There are many who have an obsession with me. Rarely is it for any acceptable or respectable reason. I have utterly nothing to say about the fools who think I will suddenly take their hand in marriage simply because they have tried. At the end of the day, a little bit of bravery stewed in a great deal of stupidity is more than enough to make a man think they will successfully claim the Goddess of Love. The addition of drink, liquid-courage, is more than enough to make men take their shot, even if for only the sake of saying that they tried.

Even if we take simple biology out of the mixture, my being almost twice the size of the average human most predominantly and their existence being less than a century whereas mine is ageless, the issue still arises. The Goddess of Love exists in a unique position. I am knowledgeable innately and I can intuit emotions on others to a perfect degree. I even possess the power to make others fall in love. Although such a gift is not needed by those who deserve it and it is only sought by those whose mere existence is a waste of this world’s air.

Yet there are also plenty of Divines who have tried. Those fools, I have no time for. Humans at least possess some of innate innocence in their stupidity. Their time is finite so they may as well try and grab everything and anything that they can. An ageless stagnant Divine who has nothing to offer me thinks I should become a Queen of some irrelevant backwater. Even those that possess nations are little better. Their kingdoms for my hand? I would not give a hair on my head for their kingdoms? My chipped nail is worth more than their entire lives.

It is not even arrogance. It is simple truth. Who knows of Arius? Tarkas? Malkazan? Are they mortals, or are they Divines? Exactly. And who knows of Helenna, Goddess of Love? There are few Divines I would consider. Those are the ones who wish for nothing to do with me either for they have no need of my services and I have nothing to offer them. In such fashion, I fulfil my demesne in its most romantic fashion: that of love unrequited.

– Excerpt from “A Rose with Thorns”, Written by Goddess Helenna, of Love, one of her many autobiographies.

“I learned a new word.” Helenna sighed as she listened to Malam talk. The two Goddesses had gotten to Relio Airbase, a major parking location for the now defunct Imperial Airforce. Whereas the Raptors had flown during the battle against the Archdemon, they have refused to leave their nest. The local commander had called it in a few hours after the planes got here, but they were a nuisance.

“Hit me with it.” Helenna said as she kept on walking. A fucking nuisance! The Raptors were a fucking nuisance! And here everyone had thought they would be upstanding Imperial citizens and instead, it turned out they were mere petulant children. They had gone and claimed hangars for themselves, apparently demanding other planes to leave their new nest as if they were real birds. With Arascus still stuck on the INS Tremali, it was up to Malam and Helenna to solve the issue.

“It’s girlfailure.” Malam said and all thought left Helenna’s mind.

What the fuck did she just hear? “Excuse me?”

“It means a girl who fails at being a girl.” Malam said. “I saw it on the internet and my eyes just lit up. I could not believe it Helenna! I just could not believe it! Do you know? It’s like… Well, I don’t know the definition to be honest.” Helenna prepared for something terrible already. Malam’s tone was curling far too much for her not to be enjoying herself. That, or she was just drunk again. “Smelly, not washing, not stylish, can’t do anything. Just a total failure who happens to be a girl.”

“Sounds like someone I know.” Helenna said.

“I know!” Malam exclaimed, spreading her hands wide. “I read it and do you know what?”

The pause was too long. Malam obviously wanted to say something. Helenna knew exactly where this was going. “If you say me, you’ll regret it.”

“I was sitting there, tip-tapping away on my keyboard, and I just asked myself…” How tone turned shocked as they approached the airfield. A truck had dropped them off, neither had been too far away. “How does this man know Helenna?”

“That’s so fucking funny I forgot to laugh.”

“Exactly!” Malam said, wagging her finger at Helenna. “Crass language is another symptom of girlfailurehood. Checks out.”

“Look in a mirror you drunk.”

“Now now Helenna.” Malam cooed. “No need to get personal here.” The moment the Goddess of Hatred spoke. “This is serious business, we have to get you better.”

“Why are you even on the internet?”

