💸💸 Chapter 3: Twin Dreams 💸💸 💸 ~ Part 1: Trapped Memory ~ 💸 Vita opened her eyes. Her hands were slick with blood, warm and metallic. The air choked with hopelessness, a thick, palpable dread that pressed down on her lungs. Death lingered, a noxious perfume in the collapsing remnants of a once-magnificent city. Towering structures of glass and steel groaned and buckled, their surfaces reflecting the chaos like shattered mirrors. Little explosions, distant but unsettling, punctuated the air, each one a hammer blow to her already fracturing sanity. Horror seized her. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening, her mind reeling from the sheer, overwhelming devastation. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. She spun around, only to meet the swift, brutal impact of a fist. Darkness swallowed her whole. As she fell, a single, pure white feather drifted down past her eyes, dancing in the wind, pristine against the backdrop of ruin. Earlier… The journey to Delphi was just days away. Astera, brimming with gratitude, had insisted Vita, Xena, and Gabrielle stay at her family's opulent megaron, a sprawling villa of cool marble and sun-drenched courtyards. Days were a blur of lavish banquets, each meal a feast of olives, freshly baked bread, an array of cheeses, tender legumes, succulent fish, and venison. Gabrielle, her eyes wide with delight, could hardly believe the desserts: *Plakous* and *Kortoplakous*, honey-covered layered pastries bursting with nuts. "This is how the gods must eat!" she’d declared, wiping honey from her chin. After a few days of opulent idleness, Astera suggested an outing to the Stoa of Attalos, a grand, two-story edifice within the Athenian Agora that housed countless shops. Vita strolled through the bustling marketplace, a minor celebrity. Merchants, recognizing the savior of Athens, showered her with gifts—a finely woven scarf, a small amphora of olive oil, even a delicate silver bracelet. Her heroism was lauded by everyone she passed. But one stall, tucked away in a shadowed corner, caught her eye. An old woman, her face a roadmap of wrinkles, sat hunched over a collection of obscure artifacts, her clothing unlike anything Vita had seen in Greece. Though the Agora teemed with life, an invisible barrier seemed to keep other shoppers away from her display. Vita felt an inexplicable pull towards it. She approached the stand, her gaze sweeping over the curious items until one particular piece snagged her attention: a small bronze figurine. It depicted a male figure, impossibly tall, clad in a Spartan-style helmet, but with magnificent wings sprouting from his back. At its base, strange markings coiled, not Greek inscriptions, but something far older, more alien. "Chaire, merchant," Vita said, her voice surprisingly steady. "How did you procure this item?" She pointed to the winged Spartan. The old woman, Zoe, peered up, her ancient eyes sharp. "It was gifted to me from a foreign and strange man. He said the bronze figure would find its true owner." Vita, a surge of possessiveness taking hold, reached for her pouch. "How much do you want for the figurine?" The old woman paused, a sigh escaping her lips. "It's not for sale, child. A regular customer reserved this item. However, you are welcome to…" "No," Vita interrupted, her voice firm. "It speaks to me. I need it. Whoever reserved it, whatever he pays, I will double—no, triple it." Zoe's expression softened, but her resolve remained. "Child, I didn't get this old to betray my most loyal customers. My answer remains the same." Just then, Astera appeared beside Vita, her arm laden with freshly purchased scrolls. "Ah, Zoe!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Father sent me to pick up this figurine." She nodded towards the winged Spartan. The old woman’s face creased into a smile as she gently handed the item to Astera. "Astera, my sunshine, take this ancient table with you as well, and tell your father it’s a gift from Zoe." Astera turned to Vita. "Come, Mother has invited the most noble and wisest Athenians to our megaron this evening. The villa will be quite lively. Everyone is excited to meet the hero, our savior!" "But, but I wanted to study the figurine…" Vita stammered, a profound sense of urgency washing over her. "After the festivities," Astera promised, already ushering her away. "Father will happily lend you the item to study in