The Goddess

Chapter 2

Teris, the goddess of war looks out to the view from her private study chambers with a question in her mind. She wonders what that mortal female been doing since the banquet. The goddess wants to look through the magic mirror of hers but she's afraid by the idea of seeing the mortal with someone whom she loves.

At one point, she leaves all regrets and summons her mirror just to see the mortal's well being. She can't explain what's happening inside her without seeing the face of the mortal. It's foreign for her since she never experiences such feeling beforehand.

She went to take a seat on a chair and look in the mirror. Once her eyes landed on the mortal's facial expression, her heart... fluttered.

Teris placed a hand on her chest, asking herself what's happening inside her body? Should she see someone regarding this foreign feeling she's experiencing? Will they have a cure?

Her eyes widen when a male mortal suddenly kissed the lips of the female mortal. He smiled, caressing the female on the head. It hurts, Teris felt something even hurtful that a battle wound.

"What is this feeling?" She asked herself.

"That's love, sister," the God of Love, Kodall suddenly stood beside his sister with a smirk. Teris was surprised, wondering how did he manage to deceive her keen hearing.

"You're experiencing love and jealousy. Your love is for this female. But your jealousy belongs to this moral man. I must say, I've heard of a divine being fallen for a mortal but I never heard a goddess fallen for a mortal without the proper tool to procreate your own heir. Don't you wish for someone to carry on the great Teris name, sister? Or do you wish to do the forbidden spell that Manelia had created?" Kodall leaned back, watching his sister expression.

Bemused by the reaction, he went to take a seat not far from where Teris's at.

"What are you doing in MY private chamber? No one is allowed to be here except for me and my trusted minister. If you wish for a execution that much, I'll be glad to fulfill your wish, brother," Teris was ready to pull her sword when Kodall raised both his hands.

"I don't wish to fight the formidable goddess of war because of this. I'm here to make a proposition," Teris placed her sword on the table and motioned for her brother to continue.

"Why not you just hand over Anrak to Ether and me? That way we can avoid an unnecessary bloodbath and also you'll get to relax, have fun with the mortal in exchange? I'm sure our father and mother won't mind if you hand your land over to us," Teris sigh heavily.

"I don't have time for this childish thing. Leave before I force you to leave, brother," Teris stood up, grabbing her sword and was about to walk out when Kodall called out for her again

"Ether is one nasty God, Teris. Even you will have some trouble defeating him. Please, just think about it. If you do, I'll help you with your feelings with that mortal. I can even command her to marry you with my power," Kodall offered but Teris gave him a scornful look.

"Leave my palace and never come back. If you wish to come back, I much rather see you in your armor as we will fight to the death," Teris walks out, leaving her brother sighing at her decision.

"I told you but you won't listen. Teris, you could avoid this bloodbath but you choose to have them instead. Lord have mercy," Kodall looks up, prayed that this land will at least survive.

***

Teris puts on normal clothes that the mortals often use thanks to the head of her chamberlains. She even goes all out by using her magic to cast a spell that she will look like a mortal. Since the Gods and Goddess are taller than the mortal, it's easy to recognize the divine beings by that.

"Well, you look like a normal mortal, that is no one stab you or graze your body with something sharp, they won't know you're a goddess," the head chamberlain smiled at the goddess. Since the Gods and Goddesses are divine, instead of bleeding the color of red, they bleed the color of gold.

"Why are you doing this milady? We could just offer that girl a job here at the palace instead of you going down there, looking for her. Besides, she knows you even from a glance," Teris faces her head chamberlain.

"She may know me, but the others don't if I used this disguise. I wish for a moment to talk to that girl, that's all. If it's too troubling for you and the rest of the Chamberlain, I'm sorry. This is my desire and mine alone," the head chamberlain sigh before giving the goddess her permission.

