粉红的窗帘

The great serpentine dragon, Jormungand, gazed upon his brother, Fenrir, who stood before him, his body covered in bruises and cuts. The battlefield was a desolate wasteland, the air thick with the stench of blood and the echoes of battle cries.

Unlike when they were fighting in heaven, it was totally different when they were fighting in the first dimension, as their mana and blood and every single bit of waste that excreted from their bodies affected nature and sometimes, it gave birth to different monsters and different abnormalities.

Jormungand's deep, resonant voice carried a tinge of concern as he spoke, his sapphire eyes filled with worry. "Fourth, look at you. You're battered and broken. It's only been a day, and yet you refuse to give up. I implore you, to surrender now and spare yourself further agony. And don't keep me here,"

No matter how powerful Jormungand was, he still couldn't kill Fenrir without even giving him a chance, because instead of attacking and going offensive, Fenrir decided to be defensive and protect himself, until Edona give birth to the child.

Fenrir's purple eyes burned with defiance as he met Jormungand's gaze. His voice, laced with a hint of bitterness, sliced through the air like a razor. "Give up? Surrender? Have you forgotten who we are, Jormungand? We are warriors of legend, guardians of universal laws. Giving up has never been in our blood, nor will it ever be."

Jormungand's mighty serpentine form shifted uneasily as he listened to Fenrir's words. The weight of their heritage, the blood that coursed through their veins, was undeniable. But Jormungand feared for the well-being of Fenrir, for the toll this relentless battle had taken on his once formidable physique.

"Fourth, I understand our lineage, our legacy," Jormungand replied, his voice filled with a mix of compassion and frustration. "But look around you. The land is destroyed and even for me, it is not possible to make things right because you're the one who destroyed them. Continuing this fight only invites further pain and suffering."

"The balance of the universe will break because of you and we will have to act if that happened, don't be an idiot," Fenrir's brother said while Fenrir's lips curled into a bitter smile, his voice laced with an unmistakable edge of sarcasm. "Pain and suffering, you say? What is pain and suffering to a warrior like me? They are mere companions on the path to victory. I will not yield, not until the sun sets on this battlefield and my enemy lie defeated."

Jormungand's eyes softened with understanding, but his concern remained unyielding. "Fine, then, let's fight, either way, you will only be able to survive another few days before you exhaust all your power, and then I will seal you,"

***

In the heavenly realm, where the gods and goddesses reside, Edona, the revered mother goddess of every deity, sat on her celestial throne. Her divine eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of the epic battle that raged between Jormungand, the colossal serpent dragon, and Fenrir, the fearsome wolf. Her heart filled with concern and worry for the outcome of this titanic clash.

Artemis, the vigilant huntress and one of Edona's trusted daughters, approached her with a furrowed brow and concern etched across her youthful face. "Mother Superior," she spoke softly, her voice laced with worry,

"We have lost sight of the battle between Jormungand and Fenrir. Their ferocity was unmatched when they fought in our heavenly realm, but now...now we are left in the dark."

Edona's fingers gently brushed against the golden locks that adorned her radiant head. Her thoughts whirled, visions of the fierce combat replaying in her mind. "I witnessed the terror of their duel," she said, her voice tinged with sadness. "The clash of their powers shook the very foundations of our heavenly abode. But when they crossed the threshold into the first dimension, my sight faltered. I can no longer perceive their struggle."

Artemis bowed her head respectfully. "Should we send our finest warriors to aid Fenrir, Goddess Edona? The fate of this battle could shape the future of our divine realm."

Edona's eyes shimmered with ancient wisdom as she gazed into the distance, her thoughts reaching out to the battlefield beyond her grasp. "No, dear Artemis," she replied, her voice steady and filled with a mother's resolve.

"This battle was destined to be fought by Jormungand and Fenrir alone, but even if we want to support Fenrir, we can't do that, because we won't even be able to stay on the battlefield because of how powerful they are,"

Edona's hands trembled as she clutched her swollen belly, feeling the life growing inside her—an undeniable proof of her union with Fenrir, the monstrous wolf. The child she carried was destined to be a harbinger of immense power, a force that could shape the fate of the realms and the vessel that Fenrir created for himself.

