That two-faced daughter of a prankster! It was obvious she lied about humans’ inability to touch us. Why would anyone from the Air kin speak the truth? They had been the head of entertainment ever since Mother gave them life. If I hadn’t been taught better by the honorable Water line, I would have long spoken my mind about their infantile mentality. Argh, I cannot believe she had pulled the biggest joke since the first gods.

“Let me down, human!”

“Shut up, crazy woman!”

Else, how could I better explain what led to me dangling in midair? I was truthfully sorry towards Mister Tree. Not only had I hurt him (that human desecrated my body!), but I also had been tied and then let to hang from one of its mighty branches. The group then quickly dragged their hurt leader to a patch of green between two shrubs to tend to his wounds.

“Untie me right now, human!”

The one that gave me an ounce of attention turned around and sighed. Had I been frustrating you, human? I apologize for my demeanor, yet it seems there had been a misunderstanding and you still hadn’t let me repent. Whenever I explained why I had acted the way I did, they gave me the cold shoulder. Aren’t they terrific?

“Look, lady, you’re too crazy. I can’t do that.” He pointed his shiny object to the group. “Boss is still knocked out. Until he wakes up, we don’t know what to do with ya. So,” he muffled his laughter by biting over his fat lower lip, “HANG IN THERE!”

I didn’t understand why he stated the obvious. He walked away with a smug that ripped apart when he finally let that laughter take control of his face muscles, uneven rows of yellow teeth displayed upon the darkness of the forest.

I believe I had witnessed the most horrendous thing since my arrival.

If it had already been that bad, I wondered… what else awaited me?

“Pssst!”

Ah, I should have donned that pale purple dress with an almost impossibly tight belt around the waist. It wouldn’t have come off easily and I wouldn’t have nurtured to their symbol of motherhood. I read something about a common practice that involved humans (and other beings) at their mother’s chest during infancy. Such a disgusting one I might say, but it was part of their culture and I had been all too keen in learning about every single aspect that made humans, humans. Thus, their so-called boss probably sought an image of his childhood and I took it wrongly.

“Psssssst!”

Yes, I should have been more sensible. The wind picked up the pace and it trailed kisses all over my body. Strangely enough, it captured voice while sweeping my ears.

“Hey you!”

Probably my imagination. Even I knew the wind cannot speak. Moans came from the group. That poor, poor human! He was probably suffering in his sleep. There was nothing worse than a troubled sleep. Even we, the gods, felt the need to lie down in our beds and rest.

“You! Turn around!”

Wind, you are a highly disrespectful entity to say so to one who cannot change the way they face. Despite that, I wiggled until I caught something furry in the foliage.

Had another creature come to my rescue?

“HELLO? SHOW YOURSELF!”

“Quiet!” It hissed. When I glanced back again, the animal disappeared. What a pity. I had been more than excited to meet another offspring of Mother’s.

“Who are you talking to?” the same man from before rushed to my side. His greasy hands were on my ankles and steadied my swaying body. Thank you dear human, all that wiggling around had made me terribly dizzy.

“Nothing, human, although I appreciate your curiosity.”

“Why does she keep calling me human?” The man ignored me, more concerned with what the rest had to say. I wasn’t even surprised at this point.

“How else should I call you if not by your name?”

“Name’s Yun,” he, at last, decided to embark on a dialogue. “Not human. I’m Yun.”

“Yun? Hello Yun, may you please untie me?”

“No.”

“What are you doing, Yun?” He did not answer, only turned me round and round. The rope above my head crackled. “Human Yun?”

The moment he removed his hands, I rapidly spun until everything around me was a splotch of green, grey and other dark tones. Kind of like my entrance in the human world, just a lot worse as it came with a fuzzy sensation inside my tummy.

Dearest Mother, I disliked humans the moment I heard them sneer.

“You do not wish the wrath of the gods upon you! Untie me now and I shall forgive you!”

“Ohhh, I’m so scared!”

That hideous mouth with those abnormally large teeth appeared again as the man laughed and laughed.

He stood there, in front of me, laughing.

He shut up when I kicked that mouth close.

Finding the thieves was easier than she thought. Their footprints were visible in the moist ground, alongside a few rings and coins lost in their hurry. What she didn’t expect, despite the warning, was a girl hanging from a tree. Sure, she had seen many oddities in the span of her twenty so years, but she never thought she’d witness the victim constantly spouting all sorts of nonsense. They usually begged or sobbed for the amusement of their kidnappers.

She planned to make her presence known only to the girl, to calm her down and then release her before the men noticed anything. After, she’d literally kick some . The plan failed twice; once when the girl announced it to the entire forest with her loud voice, second when she caused a stir by kicking one of the thieves in the jaw.

“SHAME ON YOU, HUMAN, FOR YOU HAVE ANGERED ME ONCE AGAIN!”

At least it gave her an opportunity to rush behind them. The men only saw a flash of red as they fell one after another, punched or kicked repeatedly by the time they hit the ground.

The goddess stopped barking and stared.

“Ah, finally!” She wiggled. “Would you untie me, creature of the forest? I am awfully tired.”

“What?”

“You! Creature! Can you understand me?”

The woman picked her hat from the bushes. She came closer to the girl and poked her leg.

“Creature, I am in your debt. Could you please untie me now?”

The woman tilted her head to the side and blinked three times.

“Ah, guess you do not speak the human tongue. Are you by any chance a Valerian?”

“Great,” the woman covered her crimson locks with the hat and smiled, “I’m stuck with the village idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

From the depths of the darkness came a thunderous roar, a beast unlike other trudging on all fours. Its teeth were sharp. Acidic drool formed a pool of toxins underneath its paws and eyes as cold as the two moons gazed at them.

“,” the woman looked back at the girl, eyebrows furrowed with worry. She had to think fast, yet the vicious growl stunned her on place. “Okay, just… stay there.”

“Take your time creature, I’m not going anywhere,” the goddess replied dryly. “May I know your name or title before the beast gnaws at your flesh?”

“Hyomin,” she replied as swiftly as she drew the long sword at her hip, “and no one is eating me today.”

I'm sorry for the late update <3 I caught an ugly cold, then exams came and life me in <3 but I'm back!!!

P.S. isn't this just perfect for Water's Hyomin???