"Do as you please, milady. Just remember to be careful. I heard they're a lot of those God and Goddess slayers among the mortals nowadays. They're against the divine beings ruling but they're too preoccupied with their ego to step up and show the divine beings how to be a good ruler themselves," the head chamberlain sigh as she rethinks about this.

But seeing the goddess seems excited about her trip, she let it go.

"One of my chamberlains will guide you while you're down there. Please, be careful," the goddess open a portal for both her and the Chamberlain to enter.

In a blink of an eye, they're at the alley of the busy market. The chamberlain guides the goddess through the busy street until they arrived at an orphanage. The chamberlain searched for the nun who's in charge and asked for the female mortal they're seeking for.

When the chamberlain came back to the goddess, she was having some trouble telling the truth. Teris showed her godly power by changing the color of her eyes to golden just to make the chamberlain spill out everything the nun just told her.

"Seems like the mortal you seek, going to be married off to her master who saved her from the slave camp, milady," Teris was speechless for a moment until she composes herself and asked for the location of this matrimony.

The chamberlain guide the goddess towards one of the biggest house in the land.

"It seems we need an invitation to be here, milady," the goddess ignore the Chamberlain as she grabs her hands and pushes her way through the guarded gate. The guard didn't even notice that the goddess and her chamberlain sneak in.

"Are you allowed to do this, milady? I mean, for a goddess to breaking an entry..." the chamberlain was cut off by the goddess intense orbs.

"I am a goddess who ruled this land, I can do whatever I want," the chamberlain bow her head low.

"Be useful and search that mortal for me," the chamberlain nod as the goddess waited until she came back and guide the goddess towards a room.

"She's in here. It's customary for the bride to wait here until the groom comes," the chamberlain open the door for the goddess.

When she enters, the mortal she was seeking was standing in front of a mirror, looking at herself.

"You look beautiful," Astra was surprised by the voice whom she recognized. At first, she was confused but that was until the goddess removes the hood that covers her face, Astra knew who she was instantly.

"Goddess? Why are you here?" Astra asked, surprised yet shrouded by curiosity.

***

Astra asked herself repeatedly as to why the goddess standing in front of her with the same intense glare she has when they first met each other.

"You're marrying your owner? Why?" The goddess asked, curious about this whole event.

"It was an order from my master. I have to marry him since I'm bearing his child. I am a slave and he is my master. I am grateful that he even wants me," the goddess felt something foreign again. She placed her hand on her chest as it tightened.

"Goddess? Are you okay?" Astra was about to help when the goddess held her hands up.

"It's... I... it's normal for me to be this way. Since I met you, I've been feeling a lot of strange things happening to me. My brother, the God of Love told me that it's something I felt about you. Knowing that you're bearing your master child, marrying him, it makes my heart... I don't know how to describe these foreign feelings," Teris was confused.

"My goddess, what you're experiencing now is... jealousy, heartbroken, and probably anger," Teris looks up to the mortal, wondering what does she mean by anger. She knows what anger feel, that's how she felt during her battle.

"Goddess, I am flattered that you've been feeling this type of emotions towards me. I am grateful but I'm sorry, since I am a slave, my master command me to marry him," Astra places her hands on her stomach.

"There's a life growing in me and he wants this life for his... generation," Teris nod, she understands this little too well. Where she comes from, procreating is important for their future even though they live for thousands of years.

"I'm sorry for barging in your matrimony like this. I wish you two well and may Goddess of motherhood be by your side," Teris tap her foot for the chamberlain to come in.

"Let's go home," the chamberlain bow her head to Astra as Teris summon a portal so they can go home. The Chamberlain steps into the portal while Teris looks back at Astra, wishing her well before stepping inside as well.

Once they arrived at the palace, Teris get on her knees with her hands on her chest. The head chamberlain ran for her aid as she witnessed something she has never seen before.

The formidable goddess of war kneels on the floor, crying for a mortal.

"What is this fluid coming from my eyes?! What is wrong with me?!" The head chamberlain can't take it as she witnessed her lady suffering from this overwhelming emotions.

