NOVEL SIMPLE 100 – Icarus and Athena (Part 2)
Chapter 100 - Icarus and Athena (Part 2)
I woke up early and even went to a river to take a bath and wash my clothes. I needed to look presentable.
"I'm going to see a real General!" I exclaimed, laughing in excitement.
I wanted to secure a good spot, where I'd have a great view.
Generals are so amazing that they can even ride alongside a god on horseback.
As I walked through the city, I was surprised to see it nearly deserted. There were only a few guards, and I noticed them pushing the elderly along, urging them to hurry towards the main road. I ran to the area and, from a distance, I spotted a large crowd.
"I'm not tall enough..." I muttered, frustrated.
I can't miss the only chance in my life to see a General!
A large barrier of guards blocked people from getting closer to the main street. Even though I had come early, the place was already packed.
"Damn it..."
I couldn't see anything because of the crowd.
"Hey!" I heard a voice call out.
I looked to the side and saw a boy.
"Help me up, and I'll pull you up," he suggested.
I approached and understood what he was trying to do.
"You want to get on that wall?" I asked.
"Yeah. From the top of the wall, we can climb that building and get a better view. You think I'm going to waste the only chance to see a General in my life?" he replied, running toward the wall.
The boy tried to gain momentum but couldn't reach the top of the wall.
"Help me up, then you run and grab my hand."
"Sounds like it'll work."
I got closer to the wall and, with some effort, helped him climb up.
"Don't forget about me!" I shouted, seeing him disappear.
"I just went to check if it's safe. I don't want the guards to see us," he responded.
I backed up, ran toward the wall, jumped, and used the wall as leverage. The boy stretched out his hand, and I grabbed it.
"Damn! You're heavy," he said, pulling me up with difficulty.
I managed to climb up and grabbed the wall to finish pulling myself over.
"Let's go! We can't be seen."
The boy and I moved cautiously along the wall, but we managed to climb the building's outer side and reached the roof.
"I'll finally get to see a General. This is going to make for some great stories," he said, excited.
My whole body was buzzing with happiness. From where we were, I could see the entire street where the Goddess Athena would pass with her generals, and I saw the army of soldiers forming a barrier.
The boy and I stayed there for a while.
"It's starting!" he said, shaking me in excitement.
"I noticed, calm down..."
The boy was trembling with joy.
We moved a little closer to the edge and peeked over. The sounds of instruments echoed as the parade began. We saw several soldiers in white armor marching forward, while beautiful women in front of them scattered flower petals.
There were magnificent horses in armor, and as they approached, the crowd began to shout and cheer.
"PRAISE THE GODDESS!" they shouted.
"GLORY TO ATHENA!"
The crowd clapped and cheered with enthusiasm as the goddess’s army marched through the city, their armor gleaming under the sun, each step resounding like thunder—discipline and power in motion. Yet, my attention was elsewhere. My eyes scanned the crowd, ignoring the pomp and celebration, searching for familiar faces among the leaders.
Finally, I found them. The Generals. Imposing, mounted on their warhorses, leading the troops with a presence that radiated authority. Their gazes were sharp, always assessing the crowd, ready for anything.
The Generals were five towering figures, mounted on white horses that glistened in the sunlight. The aura they exuded was so intense that, for a moment, even the euphoric crowd instinctively recoiled, as if they could feel the weight of the responsibility and power these leaders bore. The brief silence gave way to a new wave of applause, this time mixed with respect and fear.
Their armor was adorned with intricate details that signified their rank and achievements in battle, and their expressions were unwavering, like living statues forged by war and command.
“They’re real! They really exist!” the boy next to me shouted, his voice trembling with disbelief and admiration.
“THE GODDESS! I SAW HER!” a woman exclaimed in ecstasy, her hands raised to the sky as if expecting to receive a divine blessing on the spot.
“LOOK AT ME, GODDESS!” a man shouted, full of hope, though his trembling voice sounded more like a desperate plea.
That’s when a soldier, with a severe expression, drew his sword in one swift, firm motion.
“She never looks at us, always ahead. Don’t you dare command her!” His voice was cold and harsh, reflecting the gravity of the sin that had just been committed.
The man instantly paled, the color draining from his face as the reality of his mistake hit him. Commanding a god was a grave sin, punishable by death.
“Forgive me! Please forgive me!” He fell to his knees, terrified, his trembling hands raised in supplication.
“You will die for your crime!” the soldier snarled, advancing with his sword raised, ready to carry out the sentence.
However, before the blade could fall, a cry rang out from the crowd:
“THE GODDESS IS COMING!”
The momentary chaos was silenced by an explosion of even louder applause. All eyes turned to Athena.
“You’re lucky I don’t want to spoil her procession,” the soldier muttered, stepping back as he lowered his sword, his eyes still cold as they bore into the kneeling man.
The man, still trembling, murmured in gratitude, “May the Goddess bless you.”
I watched it all, a mixture of awe and fear swelling within me. The blind devotion, the absolute power, and the fear... it all felt larger than life, more imposing than anything I had ever witnessed.
Is this the authority of a god? No one dares to defy them...
My eyes turned to the center of the parade, where the crowd’s excitement reached its peak. At the heart of the procession, what I saw left me speechless. A massive white horse with majestic wings advanced down the path. Upon it sat a woman with a serious expression, her gaze fixed straight ahead. She was breathtaking, and perhaps calling her beauty ‘beautiful’ would be an insult to her divinity.
The Goddess Athena was truly divine. Her beauty was of such grandeur that it transcended the ordinary, and her blonde hair shone so intensely that even Helen’s golden locks, admired by many, seemed to lose their luster in comparison. There was an unshakable regality in her posture, her eyes firmly fixed ahead, as if no mortal was worthy of her gaze. Every movement she made conveyed the sense that she was above the world of humans, immersed in a sphere of power and majesty that mortals could never hope to comprehend.
“GODDESS!”
“LONG LIVE THE GODDESS!”
The crowd shouted in unison, their voices resonating through the air with an intensity that was almost tangible. For a brief moment, something impossible happened: Athena turned her gaze toward the crowd.
It was a fleeting moment, but powerful enough to trigger an overwhelming reaction. The people around me erupted in joy, as if they had received a direct blessing.
“SHE’S LOOKING!” someone shouted, their voice filled with pure emotion that was felt by everyone.
“WE’RE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED!” another exclaimed, their eyes shining with hope.
That small action from the goddess, that simple glance, made everyone’s heart race. It was as if the divine touch itself had descended upon them, filling them with a happiness that few mortals would ever experience in their lifetime.
The shouts of joy echoed through the crowd, a cacophony of sounds celebrating the divine presence. But Athena, unbothered, seemed to be searching for someone in particular. Her majestic eyes scanned the sea of people until, suddenly, they found mine. It was a moment that felt like an eternity. And then, unexpectedly, she smiled at me. A subtle, enigmatic smile, but unmistakable. The world around us seemed to fall silent, as if that gesture was meant for just the two of us.