Page 11 of Hermes
Laying down on the warm white sands, I sprawled out, stretching my legs, allowing the warm grains of sand to seep in between my toes. Laying back, resting my head, I glanced up at the ever-scorching sun, allowing Apollo’s rays to tickle my skin with delight. The sound of the soft crashing of the cerulean waves against the Corinthian shore drew me into a meditative trance. I closed my eyes, trying to relinquish all of the stress I held over my head that I’ve accumulated in the past year.
All thoughts of having the pressure on my shoulders, of needing to succeed in my duties and assigned missions drifted with the waves back into the sea. Distractions of having to constantly clean up the persistent, dramatic and chaotic messes of the Olympian gods and goddesses poured out of my mind and body with it. Finally, I was in a trance and able to let go of all this built-up agony once and for all. Well, at least for the time being, while I was here on this beach.
But my moment of soporific privacy was cut short by the sound of a young male calling out to me. “Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?”
My eyes opened, and I sat up, twisting my neck around to see the source of the disturbance. It was a youthful man. His hair was dark, short and extremely curly, matching his brightly lit tawny eyes. He wasn’t overly muscular, but seemed athletic enough to be an amateur warrior.
However, the tone in which he addressed me… it was inexcusable. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the brazenness of it all and the fact that I could no longer enjoy this beach all to myself.
I was about to respond to the young man, prepared to put him in his place, ready to tell him just who I was and how he needed to watch his tongue when addressing a god. That he was beneath me as a mortal and should learn to not shout to strangers on a secluded beach. That whole spiel that we arrogant gods often gave to mortals who were disrespectful.
But I could not possess myself to do that. No. I wanted to put my deceptive skills into action. Perhaps I could fool this simple man into thinking I was a mortal, just like him. Why not test out my acting and challenge myself to fit the mold? It would be a fun experience.
“My name is Herates,” I heard myself answering him with. “I am but a humble shepherd who has traveled from Athens to Corinth.”
“Oh? Whatever for?” Nosy little mortal he was.
“Just exploring. Seeing the sights,” I lied, hoping it would be enough to quench his curiosity and prevent him from further questioning me.
“And you happened to stumble upon this beach?” he asked, stepping closer to me, raising his brow with skepticism.
“Why, yes. As a matter of fact, I did. While I was in town, I ventured off and got lost in the forests. I managed to find my way here to this tranquil and brilliant beach. It’s quite exquisite.”
“Yes, it is,” he replied. Luckily, my winged sandals and helmet were behind a boulder, over near the cliffside. So, there was no way for him to identify me as a god, much to my relief.
“Do you often come here?” I now turned the questioning around onto him.
“Yes. It’s sort of a hidden secret here in Corinth. No one else really knows about it. Just like you, I got lost in the woods as a child and happened to find myself here. I’ve kept it to myself ever since, not really wanting to share it with anyone else.”
So that explains it. That was where the slight animosity was coming from on his end. I had ruined this place for him, or at least ruined the specialness this place held for him in his heart as being all his with no one else knowing of its existence. “Well, your secret is safe with me,” I assured him. “I won’t tell a single person about it.”
“Really? You would do that for me?” His eyes widened with surprise. Dare I say it was quite endearing?
“Of course. I won’t tell a soul,” I replied.
“Thank you. I really appreciate that!” he exclaimed with jubilance. “My name is Crocus. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Herates.” The attractive young man held his hand out to me in greeting.
I accepted it and graciously shook his hand in return. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Crocus.” But what I did not expect was the softness of his palm. Did all mortals feel this soft, this sensitive to the touch? It sent a rush through me, as if Zeus’s lightning bolts coursed through my veins, sending chills up my spine. I was nearly possessed to never let go of Crocus, but I found my sense of control and relinquished his hand free from mine.
He then took a seat beside me in the sand. His proximity left me slightly uneasy. It wasn’t just odd with me being this close to a mortal for the very first time, but there was something about this Crocus that made my insides tingle. Something about the curve of his jaw, the perfection of the spindly locks of his hair, and the gleam in his eyes that made me realize I was beyond attracted to him. Perhaps that’s what this newfound feeling inside of me was. A mere case of being infatuated with another person.
“So, how long do you plan on staying in Corinth for?” he said aloud, gazing out into the crystal sea.
“Just for today,” I informed him. “I’ll be venturing further west at sunrise, after nightfall.”
“Ah. I see. And do you have a place to stay this evening?”
“I’m afraid not,” I answered.
“Well, you are more than welcome to stay in my home,” Crocus assuaged.
“That is very kind of you. I may take you up on that offer.” But I was only letting him hear what he wanted to hear. It was an impossibility for me to stay the night with Crocus. I could not risk that chance and have him somehow find out that I was, in fact, an Olympian god.
Yet, this human was being so kind to me, so generous, without even knowing I was a god. To him, I was a mere stranger, a lost shepherd exploring the world around him. It made me all the more drawn to this surprisingly compassionate man.
“What’s it like?” he then changed the subject altogether. “To be able to explore the world on your own. Surely, you must have encountered wonderful sights and cities.”
I scratched the back of my head, trying to come up with a reasonable response that was believable. “It’s beyond rewarding. Each city I have come across has its own unique charm and features that make it all the more special and different from the others. However, sometimes it’s scary traveling on your own. Who knows what sort of creatures you may encounter and different obstacles along the way? The unknown of it all is always fearsome.”
