By the time Dolis had decided to return to the party, half of the participants had left, presumably to get a head start in Daelia's contest. Those that remained were the council, his father, and a handful of gods and goddesses wishing to speak or dance with Daelia. Dolis' eyes trailed to find the god of love laughing and smiling amongst some of the younger gods. He spotted Vitol and his brethren contributing to a conversation Daelia was engaged in before prying his eyes away when Daelia turned their head in his direction.
He spotted Xiros in the shadows between a few windows, a curious expression on his face. Dolis kept his head down and headed in his direction.
"I've been looking for you," Xiros said. "I thought you wished to leave sooner."
Dolis cast a glance at the doorway he had returned from. "I was admiring the garden."
Xiros sent a knowing look. "So did Daelia. What did you discuss?"
Dolis shook his head. "Nothing important."
"Dolis." Xiros' eyes darkened, watching as Dolis fidgeted in place.
"Fine," Dolis relented. "He asked if I was participating."
"And?"
Dolis huffed. "I told him that it was a terrible concept. A god-like me has no place with silly escapades of love. Besides, I'd be unwanted on the court; it'd be a catastrophe."
Xiros didn't respond right away, which alarmed Dolis.
Dolis stiffened. "Xiros..."
"A spot on the council is not entirely useless," Xiros admitted. "There is some merit there that would benefit us both."
"You'd participate?"
"Naga, no." Xiros shook his head. "But if you were to earn a spot there, it would benefit you greatly and secure a connection for both of us to have a say in Estruela."
"You've never mentioned wishing for one before."
Xiros pursed his lips. "I have not. Until recently, I've never seen a point to it."
"What changed?"
"You," Xiros said almost too quickly.
Dolis blinked. "Me?"
Xiros nodded, placing a hand along Dolis' shoulder. "You deserve more than just what the realm of the dead can provide. I fear the curse will only worsen if you remain there in complacency."
"I'm content with where I'm at," Dolis said, but both could see the uncertainty in his voice. "Truly, it's the only place I can trust the curse. I cannot destroy the souls that have already passed."
"While that may be true, there is little for you to gain, Dolis. Living amongst the dead will only stifle you." Xiros tightened his grip on Dolis' shoulder. "It is riddled with pain, grief, and anger. Things that are only fuel to Dulo's curse."
Dolis narrowed his eyes. "You suggest I live amongst the mortals? I couldn't possibly do that; the curse would wreak havoc everywhere. We've been through this before."
"Unlike before, there's power in understanding the mortals we serve and even greater power in being present. Hiding in the shadows as we have before may no longer be an option."
"If not to live with the mortals, what are you suggesting? Our realm is the only home that I've known. It is the only place that I've felt...felt...."
Accepted.
Except, accepted wasn't entirely the truth in Dolis' mind. It was no surprise that the souls that had entered their realm due to Dolis harbored lingering animosity toward him, some more vocal than others about the subject. He had grown accustomed to tuning their curses out, but it didn't erase the guilt Dolis harbored.
"I'm beginning to see that we are more like the dear mortals we serve than we all thought possible. There's more joy and knowledge that you can't get being stuck in our realm." Xiros sighed. "It's human nature and our own nature to seek the comfort of others—apart from your father and the souls in our realm."
"The dead have taught me more about anything than the living," Dolis said. "You know this."
"While that may be true, there is far more to it amongst the living. I know that you'd learn much more amongst even the gods you despise." Xiros released his shoulder, taking a cautious step away from him. "You can't avoid them for eternity, Dolis. Don't let the curse destroy that opportunity."
"If that's the case, why don't you take up Daelia's request yourself? Earn your rightful spot back on the council." Dolis pointed his thumb to the dais.
A half-smile graced Xiros' face. "I could never; you know my heart only belonged to one."
Dolis cursed himself for suggesting it, knowing Terah was a tender subject. His love had cost them both, and the Great War had stripped them from ever seeing their love prosper. The same war that nearly took Dolis from him too.
Instead, Dolis returned his focus to Daelia's contest. "There's no guarantee that I could compete with the others, let alone Daelia and the council agreeing to give me a seat."
"Yet the odds are not zero," Xiros reminded him gently. "They will be if you do not try, son."
Daelia's words echoed in Dolis' mind. His kind words of encouragement, in tangent with his father's, were promising to say the least. No matter how slim the odds were, there was a chance that Dolis may succeed. He knew the goddess of luck, Forla, was hardly ever on his side, but that didn't stop him from wishing they might be right.
"Perhaps," Dolis muttered, his eyes trailing to the god of love in the center of the floor, surrounded by multiple gods. It was unfathomable to picture himself in the fray of talking with Daelia casually. Dolis only sought other gods out of necessity or obligation, like in the garden. To engage with the others of his own volition had been a nightmare.
And yet, the kind smile and wide eyes Daelia had as he mingled with the others tugged at his chest. Whether it was the allurement of Daelia's powers, Dolis wanted to see that smile forever, to feel that flutter in his chest whenever Daelia laughed and talked.
"Shall we?" his father interrupted Dolis before Daelia could glance his way. Dolis looked to Xiros with confusion. "We can return to our realm. The main event has been adjourned."
Dolis nodded, steeling his desire to turn back and glance at Daelia one last time, before following close behind his father. Few gods said a parting word to either of them, almost a look of relief as they walked passed a few of them.
Once back in Xiros' territory, Dolis felt a sense of relief. His shoulders sagged, and despite the musk of the earth, the air felt cleaner than it had atop the Estruelan mountains. Dolis preferred the warmth the underground provided, even if it meant being surrounded by the dead's souls.
None of the souls were particularly hostile; most found acceptance in their death through their arduous journey to Xiros' realm. However, there were exceptions, including those who had lingering regrets and anger for not completing their goals or aspirations.
The hostile souls had no power over Dolis with no physical form, but they did weigh on Dolis and his father heavily. It wasn't unusual in events of wars, plagues, and natural disasters that a surplus of souls arrived, more confused and anguished souls over being slain by something out of their control.
No plague or natural phenomenon warranted the current surplus, but even Xiros warily took them in, weighing the options for each soul's afterlife. Something was amiss in Estruela, and their fears about Daelia's contest were at the forefront of their minds.
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