Aphrodite's Daughter

Chapter 4

Olympic Games, Goskopeion

The remainder of the Games went by as smoothly as one could expect. Having experienced my fill, I decided to stick around for the rewards ceremony to see if I could spot Iliana or Flash. Sure enough, the two of them were being praised for their athletic prowess by the Olympic Council. Apparently, it was tradition for their bodies to be anointed with olive oil (almost sounded like a fetish to me because it certainly made them look sexier) and a crown of olive branches placed upon their heads. As I suspected, the crowd went wild when they waved and basked in the limelight.

After a long soak in the bath, I felt like a new woman again. Squeaky clean and smelling like perfume instead of sweat. As it should be! Everyone else had scampered off to the post-game festivities to get drunk and do all the typical things humans did when they were looking for self-gratification. I liked food, spirits, and sex as much as the next girl but my heart just wasn’t into it. Being one of the participants myself, I was expected to make at least a token appearance… so I decided to indulge the masses for a little while at least. More importantly, however, I wanted to find my friends and apologize to them. Food and wine could come later.

To say that the party was slated for casual attire would be an understatement. Members of the crowd were clothed in simple togas while many of the athletes elected to remain nude. It didn’t really bother me, honestly, but the scene was a bit unusual by human standards. Then again, the whole point of the Olympic Games was to honor Zeus. Showing off the human form was somewhat of a religious obligation on their part, I suppose. With a noncommittal shrug, I padded over to the nearest table and grabbed a cup full of wine.

A few sips later, I scanned the room for any signs of my wayward comrades. By pure coincidence, I managed to spot Flash a few paces away from the crowd with his back turned towards them. I approached him slowly, not wanting to startle him unduly. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a black eye and the mild concussion that followed after being punched by a frightened demi-god. In the gentlest voice I could muster, I called out to him.

“It seems that you did well in the Games. Congratulations are in order.”

Flash turned around and gave me a half-hearted smile. “Hey, Adagio.”

My stomach felt like it was going to jump out of my throat at a moment's notice. My mouth went dry and, of course, my entire body became sweaty all of the sudden. Particularly in-between my thighs for some reason. Don’t ask me why! I had no idea. Then the blushing started. Oh, yes. I’m quite sure that I looked like an Adagio-shaped tomato. Why did I have to be such a prideful woman? Saying sorry was like swallowing molten glass.

I bit my lip and shuffled my feet. “Flash, I… the way I treated you before was… wrong. My temper got the best of me and I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I-I’m sorry.”

Flash closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m not going to lie, Adagio. What you said was very hurtful. But after seeing your match with Neofytos, I realized just how much of a creep he was. In fact, I asked some questions and it turns out that quite a few of the other athletes hated him too.”

“Even so, that doesn’t excuse my—”

Flash placed his hand on my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter now. What happened, happened. The best thing we can do is say we’re sorry, make up, and move on. I forgive you, Adagio.”

On pure impulse, I ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. I don’t really know why I was compelled to do so… it just felt right for some reason. I should mention that the hug itself lasted far longer than what was considered socially acceptable between friends. When I felt his penis become hotter and begin to stiffen against my thigh, we broke apart our embrace immediately. Believe me when I say, that the situation was terribly embarrassing for the both of us. The awkward silence that ensued afterwards was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Flash covered up his manhood and blushed furiously. “SORRY! That’s the thing with olive oil. It’s—uh—REALLY slippery. EHEHE. Your skin was just so soft and it felt really good rubbing up against my— did I mention that you smell fantastic today, Adagio? Because you do.”

I cleared my throat. “Well, that’s because I just took a bath.”

“Oh. Makes sense. You’re not… mad at me, are you?” Flash asked meekly.

I slowly shook my head. “No, I’m not. It’s partially my fault that you became aroused in the first place. I can’t expect a healthy, red-blooded male to stay calm after hugging a naked woman like that. However, I don’t regret what I did. It felt good. THE HUG… I mean. Not that there’s anything wrong with your penis—I, ok I’m just going to stop talking now.”

“Really? You don’t think it’s too big?”

