CHAPTER 63: SMALL JOYS

Apollo woke to the clattering symphony of a village coming to life. Wooden wheels rumbled over cobblestones, their steady rhythm punctuated by the distant ring of a blacksmith’s hammer striking hot metal. Children’s voices rose and fell like birdsong, their laughter carrying through the open window of his room at the inn.

He lay still for a moment, savoring the unfamiliar sensation of waking without dread. The gold in his veins hummed contentedly, a warm current flowing just beneath his skin.

Not the painful burning of power suppressed, nor the desperate surge of battle, but a steady presence that felt, for the first time since his fall, almost natural.

’This is how mortals begin each day,’ he thought, listening to the ordinary sounds of life continuing outside. ’Not with the weight of divinity, but with simple purpose.’

The floorboards creaked as he rose, muscles still aching from their marsh ordeal but healing faster than before. The fragments of the shattered relic had changed something within him, not restoring his godhood, but strengthening what remained, making it more his own.

Downstairs, the scent of fresh bread and sizzling bacon drew him to the common room. His companions were already gathered around their usual table, plates piled high with food. Thorin’s voice carried across the room, his complaint clear before Apollo even reached them.

"—softest beds I’ve ever had the misfortune to sleep in," the dwarf grumbled, gesturing with a piece of bacon for emphasis. "Like lying on a cloud. Might as well sleep standing up. A proper bed should have some resistance, something solid to push back against a man’s spine."

Despite his complaints, Thorin’s plate contained enough food for two men, and he was already signaling the serving girl for seconds. His beard had been freshly braided, the singed ends trimmed away, returning some of his dignity after their marsh ordeal.

Lyra looked up as Apollo approached, a hint of amusement softening her usually guarded expression. "Morning," she said, sliding a plate toward the empty seat beside her. "Better eat before Thorin claims it all for himself."

Apollo settled onto the bench, the wood warm and smooth beneath him. The plate before him steamed invitingly, eggs with bright yellow yolks, thick slices of bread still warm from the oven, strips of bacon crisp at the edges. He felt a smile tug at his lips, unexpected but welcome.

"Sleep well?" Renna asked, her spear propped against the wall behind her, within easy reach but peace-tied once more. Her dark hair was pulled back in a simple knot, revealing a face that looked younger in the soft morning light.

"Better than I have in weeks," Apollo admitted, breaking the yolk of an egg and watching the golden liquid pool on his plate. The color reminded him of the light that had poured from his skin during the marsh battle, but the memory no longer carried the sting of exposure. These companions had seen what he was, or at least a glimpse of it, and they remained.

Nik looked more refreshed than any of them, his natural resilience evident in the animated way he recounted a dream to anyone who would listen. "—and then the marsh spirit turned into a beautiful woman, but she still had those glowing eyes, and she offered me a crown made of reeds, which I obviously accepted because dream-logic, right?"

Cale shook his head slightly, the barest hint of amusement visible in the relaxation of his perpetually tense shoulders. He ate methodically, his weapons arranged beside him on the bench in preparation for the day’s maintenance.

"We should resupply while we’re here," Lyra said, her practical nature asserting itself even in this moment of relative peace. "Replace what we lost in the marsh. Stock up before we move on."

The others nodded, the unspoken agreement passing between them: this village was a respite, not a destination. Whatever had begun in that underground temple, whatever hunted them from the city, it wouldn’t stop searching. Better to be prepared.

"The market should be in full swing by now," Thorin said, finally pushing away his empty plate with a satisfied grunt. "Saw them setting up stalls when I looked out earlier."

They finished their meal and stepped out into the bright morning sunshine, the village street bustling with activity.

Market day had transformed the modest settlement, drawing farmers from outlying homesteads and craftspeople eager to display their wares. Colorful awnings stretched over wooden stalls, protecting goods from the sun while creating a patchwork of shade and light along the main thoroughfare.

