Kairos

Chapter 6

I woke as if there were a fire, eyes snapping open and already sitting up before I took in my surroundings. My heart pumped rapidly and there was a buzzing in my brain, like electrical sparking wires in my panic. My head finally cleared of the all-consuming hysteria, and the exhausted landscape was full of unknown memories.

It was worse this time. Time seemed to pass more slowly.

A breeze blew past me, in a room I had just started to notice, and chilled the cold sweat that coated my limbs. My body felt depleted, tired. I rested my head back against the pillows and looked around the new area. Apollo had killed me. But I was still alive. Had I been transported to another time? I released the control I had on the new memories and tried to filter them through one by one.

At first, I was confused, it seemed as if I was Aristander, favourite seer of Alexander the Great. But I was definitely a girl. My addled brain struggled to connect the dots until my favourite Disney movie appeared at the forefront of my mind.

Mulan!

That's when it was clear, and everything fell into place. I was Aikaterine from Telmessos and had been blessed by Apollo as a child to see visions, however her power proved useless in the face of the patriarchy - no one would listen. I could relate.

After she bled for the first time (around fifteen I would place it but there wasn't an exact number), Aikaterine was betrothed to a man hideously older than her, and cruel.

My heart ached for the almost cinematically tragic backstory of this woman, one that must have been paralleled many times in a world where women had no rights.

Regardless, Aikaterine ran away, disguised herself as a young man from her village Aristander and joined the service of Phillip then Alexander the Great.

So, the favourite seer of Alexander the Great, who influenced so many of his decisions and was partly responsible for the success of his empire...was a girl?

I couldn't stop laughing.

This was amazing. I love women.

Although, now I would have to pose as a man. Damn. Luckily, Aristander got his own tent.

Suddenly, a face popped through the doorframe and I yanked the covers up, hiding my feminine body.

"Aristander?" A voice called.

"Uh yeah?" I cursed the very un-manly voice crack.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"No, I'm sick." I forced a nasally tone to my voice.

"Oh! Well, Alexander requested your assistance in a sacrifice. Should I tell him you're not well?" ALEXANDER? AS IN ALEXANDER THE GREAT? I knew Aristander was his favourite seer, but I would actually get to MEET him?

Oh no that was actually such a bad idea, I would one hundred percent fan out....fan out over the guy who beat the Sacred band of Thebes when he was EIGHTEEN?

Damn it I was so screwed. But wait! I could pretend to be ill, give me a few hours to compose myself before meeting him.

AH I'M SO EXCITED!

No! Stop it!

"Uh yes, please." There was a sound of footsteps and I sighed with relief as they left. I was beaming and couldn't stop; I was so excited to meet Alexander. Then something occurred to me.

Wait-Apollo gave her the power of sight? Oh no that means Apollo probably watches her, and also what does the "power of sight" entail? Was I going to get horrible visions?