Paradise Wanting
The Goddess Vantaiga sat before a tree. Her hair was entwined with vines that cascaded over her body in delicate strands that easily swayed with the breeze, occasionally revealing her soft, curved skin. The gold bands of her mantel were gone, dissolved by the magic of her ordeal. But the gemstone remained on her forehead, alive with a bright emerald glow.
The tree before her was her latest creation, or at least her latest attempt at creation. It did not seem to have the right balance between its branches and its leaves. It was meagre and unappealing, looking as if it was struggling to find its purpose. With all her new power, she found she could create any type of plant or animal she wanted. Yet the finesse to make something she was happy with escaped her.
She looked over to a grove of stately trees with heavy trunks and broad, pointed leaves she had created previously. A warm smile crossed her lips. Perhaps it was just that she needed the proper inspiration.
The Goddess and her awkward tree sat in a wide valley surrounded by rugged mountains with a clear blue river snaking its way from one end to the other. It was mostly covered with small grasses, occasionally broken by bare rocks. A few stands of trees and plots of shrubs dotted the valley. Some were of trees already known to the world; others were not. But for the most part, the valley was empty, a blank canvas for a forest the Goddess had yet to paint. This was to be her paradise, and she wanted to make sure she had the design right before she started planting.
A band of clouds drifted over the mountains and across the valley. They rolled and rumbled with an ominous grey that swirled above Vantaiga. The Goddess lifted her head to let the moist wind blow through her hair and across her skin. The feel of coming rain always lifted her spirits.
The clouds let loose a downpour around the Goddess. She stood up to let the water fall over her and soak into her skin, rejuvenating her and quenching her thirst. As the rain washed over her body, her joy spread outward, and the grasses and trees of her valley began to flower.
The wind whipped the rain into sheets that danced across the dale. They buffeted the Goddess with water that ran in streams down her vines. She raised her hands and swayed with the push of the wind. The rain lashed at her in bands of spray, prodding her to move more. The Goddess spread her arms and twirled with the wind. She spun and twisted through her valley while the sheets of rain flowed and followed the motions of her hands.
She remembered dancing in the rain as a child once long ago. The rain not only brought cool refreshment, but it also brought a sense of freedom—freedom to express herself while those around her sought shelter indoors. This rain was not like the thin veils of her childhood, though, and she was not a young girl. This rain had power and force and moved to the motions of its whims. It was just as she now had the power and force to move to her own whims, a force of nature that ruled supreme in her domain.
The jubilant Goddess allowed her mind to drift in the squalls of wind. Her thoughts searched out for her consort, Syffox, as she wondered when he would find her. The wind and rain turned cold and harsh. Her attention snapped back to her now chilled, wet skin, and she stopped dancing. Annoyed, she let the abrasive storm pass over her.
As the storm reached the end of her valley, the clouds stood stationary for a moment and then began to swirl together to take on a thin, toned human form. It was the God of Rain, Hydar. As his avatar coalesced, he pulled down more clouds to form pieces of white and grey armour about him.
In the centre of his chest was the blue gem of his own mantel. Small arcs of electricity emanated from the stone and danced along his armour. He smile at the Goddess, his water-blue eyes radiating within a pale face that was framed by dark hair the colour of a menacing storm.
When Vantaiga saw that it was Hydar, the playful vines that covered her body thickened and wove themselves together into a dress. Her smile changed to a quizzical frown. “I should have known it was you.”
Hydar playfully bowed to Vantaiga. “Goddess of the Forest, is that any way to greet your rain god?”
Vantaiga laughed at him. “Your rain is always welcomed, but I didn’t invite you.”
Hydar feigned being hurt. “What did I do to deserve such a harsh reception? You’ve always been so pleasant to me before. Did you not enjoy the storm I gave you?”
“I did enjoy the storm.” The Goddess turned coy for a moment. “But then you showed up.”
Sparks snapped along Hydar’s arms as he contained his anger. “Perhaps you and your trees will be happier if I never show up at all, then.”
Vantaiga suppressed a sigh of frustration. She had forgotten about dealing with the sensitive egos of the gods. She softened her tone. “You and your rains are always welcome, but this is my paradise. It may not look like much, but it’s the only place that is just for me. Next time, announce you are coming first. Besides, I’m waiting for someone else.”
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Hydar jeered, “Your mortal companion? All the heavens are waiting to see the new divinity who wishes to sit among us, and you make us wait for a single mortal? You know how to test the patience of an impatient lot. Some of the gods are getting very interested to know what your plans are for your forest. I can only make excuses for you for so long. I’m sure if I told the council we are all waiting for your wandering priest, then they would strike him down in an instant.”
Vantaiga’s stance hardened. “Pfft. Men. You don’t need to make excuses for me. You could just speed Syffox here if you want me up there so quickly.”
“You know that’s not how things are done in this world.”
“Well, rest assured, a strike on Syffox is a strike on me. I made a promise I would wait for him before visiting the council, and that is what I will do.”