This whole conversation was headed to places that I seriously DID NOT want to go. Curse my human body. Curse my human hormones. Curse my human brain. Why must they toy with me so?! Despite my reluctance, I knew that Flash deserved to have an honest discussion with me. So, I gave him one. “Why would the size of your penis matter to me?”

Oceans below, he was so flustered! “Because it’s… not ideal. A lot of people are of the opinion that if a man’s member is too big, he resembles a beast rather than a mortal. That’s why I wasn’t comfortable taking off my clothes for this. I was afraid that everyone would look down on me.”

I couldn’t help but blush a little. Yet, I found the composure to gently rub his arm. “Then they are fools. The size of your… member shouldn’t be how you are measured as a man, Flash. Let your actions speak for you. Besides, it looks perfectly functional to me (in terms of thickness and shape, oh yes~). Just don’t… let other people’s opinions get to you, is what I’m saying.”

Flash smiled. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

My little pep talk must have done the trick. Flash seemed to have grown more confident while we continued to mingle with members of the audience and fellow competitors. On more than one occasion, a few women even tried to flirt with him. A strong man makes for strong children, I suppose. A point that Iliana had expressed to me earlier. Many of them were quite attractive and wealthy by human standards, yet I sensed an air of indifference radiating from Flash.

No, indifference wasn’t the correct term. He paid attention to them all, conversed, and was polite as the situation dictated. He was a perfect gentleman, in fact. Either Flash just didn’t realize that these women were interested in him for more than mere conversation (more like a contract) or he did not view them as potential wife-material. Considering how awkwardly he’d behaved in front of Iliana & I; the former was more likely than the later. Flash, himself, had admitted that he didn’t interact with the opposite sex much during his youth. Come to think of it, why did I even care what kind of women he cavorted with? Was I… feeling jealous? Whatever!

I crossed my arms underneath my breasts and sneered at one particularly shameless woman. She was middle-aged and had somehow managed to reach around and give his butt a good, firm squeeze while they were conversing by the table. I’m certain that Flash noticed the unwarranted gesture because he blushed and looked very uncomfortable for a few moments afterward. What was it with these people and sexual harassment?! Did they not understand personal boundaries?

“If we weren’t in public, I’d smack that bitch into last week.” I muttered.

Iliana walked up beside me and rubbed my back. “That’s the upper class for you.”

“Aren’t you technically part of the upper class too?”

Iliana blushed. “Maybe… b-but I’d never behave like that woman!”

“Good. See that you never do. I can’t stand elitist assholes who think they can get away with anything just because they’re rich, powerful, and have a ton of influence. That being said, I feel as though I must apologize to you as well, Iliana. I wasn’t thinking clearly when we last saw each other. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry if my behavior strained our relationship.”

Iliana smiled. “It’s ok, Adagio. All is forgiven. Once we realized what was going on between you and Neofytos, it became apparent why you were so upset. I’d like to continue being friends with you if that’s alright. I rather enjoy your company. It’s refreshing.”

I cocked my brow. “Refreshing, huh? Makes me sound like I’m a type of wine or something.”

Iliana waved her hands in protest. “No, that’s not what I meant! Your perspective and the way you treat me as a normal person is what I look for in a friend. I didn’t mean to offend you in any way. I just wasn’t sure how else to express my feelings on the matter.”

“Ah, spoken like a true Spartan. To be fair though, discussing one’s feelings is often a difficult task. Trust me; I’ve been in the same position. Anyway… I forgive you, Iliana.”

Iliana breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you! Um—should we do anything to aid Flash? The woman molesting him doesn’t seem to be aware of the discomfort that she’s causing. If she continues, I shall be forced to defend his honor by—”

“As much as I’d love to kick the ever-loving shit out of that woman, we need to keep our tempers in check. Just follow my lead. I have an idea~”

In a not so subtle display of raw sensuality, I sauntered across the room, making sure to put some extra sway into my hips. The smile that formed on my lips was not entirely just for show. It made me feel good to have so many appreciative eyes trained on my naked body. Is this what it was like to be worshiped as a goddess? If so, I should probably restrain myself from doing these sorts of things too often… lest I become addicted to the attention. With my target in sight, I walked up to Flash and ran my fingers along his chest until I stopped just below his waist.

