Immortality had its disadvantages, but it was important not to dwell on them. After all, with infinite time on his hands, a downward spiral into depression could get very dangerous indeed. Zeus, more than anyone had reason to understand that. After all, he'd been the central deity of not one, but two of the most powerful cultures ever to grace the planet. For well over a millennium, he'd had it all! So when Rome finally gave up his worship, he'd slid into a funk that had lasted for almost as long as his reign had.
Many lesser deities wouldn't have survived. In fact, many hadn't. There were entire pantheons that had been wiped from existence. More than even modern historians realized. Zeus, himself, had been responsible for no few of them and had seen what was coming.
Fortunately, the legacy of his culture survived much more strongly than many others. Many of the gods and goddesses found continued sources of worship, even as those upstart monotheists began to spread their poisonous beliefs. He might have fought and conquered all of those other pantheons, but at least he'd never denied they existed.
It was through the efforts of his subordinates that Zeus remained alive today, however greatly diminished. Through those many centuries of depression, he almost wished he hadn't survived. As many spats as he and Hera had, it became unbearable that she faded from existence while he remained. She was his companion, his conscience, his better half. What was the point of the energy that kept him alive, siphoned like a tithe from the surviving members of his pantheon, if he could not share it with the woman he loved.
In the end, it was something rather simple that had turned everything around for him. An overheard conversation between Ares and Eros, the later who was no longer the child-like entity he'd once been. The more peaceful had bemoaned the need to work to maintain his existence. But it was the other, who'd spitefully pointed out that
his
father could laze around all day and do nothing but what he pleased, that had really awoken Zeus, the father in question, to the possibilities.
Eternal life could mean he had forever in which to experience the pleasures of the world. He'd never had the time to truly devote to that in the old days, what with ruling Olympus and all. He'd often jealously watched Dionysus and Pan as they flitted their ways from party to party. Sure, he'd had plenty of flings but that was a far cry from a truly carefree existence. Now, it was his turn. And even the death of Hera, still truly heart-breaking, amounted to some good in that he was free to sleep with whomever he chose without fear that she'd turn them into some animal or other in revenge.
Zeus leaned back in the chair and smiled at the ruminations. He'd been a fool to spend so much time in an emotional retreat. True, even modern historians called much of that epoch "the dark ages", and they didn't know the half of it. All in all, it wasn't much of a loss. He'd survived, he'd missed an overall miserable period of history and he'd learned from his time away. In his more egotistical moments, he even suspected that his own depression might be the cause for the turmoil and strife of those thousand or so years.
Sparks flashed in place of pupils within his eyes as his gaze swept the assembled tourists. It was remarkable how few people actually noticed the discrepancy. Even in the modern age of disbelief, where jaded people could do so much with Hollywood effects, those eyes set him apart as inhuman.
All anyone ever saw were the clothes, however. Brown boots of boiled leather with buckles up the sides, black leather pants that hung low on his hips and accented his divine endowments (not to mention a complete lack of underwear) and a black leather jacket were all he ever wore. If they assumed the stylized "Z" pierced horizontally by a lightning bolt was the symbol of his biker club, that was fine by him. After all, young women of every era were drawn to a man with an aura of danger.
That's what he searched for. Experienced eyes scanned the crowd in search of today's fun. Nostalgia over what had once been had put him in the mood for something a little different. Any day of the week he could find some hot young girl at a club and ravish her in the hallway to the bathroom. Hell, most were eager enough he'd done it right in the middle of a rave's dance floor!
No. Today he felt the urge for some old fashion discretion, probably in honor of his long lost wife. Those lesions had accounted for so many of the fights between them and no few myths and legends. To have his way with a woman while transformed would be a suitable homage to Hera.
At last, Zeus spotted her. She was beautiful! Six feet tall with wavy red hair that spilled half-way down her back. Her body was enticingly displayed in a teal one-piece bathing suit. She wasn't one of those twigs that the media seemed to shove down society's throat. She actually had a little meat on her.
Best of all, the red-head carried herself with an air of arrogance. Not only did such confidence excite his loins, he found it particularly satisfying to take such people down a notch. Hera had always thought she was better than him as well. He could get a little of his own back while still honoring her memory.
Zeus dropped a five-dollar tip on the table and headed out after the young woman. Centuries of experience told him she was only just turned eighteen. Once upon a time, age didn't matter. Men and women got married before they truly hit puberty. Those days were long gone, however, and Zeus, for one, didn't really mind. He'd always liked his women to look mature enough to bear him children, even if he hadn't sired any since before the fall of the three hundred at Thermopylae.
This young woman definitely fit the bill. Large breasts strained against the suit so diligently they might have been accused of attempting to escape. Given the low cut of the neckline, and the bountiful cleavage displayed by it, they stood a good chance of success with but a little assistance. Zeus fully intended to provide just such aid.
Further, her wide hips were covered by just enough flesh that they didn't seem sharp and angular. Undoubtedly, they would be soft to the touch, just like the slightly padded add they swayed back and forth with each step. The manner in which the suit snuck between her legs displayed more than enough skin to prove that any visit into her depths would be equally cushioned and luxurious.
Oh yeah. It was a good thing Zeus' tight leather pants left little room for expansion. The hard-on he'd quickly gained, thinking about her, would have been enough to be considered obscene, even in this licentious day and age!
The question was, having decided not to go for a standard seduction, how did he want to approach this. The beach was far too public a location for any of a myriad of animal transformations. Even the Minoans had only accepted the concept should be kept behind the anonymity of closed doors. Besides, as hedonistic as the modern era was, bestiality was among the most likely to creep people out.
A smile began to spread across Zeus' face. He knew the method. Not only was it suitably mythical but he might have some fun with her apparent arrogance. It always pleased him to tweak a mortal's pride. Even today, it was still known by the Greek word; hubris.