"No matter the circumstances, I will find a way to bring forth this child, and help him overcome everything, I hope you will support him," Edona said and looked at the woman, who was next to Artemis, who had the same bloated belly.

"Just as I thought, you also got-" Edona stopped and looked at her with a complicated gaze. She didn't know how to react to something absurd like this.

Artemis watched her goddess intently, her gaze filled with a mixture of admiration and apprehension. "I shall stand by your side, Mother," she pledged, her voice resolute.

"And I won't make the same mistake twice," Artemis said and remembered how she manage to convince Edona, that she wasn't the main culprit that caused everything.

Even though Apollo didn't confess anything, just by touching his head, Edona knew what Artemis telling was right. Even though she wasn't fully innocent, still she was misled by Apollo and Edona understood her desire to kill Fenrir, because she also once felt the same thing because of how bratty Fenrir was.

Edona's features darkened, a hint of pain flickering across her face. "Apollo," she sighed, her voice heavy with disappointment, "betrayed us in our time of need. He aligned himself with enemies, seeking personal gain and power. But fear not, dear Artemis, for Apollo shall not escape unscathed. He has been confined to the deepest depths of the dungeon, never to see the light of day again."

Artemis nodded, her expression resolute. "Good. He should pay for his treachery," she stated firmly, her voice filled with a righteous conviction. "No one should be allowed to betray our sacred trust and walk freely among us."

Hoping to change the topic before it backfires on her, Artemis approached Edona, her face etched with concern and curiosity. "Mother," she asked, her voice laced with anticipation, "what became of the war with the other gods? And what of the Supreme Deity? Did their forces prevail?"

Edona's gaze turned sombre, her eyes reflecting the weight of the recent conflicts. "Fenrir," she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and sorrow, but there were not because she cared about them. She was worrying about their death because she knew it will bring great changes to their heaven.

"Fenrir rose with unmatched power. He crushed the opposing gods, one by one, leaving no trace of their existence. The Supreme Deity, in all his glory, fell before Fenrir's might."

Artemis gasped, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. "No... the Supreme Deity... defeated?" she stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief, but there was a hidden happiness in that voice that she didn't want to show.

While they were having this conversation, Tasha was in her own world wondering whether she should tell what she has in her mind and she was conflicted because she knew inside her was none other than Fenrir's child.

Summoning her courage, Tasha stepped forward, her voice hesitant yet filled with an underlying determination. "Goddess Edona," she began, her eyes seeking the radiant gaze of the divine mother,

"May I speak for a moment?"

Edona, ever attuned to the stirrings of her realm, turned her gaze towards the elven maiden. A gentle smile graced her lips, inviting Tasha to share her burdens. "Of course, dear mortal," she replied, her voice soothing and compassionate. "Speak your heart, and I shall listen."

Tasha lowered her gaze, her fingers entwined nervously. "I carry within me the child of Fenrir," she confessed, her voice quivering with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "Just as you, Goddess Edona, carry the child of immense power. I am torn, for I love my elven people, and I fear the repercussions of my actions. Should I return to my homeland to protect them, or should I remain here, embracing the destiny that has been thrust upon me?"

Artemis glanced at Tasha, her eyes filled with a blend of sympathy and guilt because she is the one who brought her here. "The burden you carry is not an easy one, because of me you had to abandon everything," she offered, her voice gentle yet inquisitive. "What does your heart desire, Tasha? What path do you yearn to tread? Tell me what you want,"

Tasha's gaze lifted, meeting the compassionate eyes of Edona. Her voice, though laced with uncertainty, held a hint of determination. "My heart beats for my elven people," she declared, her voice steadying with each word. "I wish to protect them, to guide them through the trials that lie ahead. But I fear abandoning the child within me, leaving its fate uncertain. so I want to raise this child like a normal being in our land,"

Artemis and Tasha both knew what she was getting into, and Artemis had already made up her mind to let her go because she knew she can love Tasha, but at the same time, she realised that no matter how she tried to see her as an equal, at the end she was just one of her creations.

"I want to go back to my home and make sure they are safe, please let me go," She begged looking at both of them, with her eyes looking rather tough and conflicted.