The Moon Goddess and Her Mate

In a palace in the sky

In a wide room, there were two women, whose faces resembled each other, like they were sisters. However, what made the difference was that one woman was standing in front as if teaching something. Meanwhile, another girl sat on a chair, watching carefully.

In a place used for studying, there were so many books neatly arranged on the shelves. In addition, it was dazzling in there, which made any object clearly visible. It must thrill anyone who enjoyed reading activities to be there because the atmosphere was so comfortable, making them feel at home for a long time. We could say that the place, too, was a library.

A breeze entered the room, making the atmosphere cool even though it was still noon. They created no conversation because only a woman's voice was still standing in front, explaining everything she knew to the student who was faithfully listening to the lesson.

The right hand of the silver-haired virgin seemed to hold a quill, which seemed to have been dipped in a spot of black ink. On the table, you could see some parchments. It has filled some of it with writing and some that were still blank. When she felt she had to take notes without thinking, she immediately did this, and her handwriting looked neat so that it would not be difficult whenever she wanted to read it.

"After learning a little about the earth, now we learn about mortals. We called them mortal because they can die." The beautiful woman who was speaking in the room in front continued her teaching.

"Humans are a nation that is brutal, dirty and likes to kill each other. In fact, without a doubt waging wars and colonizing other areas, just for the sake of expanding the area of power. Such actions are more heinous than animals and certainly cause great chaos. We, as immortal - Gods and Goddess who are higher in rank, should always stay away from them, for there is no use except those who are High Priests, High Priestesses, and all who are chosen to serve the gods and goddesses in their respective temples."

"Mortals only care about wealth, rank, and women. Rarely do they have good qualities, let alone worship us consistently. They come five times a year at most, that is because there is a ceremony. When there is something to be achieved, then all humans, including kings, all generals, warlords, and armies, go to the temple to ask for blessings and victory. It is disgusting."

The teacher's tone sounded disgusted as she said all this, but she quickly got over herself because she had to return to her lessons.

"Therefore, it is not surprising that many of their people have died because of wars, epidemics, and natural disasters. Greed has overtaken people's hearts, so that what they sow, that is what they reap, and rightly so. However, all of that did not make them realize it, instead blaming us as gods and goddesses who had nothing to do with it. What a barbaric accusation from the mortals."

The beautiful woman was silent for a moment as if someone had stopped the explanation. However, a few moments later, she continued speaking again to continue the teaching process that had been running.

Meanwhile, the virgin, who was a student, kept writing whatever she felt was necessary so that the parchment she used immediately became full of writing. There was no question-and-answer session yet, but this did not dampen the young girl's enthusiasm for learning. In fact, she was very excited and curious, so she wanted to ask questions, but she temporarily canceled the intention.

The theme of this lesson is really interesting, which is about mortals. I have never seen them before and have never interacted before, so knowledge about them is minimal. Mom is older than me, so she must know everything that goes on in the human world. If only I were allowed to ask, I would ask her. Be patient, Atvertha, do not spoil the atmosphere, so you will not get into trouble later, thought the intelligent and critical woman who was still writing on parchment.

After explaining for a while, the beautiful woman with long blonde hair still standing at the front seemed to stop speaking. The pair of brilliant blue eyes stared at the interlocutor, who was still in her original position - remaining silent, paying attention to the words spoken by the teacher.

"Is there any question? If you really have it, you can just ask now. Do not hesitate. I will wait for it before I dismissed the class."

When she heard those words, the silver-haired girl with a pale skin with no expression now seemed to raise her hand. She seemed impatient to say something so that when she got permission to ask, then such an opportunity would not be missed.

"Is there anything you want to ask, Atvertha? You can tell me now." A slender woman who wore a bright yellow dress used a formal tone of voice with the other goddess. Her facial expressions looked flat, so that situation made anyone feel shy.

The owner of the name nodded when she was allowed to ask questions. She unhesitatingly vented her pent-up heart.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I would like to ask Goddess Avtexia, as the Goddess who rules the sun in the two worlds: mortal and magical creatures, you must have gone through so many phases of life. Have you ever experienced difficulties when facing humans? If so, what actions are the most annoying of them?"

The teacher, Goddess Avtexia, was silent for a long time when she heard the question from the student, whose faces were very similar as if there was no age difference between them. That slender woman exhaled heavily as if she could not say clearly the burden on her mind. Meanwhile, the pale-faced woman who was still holding the quill was still waiting for an answer.

"Atvertha, as already explained, mortals are a savage, dirty nation and love to kill each other. They like to rape women, seize the rights of others. They are greedy for property, and hurt animals with no fault at all. Come to think of it, how can such a creature exist? It is ridiculous!" That pair of blue eyes seemed to light up as she answered the question. The tone of voice also sounded furious, as if she wanted to destroy all the humans mentioned negatively.

