First Contact

The door behind Raymond's back opened again, and a tall woman of his height walked in wearing a tight-fitting business suit that did little to conceal her curves. Raymond wished she hadn't worn pants so that he could trace her nice smooth long legs with his hungry eyes.

Raising his gaze up, her legs widened into robust hips that were complemented with a nice thin waist. Going further, he was rewarded with a more than generous bust that he had to stifle a groan as he felt his loins stir. Trying not to spend too long on her delectable chest, he raised his gaze to meet hers and immediately blushed after realizing that she had patiently waited for his inspection to run its course.

"Satisfied?"

Raymond cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure, "you know I wasn't really—"

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night. Mr. Storm, My name is Adrastea and I'm here as your attorney. Anything you say to me stays between us…and I mean anything," she added that last part with a bit a sultry or maybe it was just his imagination.

"Okay, I just need to know. Who sent you?" Ray asked.

"You already know, or you thought they wouldn't get a wind of it? They received a call two hours ago and sent me here."

Raymond let out a second groan while lowering his head to rest on his cuffed wrists. "What did they say?"

"We'll talk on the way." Adrastea said as she walked out without sitting down.

"What, just like that?"

"Yeah, they have nothing serious to hold you here for, so we are leaving, I'll be back in a few." She walked out leaving Raymond yearning to complete his inspection on her backside.

"Damn hormones," Ray remained cursing.

He really needed to get laid. And he was going to do it, first thing when he got out even if it means hiring a hooker. Five minutes later his lawyer walked in together with a female cop, who unlocked his cuffs allowing him to feel his wrist.

Testing his right leg, he was surprised to find it working just fine. There was no pain like it was when he was brought in. Remembering his questioning earlier he decided to feign a limp only until he was out of the Station.

Outside, the two got into a Range Rover Sport, and his lawyer wasted no time to drive them out of there.

"They didn't say anything bad about you if you want to know. Most of them actually said they understood your situation, with some saying they have sheltered you from the world for far too long."

"Good to know. How old are you anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Why, too old for you?" Raymond blushed.

"No, you just feel and look different, if that's even possible."

"Oh, I understand now. I am a Nymph. What you feel is through your divine senses, while what you see is through your human senses. And the two just don't mix very well." Adrastea said indifferently.

"What?!"

"I'm explaining what you seem to feel and see."

"Yes, what has that got to do with divinity, most importantly how the hell are you a Nymph?" Raymond turned to face Adrastea.

"Oh! You don't know?"

"Know what?" Raymond was flabbergasted.

"Seriously. They never told you anything, even give you a few hints about your heritage?"

"My what! Look, it's been a long day, and I obviously need a rest, can you take me home please?" Raymond turned back to facing the road with a sigh and tried not to think about everything that happened that night.

"Sure." Adrastea too, fell silent.

Ray took that moment to inspect his bandages, giving the wound on his right arm a light squeeze, he didn't feel any pain.

"It's healed, you can rip that thing off," Adrastea said.

"How do you know?"

"I thought you were tired," she added, sarcastically.

"Whatever." Removing the bandage, Ray realized she was right.

His bite wound was completely healed, inspecting his leg too, he found the same results. After removing the bandage, Raymond leaned back into his seat silently. All his memories came flooding back, everything from the moment he jumped out of the window to his arrest and questioning.

A few things making sense and then no sense at all. The male detective said something about being stunned twice to no effect. Raymond could remember two pinpricks on his neck that he now reflexively touched as if to confirm, but he didn't feel anything after the pricks. Also, they told him the officer arresting him had tried tasing him again while he was on the ground but Ray had no recollection of it.

At least he remembered the bone cracking of the dog's neck but still nothing with the cuffs.

What if they were right, and there was something wrong with him? Ray couldn't tell. Then Ray remembered he had a lawyer sitting next to him who seemed to understand everything. Throwing all common sense and logic out of the window, he asked.

