Chapter 22 - The Revelation

"Human... you have so many thoughts. It's giving me a huge headache," the woman named Artemis whispered, holding her head.

"You.....you... you can hear my thoughts?" Reya stuttered as she stepped back further.

She huffed and squatted next to her. "Yes, I can. And I find you surprisingly.... agreeable," she said with a sigh.

"Oh," Reya whispered as she gaped at her. The woman's beautiful doe like brown eyes, they were otherworldly. And her iris was glistening.

"So... What are you? Are you like us?" Reya said. But the girl still had a confused look so she continued as a whispered, "You know? Like us, a mutant, (i.e.) with powers,"

She took a double take at her statement. "What do you mean powers?"

'Did she not know about her special powers? Did she forget her memory when she morphs into that.... deer?' Reya thought with a frown.

"'YOU' have powers? But aren't you human?" Artemis whispered with a confused look.

"I am. I'm human. And so are you," Reya slightly frowned at her statement.

The woman held her chin and whispered to her face. "Then how can you heal me?"

Reya still didn't understand her. 'What does she mean? I don't have any powers to heal. I can just run faster through space that's all,' she frowned as she glanced at her. Suspicions overflowed her brain at this point.

Going through their conversations mentally she could sense some points that indicate that this gorgeous woman was not human.

'Oh god, is she from the red planet above us?' Reya thought, glancing up at the dull red rock covering half of their sky.

But before she could confirm her suspicions, the woman stood up and walked away. She softly whistled through her fingers, but the sound was so loud echoing in her ear drums.

Wincing, Reya glanced at her with vigilance. "What did you do? That was so loud. You could have hurt me," she winced.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot that humans have delicate organs." She said.

As she was speaking a huge chariot rushed over from up above them with four Golden deer pulling it. Unlike their mythical Santa's chariot, this one looked much more Greek style with a huge coiling snake carved into it.

"You.. are an alien!!" Reya said in a whisper.

The woman turned back and snickered. "You humans have a weird way of naming us. Aliens, angels, outlanders, savages, all the curious names. Oh, one person even had the audacity to call me a monster. Sheesh, do I look like one?" she said, pointing to herself.

Reya nodded her head in agreement at her statement. She did have a point. The woman looked very beautiful, almost angelic. Who would want to call her a monster, even her deer form was ethereal?

She raised her eyebrow and whispered in hesitation. "Soo... what are you?"

"Me? I am what you humans name as goddess." The woman said with a beautiful smile.

Reya gasped as realisation hit her. She was in one of her favourite subject, History. Greek history, to be precise.

"Goddess? Oh my God, you are goddess Artemis, god of hunting. An Olympiad," she said in astonishment.

"Yes!! Finally!! I really don't like being called an 'alien'" Artemis exclaimed with an exaggerated expression.

"What!!! You are god!!!" Reya shouted as she shot up from the rubble floor. The shock still hadn't worn off. She never expected she would stumble upon a god while peeing. And she looked so pretty. What on earth is going on?

But she soon regained by logical thinking. "So if you are god, how did you get hurt so badly?" she pointed at her bandaged arm.

"Oh that," Artemis swiftly removed the bandages to expose her smooth skin. "See, it's healed. I just was low on power a while back, but thanks to you I have regained some," she said with a chuckle.

"How... there is not even a trace," Reya whispered in wonder.

"That's how god powers work," she shrugged casually. Saying this, she hopped into her chariot and pulled the reins.

"Wait!! Wait I have to know something. I am not asking for a favour or anything, I just... I just want answers." Reya stumbled on a piece of rubble as she rushed over to her.

She stopped her chariot and peered at her. "What is it?" she said.

"I want to know. If by any means, can you heal a human who is terminally sick?"

Reya bit her lips as she waited for her answer. Her heart pounding loudly in her ear, deafening.

Artemis widened her eyes and peered at her. "Yes, there is. But I can't. It's a different god's work." she said with a shrug.

Her hope died in her words, but small embers of new hope developed. So a terminally sick human can be healed by gods. Then... Then Mina will have a chance to get healed.

"Sorry I was not able to help you out with that," she said in an apologetic voice.

"No, no, it's.... okay," Reya said waving her hands.

"I can sense your desperation to save your loved one, soo... I'll share with you a little god's secret that might help you." she said with a smirk.

"What is it?" Reya inquired in anticipation.

"The test is coming. A test of the worthy, so be prepared." She said and continued, "And you didn't hear this from me, okay?" she said and winked.

"Okay, but what test? What does it have to healing humans?"

"No, no, I can't reveal anymore. Just remember those words," she said and flew away in her chariot.