《Apotheon: Fortune (Nihilian Effect)》 Part 1: Gifts of Fate ¡°Do you need a bag for that, Gilla?¡± The stocky clerk¡¯s warm smile split his thick, sandy beard, as warm as his rich voice. Gilla shook her head as she reached into her pocket and pulled out some coins to count out the payment. She stopped, mesmerized once again by the large gold coin that dominated those of silver and copper. A blessing, the goddess Rhea had called it when she had placed it into Gilla¡¯s hand just a few minutes ago. The eye in the center of a symbol for luck¡ªa dandelion with a key for a stem¡ªseemed to pierce into Gilla¡¯s soul. ¡°You¡¯ll want to hang onto that one,¡± he said, causing Gilla to jump. ¡°I won¡¯t accept it as payment. Can¡¯t let you blow something that special on snacks.¡± Returning his smile, she put the large coin back in her pocket and handed him the rest. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He nodded, counting what she had given him. ¡°Good. Now get back out there before they leave. That bunch is getting mighty big.¡± Gilla glanced out the store¡¯s front windows to the massive crowd in the park across the street. The clerk snorted. ¡°Gods. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of any of them showing up around these parts, and I¡¯ve lived here a long time ¡­ not sure if that¡¯s something to brag about. But you would have figured at least one of them would have stopped by at some point earlier with the hot springs and all.¡± He paused and winked at Gilla with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°You had better hurry along. Seeing a god is one of them once-in-a-lifetime events. For people around here, at least. Not something you wanna miss for a moment! You never know what might happen when you aren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± she started, then continued when he raised a bushy brow at her question. ¡°Aren¡¯t going to go see them?¡± Removing a laminated wooden pipe from his shirt pocket¡ªthe knuckles on his hand like the knots of a tree¡ªhe used the bit to shoo her toward the door. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be along soon enough. Go on now.¡± Gilla snatched her purchases off the counter and rushed out the door, only to stop again on the sidewalk just outside. The size of the crowd in the park stunned her. It must have grown twice as large since she had entered the store. A din of anxious pleas and murmurs reverberated off the storefronts, emanating from a mass of townsfolk consisting mostly of the marin race, with ears like mice, and pointy-eared squallet folk, whose large bushy tails added to the density of the crowd. The occasional long ears of a bunica towered above the rest in shades of brown and gray. She subconsciously rubbed the tips of her own short, furry ears. Stepping out from under the shop¡¯s awning, Gilla squinted against the intense morning light and weaved her way across the road. Vehicles bordered both sides of the streets encompassing the park, and the streets for several blocks in every direction, as far as she could see. Some had driven up onto the curb in their haste, and others parked so poorly they partly blocked traffic, or would have if there were not already vehicles abandoned in the middle of the road. Once at the park, she pushed her way through the throng of bodies until she found her way back to her friend Jonnathan on the far side. His tall brown ears were easily apparent above most of the heads. Rhea had been encompassed against the park¡¯s large fountain, yet given a wide berth as if the people wanted to be near her while also afraid to get too close. The townsfolk echoed each other as they fought for her attention, the clearing around her a gaping maw ravenous for her blessings. ¡°Patience, everyone. I will do what I can,¡± the goddess said with a kind smile that lit up her face. Even smooth and gentle, Rhea¡¯s voice was audible above the crowd and held a measure of command. She moved along the crowd, handing out blessings like the one she had given Gilla earlier. For each person, Rhea assiduously reached into the beaded pouch at her waist to only remove a single coin, as if every coin was unique and precious. Her gold-speckled skin and the medallions threaded on thin chains through her curly blonde hair glimmered in the sunlight. The way she swayed as she moved caused the medallions on her belt and necklace to jingle with each step, and though she wore a bright yellow halter top and white shorts no fancier than anything the townsfolk owned, she was more magnificent than anyone Gilla had ever seen. Rhea paused suddenly with a coin hovering over a man¡¯s hand. She slowly scanned the crowd until she locked eyes with Gilla, vibrant emerald pools that bored deep into her soul. Gilla¡¯s mouth went dry, and anxiety rose within her, but could not break away from the goddess¡¯s entrancing gaze. Rhea¡¯s expression sank to sadness. ¡°Hey,¡± Jonnathan said as a greeting, breaking Gilla¡¯s focus. She blinked, and the goddess¡¯s attention had returned to the man and those around him who were eagerly awaiting their blessings as if nothing had happened. