We Are Taking Down the Goddess

Bitter Memory

The world was a blur. Constant images flooded Kana’s mind. She remembered Ichika’s eyes as she stared at her when the sand took her by the feet. She remembered the lust in the bandit’s eyes as he held onto her younger sibling. His hands were dirty. His sword was bloody. The woman couldn’t handle the thought of what might happen to Ichika if she doesn’t hurry back.

A couple of moments later, after Kana finally regained her composure, she opened her eyes and found herself sitting in the middle of a massive field. There were long golden seed heads that moved like steady waves with every breeze. Her clothes were ruined; exposing bits and pieces of her bare skin. Her face, arms, and legs were covered in dirt, and her hair was thrown into a messy bun that hung loose. From all the fighting and dragging, her nails were filled with leftover human skin and plenty of soil. Even her gorgeous makeup was smudged and her white veil was nowhere to be found.

-        “Where am I?! I have to go back! Ichika!!!”

The woman screamed from the top of her lungs. In her eyes, there was only panic. That’s when she realized she was not alone. There were other people nearby that were just as stunned as she was. They all looked at her in disbelief; then they took a good look at each other. There was no one familiar around them and the place was a complete mystery. Even the breath of fresh air seemed different from what they were used to. But, Kana couldn’t care less about those unfamiliar faces or the unknown surroundings. Instead, she was desperately looking for her younger sibling.

That’s when a tall and handsome elf, with long blonde hair and a majestic silver crown, approached them. Over a dozen guards and a beautiful dwarf woman accompanied him. When the man came closer, she introduced him loudly for all to hear.

-        “This is his majesty Prince Folwin Azidora I. My name is Valerie and you have been summoned to the world of Elidy to become adventurers and protect this land.”

-        “New adventurers.” – the elf approached with a domineering presence. “Welcome. We give you the ultimate opportunity to live a life of freedom. True freedom! Where you decide your own destiny. Unshackled by the norms of your society. Here, you can thrive and become the greatest heroes the world has ever known. All you have to do is protect the people of this realm and your greatest desires will become your reality.”

-        “Think of it as a second life. Another chance to become who you are destined to be.” – added Valerie.

-        “What? What is this? Protect people? I ain’t doing jack shit. You can all die for all I care.”

A mysterious young man with a striking physique emerged from the crowd. Kana couldn’t get a good look at his face, but she immediately noticed his tousled bright red hair, which was lustrous and thick. His ear peaked out revealing some strange accessories pinched inside the skin. The woman has never seen objects like these before. Such odd black earrings. Where Kana was from, only women wore that kind of jewelry. But, black earrings – that was truly unfathomable. Then, as the man waved his hands around in disapproval, Kana noticed a phoenix tattoo and nails painted pitch black. She was dumbfounded.

-        “Of course, you will gain something in return.” – the right side of the elf’s lip tugged upwards, forming a sinister smirk; creating a tempting atmosphere for everyone that looked into his eyes.

-        “And what’s that?” – the man answered unfazed.

-        “Valerie.”

The prince turned around, giving the dwarf the go-to signal. The woman nodded, snapped her fingers, and an ancient book, two times bigger than her hands, emerged out of thin air. The heavy object fell onto her tiny palms like a light feather. She then shuffled through the pages. Once she found the page she was looking for, Valerie turned towards the skies and mumbled with confidence. Infinite blue hues illuminated her eyes, like a blue fire emerging from her pupils. Her words sounded oddly melodic. Kana couldn’t understand a syllable the woman said. But, for some reason, every sentence she spoke, it sounded both sweet and venomous, like a chocolate cake sprayed with poison. Everyone else just stared in awe.

As Valerie held her book towards the sky, strange bright light started pulsing from its pages. Kana watched it flicker, changing colors from white, to yellow, blue, and red. She clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palms. The woman pushed herself off the ground and started walking towards the dwarf lady.

