Soul Between Lives

Alex woke up to the soft light of dawn spilling into his room. He stared at the ceiling and allowed his mind to create familiar shapes out of the random patterns of the plaster and wood. He'd always pictured Zeus living in a palace made of marble and other godly materials and crooked his neck wondering why that wasn't the case.

["Those were descriptions of his palace on Mount Olympus. And good morning Alex."]

Alex felt his heart jolt from surprise even though Angel had used a soft voice. He had forgotten that she was there like she always was. His mind further wandered as he thought about her constant company and a warmth from deep within him started spreading through his c.h.e.s.t. He felt blessed and a bit privileged to have his own personal companion. His happiness on the matter was only sullied by the feeling that she wasn't a real person that he could touch and see. To him, she felt more like an NPC, artificial like Siri or Cortana, not like a real woman.

["Hey! I'm as alive and real as you are! Don't go writing me off just because I'm not physically in front of you."] Angel would have smacked Alex on the back of his head if she could have. Instead, she was left muttering to herself, ["Typical male. Out of sight, out of mind."]

Alex sat up in bed, "I'm sorry Angel. I didn't realize what I was thinking until I thought it." The strangeness of what he'd just said hit him. He c.o.c.ked his head and quirked his mouth as he considered the implications of having to apologize for his private thoughts.

Another series of private thoughts flitted their way across his mindscape before he could stop them and Angel noticed them immediately.

["Hmmf. You want to get rid of me after only a few days? Haven't I served you well? Is this what I get for my loyalty!?"]

Alex frantically gestured with his arms and hands in a way meant to calm down an angry friend, "I can't help thinking about these things. Everybody needs their privacy." Alex closed his eyes and took a calming breath, "I'm no different."

["You don't appreciate me. My entire existence is for you and you don't-"]

[Angel! I only thought it for a second and you know I feel bad about it. Just read my thoughts like you always do."

["I don't always read your thoughts. It's not like I don't have other-"] Angel caught herself about to allude to a big secret. Fortunately for her, she could see that Alex took it as a normal thing for a lady to say to let the guy she's fighting with know he isn't the center of her world. Though, her mental eyes twitched when Alex wondered how that could be since he obviously was.

Alex sat in silence doing his best not to let any dangerous thoughts pass through his mind. He didn't want to further the misunderstanding if he could help it. When he got his thoughts under better control he spoke to her in his mind again. [Good morning Angel. I wish you could feel how nice the morning air is.]

[Ah right, I remember. Sorry I didn't ask her about it yesterday.]

Alex got out of bed and did his old routine of simple stretches and was pleasantly surprised that his new body didn't feel stiff after sleep. He pulled out similar clothes to the ones he wore yesterday and noted how the wardrobe lacked variety.

["Why don't you ask her about that too. Though it seems obvious they wouldn't have as many mass-produced fashions in a world with more limited infrastructure."]

Alex lost himself thinking about the primitiveness of such a world. He put his clothes on and went downstairs lost in thought the whole time. Zeus was still nowhere to be seen. Alex felt a bit lonely when he thought about being in an empty house far away from home. He hadn't even seen any servants today, only the occasional guard strolling through the yard and they didn't look very friendly.

Angel smiled inwardly, ["Persephone said they come by when they need to. Cheer up, you have me don't you?"]

Alex felt the warmth in his c.h.e.s.t again but was careful not to let his thoughts stray dangerously again. [Do you know when Persephone will be here?]

["How would I?"]

[I was just wondering.]

Alex walked into the kitchen in search of food but found nothing appetizing enough to tempt him. Stale bread and salty nuts didn't count as breakfast in his book. He relented and grabbed a handful of assorted nuts when he felt his stomach grumble and went to sit at the table with the gameboard as he ate his snack.

"This is my mother's cooking. You'll be in Heaven when you taste it." She said with a smirk.

Alex took a sip of the bean and vegetable soup and felt like he was floating. It was such a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to eat. Pleasant energy coursed through his arms and legs and swirled around in his c.h.e.s.t and gut. The energy made its way around his entire body. When it traveled to his head, it concentrated in his neck muscles and made his head feel like it could float away on its own.