“Oh I’m sorry for not living up to Kassie’s work ethic.” Helenna rolled her eyes. She obviously had not meant that.

“Can’t you enjoy yourself in real life?” Helenna asked and felt Malam’s eyes looking at her. She turned her gaze, annoyed orange hair following her head to see that slightly taller Goddess. White hair framed eyes entirely pitch-black, underneath them was a smile that said a thousand words.

“Do you think I don’t?”

“You should be put down like some dog. You know that? Harlot. Absolute harlot.”

“Oh no. I can do it myself.”

“Harlot!” Helenna shouted.

“Girlfailure.” Malam said, quickly skipping around Helenna, white hair flowing behind her like some annoying cloud of marvellous white snow, her black coat doing the job Helenna had designed it, which was to bring more contrast to that stupid fucking face. Even the woman’s boots clicking against the ground sounded like tiny taunting drums. “Smelly, stinky. Goddess of Love! Don’t make me laugh!”

“Malam. Shut the fuck up.” Helenna was quickly feeling her coolness being lost. Her cheeks were already getting heated. Frankly, it should not sting that much, should it? What was this anyway? She was getting annoyed at internet slang? At damn internet slang?

“Or what?” Malam cooed and took a step away. It wasn’t for distance. It was so that she could bend down and look up at Helenna like some stupid school nurse.

Helenna stopped, not caring about the job or the airfield or the face that some of the mortals were snapping photos of them from a distance. It was always like this, they were both used to it at this point. The local commander should be approaching soon. Helenna would have such this barking dog up. She opened her mouth, her cheeks turned red. She could not do it. Not to Malam. It was just too cruel. The Goddess of Love forced calmness back into herself and saw a few strands of hair she always kept in her the corner of her eye to track its colour turn black. “Just be quiet and be normal for once Malam. Please?”

“Ohohoho!” Malam said the laughter. Helenna’s hair colour turned darker than dark. “Are we giving up?” Darker than Irinika’s even. “Come now Helenna, can the Goddess of Love not keep up with the Goddess of Hatred?” So dark, it seemed to absorb the light from the air around it. If she said it again… “Gir-“

“I slept with your dad.” Helenna said, her tone as dry as the Sassara and as flat as the eastern plains.

Malam blinked. Her mouth dropped open for a moment and no annoying fucking sound came out of it. Finally. Her cheeks turned so pale they could have become ivory and Helenna felt her breath catch. Malam was great. Malam was fantastic. Malam was her best friend. They had spent so long on this world without bothering to meet and the moment they did, it was like two flames coming together to make a fire. Obsession in Love, obsession in Hatred were two sides of the same coin spent existence fleeing the wave of apathy. And now…

And now Helenna wished she could take words back.

Another thorn of regret grew on the rose. And the rose grew rougher once again. She did not… Helenna blinked the wetness away from her eyes. She should apologize. But what did it mean? The words could not be unsaid anymore. Malam finally took a deep breath and shook her head. “Helenna, that is disgusting.”

In a single instant, all the regret was torn away from Helenna. “WHAT?!”

“That is disgusting Helenna.” Malam repeated herself, her tone dry and factual as if she was reading some scientific essay. “To think you would wield my perfect family against me like that. My dad is a pure soul who would never so much as squash a fly. Who do you think you are Helenna?”

Helenna blinked and twisted her head to the side. Was she being laughed at? Was Malam serious? Surely not? “Arascus you mean?”

“I think I know his name. He’s an angel. He walks and the sun comes out and rainbows follow, the ill are cured and animals talk in human tongue.” Helenna’s hair turned into some confused shade of peach, not-quite pink and not-quite pale orange.

“Did you hear me?” Helenna asked and saw Malam bite the inside of her cheek. She was holding laughter!!!

“I did, loud and clear. You profess pride in seducing a good man and trying to harm his daughter with it. Tut-tut Helenna. Tut-tut.” The fact she actually said the words, rather than tutting at her was even more annoying.

