Dylan King and His New Roommate Called Goddess Athena [1st Book]

CHAPTER 38

POINT OF VIEW: DYLAN

Friday, November 4, 2028.

Carlasco = Around 10.00 A.M

Greece = Around 07.00 P.M

"I would like to see how Artemis and Apollo's doing now." Athena said when she and Dylan had just arrived in front of Zeus and Hera fountain. "You can go first to the dining hall."

"Okay, Athena," Dylan said. She then walked towards the front gate that would lead her to the Twelve Olympian housing complex, while he went to the gate at the right of the fountain.

Pushing the gate, Dylan was amazed by the lines of chariots parked neatly along the path. But as he kept walking, he wondered why there were no horses or stables, and why there was no sound of horses' neigh. Could it be that these animals were also magical, that it made them end up in Kolaseos? Or could the reason be as simple as Heracles and the group freed them when Realm Olympus had practically been empty?

Mere moments later, Dylan arrived at the area where he could see lines of houses at the right. Athena told him that these houses belonged to the soldiers of Olympus. She allowed him to explore it, as it was still two hours before Hera's dinner banquet. Nevertheless, seeing how the place itself resembled a ghost town, the thought of exploring it on his own made shivers run through his spine. Even though a monstrous dog and mummies were far more hideous, at the very least when he faced them, he was accompanied by the Olympian gods.

Dylan turned to the left, following the direction Athena had drawn in the map. After a few turns and stairs going down, he finally reached the public dining hall.

Even before entering the dining hall, Dylan could already smell delicious aroma wafted from the hall. When he stepped into it, on the table near a balcony, there were already a lot of foods served there. Brightened by the flame on the hanging bowls, Dylan saw a big bowl of Fried Chicken, pasta or probably fried noodles, small-sliced steak, muffin, potato wedges and salad. Remembering there were not so many people at the moment, he wondered how the food would all be consumed.

Dylan shifted his attention to the five long tables. The most conspicuous one was none other than the middle one. While the other tables were made from solid wood, this middle one seemed to be made from some kind of well-polished rocks. Believing it must be the table of the Twelve Olympian, he decided to just stay away from it, as he was convinced that bumping the table accidentally might even be considered taboo.

Dylan decided to sit at the table closest to the entrance. But then clueless on what to do, he walked to the balcony to sightsee. When he was already able to see what's outside the hall, he was instantly engulfed in bewilderment.

What lay in front of him was a sea and a modern city next to it. For sure it could not be part of Realm Olympus. Dylan extended his arm over the handrail, attempting to figure out whether right in front of him was the border of the kingdom and the normal world. He had expected to see some kind of rippling effect. Turns out he did not feel any difference. He pulled back his arm and looked again at the sea and the city with confusion. But then remembering how Hephaestus' door worked similarly, he decided to just blindly accept this as the new normal.

"What are you doing, Dylan?" someone suddenly had stood behind Dylan.

Dylan turned around. The one who had just asked him was Hera.

"Goddess Hera ... ," Dylan bowed his head.

"Hei, Dylan, how are you now?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm fine."

"How's the bee stung pain on your hand?"

"It's completely gone," Dylan said as he raised his hand.

"That's a relief then," Hera said. She then put her hands on the handrail and looked straight. "Thessaloniki has really developed into a different big city."