Goddess Kiss

Chapter 10.2

Suddenly, a loud
"Meow!" erupted from behind us.  Ethy, was perched atop a crumbling column, her green eyes narrowed in suspicion as she surveyed the scene. 
"What's going on here?" she demanded, her voice a low purr. 
"Is there a mouse around?"

"No, Ethy," I said, chuckling. 
"It's just a sea nymph.  She was a bit... dramatic."

"A sea nymph?" she scoffed, her tail twitching in annoyance. 
"I've seen more exciting things in my litter box."
Just then, Zeus, bounded over, his tail wagging furiously. 
"Zeus!"

"It's Zes, not Zeus.  We can't have a dog named after the king of the gods.  It's bad luck." Lachesis corrected, her voice a bit strained. 

"Zes?" I asked, my eyebrows raised. 
"That's a bit... odd."

"It's better than having a dog named after the god of thunder," Athena said, her smile widening. 
"He's already a bit of a handful."

"Zes," Lachesis her voice firm. 
"Say Zes."

Zes tilted his head, his ears perked up. 
He looked at Lachesis, then at me, then at Athena. 
He wagged his tail, then barked. 
"Woof!"

"See?" Athena said, her smile fading. 
"He's not getting it."

"Maybe he's just a bit slow," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, he's not slow," Athena said, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. 
"He's just... stubborn.  Like his namesake."

Zes, oblivious to the divine debate, bounded towards Ethy, his tail wagging furiously. 

He nudged her with his nose, trying to get her attention. 
Ethy, however, was not interested. 
She swatted him away with a disdainful flick of her paw.

"Leave me alone, Zes," she hissed, her voice a low growl. 
"I'm trying to meditate."

Zes, undeterred, continued to nudge her, his tail wagging furiously. 
Ethy, however, was not having it.  She arched her back, her fur bristling, and let out a loud hiss.

"I'm going to scratch your eyes out," she warned, her voice dripping with venom.

Zes, finally getting the message, backed away, his tail drooping.  He whimpered, then slunk away, his ears drooping.

"See?" Ethy said, her voice a satisfied purr. 
"I told you to leave me alone."

"You're a mean kitty," I said, chuckling.

"I'm just a realist," she said, her green eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. 
"And that Zes is just a big, clumsy dog."

Zes, hearing this, whimpered again and slunk away, his tail drooping. 
He was clearly not having a good day.

"Don't worry, Zes," I said, trying to comfort him. 
"Ethy's just a bit... cranky."

"She's a cat," Lachesis said, her smile widening. 
"They're all cranky."

We continued our walk, the sun setting over the Aegean Sea, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. 

I was a doctor, a cheese enthusiast, a reluctant tourist, and now, a husband to a goddess. 

It was a bit surreal, a bit crazy, but somehow, it felt right. 
We were in this together, and we were going to make a difference.  We were going to restore the flow of fate, and we were going to bring Lachesis back to Mount Olympus. 
And maybe, just maybe, we'd even have a little fun along the way.