Chapter 2: Hermes, Messenger of Olympus (1/2)

Alex eventually woke up from what seemed like an eternity.

He opened his eyes, feeling unexpectedly refreshed, and looked around. He was sitting on a very large and ornamented bed and the surroundings were decorated in an antique and floral style, with overgrown flowers blossoming onto the walls of this large room.

Perceiving the unfamiliar scenery, only now has Alex realized that he collapsed in the middle of the day and woke up in a place that looks a bit, no, very different to his city downtown 60 sq-meter home.

A sense of paranoia filled him and he could not bring himself to appreciate the beautiful interiors before knowing where he was.

He might have been drugged and kidnapped, although Alex didn't really understand why he would be kidnapped as his family doesn't really have any money to pay ransom.

To be fair, for a kidnapping, the bed he woke up on was surprisingly comfortable and the surroundings were quite pleasant.

Alex stood up to investigate his whereabouts and, to his surprise, his body felt very light, as if he suddenly lost a few dozen pounds and his steps quick and nimble. He thus proceeded to approach to the large windows in front of his bed and look out to the exterior of this unknown place.

”wow....” He let out a gasp involuntarily as his eyes glowed, reflecting the beauty of the scene before him.

Alex could see snow-white mountain peaks as far as the eyes could go yet the snow couldn't hide the jagged rocks and chaotic terrain.

It was as if he was transported from an urbanized downtown to the remote Alps.

Strangely though, despite the snow outside, the inside of the building was warm and the flowers were blooming like it was April.

While he stood in a trance at the sight of the landscape , Alex heard the gates to the room open up and heard a voice behind him.

”Finally woke up heh?” The person spoke quickly, and with a rather playful voice, and although the voice was rather androgynous, it sounded rather manly.

Alex turned around to look at the stranger approaching him in steady and quiet steps, and the latter halted his steps upon noticing Alex's gaze, and gave him a sharp look.

The man was dressed rather skimpily, with a short purple toga concealing his private parts and wrapping around his shoulders.

He was rather short in stature, however, his lean muscles chiseled his body into a flesh sculpture similar to Michelangelo's statue David, and his face was similarly handsome with sharp and angled eyebrows.

His eyes were shaped like an eagle's and hosted a purple iris giving him a somewhat mischievous and mystical flair.

Despite being shorter than Alex, those eyes almost seemed to look down on him, although that feeling only lasted a few seconds, only to be replaced by a playfulness that seemed default to this person.

Most surprisingly though, the stranger had a pair of large wings enclosed on his back...

Although he was good-looking, the man would frankly look quite ridiculous in a crowd of people and at worst, be arrested for public indecency. Alex suddenly felt a chill in his back; the cosplay, the interior design, the surroundings....

'Was I kidnapped into a cold fetishist's home?' He pondered as cold sweat ran down his back.

The man seemed to sense his fear and looked at him even more playfully, giving Alex goosebumps as he stepped back in slow steps. Fortunately for him, though, a voice would ring out in the room and distract the man.

”Be serious, Hermes.”

The voice was a bit low-pitched but the tone sounded like a woman's, though it was lacking any sort of emotion.

Seeing the stranger's attention distracted by the voice, Alex made a run for it, but the way to the door was occupied by the man so he ran for the window and jumped, hoping that the snow would cushion his fall.

Feeling the sharp and cold wind hitting his face, Alex felt relieved he had escaped but before he could even land, he felt a thin and long object halting his descent, so he looked down, only to see a silver staff floating in the air that was supporting his whole body.

The staff had a peculiar design but that was not as important as the shock Alex felt as the staff started rapidly ascending and he had to hold it tightly and close his eyes as not to fall.