***

"She's been holding herself in the war room all week? What's going on?" Remera and Manelia, Goddess of Miracles and Goddess of Fertility came to visit their sister when the head chamberlain told them about Teris's act since she came back from the mortal land.

"So, this mortal you speaking off is married to her master and Teris thinks it's good for her to hole up in the war room? That's so not her," Manelia sigh.

"For me, it seems that our little sister just experienced her first heartbreak," Remera smiled before they both went to the war room. The head chamberlain knock.

"I told you I don't want any disturbance," Remera forbids the head chamberlain to speak.

"Teris, it's us, Remera and Manelia. We've come to visit. Come, join us for some tea. We've brought that famous patisserie from our land," Remera tried to lure her sister using sweets. When it didn't work, Remera was certain that whatever Teris felt for this mortal was beyond compare to anything before.

"Seems like she's really in love with this mortal. What's her name?" Manelia asked.

"Astra is her name," Remera turned to the head chamberlain.

"What did you said before? She bore her master child?" The head chamberlain nods. Remera tried to open the door but Teris placed a spell on it so no one can enter.

"Teris, listen to my voice. She's happy now and you should too," Remera heard something crashing beside this door.

"She's not happy, Remera! She's suffering!" Suddenly the door burst open and both the goddesses entered the pitch black room. It was until Manelia lit the room that they both saw that Teris actually looking into the mirror.

"Are you a stalker now?" Remera was joking until her eyes landed on the mirror. Manelia turned away before the mortal was cane.

"These mistresses, they wanted to kill the child that's growing inside this mortal. I want to help her, but I can't. I want to wipe her tears from flowing down her cheek, but I can't! I CAN'T!" Teris's hands were trembling from anger.

"You could just send your people to help those who prayed for your help. Why not help her using that?" Remera asked.

"Because she never once prayed for my help! She never once said my name or even think about me! She knows I'm listening to her plea if she does pray for me. She knows what I feel

about her," Teris placed her hands on her head, trying to think of a way.

"Where is the husband?" Manelia asked.

"Away for a job outside of Anrak. They took this chance to torture his wife so that he won't be favoring her wife than the mistresses. They all look down on her because she's a former slave! Remera, you have to help me! HELP ME! She's not going to hold on much longer. She was happy when she finds out she's blessed with a child," Remera never seen her sister begging for help like this before.

Remera sigh heavily before she snapped her fingers. To the goddesses surprise, Astra suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Leaving the mistresses whose been torturing her panic, confused and even scared for dear life.

"Where... am I?" The mortal weakly asked as her legs beginning to betray her. Teris quickly caught the mortal's weakened body as Manelia placed her hand on the mortal's stomach.

"It's gone," Manelia look away from the mortal.

***

Astra stirred as she feels the most excruciating headache she ever felt in her life. Slowly, she opens her eyes just to be greeted by the most majestic decoration she ever saw. Not even her husband's mansion could top this.

Astra tried to sit up but her body feels so weak. It was until a pair of hands help her up that she could sit. She was surprised that the pair of hands belongs to someone she never met before.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" She winces from the sore she felt from the cane. The Chamberlain beginning to panic when the person she supposes to aid seems to be in pain.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me," the chamberlain bow her head low. Astra was confused before she asked the same question again.

"I'm sorry. This is the Cloud palace of the Goddess of war. You were brought here by the Goddess of Miracles herself," Astra never feels so confused in her life. How did she end up here in the place at the sky?!

"Are you mortal?" The chamberlain nod.

"Why am I here?" Astra asked.

"The goddesses saw what happened to you using the all-seeing mirror. It was too late when you lost your child you're carrying. The Goddess Of Miracles were sorry for what had happened to you. Don't worry, you'll be going home to the land of a mortal as soon as you feel like your old self," the Chamberlain explained.

Her eyes begins to tear up. Memories of her husband's mistresses tricking her into that room