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Have you seen my dad yet?¡± Gilla wiped off the sweat that had beaded on her forehead and handed him his share of the snacks. ¡°He should have been here by now. I don¡¯t want him to miss his chance.¡± Her head swiveled around, craning to see as many faces in the crowd as possible before returning to his. ¡°And why haven¡¯t you been healed, yet? It should have been your turn by now. What happened to the line?¡± The lanky young man paused in the middle of taking a bite and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m having second thoughts. I¡¯m not sure if I want to anymore. Pana is kind of scary,¡± he said, pointing to the other goddess who had arrived with Rhea. When Gilla had left him earlier that morning, Jonnathan had stayed in the long line to be healed, but that line seemed to have become disheveled since then. It had led to Pana, the eidolon of health and disease, who sat on the edge of the fountain with her arms folded. A grimace distorted her face, half of which was covered by a fine but plain bright red cloth. Almost everything about Pana was plain, from her long gray t-shirt to her work pants and heavy boots. Only the cloth and the leather sword belt buckled over her shirt, inlaid with silver vines and leaves, stood out against the rest. Every time she was asked, Pana huffed in annoyance before reluctantly pricking or tapping someone with her very thin sword¡ªwhich reminded Gilla of a needle¡ªdecorated with red snakes spiraling around the hilt. Few townsfolk were brave enough to ask. Many others, like Jonnathan, had stepped out of the line. ¡°I see what you mean. But don¡¯t be a baby,¡± she said and gestured to his gimp leg. Their town had a decent doctor, but their magic and techniques were better suited for healing recent injuries and sicknesses. ¡°You probably will never get another chance to¡ª¡± A woman next to them suddenly cried out for Rhea, startling Gilla so much so that she dropped her snacks. The crowd had been relatively calm and patient all morning, albeit with eager, begging eyes, when Rhea was looking, but when her head was turned, they grew ever more restless. Some refused to leave after they had received their blessing, blocking others from obtaining their own. Gilla could understand; this might be the only direct interaction with a god any of the townspeople might ever have, even she felt enthralled to be as close to the goddesses as possible, even cranky Pana, but Gilla would never try to rob someone else of that experience. ¡°Oops. Let me help with that,¡± Jonnathan said. Hobbling forward, he struggled against his bad leg to reach the ground, swiping at the fallen snacks with his fingertips. Gilla shooed him away. ¡°You just stand there and wait to be healed.¡± She knelt in the grass, but before she could grab them, the crowd began to shuffle, people jostling each other as they demanded to receive their blessing before others, and her snacks were trampled. Scrambling to her feet, she put herself as a shield between her friend and the trouble. The impatience and shoving intensified until a fight broke out. Jonnathan tugged on Gilla¡¯s shirt, urging her to back away from the mob with him. They moved toward the street as the mob turn violent, escalating from pushing to flying fists. Rhea stopped handing out coins and withdrew from the frenzy. She tried to calm them, but no one was listening. The fight spilled into her clearing, until a woman was thrown toward the fountain and fell onto Rhea herself. ¡°Back off!¡± Pana shouted. Her roar resonated through the park as she launched off of the fountain¡¯s edge. She charged her way through the mob, knocking over waves of people in her rush. Lifting the fallen woman into the air with one arm, Pana flailed her sword toward the crowd with the other. ¡°How dare you insolent filth! Have you no respect? I should destroy you all right here and now!¡± The villagers cowered back, some trampling others to the ground in their effort to flee. ¡°Easy, Pana. It was an accident,¡± Rhea said, placing her hands on the angry goddess¡¯s arm to lower the weapon. The woman hanging by her wrist nodded fervently. ¡°Put the innocent woman down and let us just be on our way.¡± ¡°No!¡± people cried in fearful whispers. Gilla had joined them, her heart leaping into her chest. Plenty had yet to receive their blessing, and her father and Jonnathan had not been healed. They would likely never get another chance. Pana snorted and dropped the woman, who scrambled to the safety of the crowd. ¡°Serves you all right.