The sparrows' chirps filtered into Howon's ears as he lay below the large willow tree. The small rays of sunlight that managed to pierce through the tree's thick foliage danced on the said male's face. Tired of lying down and just staring at the familiar greens, Howon propped himself up on the coarse tree trunk. In that position, Howon drank in the sight of the lush meadows that seemed to stretch on for miles.

An array of colours peeked from amongst the thick grass stems, creating a spectacle for anyone who could see it. Amongst the long grass were the children from the nearby town of Nivea, all tanned and fit thanks to the hours they spent under the sun chasing each other. The tall grass didn't do much to protect the little ones from Apollo's rays.

Next to the meadow lay the bustling village of Nivea. Her residents were busy preparing for the festival to celebrate the God of Wine, Dionysus, which would be tomorrow. There was once a time when he would take part in these festivals and soak up in the festive spirits in his home village. But that was before he had stupidly signed that damned contract that tied him to the gods.

He was young and foolish, craving for immortality as promised, but he knew better now. Howon wasn't really immortal. It was just that the gods kept him at the same age, 21, until when they deemed him replaceable. It was then they would allow his body to grow normally.

A cry rose from the meadows, startling Howon from his train of thoughts. "Eros Hyung! You're here again!" He looked up to see the children in the meadow running up the low-lying hill toward him. "You brought your horse too!" a familiar doe-eyed cried out.

Eros? Ah, the ‘official’ name that was given to Howon.

Smiling, Howon reached out to ruffle his hair as the others clambered up the hill behind the boy. The boy started chatting to Howon about the happenings in Nivea, "Eros Hyung, we're having a celebration for Dionysus tomorrow. Then, we'll crown the Wine Princess, the prettiest girl in the whole of Nivea!"

Just then, Howon was once again snatched from his train of thoughts when a young man in a pure white toga and winged sandals landed in front of him, almost tumbling over into Howon in the process. Muttering under his breath, the young man straightened himself and dug through the satchel slung on his feminine shoulders.

It was Sungjong, more commonly known as Hermes, the messenger of the Gods. He was often thought to be the god of transitions and boundaries but he was just another poor person tied to the gods because of yet another of those damn contracts.

With a well-practiced flick of his less than perfect blonde hair, the man handed Howon a scroll. "Well, good morning to you to Sungjong," Howon drawled sarcastically, taking his time to stand up, tugging his own toga into place.

His hair turned to the colour it was now to signify that he was bounded to the gods, like Howon. Even in the dark, their hair would glow a brilliant white, bringing light no matter where they went. Of course, the actual gods' shone brighter than theirs.

Howon’s, however, was dyed black with some Henna he had found in a market on his many adventures. He couldn’t risk being recognised by his hair by enemies who wanted his head.

Sungjong frowned in return, "Good morning to you Howon. I'm in a hurry so can you hurry too. Gosh the gods really have a lot of messages today. My sandals aren't even listening to me." As is to prove his point, the winged sandals started flapping their wings, lifting Sungjong up a couple of inches before setting him back down. Only to be crowded around by the amazed children. The wings shot straight out, as if it wanted to look smart and dignified.

Only grinning at his over-worked friend, Howon grabbed the scroll from his hands. Sungjong, though having a tight schedule, took his time in gently shooing the children away before taking to the skies again. "Till next time!" Sungjong waved back before disappearing into a small black speck against the clear blue sky.

Howon's hand reached to to pull the string that held the scroll close but realized that the children were clambered around him, trying to sneak a peek at what the scroll held. He knew better than to let the children. If he was to be sent on a mission, he didn't want the children blabbing about it to anyone on the street, or to his enemies who wouldn't hesitate to grab an opportunity to kill him off.

Breezily, Howon chased the children away, much to their disappointment. It was only when he felt that they were a good distance away that he opened the scroll. It read:

I have come to hear of a girl in Nivea so pretty that her suitors have neglected my worship temples.

She will be taking part in the Annual Wine Princess Crowning.

I want you to find her and make her fall in love with the vilest creature in the world.

From the hand-writing, Howon could tell that it was from Aphrodite. After all, she was his superior. With a scoff, Howon crushed the scroll into his satchel strapped onto his trusty horse, "Not even a thank you."

"I want you to find her and make her fall in love in love with the vilest creature in the world," he mimicked her voice. Grumbling under his breath, Howon decided to wait under the tree until the next night. Settling down, Howon closed his eyes and slowly but surely drifted off into a deep sleep with the birds chirping and the sunlight dancing on his face.

Well, that didn't turn out how I expected it to... Never mind, it looks pretty good like that.

@btob2uty: It's sorta a fairytale... But thanks for the support!

@SerenaSangtae: I hope this answered your question XD

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