Cheer Up Mission 8 - The Help

Clangs ran through out the empty hallways. The Goddess of Music, Jinitive, followed those clangs, wondering what Abtule was making. When she stepped into his quarters, she was instantly filled with worry. She ran up to the God of Forging and pulled on his shoulders, stopping him from smacking his face against his anvil.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" asked Jinitive. "Are you trying to smash your face in?!"

"No... I'm trying to think of something to make."

"You're having trouble coming up with something?"

"Yes..."

"I'm sure anything you can make would satisfy Vocca's tastes."

"It's not for her... not this time..."

"Then who?"

Abtule couldn't look her in the eye.

He didn't need to. His lack of an answer was enough. "Delmora?"

He slowly nodded his head. "I want... I need to make her something... special... one of a kind. Something that NO mortal can make, but I can't think of anything..."

"Was this something she requested?"

"...no... I..." He took in a deep breath. "I'm going to ask her to be my bride..."

"Your... bride..."

"Yes... I'm sorry Jinitive, but my heart belongs to her..."

She wanted to storm out of his quarters. She wanted to run to her own and sing songs of sadness and cry, but she couldn't. Even though it hurt, she wanted to help him. Abtule might have been choosing Delmora over her, but Delmora was her friend. Jinitive knew that he was too proud and too considerate to ask for her help out right. "It gives me a heavy heart knowing that I don't have your affections... but I can look past it to help you."

He looked at her with shock that slowly turned to joy.

Just as he was about to embrace her, she held up a hand. "I will, however, NOT hesitate to kill you IF you mistreat her or bring her sorrow. Are we clear?"

"Crystal..."

"Good. You said something unique and something that mortals couldn't craft?"

"Yes, but I don't know what. I could make her a ring of the stars, but Delmora doesn't like flashy things. She is someone who prefers something simple yet beautiful in it's own way."

Jinitive folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow at him. "You DO know that we think of each other as sisters, right?"

"Right."

"Wouldn't it be obvious that I would know that already?"

"Right. Sorry."

She smiled at him. "Do not worry Abtule. I must say, I think you're going about this the wrong way though."

"How?"

"One does not always need a ring to express one's love."

~~~

In Scotland, a young looking woman with golden hair and accessories pulled an arrow across a bow string and aimed. 2,000 yards away was a mortal man, standing perfectly still with an apple atop of his head. She sighed depressingly. Silly humans and their challenges that can be completed easily.

With the bow still drawn back, Delmora turned around, pointed the bow straight into the air and let go of the arrow.

An eternity of boredom, at least for Delmora, had passed until the arrow landed on top of the apple that resided on a human head. The silence was broken by loud cheers.

Now these silly humans understood that she was who she said she was and not some stupid imposter.

"Here I thought you didn't like to show off," said a man. She turned and saw Abtule. "I guess I was wrong."

"You weren't," she replied. "These humans thought I was an imposter going around collecting gifts and tokens of gratitude."

"And she's been dealt with?"

"Not here," she said. "Let's go to a tavern."

~~~

"In the king's room, you say?" asked Abtule.

"Now I have her cleaning all of my weapons."

"That's very generous of you. Are you feeling alright?" he asked teasingly.

"I am. I sneak the freshly cleaned weapon, dirty it, and tell her she missed a spot. I even rearrange the weapons and tell her that they're in the wrong spot."

He laughed. "That's the Delmora I know... Can I... show you something?"

She looked to him and nodded. "You have to pay though."

Abtule reached into his coin purse and gave the tavern owner two of his silver coins, shocking Delmora.

He looked to her and smirked. "Are you ready or are you going to stand there all day?"

~~~

Abtule and Delmora were walking around a forest until they arrived at the proper spot.

She turned to the God. "What did you want to show me?"

From behind his back, he produced a bow and arrow.

She looked to him curiously. "Abtule I appreciate the thought," she showed him her bow. "But I already have those."

"These will be more to your liking."

She decided to humor him and take his gift. She pulled the bow string with the arrow in her hand and released it. The arrow took off, but it didn't leave her hand. The arrow that flew through the air hit a tree, but vanished upon contact.

"There's one catch," he said. She turned and he continued. "That only works with just those two items. You use another bow with that arrow, or vice-versa, and it won't worked." He held up a hand, showing the small cuts. "I've tried."

"Abtule... these... this is incredible!" She embraced her fellow God. "Thank you."

He graciously returned the hug. "Anytime Delmora." He noticed a figure in the trees and gently pulled away. While the new bow and arrow were in her hands, he carefully placed them into his own and took a knee.

Delicate harp strings began playing around them and when she looked up into the trees, she saw Jinitive. She looked back to Abtule, praying upon Vocca's mask that this wasn't a dream.

"I am... I'm not worthy of you," said Abtule. "I'm self-centered, and greedy, and cocky, and, more times than not, an annoying fool. You are a stunning, beautiful, and graceful with everything you do and you have captured my heart. There's a great chance that you'll say no and then scoff at me like all the other Gods have, but this was a chance I had to take. Delmora, Goddess of the Hunt and Justice, will you be my bride?"

If this were a dream and she woke right now, Delmora would be enraged and probably go on a rampage. But this didn't feel like a dream. He silence was starting to scare Abtule more and more the longer it went on.

"Yes..."

His jaw dropped.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and a small, shakey smile. "Yes, I will."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed his bride-to-be. She slowly kissed back, fully aware that Jinitive also held feelings for Abtule. She hoped that Jinitive wouldn't be angry with her. She didn't want to lose a sister.

~~~

Jinitive left after hearing the first 'yes'. The tears fell from her eyes in both happiness and sadness. She was happy for her sister and sad that she was not chosen. She pressed her back against a tree and rubbed her eyes with her fingertips.

"Tears do not suit you," said a male voice.

Jinitive looked around until her eyes fell upon the God of Arts. "These are happy tears, Borok."

"You cannot fool me that easily, Jinitive," he said as he approached and helped wipe them away. "I know that you were prepared to give him your heart."

"I was... Even though it saddens me that I was not the one he picked," she turned to Delmora's direction. Even though she couldn't see her, Jinitive smiled. "I'm still happy for the both of them."

He gently cupped her face with both of his hands. "Even though he is out of your each, love is not." He was going to get killed for this, but it'd be worth it. He gently kissed her lips...

~~~

Delmora and Abtule made it back to the Great Hall and Delmora had released the human imposter. She warned her to never pull a stunt like this again or else she'd be dealing with Vocca.

Once the two were alone, they celebrated their engagement.