I assumed too much. 

The words flew across her mind like an echo. Why would Dahyun say something like that? 

Sana knew she’d made a mistake. She should have said something. She should have told her the truth. 

Yes. 

Because Dahyun had changed. She’d grown less intolerable. She didn’t chase Sana out with the remains of animals. She didn’t criticise everything Sana or someone in her realm did. She was accepting. She was forgiving. 

So yes, Dahyun had changed for the better.

Then why hadn’t Sana said so? 

Dahyun had asked her one thing. She’d looked at her with silver eyes full of confusion, not hiding the fact that she hoped Sana would give her an answer. She’d shown Sana how important that answer would be for her. 

And Sana had told her nothing. 

She’d seen the disappointment in her eyes and heard it in her voice. It was the moment when Sana should have told her what she thought. 

But she hadn’t. 

There was something she could do to make it right, Sana knew that. But what it was, she didn’t know yet. 

I assumed too much. 

Was it because Sana didn’t know the goddess as well as she’d thought she had? It seemed to be the case. 

She sighed, leaning back against a tree trunk. The silence out here had become one of her favourite things. The regions like this were no longer as large as they had been. Speaking to the nymphs of forests, mountains, and rivers had told her a lot about that. They usually laid curses on to those who would wish them harm, but couldn’t always do so. The gods had agreed that the mortals had to be left to their own devices, more or less, and the existence of nymphs, gods, and monsters had to be kept secret.

It was something that, when considered longer, didn’t make sense. Why shouldn’t they reveal their existence? The mortals believed in different gods or none at all. There were those who attributed love to biological processes, completely ignoring the mystical nature of it and how it could weave together with fate. There were mortals who lived lives that threw insults at the gods each day. Even children read books and developed thoughts criticising them. They were taught that the existence of them had been made up by other humans to rationalise the phenomena around them. 

Sana scoffed. She knew why they could not break that worldview, but she wished they could. They were gods. The mortals could learn to respect them again. 

But then there was Dahyun. The goddess of the moon, the one whose realm had been explored by mortals and not herself, the one who had been working to go to that realm herself. Through the aid of those mortals. From what Sana had gathered about it, Dahyun's role in the world had been put into question by concepts like orbits and gravity. The moon was even said to be a fragment of Earth, carved off by a collision long ago. 

The thoughts of space gave Sana a headache. She could hardly tolerate thinking about it too long, let alone reading about it. How had Dahyun managed to devote years to it? How could she tolerate being taught about it by mortals? 

Sana drew herself from her thoughts. She stared at the soil. It hadn’t rained recently, so the ground was dry. It was quiet save for a light rustle from the wind. 

She’d thought about her, but the goddess hadn’t come. 

No surprise there, Sana thought. How often had the thought of her crossed her mind, but there’d been no response. Sometimes Sana could sense that Dahyun was close to crossing her path, but the goddess had never come her way. Perhaps she was one of the birds who flew over above her. Or she was one of the insects. Sana doubted that Dahyun had many qualms about the shape she took. 

Sana stood, brushing off her clothes. The most comfortable pieces of apparel for the goddess’ realm included the right shoes, trousers that weren’t of a stiff jean material, and a light yet warm jacket. She’d even made a fire or two with the approval of a dryad.

They were surprisingly interesting company, full of stories about what they’d seen over the years, as well as what they’d heard about other gods. Dahyun was respected wherever she went, but not necessarily liked. A few times, Sana had been able to spot that a nymph had a crush on one of the huntresses, or the goddess herself. She’d been torn between being annoyed and amused about their plight. 

Another sigh left her. This would be a blow to her ego. She felt her body shrink. It wasn’t a painful process, which made the magic of the gods even more unfair. Lycanthropes were in agony when they turned, the mortals they cursed to another form experienced the same pain, but a god could transform themselves however they wanted with little to no cost to themselves.

The worst thing for Sana was that she was transforming into an unassuming butterfly. Terrible. If she looked too beautiful or distinct, she was sure to be targeted. Mina had once been attacked by a fox when she’d been on the ground too long inspecting something. As an owl. She’d almost had it coming for being in that form then. 

So Sana flew in the direction she knew they were. In this form, if the hunters were in any conflict, she’d be useless. Her humanoid form wouldn’t be much help either. She could kill easily, but she could not fight. 