Persephone smiled as she gazed at Alex's blissful expression, "Pretty good huh?"

"Its," Alex searched for the right words, "Very lovely."

"When a god like my mother goes all out there aren't many that can measure up."

"This is so good!" Alex blurted out as he gave her an amazed look.

"I'm glad you like it. Maybe I'll let you try some of my cooking next time."

Persephone ate a few spoonfuls as she watched Alex chow down. "I told her about you by the way." Her smile slinked away and she put her spoon down.

Alex froze with the next spoonful halfway to his face. He looked at Persephone not knowing how to respond.

[Will this be alright?]

["We'll find out eventually"] Angel said with a light laugh. ["Don't forget about the library today."]

[Ah, right.] Alex ate a few more spoonfuls before bringing up the topic, "There's a library in town right? I'd like to see it if I can."

Persephone smiled and looked up, "Of course!"

...

After they finished their meal, Persephone took Alex to the library which was located a few streets away from the market in the opposite direction of the public lavatory and gym.

They stopped in front of a tall building that looked like a classic Greek temple on the outside, but made of pale grey stone from a local quarry, "Here we are! The town's Magisterial offices are further down the street just for your information, but that's not important now. Let's head in!"

Alex was looking up, taking in the architecture when Persephone grabbed his hand and dragged him along. They passed other people leaving the building holding various amounts of scrolls, books and other intricate devices.

Inside, Alex opened his mouth in wonder. He had always dreamed of coming to such a classy place. Magnificent columns stretched up to the ceiling which suspended ornate chandeliers of softly glowing orbs. The chandeliers were made of silvery metal in the form of swirling whispy clouds gently clasping numerous illumination orbs.

Ornate windows were high up in the walls. Their irregular shaped glass panes were small and set in the same silvery metal that held the orbs in a similar cloud motif. The silvery metalwork matched the grey stone of the columns and the walls well. Alex was overawed by such things because it was his first time seeing that kind of architecture in person.

[They can make such a grand building but can't produce jeans and regular shoes?]

["Perhaps they don't have the industry to make Earth products. It takes a lot of people and labor to make the everyday items you're used to. Remember how Lucius explained why guns weren't cost effective?"] Angel waited for him to remember the talk about how much industrial infrastructure is needed to support large scale firearms manufacturing before continuing, ["It mostly just takes math, elbow grease, and skill to put together a building such as this."]

Persephone gave Alex a minute to stand there gawking like an idiot before she dragged him over to a counter. A stern looking attendant sat behind it and gave Alex a suspicious glare as he was brought over.

"Let me introduce Alex. He's Zeus's new attendant or assistant and will be living in town from now on. Please treat him well." Persephone reached up and rubbed Alex's head, playfully tousling his hair.

The attendant behind the counter looked him up and down as if memorizing how he looked and behaved before nodding. "Do you need me to tell him the rules?"

Persephone shook her head, "No, I'll handle that as I show him around."

She dragged Alex along, explaining the rules. They were pretty standard and mostly common sense. Among them, no stealing or destruction of materials. No loud talking or talking near the reading tables and no eating, made Alex feel at home.

To check out books and other materials, he would have to leave his energy signature on an orb which would record each of the library objects in his possession before he left. There were no fines, but one of the librarians might track him down if someone else wanted a book he kept for too long.

-A note from me the Author (J. S. Edwards. a.k.a Xyphon_Storm)- I have recently come across a website that was illegally hosting my story and claiming to have copyright on it. I am the sole owner and creator of this work and have yet to post it on any other site other than WebNovel.com.

I may start to post my story on other reputable sites now that WebNovel is censoring links that allowed readers to monetarily support struggling authors such as myself.

I have also heard a rumor that my preferred login method will no longer be supported in the near future. I think the previous sentence has the most subtext to date of all my chapters.

It is my hope to continue posting my story on WebNovel. If I am unable to, then I apologize and hope you will take the time to find and read my story on another reputable hosting site. And if you could, maybe send a spare dollar or two my way. Thank you.