¡± With Rhea tugging on Pana¡¯s arm, the two goddesses headed toward the road out of town, leaving a stunned crowd. Pana shoved hastily parked vehicles out of her way and did not watch for traffic, causing a car to screech to a stop as she crossed, which received a threatening bellow and a pointed sword from the goddess. Many of the townsfolk seemed ready to chase after them, but no one took more than a step in that direction before their shoulders dropped. A somber mood hung over the crowd as the people dispersed. Those who had received their blessings clutched them, their heads swiveling in worry that others might try to take them, but no one was interested in fighting any longer. Gilla, on the other hand, could feel her temper rising, but she did not care, and stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°C¡¯mon. We¡¯re going after them.¡± A bite of his snack half way to his lips, Jonnathan blinked in surprise before replying. ¡°Wait, what? Are you nuts?¡± ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯re going to get you healed,¡± she said before she grabbed Jonnathan by the shoulders and started pushing him in the direction they had left. It pained her to abandon her father¡¯s chance at recovery, but it was too late. She would see Jonnathan healed, at least. ¡°At least you.¡± Part 2: Fate and Fortune ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Stepping out of the trees onto the gravel path that led from the parking lot out of sight, Gilla waited for Jonnathan before she tiptoed through the large wooden arch that acted as the entrance to the hot spring. Smooth stained planks created a large deck around multiple steaming pools, by flowering bushes and a tall wooden fence. All of the curtains of the changing stalls that sat next to the entrance hung open, and no one relaxed in the pools or the dozen beach chairs. They had beaten the two eidolon to the hot spring. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Pana¡¯s eyes burned with anger. The aura around her darkened, accenting her pale skin. ¡°You have no right to that power.¡± She thrust the sword toward Rhea in emphasis. ¡°Mother should never have given it to you!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Slumping, he frowned at his feet. ¡°Yeah, but my mom is going to freak. And I¡¯m wet.¡± Gilla could not help but chuckle. ¡° ¡° ¡° Part 3: Changing Fate They were wheezing when they reached the edge of town. The smile on Jonnathan¡¯s face stretched from ear to furry ear even as he gulped for breath; he had never run so fast or so long for as long as Gilla had known him. When they could breathe again, he asked her if she planned to tell her father about what had happened. She had to eventually, if she was going to attempt to heal him, and Gilla told Jonnathan as much. He nodded in agreement, but he was not about to tell his mother; she would only freak out about it. When Gilla asked if he was going to fake it forever, he only shrugged. They said their goodbyes to each other, then went their respective ways to head home for late lunch. Jogging along the sidewalk through the neighborhood, Gilla could not get the events out of her mind. The very prospect of gods assassinating each other thrilled her more than it frightened. While the gods were powerful and influential, they had little impact outside of their domains. Only the people that lived in those areas saw any significant impact on their daily lives. She was small and insignificant, and did not get to see gods regularly like people in the big cities; a hint at the inner workings of their lives was intriguing, more than Gilla ever thought she would be privy to. The screen door creaked when she entered into the kitchen of her home, with its weather-worn siding and porch boards that strained under her feet. The appliances were modern enough, but the design of the kitchen itself was at least two generations old. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m home!¡± she called over the voices of news reporters that blared world events throughout the house. She kissed her fingertips and touched them to a photo of her mother on the counter before entering the living room. Sprawled on a couch that was older than she was, Gilla¡¯s dad was the usual mess of unkempt hair, sloppy clothes, and a two-week-old beard. The coffee table supported both his injured leg and several empty cans. His short, bristly ears perked up when she stepped into his view. Grabbing the remote, she kissed him on the forehead while she lowered the noise. He smiled up at her. ¡°Think you¡¯re sneaky, do ya?