Lost in Aestia

6. Confused

"Do you think we can be friends?" I asked.

He stared up at the ceiling. "Probably not, but we can pretend."

― Priya Ardis, Ever My Merlin

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask him again, my brows furrow at seeing this stupid god again at this time of all times.

He looks at me with a confused face then he looks around as if shocked that he was here too. But it couldn't be that he didn't realize he went here. Girhoe looks at me again then back to Maru's covered body.

He looks repulsed at him, and I was insulted. A good man just died, and he thinks he has the right to be rejected by a dead body? I put the incense and bowl of flowers on the foot of Maru's bed and pull Girhoe out of the clinic.

"Unhand me" he growls when we got outside. There weren't a lot of people tonight as it was really late and my guard, Kri, I dismissed as he was tired from guarding and helping me with the sick.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in heaven or whatever?" I look around still, not wanting anyone to see both of us together, especially priestess Sinthiae. She's been tailing me for days now, trying to find fault in me. I swear that woman is out for blood.

He tilts his head "How did you do it?"

I blink "Do what?"

"Make him…at peace without a god's help"

I scoff "God's are not the only answer to life, Girhoe"

Saying his name out loud was a first for me, he looks surprised too. He even raises a questioning brow at me while saying "Girhoe?"

It's just his name, I don't see any big deal about it. So, I told him that it's just a name like any other name then ignored him. I needed to make Maru's body ready for the burial service, and I have no time to interact with a God who obviously doesn't care at all.

I go back to wrap Maru's body tightly with the white linen and put the blue flowers that seem to grow indigenously here. I've never seen this kind on earth before nor in any of my books at home. But here, this flower means a lot to the people. Apparently, it was a gift from Lavarea, the Goddess of knowledge.

I turn to look if he's still there, but he's actually gone. Oddly, I was disappointed that he left that fast, but then I look down at Maru, and the sadness overcame me. It's been weeks since I've been here.

The princess Amira has been visiting me frequently because she says she was bored. She's not anywhere close to being in line for the throne, so she was often left to her own devices like living in a small village on the outskirts of her father's kingdom didn't alarm her family that much.

Honestly, she's genuinely lovely. Weird and odd but really thoughtful and kind. She's actually the one who approved me of doing this and deflected Sinthiae's arguments about me having this practice. Amira said the old priestess was just worried about her position. I'm apparently getting even more popular than her.

The people call me the bride of the Moon God. I wanted to laugh at it since there were books and shows back on earth about humans being wives of gods and how much people fantasized about them. Never thought I'd ever be called that in my life.

There was a sudden chill that ran through my body. It knocked me out of my thoughts and made me stand straighter.

"Hello"

I turn and see the guy with Girhoe when I first met them. The cheeky arrogant one with red hair that I want to pull out of his scalp the first time I understood what he was saying. What was his name again? Arie? "what are you doing here?"

He shrugs, his body still clad with robes that look as if it's made out of gold and it even shines when there was no light of any kind directed to him. He is literally glowing in the dark.

"I sensed Girhoe coming through here" he says so seductively.

The way he said it made me roll my eyes at him.

"Go..d" one of the patient moans. Looking at his direction, I realized it's Arie's shining robes that woke him up.

"Wear this" I whisper harshly to Arie while giving him some fresh standard robes for him to wear.

I quickly went to the patient's side, ignoring Arie's confused then disgusted face at the robes that I gave to him. It was a girl named Rose, she's been here for what I've detected as diabetes. There isn't much I can do from the technology they have now, the only thing I can do was to ease her as she goes.

"Hi" I whisper to her, I put my face in front of her view. Her sight was close to being gone, which is another symptom of diabetes.

"I've been praying" she whispers, her voice raspy. "Can I have some…water?"

I quickly gave her a cup from her nightstand. She gratefully smiled at me and continued to drink the water as if we're in the middle of a desert. "and you were saying?"

She smiles while she lays back down on her pillow again, comfortable. "I've been praying for God Aryo to take the pain away"

Oh, that's his name.

I hear someone click their tongue from behind me. I have a pretty clear idea as to who it was. I softly put the cup back down on the nightstand and took her cold hands in mine. Just earlier today she told me her hands and feet were feeling numb, and she could barely feel anything from them.

"I see, who thought you to pray?" I rub my hand over hers to make them warmer and to return the circulation back to her sides.

