Hermaphroditus

I didn't see that coming.

Okay now, the cause of our misfortune was that the prophesy I received was way more tangled than my mind could interpret!

We didn't know what the hell the prophesy meant, but the bitter truth was that we had to understand it.

And now Isabella was here, saying that a lifeless statue of the most ruthless and merciless tyrant in the history of Greek gave her the interpretation of a line of the prophesy! I Definitely didn't see that coming.

"What!?" Will's eyes gleamed with interest.

"Yes. but I don't know exactly I'm right or not. But... if it means what I think... then...the difficulty of our quest rises to a whole new level." she said and I got the feeling that what she meant was that 'our quest is doomed!' But I decided to keep the thought to myself.

"Another... " before Isabella could say anymore, the woman came with a tray filled with food in her hands.

She put the tray on the table and sat on a chair, smiling victoriously.

"See, what I brought you." she said and my eyes lit up when I looked at the dinner in front of me.

It had a plate of panzanella, and three plate of bruschetta. A perfect Italian dinner!

My eyes never left the sight of food. The monster in my stomach finally took over and I attacked on the food.

"My goodness... it's so delicious." I said, my mouth full of food and I couldn't barely pronounce a word correctly.

"Adrian... can you please eat like a human." Isabella said, her eyes efficiently conveyed the message 'Why are you eating like a savage?'.

But I chose to ignore it because if I cared about manners at that time then I would starve to death.

"Dear, you really were hungry." the woman chuckled softly, but my full focus was on the food.

Isabella and Will also started their meal, but they were glancing nervously at me. 'What is with all those looks? I'm hungry!' I thought but my mouth was preoccupied so I couldn't speak.

After the meal, we gave our heartfelt thanks to the woman who filled our stomach like a goddess. But then, a thought struck me.

"Ma'am, you haven't told us your name yet." I said.

"You never asked me." she replied. "I'm Hermaphroditus*."

Suddenly the food I had, urged to come out. I mean...What! This lady in front of me is Hermaphroditus! the god of hermaphrodites and effeminates. No... obviously that can't be. I heard wrong.

"You are Hermaphroditus?" Isabella disbelievingly asked and the woman nodded happily.

"Please don't joke around." I said and her expression became stern.

"Why do decide that I'm lying?" she stared at me and I felt like digging a grave and sleep in it forever. After all, there aren't disturbances and monsters and creepy gods and goddesses in graves.

"I mean... what is a god doing in a city selling desserts twenty four hours and seven days?" I asked.

"Why can't I do that? hmm? I'm immortal and believe me usual things get quiet boring over time and especially if you have infinite time." she (or he) said.

"So you're saying that you came here just for time pass" Will said and the god nodded triumphantly.

"Umm... I have one doubt. What are you? I mean you're a man or a woman?" I raised my finger just like a student asking his teacher.

The god leaned back on the chair and heaved a deep sigh.

"I hear that question a lot. What do you think, son of Zeus?"

"Umm... from what I read in books, I know that you are the son of Aphrodite and Hermes and were born a remarkably handsome boy with whom the naiad  Salmacis fell in love and prayed to the gods be united with you forever. A god, in answer to her prayer, merged the two forms into one and transformed you both into an androgynous form." I said and the god just stared at me.

"Well you're not completely wrong." she said

"I'm not?" I had a bit of a shock myself because I would be the last person anybody would turn to for any information.

"I said 'not completely wrong'. " he sighed. "I hate to explain it again and again. Listen, when our bodies merged, I became a being who could put on any form, whether male or female. But here's the thing, when I choose to be male I AM a male with fully developed male organs. And when I am a female, like I am now, I am totally a female." she said.

And before I could ask her anything more, she spoke again.

"So, how are you planning to deal it?"

"Deal with it? What?" I asked and the goddess frowned at Isabella.

"You haven't told them, sweetheart?"