Hydar raised his hands in a defensive jest. “Let’s not get angry over this. Far be it from me to make a woman break her promise. I came to offer my help and advice. You will be the first goddess to join the council. They are eager to meet you.”
“The only woman in a room full of men. Forgive me if I’m not as eager for that as they are.”
“I’ll admit, not everyone will be happy to see you there—but some are. They can be a tricky bunch, but I can help you navigate them. A proper show of respect would be a good start. Besides, I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you among us.”
Vantaiga crossed her arms, suspicious of his eagerness to help her. “Your boys’ club had better get used to the fact that I’m not one for making a show. And besides, if it wasn’t for him…” A pang of guilt struck deep inside her. She paused to stop her words from choking in her throat. “…I wouldn’t be a goddess.” She shot Hydar a defiant glare. “So, no disrespect, but the council will have to wait.”
Hydar softened his composure and stepped forward to grasp Vantaiga’s shoulders. A thrill of electricity raced over her skin, sending shivers along her body. With a slight gasp, she took a step back, but he wouldn’t release her. “Why do you waste your time with this mortal? Don’t you realise you are immortal now? You belong in the heavens.”
His voice was soft and alluring, pulling her in. Vantaiga had always been drawn to Hydar and his rains. Now that she was the spiritual embodiment of the forest, she could feel a physical need to be close to him.
No matter how overbearing or crass the god might be, she could feel inside of her the lure of his rain. If her forest and people were to strive and expand into the realms of the other gods, it would be with significant aid from Hydar’s hand.
She felt the empowerment of her divinity slipping. She had worked very hard throughout her life to make sure she was in a position where people did not have power over her. Hydar and his control over the life-giving water that she needed was a threat to her efforts.
She turned away to escape his gaze and replied with a disappointingly weak voice. “I value him more than anything the heavens have to offer.” She scolded herself at the timid reply and continued more boldly, “I owe him more than anything the heavens have to offer.”
Hydar stepped closer, pressing against her back. He sent a ripple of electricity down her spine while he leaned close to whisper in her ear, “He will ruin you, you know.”
He stroked his hands along her exposed arms. “Already he uses a considerable amount of his own power to keep himself young and alive. Eventually, he will require your power as well. We are eternal; he is not. As the aeons pass, he will consume more and more from you until all your efforts will be spent trying to keep him alive. In the end, you will have to make a choice: give up dominion over your forests and people or let him die. You are not the first god to devote themselves to a mortal. It doesn’t end well.”
Hydar pulled in a light rain around them. The cool moisture soothed Vantaiga’s mind from the thoughts starting to swim in her head. She allowed herself to be soothed by his rain and his touch. It was a touch of unyielding power. It was a touch that only required people to believe in the rain to fall from the sky to stay alive. It did not need spells, or study, or concentration. It did not need to consume the energy of the world around it. It did not need her to stay young and beautiful.
Hydar wrapped his arms around her. “You deserve more than to be with a mortal. Together, we can make a fantastic realm. A realm where the rains never end, and the trees reach to the heavens. A realm where Coronus and Aridus cannot harm any of your creatures or people. It won’t be easy to be a Goddess of the Forest in a desert world, just as it’s not easy to be a God of Rain; but together, we can make a forest of rain and be powerful—as powerful as Coronus himself.”
The soothing rain and the thought of a rainforest started to make Vantaiga lose herself in the fantasy of a place where she could live in peace and be free of the pain and hardship that surrounded her realm. And it was all so close; all she had to do was let go. Let go of the one person who had worked so hard and long for her to be happy. Let go of the one person she said she would hold on to forever. Let go of the one person she truly held dear only to watch him wither and crumble before her.
Anger surged inside of the Goddess—anger for her weakness and anger for Hydar’s temptation. She broke free of his embrace, stepped outside his rain, and focused on the warmth of the sun. It reminded her she needed more than just rain. She also needed the rays of Coronus, and even the dry, harsh winds of Vortess to thrive. She also needed her mortal, wandering priest.
She turned and stared Hydar in the eye and commanded, “No. I made a promise he would be part of my paradise, and it wouldn’t be so without him. Go tell the rest of the gods I will be there soon. They have gotten by without me for all these millennia; they can manage a little longer.”
Hydar stepped back with a bow. “Very well, Goddess of the Forest, if that is what you want. I, too, have been around for all these millennia without you.” He turned his head to spy a small figure entering the far end of the valley. His face twinged with a mix of jealousy and sadness. He shook his head and returned to Vantaiga. “I can wait a little longer; the rest of the gods, however, not as much.” He began to swirl into a tempest of clouds and rain. “In the meantime, Goddess of the Forest, remember my offer. It will be spectacular.”
With that, he dissolved into a swirl of storm clouds that washed over the mountains as he left the valley. A deluge of rain cascaded down the mountainside. The rushing waters carved into the earth and rock, crumbling it away. Vantaiga dropped her shoulders with a frustrated sigh as a large mudslide flowed off the base of the mountain and washed through a grove of trees she’d only recently created.