AN: Thanks for even considering this story! I know the slave boy's name is not Greek per say, but no one give much thought to a slave boy's name when he's born. Read on!
The entire basin was filled to the brim with plump grapes ripe enough to pop with a jab of the finger. The smell of fruit was thick in the hair, a reminder of how generous Demeter was being. The juice stained the wood planks a dark purple and to any skilled winemaker, it was a sight to behold.
Well, to a certain young boy, it was a frustrating sight to behold. He stomped hard on the pile of grapes, the juice bursting from the round segments and leaking into the basin. Lifting up a foot, he winced. Magenta. What boy wanted purple feet?
"Dane, do not dawdle," said Dionysus, the god of wine, to his slave boy. Although he'd rather drink water than admit it, he was proud of how this child was shaping up. In good time, he would become an excellent grape presser.
"I'm not dawdling," muttered Dane. Unknown to his master, he despised wine and hated more the chore of squashing them. He snuck a grape into his mouth and seethed. Some boys from the village constantly reminded him of how lucky he was to have a god for his master. Dane wished upon those boys grape stains on their soles, ones that wouldn't scrub off for days. He lifted his foot again and wiggled his toes.
"When I took you in, I never expected you to be the lazy type," said Dionysus conversationally as he sifted the pulp. "You should be glad you aren't a slave boy to say…Hermes."
Dane shivered. Being a slave to a servant of Zeus would be terrible. Not only would you have to do your work, but you'd also have to do your master's work. Besides, Hermes would require him to wash his winged shoes every night, and a god's foot smelled. "I'm not ungrateful," he told him as he helped drain the juice also. "But you usually let me off by this time. So, who needs this much wine?"
Dionysus grinned, "Haven't you heard? There's a grand celebration on Mount Olympus tonight, thanks to the birth of Zeus's new baby. Hera insisted on barrels of this stuff."
Dane rubbed the sweat off his forehead and continued to work without pause. His master liked to say that a man's sweat and wine were the two sweetest liquids on Earth. He was seventeen now. He was a man. "Hera had a baby?"
"I doubt it," he laughed. "Zeus has been running amok more than often nowadays. As he likes to say, there are plenty of nymphs in the sea. If it was her baby, it was probably conceived by a mistake."
Dane stayed silent. A god may have the liberty to gossip about other gods, but if a human boy—no, a human man—were to even hint of a god's flaws, he may as well let eagles feast upon his innards. Gods could be cruel. "Could I go to the party? I sure have earned the right to."
The god laughed merrily and rubbed the boy's hair with affection. "A slave does his tasks because he has to. And a human has never entered Mount Olympus. If so, we'd have to eat him."
Dane poured the wine sullenly into the kegs. "I'm not frightened. I know quite well you only snack on nectar and ambrosia. Whatever that is." He didn't speak it, but a god's diet sounded similar to a honeybee's. Let the gods keep their pollen. A flank of lamb drizzled with rich olive oil would suit him just fine. "If you let me go, I promise I'll wake up before sunrise to pick the grapes and water them," he bargained hopefully.
"I already expect you to wake before sunup. You just don't," Dionysus chuckled. "Why would a boy like you want to go to a gods' gathering?"
Dane struggled not to roll his eyes. Besides the whole thing about being the first human to glimpse all the gods he wanted? Besides the fact that he could skip work for a whole day? "I'd like to see Zeus. So far, I've only glimpsed his lightning bolts."
"And that's as much as you'll ever see." He grunted with the effort of rolling the keg to the side. "I have to take this whole lot all the way up to the mountain. I asked that bloke Helios if he'd lend me his chariot, but apparently, it was too important to carry wine.Ungrateful ninny. Instead, I have to lug them two by two. Be happy I'm not making you help."
"I could help," he volunteered. Bringing up the wine would be a valid excuse for catching a glance at the gods.
"Nice try. Go frolic away and do whatever you humans do for fun, like playing marbles," he said amusedly.
Dane grimaced and turned to leave, but just as Dionysus made his way toward Mount Olympus with two of the barrels tucked neatly in his arms, he had an idea. Stealthily, he tipped one of the barrels and emptied it of the wine. "Dear Zeus, forgive me for wasting your gifts," he prayed. "But I want to go to your party and if you had too much wine, Hera would not like it." He climbed in and pulled the top over his head. Still, his heart beat rapidly with guilt. To appease his mind, he added under his breath. "And Zeus, if I don't get caught, I promise to sacrifice some mutton to you. I'm sure even a god like you would tire of food fit for a butterfly." Sure that the almighty Zeus couldn't say no to an offer like that, he curled up in the barrel and waited for Dionysus to return.
AN: Ahh, chapter one is finito! I'm sorry if I make any mistakes about Greek mythology now or in the future, especially with names, but what I know is what I remember from a childhood anthology. Some of the events will be twisted to this story, making it fanfiction. Please review!
