Fallen Tactician

Goddess of the Underliving

CHAPTER 2 * GODDESS OF THE UNDERLIVING

"Hey, get up," someone demands, shaking me. As my hearing comes back, my eyes start to open. Raymin's honey-brown eyes look at me with some concern, her long, curly dark-blue hair spiraling toward the ground. She's kneeling beside me. I don't think she can tell it's me. I strain to push myself up, then rub my head (my hair is not in its bun), forcing my eyes open. Raymin frowns & gasps.

"Wait, is that you, Camilla?!" she steps back. I guess my eyes gave it away. If I kept them shut, I'd look like some other human with peach skin & long light-brown hair. It's rare for someone to have blue eyes.

I shyly nod at Raymin. "Yep, it's me."

She stares at me, scanning me up & down. "Where were you?! And what happened to your boots?!"

"I don't know!" I yell, so mad at hearing what everyone kept asking me. "I woke in the near field barefooted & noticed I had been missing for 6 months! I don't know how or why, & I wish I knew so I could fix it!!" I stop there. I lashed out at a goddess who seems to hate me. "I-I'm sorry..."

"No, Camilla, it's fine," Raymin sighs. "It's just... I just never knew this could happen. I know I'm a goddess, but WE have our limitations. Who could be so strong to crush a rocket? That's crazy! Back then when rockets were manufactured, a force as strong as the MOON had to beat them! Those bolts were scorched! No god or goddess can remove a rocket from space as your space had! That's just..." Raymin stops. She covers her face with a hand, the other hand holding her waist. Even though we hate each other, I move in & wrap my arm around her shoulder. She may be mean to me, but I'm spreading my care. She gives me an I-didn't-expect-that look. "Camilla?"

"Hey, it's fine." I smile weakly, but Raymin pushes me away.

"No, it's not! Do you know what this means?!" she asks. I stare at her.

"It means I can't fly, I know," I frown.

"No, not just that!" She face-palms herself. "Think deeper. What's the effect of you not being all Icarus-like?"

"I can't help Lady Corin as effectively?" I guess.

"Okay, closer..." Raymin nods. "So because you're not there for her...?"

"She's gone mad?"

"And what happens when she's gone mad & isn't there?"

"She's grieving & turning against humanity?" Raymin nods. I stare at her with confusion. I thought she hated humans!

I start thinking back to her perspective on humans.

"Humans are driven by selfish desire. They think only of themselves. They were killing each other for WHAT? A wish? A FAKE wish? They've strained too far from their intended path. That's when my Reset TNTs came in— to help return Earth to its natural state!"

"HUMANS massacre Earth's creatures, decimate the trees, & exploit the land. THEY'RE the twisted ones! They're life's enemies!"

"Humans are trampling over the rights of every other living thing! Should I just sit back & watch as they continue to destroy the Earth?! No. I must exterminate them all before it's too late!" She had a factory-made for Reset TNTs. So I'm so confused.

"I thought you hated humans. Why do you care about them?" I ask her.

Raymin's narrows her eyes. "It means Hades & I are fighting for no reason!" She yells.

"But you wanted to wipe out humanity and Hades is Hades— he wants chaos," I point out.

"Oh, sweet mother of the gods!!" Raymin screams, her face red as Lady Corin's crown. "That's not the point! You being flightless is bad! What did I say about a god being unable to get rid of one's rocket?"