Chaos Maker

Aphrodite was flustered, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She tried to calm herself and respond, but before she could say a word, John suddenly stood up with a cheeky grin.

"Of course, I was joking," he said.

A heavy silence fell, only to be shattered by Aphrodite's furious screams.

John laughed as he dodged her angry punches.

"You're so mean! How dare you toy with a goddess's heart?" she huffed, pouting.

"Don't be mad," John said, throwing her a playful side glance.

Aphrodite snorted. "Scum. Bastard."

Unbothered by her words, John continued walking. Despite her anger, Aphrodite followed, curiosity driving her. His unnatural strength intrigued her far more than she cared to admit.

"Mortal, where are we going?" she asked, tapping his back with her soft hand.

"Goddess, I have a name," he replied.

"How would I know? You never introduced yourself," she shot back.

"How rude of me," John said with mock seriousness. "I'm John Alver. Nice to meet you, Lord Aphrodite."

"Just call me Aphrodite," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Copy that," John replied with a smirk.

"By the way, are you following me?" he asked.

"Yes," Aphrodite said simply.

John raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Silence stretched between them as they continued.

After a while, John stopped and sighed. "This is too slow. We'll be walking for hours at this rate."

He thought for a moment before making a decision. Without warning, he gently scooped Aphrodite into his arms, carrying her like a princess.

"Hold on tight," he said, bending his knees in preparation.

"What are you doing?" Aphrodite asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she tried to decipher his intentions.

John didn't answer. In the next instant, he vanished from his spot, speeding forward with Aphrodite securely in his arms.

An hour later.

They arrived at a massive crater nestled amidst the vast grassy plains.

Inside the crater lay a sleeping wyvern.

"A-a wyvern!" Aphrodite exclaimed, alarmed. But as she observed the creature more closely, she noticed its calm demeanor and clear eyes. Her panic subsided—this was a tamed beast.

John introduced the wyvern as Grek and, with a grin, introduced Aphrodite to him. Curious, Aphrodite approached Grek and began bombarding him with questions.

The wyvern tilted his head, clearly confused. They couldn't understand each other due to the language barrier, but their body language communicated enough to form a tentative rapport.

John clapped his hands, breaking the moment. "Alright, that's enough chit-chat. Let's go."

"I know a shortcut. Do you want to take it?" Aphrodite asked.

"Nah, I'll pass. Riding on Grek's back is way more fun than teleporting," John replied.

Aphrodite nodded in agreement, saying no more.

John lifted Aphrodite once again and leaped onto Grek's back. Sensing their readiness, Grek flapped his massive wings and soared into the sky like a rocket. As he reached a stable altitude, he leveled out, flying steadily toward Orario.

The trio gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving the endless grassy plains behind.