While playing with his pubic hair, I leaned forward and planted several kisses along his neck. “Hello, dearest. Are you enjoying the festivities so far? I hope you didn’t miss me too much~”

Poor Flash. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. While he was distracted, I reached over to where the woman’s hand was resting on his ass cheek and gave it a hard squeeze. She yelped in pain, but did not try to resume her previous antics. Score one for Adagio, Zero for Pompous Bitch. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t mind kissing Flash as much as I thought I would.

“Hey, Adagio. I was just having a chat with Aggela. She runs a winery.”

I let out a haughty laugh. “My goodness! An entrepreneur. How fascinating~”

Pompous Bitch was not amused to say the least. She wrinkled her nose in disgust when I nuzzled my cheek against Flash’s chest. “A better one than you shall ever be, trollop. I wasn’t aware the Olympic Council allowed whores to service the athletes this year. Such shameful behavior!”

I gave her a non-committal shrug. “I’m an athlete myself. It’s expected that I be nude. Flash Magnus and I are lovers as well, so why wouldn’t I show him affection? We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Not from the gods, and certainly not from the likes of you.”

“Why, I never—” She sputtered.

Just like we’d planned earlier, Iliana showed up just in time to lecture the hag. “You would seek to dishonor my comrades? Ma’am, I must say, you’re the one who is acting shameless. Be gone or I shall drag you out of here myself, kicking and screaming if necessary. OUT!”

Clearly outmatched and caught red-handed, Aggela stormed out of the room in a huff. Once she was out of earshot, Iliana and I shared a laugh and bumped chests. A gesture of comradery intended to be shared between males, but neither of us cared one bit. It was glorious! Now that we’d avenged the slight on Flash’s honor, I backed off and got another cup of wine.

“Thanks for driving that awful woman away. I didn’t want to have to hurt her.”

I grinned and patted his shoulder. “It was my distinct pleasure to do so~ My apologies if things got a little weird between us with all the kissing and whatnot. I was trying my best to convince Pompous Bitch that we were lovers. Wasn’t sure how else to go about it.”

“To be honest, I didn’t mind at all. It felt nice.” Flash responded in a quiet voice.

“Hmm? What was that? I didn’t hear you.”

Flash nearly choked on a grape mid-chew. “Oh—um—it’s nothing, Adagio. I understand.”

Iliana clapped her hands together. “Let’s fill our bellies and head for the baths!”

“Come to think of it, my legs have been pretty sore ever since that stupid race. I don’t mind walking around to get from place to place but running is for the dogs. Hmm~ I wonder if we might be able to get a full body massage too? Worth a shot before we hit the road again.”

Flash chuckled. “Uh—yeah, I guess that would be nice. Lead on, girls.”

As luck would have it, Iliana decided to accompany us on our journey through the various city-states and kingdoms of this land. She apparently was free to do as she pleased before officially taking the throne. When I inquired about it, she said that in Sparta, future rulers were expected to become familiar with their neighbors so that they could hone the art of diplomacy and put it into practice when they became king/queen. Much more practical than sitting around, reading books, and relying on a tutor in my opinion. Way to be proactive, Iliana!

Neither Flash nor I really had much in the way of a solid game plan ourselves. We were making it up as we went along. I was more interested in soaking up the sights and experiencing what the human world had to offer while he was eager to earn renown as a wandering hero. Part of that came from his low self-esteem and tendency to doubt himself. And the rest? Probably the fact that he had some ridiculous expectations to fill. To be fair though, he did appear to have gained some confidence since the conclusion of the games. Not as much as I’d hoped, but it was a start.

Why was I so invested in Flash’s personal development, you ask? Well, the answer is really quite simple: he’s my friend. Any good friend worth their salt would wish the same thing. Come on now! Is it really so difficult to believe that a former siren like me could feel that way about someone else? It’s not as though my race was unfamiliar with concepts of love and friendship.

