My Slave Goddess

The night was cruel. The trees thinned, the wind bit at their soaked skin, and behind them, the echoes of pursuit rang like war drums.

Alex could hear the distant horns blaring from the kingdom, signaling search parties. Dogs barked. Steel clashed somewhere in the dark—maybe the knights clearing the path, maybe some poor soul mistaken for them. Either way, the message was clear: they were being hunted.

Ashley stumbled beside him, her breath shallow, her divine aura sparking violently like an overloaded rune. Her steps wobbled. The power inside her—once graceful and composed—now leaked from her skin like smoke from a cracked lantern.

"Keep going," Alex muttered. His voice was dry. His legs burned. They'd been running since the river.

She didn't respond.

Then her knees buckled.

Alex caught her before she hit the ground. "Damn it, Ashley."

Her eyes fluttered open just long enough to say, "I'm, sorry."

He gritted his teeth. There was no time for sympathy. The horns were getting closer.

Without another word, he lifted her onto his back. She was heavier than she looked—not in body, but in weight. Divine pressure made her feel like carrying a collapsed star.

He pressed forward, uphill, into the mountain foothills where brush became rocks and paths became cliffs. Each step was agony. His arms screamed. His back threatened to give.

But he didn't stop.

They reached the lower slope of the Bandit Mountains just before dawn.

The mist was thick, curling like breath around the mossy stones. Birds hadn't started singing yet. The world felt still—like it was waiting to see if they'd make it.

Alex's legs finally gave out when he spotted a narrow crevice between two jagged stones. It was barely wide enough to squeeze through, but behind it lay a shallow cave—dry, dark, and hidden. Perfect.

He laid Ashley down gently onto the cold stone, panting. Her skin was still glowing faintly, but it flickered like a dying ember.

He started a fire with shaking hands. His fingers bled from the climb, but he barely noticed. Once the fire crackled to life, he pulled off his cloak, spread it over her, and leaned back against the wall.

The pain hit him then—ribs, shoulders, thighs. Everything hurt. But she was safe. For now.

Outside, he could still hear distant shouts. The knights hadn't found them, but they were close.

It wasn't until noon that she stirred.

Alex had barely moved. He'd kept the fire low, rationed the bread from his pack, and stayed alert. His muscles were stiff, his eyelids heavy—but when Ashley's fingers twitched, he was instantly at her side.

Her eyes opened slowly.

"Water," she rasped.

He helped her sit up and gave her the waterskin. She drank greedily, coughing a little.

Then she looked at him.

"Where are we?"

"Bandit " he said, keeping his voice low. "We're safe. For now."

Ashley blinked. "The kingdom"

"Is burning. Probably still looking for us. But they didn't follow us past the ridge. I think we're clear."

She closed her eyes again and leaned her head against the cave wall. Her hair was tangled, her robes torn. She looked nothing like the radiant deity he first met.

"You passed out," Alex said, after a pause. "I had to carry you."

"I know. I remember falling."

They sat in silence. The fire popped softly. Wind howled through the rocks outside.

Then Alex turned to her, voice tight.

"Why did you even try to help them?"

She opened her eyes again.

"The humans. The kingdom. The people you wanted to bless. Why did you think they'd be different?"

Ashley didn't answer right away.

"I've lived two lives," Alex went on, bitterness creeping in. "And every time, it's the same. People worship when they want something. Then they betray you. We saved them—and they caged you like a trophy."

Ashley's expression didn't change.

"You helped the elves. They tried to marry me off to a thirteen-year-old. You healed a kingdom. They tried to drain you dry. Are you still going to pretend this is some noble crusade?"

She sighed. "You're angry."

"No shit," he snapped.

Ashley looked down at her glowing hands.

"I wanted to show them mercy. To remind them that gods still walk among them—not to be worshiped, but to be understood."

Alex scoffed. "You wanted to feel needed."

That stung her. He saw it.

"I... wanted to believe," she admitted. "That if I gave a piece of myself, they'd offer kindness in return."

He leaned back, shaking his head. "You gave everything. They gave you a prison."

Her glow dimmed further.

He stared at her, frustrated. "Is this really your plan? Burn yourself out trying to fix people who don't want to be fixed?"

"No," she whispered. "I want to understand them."

He frowned.

"My father said mercy was weakness. That gods must stay apart. I believed otherwise. That belief cost me everything. My divinity... my place in the heavens."

"You still believe it?"

Ashley looked up at the ceiling of the cave. "I don't know. Maybe that's why I'm here. To find out."

A silence passed between them, not cold—but tired. Heavy.

Alex looked away.

Outside, the sun was high now. Shadows stretched across the mountain paths.

A distant horn sounded. The knights were still out there.

Ashley sat up fully now, wincing. "We have to move soon."

"I know," Alex said. He stood and looked toward the mouth of the cave. "But not yet. You need more time. And you're leaking divine energy like a broken relic."

Ashley gave him a tired smile. "I never expected a mortal to care so much."

He gave her a look. "I don't care. I just don't like losing."

She chuckled weakly. "Liar."

He didn't deny it.

By late afternoon, the fire was out. Ashley had managed to stand, though she leaned heavily on the wall.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "Let's find somewhere quieter."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're the one glowing like a torch."

She smirked faintly. "I'll dim it.