The Kingdom of Gods

Why not believe most fervently in mortalkind and its potential? We, certainly, could benefit from a little dedication and discipline.


“And what does it make you to threaten all that they know and love?” She fell silent in confusion and growing anger, and I leaned close so that my breath would caress her cheek. “A monster too cowardly to accept her own hideousness.”


“It's just that mortals are dangerous to love. They break easily. In time, they die. It hurts.” I shrugged. “It's easier, safer, to just use them for pleasure. But that's hard, too, because it's impossible for us to take pleasure without giving back something of ourselves. We are not ...” I groped for the words in Senmite. “We do not ... It isn't our way. No, it isn't natural to do things that way, to be nothing but body, contained only within ourselves, so when we are with another, we reach out and the mortal gets inside us — we can not help it — and then it hurts to push them out, too ...” I trailed off, because Shahar was staring at me. I'd been talking faster and faster, the words tumbling together in my effort to convey how it felt. I sighed and forced myself back to human speed. “Being with mortals isn't anathema, but it's not good, either. It never ends well. Any god with sense avoids it.”


Only learning oneself better, and understanding one's place in the world, made the touch of another mundane.


So fascinating, this conversation. Our mouths moved, speaking about things neither of us cared about, a verbal mask for entirely different words that did not need to be said.