Suddenly, the light burned brighter and flew towards the adventurers-to-be. Once the light merged with their face, the humans’ eyes glowed a different color. Some shined green, others gold, while for that young red-haired man, his pupils turned black.

-        “Awesome!”

-        “Woah!”

-        “So cool!”

The adventurers rejoiced. Having seen magic first hand, they couldn’t help but jump with joy. When the light almost reached Kana’s skin, she tried to block its path by covering her eyes with her hands.

-        “No!”

Kana yelled. She was terrified. Somehow she knew if that light were to merge with her body, she would never see her sister again. But, the light found its way into her mouth and her eyes glowed bright blue. She was mortified.

The moment the light dimmed, a magical weapon erupted in all the adventurers’ hands. Most obtained swords, daggers, bows, and quivers. The young red-haired man was different. He got a scythe – as if the weapon itself was made to open the gates of hell. The man smiled, seemingly pleased with what he received. Kana, however, didn’t get anything. Her hands laid empty. But, she didn’t care. Instead, she swallowed her fear, bolted down the field, and grabbed the prince by his silky shirt.

-        “Send me back!”

Kana stared into his eyes with unwavering determination. She threatened the elf. The guards took her approach as an offensive one and immediately prepared to unsheathe their weapons. The prince noticed their anxiousness and waved his hand to calm them down; giving the guards an obvious signal, that he had the situation under control. The elven warriors took a step back.

-        “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

-        “What do you mean? You brought me here. Take me back!” – the woman didn’t let go of his shirt the whole time she was issuing orders.

-        “If we didn’t teleport you to Elidy when we did, the bandits would have had their way with you. Aren’t you grateful you are safe?”

-        “Safe?! Then bring my sister here.”

-        “I can’t do that. Summoning too many people from the same timeline, even family will tear your world apart. It will send your timeline in disarray.”

-        “What are you talking about?!”

-        “The samurai would have raided the bandit’s den and saved you and your sister. But, in two years' time, your husband would have killed you. He will catch you in bed with another man. The only man you’ve ever loved. Your life was destined to end. But, here, your destiny lies elsewhere. You can do something with your life.”

Her brain stuttered. For a moment there, Kana’s pupils couldn’t take any more light. After a wash of cold found its way into her body, her thoughts paused. Kana loosened her grip around the man’s shirt and waited motionless by his side. She dozed off.

What he said does sound like her. Although she never said it out loud, Kana valued love above all else. She wanted true love and there was a boy in her town that was dear to her. He too loved her very much, but he was poor and her family would never allow them to marry. She knew that deep down if she ever got the chance to see him again, she would jump in his embrace.

-        “How do you know such things?” – Kana mumbled after finally remembering how to breathe.

-        “I do.” – Valerie reached for Kana and took her by the hand. Having never worked a single day in her life, Kana’s skin was as soft as silk. When their fingers intertwined, Valerie continued. “I can see the future. And I’ve seen yours.”

-        “What about Ichika?”

Valerie lowered her head. Her gravity-drawn shoulders painted the perfect picture in Kana’s head. The woman's eyes filled with sadness. But, not a single tear slid down her soft cheeks.

-        “Once your husband-to-be figures out you are not a captive, he will abandon her.”

Every time Valerie opened her mouth, Kana got angrier. She had never felt so much fury bottling up. That rage destroyed her from the inside. It corrupted her sense of reason. It burned her heart.

-        “You took me from my home, knowing that my sister will suffer. For what? To save me? My family is more important to me. She is all I have left! How dare you! How dare you take that away from me!!! SEND. ME. BACK!!!”

That’s when her anger took shape. Her eyes went blank. A powerful force of magic enveloped her body, lifting her off the ground. Strong gust of wind emerged from where she stood, destroying the field that laid in her wake. Two guards rushed to shield his highness, while Valerie and the rest of the elven squad turned their attention towards the shocked adventurers.