She looks at the ceiling, remembering a distant memory. "My mother, she taught me everything I know about Aryo. How to pray for his mercy and to take the pain away."

I smile "My mom taught me something similar too. Mothers are such peculiar things"

Rose chuckles "I love her so much. She really has nice golden hair, but it's as long as you, bride"

Even hearing the name, they call me makes me grind my teeth, but I smile still. "I bet she was beautiful"

Rose chuckles "No, but her hair is her saving grace"

I can't help but giggle with her too. "Rose, I think it's time for you to try to sleep again. Your mother is waiting for you there"

She nods "She's waiting for me in the afterlife"

"No, she's with you in your sleep. You should try it" I encouraged, my hands brushing through her blonde hair.

"you think so?" she whispers

"I know so"

Then she closes her eyes like a child. Soon, I hear her lightly snoring.

"Did you really know, or did you just lie?"

Surprised, I got up and see him inside the robes that I gave to him while his own glowing dresses were on the floor like he expects someone else to pick it up for him. I frown "if you want it hard enough then you'll have it"

He frowns "You're strange but…you're not boring"

"I'm glad I amuse you" I say flatly.

The sun was rising, but this world has such a different coloured sky. Its red sky has turned even redder almost a bit like blood oranges. It bleeds through the once night sky but instead of being repulsed and weirded out by it, I'm at awe.

It wasn't something that I'm used to. I know that, but for some reason, I felt like a part of me didn't mind at all. I find myself going out of the small clinic and to the outside, watching the bloody open sky.

"This world is beautiful, isn't it?" Aryo stands beside me now. His shoulder just a few inches from mine, he was that close. I can already tell he's the kind of man who can't stand being on his own. "Didn't we make such a beautiful home for you?"

I look at him, I'm not amused nor attracted to his face even if he is beautiful, but I've known most of my life that faces like him are just trouble. "Whether it's by you or by someone else, I must admit it is beautiful, but I don't know if you haven't noticed that I'm not from here"

"Hmm you do look strange" he raises his hand and brushes some stray dark hair from my shoulder. I oversee his hand as if I'll get burned if my skin touches his. "but that doesn't mean you're not beautiful"

"Careful." I take a step back from him "The goddess of fire would not take lightly of your frequent escapades"

He looks stumped "How…Are you sent by her?"

I can see the worry in him. So, the rumours at least are true. The god of pain and pleasure is secretly afraid of his position being taken away by his higher wife. I guess it pays to listen to the sermons from those priests that come by for medicine.

"No, I'm merely a servant of the kingdom"

This is what I've learned from Aestia. It was better to pretend to be the person they want me to be. Whether if it's a shaman, a healer and even a stupid bride, then I'll be it. Then I tell them that I'm originally from the outlands where there were rumoured to have black-haired people, but it is rare.

He furrows his brows "I am a god"

"That you are" I look at him, really look at him. He looks just like me except his eyes that looks like a lava lamp, and something alive has started living in it. He does have a strikingly handsome face, the kind of where it's all too familiar for me. "Tell me, why do gods make something and not take care of it?"

He raises a brow, I can see the disappointment in his face. I don't mind that I did disappoint the fool. "Same old questions and here I thought you were special."

I smile. I like hearing that I'm normal since all my life all I've ever felt is out of place. "Why are you here, then?"

"I sensed Girhoe here, but I gather he left though" he leans towards me, sniffs when he is just two inches close to my face. "I sense him on you… Did you have s*x with him?"

I laugh, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the stupid question. These gods are so peculiar. I hit his shoulder lightly and shake my head. "I would never"

He furrows his brow, and his disappointed look is replaced with an amused grin. "Never?"

"Never" I smile then look at the bleeding sky. Then an idea hit me "have you ever even ventured to your creations?"

He looks questioningly at me "What?"

"Care to join me for a stroll? You're bored anyways"

"How did you know that?"

"Because you're still here"

For the first time since I've seen him, he smiles the kind that makes me trust him even just for this moment. "Why not?"

"Yeah, what's there for you to lose?"

I start walking down the path past the villa I was staying in. I know Kri would take care of Maru's body and for now, the patients are sleeping since I've given them as much relief as there was available.

I don't see anything wrong with going with this god. If he's willing to wear the robes that I gave him then he's ready to be entertained for the moment he's here. I lead him to where the market is preparing to open

There were wooden stalls clustered together down the silent street. Vendors carrying barrows of fruits, carpets, and other stuff they've taken home just in case someone tries to steal them.

