“So about this Patheon stuff. What can you tell me about them?” Akuji inquired while watching a wolf the size of a horse run away from her.

Her brown-haired travel companion didn’t respond for a moment as she gaped at the wolf fleeing. She stared at the tree line for a moment then snapped her jaw shut. “You must get that often.”

The redhead shook her head and muttered, “I never experienced any of...this.”

She didn’t acknowledge the statement other than a glance at Akuji. “Life and death come hand in hand. So does ignorance and enlightenment. Gaea, our foremother, gives us life through surrendering her body. Her body gives us form and gives us purpose. We are born to seek enlightenment. A personal quest that the gods give to us. Although, I do think Prometheus was one, the one to give us such yearning. She gave us Patriam, Illuminatio, and Terra, the planet we are on.”

Rehan looked out into the tree line with a look of reverence, although it felt a bit manic to Akuji. Her eyes were unfocused and she clinched her walking staff until the wood softly creaked. Her mouth was half-open as if she was talking to something beyond their sight and it completely stole her attention.

As if she didn’t enter a fanfare haze, she turned her attention to Gatho. “Some live for Athena and seek the wisdom she holds. They travel to the Pallas’ Haven on Terra, a beautiful refuge used to train Athena’s hunters, sometimes referred to as Valkyries by foreigners. One can travel there and study in her great library, examine great craftworks, and analyze fantastic texts of legendary battles. However, only a woman can receive her personal teachings and care. She can bless a man with the role of a guardian but that is the extent of her goodwill.”

The monk gestured to herself. “I am a child of Gaea, not Athena. My tribe, Chórto,

fight for the will of Gaea. We were born to maintain the balance of these lands. We fight corrupted beasts that hunger for lost travelers. We protect her children the best as we try to be close to Mother. But we aid those searching for Athena’s will.”

Rehna turned and stared at Akuji’s hair. “Lastly is Prometheus... Our guide on heavy nights and leader in faith. He gave us, humans and others, fire. Heat. Warmth. Knowledge... Suffering. For all the good that his enlightenment has given us, we also had to accept his pain. The pain of never finding true enlightenment and the pain of being aware. His gift was beautiful, yet so deadly. Some believe our pain is a minor reflection of the pain the King of Sin, Zeus, inflicted on him.”

The godling gave Rehna a slightly baffled look. “King of Sin?”

The brown-skinned woman crossed her arms. “Of course, he is the King of Sin! A lustful, egotistical, horrifically twisted man who forces his will on others. Be it their position in life, obstructing their journey to enlightenment, and stripping all of the free wills, if he wishes. Many gods were cast out of their homes and forced to be a god of something they hate. Half if not more of which was his children. My people and any other who lives under the Gods' light will not fall for Zeus' temptations. Pleasure is only to be appreciated after a day of work.”

Akuji slowly nodded her head then turned heel. “I got it, let keep going.” She half jogged into the forest.

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The huntress followed closely and watched her with curious eyes. “Whose child are you?”

She acted like she did not hear her and continued to tear leaves out of her face. How could she answer that? Hey, I am not related to any god. I am a normal, bland office worker who dunked herself in god-juice after selling her soul. She could imagine all the ways the gods could dissect her and the torture Silas would go through.

“I am not going to stop asking which god-” “I am a foreign god’s child. Well, assigned wife to be honest.”

“YOU ARE WHAT?!” Rehan screamed in shock then tripped on a large root. Her arms flung forward, throwing her staff at Akuji then fell onto the glowing moss-covered floor with a flump.

“Wha- Wait don’t move!” Rehan didn’t heed the warning in time as the moss shivered and bled a slimy liquid. Despite her frantic grasps at the rocks, the slime removed all friction and she slid down the hill they were hiking. The huntress managed to snatch a nearby branch only for it to break immediately and tumble down the hill.

“Haaa...” Akuji observed the moss beneath her feet. It was damp and a bit slimy but not glowing or oozing slime. She gently stepped off the moss onto a patch of rock and scrapped any residue off, losing a layer of skin on her foot in the process. “I guess I should stay here?”

She used the staff to steady her descent down the hill and onto a large rock. It was one of the few spots around the deeply forested area that were not covered in suspicious growth. She noticed that the ride down the hill and out the forest was mighty far. Odd considering they only entered the forest a few minutes ago. She looked up and tried to get a glimpse of the sun from her position but saw an orange-purple sky.

“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t turning dark...” She mumbled, confused.

The godling turned her attention to the staff and was surprised to see a set of glowing green eyes stare back at her. They shifted and turned to stare at her at an equal level yet they were emitting malicious intent. She gently set the living wood staff an arm's length away from her and watched as the eyes closed.

‘Are all things traps in this world?’ She pondered; idly twisting the thin fabric that makes her clothing. She has only been in the world for a few hours and have to worry about melting gods, sentient weapons, and one strange woman who is determined to follow her

Akuji groaned as the full reality of her situation hit her. Her fumes of fake confidence and new status of a god fading. Every god is treated as such, a symbol and status all must respect and obey. Except for her.

‘My backer is literally an obsessive megalomaniac out of magic juice and every other god hates him. And I am the equivalent of a Pomeranian with red fur.’ She combed her hair with her hand and eyed the fiery strands. In hindsight, she should have convinced Silas to let her leave as a normal soul but the lure of power was sweet.

‘Possibly toxic too.’ The ex-human darkly thought.

...crink

Akuij jumped to her feet and turned towards the noise. The forest -more like a miniature jungle- was heavily covered in flora and fauna, including the rocks. She snatched the staff, ignoring the glaring eyes, and braced herself for combat.

She immediately abandoned that idea.

Thousands upon thousands of shadows with glowing eyes observed her with curiosity and hunger. As the shadows swallowed the surrounding fauna it absorbed the little light that pierced the canopy. With every ray of light eaten, a hundred more creatures form. Her only protection from the dark depths was the angry glowing green eyes on the staff.

“Uh...” Akuji looked at the long drop then back at the shadows. “Nice meeting ya, bye!”

She jumps off her rock and lands on a patch of slimy moss. It immediately secreted the greasy substance and she slid down the hillside, using the staff to knock nearby branches. She smacked into a tree root and yelped when the staff was nearly tugged out her hands.

Akuji stared at the amalgamation of limbs that gripped the wood. Those damnable eyes stared deep into her soul and its hunger was endless. She swears that it's enjoying her struggle as the eyes turn up in glee. With the staff stuck, she could not slide down the hill and the monster knew this. Slowly she was losing the battle of light.

She clenched her teeth then focused on her connection to Silas. His twisted yet warm power flowed from her chest into her limbs. The godling flinched when her hair caught on fire and cast a powerful golden glow on everything near it, causing the shadow limbs to disintegrate and free the staff.

“The shadows can not get me. The shadows can not get me.” She chanted while closing her eyes and focusing on the power Silas had given her. She tried her best not to focus on the ride or the horrifying creature chasing her.

“The shadows can not- Aaargh!” She screamed when something touched her.

“Hey! What happened? Why are you here? You didn’t give me a chance to hike back.” Rehna asked while taking her staff back.

Akuji reluctantly opened her eyes and was startled to see a bright blue sky with shining yellow sun overhead.

“Let’s avoid the forest...”

“Agreed.”