The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Fifty Three

Volo, is the deity that I hated the most. I hate him because he is the exact opposite of me. If I am the deity of fire and volcanoes, he is the deity of winter. People usually hate him because he only brings trouble to Aure, but I am not stupid to think that he is useless. There is a reason why he exists, and people just don't appreciate him that much.

Maybe that is why he acts very cold towards people, which is very appropriate for his ability. He never lets people see him other than the Royal family of Aure, whom he cares for. "How are you, Alfiora?"

That made me think. Why is he asking me like that? We are not friends. We don't even talk with each other. Interactions between the two of us are usually brief and negligible and this is primarily because one of us is absent when the other is present. We represent two opposite seasons and that is why we have never become friends. But here he is, purposely coming here in my home volcano to ask me how I have been? This is something out of the ordinary.

"Why are you here?" I asked him directly. "You have no business here in my home."

He smiled politely. "I am just visiting the only other deity that resides here in this kingdom. Is that not allowed now?"

"It isn't. We never had small talks before and we should keep it that way."

"You are so hotheaded as always, Alfiora. But I am not surprised, since you are the deity of fire and volcanoes."

"Enough with the sidetracking," I told him already. "Please tell me why you are here, or we will fight, Volo."

He raised his hands as a form of surrender. "Relax, Alfiora! I just wanted this meeting of ours to be light and cool, as I intend this to be the first of the many time that we will meet. I actually think that we should have done this way before, back when the other deities left this place to find another kingdom to reign over."

I scoffed at what he said. "And why should I be friends with you? I don't trust you."

"And why is that?"

"You trust the mortals too much. You even helped them build their kingdom," I told him as a matter of fact. He could not deny that because it is the truth. Volo had been one of those deities who helped the mortals build this kingdom from scratch. He even told them that they can always ask for his help, something that I personally disapprove of. Why would you let the mortals think that they can always go to you whenever they have a problem? It would only make them dependent on you. They are supposed to live their own lives and they don't need a powerful being to interrupt them. That would just make things difficult for us deities.

"It is not what you think, Alfiora. My relationship with the mortals is a give-and-take scenario. I did not just offer my help to them in exchange for nothing."

My eyebrows rose by that statement. "What do you mean? Did you ask something in return from them in exchange for your help?"

"That is right. I gave them everything that they need in order to build a kingdom from this place which used to be a barren land in exchange for something."

"And what is that?" I asked curiously. "What did you ask them in return?"

He shook his head. "That is something that I could no longer tell you, Alfiora. You know that we deities are bound by our word and honor. Once we break a promise we get weak."

I almost forgot about that. "Yeah, right. Then you should have never told me about that in the first place because you will know that I will be interested in that."

"I'm sorry about that," he then said, scratching the back of his head like he was a mortal. I frowned upon seeing that gesture because he even was starting to mimic how the mortals move and act. "Anyway, that is not why I am here, Alfiora. I came here to invite you in the festivities that the newly-crowned King has set up for us."

"Us? What do you mean?"

"It is the festivities for a bountiful harvest," he told me. "They usually do this at the end of the harvest season which we both know is your season. You have to be there. The people of Aure always wanted you to grace their festivities with your presence. They even made some statues of you."

"I told you I am not interested in that kind of stuff. Plus, they are mortals. I despise them!"

"No, you do not," he contradicted. "You do not totally despise the mortals otherwise you would have totally wiped them out from this place using this volcano. But instead, you send them warnings through your Gypsies. You even taught them how to plant some crops using your knowledge of using the sunlight well. Those are not the actions of a deity that hates humans."

I scoffed again as he said those things. Of course, I did not really hate all of those mortals, but I also don't like them like the way he likes them. "There is a difference between totally hating them and just being not totally interested with them. I guess I am the kind of deity who does not care about anyone else other than myself."

"Not even your Gypsies?"

"They are my followers. I don't necessarily care for them," I said and although that was a bit of a stretch, it was what I told my followers. Ever since the day that they decided to become my followers and they vowed to obey whatever I told them, I have been frank with them by saying that I don't need anyone in my life. But they were persistent and I needed someone to oversee my territory whenever I hibernate, so I allowed them to do what they wanted to do.

But I was clear enough to tell them that I was not like Volo. I don't see anyone as important to me or what. They could all leave me now and I could not care less. "I see," said Volo who was nodding at my explanation. "Well, we are different, all right, but it would be great if you still show up at the festivities. People are really excited because I told them that I would personally invite you."

I eyed him angrily. "You should not have done that. I am going to hibernate already. I will have no time attending any kind of human celebrations."

"That is so unfortunate," he said sadly but I know too well that he is just acting. "This was the chance for us to bond together. We are the only deities left here in Aure after all. We should have at least get to know each other better."

I faked a laugh because I could not help but mock him. I have to, since he was spouting nonsense. Getting to know each other? We don't need something like that. We are deities. We don't need to be social with each other or to the mortals. We are a different kind of beings and we don't have to spend time on pointless things.

I guess he can read what I was thinking because he defended his idea. "I know that you don't like it, but you love this land, don't you? You consider this a home. You even made a garden just outside the borders. You clearly adore this kingdom."

I could not respond to that immediately because I feel like he was right about it. But not totally right, just a little bit. He was right about me liking this land. This is where my home is located and I love this volcano more than anything else. This is where I woke up and become a deity. This is where I realized that I was powerful, that I can control when will a volcano will erupt. It was also in this kingdom where I learned how to make the weather hot enough for flames to erupt in the forests, which helps clean the lands of diseases and pests.

There is no deity who does not love nature and Aure is a paradise for someone like me. So Volo is partially right. Maybe more than I will ever admit. I totally love this place even if I will not tell him that.

"I don't know if you are even aware of it but I know that you love this kingdom, Alfiora. And that is why I wanted you to be there at the mortals' festivities. I want you to see them how they are grateful for the abundance of food in the seas, in the lakes, and in their farms. I want you to see them thank you for just living here. They might be fools, but sometimes they are lovely fools, Alfiora."

"They can thank me any time they want," I told him though I was beginning to get convinced. What would the mortals think of the crops that I help prosper here in this kingdom? And what kind of food they make with it? That is something that makes me think too. "But why would I need to be there?"

"Your presence will make them value the nature more. And just let them offer you something for your hibernation. That will not hurt you, would it?"

"Of course not, but I still don't see the point of why I have to interact with them."

"Okay, I guess I have to explain it to you more," he said exasperatingly. "Look, Alfiora. If ever there was a foreign deity who will come here and plans on staying here and tries to take this kingdom for his or her own, what will you do?"

That question irritated me. "I will kill whoever tries to do that. This place is already small for you and me. We don't need a third deity here."

"Exactly," he said. "That is why you have to be there. We need the mortals to see the two of us get along well, so that in case a new deity comes, the mortals will side with us."

"You have a point, but I think it will be better if we will just kill anyone who will betray us."

"But that's the problem," he told me. "How can they betray you if you aren't with them in the first place? That is why you have to be there. Even just once, Alfiora. If you love this land you will come."

I swallowed hard because I now have no choice but to agree with him. I really have to do be there because I love this place and I will kill anybody who will try to take it away from me.