Some people say their hellos, some bows with a smile, and there are a few people who looked at me with fear and tried to avoid me as much as they can. I ignored those few and continued to tour this god around the world he is responsible for.

He looks uninterested, but I can see him focusing on the people with a hard to read gaze. He follows them throughout their day, and I smile at this. This is a good sign, he is observing them like he didn't realize this is how they live.

"Have you never gone to the human realm before?" I ask while we walk side by side. There are a lot of people who noticed his handsome face and his tallness, but at least he looks like them, closer than I'll ever be.

"No, nothing much interests me here" His gaze shifts towards the road ahead of us, he seems to be thinking of something. A distant memory perhaps.

There was a lot I've learned since staying here for a week. I should thank the two for making me understand the foreign language of this world at the very least, but I think now is not the time. The society here relied heavily on gods and goddesses because they are really here.

Priests and priestesses gossips are more than lectures about the gods they serve. I should know since they always tell me what's happening to their respective gods while I treated them. I understand that this god with me cheats always, but Heara loves him too much to realize it. Though I heard there were times the gods kill priests when they want a part of their history erased and forgotten

Girhoe is the only god with the oldest priestess because he can barely care about the humans under him. Sinthiae is a lucky woman for that. I only know a few things about Aryo though, I know he has a sister who is a goddess of the wild and animals. I forgot her name, though.

"What does interest you?" my eyes catch sight the apothecary stall where old man Searou is opening it.

Aryo grabs my shoulder and jerks me back to face him, our nose just inches away and his breath touching my skin. In all honesty, he smelled quite lovely for an immortal who probably doesn't need to brush his teeth.

He smirks, the smirk was seductive and meant to get my attention. "touching"—he brushes a hair behind my ear with his free hand—" and more touching"

This makes me frown, completely disinterested. I've handled a few Eugene's in my life and someone even worse than Eugene. "Good for you but not at me"

I try to get out of his grasp, but his hold on my shoulder tighten to the point of it stinging. I force myself not to make it show while he stares into my eyes. His red eyes that look like a lava lamp is shining like a crystal now, but I've seen scarier things.

"You dare refuse a god?" he warns

I smile. I couldn't help it "No, I wouldn't dare at all, but I am a servant of the Moon God it would be quite blasphemous for me to be with you"

He looks incredibly confused now. His hand slowly lets go of my shoulder, and he eases. "What… are you?"

Someone who's not from here. I shrugged and continued to walk to Searou's stall.

"Good morning!" Searou immediately greets me like always.

His hair is still golden yellow even if he's past his 70s, I've been itching to find out how their body works because of that, but I sadly don't have the equipment. His wrinkled face stretches in a smile, and kind green eyes greet me, he is the second person that became my friend after Amira introduced me to him.

"Good morning" I greet back while looking at the herbs and plants on his stall. Some were useful, and some weren't, but I don't want to tell him that. Most of the plants are just like at home. "Any new stock of foxgloves?"

He nods cheerfully "I do! You're in for a treat" his eyes glance at Aryo who was just behind me, staring at me. "Oh, our bride has a friend"

"This is…Arie" I had to smile at how silly the name was. I can see Aryo raise his brows at me, amused.

"Hello handsome Arie!" Searou almost shouts at him, his smile even wider. "Glad to know someone is accompanying this busy girl. Kri is not much of a good company in all honesty"

I laugh "He's fine though it does feel like I'm talking to a wall"

"Oh you know that boy, his parents were taken just before he should be married. Sad lad" Searou's eyes glance at Arie again. "I just hope the Moon-god won't be to mad at the company. It's thanks to you the world has stopped shaking"

That yet as if I'm the one they should really thank for. "I doubt that he'll mind if I have someone else to talk to"

After gathering my shopping, it shocked me when Aryo takes the bags out of my hands and when I asked why he just shrugs. I smile while we walk back to the villa

"I have to go" he says when we're at the steps of the villa. I meant to make the medicines in the kitchen.

"Really?" I ask surprise. "Okay but thank you for walking with me to the market. It's a nice change"

"I can walk you tomorrow too" he says

I smile "Sure, just because you'll be too bored anyway, right?"

