NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: CH 7
"Thank you, Harry," she accepted the praise. Usually, she would defer it, but Harry wouldn't have ears for it now. "Does it taste spicy, or do you get a burning sensation in your mouth?"
Harry, who had broken off a piece of the bread and had sopped some of the soup up with it, shook his head while eating it. "No, is gud," he managed around the food in his mouth.
"Please finish chewing and swallowing before speaking," Hestia admonished.
Harry swallowed. "Sorry, Hestia. It's so good, though! Is this what gods eat?"
The young-looking goddess gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Harry. Please remember for the future. Regarding the food, godly food consists of Ambrosia and Nectar. Ambrosia can be turned into any kind food, while Nectar is a drink that will taste like your favorite food. Mortals can't eat Ambrosia or drink Nectar, they will burst into flames upon doing so."
Harry, remembering her earlier warning, swallowed another mouthful of soup and bread. "That's too bad," he said. "Does Ambrosia taste good?"
Hestia looked at the soup. "Does the soup taste good? And the bread?"
The young boy blinked, looked at the soup, then the bread, then her. "But… I thought you just said mortals would die from it?"
The small goddess smiled reassuringly at him. "There is a third category, Harry. Demigods. The children of a god and a mortal. They can eat Ambrosia and drink Nectar, but in small quantities. It heals them to consume godly food, but again, only in small quantities. Since you didn't die from eating the bread, I assumed you were a demigod, but just to make sure, that soup has a very limited amount of Ambrosia in it – enough that, if you were a full mortal, it would be incredibly spicy and your mouth would feel on fire, but not enough to kill you. Since you don't feel that way, you're a demigod."
Harry nodded, finishing up with sopping the very last dregs of soup with a piece of bread. "So I can't have anything else?" he asked, sounding disappointed.
Hestia laughed softly, and motioned to the bowl. It refilled at her command, and a tall glass appeared on the end table, filled with a strangely colored drink. "The bread and soup have a very small amount of Ambrosia in them, so you can have some more, Harry. The glass is pure Nectar, though, so after that, I will conjure you mortal foods just to be on the safe side." "No, I'm really not," she deferred, her humble mindset uncomfortable with the praise. "It looks like you're tired. You may want to take a bath and get some rest."
Harry thought it over for a moment, then nodded. " Yeah, that's not a bad idea." He suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Ehm… you wouldn't happen to have some soap? I can take a bath in the hot spring in the back, but I'll need something to wash my clothes with."
She looked at his clothes, seeing how they were too big for him even when new, and how threadbare they were now. "I think I have a better idea," the young-looking goddess said. "Give me a few minutes." She walked to the hearth, and vanished in the fire.
Harry nodded, already busy with the last of his bread and the fresh bowl of soup. Hestia smiled, she always enjoyed it when people loved her food and ate well. Already, she could see the Ambrosia starting to work on the half-starved, malnourished little boy. He wasn't looking as tired or as weary as he had when she had come out of the fire earlier, and after a good night's rest, he would be very well under way of recovering from the long-term effects of malnourishment. She would be able to give him heartier food then, too – his body would be able to handle it.
She sat quietly as Harry ate, finishing the second bowl in a more polite time. He finished with the tall glass of Nectar, and eyed it with wonder when he was done. "This tastes just like your soup!"
Hestia's smile turned a bit brittle. "It takes on the flavor of the food you like the most," she reminded him.
He just nodded, stood up, and said, "be right back!" while fleeing to the new door she had installed, towards a toilet.
She restrained herself from laughing. The Ambrosia and Nectar were reactivating his body, it seemed. Standing up, she walked to the kitchen area, and started to conjure storage containers filled with food for Harry to warm up.
While she worked, Hestia let out a deep breath. His favorite food is a simple soup? Just what had those people been feeding him?
Harry returned quickly, and found her working in the kitchen. Before he could say anything, Hestia turned to him. "I've prepared a few meals for you, Harry. You just need to warm them up."
Harry smiled widely at her. "Thanks Hestia. You're the best goddess ever," he declared, stifling a yawn. "That is so cool," Harry said. "I wonder if she can teach me how to do that?"
CH 8
"That thing you did, with your arms," Harry explained. "It felt really nice and warm, and like nothing could ever hurt me."
Hestia visibly swallowed and her face twitched for just a moment before her usual smile was back. "That is called a hug," she said. "And the reason you felt warm and protected is because I'm the goddess of the hearth and the home. People feel at ease around me, and feel sheltered with I'm close by – like a really good home should."
He sat down in the couch and stared at the fire, wondering how long it would take Hestia to come back from wherever she had gone.
It didn't take her more than five minutes before she returned with a small pile of clothes, with a pair of sandals on top. "I'm not Aphrodite, so conjuring more than the bare minimum of clothing is difficult for me, so I hopped over and got a few things. I think these will fit you," she said, handing the stack over. "And since they're from Olympus, you'll fit right in."
Harry forgot about the strange statement about someone called Aphrodite and conjuring clothing, and instead noted the quality of the cloth. "Wow, thanks, Hestia!"
She gave him that gentle smile that he had come to associate with her. "You're very welcome, Harry. I'll return tomorrow, and we can take care of the rest of your necessities. The food and the clothes should tide you over until then."
"Thanks, Hestia," Harry said, suddenly feeling abashed. She'd done so much for him already. He wondered how he was ever going to be able to pay her back.
She stepped up to him, and Harry wondered what was going to happen – then he froze when he suddenly found her arms around him. It felt nice, and very protected, as if the world could come to an end and still not touch him. The warmth seemed to seep in to his very bones, a sensation he had never felt before.
"You're very welcome," Hestia said, and released him before stepping away.
"What… was that?" he asked, in awe.
The goddess looked confused. "What was what?" she asked.
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