Lyra immediately took charge, her green eyes scanning the market with a hunter’s precision. "We’ll split up," she decided. "Cover more ground that way. Meet back here at midday."

The group dispersed, each drawn to different sections of the market. Apollo found himself wandering alone, oddly content to observe the rhythms of village life without purpose or urgency.

The gold in his veins settled into a pleasant warmth as he moved through the crowd, his senses drinking in the vibrant tapestry of mortal existence.

He paused at a baker’s stall, watching with fascination as the man shaped dough with practiced hands.

The baker’s fingers moved with a certainty born of years of repetition, transforming formless mass into perfect rounds ready for the oven. Apollo found himself mesmerized by the simple alchemy of it, flour and water becoming sustenance through mortal skill alone, no divine intervention required.

"You knead bread before?" the baker asked, noticing Apollo’s interest. His face was ruddy from the heat of his ovens, flour dusting his forearms like fine snow.

"No," Apollo admitted, studying the man’s technique with genuine curiosity. "It seems... meditative."

The baker laughed, a hearty sound that came from deep in his chest. "That’s one word for it. Backbreaking’s another. But satisfying, I’ll give you that." He tore off a piece of dough and offered it to Apollo. "Here, try your hand."

Apollo accepted the dough, surprised by its living quality, the way it yielded to pressure yet resisted tearing, how it warmed beneath his fingers as he worked it. The baker corrected his technique with good-natured patience, showing him how to fold and press rather than simply squeeze.

’Such a simple thing,’ Apollo thought as he returned the shaped dough to the baker. ’Yet they’ve built entire lives around these crafts, finding meaning in creation rather than power.’

He continued through the market, stopping to observe a woman spinning wool into thread, the wheel turning hypnotically as fibers twisted into something stronger than their individual strands. Children darted between stalls, engaged in games with rules only they understood, their faces alight with the serious business of play.

Near the village green, a group of boys and girls chased a flock of chickens that had escaped their coop, the birds scattering in indignant flurries of feathers. Apollo watched, unexpectedly charmed by the children’s determination and the chickens’ equally stubborn refusal to be herded. The chaos followed its own perfect logic, a dance of pursuit and evasion that needed no divine orchestration.

"They do this every market day," a voice said beside him. Apollo turned to find an elderly woman watching the scene with fond exasperation. "Marta’s coop always has a loose board, and the children always volunteer to help catch them." She chuckled. "Though I suspect they’re the ones who loosen the board in the first place."

Apollo smiled, recognizing the mischief for what it was, not malice, but the simple joy of creating excitement in a predictable world. "They seem to be enjoying the chase more than the capture."

"Isn’t that always the way?" the old woman replied with unexpected wisdom. "The pursuit matters more than the prize, in the end."

The words struck Apollo with peculiar force. How many centuries had he spent in pursuit of divine recognition, of his father’s approval, of power for its own sake? And now, stripped of his godhood, he found more satisfaction in watching children chase chickens than he ever had in the grand schemes of Olympus.

Across the market, he spotted his companions engaged in their own pursuits. Renna stood at a carpenter’s stall, testing the balance and weight of various wooden spear shafts.

Her movements were precise as she checked each for straightness, running her fingers along the grain with expert attention. The carpenter watched with professional respect, clearly recognizing a warrior who knew her craft.

Nearby, Nik had found his way to a cloth merchant’s stall, though Apollo suspected his interest had less to do with fabrics than with the merchant’s daughter, a pretty young woman with chestnut hair who laughed at whatever tale Nik was spinning.

The young man leaned casually against the stall, his posture deliberately elegant, one hand gesturing expansively as he spoke.

"—of course, my father’s estates in the eastern provinces are considerably larger," Apollo overheard as he drifted closer, amused by Nik’s transformation into a wandering nobleman. "But one tires of the formal gardens and endless banquets. I find the authentic character of villages like yours far more refreshing."