"Mortals are not loyal creatures. They even kill magical creatures, namely witches, fairies, and mermaids. All get out of the area controlled by humans, so as not to perish! It is disgusting!"

The young girl, who had a pair of violet eyes, looked dumbfounded. She seemed unable to believe what she had just heard, so she blinked a few times. A look of surprise was seen there, but lips remained tight. The quill nearly slipped off as its grip on the object loosened. However, such an event did not happen because the young goddess swiftly tightened her grip again.

The goddess who reigned over the sun glared at the interlocutor as if she had made a mistake. The virgin realized this action, who was still watching the teacher carefully. "Why are you even acting like that? Is there something strange?" asked Goddess Avtexia.

"Mom... no. I am just curious. Do all mortals behave like that? Is there not one or some of them who are good-hearted, who do not do such things? Definitely the-"

Before Atvertha could finish speaking, the other person cut her, who was already showing an annoyed expression.

"Goddess Atvertha, enough stupid questions like that! You can't defend them, because you know nothing about mortals! Now, it is better to study diligently, and earnestly, because your duties and responsibilities will be very important, namely representing me in managing the state of the world at night, both magical worlds and mortals, and various things that of course you already know for sure!"

The words of the owner of the pair of blue eyes pierced Atvertha's heart. She was speechless, so the conversation was cut off. The atmosphere in the room became awkward, so the other person, who was the student, did not dare to say anything. Meanwhile, the ruler of the sun turned her face the other way so that what was in view was a bright blue sky.

"Atvertha, no matter what happens to you, never marry a mortal, even if your life is at stake!" Goddess Avtexia said firmly.

The owner of the name frowned because she felt strange by those words. "But why-"

Before she could finish speaking, her mother, who was also the teacher of the pale-faced girl, cut her off. "No buts! Just carry out my orders without arguing!"

The silver-haired smart woman remained silent. She felt something strange about the ban but could not do anything about it because she had already received a warning when she was asking questions from Goddess Avtexia.

***

In a library

The lesson given by the ruler of the sun had ended, so there was only a silver-haired girl in the room full of books. The memory of her mother's words forbidding her to marry a mortal flashed back in her mind, causing a thousand questions to arise in the owner's mind of the pair of violet eyes.

Why do I say that about humans, huh? Are mortals really that bad? As a daughter and a young goddess, of course, I have had no experience related to them. To be honest, judging without knowing it is unwise. But where do I go to find one of them? Ah, I do not know. I feel so pessimistic when I think about it, thought the only daughter of the couple, God Helion and Goddess Avtexia.

Her right hand closes a bottle containing black ink with a lid, as a sign that it has been used. She plugged the quill that had been used earlier back into its original place. She did not forget that she neatly rolled the parchments that already contained the writing up. After finishing with such actions, the owner of a pale face looked around. There was only herself. The virgin took a deep breath, then stood up from where she had been. Before taking a step, she looked at the table, then realized that there was still one thing missing, so she could not help but have to clear things up first.

"O perchamento tev tionth!" [1] she said firmly. The bright young woman said so while looking at the many parchments

Before long, all the parchments that had contained writings disappeared from view. The pale expression felt relieved in her heart, even though she did not show it directly. "Okay, now better go back to the room to rest, though I do not know what I am going to do there yet," Atvertha muttered.

The Moon Goddess immediately stepped from there, feeling empty. The atmosphere in the palace looked deserted because there was no conversation there. The guards stood in every corner as if ensuring the safety of the owner of the residence. Meanwhile, sturdy pillars are easy to find there, giving the impression that the building is strong and safe from various disturbances.

When she was halfway through, the silver-haired girl accidentally turned her face in the opposite direction so that she could accidentally see the scene far away below. Goddess Atvertha accidentally looked down at the earth. In a forest, there was a man lying on the ground with a wounded body, and something tore his clothes as if an attack had hit him.

The sight shocked the silver hair owner's heart. She could see all events clearly as if such events were within a very close radius. The slender girl became stunned, not because the situation amazed her, but because a sense of compassion arose in her heart so that it disturbed the attention of the existing girl, which could make the girl silent for a while.

"What happened to the mortal? Is he ok? He seems dying," Atvertha muttered.

Her tone of voice was low because she did not want anyone to know, but she was filled with anxiety as if she was afraid that something might happen to the man.

What happened to the mortal? Has anyone tried to kill him? Who will help him if no other humans come there? I have to get there before it is too late! Atvertha's determination.

"Agmentho!" [2]

After saying so, the slender body disappeared from view so that no one could see, especially the guards. The girl immediately flew down towards the earth, where the strange man lay helpless. Inside the mind, thoughts of anxiety, panic, and fear have been mixed into one. She wanted nothing bad to happen to the mortal male, even though while studying, she had received a warning from Goddess Avtexia.