Quite the contrary in fact! Our powers were fueled by emotions, and consequently, we sought them in others like moths to an open flame. Anger, jealousy, and hatred were the easiest to incite amongst other creatures. Thus, we tended to sow strife wherever we went in order to keep our gems filled with energy. Is it any wonder why were we shunned and reviled by so many races? Now that I now longer had a gem, I saw no point in doing so anymore. Besides, I had no one else to call family in the human world. I needed people that I could depend upon.

Ok, so maybe that sounded a wee bit selfish on my part. Fair enough. I’ll admit that much. But on the other hand, I genuinely enjoyed Flash and Iliana’s company. And in turn, I tried to offer them the same level of comradery as they showed me. Think of it as a symbiotic relationship. Like how you let the cleaner fish into your mouth because there’s bits of old meat stuck in your teeth. Erm—something like that. Whatever! I’m still in the process of figuring things out.

I had to admit that I felt slightly disappointed when Flash and Iliana put their clothes back on after we left the amphitheater. Flash stuck with his armored kilt, sandals, and knee bracers. Iliana, however, wore a full set of bronze armor that covered a good portion of her body. A regal, blood-red cloak/cape thing wrapped around her neck and flowed just past her calves. She looked every bit the part of a Spartan warrior princess. To be fair, I got the same impression even when she was completely nude, but her attire simply drove the point further… I suppose.

Clothing was yet another social norm that I was still in the process of figuring out. Even after discussing the subject in depth with my friends while we walked along, I had a difficult time understanding why they were considered necessary by some and conditional by others. Then again, I’d only been a human female myself for a short time. Such concepts as social class and wealth weren’t relevant to sirens. The only thing that mattered to us was who had the most power and how she chose to exercise said power. Exerting dominance and strength was key.

Never, during the span of my protracted existence, had I ever felt so… unintimidating. Even with magic and enhanced abilities, my own body looked frail, hairless, and monkey-like. Humans had no hooves for stomping, no claws for raking, no sharp teeth for tearing apart meat and foes alike. Iliana went on to further explain that women who brazenly displayed their naked bodies in public were presumed to be lascivious. Even if they were a devoted acolyte of the Goddess Aphrodite.

To be perfectly clear, I was no prude when it came to fornication. I enjoyed the act and all the pleasure that came with it just as much as any siren did. However, that did not imply that I was loose by any means. Absolutely not! Ever since I clawed my way to the top, I was very selective about who I fucked. Only males who had impressed me sufficiently would—EHEM… you get the idea. At this point, it simply annoyed me that the males of this world were so easily distracted by my natural, human form. Why should I lower myself to meet their ridiculous standards?

Speaking of distracted, I had not escaped my notice how many times Flash peeked over at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. In particular, he seemed fixated on my backside whenever I happened to walk in front of him (I put some extra sway in my hips on purpose). Furthermore, it was rather amusing to see how flustered he would become whenever I bent down to pick something up and presented my flower to him inadvertently. I wasn’t bothered by the attention I received. It was only fair, after all. I’d seen his manhood plenty of times before.

Regardless if his attraction towards me was bothersome or not, a slight pang of guilt bubbled up in the pit of my stomach whenever I saw his eyes. They were so full of lust, longing, and the desire to take things just one step further beyond the edge of friendship. It was quite clear to me that Flash Magnus, despite being a demigod, was also an inexperienced virgin.

Technically speaking, I was too… in this human body. I hadn’t bothered to check if my transformation included a newly intact hymen yet. But if it did, well I guess I could get rid of the damned thing easily enough so long as the appropriate tools were available. Nothing like searing pain and blood to ruin the mood, I always say. But I digress. Teasing Flash was fun, admittedly, and it made me happy to know that I was desirable. Yet, I didn’t know how to proceed with him.

Was it wrong for me to feel a slight amount of attraction towards him? Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like I was head over hooves in love with Flash or anything like that. You know, maybe… just a teensy, tiny bit curious in seeing how things would play out IF we decided to pursue a different type of relationship. I suppose there was also the whole ‘Friends with Benefits’ route to consider. Unfortunately, the more I pondered the idea, the more disastrous the conclusion became.