Her butterfly brain filled with memories of the drakon fight. She remembered how the huntresses had fought with a trained sort of desperation, how Kendra had stood her ground without truly knowing what she faced, while Dahyun had never flinched in anything she did. She hadn't been passionate for the battle, not like Ares, Zeus, or even Mina did. She only carried out the actions with startling precision. 

She saw the tents in the distance and settled on the top of one. She’d chosen her colour well, as long as she did not twitch her wings, she would likely not be spotted. 

A part of her wondered if this was worse than staying an eagle as she had, but on a relative scale, this was pretty much irrelevant. 

The hunters were dispersed around the camp, but a larger group were in a clearing. There Sana spotted a familiar purple head. She wondered why she’d chosen the colour purple. She’d never known Dahyun to be particularly attentive to aesthetics, but as had been suggested, Sana didn’t seem to know very much about the goddess. 

And so Sana remained an unassuming butterfly and watched. 

Dahyun was presenting them with new bows. Ones that were harder to draw, it seemed. She saw a girl with dark hair and bangs the most clear. Her face scrunched up as she shot. The arrow went wide. Some chuckled, but there was no malice in their voices. 

“All of you will end up doing the same when you try,” she heard Dahyun say, “these will not be your bows when we hunt, only here.” 

The next girl came forward, also struggling with the bow. It continued until each had just about failed to hit the target. 

“So,” Sana could hear the smile in Dahyun’s voice, “just try again. No arrows.”

“Is this your way of saying we should work out?” the one with the bangs asked. She was already tugging at the bowstring. 

“Yes and no.” Dahyun chuckled, an easy sound to hear. It reached Sana from where she was now. “Do this and you might be able to challenge me to an arm wrestle.”

“And what’s the real reason?” Kendra’s voice now. 

“Depending on how long a hunt takes, or how long a beast endures,” Dahyun paused, “you must have enough strength to draw your bows properly. Especially if you’re preparing to turn away.”

“Turn away?” she repeated. A few echoed the confusion.

Sana could empathise with them. Why would Dahyun talk of turning one’s back on a fight? Even if the beast was stronger than her, it could still be killed. Dahyun was more than capable of taking anything down herself. Did she think she needed their help? 

“The scientific mortals call it adrenaline, I think, at least when it wears off.” The goddess of the hunt drew the bow with ease. When she let it go, Sana heard a resounding thud. She’d hit the target. “And your ability to have enough strength to fire off your last arrows could be enough to save your life.” 

There was a long silence then. Had they lost someone recently? Sana didn’t know about any hunts had happened in the past year. Or was Dahyun still thinking about those she’d lost before? 

If they swear a vow to me, they become my responsibility.

The hunters continued to train, stopping once for a brief lunch. When it moved to arrows, the sun was at a late-afternoon height. 

“And now,” Dahyun’s voice had grown to an enthusiasm Sana had so rarely heard, “this is the best time for this.” She saw the purple head disappear. The dainty goddess was replaced by a large boar.

Had Sana’s eyes not been those of a butterfly, they would have widened. Turning into an insect that wasn't ugly was right at the edge of her limits. Becoming a boar was soundly outside of those. 

The boar, Dahyun, ran off into the woods, the girls taking off after her. Sana had never seen that before. She let them hunt her? 

Sana did not follow, but instead used the opportunity to turn into a small bird. She didn’t know why she felt more comfortable in that form, but she did. She flew to one of the other trees that had a better overview of the place they met for meals. 

It was night when the hunters returned. The hair of all was wet. They’d gone to the lake located further off to the north. It was good that Sana hadn’t followed. 

There was laughter joining their discussion. 

Then came the preparations for dinner. Two of them went to one tent, bringing out arms full of different foods, seemingly combinations of what they’d hunted or gathered, as well as what they’d bought. Truly a fusion. 

Dahyun had gone into her tent, but looking very tired. There was a bandage around her right leg, as well as her right arm. She let them shoot at her?

Was this what happened each day? Dahyun had them train or hunt, they’d eat, repeat either training or hunting, and then eat again? She gave them training exercises that included hunting her down, either as a boar or some other animal. Then there was the odd moment of going into the mortal world, but Sana wasn’t sure how often that came around. Was there a pattern? Every time the moon was three-quarters? Only when the moon was waxing?

“So, Dubu.” One of them had finished passing around the bowls of food. She had blonde hair. “How’re we feeling about the mission?”

