The Unknown God/Goddess

Football

August's P.O.V

"Father!" I screamed, excited to see him. 

The gates opened on their own and I darted inside. Father was having a meeting and he was in the middle of talking but paused and looked at me. I felt awkward. And embarrassed. 

"Ah, there's the Prince. Where have you gone in the past couple of days?" Hera smiles at me. 

"Prince, join us!" Aphrodite waves at me to come closer. 

"Where have you gone, Prince?" Aries asks me. 

I walk to them and give my father a hug. He chuckles and hugs me back. I know what you're all thinking. I should've been dead for intruding in on their meeting but no. They love me so much that I can do anything I want in here. I don't know why they like me to this extent but all I know is that I don't quite like it. I want to go out and have fun, not minding my status as the prince. It suffocates me sometimes. 

"I was out! Venturing the wild!" I grinned at them. 

"Have you been well, Prince?" Uncle Poseidon asks me. 

Oh, right. I should revert back to being a man. I gender shifted in front of them and they were in awe. Gold wind was whirling around me as I shifted, aroma scattering like no other. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth embrace me. After I was done transforming, I opened my eyes and inhaled. 

It's so overwhelming. The sudden weight on my chest, for breasts, are gone. My body feels heavy and I feel muscle-y too. I stretched and inhaled again. 

"Goodness! It still gets me every time!" Apollo exclaims.

"Truly remarkable!" Artemis claps her hands in amazement, making me embarrass. 

"Can I talk to father for a bit?" 

"Will you please excuse us?" father asks them. 

"Alright, Zeus." 

"We'll be back later." 

"Please visit my daughter soon, Young Prince!" 

They all said a bunch of things before all of them were out. 

"Father, father," I jump up and down to fully get his attention. Or for me to express how excited I am. 

"Calm down, child. What is it?" 

"I finally found the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with!" 

"Your life is longer than a human's." 

Right. 

"But, but I can turn her into a specie that can prolong her life!" I tell him or more like persuading him to let me turn her. 

Father sits and tells me to sit. I sit without having second thoughts. 

"Does she know you're a deity? A prince at that?" 

"Not yet," I tell him truthfully. 

"It's her that you should be asking. It isn't my life for me to give you an answer." 

"Right, and father!" he chuckles. My excitement wasn't going to run out any time soon. 

"What is it?"

"I met her father too! He knows you." I squealed like a child and my feet were stomping on the porcelain floor. 

"He knows me? I only know one human man." 

"Wilson!" I tell him. 

He nods his head and his lip curved upward. 

"Ah, Wilson. Yes, I remember him. So he's your beloved's father?" I nod aggressively.

"I want to know father." 

"About what, child?" 

He massages his beard. His yellow eyes shining as he remembers their encounter. His muscles were at rest, and he was comfortable on his chair. The smile on his thin lips didn't disappear, it went bigger. 

"Why you came to the human world, how long did you stay in there and what were the circumstances then." he chuckles loudly. 

"Child, it is too soon for you to ask that. First, you need to make that girl yours and then, I shall tell you everything you want to know." I pouted. 

At least I knew he wasn't bluffing. I want to know now but I'm afraid it will spoil my future if I ask him relentlessly. I should be calm and collected. 

"Alright, fine. Father, do they not know that I'm currently residing in the human world?" the glint of happiness in his eyes were suddenly down and he looks at me like he was scared. I felt fear course through my veins. He grabs both of my shoulders and leans close to me. 

"Fa..ther?" 

"Make sure you visit twice a month, child and don't let anyone know that you're out in the human world." the words were carved in my mind. 

"Yes, Father." 

He sighs before letting me go. 

"Good."

He stands up and heads to the door. 

"Father?" 

"When you exit, make sure you're not being followed, okay?" 

"Yes, Father." 

"No one must know." that was his last words before he exited. 

I thought all of them gave me permission? Why am I keeping quiet? Did Father secretly sent me here? Did he do the same thing to Mine? What about Athena? Does she know that her child is in the human world? No, I don't think so. Judging from what Athena tells Mine, I don't think Athena will want Mine to step foot in the human world. What if they found out? 

I shake my head. 

"I should head back. It's football tonight and Rafaela invited me." 

I did what father asked. I made sure no one was following when I exited Olympus. Suddenly, the thought of my school came into mind. Not really the school but the name. Raven. I smile to myself and transformed myself into a raven and flew to the stadium. The night air was cold, but I didn't really mind. 

I found a good spot to land and transform. Afterwards, I search for them. I remember Rafaela's scent so it wasn't hard to find her. 

I pass by the entrance and I let my feet do the work. After I've seen Rafaela, I hurry my way towards her. She notices me and waves at me. I smile emerged from my lips and I run my way towards her. 

"Excuse me, coming through. Excuse me, excuse me." and a couple of more before I got to her. 

"Hey, I saved you a seat." she grabs her bag and places it on her lap.