Flash was naïve and inexperienced enough that he didn’t strike me as the type who’d be able to have sex with someone purely for the sake of fun. Granted, I didn’t have any hard evidence to support my theory but it was just a hunch I had based on how he’d behaved around me. Suffice to say, if I did eventually want to fuck him, I’d have to go about it the right way. Lest I damage his already fragile ego. UGH! Why do humans have to be so emotional and complicated?

Ok, so maybe I wasn’t being entirely honest with myself. There was some small part of me, albeit buried underneath centuries of loneliness and heartache, that yearned for a mate. It was the proverbial hole in my life that had gone entirely too long without being filled. That and I’d not been filled in the literal sense for quite some time either. Ugh. It really sucks being horny when you have to adapt to the proclivities of a new body at the same time. Oh well…

The point is: I’d been so obsessed with power and control that I sacrificed everything else to obtain both. Did I regret my decisions? I suppose in the sense that it’d blinded me to my basic emotional needs that I—unbeknownst to me, must have looked depressed and was sighing a lot because Flash placed his hand on my back as a gesture of comfort. Since I wasn’t paying attention, I let out an embarrassingly loud yelp and spazzed out. So much for my pride.

“Sorry, Adagio. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I paused for a moment so that my heartbeat had a chance to slow down. “I know. It’s just that—FUCK ME—why did a little pat on the back scare me so bad? I nearly pissed myself!”

Flash looked like he was about to cry. I practically had to bite down on my own tongue to stop myself from loosening a stream of obscenities. Not directed at him, of course, but for allowing myself to get so caught up in my own thoughts. “Are you ok, though?”

My cheeks flushed a deep crimson while I attempted to regain my composure. “I’m… ok. Really, I was just thinking about important stuff. But, like an idiot, I spaced out. Seriously! You did nothing wrong, Flash. I want to be clear about that. I’m the one at fault in this situation.”

“If something’s bothering you, just remember that the both of us are willing to listen.”

Iliana came over and patted my back too. “Yeah! It’s the least we can do as your friends.”

Since I was already an emotional wreck, I decided that some undignified snuffling and tears wouldn’t tarnish my reputation any further in their eyes. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to remember that. I don’t… want to talk about my issues right this moment but maybe later, ok?”

What followed was a period of comfortable silence between the three of us. In a surprisingly sweet gesture, Iliana even went so far as to hold my hand while we walked along the road. Of course, her hand was rough and calloused from all the training she did but it felt nice regardless. Hmm. Must be a human thing to find comfort in another's touch. I’d noticed on more than one occasion that their skin was far more sensitive to tactile sensations than my scales ever were.

After a while, I finally managed to calm down and clear my mind. This inevitably led me to start thinking about what we're going to do about money, lodging, and food. That is, assuming, Iliana didn’t carry a stash of royal gold on her person at all times. For now, we made do with sleeping in tents or the occasional cave if we happened to come across one. They seemed pretty common in these parts. Made sense considering the rocky, mountainous terrain.

As for food, we were always close to the coast so there was a bounty of fish to be had. In that regard, I volunteered to go skin-diving because I felt like I wasn’t really contributing much to the effort otherwise. For whatever reason, Iliana and Flash seemed impressed that I could consistently catch sea creatures without even using a spear. I chalked it up to being a demi-goddess but in reality, it was my siren heritage/powers that made me an effective hunter.

I sat cross-legged by the fire while roasting an octopus. “The countryside is beautiful and all but I feel as though we’re wandering around aimlessly. Is there a plan? Do we have a destination in mind? Demigoddess or not, I still prefer the creature comforts of civilization…”

Iliana nodded. “There is a village up ahead, Adagio. I was thinking that we could advertise ourselves as roaming monster hunters—erm—soldiers of fortune if you will. I’ve found that most people just want to lead a peaceful life without being harassed for crops or animals.”

“Well, you two might fit the bill on that account but I certainly don’t.”

Flash raised his brow. “Oh? Are you sure about that?”

“My physical abilities aside, I don’t exactly wear armor or wield weapons.”

Iliana laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Adagio! You don’t need to wear anything at all. We can just say that you’re a travelling priestess of Aphrodite’s Temple… accompanying me. Since I’m a woman, it’s obvious that I would seek her favor. Simple and to the point.”

