The Goddess That Was A Mistake

The man with the spear quickly lost the amus.e.m.e.nt on his face after hearing Silorek's words.

Jumping down from his horse with an agile motion, the burly older man landed on his feet with ease, holding the long spear in his hand. His Bright pink coat fluttered in the air behind him as he made his jump, provoking a stifled laugh from Riya who seemed to not realize this situation might take a turn for the worst.

"Young boy, I don't think you heard me clearly the first time." the man said calmly as he walked up to Silorek. The young priest squinted his eyes at the approaching man and quickly brandished a short sword from the inside of his robe. "I believe you are the one who didn't hear me clearly." He replied.

But his actions only elected a bark of laughter from the man.

Then it all happened too fast for Riya to even react.

The man dashed forward suddenly, moving with a speed Silorek was not expecting nor prepared for and buried the b.u.t.t of his spear into the priest's stomach. All Riya heard was a groan of pain, as Silorek took a few steps back and fell to the ground.

The leader of the rider's stood his place as he pulled back his spear to his side with a practiced motion, and watched the young priest fall to the ground. "I warned you this would happen." He said as he turned back to his horse once more.

"Sil!" Riya shrieked in terror, as she watched her priest get battered into the ground by the comical looking pink man she was laughing at earlier. She reflexively dropped the baby in her hand without a second thought and ran towards Silorek.

Of course, she paid the hefty price of a patch of hair left in the laughing baby's closed fist.

"Sil, are you okay? Oh dear god please be okay." The violet robed brunette held Silorek's shoulder, as he lay on his side, holding his knees to his c.h.e.s.t.

He tried to speak, but he could only cough and pant in pain.

'I...I'm alright...y-your r-radiance." He finally managed to blurt out.

Riya's eye squinted in rage, as her heart raced faster and her breathing grew deeper. How dare he strike down her priest like this? She was a Goddess now, not a scared young man hiding from the world in his room. She would demand he pays for what he had done or make him pay, she thought to herself.

She stood up and looked up at the leader who was now settling on top of his horse once more, joking amongst his fellow riders. Her c.h.e.s.t was seething inside her like a furnace, she had to do something.

The Goddess inside her sprang into action, as Riya moved towards the man on his horse, who noticed her coming and turned back to look at her with a smile. "And his fake Goddess comes next." He said mockingly, causing his friends to break out in laughter at her.

She did not realize how she looked as she stood there, with her hair standing haphazardly in a mess, like she repeatedly took lighting bolts head on.

But as she stood before the riders and opened her mouth to give them a piece of her mind, her words caught in her throat.

It was the same feeling she always felt. That feeling that made her want to cacoon back into her room whenever she felt a conflict brewing or a social situation she wasn't prepared for unfolding. "That was the old me, I'm not that person anymore." She said to her cowering self, as she tried to speak up.

"Speak for yourself! Speak up for Silorek who defended you!" The Goddess within her shouted.

But nothing came out.

"Are you a mute Goddess too?" the man barked in laughter again, completely ignoring the few incoherent words she managed to spit out with difficulty. Shame welled inside Riya's c.h.e.s.t as she found herself unable to respond to their aggressors. She wanted to simply go back to her temple and never come out again. Why would she think she could stand up to these armed men when she couldn't even stand up to bullies all her life as Abdo? All he could ever do was crack a joke or two and hope to be amusing enough to ignore.

"Loindel. What do you think you are doing?" A feminine voice called out from behind the man, as the door of the carriage opened, and a young woman walked out towards them.

"Just dealing with a few beggars who don't seem to know the first thing about respect. Tell the Priestess we will be moving soon." The leader of the riders told the young approaching woman. The young woman was dressed in a mesmerizing rose red dress, covered only slightly by a light pink coat that she wore hung about her arms. Her long black hair cascaded down in black lush waves, and her tinted cheeks and lips only accentuated her youth and beauty.

Riya watched the dazzling woman, and she couldn't help but think to herself, "That's what a real Goddess should look like."

"We have an important delivery to make as soon as possible, you fool! The High priestess demands you start moving immediately, and leave these people alone. She seemed unusually angry, so I would do as ordered if I was you, Loindel." The beautiful young woman spoke to the man with a hint of scorn while studying Riya. She then glanced at Silorek who was still on the ground, before shaking her head and walking back to the Carriage.

The leader of the riders tensed up at the woman's words and nodded to the Carriage. They all then began to move again, completely ignoring Riya and passing around them. Showing that there was always space for them to pass by if they wanted to.

The host of the priestess moved swiftly, not giving Riya a second glance as she stood in her place.

When it was the gaudy carriage's turn to roll by Riya, the young Goddess found herself looking at a pale-faced woman with remarkably scarlet red lips. The woman stared back at her intently. Her face mostly hidden by the curtains that covered the Carriage window, except for a small slit that showed a part of her pure visage.

But what almost swept Riya of her feet was the scent that accompanied the coming of the Carriage.

As the carriage rolled by an unbelievably sweet scent assailed Riya's nostrils, clouding her thoughts and sending her senses into a frenzy. For a moment, she lost herself within the otherworldly aroma. "Is this what getting high feels like?' She thought to herself as she smiled, completely forgetting everything she was feeling a minute ago.

This scent, this smell.

It was everything.

But it was all gone too soon, leaving her stranded behind with all the bitter and familiar feelings that came rushing back at her in a violent gush.