Dale didn’t realize he’d stopped. Nor did anyone else walking with him. The sight before them was so mesmerizing it was impossible to look away from.

The sun was setting and cast the entire sky in red, pink, and orange puffs of clouds high up in the atmosphere. But that wasn’t what had them all stopped and staring.

Jellyfish. Flying Jellyfish filled the glowing sky. Their tendrils waved in the air like gossamer threads while their bodies looked like they were swimming. Their main bodies expanding and contracting to push them up into the air while those that weren’t moving slowly drifted toward the earth.

Sounds tantalized their ears. It was like whale song in water. Haunting moans and cries that echoed through the sky. Dale was the first to look beneath the group of jellyfish to see a man standing there facing away from his group.

Dale slowly closed the distance until he was standing next to the smiling stranger who was staring into the beautiful display.

“Hello.” Dale greeted.

The man turned his head a little and glanced at Dale. “Dale.” He stated and nodded to him.

“You have me at a disadvantage.” Dale remarked.

There was a smirk on the man’s face. “Oh, I know. Just wanted to have a quick chat while your companions were occupied.”

Dale looked back and saw that all of them were staring up, enraptured.

“You’ve charmed them.” Dale commented.

The man shrugged. “Nah, just misdirected. Charming a group of humans and kobolds would take more energy than I’m willing to expend.” He turned his full attention on Dale, and it felt like his skin was being peeled back and someone was looking at every individual cell under a microscope.

“Tell me, Dale, why you?” The man asked. “What is it about you that has whoever the narrator of this tale is so distracted?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Dale shrugged, feeling for the first time in years embarrassed and uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “I don’t know.”

“You know, I woke up only an hour ago. In a palace, atop a mountain, surrounded by those that served me or were my family.” The man remarked, glancing back up at the jellyfish for a moment.

“Who are you, Zeus?” Dale asked.

The man smirked again. “I’ll give you that one for free. Sharp as a tack as you human’s say. Do you plan on bowing?”

Dale shook his head. “I serve nature.”

“Oh ho? So, you do bow to something. Should I have sent my wife or one of my sisters?” Zeus asked, with a sly look over Dale.

“I’m not sure what you’re after…” Dale continued shrugging again.

Zeus frowned for the first time. “You do seem to honestly be in the dark about why you are the center of this tale that woke me ringing in my ears like I’ve been hearing it for centuries.”

“What about Jupiter?” Dale asked.

Zeus chuckled. “It seems many of my Roman cousins have yet to manifest. Although many have. The Greeks were so much better at storytelling it isn’t a surprise their tales lived on to this day and age. My time grows short.” Zeus commented, something in his voice that Dale couldn’t really place.

Zeus turned to face Dale. “Give me your hand.” He commanded.

Dale stood stock still. Everything inside him wanted to give this being his hand, but there was a force holding him back. That force felt familiar to Dale. Like an old friend who he’d known for years.

Zeus grin split his face. “I see I am not the most powerful in this world after all. Fine. I hereby cleave you to Persephone as husband to her.” The finality of his voice vibrated with the very bones of the earth. Or at least it felt like that. “I task you with rescuing your wife from my brother’s realm. Do this, consummate the marriage, and I will grant you a boon. You have a year’s time. Failure shall bring my wrath. Let’s see if you are worth the weight placed upon your shoulders.”

Lightning flashed!

Pain lanced through Dale’s ears and the force of the dissipating energy of the blast was almost palpable. Dale’s hearing was already failing in ways so it wasn’t surprising when he heard a ringing tone and then the hiss of tinnitus grew ever louder in his mind.

The entire group was startled by the lightning bolt out of the clear sky. They all stared at the burnt spot on the pavement where Zeus had stood. Or something that was calling itself Zeus and obviously had powers close to those of the ancient Greek god.

“Weren’t you standing next to me?” Steven asked.

“Are you okay?” Mary asked at exactly the same time.

The kobolds looked around confused.

Ichnick and Anna were shivering, however. They felt the presence that had just been there and the great working of magic that had taken place. “Dale?” Ichnick asked.

Dale shrugged. “Another asshole just showed up. This one is expecting me to go save his daughter and convince her-,” Dale glanced at Anna, “To come live with me.”

Dale and everyone else heard the faint chuckle on the wind.