I occupied myself with continual prayers to the beloved Deity, King of Light, until I was deep in his hypnotic embrace. I did not even notice that the sounds of death progressively ceased, though I knew from the appearance of light that the sun had risen.
It was then that a glimmer of hope fell upon me like gold dust, for at that moment - with a clanging of metal, blood splattered but gleaming - a great warrior revealed himself at the entrance of the cave and entered that sacred space.
The sword he had was drawn but I recognized his Thessalian dress and saw the insignia of God upon his breast, so was unafraid. More than this, I felt sure as halcyon day had followed the unholy night that Apollo himself had come to claim me, just as I had hoped and prayed he would.
I got to my feet and walked towards him, holding out my palms by way of supplication as I intoned a hymn of thanks for deliverance against evil. But instead of lowering his sword, the warrior interrupted the hymn and addressed me in a cold, hard voice.
“Stop where you are and answer me now - are you a Cretan by birth?”
Even this did not startle me, so entranced was I by the certainty of deliverance from evil. I answered that I was not and a look of relief crossed his face, making way for a reflection of the wonder in mine. His eyes twinkled like silver stars in the half-light. I was but a step away when he stretched out both hands to lift my veil and twined heavy sections of the thick, golden locks upon my head around his fingers.
His tone became infinitely softer: “Where are you from?”
“I belong to the Temple.”
Invested with a veil of shining dew, a flow'ry veil delightful to the view…
I heard the dreamlike quality to my own voice as if it came from beyond me. So clearly did he resemble the god of my mind that I was dazzled entirely and forgot all other things.
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