The mission. The trip to the moon? Sana didn’t know how that was supposed to work. Manned missions to the moon weren’t common, at least to her knowledge. Perhaps Dahyun had pulled a few strings for this one. Sana wouldn’t blame her if she had. She’d already put herself through the world of human education, why force herself to wait for the actual mission? Unless she had been waiting. Sana didn’t know how much time had passed there. Should she have paid attention to it? Probably. 

“Very mixed,” Dahyun said. She continued eating. 

“Not excited?” Kendra asked. “It is the moon. And a spaceship.”

“Don’t forget space,” someone added. “So not excited?” 

“No,” Dahyun replied. “I am, but I’m madly curious too.” 

“Same here,” the one with the bangs raised a spoon, “you better be detailed when you come back.”

“I will.” The goddess smiled, but there was a clear hesitance in the expression. 

Sana didn’t know what to make of it. Where was the feigned, or genuine, strength? These were the people she was supposed to show her strength to the most. 

“My mind goes to what happens the moment I step onto it,” Dahyun sighed, “what will it feel like? They’ve made us feel weightless, but it will not compare when one’s entire awareness has changed.” 

“Like knowing you’re literally on the moon?” another huntress suggested. She had deep red hair. 

Sana wondered if there was a point to learning their names. They didn’t seem to hate her, not even when they stumbled upon her wandering their hunting grounds, but they didn’t seem to have warmed up to her either. 

“Indeed,” Dahyun said. “I don’t know what it will do to my world-view. That will certainly change if I’m looking at an orb that is my great-grandmother, my feet no longer on its surface.” 

“No offence,” one began, “but it sounds really weird when you get into the family stuff.” 

“She had her son kill her husband,” one of the older huntresses said. She was one Sana recognised. She'd been with Dahyun for seven hundred years. She certainly wasn't a fan of Sana. “And the state of things can still become even stranger after that.”

Many chuckled, Dahyun one of them. It sounded like something they’d talked about before. And not been targeted for it. Did Dahyun put protection over their campfire discussions? 

Someone added more wood to the fire before taking a second helping. A few followed. 

“To speak from personal experience,” the girl with bangs started, “you recover when your whole worldview shifts.”

“Yep,” Kendra said. Others voiced their agreement. 

Sana saw Dahyun smile. “It was about time I had a reality upheaval of my own, or?” 

“Not to say it like this,” the red-headed girl said, “but you’re getting a taste of your own medicine.” 

The goddess chuckled. “Good.” Another silence on her part as she ate. 

“And what comes next? Mars?” 

It was a question that had Sana leaning forward, though her body was small and the movement only meant a tiny difference. Would Dahyun have an answer this time? One that did not include hunting?

From where she was, Dahyun’s eyes reflected the firelight well. Rather than silver, they seemed more of a bright orange. Similar to her brother’s eyes, but it was never a comparison Sana would make aloud. 

“I don’t know,” Dahyun said quietly. It was a tone of voice Sana had heard once before. The last time they’d spoken. She hadn't been able to understand it then. She didn't now either. It was so uncertain. 

All were silent. Had they heard these words from her before? They didn’t seem surprised. Not like Sana was. 

“All this time, my focus, if it digressed from the present, was only on reaching the moon. Being on a space station was also of interest, but setting foot on Mars never caught my interest.” Another pause. “But that’s quite a personal bias of me to have.”

Some of them snickered. 

“I don’t blame you,” another said. She had blonde hair. It was curly. “But do you think he has any influence over it?”

“I doubt he ever tried,” Dahyun replied. “And I hope he never does. The next thing he’ll go for is space warfare.”

“Nope!” One made a cross with her arms. “We can’t let literal star wars happen.” 

“Don't even say it aloud,” another retorted. “He’ll get ideas.” 

Sana knew who they spoke of, but didn’t think his name. If he came here because of her, it would ruin everything. 

“So you’re not gonna be a space explorer?” Kendra asked. “You said it was basically nature out there.”

Did she mean to say that space was a part of Dahyun's realm? Impossible. 

“Why,” Dahyun drew out the word, “you want us to move up to being hunters among the stars. Literally.” 

“Well,” she giggled, “it doesn’t sound terrible. If we don’t suffocate and all that.” 

“It’s an interesting thought,” the goddess of the moon replied. “But, at least from what I know, there is nothing to hunt there. And many would be very opposed to anyone hunting extraterrestrial life, myself included, if it existed.”

“Damn,” one put her bowl down, “and here I was sure you knew about aliens.”