“Malam?”

“Helenna?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Must we repeat.” Malam took a step back, looked up at the sky, put the back of her hand to the forehead and spun in a circle as if she was a play. “Oh please Helenna, spare me your evils! Oh mighty seductress, I beg thee flee my house and leave my family alone.”

“I…” Helenna said, blinking. She was definitely being toyed with. Surely not… “Do you not care?”

“Oh harlot! Please, do not try to tempt me too! My fair and noble heart will break and I will run off a cliff to escape your charms!”

“MALAM!” Helenna snapped. “MALAM! SPEAK TO ME!”

And finally, Malam did stop. She stood up straight, clasped her hands to her sides, the readjusted and slid them behind her back. And of all the words that could have come out of those lips, Helenna did not expect those. “Are you stupid?” Malam asked.

Yes. Helenna was stupid. Helenna had thrown their relationship off a cliff because she lost her cool at some worthless internet slang. But that could not be said of course. “What do you mean?”

“How old are you?” Malam asked.

“In ages or years?” After a certain point, Helenna had honestly lost count. She was sure most Divines did.

“I know so don’t worry. We’re both ancient.” Malam said. “Frankly, the fact you’re such a girlfailure that you think sleeping with my dad would sting just tells me how old you are.” Helenna blinked in surprise. Surely she wasn’t going to be lectured now. After all this? And from Malam, of all people? “Frankly, I am quite proud of myself.” Malam nodded to herself and took a deep breath to force her chest out.

“WHAT?!”

“My father has slept with the Goddess of Love!” Malam declared so loudly Helenna flinched and looked around, hoping no one else would hear. Surely those mortals were far away enough. Surely… “And who else has?”

“MALAM!” Helenna yelled in outrage. The aircrews had made a cordon now that it was obvious the Goddesses were talking to themselves. It was either Kassandora or Arascus who had started this tradition, maybe it was Malam, maybe it was just in their nature, but Helenna was grateful for it.

“Yes?” Malam asked.

“Don’t ask me that!” Helenna tried to keep her tone controlled.

“Well?” Malam asked. “Why not?”

“What the fuck do you mean!? Do I ask you about these things?!”

“I’m the Goddess of Hatred.” Malam said. “Title speaks for itself, does it not? I get chills when people touch my spine.” Helenna blinked at Malam and tilted her head.

“And that means what?”

“Surely you are smart enough to work it out.” Malam replied and Helenna could only stare. Her mind went so blank she could barely form words. Malam just sighed heavily and shook her head. “Do you want a hint?” Helenna could only nod. What a creature. To think she could outdo Helenna in such a game of words. “It means I am so starved for connection that I melt like jelly the moment anyone tries.” Helenna heard the words once. Then heard them again in her mind. She felt her cheeks turn red and her hair turn bright pink in embarrassment.

Helenna didn’t even know why the words came out of her mouth. “I’m sorry.” What a mess. What a mess both of them were. What tragic failures. She came in close and hugged her friend. “I’m sorry Malam.”

“There there little girlfailure.” Malam said as she hugged back. “For all you know, I could be lying.”

“Are you?”

“I may just be.” Malam said. “I may just be lying. Who knows? I am who I am. Just the Goddess of Hatred, nothing less, nothing more. Just Malam.” And Malam let go. “Come on, we have a job to do.”

“Sorry again.”

“Don’t be.” Malam said. “And I’m flattered.”

“What about?”

“My father bedded the Goddess of Love!” Once again, instead of laughing, she actually spoke the laughter and made some horrendous posture, her back craned and her mouth covered by a hand. “Tee-hee-hee Helenna. Tee-hee-hee. What a lineage I come from.” It was supposed to be the other way around! How could Malam throw it around at Helenna now!?

“You’re fucking adopted!” Helenna shouted.

“Doesn’t work that way.” Malam said. “It’s Divine family, his spirit passed on to me. It’s just the way it is.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is!”

