Dhara.
It was raining when I woke up. My eyes snapped open when I noticed Naga wasn't in the room. I sprung up from the bed, threw on some clean pants and raced outside the hallway. I was halfway down the stairs of the motel when I heard a very familiar giggle and the motel owner's laughter.
"you are a very funny woman" he continued to laugh at whatever she said.
"Naga..."I started, she was wearing a baggy white shirt that reached her knees "what are you doing down here?"
"I was bored waiting for you to wake up so I came down to see the nice man who gave us shelter and look it's raining!" she quipped, her sharp eyes sizing me up before bolting out to the courtyard I didn't know the motel had.
I took after the running goddess and only stopped short at the sight before me, the rain complimented her perfectly and I found myself admiring the goddess.
"what are you doing? get in here" I didn't see her coming until she pulled me into the open with her. Cold but soft droplets of the rain tapped me out of my thoughts seconds before her lips crashed into mine. Her hands snaked around my neck and pulled me closer. Her tongue gently poked mine for permission and I gladly obliged. My hands did the next best thing and grabbed her waist and I found that she fitted perfectly in my arms.
"Dahime..." she pulled away "The god of time... told me about you when you came into my temple." she removed herself from me and I felt colder. "do you believe in fate, Dhara?"
"No...coincidences, yeah but after everything I've witnessed I'm ready to believe just about anything"
"He told me the man whose fate is entwined with mine has come to find me... I woke up because of you." She smiled "I am not the kind of god to beat around the bush, I take what I want when I want it, no questions asked and you..."
I hoisted her up, wincing a little as I did and she in turn wrapped her legs around me "upstairs" I whispered "so we can talk about it?" she nodded.
The kind man at the front desk offered to bring us hot cocoa after scolded us for playing in the rain. I kicked the door open and set her down.
"go dry off...I'll get the cocoa" i handed her a towel. As soon as I left the room my mind rampaged like a stormy sea. Fated? the god of time? confusion hit my thoughts. I leaned against the stairs railings, completely forgetting what I came out for, I got lost in my thoughts.
"oi, you scared me!" The motel owner breathed "what are you doing out here leaving the lady alone" he asked but he noticed I wasn't even listening. "hey!" he kicked me lightly.
"huh?" he jolted me back "oh hey...sorry." I noticed the steaming mugs in his hands. "Thank you" he handed them to me.
"what's got you lost like that?" he queried "lady problems?"
"no, not really...Thank you" I turned on my heel, careful not to spill the cocoa but stopped. "sir...do you believe in fate or coincidences?"
"son...what do you make of this scenario...you are running late for a job interview, you missed your bus and you met someone who offered to give you a ride, in that short ride, you learned a little about the person, you told this person about yourself and at your destination you both got down. Turns out he owns the job you are interviewing for and you got the job just because of that short ride, just because you missed your bus...do you think it was a coincidence?"
"...a determining cause setting in motion something which was bound to happen..." I muttered. It sunk in a little and I'm sure she would clarify the conundrum. "thank you..." I hurried towards the room.
"Yes, he hates me now. I did not have to kiss him all of a sudden like that...although it was nice" she was speaking to someone I'm guessing is Dahime.
I was still holding the mugs, blushing from ear to ear. She must have realized I heard what she was saying since I didn't meet her eyes even when I handed her the mug. We awkwardly drank the beverage in silence.
"I'll go pack up so we can leave. The rain has let down a bit" I stood up only to be rewarded by the rain responding with a harsher downpour. "yeah" I slowly sat back down.
"Look, I didn't mean to–" she started
"it was nice..." I admitted "and I don't hate you" I started at my knees. Dang! when did I start acting like this?
"thank the gods" she breathed in relief "I am sorry I just dropped this on you without any warning...seems it is a lot to process"
"Fate...right?" I looked at her for the first time since I came inside the room. I figured there was no point in tempting it, right? Have I finally lost my mind? I am a very logical person but anything logical was thrown out the window the moment she appeared. I went from uncovering the world most elusive temple to— "SHIT!" I completely forgot! "Your Temple, is there any way you can...I dunno, make it disappear? it just came to me! if there was no evidence of your existence when and if Yara tries to prove it...you can walk around free!" I let out a loud laugh but it died down quickly when I noticed the grim expression on her face. "what's wrong?" I sat by her, and she put her hand in mine.
"That is the only link I have to the realm of gods...I cannot destroy it" she tore her eyes away from me. "I cannot destroy my home!" tears pooled around her eyes which she wiped off fiercely.
"You don't have to destroy it...you could hide it" I had no idea that the Temple meant more than a place of worship to her. "I wouldn't want you to sacrifice your home...home is safety to me too. I would hate for you to fall in the wrong hands, presumably Yara's hands and I only suggested that because I know how greedy humans can get, I'm not going to say I'm not like them but I'm human after all but you have no idea what they would do to you or make you do to people"
"You know my story?" she frowned "you know everything?" she repeated.
"No, I had a sinking feeling that was half the story painted in human perspective" I ran my fingers over her slender ones and I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. "woah!" I shuddered
"my apologies." she looked as confused as I was and stared at her hands. "hmmm...it seems my powers are returning" she looked at me with a smile.
"is this lightening you spoke about earlier?" she nodded. "awesome you are a walking power plant" she laughed at the bad joke "you know what a power plant is?" she nodded again.
"The longer I spend on Earth, the more knowledge I absorb...you do not have to worry about me not fitting in anymore" she explained and I was awestruck.
"you are amazing!" I blurted out. Just how much does she know now.
"I can hide the temple" she flicked her wrist and her turned black briefly before pulling something all too familiar out of thin air "you made a sacrifice in my temple and offered up something valuable to you. I'm offering it back to you, for safe keeping." she pressed it into my hands, my necklace. "How did she die?"
"weak heart...she didn't want a transplant" I stared at the necklace longingly "my sister was brave woman" I leaned back on the bed as tears poured out. "Do you mind..."
"not at all" a few moments later she laid beside me. Her eyes were closed and mine were closing too and I let them...a grave mistake.