sister's side in a rush and pulling her up into her arms.
But before she could speak anymore, the earth beneath them trembled, the ground shaking violently.
"Wha… what's happening…"
Eudora gasped in fear, gripping her sister tighter, but Alethea's expression had turned grim. "Don't worry, I'm here."
From the trees emerged a horde of silver stags, their hooves pounding the earth. The majestic creatures, their antlers towering like branches of ancient trees, charged directly toward the two girls.
"Stay behind me." Alethea instinctively stepped in front of Eudora, raising her hand to shield her from the oncoming creatures.
Eudora clung to her sister's side. But as the horde reached them, something unexpected happened. The stags suddenly halted, their legs skidding to a stop as they turned their gaze toward Alethea.
For a few long moments, the world seemed to still.
Slowly, one of the stags in the front of the herd took a tentative step forward, bowing its head before her.
One by one, the other stags followed suit, each lowering their heads in a gesture of submission.
Alethea's breath caught in her throat. She stepped forward confidently, her hand reaching out to caress the head of the first stag. "Go on," she whispered softly, urging the horde onward.
With a final look, the stags raised their heads and moved around the girls. Soon, they disappeared into the forest once more.
Eudora blinked, her mouth hanging open in surprise. "How did you do that?" she asked in awe, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Alethea shrugged, a faint smile tugging at her lips, though her brow furrowed with confusion. "I don't know," she admitted softly. "I just... feel connected to nature and the animals. They listen to me, somehow."
Eudora's eyes lit up as she remembered something their father had told them long ago. "Father once said that our elder brother was connected to nature, the same as you, though I think yours is even stronger because you can connect with animals, too."
Alethea smiled at her sister's words, a warmth filling her chest. "I don't think my abilities are superior," she said, shaking her head. "But I suppose they're... different."
But as her words lingered in the air, her expression shifted again, back to seriousness. Her ears twitched, and a sudden unease filled her chest once again. "The animals—birds, insects, even the very trees were still restless. It's not the horde that made them worry. What could it be?"
"Eudora," Alethea said, her voice low and tense, "I think we should return home quickly."
As the two children leave the forest, far away on the other edge of the forest, a large group of armored soldiers is seen entering the place in an orderly manner.
*
Back in Athens;
By the time Selene and Zephyr reach the outskirts of the city, the sun was seen almost hanging low in the sky. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace and royal palace were no longer behind them. The path ahead led to a less welcoming area where a settlement stood.
Unlike the grand palaces and pristine streets they were accustomed to, this place was far grimmer.
People wandered around, their eyes glazed over, their hands busy with substances that dulled their senses.
They smoked strange things and drank liquids that left their faces blank, as if they had given up on life and surrendered themselves to the pursuit of pleasure at any cost.
Zephyr wrinkled his nose in disgust. "We should leave this place," he muttered, his voice low, yet tinged with concern.
Selene, however, was not so quick to dismiss it. She gave another look at the sky. "We still have time, Zephyr. Let's go."
She nudged her horse forward, signaling for Zephyr to follow, and soon approached the ascetic, the leader of the Atheism Sect, Gauis.
Gauis, noticing their approach, stopped speaking to his followers. With an easy smile, he waved the others away and moved toward Selene and Zephyr.
His eyes were sharp as he spoke. "What brings the children of the King to my humble abode?"
Selene looked at him directly. "You look at the world differently, Lord Gauis. I have a few questions to ask." After a brief pause, she added. "Today is the day of the public assembly."
The ascetic chuckled bitterly. "Ah, the public assembly. The grand event that occurs once a month where the King, in all his divine glory, listens to the people—his people," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "A Great spectacle."
Zephyr's brow furrowed, and he was about to say something, but Selene raised her hand, not letting him do that.
Instead, she spoke. "I have seen that the common people, those who make up the majority of the population, are left behind. They have no say in this assembly. They are ignored, dismissed. My father says he is impartial, but how is it that he can remain distant from the commoners and yet be so close to the upper class? Isn't that unfair?"
The ascetic smiled knowingly, as though he had anticipated her question. "It is because the poor show the King's failures, Princess," he said. "The rich show the King's prosperity. The poor are kept at a distance so the King can hide his shortcomings, while the rich are allowed close so he can flaunt his successes. The King stands at the top of the palace, representing the divine, so that no one dares to question his failures. And so, the people praise his successes, but never dare to speak of his failures."
Zephyr and Selene seemed like they were struck by the sudden realization. They intently gazed at the ascetic.
"Forget about the common people for a moment," Gauis continued to speak, his gaze shifting from Selene to Zephyr. "Take your own life as an example. Can you question your parents' decisions, Princess? No, you can't. Why? Because when you question them, it will hurt their pride. And when their pride is hurt, they either get disappointed or become angry. Either of them only puts strains on your relationship. As a result, you choose to stay silent, to hold back the truth burning in your heart, because you don't want to hurt the ones you love."
Selene's throat tightened, her mind racing. The ascetic's words rang true.
"Usually, the King," the ascetic continued, "does not even allow his own children to have the freedom to speak truthfully. He demands their silence, just as he demands the silence of the common people. When people break free from those chains, they are labeled as rebels. And rebels are treated only one way—captured, imprisoned, and silenced. And when a child breaks free, he/she will be called unfilial, their character will be defamed."
Taking a long sigh, the ascetic turned around to face them, his gaze turning from Selene to Zephyr, and vice versa. "Both of you are the future of this kingdom. Only you can save it. I'm not suggesting that you should rebel against your father or anything, and question his decisions. I'm merely trying to make you understand that traditions are not sacred. They were made by men, based on the needs of the time, and passed down to their descendants. And just as they were created, they are to be broken as time passes. Traditions often evolve to meet the needs of the present. To build new traditions, you must be willing to challenge the old. The changes certainly might or might not benefit you, but they will benefit your next generation."
"Don't let traditions cloud your judgment," the ascetic said softly, his voice growing more intense as he reached the end of his preaching. "Be true to yourselves. Be true to what you know. Do not let false emotions, such as love for your family or loyalty to the past, prevent you from seeing the truth. The kingdom you inherit can only be saved if you are willing to save it."
Selene stood still, her eyes were on her feet, her mind was elsewhere, absorbing all those things the ascetic told her and the things that were still unresolved in her head.
Zephyr, standing silently beside her, glanced at her and then at the ascetic. "I should report whatever he says to Father. But before that, I need to see what Sister will do." He thought in his head.