“Well I guess we’ll never know.” Malam said happily. “Now come on, I want a drink.” Helenna pointed to the flask on the woman’s belt. It was a delicate silver thing with a hawk engravement. Apparently, Fer had gotten it made as a gift for her sister. That hurt too. Helenna never got gifts.

“Don’t you have one?”

“I drank it on the way.”

“Drunk.”

“Girlfailure.”

“SHUT UP!” Helenna took a few steps, saw Malam return to her confident swaying and sighed heavily. Genius. Genius. Downright genius. They all called Kassandora the smartest Goddess in existence but that was wrong. Kassandora was a mere speck in comparison to the intelligence Malam carried. How she did it, Helenna did not even know. Maybe it was just a different school of thought entirely. Maybe Helenna had been stunted by the White Pantheon. No one on the Mountain would have been able to twist words in such a fashion. It would have ended in someone getting paralyzed for a while and Allasaria telling Kavaa not to heal so that a lesson could be taught. And Malam had somehow turned it into a fucking joke.

How?

Just a genius of a creature. Helenna realised Malam was staring at her with a satisfied smile. Those pitch-black eyes, so colourless usually, now looked full with life. “Just so you know.” Malam said. “I worked it out long before.”

“You did?”

“Who do you think I am?” Malam asked. “Do you of Luck-Paranoia?”

“Mmh.” Helenna said as they found what was so obviously the problem hangar. It was close by and sectioned off. Captain Douglas and Captain Erik were sat on plastic chairs that had been brought out. Both men were in uniform, their helmets by the feet, and both were smoking talking between themselves.

“They still have it, don’t they?” Malam asked.

“You mean the rest of…” And Helenna trailed off. She hated this part. Why was she not included? “Your family?”

“I do.” Malam said. “It’s obvious. Before the Great War, we all took more risks.” Malam said. “But a hundred years is a long time to form a habit and habits are hard to break.” Malam tapped her flask. “Trust me, I know.”

“Mmh.”

“I spent all of Pantheon Peace thinking Leona was after me.” Malam said. “So apologies, but I’ve made sure to track every movement you have ever done when you were in Kirinyaa before I arrived. I know you two shared a room. I asked dad then.” Malam chuckled. “He said you two mix like sugar and tea, that confirmed it.”

Helenna came to a stop, her hair turning bright red. Her cheeks crimson. Her eyes became blurry as she felt her world start to spin for a moment. “What?”

“Cute.” Malam said, licking her lips. Helenna took a deep breath as more of the mortals pulled away. It was obvious that they were having a conversation, even the base commander who had pulled up in a green vehicle was keeping his distance. “Who is the sugar and who is the tea?”

Helenna had to laugh. It was not mirthful, but it was the best she could do to get moving again. A few quick steps caught up to Malam. “I’m the sugar.” Helenna replied. She may as well play this game. As long as she could it get out of her mind that Malam was the man’s daughter, she could treat it as idle gossip. It could even be fun! Malam’s next sentence stumped her.

“I think it’s the opposite.”

“He’s the sugar?”

“Well you shove sugar into tea, don’t you?” Malam stumbled forward as Helenna’s fist landed in her back. “Wo-ho-ho Helenna!” Malam shouted. “You don’t have to give me examples of what he did!”

“NEVER!” Helenna shouted. “NEVER! NEVER FUCKING EVER PHRASE IT LIKE THAT! WHAT THE FUCK!?” Some of the mortals had obviously heard that and Malam burst out in laughter. Her pristine snow-white hair practically danced around her.

“I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding.” Malam said. Helenna didn’t even a moment to recover. “We all you gently put the sugar in and then give it a slow stir.” It took a few moments for Helenna to process it again.

“I fucking hate you.”

“Girlfailure.”

“I don’t care Malam.” Helenna said. She crossed her arms and looked away. Frankly, if Malam was going to be so theatrical the time, then there was no reason Helenna should control herself.

“There we go!” Malam exclaimed. “The old bones aren’t hurting as you move around?”

