Unlikely Heroes

Chapter 95: The Queen of Ogygia

Bianca di Angelo

A soft humming fills my ears as I feel a cream-like substance being put on my aching body parts. The sounds of the humming... it is soothing. As if an angel has come to ease my troubled spirit. Slowly I open my eyes to see what's happening to me.

My vision is blurry as I look around me. I feel myself gasp and my breath is caught in my throat. An angel is tending to my wounded body. Her features are timeless. The beauty radiating from her seems even greater than that of Aphrodite herself. It wasn't forced. This angel's beauty was natural. She didn't even need to put in any effort to shine brightly.

"Am I... in Elysium?" I ask the angel in a whisper. My voice was strained and husky. The pain was still there and coursing through my body, but I feel it ebbing away as the angel continues to hum. She turned her gaze to me as she sees me stirring.

"Elysium? You're not dead, Demigod. Sleep. You need to rest," the soft soothing voice says. Gently, she pushed me back on the soft bed.

"But... why am I seeing an angel? Don't angels only come to the dead?"

The angel smiles a little, a bit humored I guess. "Sleep and rest. You're still too weak..." her words fell away as I am once again met with darkness.

I woke up again as some of the sun's rays shined on my face. The cave I was currently in looked homey and warm. Several items were strewn about. Most were my own. My sword was wrapped in a thick cloth, probably to make sure it didn't hurt anything in the living realm. The other times were mostly my clothes that were repaired. They looked brand new surprisingly. Whoever repaired it is very talented.

When I expected to feel pain, I actually felt barely anything painful at all when I stood up from the bed. My limbs were a bit stiff but overall no complaints when I tried to put my clothes on. I soon found myself in a paradise as I left the cave. Walking was more difficult as I saw some of the bandages were still around my legs.

I looked around and all I can say is that the place I have landed in is beautiful. Large parts of the island are filled with flowers. Trees of all kinds can be seen around me. Juniper trees, some oaks, and other trees give off a majestic and splendid natural feel. Where am I?

I started to walk around and I notice pretty quickly that the island was not very big. One could walk from one end to the other pretty quickly. Even if I could look at the island in awe for hours, I was more curious to see where the woman went. I want to know who she is. She... was the most beautiful woman I have laid my eyes on. It didn't take me long before I spotted her near the beach. I don't know why but she has an otherworldly beauty to her.

Somehow this whole experience is making me nervous. A paradise of an island, a woman anyone would die for to have as a partner. This practically spells out that something is amiss. I don't know what it is, but something is wrong with this island. For some reason, I can't shadow travel out of here. I do not feel anything concerning my friends. This island is like a bastion. Nothing gets out, and probably nothing gets in without permission. What did I get myself into?

"The sleeper has awoken," the woman says with a gentle smile on her lips. I almost tripped over my words as she looked at me. Her eyes were gentle and kind. The hair is long and braided as the caramel hair flows in the warm wind.

"I, uhm, I am awake," I manage to say. The woman laughs softly. It was so pleasing as I felt my heart skip a beat. She looks cute when she laughs.

"You are," she says with a chuckle. "I am Calypso. How do you feel, young one?"

"Pretty good, but still stiff. Ehm, where am I? This doesn't look near St. Helen. And how long have I even been out for?"

"You were sleeping pretty deeply. Time... It is hard for me to tell how much time has passed. But you're on Ogygia. An island that exist nowhere and everywhere. It is my phantom island," she explains.