¡± Gilla paused mid-kiss, panicked in thinking that he knew they had followed the goddesses, before realizing that he was referring to the volume. Taking a moment to calm herself, she rationalized that there was no way he could have known everything that had happened. Either way, she was about to tell him once she figured out a way to bring it up. Once she mustered the courage. ¡°You should get up and shower,¡± she said. ¡°Telling me what to do, now, huh?¡± ¡°Someone has to take charge around here,¡± she jested, but immediately wanted to take it back when she saw the pang of hurt in his face. She knew it was not his fault that he had difficulty finding work. He could not stand for long, and lifting things was out of the question. In a town as small as theirs, there were not a whole lot of jobs without those requirements. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make something to eat.¡± Wincing as he stood, he followed her into the kitchen to put his hands on her shoulders. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry that you have to take care of your old man.¡± Gilla smiled and shook her head. She was aware of the coin and sword point in her pocket against her leg. He would not have to feel that way after she healed him. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Dad.¡± ¡°So, how was your day,¡± he asked, reaching into the fridge for another can of alcohol. He drank more than was probably socially acceptable, but he was not an angry or violent drunk, just depressed about his inabilities. That would change as well. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone since this morning. I was never able to get to the park before the gods had already left. Did you get to see them? We¡¯ve never had gods visit before, and it¡¯s unlikely we ever will again. I probably missed my one chance.¡± Gilla choked in spite of herself. ¡°In fact, I did see them. Rhea gave me this coin as a blessing. Everyone got one,¡± she said and held it out for him to see. ¡°Oh, wow! You met her directly? I¡¯m so envious. I wish I could have seen them, even if they didn¡¯t heal me. You better hang on to that. Maybe put it in your mother¡¯s jewelry box.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a good idea.¡± A wave of sadness washed over her at the mention of her mother. Her father cleared his throat and changed the subject. ¡°I saw on the news that Pana lifted a woman in the air? Were you there for that, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, that was a bit terrifying.¡± Gilla chuckled. ¡°People started getting impatient, and a woman was pushed into Rhea. Pana got pissed. I thought she was going to kill someone. But Rhea stopped her ¡­ and then they left.¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds crazy. So, was Jonnathan able to get healed before that happened?¡± ¡°Well ¡­.¡± She drew that word out as long as she could, unsure what to say next. Her father was staring at her expectantly, his brows starting to sink into a frown. When he did not say anything, she pursed her lips and took a deep breath to prepare herself for what would follow. Setting the unfinished food down, she said, ¡°No. We followed them.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Her father opened his mouth, but before he could scold her, Gilla rattled off the details of what occurred at the hot springs. He stayed silent, gradually closing his mouth to wait stone-faced in disapproval, only for his jaw to drop when she came to Pana¡¯s assassination attempt, but did not speak until the part where Jonnathan and Gilla fled. ¡°Are you sure they did not see you or follow you?¡± he asked. ¡°That likely wasn¡¯t the first. Something like that would definitely be kept quiet or it would have been all over the news before now.¡± Cold panic crept up Gilla¡¯s spine. She had not considered that. ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t think so. I hope not. If they had, they would have probably caught us in the woods.¡± She hesitated. He was already a little cross, if the slight scowl on his face was any indication, even if masked by the surprise and worry. She knew what came next was likely to get her punished, but had to go on. She would see him healed. ¡°Especially when Jonnathan fell.¡± ¡°Fell? Is he all right? I don¡¯t want his mother showing up at the door if he went to get healed and came back injured.¡± Her father chuckled then, and Gilla took the opportunity. ¡°Yes and no. He was hurt, and he was healed.¡± Her father¡¯s brow deepened in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How?¡± She revealed the merged item from her pocket, the blade tip glinting as she held it up for him to see. She had left out the part where Jonnathan had taken them. ¡°What is it? That coin looks kind of like the one Rhea gave you, but ¡­.¡± Gilla watched him connect the dots before he broke into a flurry of hand gestures. ¡°The assassination attempt. You took the coin that was stabbed? You should not be messing with things that belong to the gods! You need to get rid of them right away. I would tell you you need to give them back, but I wouldn¡¯t know where to start.