He nods "Yes, of course"

I take the basket from his arm "Thank you"

He just stares intensely at my face as if he couldn't believe that I was real before he fades without sound or anything. He just literally disappeared in front of me.

I shake my head "Gods are so strange"

~~~~~~~~~~~

After making the medicine and then the nap, I woke up to Amira with her face just inches away from mine. Her eyes are wide with a knowing grin. I jolt out of my bed. I swear this girl is loveable and all of that but she need a lesson with personal space.

"I heard someone was with you earlier in the market" she smiles, looking down at me from her tall height with hands on her waist.

From this angle, she looks like an Amazonian woman with blonde hair and just a beautiful face, but I can't help but want to kick her on her v****a. She interrupted my sleep. No one dares to wake me up unless they wanted to die.

"How very social of you to know" I lift myself up with the help of the bed. I need to check on some of my patients, and for sure, there were going to a few people that are going to fill Maru's old bed. I need to clean that too.

"You're just filled with so much sarcasm"

"No, I'm filled spit want me to share it to you?" I glare at her while I move past her.

"Why are you like Girhen when someone wakes you up?"

"No one is an angel when they're woken up so abruptly"

"What's an angel?"

"Nothing" I sigh. I can't chase my sleep anymore, so might as well do some work now that I'm awake.

She laughs "I like you so much"

"You can like me when I'm sleeping too, you know that, right?" I go to the kitchen and put the newly made medicine in my basket with the tall princess behind me.

"Just tell me about this mystery, man! Just tell me who and I'll see that as p*****t for taking care of your patients while you're asleep. Rose needs more of those vial for the pain, and Ascree needs some salve that you made for his wound"

"It's all here and some new bandages." We both head out from the back door of the kitchen. "Was Maru buried properly?"

"I've even put some myrrh out for him, he's a nice boy"

"Thank you, I'm just terrible at more fun—burying the dead" I remember Dad's funeral. How my hands trembled so much that the papers for my eulogy slipped out of my hands. Sweat dripped out of me like a fountain, and I couldn't look at my Dad's pale face at all. It was too painful to even remember.

"No worries but… I gave you that villa to live in and not to turn in to a cemetery" She hits my shoulder lightly with hers.

"I'm sorry"

"I was joking. Hey! Tell me about that handsome man—"

"Bride! Bride!" We hear someone frantically shout outside the clinic.

That's not a good sign at all. We both run to the direction of the voice, and we're surprised to see a follower of Sinthiae shouting at Kri. Amira and I both look at each other, unsure of what's happening.

Kri looks irritated and sweaty, he must have just finished the labour around the clinic right when this person came in.

"Where is the stupid bride?!" the man shouts, his robe is pale blue with the violet triangles embroidered on the hem of it. The symbol and uniform of the people serving below Sinthiae. He's short but stout, but he seems incredibly small compared to the tall and well-built Kri.

Kri made a mistake of noticing us because the man followed his gaze. He immediately runs towards my direction but Kri grabbing his shoulder to stop him.

"Let me go, you fool!"

"Kri, it's okay" I say while walking to them. "I'll hear him out"

"Bride, go to the altar of the moon god the high priestess needs you" he orders and even spits at the ground by my feet.

Kri jerks his shoulder back. His jaw tight while he glares down at the man. "do that again and I'll cut your tongue"

"And why would I do that?" I ask, irritated even more than ever.

"The priestess needs you, she was suddenly on the floor this morning, and we've prayed so much, but we need…your…help"

Amira suddenly pulls me aside "I know that look on your face. Don't go, this might be a trap"

"Amira, she might be a b***h and this man is an asshole, but I'm still a doc—healer." I made my vows. There are days that I wish I never made it to that oath-taking ceremony or at least revised it. I don't want to disappoint my Dad by breaking it.

"I'm not letting you go" she says

"I'm sorry, but I have to" I move away from her. "I'll take Kri with me"

"Take more of my guards then"

"Don't be stupid, you're still a princess" before she can say anything, I tell the man I'll go with him with Kri already prepared that he'll come with me.

Kri might seem like a hard man who doesn't look like me, but he actually really does, or at least he is doing his job, and he keeps me company in this strange world.

"Take care of the patients, there is more medicine for Rose and Ascree in the kitchen. I'll have to take this with me there" I tell Amira in a hurry while Kri and I follow the man in a hurry.

God, I hope I don't regret this.