I began nibbling on a tentacle. “Eh, I suppose so. Far be it for me to judge which divine you wish to curry favor with. Being a warrior princess and all, I figure that you’d pray to Ares instead.”

Iliana shot me a confused look. “The worship of Ares is not prevalent amongst women.”

“Iliana, I was being facetious. Of course, he’s not popular amongst women. Neither should Zeus be considering that he goes around and rapes mortals whenever the mood strikes him. Which is like, always. But we literally just finished celebrating a festival in his honor. Go figure!”

The Spartan Princess blushed and shuffled her feet. “Oh—well—it’s not our place to question the Gods. Please be more cautious about how you speak of them… even if what you say is true.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “To each their own.”

Just as I was about to wash down another chunk of roasted octopus, a loud rumbling sound echoed in the distance. Before I knew it, a gigantic horse demon creature came galloping towards our encampment and let out an ear splitting whinny that sounded like a banshee scream. Not missing a beat, both Iliana and Flash were poised to fight, spears in hand. The only thing I’d managed to do was fall over and look like a terrified idiot. Then, something even more bizarre started to happen, the horse demon began shrinking and took humanoid form.

When the transformation completed, a naked young woman stood before us. By my estimate, she appeared to be about two years younger than Iliana but distinctly non-human. Her bare skin was a similar shade to that of an iceberg and glistened in the sun just as much too. A pair of modest, perky breasts protruded from her chest and were somewhat obscured by her long hair. To even call it that was generous. It was a deep blue color and flowed just like the ocean itself.

Otherwise, her body was completely smooth. Her ears were noticeably longer than a human’s and ended at a sharp point. However, the most disconcerting feature was her eyes. They were a vibrant shade of red that could have easily been mistaken for blood had there not been slits in the center. For the life of me, I had no idea what the creature was or why she decided to interrupt our dinner but my instincts warned me that she was dangerous. Believe me, it took everything I had to stop myself from yelling at her. She’d made me look like a fool…

In a move that surprised us all, she bowed politely. “Pardon my intrusion, mortals. I mean you no harm… yet. My name is Nomiki, hippocampus, and emissary of Poseidon. It is my sworn duty to serve the Lord of Seas and do his bidding as he sees fit. Pleasant tidings to you all.”

I let out a disgusted sigh when I saw Iliana making gestures towards Nomiki as if to say: ‘See! I told you so!’. Oceans below. I guess divine beings really were a thing here. Regardless of how much power they held, I wasn’t convinced that they were all knowing and all seeing. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have needed minions to gather intel on their behalf. Ha! Suck it Poseidon!

Not wanting to upset the horse-demon creature, Flash offered her some octopus. “Hello, Nomiki. My name’s Flash Magnus and my other companions are Adagio Dazzle and Princess Iliana of Sparta. To what honor do we owe your presence this evening?”

She happily chewed on a tentacle. “Wow! I was getting kind of hungry. Thanks for the food~”

I cleared my throat loudly enough so that she would look over at me. Honestly, I tried to be patient and polite but it’s incredibly rude to stuff your face with other people’s food. Especially when you interrupted their dinner in the first place. “Are you quite finished?”

Nomiki loosened a loud burp. “Oopsie! I didn’t mean to be rude, it's just that the octopus was super tasty! Hmm. Oh, yeah! I remember now. The reason I came here was because Lord Poseidon wanted me to test your strength. And that Flash Magnus guy too. Yep! That’s it.”

“Test my strength? Whatever for?”

The humanoid hippocampus shrugged. “I dunno. He’s the boss not me. But if I had to guess, it’s ‘cause the Olympians are afraid of you. Or more specifically, they don’t have any idea what you are. They think you might pose a threat to their rule in this world.”

An icy knot formed in my stomach. “The Olympians know about me?”

“Only in the most general sense. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent me to investigate.”

I bit my lip. “Ah. Is that so? How, pray tell, do you intend to investigate me?”

Nomiki jumped up and down while clapping her hands. “That’s easy! I’m gonna fight you!”