¡± ¡°No! I know, but I didn¡¯t. Jonnathan did when I wasn¡¯t looking, and when he fell, he landed on them. He bled for a minute, but now his limp is gone!¡± His brows finally relaxed, and his expression was blank as he reached for the item. She pulled back, not wanting him to try to return them. He did not move to take them by force. Sighing, he waited. Gilla was not about to hand them over. Even knowing the dangers, she did not want to give them up before he was healed. ¡°Look, Gilla,¡± he started after sighing again. ¡°I get it. I understand. You want me to be healed. I agree, I want to be healed, more than anything, but ¡­ this is too dangerous. You have to give them to me so I can return them before something terrible happens.¡± Gilla stared at his hand, refusing to give the item up for what felt like hours. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Everything could be right again. Her father could be healed, he wanted to be healed, and yet he was going to give them away. Any good thing was worth the risk, but he would not see that, and he was not backing down. Eventually, her shoulders sagged in defeat. It took all of her willpower to lift the item as if it fought to be used, as much as she fought with herself not to take it and run out the door. She screamed at herself from within while she held it over his open palm, trembling with the effort. Then a thought occurred to Gilla as she stared at his open hand hovering between them, and she took the opportunity. She stabbed him. Her father jerked his hand back and cradled it, staring at his palm. ¡°What the hell, Gilla?¡± he shouted. Spots of blood trickled across the kitchen floor. Then he froze. Before their eyes, the wound the point had made began to heal, the flesh merging back together like time reversing. The blood remained, but it was as if Gilla had never stabbed him. There was not even a scar. His brows rose from anger to surprise, and his gaze shot toward his injured leg. He stepped lightly at first, testing his weight on it, then stomped. He stomped harder, over and over until the kitchen shook with his excitement. When he had had enough, he picked her up into his arms and spun, dancing around the kitchen and into the living room with more strength and vigor than she ever remembered him having even before the injury. Tears streamed down his face, and Gilla¡¯s, too, she realized, tears of joy, and they laughed, hugging each other with more pure joy than she had felt in a long time. Gasping for air, he set her down, and they steadied themselves as their laughter began to fade. With one final deep breath, he schooled his emotions and held out his hand again for the item. She gave it willingly, no longer caring about it now that he had been healed. Her father studied the object for several minutes, flipping it over and over. She could almost see the gears in his head turning. ¡°You know what,¡± he finally said. ¡°We could do a lot of good with this.¡± ¡°But, dad¡ª,¡± Gilla started, and he held up a hand. ¡°I know. I know what I said. But how can we not at least help those that missed out on their chance to get healed today. They could all have had their problems solved if the goddesses hadn¡¯t left, and we need to set that right. We will just have to be very careful.¡± Gilla felt as if her eyes were going to fall out of her head. She would never have expected her father to say such a thing, after all the warnings he had given her. But she trusted his judgment and was thrilled that he had changed his mind. He chuckled, a loud, heartfelt laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I know this goes against everything I have taught you. The gods will most likely come looking for them soon enough. And if not, I¡¯m not even sure how we could return them. We should take the time we have and heal as many people as we can. While it is wrong to keep them, it is also wrong not to help people while we have such a great opportunity here.¡± ¡°Who do you think we should heal first?¡± ¡°Well, if we announce that we can heal people, we might cause a riot, and we don¡¯t want that, or we might end up causing more harm than good. We should decide who needs it most and focus on meeting with them one at a time. We probably won¡¯t heal everyone before the gods come looking, but it is better than the alternative.¡± Her father was brimming, and she felt her own grin stretching across her face. They set to work over lunch determining who needed healing the most. Neither of them was very good at containing their joy, smiling at each other across the table. Part 4: A Twist of Fate Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Extra: Poem keep, others she gave This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.