Flying through the air is a ton of fun when I'm not being chased by… that thing. It is also very informative. [Heavenly Wings] costs mana to produce wings—no surprise there. What the runes fail to explain, however, is that [Heavenly Wings] drains mana continuously. And fast.
I crash three times before I figure that out.
Besides that, the runes also fail to mention that the perk [Heaven's Quills]—half the reason I chose the damned ability in the first place—requires a spirit point to unlock. Kind of a dickhead move by the Book, but whatever, I'm not hurt.
All of this makes for a long, brutal flight. After my mana falls to around thirty percent, I rest atop a high tree. Then that bumbling oaf destroys half the damned forest just to miss his chance to tear me limb from limb by a few meters!
HAHAHA!
And finally, at daybreak, he vanishes completely. I've heard stories about Creatures like this, lunatic myths I'd rather not think about while so close to their home. Must just be a weird trick from Erebus, the God of Darkness, I tell myself.
That aroma! It can't be—man, I love coffee. With every step I take into the bamboo village, the shithole impresses me. The same idiots who can't even craft a dirt road without jagged rocks somehow manage to create great-smelling coffee. Wait, since when do backwater villages have coffee this good?
Wait—am I in the mortal world!?
There is a second where I get really excited about this discovery. But in the next moment, I overhear a fat, bald man draped in crummy green robes.
"Oh, bless Helios, child! Forgive him, for he does not know what he says. He is just a boy. I beg for mercy! Please bring back the sun!" He urges his son to pray with him—also a fat bastard, you know the apple and the tree and whatnot.
But the kid is an amusing little bastard.
"Get up, Daddy. I don't like the sun. It's hot." He licks his lollipop. "Get me another one, Daddy."
I laugh aloud.
What an amusing kid! Defying the Gods so brazenly—this is definitely not the mortal world.
Which is a bummer.
Mortals living in the mortal realm do not believe in the Gods anymore, choosing instead to live of their own accord. They lead sad, miserable lives full of no substance. It is only a bummer because some unfortunate Demi-Gods are stationed in the mortal realm, and where there are Demi-Gods, there is always a way back to Olympus.
To my despair, the kid notices me next, pointing at me with his chubby sausage finger.
"Daddy. Who's that?"
The doughy-looking man approaches me nervously and very cautiously. His eyes never settle, screaming: I have to kill him! Rob him, use him! Right then and there, I know that something is very wrong in this village. Call it a hunch, but his eyes… I can tell he is a scheming bastard.
"Traveler! Welcome, welcome. You look… exhausted. Can we offer you food? Rest?" He cups his hands.
Hmmm, what's the best way to deal with this conniving fat asshole? The fat ones are always the most troublesome. They know how to use a minor slip of the tongue, or even dirty tricks, to trap their prey in a scheme. Little does this one know there is nothing for him here. I'm broke as hell!
Not bothering with the pleasantries mortals cling to like fools, I straighten my back as far as my brittle bones allow. Stop cracking, bones! I swear, another squeak out of you and I'm getting the belt!
"I am the Demi-God Lirael..." I pause, then commit. "Helios's son. I am here on urgent business. Bring me to your village chief, mortal."
He looks me up and down as if I were a cherry cheesecake, his eyes holding doubt. Still, his tone changes,
"Sir, if I may..."
"YOU MAY NOT!" I bark, then laugh internally. Hehe, this will convince you, fatty. Angelic, feathered white wings burst from my back, and whatever doubt the man holds crumbles, his expression now full of relief—almost happy, even.
Helios, that idiotic fool... I cough, a little disappointed in myself. My father said the same thing once! Ahh, fuck that guy. Although that bitch wasn't wrong—Helios is very idiotic, always fighting with Apollo for the right to the sun. It seems he lost this time.
In the sky, there is no sun. Just light. Light bleeds through the clouds, seeping into the forest, and making sure this wee little village has heat.
"I'll take you to our elder right away!"
The father fatty begins to walk, but I gesture for him to stop.
"What is it, sir?" Sweat drenches his brow.
Smirking, I nod to the child fatty.
"Get him another lollipop."
The women outside of the green bamboo buildings that line the village, flaunting their luscious figures with their thin-lined green dresses and scarves, which do not quite cover their noses, cannot help but gawk at the Demi-God with a handsome face and a dashing smile...Me, hahaha!
I told you I was once the best-looking slave.
After a brief walk and a stop for a lollipop, the two fatties bid their farewell. I am sad to see them go; I love fat people. And now that my status as a Demi-God is known, the father fatty is not a threat. For now at least... Something still seems off, especially with the chief.
Damn, this couch is comfortable, and the coffee is delightful, my precious! I happily rejoice.
Across from me, the chief elder, an old bastard with skin somehow paler than mine, hovers over the couch. What kind of psychopath stands when his guest sits? It is an odd thing to do, and again, he has those damned wandering eyes that I can't seem to escape.
"What is it that brought you all the way to our village?" His eyes finally steady. "No Demi-God has visited here in a very long time, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard the news that one had waltzed in here demanding to see me."
Shit, he is also a skeptical bastard, his tone carrying the habit of a razor's edge. Does he even know who he's dealing with? The swindler of purgatory! I ignore his question, taking a sip of my coffee instead.
Ah, so delicious.
I point to an item that has caught my eye. A golden key—but not just any golden key. This one hangs from the bamboo wall in the chief's living room. Streaked with thick blood and easily stretching to over a meter long, it stands out in the otherwise, how do I say this politely? Mortal living arrangements.
"Is that what I think it is?" Please elaborate, I chant to myself repeatedly. He follows my finger...his eyes widening. A promising sign, but his following words make my reality shatter.
"Yes, I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to have a Hades relic lying around. You see, this village used to worship Hades as well as your father." He bows. "I hope you can forgive my imprudence."
Shit, you have to be fucking kidding me! I am without a doubt the unluckiest bastard to ever pop out of a vagina! A slave in one life, locked in purgatory the next, and I still can't get away from my father! No wonder he knew how to find me so easily.
This area was his domain.
Was...
Something the elder said, though, lingers in the air.
"Used to?" I lean forward. What does he mean by used to? Once someone pledges their allegiance to a God, they cannot just give up or switch. Zeus had burned so many cities to the ground for much less. Yet this one still stands? No way.
"Well...Hades is long dead."
What!
I almost spit out my coffee. Hades dead? Are these villagers just a bunch of retards? Yes, that must be it—old coots who heard an old tale. After all, I know Hades is alive and well, probably fucking a sheep or whatever the Gods do in their free time.
"I see." I remain calm, despite my frantic state. "With this new information, I don't have any business here. In three days, I will return to Olympus and report to Helios about this village. Whatever he sees fit to do with that information is entirely his decision."
His thoughts are as plain as day. If I can make his stay pleasurable, his report to Helios will be better, and maybe the sun will return!
"Of course, I will accommodate your every need!"
What a fool!
My gaze returns to that damned key.
Hehehe, I'm going to borrow you before my stay is over.