I hope the man does not die. Why did he get hurt? Could it be that the man was about to be robbed, or maybe the incident had already happened? It could be that that person had already been the target of the assassination, so he fought back, and it became a fierce fight. Mom said if mortals like to kill others, so most likely, that was what happened to that mortal male. Ah, I hope nothing happens so that I can save his life soon, Atvertha hoped.

The owner of a pair of violet eyes continued to fly towards the earth. There, it was nighttime, in stark contrast to the atmosphere in the brightly lit palace. The silver-haired young woman kept her eyes on the forest, where she had seen an injured man lying there.

Apparently, the pulse of the mortal male was still there, although he felt weak. However, this made Atvertha happy because the person had not died at all.

"I have to scan all over his body. So, I will know what this man has been through. I hope I am not too late. Agrentho magdonathz!" [3]

Now, the eyes of the Moon Goddess shone brightly. She could see what had happened to the mortal male and the cause of the man being seriously injured, even dying, caused by a wild animal attack. Atvertha started chanting the spell, "O mortale et vradionzat natgehrto!" [4]

A white light escaped from Atvertha's lips, grew bigger and bigger, and entered the stranger's body. The girl stared at the poor guy without saying a word. The blood that had flowed slowly dried up in less than a minute. However, the mortal male's condition was still a concerned, so the only daughter of the couple, God Helion and Goddess Avtexia looked around as if looking for something.

The slim woman immediately headed there when she found what she was looking for. After arriving at her destination, Atvertha, as soon as possible, took some of the plants that were there. Anxiety arose in the goddess's heart because she wanted nothing to happen to a mortal male. A few moments later, the silver-haired girl returned to where the man was lying. When she got there, the wretched man was still unconscious.

Atvertha started rubbing her hands where there were a lot of medicinal herbs. In fact, the goddess' eyes turned red, and she did not utter a spell at all. After finishing, a two-hundred-and-seventy-year-old woman applied the crushed medicinal herbs to the areas where there were wounds, such as the head, stomach, hands, and feet.

In less than two minutes, the herbal medicine has been applied. Atvertha looked turned around. "Done. I can go back to the palace. I have to go this quickly before any other gods or goddesses see me here," the girl muttered quietly.

However, this desire was suddenly cancelled because she turned her body back towards the mortal male. The condition of the brown-skinned man with sturdy jaws remained the same. He did not move at all, although his chest was still heaving, a sign that the person was still alive.

"Should I leave him alone here? Or should I-"

***

[1] O perchamento tev tionth! = O parchment, disappear!

[2] Agmentho! = Disappear!

[3] Agrentho magdonathz! = Find the disease!

[4] O mortale et vradionzat natgehrto! = O mortal, heal completely!

In a forest on Earth

A slender woman seemed to be silent for a moment, looking at the man who was still lying weakly on the ground. A light breeze brushed against the goddess's body. There was the sound of an owl, which added to the solemnity of the night. The sharp-nosed girl, including her long silver hair, let the wind hit her body.

"No. I can't do that. He could die if I left him alone," said Atvertha while shaking her head slowly. "I have to find a cave, a safe one so that there will be no more danger when I return to the palace."

The pale-faced beautiful girl rubbed her hands again, then focused on them. "O agni, thatverth diontz et mortal tetzhiont!" [1]

Atvertha's eyes turned red again. She opened her palms, which started to see the fire from there. The violet-eyed girl blew towards the burly man, so the fire landed on the mortal male's head, and then spread to the whole body of that guy.

In less than a minute, all around the man's burly body was engulfed in flames. However, the fire did not burn the mortal male's body. The pale-faced woman immediately flew low while looking for the desired cave.

"I hope I can find a cave around here because I want to take him as soon as possible. If the man is left alone, sooner or later he can die."

Ten minutes later, Atvertha stopped looking, because she saw that twenty meters ahead, there was already a large rock that was wide open in the middle. The virgin seemed to float in front of the mouth of the cave, saying, "Obgethentha tu!" [2]

The Moon Goddess could clearly see the situation in the cave. After being silent for a while, Atvertha felt that this place was a suitable area for the man who was still unconscious. "Well, I think this place is suitable for the mortal male. He will be safe here, and I will add a protection spell for him before I go from this forest."

A two hundred-and-seventy-year-old woman raised her hand, then pointed in the direction where the brown-haired man was. "Tatmanth te oghtiz o mortal!" [3]

The man's burly body, which was still shrouded in flames, slowly rose from where he was lying and then flew toward the summoner. The high-nosed girl looked up at the sky with an expressionless gaze. "Hopefully, Mom and Dad do not notice if I am gone too long. I have to help this mortal first and make sure he is safe."

