2 The Oracle's Test

Watching the remaining essences of Psyche's body disappear to thin air, Eros gritted his teeth. His eyes turned red from madness and irritation. He straightened his back, lifted his left arm and stiffened his clenched fingers midway. He held out his arm sideways and raised his hand into the air.

The blossoms in the field began swaying at a slow pace. Soon, deities were holding onto their clothing and covering their ears as wailing winds howled into their ears - it was the sounds of souls they've long forgotten. Petals rose from the ground, danced rounds along the feisty wind and circulated around Eros' palm.

Soon, a pastel colored soul orb formed in his palm and floated around him.

Like snow, her soul possessed the purest, blue hues with a tinge of gold-yellow in its inside. With his eyes on her soul, he whispered. "Nobody can lay their hands on your soul. Even if it means trading my life in your place, I will not hand you over." Unlike his mother's schemes and never-ending jealousy, Psyche has truly defined beauty.

Aphrodite growled at his discourteous manner and shouted. "Eros! She was my enemy! How could you stand by her side and even gather her soul in your embrace? Let her soul go with Thanatos. Let her lonely soul wander the underworlds where she won't be able to witness light ever again!"

"In your dreams. Aphrodite, I've had enough of your insecurities and disgusting schemes. You've broken your promise to us. You promised to accept her! She has already been through your unreasonable tests that no mortal could endure to prove her determination to be with me. You are a disgrace as a goddess! Psyche never competed with you over a damn title. The only person who has been competing with you is yourself!"

As soon as he revealed his resentment, the skies of blue hues were clouded by disruptive thunder roars. Right above Aphrodite's head, a sharp lightning bolt struck down into the meadow, smashing right in front of her heels. Her mighty, arrogant expression was overpowered by his courage to publicly humiliate her.

Sniffing a burnt scent coming from her body, she realized one of her beautiful curls had been fried! Her hair was precious to her! It was a sign of her beauty!

Thanatos could care less about their mother and son fight. His job was to collect Psyche's soul, and nothing could make him bend these rules.

His dark wings spread behind his back and rose him up to the gloomed sky. He drew his sword and pointed its edged tip at Eros' direction. With one last demand, he threatened. "Eros! Your wife was a mortal who had met her end. Hand me her soul, or I will not hesitate to fight."

"Thanatos, you're the Greek god of Death, but have you ever found a spark of love in your soul? What is the point of living as an immortal with godly powers to demand wind for a breeze and rain during thirst if nobody is next to you to share this joy? Today was my wedding, and my wife was not meant to die! Whoever takes her must get through me first."

A ghostly smile carved on Eros' sharp features as he narrowed his bloodthirst eyes at Thanatos. He whirled up to the sky, meeting Thanatos at eye level as his feathery wings spread wildly. As his wings flapped in slow motion, it revealed the details of his wings' plumage - soft orange hues of a sunset.

"How bold of you to speak about love in front of me? As the Goddess of love and beauty, I am worshipped by the entire paradise of deities and earth. I can make decisions on whose marriage would end in misery!"

Pausing the words stuck in her throat like mountain sized stones were blocking a path, she smirked and directed her attention back to Psyche's soul. An evil grin appeared on her seductive face. She waved her arms and let her long bell sleeves flutter down like a butterfly's wing.

Her nails lengthened as her palms scanned around the entire meadow - sucking the life force out of the blossoms. In a matter of seconds, the entire meadow became brown and sere. The deities stood still as they followed the deity rules. When a fight outbreaks between deities, nobody was permitted to join forces with either side.

Alas, her ultimate sneak attack was created. With a swing from her arm, a detrimental blow targeted at Eros' wings! Before that hit reached Eros, Psyche's feathered friends protected him from harm. Birds hurled their bodies behind its steel wings, formed an enormous shield and converged in front of Eros. The birds deflected the fatal blow back to Aphrodite's direction.

The ruthlessness on her face instantly froze as she screamed in terror and shielded her face with her arms. "Ahh!!" Aphrodite's shriek alerted everyone to escape a far distance. Unfortunately, the reversed attack had lessened in terms of power when it bounced back to her direction. Hence, she was not injured.

The reversed blow destroyed the entire withered meadow, while Aphrodite only resulted with a dirt covered face and entangled burnt hair. During the crisis, a thick layer of fog formed between Thanatos and Eros. Taking this opportunity, Eros followed the birds' lead and escaped to the Oracle's place.

Hundreds of miles away, a forest of all greens and lively reds covered a several acres of land. This forest is the land where all mythical creatures exist. No deity was permitted to kill nor snatch these beautiful creatures from there. On this land, the Oracle was the rules.

As soon as Eros landed in front of the Oracle's home, the birds chirped a passcode into the window. A gust of wind burst out from the inside, swinging the wooden door opened.

"Come inside, Eros. I've been waiting for you." An elderly man with smooth gray hair walked to the entrance with his eagle claw shaped cane and gestured him to enter. As if he had already expected Eros' arrival, tea has been served on the log table in his house.

Though the Oracle's home looked oddly small from the outside, the inside was quite spacious with windows welcoming the sunshine. Plant fairies giggled joyfully inside the healthy green cactus as it absorbed energy from the sun's radiance.

Eros took a seat across from the Oracle, who leisurely sipped his tea. Eros parted his mouth, wanting to plead for Psyche's revival, but the Oracle was faster than him by a millisecond.

"Psyche is gone, son. Once a deity dies, the soul follows to the underworld. Psyche was a mortal, so rules cannot be broken. Unless.." The tea leaf in his tea cup floated up, making him smile.

"Unless what?" Eros impatiently asked.

"Unless you're willing to trade places with her and be her replacement in the underworld. I can take her soul and send her for reincarnation. Are you willing to take her place? Thanatos and Aphrodite are getting nearer, so you must choose wisely."

When the tea leaves in his cup stopped moving on the surface of his tea, the Oracle raised his head and questioned Eros again. "They're here. What's your choice?"

Eros took out Psyche's soul, revealed a bittersweet smile and met the Oracles eyes with full determination. "I'm willing. Please take her soul to safety. Aphrodite will never let her soul be in peace. I will replace her in the underworld."

"Very well. Son, you've passed my test. As per my predictions, your fate with Psyche hasn't ended yet. Your love will eventually blossom, but not in this world. You must wait until her soul revives in another world. Are you willing to wait for her?" The Oracle asked for confirmation before taking Psyche's soul into his possession.

"Yes, I am willing to wait for as long as it takes." Eros watched as Psyche's soul disappeared in the Oracle's palm.

"Come along, son. They're here." The Oracle walked to the closed doors with Eros following closely behind.