“Chimera, drakons, and gods,yes,” Dahyun said with a dramatic sigh, “but not aliens.” 

They laughed. 

“But you’ll stay in the space program?”

Dahyun was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure either. Staying there for even longer also feels unlikely for me. I’m not like my sister. They do so much research, putting great emphasis on things I’m not capable of.” 

“Or things you just haven’t tried yet?” Kendra suggested. 

“No,” Dahyun shook her head, “it’s just not what I’d devote time to.”

Then what would she devote her time to? Hunting? The daily routine that Sana has watched unfold?

“Can you two maybe switch spots?” the one with bangs asked. “So that the job you got doesn’t go to waste?”

“Yeah,” the girl beside her nodded fervently, “and then you’d have that spot open in case you’d want to go back to it?”

“An interesting ploy.” Dahyun’s brow rose. “Mina’ll love it.” 

A sharp crack. Beside the girls who’d suggested it were two quivers of golden arrows. They'd both jumped a few feet into the air. 

“Yeah,” Dahyun nodded, “she’s on board.” Then she frowned, before smiling slightly. 

Sana was a bird, so her heart beat quickly anyway. There was no stopping that.

Yet it still felt to Sana as if it had when Dahyun looked up and directly at her. 

_____

The bird didn’t fly away, the closer Dahyun came to it. She tried not to limp, but her leg was still quite sore from the arrow Kendra had landed. The girl had apologised repeatedly, but Dahyun had assured her it was actually great that she'd shot her. It meant that she didn't hesitate when it came to it. Next to fatigue and/or mistakes, hesitation was one of the worst things to have during a battle or hunt. Those precious seconds had to be filled with action, otherwise you put yourself at a severe disadvantage. 

“So, little one.” Dahyun looked up at it. While its colour let it blend in, its beak was almost perfectly sharp, its feathers all so neat, and its eyes were far too bright. A god in disguise. A goddess. “Who have you been sent from?” Even if she knew the truth, she could ask. 

The bird tilted its head to the side, but Dahyun could almost read its expression. It's colouring matches an insect she'd spotted coming back from the hunt. A patient one. 

“Caught in the act,” Dahyun smiled, “I know. So either you reveal who you are to me, or your master takes you back.”

The birds feathers turned white, its eyes gold. It was a beautiful dove for a few seconds. Then a person sat perched on the branch. More beautiful than the bird, though her feathers had become plain clothes. 

“Ah ha,” Dahyun said. She knew the word 'master' would draw her out. "In the mood for dinner?”

Sana frowned. “What?”

“Do you want dinner?” she asked. “I don’t think you’ve eaten anything all day.”

Her frown deepened and no other word came out. 

Dahyun smiled again. That was one way to silence her. 

“You ought to change your colouring when it comes to wings and feathers. And a bird may sit still and observe, but not the way you have.” She gave Sana a bit of time to store that. Perhaps she’d try again. “Most make such mistakes anyway.” 

“Most?” Sana looked more confused than surprised now. 

“You’re not the only one who wishes to spy on me.” Dahyun raised her good arm. Both injuries were well on their way to healing. Sometimes she got more than two on these hunts, but it seemed the girls had been holding back. Zoe had been insistent that Dahyun let her tend to both injuries after they'd been in the lake. She'd also been the one to get the arrow in Dahyun's bicep (at the time, it'd been her front leg). “Get down from there, have some dinner.”

“And then leave?”

She shrugged. “You asked if you could stay in this realm. I said yes. I’m not about to break my word.”

Sana looked at her for a long moment. Then she took Dahyun’s hand and jumped down. She stumbled. Dahyun let go of her hand. She could steady herself. Besides, Dahyun didn't quite trust the strength of her leg. For all she knew, both of them would have toppled to the ground. Which would've been more than a tad embarrassing. 

“Another thing you can train out here.”

Sana gave her a look. “What?” She said that a lot. 

“Climbing trees, hopping down from them,” she walked towards the camp, “correcting that balance of yours.” 

“Hey!” 

“It’s true,” Dahyun chuckled, “it needs work.”

There was a small ‘humph’ sound. She knew that if she looked back, the other goddess would be pouting. 

“I found a spy,” Dahyun called. 

The hunters looked more surprised than she had been. Some bowed their heads, while others stared, then jumped, and bowed as well. 

“Hi,” Sana said. Her voice was oddly quiet. 

Dahyun looked back now. The goddess stood straight, but her eyes seemed reserved. 