At that moment, a powerful gazer emerged from the ground, creating a massive wave. The water enveloped her body, making the adventurers tremble in fear. The shape of her body completely changed. Her human skin lost its warmth and took the color of the sea. Her nose morphed, forcing a small gash under her cheeks to form new gills. She could now breathe both water and air.

-        “Eh? What’s going on?!”

-        “What is this?”

-        “Woah…she is pissed.”

-        “Run!”

-        “Let’s get out of here!”

One by one the adventurers panicked. But, Kana’s changing shape didn’t end there. Her soft feet turned into an elegant fin. The woman was now a stunning mermaid being held by massive water waves above the surface. The only one, who was intrigued by her appearance, was the mysterious red-haired man. He whistled at the sight of her with just a small pouting of his lips. 

-        “I can’t believe this.” – the prince gasped. “She is more powerful than we thought.”

-        “Positions!” – Valerie ordered.

Kana screamed. Powerful gazers came rushing at everyone that stood nearby. The adventurers crouched in fear. As the waves were just about to hit them, the elven guards blocked the powerful shockwave with their massive golden shields. But, that didn’t stop Kana from sending in another attack. She kept relentlessly waving her hands, sending one gazer after another. The skilled elf guards dodged and blocked the onslaught with excellent precision. They were agile and well trained.

-        “Keep it up. She still has no idea how to use her power. Shield the adventurers and his majesty. I will calm her down.”

Valerie mumbled another sentence in an ancient dwarven language, and with it, came bright yellow steps made of pure light. These steps dove from the sky. They were neat and square, adding up together to lead directly behind Kana’s back. The woman quickly jumped from one step to the other. Her body moved in the sky with ease. But, before she could reach the unexpecting woman, Kana turned her head to face Valerie once more. Valerie was stunned. Kana’s eyes had no soul. They were devoid of any emotion. She was just an angered vessel with her power running loose.

Kana raised her hand and sent a typhoon towards the woman with the intent to kill her. Valerie, however, focused. She centered her gaze at the approaching typhoon, and before the current could reach her skin, she uttered another dwarven word. This time, her words formed a powerful vortex that sucked all the water inside. Kana staggered.

As Kana prepared to send another powerful attack, the vortex appeared right in front of her eyes and returned the typhoon in her face. The force sent the enraged Kana flying, and she tumbled to the ground, ending up with over hundreds of new bruises all over her already wounded body. The woman was out cold.  

-        “Ah…Why am I remembering this again?”

Kana shook her head. The woman chose the most painful memory of her life to cling to it. Every time she closes her eyes to sleep, these reminders only keep swarming back. Like an old film reel that plays back and forth with no end.

When she realized she was alive and well, Kana looked up at the cracked ceiling, with the exact same expression she wore back then. Her heart ached and a tear streamed down her cheek. She was in a prison cell that was barely a couple of feet tall. Even if she wanted to stand up, she would hit her head against the ceiling. The walls were thick and a rusty old cage kept her from making a move. The stench of decaying rat corpses and sewage overwhelmed her senses.

Aiko and Ren were right beside her, passed out on the floor. There were no beds or soft cushions. But, hay and straw bales scattered around the freezing ground. That’s when Kana realized it was Aiko who saved her. Not the sister she saw when Aiko held her in her arms as she tried to heal her. The young girl took the poison out of her system. But, Kana’s body was still a long way off from being completely cured.

-        “They must have stopped her from casting the full spell.” – Kana flinched in pain as she grabbed her stomach. “At least, my body will heal on its own, soon.”

It was dark inside the cage, with only a tiny stream of light coming from the small holes in the walls. Kana bent down to check on the young girl for any open wounds. Luckily, aside from the bump on the back of her head, Aiko was unharmed. Ren, however, seemed to have suffered a couple of minor bruises. Probably in an effort to defend the girl.

-        “I shouldn’t have used that cloaking spell.” – Kana miffed. “I shouldn’t have trusted that wench. I don’t even know if my power will come back fast enough… I failed, again.” - she bit her lips until they turned pale.