I should have known better

MAGNUS

I gasped at the bright wide space with captivating valleys and greeneries and flowers around me. I don't know this place. Between here and there my eyes can't adjust to everything I see. At my left is the row of white marble columns sparkling in the sun. There's the magnificent fountain in fresh sparkling water streaming at the detailed sculpt of a circular shaped staff.

To my right is the open air pavilion - a resting place surrounded by beautiful flowers of every kind. Sitting under the shade of the pavilion, are four people - two men and two women lounging across each other to a small table having tea. They're watching something at the center.

The two women laugh and one man scowled, the other one ignored the three and continued looking down at it. I really don't know what I should think. I mean - are these guys the deities? I thought they'll be in the nick at every second for fending off Demons to go back to their realms?

I shake off my hesitation and approached them. Careful to walk on the pebble road and not damage any flowers or touch any shiny butterflies with golden wings. These beautiful pieces of nature could be precious - there are two women on the pavilion after all.

And I've had some of my fair share of women. In my experience, they love mellow sparkly things, like nice clothes and glittery jewelries, some love gardens and pets - if you made a mistake of damaging one - their beautiful nails will make a permanent mark on your face.

I gulped the lump constricting my throat and made my presence known by bowing my head and said,

"Greetings Your Graces. I'm Magnus Klaus, a Ranker from the Capricorn Kingdom in Rank 12 -"

"You the Seeker?" a manly rough voice interrupted me. I dare not look at them in the eye.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Good." A scuffle of footsteps and seats pushed back, the next thing I know someone's long white gown came to my ground view. Tapping her crystal glass shoes on the pebble road.

"Lift your head Seeker," a woman, her voice as soft as butter it made my knees feeling jittery. I always have the urge to look cool in front of any woman. And today's probably my unlucky day if I visit the Deity realm - with no proper attire. My clothes covered with sand and soot. Dumb luck.

But I still did as I was told. I looked directly into the eyes of the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Her age can pass between twenty, her golden hair that curls at the end highlight her soft ears with a diamond earring dangling to her slender neck.

Her long sleeveless white gown bared her creamy delicate arms, and the dazzling piece of jewelry hanging around her neck has the same strong color of blue of her eyes. She cocks her almost perfect face and smiled.

Every nerve from my head down to my spine then to my feet shook. It's like I'm floating in the fluffy clouds, bouncing and hopping at the elated feeling of my chest. Shocks. If only she's a citizen of the Gifted People I would have given up my title as Ranker and pursue her.

"Please don't."

"Don't be fooled by her charms mortal, or you'll never get out of this realm, sane."

When I tore my eyes from her and gaze at the two - another woman with long dark hair and startling purple eyes sitting beside the man with buffy arms underneath his black armor and hair shaved at the side. They snickered at me and suddenly - the fluffy cloudy feeling in my chest disappeared.

When I looked at the goddess beside me, her image flickers and the face of that Faery woman with slithering tongue came into my eyes. I yelped. And almost tripped on my feet.

"Men, men," the goddess said while shaking her head, "Always aiming for girls with pretty faces and delicious body shapes - won't you aim for a kind heart instead?"

I'm immediately on my knees and planted my fist on the ground. "I sincerely apologize for my indecent thoughts dear goddess, I was taken aback by your breathtaking beauty I let out my immodest desire without thinking." I paused. Trying to get a grip on what's my purpose of coming here and continued,

"Please, honored deities of magical realm, guide me how to find your chosen Eklektos in the human realm. Your holy stone has brought me in your presence for this purpose -"

"Actually no." The woman with long dark hair said, yanking the emerald bracelet from her wrist and turned up beside the goddess with golden curls.

"You didn't come here to receive our help, you came here to help us." I looked up at her small lips, large purple eyes and tight fitting black dress with a sword on her side.

"When you come down to the human realm, expect we'll send you straight to one of the Eklektos. Pente's chosen one. Unfortunately, he and the others weren't here to give this to you personally." She handed me her emerald bracelet, when I got a closer look, all of it has different small gemstones embedded around the circle.

Different color, different sizes and each feels different to my fingers when I touch them. The milky blue is frosty like ice, the green is warm and refreshing like summer, the yellow is mellow and toasty to my skin. The others create the strangest sensation to my fingers. One feels like it will drain my strength until I'm left in a pile of bones, the other felt like it will bend and deform my body into something hideous...

I'm still staring, enticed at the wonderful sensations the bracelet is giving me I didn't notice all four of them are towering me with the most intense blessing I've ever felt. The Dark Elf's bronze spear is nothing to the clashing smokes that raced above the sky from their bodies. An indication that the monstrosity of their blessing makes the bronze spear wave like flimsy stick.

I laugh nervously. I can't stop my fingers from trembling. My teeth won't calm down from chattering. I felt like a coward. A helpless boy trapped by rowdy men. One wrong word and I'll be blown to dust. One wrong twitch and I'll be squished like bug.

To my left, the air whizzed and a flash of light cut through my sight. Then the sky darkened and a net of lightning smashed through the valley ahead.

"What's going on?" I asked the Deities. No one answered. When I looked up they tripled - I mean there are more men and women gathering around me. All shining, definitely blinding, I feel like my eyeballs will grill right before my eye socket just by staring at their faces.

"Time to go to work." A man with a deep voice grumbled.

"Don't wanna go, I just got my nails and hair done by the salon today." the goddess said.

"Count me out, I have a date with a cute boy I met in Italy." another goddess, the one with the starling purple eyes said.

"Me skipping. I got a football championship match to watch." the man who was with the purple eyes lady said.

"Ditto. I got to watch the premiere season 5 of Lucifer."

They all left one by one until I'm left kneeling with the man who announced 'Time to go to work.' He sighed while staring at his fellow Deities go. As if he knew stopping them is useless. He has brown hair, trimmed beard and strong jawline. His muscles are defined and strong beneath his thin shirt and pants.

When he noticed me he asks, "And who are you?"

"The Seeker, Your Grace."

"Ah, about time I see. I'm Thoteka by the way. The Twelveth Deity. Care to join me for a bit?"

Hearing his name is like a smack directed to my gut. Thoteka - The Twelveth Deity. He's the patron deity of my Rank. What a stroke of luck.