detail." Xena and Gabrielle joined them, and together they walked back to Astera's estate, the bronze figurine now safely tucked into Astera's basket. The evening was a whirlwind of polite society. Influential Athenians, their faces alight with curiosity, crowded around Vita and her companions, eager to hear the tale of how they had saved Astera and uncovered the secret plot. Solon, observing from a secluded corner, a faint, amused smile on his lips, signaled Vita to join him. "Excuse my fellow Athenians," Solon said, a twinkle in his eye. "They have lived too long in comfort and are utterly bored by their lives." He leaned forward, his voice softening. "The gods blessed us by sending you." Vita, still puzzling over the old woman and the figurine, looked at him with a frown. "What do you mean?" Solon continued, oblivious to her distraction. "The plot you uncovered, it would have brought grave calamities to our beloved Athens. Their leader had terrible acts planned, which would have cost many good Athenians their lives and livelihood." Vita’s thoughts were elsewhere, caught between the strange figure and the unsettling dreams. "Vita?" Solon asked, a note of concern entering his voice. "Are you listening to me?" Vita focused on him, pushing down her own anxieties. "Yes, I was listening, and I am grateful for you sharing your findings. Now, please excuse me, I wish to go to my chambers and rest." "Very well," Solon said, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Have a restful sleep." While Xena and Gabrielle entertained the guests by showcasing their archery skills against young hoplites, Vita slipped away. She made her way to Astera's father’s study, a desperate urge to find the figurine consuming her. "I need to find the figurine. Where is it?" she muttered to herself, her hands frantically searching the shelves. Suddenly, a deep, but somber voice spoke from the shadows. "I know what you are searching for." Vita spun around. A tall, imposing man, dressed in a traditional chiton, emerged from the corner. "I can't wait," Vita insisted, her voice tight with urgency. "It is important. The figurine. I need to see it." "Of course," he said, his voice calm. "Follow me." He led her from the study into a more secluded wing of the villa, stopping before a large, heavy wooden door. He opened it, revealing a small, stark room, and handed a key to Vita. "Go ahead," he said. "The figurine is in the stone box on the pedestal." Vita snatched the key, her heart hammering with a frantic sense of purpose. She rushed inside, locked the door behind her, and flung open the heavy stone box. The bronze figurine lay nestled within. As her fingers closed around it, a blinding flash erupted from the winged Spartan. Vita cried out, the light consuming her vision. And everything faded to black. When Vita opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the villa. The light was dim, diffuse, emanating from no discernible source. Across the strange, tent-like room, a hooded figure sat calmly. "Who are you, stranger? Answer me!" Vita demanded, her voice echoing strangely. The hooded figure slowly removed his cowl, revealing a face of profound weariness, etched with ancient sorrow. "You are in *dêmos oneírōn*," he said, his voice soft, "the Land of Dreams." "The Land of Dreams?" Vita asked, confusion warring with the lingering disorientation. "Impossible… I was in Athens. How did I get here?" "Call me Antagoras," he replied, his gaze distant. "I have been stuck for ages in here, and it seems there is no way out." "I don't have time for this," Vita said, a renewed urgency propelling her. "I need to see the Oracle of Delphi." "Time passes differently in here," Antagoras mused, as if not hearing her. "It seems to be stuck, but the 'guests' seem to arrive from different epochs and times." "There has to be a way out," Vita insisted, standing and striding towards the tent's entrance. "Halt, what is thy name, my Phoebe?" Antagoras called after her. "I am Vita," she said, pulling aside the tent flap, "and I am now taking my leave." "Good luck fighting the guardians and the madmen," Antagoras said, his voice a somber warning. With that, Vita exited the tent, stepping into an unknown and treacherous world. 💸 ~ End of Part 1 ~ 💸 To Be Continued... 💸💸💸💸 __________________________________ Enjoyed the Story? 💸 Support Us! 💸 1. 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