I sat beside her and thanked her. Earl was playing and he was the star of the football team. No wonder he was lean and muscular. He needed to look the part. Sarah was beside Rafaela and I don't see mine everywhere. 

"Where's Mine?" I screamed since I won't be heard if I won't. 

The roaring screams of the students of our school were loud. The students of the opposite school was across us, screaming too. Veins were popping out of everywhere. In this cold evening, a heated competition for cheering was happening. It suddenly reminded me of the war in Olympus. 

"She's at the bathroom." she shouted back.

She was cheering, repeating Earl's name, as if she was gonna be understood. It made me wonder why humans like this very much. It's so hostile towards the other team and I don't understand why they make games like this that can hurt them, and probably scar them for life. Humans are so suicidal and I don't get why that is. 

"Okay," I muttered to myself. 

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer says through the speaker. It made me flinch and Rafaela saw me flinch. She laughs at me before patting my back. 

It was louder than before the event had started. 

"Agnostossss," my head turned to the side, searching for that eerie call. 

But there was no one. 

Did someone really follow me here? No, no. I've never heard of that before. That voice. It sounded off, cold and dangerous. A shiver went up my spine, out of fear. 

"Are you cold?" Rafaela asks, breaking my train of thought. 

"Ah, no. I'm good." I replied and decided to shrug off what happened earlier. 

The game has already started and it slowly got the call out of my mind. My eyes were on the ball. It was tossed, and tossed, and tossed, and players getting bumped with other players and tackling one another. It was dangerous to watch. I look at Rafaela and the glint in her eyes says that it wasn't dangerous at all. She was enjoying the event, not like I do. 

Suddenly, I feel a pat on my back from my other side. I turn and saw Mine smiling. 

"You got here!" she exclaims, happy that I'm here now. Like I said, she doesn't like people or the human world. Yet. 

"Yeah! You have constipation or something?" I ask back. She was pretty long. She must've been pooping hard. 

"The line was loooong," she exaggerated. 

"Alright," 

So we dropped our conversation and watched the game. I still can't understand the mechanism of the game. What's the point of tossing the ball around? Can't someone just toss it to the end of the end? I mean, that's where they always score a point. Wouldn't that be easier for them? I shake my head, still not understanding the essence of the game. 

"WOOOOOH!" Rafaela screams along with Sarah. 

This girl can scream. 

"What's she so excited about?" 

Like me, Mine can't comprehend this situation. She is as clueless as I am. Racking our brains so hard just to understand the game, but still can't find it, nor understand it. 

"I don't know." I screamed back. 

"TOUCHDOOOOOWN!" 

And everyone went wild. Rafaela jumped out of her seat. Sarah did the same while Mine and I slowly stood up from our chairs, looked at each other, confused before clapping and half-heartedly cheering for Earl. 

"WE WOOON!" Rafaela hugs Sarah and turns to me to hug me. 

Her soft body collided with mine. Her sweet scent against the cold night. She screams in my ear and couldn't stop jumping as we hug. I thought the hug would last but it didn't. Rafaela immediately went to hug Mine. 

"He'll surely treat us dinner!" Sarah cheers. 

Everyone immediately exited the benches and went outside the stadium. Rafaela and Sarah dragged us out of there and we went to greet the champion for the night. Hands were up in the air, still cheering. 

"What the heck is going on?" Rafaela heard my question and patted my back. I seem to be receiving a lot of pat on the back today. 

"How come you don't understand this?" 

Crap. 

"I, uh, I don't do sports and I'm not really fond of sports?" she looks at me in disbelief. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pouted. 

"Are you for reals?" she asks, still not sure whether to believe me or not. 

"Yes, because they seem dangerous." I answered confidently. She shrugs. 

"Eh, true." then she went back cheering. 

I heaved a sigh and turned to Mine. I grabbed her arm and dragged her a little far from there. I meant a little a little. Like, we can still see them and hear them but not so much. I made sure to make us visible so that when Rafaela and the others search for us, they'll see us right away. 

"Mine," 

"Urgent? Did Zeus say anything?" I was taken aback. 

"Zeus?" 

"Ah, no, it's just that, if I say 'king' every time, we're bound to be heard and misunderstood." 

"But isn't 'Zeus' also eye-catching?" she scratches the back of her neck.

"There are a lot of people named Zeus, so it's okay." I nod.

"Huh, you're right. But that isn't why I drag you here." 

"What is it?"

"Did father say anything to you? About us coming here?" 

"Ah, no, not really?" 

So father didn't tell Mine about this being a secret and that we should visit Olympus twice in a year? Why won't Father- ah, I get it. Mine won't come here and be with me because Mine is too afraid of her mother, Athena. Athena is so head-strong while Mine is so frail, and weak-hearted. 

"Okay? Uh, that's all." 

"Wait, that's all?" her arms went frail beside her. 

"Yep, that's all." 

Man, I need to talk to father about this too. Why is he doing this? Is he doing this for me? I can leave Olympus on my own. Is he afraid that I might not survive? What is he afraid of? Earlier, when he grabbed me, his eyes were like, afraid, or something. Like there's something that I shouldn't know. 