“We still have something left?” Dahyun asked. 

Eletha nodded. “Enough for thirds.” 

She grinned at that. “I’ll abstain for tonight.”

Zoe filled the bowl, while Dahyun summoned an extra spoon. Both were handed to the goddess of love. She had yet to sit down. 

To make it a bit more obvious, Dahyun took a seat by Minnie, making sure the log could still fit another person. 

Sana’s steps were still hesitant, but she sat down. It was odd to be sitting by a fire, with her hunters, and beside Sana. 

Dahyun wanted to ask her why she was there, but knew that question would make the other goddess even more uncomfortable. Even so, she didn't understand why Sana felt uncomfortable in the first place. 

Thankfully, Minnie was the one who broke the silence. “Do you have a job or something on Earth as well?” She was visibly trying to avoid staring at the arrows Mina had sent her and Yuqi. 

Dahyun tried not to look too expectant then. She didn’t know what Sana had done in all these years. Or before than. Only that she occasionally took those courting her into places of nature. Nothing she enjoyed having in her realm very much. 

“Not anymore,” Sana said. She was gazing into the flames. They gently illuminated her face. Evenly at that, hardly flickering, as though the light was also being attracted towards her, eager to do what she excelled at: being seen. “I like to enjoy the more simple things, especially now.”

“What did you do before?” Kendra asked. 

“Nayeon—I mean, Hecate, Hestia, Persephone, and I,” Sana was playing with her food, “we took to healing in times of conflict.” 

Eletha straightened then. “You joined the war effort?” 

Was that when she’d learned to heal? Or had it been through her experience with Ares that Sana had taken to it? Then decided to use it when the time came?

There were mortal wars where Dahyun had rarely been sure whether or not she should intervene. She’d almost always gone to Mina to ask if there was a side to take and if such a thing mattered (as it often never did, though there had been recent exceptions). If rules of war, even if they were not official at the time, were broken, Mina told her where to point her arrows, explaining why. Dahyun had gladly carried out whatever judgment could be done. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon had helped. 

Sana nodded. “Through her magic, we were temporarily taking on the convincing forms of men.” A pause. “Though the presence of a nurse was often greatly valued as well.” 

“What made you help?” Kendra asked. “I mean, it’s great you did and all, but, well,” she trailed off. Her eyes were wary. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

Dahyun, luckily, wasn’t. “You mean, why help if we consider mortal lives fleeting?” She didn’t say insignificant. She would have said so once, but it wasn’t true. She'd explained her reasoning to the others before, but Kendra did not know those stories yet.  

Kendra looked grateful. She nodded. 

Sana was quiet for a long time. She’d taken her first bite of food. Then she swallowed. “I was shown it was a good thing to do in and of itself,” she said. “But that was not the reason why I began.” 

None of them said anything. Dahyun wanted to push for an explanation, but that was the wrong thing to do. Sana was gathering her thoughts. She had to let her do that first. 

“We couldn’t save everyone, naturally, even if it was in the power of all of us,” Sana said. “Mina says it’s the nature of war. It’s one of the few things the two gods of war will agree on.” A small smile. “But so many families do get torn apart by it, or families to be.” Her eyes seemed search the flames for her next words. “And for them to wait at home, terrified that their wait would last a lifetime, while I could save a lover, parent, or child.”

The goddess fell silent then. There was pain in her eyes. She felt she hadn’t done enough. Dahyun wondered how deeply she felt the divisions between families. How deeply she felt the lost loves of others. 

The rest of dinner concluded with most of the girls wandering off to take either walks or explore the forest. Each had daggers, their proper bow, and a full quiver of arrows. While Dahyun camped in places she knew were safe, sometimes directly ensuring that they were, something that did require a solitary hunt, there was never a guarantee that they’d be left alone.

Others returned to bed. 

Two gods were left at the fire. Sana hadn’t quite engaged in conversation, but there hadn’t been one discussion on love or the vows the girls had taken. It was a small wonder in and of itself. 

“What’s your opinion on spies?” Sana asked. Her bowl was on the ground. Empty. Most likely she hadn’t hated it. It was impossible to dislike Eletha’s cooking. 

“Spies?” Dahyun repeated. “I’m not angry you were watching today.” It was only very confusing as to why she would do so.

“But you asked me who'd sent me,” she said. “I’m not the first.”

“The intention is often what matters,” Dahyun replied. “If the intent is to stare at the hunters simply for their appearance, then I will condemn it.” 