“Aren’t you older than me?”

“I don’t know.” Malam said. This was the worst part. Sometimes, Malam would just pester, sometimes, she sounded as if she was being honest. Helenna turned back to Malam, the Goddess of Hatred was smiling as she lifted the yellow tape sectioning off what was presumably the Raptor hangar off. She snapped her fingers and whistled at the two Raptor pilots. Both threw their cigarettes away and stood up. Helenna waited for Malam to cross. “I’m serious, I don’t know. Where did you incarnate?”

“Epa.”

“Thanks for narrowing it down.”

“I don’t know. Just a forest near a tribe.”

“Same here.” Malam said. “What times.”

“I wouldn’t call it that.” When Helenna had incarnated, humanity was being threatened by monsters which could shapeshift into humanity. It was only because of the internal bonds Helenna could create that the tribe had survived. “So?” She nodded to the hangar as the pair of pilots got close. They couldn’t be popular. The rest of the airbase crew were giving them dirty looks.

“I’m holding it up for you.” Malam said and Helenna’s eyes widened. She honestly blushed at her own stupidity, her hair turned to a delicate light brown and she ducked under the tape. Malam followed. “You know who can’t take nice things being done to them?”

“Is it your favourite word?”

“Girlfailure.” This time, Helenna just let it slide. There was nothing to say. Malam would get bored eventually. They got to the huge hangar doors and Malam clicked her tongue as the pilots changed their walk to a sprint. “Shouldn’t there be Divine doors about?”

“Shouldn’t we talk to the pilots?”

“Do you want to?” Malam asked.

“I mean…” Helenna turned to Malam and to the two men. “Isn’t it smart?”

“Do your thing, I’m not your mother.” Malam said, she turned, that sly mouth twisted upwards as if she was going to make another joke again and then she leaned to look past Helenna at the two men. “Do your thing.” Malam said as she turned, back to the door, and leaned on it. Helenna didn’t even want to consider where that joke would go. She watched Malam cross her arms, close her eyes and press one foot against the door. Then smile again. “I look cool, don’t I?”

“Get off the internet.” Helenna said and spun around to the mortals. They just about reached her stomach, both pulled clean military salutes that Helenna returned. “What happened?”

Captain Douglas spoke first. “Goddess Helenna… Goddess Malam.” That was standard. Helenna listened to Malam audibly yawn from behind her. “The Raptors have incarnated. They are Divine.” Helenna took a deep breath and just about stopped herself from boasting to Malam. This had been her project. Toppling an insurrection Malam? Apologies, she had just proved Gods and Goddesses could be manufactured. Police operations paled in comparison to that.

“What is the issue then?” Helenna asked. The two pilots looked at each other nervously as a crowd formed. Airbase workers were pretending not to be curious. Everyone kept their distance.

“Well…” The pilots both went red in the face as Douglas trailed off. His eyes went to Erik and the man stepped up.

“They’re…” He took a deep breath. “We don’t want to offend Goddess.”

“Just out with it.” As harsh as the words were, Helenna kept her tone gentle. There was no reason to scare these men. Humans could not be held to the same standards as Divines.

“They’re like children.” Erik said quickly. “They won’t listen and we don’t know what to do.” Helenna straightened her back and turned to Malam. The woman was still pretending to… What was she even doing? Leaning on the hangar door, one foot on it, arms crossed, head down, eyes closed.

“Malam!” Helenna snapped and immediately the Goddess of Hatred straightened. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.” Malam said. “I was…” She trailed off. It was theatricality at this point. Helenna knew it was. Just showing off in front of the mortals. Malam was far too fast to actually ever be stuck for words. “Pondering.”

It took all of Helenna’s will not to throw that word right back at her. Who actually said that in real life? “Do you know what to do?”

“I assume you’ll be better in this situation.” Malam said. “What are we supposed to do? Pat them on the head?”

“Do they have bodies?” Helenna asked, turning back to the men. “As in.” She used her hands to gesture to herself. “Human bodies.”

