Serpent In Love (🔞) - Completed

2. A Snake In Love

I first met him by the rocky banks of the River Lethe.

It was an unforgettable moment for me, a part-serpent no less.

Even now, I still remember how wild my little heart raced. Back then, it felt like it would beat right out of my chest!

To a degree, the thumping had gotten so pronounced I suspected Lord Hades thought there were quakes at the cave of Hypnos!

But my rapid heartbeat wasn't what memorable about the incident.

It was the man who had caused my heart to be in that state of frenzy.

It was him. The legendary eagle of Mount Olympus, Aquila. Though, I didn't know who he was back then.

Or that he even existed until that brief moment in time.

Later, it was Cetus who--with the help of a thick volume of 'Mount Olympus's Hottest & Excessively Handsome Gods & Beasts In Oil Paintings!--had revealed his identity to me when I'd visited her home and described his appearance to her that same day.

Aquila is one of Mighty Zeus's direct vassals and the bearer of his mighty thunderbolts.

He's well known for his bitter cruelty when executing Lord Zeus's orders.

However, he was also the gentle eagle who'd carried Ganymede, the human shepherd boy, up the Mount Olympus to become the cup-bearer for the gods' games.

My fateful encounter with Aquila took place one evening, three days ago near cave of Hypnos in the lower realm.

There are three realms in all: - Mount Olympus is upper where the gods live. The middle is Earth and Sea inhibit by the humans, middle-realm fantastical beasts and mer-people. Finally, there's Underworld, classified as lowest of all three realms, occupied by sinful souls of the damned.

Both upper and middle realms, except for seas, are presided by Mighty Zeus while the Seas are oversees by Lord Poseidon.

Lastly, the lower realm, also called the land of the truly dead, is governed by the dark lord; Hades, husband of Lady Persephone.

My romantic rendezvous with Aquila happened in the last hour of my shift.

As usual, I was out doing my routine chore of drawing forgetful water from the River Lethe. The latter is one of five ancient rivers in the Underworld. It courses around the cave of Hypnos and through the realm of the damned.

While strolling along the banks of the river of unmindfulness I bumped into him.

No, not bumped. More like, I walked straight into him. Unseen by me, he was kneeling over the river's edge.

It wasn't a deliberate action on my part, I swear. My view was entirely blocked off by the gigantic hydria I was carrying.

Besides, I really didn't expect to find anyone lazing on my path. A path that I've used a thousand times previously without any incident. And mind you, I still had my twenty-twenty sight back then to rule out any negligence by me!

On impact, I nearly dropped the hydria filled with forgetful water onto him.

Fortunately for the eagle, I didn't.

On instinct, as I stumbled, I hurled the earthen pitcher over his head where it smashed into smithereens against the rocky surface of the riverbank.

Lucky for us, Aquila was also very fast with his hands. Before I realised what had actually occurred, I was saved by his speedy reflexes. Safe to say, if not for those sterdy hands holding my hips, I would've tumbled face first on to the raggedy rocks.