"What am I?"

There was a long silence that Ray almost asked again believing Adrastea didn't hear. "It's not my place to tell you. I'm just a lowly Nymph."

"Convenient, now that I show interest you pull away. Very typical." Ray stated.

There was a sudden braking, and Raymond was jerked forward. If it wasn't for his seat-belt, Raymond was sure he would've gone right through the windshield.

"You did not just pull that sexist card on me you egotistical asshole. You never change!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I was just making a statement, and I didn't mean it literally."

"Of course, you did mean it. You know, I spent a lot of decades raising you into someone respectably decent in your childhood and look what I get, you. Even death can't do away with your prideful narcissistic tendencies."

"Hey lady! Look, thank you for getting me out, but I think I can find my way home now." Raymond felt his head pounding from all the shouting and got out of the four-wheeler.

"Get back in here." Adrastea barked.

"No. I'll walk."

"I won't ask again." Getting out of the car too.

"What are you going to do, walk ten miles worth of road to your house in the middle of the night?"

"I'll take my chances!" Ray shot back.

"You're still an asshole!" Adrastea fumed.

"Yeah, and you need to get laid!" Raymond replied without turning as he kept walking away.

Something hard hit Raymond in the back of his head, sending him flying ten meters away before skidding at least an extra meter on the hard asphalt. The resulting motion eating away at his skin and flesh on the knees, elbows, and his right cheek.

Surprisingly he didn't black out as a searing pain shot from his new injuries when he rose to face his attacker. The stupid biker t-shirt he was given barely protected his torso from suffering the same fate as his face.

Channeling his pain into anger, he closed his hands into fists. "You shouldn't have done that!"

Raymond took three steps forward before the air around them started to pick up speed and trees on either side of the road began to sway. The smell of ozone permeated the air around them.

"R-ay-mond calm down. Look, I'm sorry for hitting you, I shouldn't have done that. But you need to calm yourself down!" Adrastea began to feebly step back in mirror of his approach.

"Raymond?" Adrastea called again weakly, but got no response.

She quickly closed her eyes in concentration, and a moment later, a shorter figure appeared in front of her. Her back to Raymond, who paused as if to measure the intruder's threat level.

"What is it?" The shorter woman spoke, alarmingly.

"I'm sorry goddess, but I think I might have messed up." Adrastea squeaked, motioning for the shorter woman to look behind her.

The shorter woman then turned around and took a good look at Raymond. He had really grown since she last saw him. He was quite tall for a human, broad shoulders, blue eyes that seemed to glow, pulling the goddess out of her reverie. Her target was in a mask of anger as he started approaching them.

The shorter woman turned to Adrastea. "You should leave, I'll handle it."

Adrastea vanished into nothingness causing Raymond, now five meters away to pause his advance. "Where is she?"

"She's safe." The shorter woman replied.

"And I take it you're the cavalry? It won't end very well for you."

"I believe you. I could say the same for you. But that's not what I'm here for." She said.

"What are you here for?" Ray asked.

"To talk to you."

"Thanks, I don't need it."

"Not that talk, I'm here to explain to you everything that happened to you tonight that doesn't make sense. Shall we call a truce for now?" The shorter woman breathed out.

Raymond considered his options for almost a minute before nodding his head. The beautiful woman breathed a sigh and approached him,

"Good, let me take care of this first." She raised her palm to which Ray leaned back.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You have my word." For some reason Ray couldn't understand why, but he immediately trusted her.

Leaning into her open palm, Ray felt a cool, soothing and refreshing energy flow into him. His stinging bruises began to heal while the pain lessened until it was gone entirely.

"What's your name?" Ray couldn't help but ask.

"Athena."

"Like the goddess?"

"I am the goddess." Athena smiled at that. "Great! I see you still have doubts. Let's get you home first, at least it should make you more comfortable with what I'm about to tell you." The two got into the car and drove off in silence.