"Let's go," 

"Wa-" 

"Mine! August! Let's go! It's time for the afterparty!" Sarah shouts and waves at us. 

"Coming!" I shout back. 

I start walking but Mine grabbed my arm and stopped me. 

"Was that really all?" 

"What do you mean?" she releases her grip on my arm. 

"I mean, you dragged me without warning, dragged me to somewhere quieter and somewhere far from them just to ask me about that?" she seemed to be restless. 

Her eyes were all over the place. Her arms were doing weird movement and she was hyperventilating. Could this be somewhat connected to that voice earlier? 

"Are you okay?" I grab her shoulder and she was cold. I tried warming her up using my ability but she was still cold. 

"I, I don't know. Everything seems irritable and cold." she hugs herself. 

"Do you want to go home first?" she sighs. 

"I think I will." 

"Okay. Have a safe trip." 

She trudges her way to our house.

"BOO!" 

"CRAP." I shouted. 

Rafaela bursts out laughing behind me. 

"You flinched so hard! Haha!" she kept on laughing.

"Ha-ha, funny, Rafaela." 

"Haaaaa, that was a nice laugh. Say, where's Mine?" she looks around for Mine but when she doesn't find her, she looks at me. 

"She felt sick so I sent her home." 

"Oh, really? We could've said bye to her." she pouted a little, sorry written all over her face. 

"Don't be sorry. She's a grown ass woman, she can handle going home." she pinches my arm making me yelp in pain. 

"Don't be like that. You should've gone home too and take good care of her." 

I rub the flesh that she oh so confidently pinched. 

"I can after I congratulate Earl." 

"You have priority issues." 

"Heh," was all I could say. 

Rafaela and Sarah brought me at a local pub where the said afterparty was going to happen. There weren't much people though. The football team, the cheerleaders and some close friends of the players were invited. Earl was the captain so of course Sarah and Rafaela has to come and congratulate the guy. The guy thought of the strategies they did earlier so he deserves a praise. 

"Hey, what's up!" Earl gives me a many hug to which I graciously reciprocated. 

"Yo! Congrats on winning that game!" he grins at me. An award winning smile. He was so happy and so tall that I had to look up to actually talk to him. 

"Thanks! I heard how you awkwardly cheered for us, non-sporty August." Earl snickers making me laugh before turning to Rafaela to give her a death glare. Rafaela gave me a peace sign before disappearing into the crowd. 

"Gee, I don't know what to say. I tried, right?" 

"Yep, and it's more than enough. Let's eat."

Earl guided me through the table and helped me pick out a dish. He sat opposite of me and stared at the menu. 

"I get one and you get one then we share?" 

"Sounds good to me." he chuckles and orders our food.

When he was done with the order and the waiter went away, he leans forward, which means he was leaning towards me. His eyes were laughing, I could tell. 

"You like Rafaela, don't you?" 

"You know what? I'm not going to try and deny it. Yes, I like her." he leans back on his chair, his eyes not leaving me for a second. 

Will he tell me to stay away from her? Will he shoo me? What if he tell on me? What will Rafaela think of me? We spent the night together! Wait, she'll probably think nothing of it, right? I didn't do anything to her that night. Wait, no! Why am I contradicting myself? Don't I want Rafaela to know that I like her? If I don't tell her now, it will probably etch the friendship emblem in her mind before I could try anything else. She'll disregard it as me being super duper friendly. 

No! I don't want that. 

"Are you having an internal breakdown?" he asks. His voice went up and he was panicking. 

"Yes, totally." Earl stands up but Rafaela and Sarah came into view. 

"Hey, guys! The party is lit!" Sarah bobs her head to the medium volume music. 

"You guys seemed serious. What did you talk about?" Rafaela smiles at us, curious. 

I look at Earl and Earl looks at me. We were exchanging looks but I don't know what his meant. Will he tell on me? Is my life here over already? Will Father ask for me to come home? No! I don't want to. Nooo. Please, Earl, please. 

"Er, nothing really. Just discussing about food and all and how she didn't understand the game." 

"Really? I'd be happy to tease you for it." Rafaela nudges me, making me laugh awkwardly. 

"Alright, then have a blast with your dinner! We'll be out partying if you need us." Sarah drags Rafaela away, leaving me with Earl. 

"Eaaarl," I whine, my eyes teary, touched by his loyalty as my newly found friend. 

"Geez, stop that. You look horrendous." he scoffs. 

"Why didn't you tell on me?" 

"I could see the look of your pretty purple eyes." 

"What about my eyes?" 

"The eyes of those who are smitten by another. You were looking at Rafaela with so much passion that I can't resist the urge in my head to help you." 

I gasp in joy. 

"You're going to help me?" my smile was up to my ears. 

"Yes, so buckle up because you have a lot of competition." he gives me a firm grunt. 

"Yes, Sir!" 

"Here's your dinner!" 

And that night, Earl and I were best of buddies.