A Definite Death

"Enjoy the signature cuisine of our village, Goddess Cytherea."

Emil greeted her enthusiastically but anxiety also filled his mind. He was afraid that the Goddess would not like their simple food and did not have a strong taste. But the locals so enjoyed every meal that entered their mouths and chewed it gently and wholeheartedly.

Now they were in the dining room after Emil took Xavier and Cytherea to his house. Before that, her travels found the views of the population very cynical after her actions were quite too much as a foreigner or immigrant. The residents of Cliffside Village value human feelings very much and that is the reason Xavier has a hard time leaving this place. But the goddess seemed unconcerned while stroking her belly which sounded louder every half a minute. Now and then she stared back at them while sticking out her pale tongue and one by one left when the village leader scolded them.

There are two single seats facing each other and two benches on the other side. Xavier and Cytherea looked at each other as if they were reading their opponent's mind. It is easy for a Goddess to guess the contents of the human mind after her journey and meet hundreds of thousands of people who have different characters since descending to Earth. Meanwhile, the former soldier almost lost consciousness when the goddess had enjoyed lunch first.

"What are you thinking about, Xavier? Are you not in the mood to enjoy one of your favourite foods?" Halyna tilted her head slightly, observing something that rarely happened to him.

"Ah, it's okay, Mrs. Halyna. I don't eat and am restless. Hopefully, this talk will not be long and I can continue to rest before going on duty later in the evening."

"Don't be dizzy." Emil interrupted. "I can have them replace your shift for today and you can rest a little longer. How about it?"

"I'm so happy if they don't mind taking on my duties." A small smile adorned Xavier's face, but his eye bags couldn't lie.

They enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Although it was just a simple dish, Emil smiled when he saw Cytherea eating so eagerly and ignored Xavier's condition which was not getting better. Even the Goddess lost her ethics after her behaviour severely disturbed the tranquillity of a former soldier who was trying to stay away from trouble and commotion. Occasionally he yawned and tried to rest his body when the village leader was serving Cytherea.

"Why didn't you wake me up right away when you saw the goddess Cytherea derelict in our forest, Xavier?" Emil indirectly woke him up when he was about to fall asleep.

Rubbed his face and then replied, "Before I answer, let me ask back. Why can you tell if she is a Goddess, Mr Emil? Although the clothes are very different from what our residents wear, but I hope your answer is something more reasonable."

The village leader smiled. "Maybe this still doesn't make sense, but I can see some kind of aura that's around it and humans don't have that even though it's a witch. I'm sure I'm the only human in this village who has that power. This ability has been around since I was born and this is the second time I have used it. Besides, I already know a lot about the gods even though I never heard the news of them descending to earth."

"Means you've always hidden your knowledge in front of them?"

"That's right, except for my whole family, Xavier. I dare not say that every night I always pray to God and force them to believe what I believe. After all, after seeing the Goddess Cytherea come to our village, I believe their views have begun to change."

"I got the answer I wanted. Now it's my turn. Before he said he really expected my help, right? That's the reason I don't welcome her, Mr Emil. As an ordinary human being who has avoided war for a long time, he even came and asked me to realize his dream. If you're curious about what kind of request is offered, maybe someone can ask her." Xavier's gaze fell on the Goddess who was busy enjoying the while hearing their talk.

Swallowed saliva, Emil didn't even say anything and still waited for Cytherea to say the reason for her arrival. Putting the cup on the table, she began to explain what she had said to Xavier.

***

"How is it? If you are forced to comply with the request, will you not have time to refuse it?" Xavier spoke as soon as Cytherea closed her mouth again.

"Well, I know how you feel. But maybe Goddess Cytherea didn't just choose humans who were willing to help them. Isn't it?"

"This village leader is like knowing my past, huh? Maybe you misunderstood me always forcing every human being I met. In the past, when I first came down to earth, I was very selective and distinguished between strong and weak humans. A collection of weak humans will not get orders from other gods and live their lives peacefully. But those I chose but still refused, their lives were not long and no one realized that it was themselves that resulted in the death."

"What do you mean? Did you secretly kill them when they didn't obey your orders?" Xavier raised his voice.

"You fool. I am not a cruel goddess who plays tricks on human lives. The order of the gods is absolute and must not be rejected by weak creatures like humans. The punishment and the time of death are ingrained in their bodies until the satisfaction of life covers their negligence."

"Should I believe you after you tell a dark history?"

"It comes back to your decision. My purpose in forcing you is to save your life which is destined to meet one of the goddesses in that forest. Or you want to prove it by staying here until you die."

"In the end, it's your fault...!" Xavier suddenly was angry, surprising those in a calm state. But the anger didn't last long after his body couldn't afford to move more than that. His chest was instantly tight and almost made him cry when death would surely come to her if she refused Cytherea's request. "Give me time to decide whether or not to help the gods. You can see me tomorrow night and don't try to disturb me before the appointed time."

Xavier left with a pale face and his legs trembling quickly.