“They…” Douglas trailed off. “They appear and disappear every now and then. They go into the plane like…” He shrugged. “Like a ghost basically, it’s hard to explain.”

“And does the plane move itself?” Helenna asked. That was the important question. Both men nodded immediately.

“Yes Goddess.” Douglas answered.

“Is it dangerous?” And this one, the two men trailed off again.

“I don’t know.” Douglas said and looked to Erik. The other man sounded just as baffled by the question. Helenna pressed Erik with a hard gaze and forced him to give her an answer.

The man lasted just two seconds before he cracked. “They destroyed the other planes but didn’t shoot at anyone inside. No casualties report I mean, but equipment loss.”

“How many planes?” Helenna asked.

“Eight.” Malam whistled from behind at the answer and Helenna stood up.

“Is there anything we should know about before we enter?” Both men shook their heads. Helenna could practically see the honesty painted over their faces. Their eyes weren’t lying, their mouths weren’t tugging as if they were trying to hide a fib. It was all just trepidation and nervousness and borderline-confusion. “Alright then. Make distance but stay close if we need you.” Helenna said and Malam kicked off the door. Show-off.

“You didn’t ask them for the door.” Malam whispered.

“Alcohol’s getting to your eyes.” Helenna said and walked to the Divine door. Every military installation worth any grain of salt had one of these. They were never glorious, usually just being a huge barn door. Here, into the grain steel of the hanger, it was framed so that the smaller door for the humans was built onto the same spot as the Divine door. Helenna pulled the bolt up. It didn’t even have a lock. Although it was heavy enough that it probably wouldn’t need one.

“Grey on grey.” Malam said. “Easy to miss.”

“Like a needle in a haystack.” Helenna swung it open and took a step inside. Malam followed her.

Helenna did not know what she expected. Malam stopped by her side and both Goddesses stared at… Well, it was scrapheaps. That was the best way to put it. Just scrapheaps. Everything, from the cabinets to the tools to a truck that had been parked here to the carcasses of eight different planes had been smashed and torn apart and then reassembled into a pair of what could only be called nests. Oil leaked from certain spots, the smell of gasoline was thick in the air. It was a match waiting to blue, Helenna did not even care though.

She had seen the Raptors before. She had been the one Arascus had put in charge to turn the vehicles into Divines after all. They had been great planes with four engines and a massive wingspan. Originally built for long-distance flying and top speed, then remodelled several times. Once to add bigger wing-flaps, another to add machine guns on the front. Another to re-do the cargo bay. To add missile bays under the wings. There had even been talks of installing small bomb bays on the underside, although the Divine Mass-Manufacture Project had sent refits down the drain. But that was what the plains had been.

Now, they sat in their nests of steel. Still flat, still all sharp angles, yet now their wings were bent slightly as if they had laid them down. The vertical stabilizer in the rear had almost deflated. The paint had moved. Both Raptors had been painted with a yellow beak and red-eye. That red eye was closed, as was the yellow peak. Helenna’s eyes picked out the lack of a cannon immediately. It should be… Surely they had not closed their mouths? Surely not. But it made sense, she could see a line that traced the outline and…

Impossible. Malam leaned in and whispered. “They’re breathing, I’m seeing that right? Right? They’re fucking breathing.”

“They are breathing.” Helenna said. She could see the main hull of the plane, now just slightly bent as they lay in their nests moving up and down in the same manner as a stomach did when it breathed.

What exactly where they looking at? Helenna felt herself be pushed forward by a slap on the back. “I’ll leave it to you.”

“And what am I supposed to do?!” Helenna shouted as she spun to Malam. The Goddess of Hatred had that annoying smile on her face again. Something terrible was coming.

“Pray Helenna and don’t be a child. Surely you can wrangle a few planes if you can wrangle my father.”

The cosmic universe had a grand sense of humour because Helenna didn’t know if she hated or loved this creature, but she did know she deserved it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep