“That is a lot to process...” Talpharos agreed. “Could you tell me more? Both about the powers of my bloodline, and about the tasks that will be asked of me? I'd like to know what I am getting into...” He wasn't sure how the whole 'become a hero' thing was going to work, but it did not seem any worse than his current life...
"I will answer what I can." She nods. "The powers you will develop will vary. As the divine blood in you mixes with your own personality, your powers will emerge, generally after accomplishing a great feat, making you closer to a god than a man. From my understanding, you will be able to control this process somewhat when it happens, guiding the changes until the powers that awaken are to your taste." She sighs. "As for the tasks, I won't lie. Aphrodite seeks to spread love through the world, and as such your tasks will likely involve that. But there will be danger, I'm sure - no labor asked of a demigod is ever safe. When you are ready, our temple oracle can give you your first."
“I see... well, spreading love is far from the worst thing that can be requested of me...” Talpharos noted as he went over all that he had just learned. “Well, let us go meet the oracle so that I can learn my first task. No point just standing around worrying about it. The sooner I learn what is being asked of me the sooner I can start preparing for it.” He decided.
"A good attitude." Aphara nods, and leads Talpharos deeper into the temple complex. They arrive in a room so thick with incense smoke that Talpharos' head begins to spin, the walls decorated in all manner of colorful mosaics and tapestries. "Pythia - It's time. What is the lady's command?" Aphara asks, looking up at a woman attended to by two priestesses.
"Is that all, he says... Were the deadly beast and some of Greece's deadliest warriors not enough for you?" The voice from before giggles in Talpharos' mind. "Ahem..." The oracle sighs. "Atalanta, along with most of the servants of Artemis, has been forced to swear a vow of chastity. Lady Aphrodite wishes you to convince her to forsake this foolish pledge and accept the pleasures that Aphrodite has lovingly gifted to humanity." The woman states elegantly. "I want you to seduce her and fuck the shit out of her until she's addicted to cock. Maybe when Artemis sees her top servant begging for more, she'll stop being so damn prudish and finally find out what the fuss is about." The voice adds, less elegantly. "Oh shit, gotta go. Good luck, son!" As abruptly as she arrived, the voice goes silent in the demigod's mind.
Talpharos tried to ignore the voice in his head and focus on what the oracle was saying. “I see... This is going to be quite the challenge...” he commented thoughtfully. “Is there anything more I need to know?” I doubt Artemis will be amused to see her top servant get fucked, be it by me or someone else. I'd guess she's more likely to put an arrow in my cock than to suddenly get interested in sex... on the other hand this is a chance to meet her... though I am not sure what I could hope for if I do. In any case I will need to be very careful, or else I will have an angry goddess plus a bunch of angry virgin huntresses on my ass... not to mention all the other people I will likely piss off. His thoughts then moved on to the voice he had been hearing. She called me 'son', so I guess that is Aphrodite? Having her watch my progress will be... interesting...
"Yes, master." They grin, as they turn to their mistress. Clothed once more, the prince finds the redheaded peasant still bound in place above his bed.
“I shall.” Talpharos nodded in confirmation. He had his doubts and was not entirely sure about the whole thing, but he was a hunter and so the chance to participate in this hunt appealed to him. He would worry about Aphrodite's task once he was there. “I will head to Calydon as soon as I am able – no reason to delay.”
The oracle bows her head, seeming slightly exhausted, and the head priestess returns, holding a bag out towards him. "Here. Calydon is a fair distance away - west, in Aetolia. Taking ship would be faster than going overland - but there are pirates, I'm informed." She warns.
“Thank you.” Talpharos nodded to the head priestess and took the bag. “There are dangers traveling on land as well. I will first check out the ships headed that way, since that is the faster option, then I will decide which path I will take.” He replied and took a quick peek at the contents of the bag.
Looking in the bag, he sees everything Aphara promised - food, a map showing in detail the path from Athens to Calydon in Western Greece, and a small medallion engraved with the image of a boar.
Aphara leans in close, the smell of her perfume rising up to his nostrils, and he feels her lips on his for just a moment. She pulls back, smiling. "Good luck, son of Aphrodite. I hope we meet again." From her demeanor, it seems like that's more or less a pretty normal way of bidding farewell here, and not an overt show of affection.