In less than two minutes, the body of a foreign man whose name the Moon Goddess had not yet recognized arrived there. Atvertha, who realized this, immediately turned to the mortal. Without many words, the pale-faced girl floated towards the mouth of the cave, raising her right hand. "Lightalo!" [4]

Instantly, the situation inside the cave became bright because there were so many torches there. The situation inside the place looked dirty. There were many cobwebs, which were not well maintained because no humans inhabited them. It surprised a spider who was there when he realized this.

He also saw if there began to be two other figures that seemed to fly flying. They seemed to be about to enter a cave, so the spider asked, albeit in a low voice, "Who is that?"

The girl, who was the only daughter of the couple, God Helion and Goddess Avtexia, as soon as possible turned to the spider, saying nothing. The eight-legged beast was surprised because he seemed to recognize the figure of a woman who was standing but floating in the air.

"Goddess Atvertha, forgive me for not knowing that you came," said the spider, bowing his head slightly as if to pay his respects.

"Spider, I brought a male mortal. I found him in the forest but on the other side." Atvertha moved her face to the right so the spider understood. Meanwhile, the body of the unknown man remained floating in the air but was behind the body of that goddess.

"Something injured him, and he is still unconscious. I will use this cave to keep him safe before I go back to the palace. This mortal will be staying here longer because it is waiting for the mortal male to wake up. Do you mind that?" asked Atvertha. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, making the spider shy.

"Sure, Goddess. You can use this cave. It is my honour to keep him here. I will not disturb the mortal and leave him here until he recovers," replied the spider obediently.

The beautiful goddess remained silent, then refocused on the inside of the cave, which needed to be cleaned before taking any other action. Atvertha raised both hands so that the wind seemed to sweep the floor and the dirty walls. However, the cobwebs were not damaged at all, so the black spider was relieved. The sharp-nosed young girl again did the same thing, so suddenly, a medium-sized wooden table appeared, where there was a set of clean men's clothes, food, and drinks.

Not long after, a wooden bed with a clean blanket also appeared in the cave's interior, so that now the situation there is suitable for a mortal male who is still unconscious. The goddess's right hand pointed towards the man's body, then towards the bed, so that the man's body flew towards it.

When the man's body was lying on the bed, Goddess Atvertha approached the mortal. The bright light in the cave made the poor man's face clearly visible to the Moon Goddess. A young lady was stunned for a moment because a strange feeling stirred, which occurred when she looked at the faces of the opposite sex, even though they came from different classes and castes. The girl's heart beat faster so that such an event surprised her.

Meanwhile, a spider who had been the interlocutor just observed what was happening but acted as if he did not know about it.

Why am I even like this? What is wrong with me? Am I sick? It seems not right. I have to go now before Mom and Dad realize that I have come down to earth. Even helping a mortal, even though while studying, Mom had warned her not to be close to any human, thought the violet-eyed girl who suddenly remembered her conversation with her mother – Goddess Avtexia.

The goddess, who was restless, finally began to turn around and, at the same time, turned her gaze in another direction. Atvertha looked at the spider who was knitting the web so as not to look at the pale-faced girl. The quiet atmosphere in the cave made her restless heart become more and more restless, so she felt she had to leave as soon as possible. "Spider."

The spider turned his body to face the other person because he heard his name had just been called. Turned out the goddess was staring at him. "Yes, Goddess?"

"I provide everything there for the mortal male, including food and drinks. Make a net in front of the cave, so that no other animals, including other mortals, enter here. If he wakes up and leaves this cave, you can use all of those things for yourself." Goddess Atvertha said to the arthropod beast.

The spider seemed to nod obediently. "Alright, the Moon Goddess. It is an honour for me to carry out Your orders."

A virgin goddess just stayed silent, staring at the spider for a few seconds, then flew off towards the outside of the cave. After arriving at her destination area, Atvertha flew into the sky as soon as possible. The memory of the male mortal's face will never be forgotten. However, she tried to get all that out of her mind.

That smart girl had already returned to the palace a few moments later. The atmosphere was still quiet, so Atvertha immediately hurried into her room. When she got there, she went in as soon as possible and then locked the door from the inside. The male human expression flashed again, so the Moon Goddess grabbed her chest, making her heart beat faster.

"What happened to me? Is it a normal thing? It is weird. Why do I always remember that man and at the same time even my heart beat faster like this? Could it be-"

***

[1] O agni, thatverth diontz et mortal tetzhiont! = O fire, be the fence that protects for this mortal!

[2] Obgethentha tu! = Open the veil!

[3] Tatmanth te oghtiz o mortale! = Datanglah ke sini o mortal! = Come here, o mortal!

[4] Lightalo! = Shine!