Odyssey Among the Goddesses

Chapter 2

A small voice pierced through the haze of my consciousness.

???: "DADDY! There's someone here!" the little girl shouted.

My eyes fluttered open, and to my surprise, the pain that had consumed my body seemed to have faded. I could no longer feel the pain in my right eye, and my consciousness began to stir.

???: "Step back, dear. Let's take him back to the town," another voice spoke, this one more mature and resonant.

I felt my body get picked up, and I experienced the sensation of being lifted off the ground. It took me a while to regain my consciousness My eyes opened and flickered as the light shined into my eyes.

???:"Ahh you're finally awake" I heard the man speak up, I shifted and sat up, and turned to him.

I found myself seated in a wooden cart, and the rhythmic jolting motion suggested we were being pulled by a horse. Blinking to clear my vision, I took in my surroundings. The little girl who had raised the alarm was beside me, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of worry.

???: "Who are you, mister?" she asked innocently.

???:"Hush, dear. Let our guest catch his bearings," the older voice advised.

I turned to the mature voice, and before me sat a man with a weathered face, his eyes reflecting a mixture of kindness and curiosity.

???: "You took quite a fall down there; we're surprised that you're uninjured," he remarked. "The gods must have protected you from the fall, it seems." He chuckled and continued to maneuver the horse's reins.

???: "We found you unconscious in the woods near our Town," added the woman, who had been quiet until now. She supported my back and then turned to her daughter. "Nikaia dear, get the water from under the bag."

I watched as the girl, Nikaia, retrieved a waterskin from the bag and handed it to her mother.

Lady: "Take a drink, dear. You must be parched," she kindly offered the waterskin to me. "What's your name, child?"

Me: "I'm Y/N. Where am I?" I asked her, bewildered.

Mister: "You're in Athens, at least the outskirts of it. We're heading to our Town," the man answered.

My heart raced. Athens? But how was it possible that I could understand them, and they could understand me?

Nikaia: "Mama, look at this." The girl scooted closer to her mother, showing her my notebook. "He has lots of drawings here."

Lady: "You seem to be quite the learned one, Y/N. Oh, where are my manners? I am Callista, and this is my husband, Leonidas."

Leonidas: "Pleasure to meet you," he added with a warm smile.

Me: "Leonidas, like the Spartan King Leonidas," I remarked playfully.

Leonidas: "HAH! The Spartans, indeed there was a king named Leonidas in Sparta, but he's long gone by now," he laughed heartily and tossed me an apple. "Here, kid, have something to eat while I get us back to the Town."

Callista handed me my notebook, and her curiosity piqued.

Callista: "You have a talent for art. What are these drawings supposed to be? They look like deities. Are they your Gods?" she asked, studying the drawings closely. I realized that my entries were in English, a language they couldn't understand. But then, an unsettling thought crossed my mind. If they couldn't understand the writing, how were we able to communicate?

I glanced down at the necklace I was wearing, noticing that the gem at its center had started to emit a faint glow. This mysterious turn of events was becoming increasingly bizarre.