I Am Zeus
Chapter 61: Leaving For Olympus

Chapter 61: Leaving For Olympus

Here is the anime-style, cinematic, grounded continuation you requested — written in simple, human-like language with natural maturity and realism. Word count: approx. 1200.

Morning broke over Asgard with slow golden light.

Thin beams slipped through the hanging drapes, pooling across the polished stone floor like spilled honey. Outside, the mountains shimmered under a fresh dusting of snow. Temple bells rang faintly in the distance, calling the gods to wake.

Zeus adjusted his dark blue cloak as he fastened the final bronze clasp. His bare chest, still lined with fading lightning marks, disappeared beneath the thick folds. Hera stood near the window, brushing her long dark hair with a slow, practiced hand. The breeze lifted the edge of her crimson robe, revealing the faintest imprint of a bite on her shoulder.

Neither spoke about the night before.

They didn’t need to.

Instead, they moved around each other like calm fire and steady wind—quiet, familiar, no longer at war.

A soft knock at the door.

Zeus turned, voice firm but gentle. "Enter."

The door creaked open, revealing a young Asgardian boy in gold armor a size too large. He bowed low, holding out a scroll.

"All-Father Odin sends word," the boy said nervously, glancing between them. "He and Lady Frigg await you at the Gate of Mimir."

Zeus took the scroll but didn’t unroll it. "Tell him we’ll be there shortly."

The boy nodded quickly and backed away, nearly tripping over the thick rug before slipping out.

Once they were alone again, Hera fastened the final clasp of her shoulder pin and turned to face him. Her eyes—softened but still sharp—lingered on his chest a moment longer than necessary.

Zeus raised a brow.

"What?" he asked, half a smile forming.

She looked away, lips twitching faintly. "You snore."

He laughed quietly, shaking his head. "No, I don’t."

"You do. Like thunder rolling over wet mountains."

He crossed the room in two slow steps and reached out to adjust the edge of her cloak, letting his hand linger a breath too long at her collarbone. His eyes searched hers.

"Then it suits me."

She held his gaze for a long second before finally looking down and smoothing the folds of her robe.

"It does."

They left the chamber in silence, walking side by side down the wide stone corridors of Asgard’s palace. Servants bowed low. Valkyries watched from the balcony rails above. The halls, usually loud with footfalls and song, seemed quieter this morning.

As if Asgard itself watched them leave.

At the Gate of Mimir, Odin stood waiting with Frigg beside him. Behind them, Thor adjusted the strap on his axe, and Loki lounged against a stone pillar, arms crossed and bored as ever.

Frigg stepped forward first, her robes billowing like mist. She kissed Zeus on both cheeks, then Hera. Her smile was soft and knowing, the kind that saw through everything but said nothing.

"I trust your stay was restful," she said, voice light as snow.

"It was," Hera answered. "Your hospitality was perfect, as always."

Odin’s one eye glinted beneath his heavy brow. "You leave before the second feast?"

Zeus nodded. "Olympus calls. I’ve been away too long."

The All-Father chuckled, his voice deep and raw like stone grinding against stone. "You’re always away too long. That’s your curse."

Zeus smiled faintly. "And yours is knowing when to speak... and when to let the silence do it for you."

Odin’s grin deepened, pleased.

Zeus turned toward Thor, who straightened slightly and stepped forward with the restrained awkwardness of someone unsure if he should bow or just stand tall.

Zeus reached into his robe and drew out a thick leather-wrapped bundle, no longer than his forearm.

"I forged this long ago in Olympus. Never found the right wielder."

He unwrapped it slowly, revealing a thick golden bracer etched with runes from both realms—Greek and Norse. Lightning shimmered faintly beneath the metal.

"It channels storm. Not just lightning... but the balance between rage and patience."

He handed it to Thor, who took it with a reverent touch.

"Thank you," Thor said, voice lower than usual. "This means a lot."

"Wear it well," Zeus said. "Or not at all."

Thor nodded, then quietly stepped back. There was no show of thanks, no grand gesture. Just the weight of something earned.

Then Hera stepped forward. Her eyes swept past Odin, past Thor, until they landed on Loki—still slouched, still uninterested.

She smiled.

It was the kind of smile that made even snow hesitate to fall.

"I brought something for you too, Loki."

He raised a brow. "Did you?"

She drew out a small wooden box, thin and long, and held it out. "From the vaults of Gaia. A gift... from one trickster to another."

Loki stared at it, cautious. "You’re not giving me poison, are you?"

"Would I waste poison on you?" she said with a soft scoff.

He stepped forward, took the box, and opened it slowly. Inside lay a silver dagger with a twisted handle and a blade so thin it looked like it could cut sound itself.

"A god’s blade," Loki whispered, tone almost reverent. "But not Greek."

"No," Hera said, her voice cool and pleasant. "It’s Titansteel. From before the fall."

Loki’s grin widened. "I love you."

"Of course you do."

Zeus didn’t say a word, but Hera didn’t miss the twitch in his jaw. She didn’t look at him—just folded her hands neatly and stepped back beside him.

Odin watched the exchange with quiet amusement. "You two will never change."

Frigg smiled gently. "That’s why they lead Olympus."

At that, golden light shimmered behind Zeus and Hera. The Olympian Gate unfolded in midair—tall, ancient, carved with constellations. The marble arch pulsed softly with divine energy.

Zeus turned to Odin and bowed low, arms crossed.

"Odin. Frigg. Until next time."

"May it be a long time," Odin muttered with a crooked grin.

Hera nodded to Frigg, then Loki, then Thor. Her gaze lingered one last time on the snowy peaks of Asgard before she stepped through the gate.

Zeus followed.

And just like that, they were gone—vanishing in a ripple of gold.

Silence returned to the mountaintop.

Loki flipped the dagger once, then twice. "I think I like her more than him."

Thor muttered, "I think she likes you more than him."

Odin just stared at the closing gate.

"The sky shakes differently when they’re together."

Frigg smiled softly. "It always has."

The wind picked up again. Snow began to fall. Asgard returned to quiet.

And far away, Olympus stirred.

Let me know when you’re ready to continue with their return to Olympus, or another god’s perspective.