"No! Do not kill him, he has done nothing wrong to the Heavens." I push my way through a crowd of bloodthirsty immortals gathering to watch the execution of my best friend, the Demon Lord of the North. My friend had been caught visiting me in the Heavens. "I know he is a Demon, but you can't kill him!"
Immortals turn to glare at me, but I needed to reach my friend. I cannot let my friend die such a lowly death in the Heavens! My heart froze for a moment when North Demon Lord collapses right before my eyes. My nose almost touches his bloodied forehead.
"Why can't we?" God of Punishment tossed a golden scroll to my chest. Without looking, everyone knew the royal decree had been written on the golden paper. No one was here to help me. "High Goddess of Lust, you know what happens when a Demon is caught sneaking into a goddess' chambers."
I roll my eyes, not appreciating the title he uses to address me. I am more than the goddess of Lust. I am also the High Goddess of Love and Marriage. Also, the Goddess of Seduction, but I would rather be called Goddess of Lust.
"He must die! Seek justice for Goddess of Lust!" Hundreds of immortals chanted loudly, some sneering at my defeated friend kneeling on a raised platform. "He must die! Justice must be served! He must die!"
My heart raced in my chest as I reached out to touch his bruised cheeks. I could barely feel his cold skin when his body is dragged back to the center of the execution stage. A flash of light blinded my eyes, but I leapt onto the stage and threw myself on my friend's still body. I can hear his shallow breathing.
"Goddess of Lust, you sit with the High Council, you have agreed to the rules of the heavens. We must punish all Demons who dare to wreak havoc in our society." God of Punishment withdraws the golden axe in his hand after seeing I have become a shield for my friend. The god was shocked.
I mustered all my courage to stare the brawny god in the eye and although I looked calm, I was raging like the dragon swirling above us. I did not wish to see that beast devour my friend's soul after his execution. "I agreed to kill Demons who harmed immortals. Demon Lord of the North has never harmed a fly!"
"He is a Demon Lord, you must have been tricked by the evil man if you would actively defend him. Demon Lords harm our people throughout the centuries. Why would he be any different?" Goddess of Reason joined us on the stage. She kneels beside me, tugging my arm in an attempt to rip me off my friend.
I use my elbow to smash her nose. She called me a wench, but why should I care as a Goddess of Lust? I tighten my arms around my friend's waist, grimacing as I see a stream of crimson liquid drip down my forearm. I moved my arm to see they had pierced his sides so that blood gushed onto the stage.
I was seeing red. I feel my friend's cold fingers touch my wrist and I was not shocked because of the temperature of his body. I know Demons usually have lower body temperatures than immortals, especially when they are from the North. I notice his hands have become similar to human hands which had more warmth than Demons'.
"My red chrysanthemum, do not weep before these brutes." North Demon Lord draws me closer to his chest, his breathing was uneven and weak. "I am so sorry for having you see me like this, I regret the things I couldn't say to you last night."
"Please, do not talk. You need to save your energy," I said. His face is blurred in my vision because tears flowed relentlessly. I use my billowing sleeves to wipe the water off my cheeks. I held his pale face to my chest, glaring at the sneering immortals all around us.
I knew my friend had visited me last night to tell me one thing, but our meeting had been cut short when he was caught by royal guards. I produced a sachet from my sleeve and held it before his eyes. "This is what you gave me before you were taken away. I know what is inside it."
"Are you lovebirds finished with your last exchange of words?" God of Punishment taps his feet to show his impatience. He is more than eager to kill the man in my arms. "Demon Lords are dangerous."
"What do you know? He is a Demon Lord, but he is from the North! Northern Demons do not participate in atrocious activities because they keep their emotions locked away." I latched onto my friend, holding onto him with my life. I see a sword prepared to slash down and I roll to meet the blade.
I clutch the sword with my hands, keeping it away from North Demon Lord's neck. Using all my strength I snap the sword's menacing blade in half. "If you want to kill someone, kill me! I told him to visit me during the night when I have no duties to attend to!"
"He's a Demon." Was their only argument. They did not seek justice for me, they wanted to kill a Demon.
"Well, I won't let you kill him for being a Demon. He can't change his ancestry and if you are a Demon, would you kill yourself?" I cannot believe the blade in my hand was aimed at an innocent man. I wind my arm to throw the broken metal over spectating heads. I roared angrily.
"I have always loved you," a weak voice said out of the blue. North Demon Lord coughed, gripping my arm tightly. His bloody face still managed to display a warm smile for me. He laced his fingers through mine and his smile widened. "I see the Universe before my eyes now because of you, I wanted to tell you I love you. You will always be my love, in Hell, in Heaven, on Earth and throughout the ages."
"You see the Universe?" Tears burst forth once again. I have always felt a strong affection for my Demon friend, but I never realized that the force I control had controlled me. I cover my face with his bloody hands. "You see the Universe because you are dying, not because you see me."
"No, I will not die so easily." North Demon Lord chuckles and groans when the slightest movement brought pain to his body. He lurched forward, then away from me. He coughed until blood sprayed from his mouth. He smiles sheepishly, "I may be dying slowly. However, I will not die before doing this."
Using my sleeve, he wiped the blood off his cracked lips. Chains rustled around us whenever he moves and when his hands touch the back of my head, metal links punch my spine. His dark eyes searched mine, taking my breath away.
I have only realized who he truly was, but why must we be in this situation? North Demon Lord was not only a close friend of mine, but he is also my other half? I can see his heart glow and I look down at my own chest to see a bright light. I can barely breathe as tears rolled down my cheeks, clogged my nose and blur my sight.
I allow my head to be gently pulled to his and I tilt my head. Then, cold lips pressed passionately onto mine. I am the High Goddess of Love, but I could not recognize my love? My heart threatened to burst in their bony cage. I needed to save him from the heavens. My eyes widen, then I twisted his body so that I am facing the blades.
I missed his lips and as I glare at glaring metal, I gripped his waist to stop the flow of blood. He was losing too much blood but despite this, he spoke to me. I hear shouts of disdain, killing chants and a screeching dragon. "I love you, my North. We are getting out of here alive. I promise you."
Love is a powerful force that makes both immortals and mortals do things they would never imagine. Too much love makes even the strongest man weak. Too little love makes the weakest man strong. Love that had just arrived yet is slipping away will remain the most painful love and we shared this love.
The High Goddess of Love and North Demon Lord.