Cursed

Chapter Ten: Love is Gone

You finally find the wine god sitting beside his donkeys and new additions; two young goats munching on grass offered by nymphs. You presented him with his goblet that he gave to you, "My lord, here's your goblet."

Dionysus, too drunk in embrace of his beloved wines, regarded you with bleary-eyed fascination. "A goblet? A pretty one too! Thank you, my lady mortal, I shall never forget this!"

"Wait, it's ac–" Before you could correct  him, Dionysus handed you a brimming wine goblet, clearly intent on sharing his divine concoctions... again. You sighed internally, realizing that explaining things to the perpetually drunk god was a futile endeavor.

"Let us drink to our new friendship!"

Meanwhile, in another corner of Olympus, the realm of desire and longing, Pothos, the god in charge, was growing increasingly concerned. Eros had mysteriously vanished, leaving a void of romance and passion in the divine world, they need to find him or else everything will collapse.

Pothos turned to his mother with urgency in his voice. "Mother, Eros has been missing for days! We need to search for him."

"Oh dear, not my favourite baby! Let's fi–"

Hephaestus presented her with a gleaming girdle, "Here it is, my love, an object to make anyone fall in love with you."

Her concern for Eros momentarily faded as she seized the girdle from Hephaestus, her eyes gleaming with newfound obsession. "Ohhh! Pretty! I could make the pretty little mortal fall for me once and for all!"

Pothos, the god of desire and longing, watched in dismay as his mother seemed entirely preoccupied with her newfound obsession. He clenched his fists, knowing that the absence of Eros, one of the Erotes, could have dire consequences for the world.

"But mother!" Pothos pleaded desperately, his divine concern bubbling to the surface. "The world would collapse without one of the Erotes! We could lose our powers!"

Aphrodite, however, remained fixated on her goal, her eyes gleaming with determination. "No time for talksies, baby," she dismissed her son's worries with a wave of her hand. "I have a lady to conquer."

Pothos sighed in exasperation, he looked around with an air of uncertainty, his other siblings watching as Aphrodite walks away from their domain. "Well?"

Himeros, the second oldest, mirrored Pothos's perplexed expression. "Well?" he echoed, as if hoping someone else had a brilliant idea.

Anteros, the god of unrequited love, scratched his head. "Well, gentlemen, what are we supposed to do when we can't make mortals fall in love anymore?"

Hermaphroditus, a figure embodying both genders, reclined lazily. "I think it'll be fun to relax for once. No more love arrows for a while, huh?"

Hedylogos, the god of sweet talk, saw an opportunity. "Oh, cool, I'm gonna sweet-talk the mortals before mother does if we aren't doing anything else. It's a competition now!"

Hymenaios, the god of weddings and marriage, strolled over to a nearby fountain and dipped his fingers into the water, summoning an ethereal scene. The image revealed Hades and Persephone in the underworld, looking incredibly awkward around each other. Eros had previously played a hand in their love, but without him, the spell had unraveled.

Hades mumbled awkwardly, "This... this is very awkward."

Persephone sighed, "Well, it was fun while it lasted... Can you take me to my mother?"

"Of course."

Eros there's no love, without love they can't increase their powers, they'll be forgotten and would disappear if they can't bring back their main guy.

"Well, at least the platonic department is still working," Himeros said.

Back to you.

"My Lord–"

"Call me Dionysus, my mortal lady friend," he interrupted with a carefree grin.

"Dionysus, this goblet belongs to you. Don't you remember yesterday?" you inquired, hoping to jog his memory.

Dionysus, clearly struggling to recall the events of the previous day, furrowed his brow. "Oh! You were the one who suggested me to buy a goat. Thanks to you, I have two lovely daughters now." He pointed proudly to the young goats, happily munching on their grass beside the donkeys.

Just when you thought the situation couldn't get any more surreal, Aphrodite herself sauntered over, her presence oozing seduction. "Hello, pretty mortal," she purred, her enchanting aura filling the air. "Aphrodite has blessed you with her presence."

Dionysus, still trying to piece things together, blinked in confusion. "Aphro- who?"

"Hello, my lady." Your voice held a touch of reverence, knowing that getting on the wrong side of Aphrodite was never a good idea, even if you couldn't quite fathom the circumstances.

"Kiss me!"

Aphrodite's sudden demand for a kiss caught you off guard. You responded nervously as the nymphs and servants from the background watch, some gasping, "I don't think that's appropriate."

Dionysus, leaning on you for support in his drunken state, he wraps his arms around you and you know you'll be smelling wine all day. He chimed in with a slurred voice, "Yeah, Afro, know personal space."

Aphrodite, clearly puzzled, looked down at her girdle, muttering to herself in disbelief. "This... this must be broken. Oh! I should've known!" She then turned her attention back to you, extending her hand and placing the girdle in it.

"For you, my fair lady," Aphrodite declared, her demeanor shifting from seductive to generous. "A gift from Aphrodite herself." She offered you a warm smile, her enchanting aura momentarily replaced by an air of benevolence. The girdle she handed you seemed to shimmer with divine magic, a token of goodwill from the goddess of love herself.

Caught between the potential curses of the girdle and the wrath of Aphrodite and her admirers, you turned to Dionysus, hoping for guidance. However, he seemed more interested in his wine, taking another hearty sip.

Aphrodite's gaze remained fixed on you, her anticipation palpable. Realizing the gravity of the situation, you finally made a decision.

"Thank you, my lady," you said with a courteous nod. "I shall take it." You accepted the girdle, feeling a mix of gratitude and trepidation.

Aphrodite's eyes brightened with satisfaction, but she wasn't done yet. She leaned in closer, her voice soft and sultry, "Give me a kiss?"

With a shrug, you decided it was best to appease the goddess. You leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, a gesture of thanks for her gift. Aphrodite seemed pleased, her divine charm momentarily turning from potential threat to genuine warmth.