A plea for grace

Yossarian's entire body shuddered and drooped under the weight of the goddess' authority. His heart thrummed quickly, every beat getting louder and louder, quaking into his head. His skin tingled, every hair on his body sprouting up in fear.

It's been a long time since he felt this way. In an odd way, he missed it. Nothing like facing possible death from a god to get the blood pumping.

"Lord Sompthuis, I plead with thee to hear out my questions pertaining to an issue within thy domain," Yossarian strained to say. His throat was still hurt from the sudden deprivation of oxygen.

The forest nymph leered at him from above. Grey pebble eyes seemingly watching with distrust and hate. Funny how that works. "Go on ahead then mortal," they echoed, voice whipping his mind.

"There has been a surge of kidnappings within these areas. Young teens from the local village, a group of people that once prayed to you...

'Yet they don't no more. Not for a while. Especially after those humans under Pan took these lands."

Yossarian bit his lip. He knew this might happen. He knew the goddess might hold a bitter resentment to her old worshippers, yet he had to try. "They're merely forced not to my goddess. Law enforced obligations to not remain in contact with you."

"There is always a choice to be had, mortal. I wouldn't start raising your voice with me just yet."

Yossarian ground his tongue with his teeth to hold himself. Gods, prideful and honourable figures as they are, their also massive cunts. "Yes, sorry my goddess. These disappearances however possess major distress to the civilians. I was hoping you would help my endeavor by enlightening us with some of your divine perceptions."

The figure above them stayed still, stone glare blankly judging them. Who knew leaves, sticks and stones could be so emotive.

"I shall help you then. For the sake of my old followers, the descendants of those sheep currently in that village. That mistake of a thing took them. The one that attacked you a second ago. A rather sad tale that mistake has, a real shame," Sompthuis added, almost like an afterthought.

Yossarian and the rest however peaked their ears at her words. Yossarian spun the nymphs phrasing in his mind. A mistake, one with a sad story as well, how intriguing, this god knows something.

Yet he couldn't ask the nymph directly, you had to be discreet with these things. A lesson Yossarian learnt in his age.

"Would thy grace happen to know if they're still with us?"

"No. They've long left the dirt, souls taken by Thanatos back to Hades." Yossarian's mind went to the body they found. A shame yet it's to be expected.

"Then I wish to ask, why? Why is this man doing this?'

"Why? A foolish question. I don't bother to understand anything and everything about you mortals yet even I know there is very little meaning in one's actions. The first one seemed to have some sense to it yet the one after that and onwards. I couldn't fathom."

Yossarian raised his eyebrows. He tried to make sense of her words, 'meaning in the first'. Just what does this Goddess know.

"Then I plea with thy for assistance with another matter. I would ask thee for information to the ruins that dwell near the base of the titan." The air seemed to tense from Yossarian's words. A chilling silence fell on the nymph, Stoney's eyes watching with increased intensity.

Yossarian licked his dry lips, his fingers wrapping around the other. He expected the response, yet it never made it easier. Yossarian was never good with staying silent, especially in a tense situation such as this. But he sensed to his core that he should stay quiet and not speak, or else...

"I wouldn't pry into that business mortal, less you wish to make some very dangerous enemies. The man pertains to the ruins to which you speak of. Anything else however I cannot speak on. I'm under a binding vow, so I cannot even help you if I wanted to."

A binding vow, now that's not something you hear often. A contract that binds its participant under a clause agreed upon by both parties. A vow one cannot break easily. Its inclusion in the mystery adds a further shadow to the truth of the issue.

Yossarian had been under a binding vow with his master. Its effects were ministered by the Goddess of justice, Themis, always restricting him, forcing him to comply. Especially when He didn't want to. There was a loophole, however, something Yossarian could use.

"Who is this vow in part with?" He asked, allowing himself a tiny smirk. The nymph looked down at him with a newfound look. Hidden under all the natural rubble he identified a look of humor on her face.

"How smart of you mortal. Fine I shall tell you. I'm intrigued to see what you will do now with this information. The one who I'm linked to is none other than the titan Prometheus, the bringer of civilization to man!"

Her words stunned Yossarian into silence. His eyes widely stared into the figure, locked into the stone grip of the nymphs gaze. His mind was empty, unable to comprehend what she said.

Prometheus, one of the titans that helped the Olympians stake their claim to the throne. Only to eventually betray them, by stealing the flame that sparked curiosity and creativity in man.

Strapped to a boulder, unable to scare away the crows that plucked and ate his innards every day for his crimes.

'Just what on earth did I possibly get myself into', was the first thought that hit his mind. He expected troubles, a potential danger to his life. The man they encountered in the forest was calculated as an expected level of difficulty. Yet to deal with titans, primordial beings that shaped the very earth.

Yossarian was starting to think of a potential way to escape the land and never come back. Yet his luck seemed to run out. The Goddess descended in front of him within a flash. Her leaf nostrils flaring, stone eyes glaring at his waist.

"What on earth is at your side human?" They bellowed venomously. Yossarian's whole body stiffened up. His right-hand reflexively tightened. His petrified, wide eyes stared into the background.

He felt her divine energy-intense on his hip and the leather-covered mask. His throat felt strangely dry, his fingers tense and hands shaky. He tried to speak, to explain, yet he only managed to croak out an "I..."

"Why is there divine energy exuding from your waist mortal!" They cried, shivers pulsating down his spine.

He was fucked.