“By transforming them into deer?” 

“I turned men like Actaeon into a stag,” Dahyun corrected. “But something like it, yes.” 

“But,” Sana frowned, “what are the other intentions?”

“Father sometimes wishes to know what condition I’m in,” she said. “Or the other one wants to know the same, but more out of the need to see if there is something amiss.” Her 'step mother' sometimes fulfilled the stereotypes the mortals had cooked up. It was sometimes too accurate how little love ther was there. 

A strange irritation came over the other goddess’ face. “So either supervision or surveillance?”

Dahyun nodded. “So what was your intent?” she asked. “I didn’t turn you into anything so that’s the first crossed off the list.” 

She was reminded then of something Sana had said. It had been the last time she was a bird. 

I wanted to see how you act when you’re not around me, or the other gods.

But why was that important? Dahyun didn’t quite care what Sana was like in other settings. She had a very good idea of what that was like already. 

“Would you believe me if I said I was curious?” Sana's brow rose. She'd said something like that before. 

“Believe it, yes,” Dahyun admitted. “Understand, no.” Since when did Sana want to know what Dahyun did on a daily basis? From her perspective it would only be cyclical and full of dry things like hunting. It was nothing that should have interested Sana. “Am I so different when not around other gods?” 

As she said the words, Dahyun regretted them. Even to her, they sounded awfully similar to another question the goddess couldn’t answer. 

Do you think I’ve changed for the better?

Sana’s expression withdrew to something far more reserved. Even though the fire was dying, Dahyun could still see a faint orange glow gracing the goddess’ features. 

“You don’t need to answer that,” Dahyun said. I shouldn't have said it in the first place. Perhaps that was true for both her questions. 

“Let me,” Sana replied. “Just,” she sighed, “don’t change the subject this time.”

Dahyun let the soft crackle of the dying fire speak for her. She twirled a golden arrow in her fingers. Minnie and Yuqi had been so excited about them, praising their quality over and over again. They'd given Dahyun three each. Dahyun would return them, but for now, she would inspect the quality for herself. Mina had added to the two's arsenals very well. Though they were gold, they weren’t very heavy. Either magic or some sort of exceptional craftsmanship. 

And then the silence was broken. Dahyun was almost startled. Sana had taken less time than she'd expected to answer. 

“You’re humble,” Sana said. “You admit ignorance and accept your huntress' suggestions.” 

Dahyun knew her surprise showed, but it didn’t matter. This was an answer. 

“Why?” The goddess of love frowned at her again. “Why show that you're unsure? Why show you don't know what to do?”

“It’s nothing I’d hide,” Dahyun said. “Especially not here.” She’d asked their help to introduce her to the mortal education system. All of them had gone above and beyond to help her adjust, to tell her which books and strange electronic sources to consult. They'd also come with her for so much of it. And they'd all grown closer because of it. 

“But you’re the one who helps them,” Sana replied. “You’re their leader. You’re—”

“I’m their god?” Dahyun finished. “I’m a god, yes, but that doesn’t mean I should be blindly followed."

“Some would say that’s exactly what that means.” Sana's voice was very quiet, as if they were talking about something they shouldn't. Maybe that was the case. 

“And others would disagree completely,” she said. “Especially in this time, if someone chooses to join me, they have to also know who they follow and what will await them. Nor just because I'm a god." She looked at Sana. “Do you want your lovers to only want you and love you because you’re Aphrodite, the goddess of love, or because of who you actually are?”

No response. 

“We’re no longer constructs of mythology or deities in the sky, we’re beings that exist within the boundaries of Earth alongside them.” Dahyun sighed. “The humans knowing we exist will also mean they'll realise we're not simple beings of perfection." The stories the mortals had of them showed that too. 

Again, no response. Not even a remark that Sana was a being of perfection, or however she saw that. 

“So yes, I will ask their help, because my life is not lived in solitude. They are my family just as those of my blood are. And as much as I know where they’re lacking, they know exactly which flaws and shortcomings I have.” Dahyun looked from the golden arrow to Sana. “So they can help me just as much as I can help them.” 

Once again, silence greeted her. Sana only stared at her, as if not believing her eyes. Or, more precisely, her ears.

Perhaps Dahyun was saying things that were, had they not been said by a god, blasphemous. Maybe they were still heretical and Sana was about to tell her just how terrible her words sounded. 

It was nothing she could truly use as ammunition, because Dahyun believed what she said. A simple reprimand or shouting match couldn’t change that. Maybe that made her stubborn and worse than others who would listen, but she would stand by what she’d said. To say those thoughts aloud as she had—it was almost liberating. It was also strange that it was so easy to say them to Sana. Not even Mina had heard such things. 

“You,” Sana began, her eyes still locked on Dahyun’s, “I think—” She shook her head. 

Dahyun smiled slightly. “If you want to rip those words apart, you may. Mina would likely get you a golden apple for it.” She waggled the golden arrow in her hand. 

The goddess of love sighed. “Don’t bring that up.” But there was a small tug of her lips then. 

The Trojan war was a sensitive subject for some. And Sana had cared for the wounded in wars. Had she already done so back then? Or did she regret that she hadn’t done anything during Greece's wars. The love between Paris and Helen had proven to be catastrophic. Did she blame herself for that? Or did she not want to acknowledge it at all? Sana was facing that side of her, so it wasn't impossible that she felt some reservations there. 

“I’m sorry,” Dahyun looked back down at the golden arrow, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Did you,” Sana trailed off again, “did you apologise?”

“You’re going to rub that in?” 

Now the goddess responded quickly. “No.”

It was Dahyun’s turn to fall silent. It was so strange. They still sat together, not tearing apart the other’s words when it would’ve been exceptionally easy. 

“I have an answer,” Sana said. “To what you asked me last time. If you'd changed.” 

Dahyun hadn't forgotten what she'd said. Forgetting those words would have required a full-on dunk in the River Lethe. 

Sana continued. “I had the answer when you asked for it.” She didn’t leave room for Dahyun to say anything, not that she would’ve known what words to use. “You did change for the better. You're,” she trailed off. Her eyes searched Dahyun's eyes just as they had the flames. "You're better.” 

Better. Dahyun didn’t know why, but the word struck her as inordinately strange. A god was supposed to not need improvement. They were immortal, they were the superiors of mortals by definition and ability, and Dahyun belonged to the Olympian gods. The ones who were deemed ‘better’ than other gods. Now she knew that wasn’t true, as neither Nayeon, Chaeyoung, Momo, or Jeongyeon could ever be considered lesser gods. If anything, Nayeon was far more powerful than her. Yet it hadn’t ever been seen that way by mortals. 

“Dahyun,” Sana said quietly. “Do you know why I know that?”

Know that. Not think. 

“You were one of the people to see my worser sides?” 

“That,” Sana nodded, “and I knew how to exploit them.” Something flashed across her eyes, something quite similar to pain. “But also because I know I haven’t changed like you have.” She stood then. “When I said you’re better, I didn't just mean better than before.”

Dahyun looked at her. The firelight was gone, but the passive light she seemed to get from the night had illuminated her now. Her hair fell down straight, an odd wave here and there. She wore no lipstick, nor anything to accentuate her eyes. 

Sana pursed her lips, her fingers fiddling at her side. Not a particularly godly stance.

The words that came next were even more unexpected. Seemingly impossible.

“You're better than me.”

The scent of flowers returned again. Sana disappeared. 

Dahyun stood the moment she actually vanished. The word she wanted to say died on her lips. 

Wait. 

_____

Author's Note

A hopefully more balanced chapter than last time, as well as more insightful. 

As for the myths referenced. Actaeon (to put it very brefly, because there's more of a story to him) saw Artemis bathing and was in awe of her, but the goddess was furious at having been seen like that. As the story goes, she forbid him to speak, he called his dogs (had a pack of them loyal to him), but was transformed into a stag. The dogs hunted him down (just a tad brutal). 

The other one revolves around the cause of the Trojan war where Paris had the choice (again, this is the highly summarised and simplified version) to give a golden apple to Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite as a way to say which of them was the most beautiful. Each goddess offered to give him something if he chose them, but he chose Aphrodite because she offered to help him win the most beautiful human woman alive. This was the queen of Sparta, Helen (she was already married). Long story short, Paris took Helen (either willingly or not, from my understanding it was the former, but it's a bit like the Hades/Persephone myth where its disputed) and the Trojan war started because of it. 

I'd say that's enough mythology for this update. As always, if you've any other questions, I will answer them as best I can! 

Would love to know what your thoughts are. The support for this story is absolutely wonderful. It's quite the passion project for me, so to see it be read as it has is incredible. 

Hope you're all doing well! I'll see you in the next chapter.