In the temple of eternal light on Mount Othrys, nymphs moved through the gardens, serving delicacies and nectar to the gods.
The victorious gods gathered for a feast, their unrestrained revelry annoying Tyche, who sat at the head. She begrudgingly responded to the gods' incessant congratulations.
Listening to the gods' insincere words and having to feign enjoyment, Tyche's patience was nearing its limit. If not for Tethys' sake, Tyche would have long since left Mount Olympus and returned to the Invisible Islands.
It wasn't until Astraea smilingly offered her a cup of nectar that a smile finally graced Tyche's stiffened face.
"My dear friend, don't wear such a long face. The gods' praise is well-deserved," the Starry Night Goddess said with a playful smile.
Tyche rolled her eyes unceremoniously. "You know I detest these meaningless social obligations."
Linking arms intimately with Astraea, Tyche used their conversation as an opportunity to rise and leave.
Finding a secluded corner in the garden, the two goddesses moved away from the noisy banquet to share private whispers.
"You must be careful, Tyche," the Starry Night Goddess warned with sudden concern. "The Sky God and his consort will not willingly give up their celestial dominion."
"I know they are unwilling, but they can do nothing," Tyche said with a disdainful smile, casually plucking a branch from an olive tree and tasting a ripe olive.
"The laws will not permit the crystal wall to be damaged, and the sky that supports it is my domain. Within the sky domain, the Sky God and the Day Goddess combined cannot shake my position."
As she spoke, she wove the olive branch in her hand into a crown and placed it on her friend's head. After a careful appraisal, she picked Liriodendron and golden ears of wheat from the ground, weaving the flowers and olive branches together with delicate Gypsophila, and then nodded with satisfaction.
The Starry Night Goddess's shining dark hair rarely bore adornments; when venturing out to perform her divine duties, the goddess would only wear a veil.
Tyche condensed the wine in her cup into a mirror. Astraea, pleased with her reflection, also plucked a sprig of thyme and made a similar crown for her friend.
The two goddesses playfully frolicked, passing through a patch of myrtle flowers to reach a pomegranate tree. Among the fiery red pomegranate blossoms, several plump pomegranate fruits were hidden. Astraea couldn't resist reaching out and picking the fullest one to taste.
The ruby-like pomegranate seeds were sweet and juicy. Astraea, her appetite whetted, couldn't wait to share with her friend and plucked a single seed to swallow.
Before she could savor the sweet juice of the pomegranate, the pain that erupted in her abdomen caused the Starry Night Goddess to cry out in surprise. Leaning against the pomegranate tree, Astraea slowly sat down and frantically called Tyche's name.
Hearing her friend's call, Tyche peeked out from behind the thyme bushes and came to Astraea's side, comforting the goddess who was about to give birth.
The sprites, who had retreated due to the arrival of the two goddesses, emerged from their hiding places to shield the goddess from the sun. Tyche, flustered, summoned mist to surround the garden.
Astraea's pain did not last long. A dark-haired goddess leaped from the Starry Night Goddess's abdomen. Tyche stepped forward to drape the newborn goddess in pure white garments. The three divine positions of sorcery, necromancy, and curses were controlled by the newborn goddess. The goddess opened her olive-green eyes and declared, "I am Hecate, Goddess of Sorcery and Necromancy."
The sprites, terrified by the goddess's fearsome divine power, quickly retreated. Astraea, covered in sweat, rose with Tyche's support, looking lovingly at her daughter, who was born with a weak divine power.
After tidying Astraea's dress, Tyche then dispersed the mist.
The gods, who had heard Hecate's declaration from afar, gathered around, looking fearfully at the goddess enveloped in ominous divine power. Hecate appeared composed, her divine power contained without a change in her expression.
Tyche was very happy for her friend. Hecate's potential was extraordinary; she was destined to have a place among the powerful deities.
Perses stepped forward and took his weakened wife from Tyche's hands. Astraea leaned into her husband's embrace and fell into a deep sleep.
Kanas emerged from the crowd and approached Tyche, curiously observing the newborn goddess. Out of respect for Tyche, Hecate did not show anger. Her inorganic, olive-green eyes swept over Kanas indifferently, as if the handsome deity before her were a stone statue. This innate majesty made Tyche's eyes light up, and her admiration grew.
Kanas was startled by Hecate's indifferent gaze. Since his birth, all the goddesses he had encountered had liked him. To encounter one who treated him as if he were nothing was a great blow to Kanas, who had grown up pampered by the tree nymphs.
He awkwardly shifted his gaze and quickly hid behind Tyche. Tyche looked at her son's foolishness with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, patting him reassuringly.
The whispering gods watched Astraea's family depart from Mount Olympus, their gazes inadvertently falling on Tyche. The feast held on Mount Olympus had, on the surface, been to celebrate Tyche's promotion to powerful deity. Now that Tyche's banquet had been disrupted by Hecate's birth, the gossips naturally wanted to see Tyche's reaction.
Tyche, already feeling annoyed, would not let this minor incident distance her from Astraea. She used this as an excuse to end the feast.
The gods, who had been busy for a long time, had a rare opportunity to rest. The Sun and Moon Gods patrolled the sky ceaselessly and had not relaxed for a long time. The sun and moon would not appear in the sky for a long time, and Kanas was also on vacation.
Tyche, accompanied by Kanas and two rainbow goddesses, returned to the Invisible Islands. The tree nymphs were naturally overjoyed. The sense of security they gained from serving a powerful deity was indescribable; they could only offer their primary deity endless food and drink.
Tyche, who had found everything on Mount Olympus unappetizing, was quite relaxed on her own territory, leaning back in her chair and picking at appetizing fruits.
The eldest of the tree nymphs was named Philyra, a nymph intrinsically linked to the linden tree. All the tree nymphs were willing to follow her commands and arrangements. Since the tree nymphs had arrived on the Invisible Islands, all sorts of trivial tasks had been organized efficiently, with almost no errors.
Philyra, with her gray hair and green eyes, approached Tyche and quietly reported news in her ear.
"Your Highness, before you returned to the Invisible Islands, three Furies came to the island requesting an audience. Do you wish to summon them?"
Tyche's heart stirred, and she immediately instructed Philyra to bring the Furies to the temple.
The divine positions of History and Secrecy flickered slightly, and Tyche immediately understood the purpose of the Furies' visit.
Like the tree nymphs, the Furies were born from the blood of Uranus that dripped onto the earth. In terms of relation, they could be considered sisters to the yet-to-be-born Eros, but they were much luckier than the tree nymphs. The tree nymphs, despite their noble origins, lacked corresponding power. The Furies, however, each controlled divine positions: Alecto's divine position of Disquiet, Megaera's divine position of Envy, and Tisiphone's divine position of Vengeance. They were collectively known as the Erinyes.
The three Furies, due to their birth from Uranus's blood, were disliked by the gods, and King Cronus did not permit them to set foot on Mount Olympus. Discriminated against, the Furies could only wander the earth. Before the advent of bronze humans, their divine positions could not gain sufficient power. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The three weak deities huddled together for warmth, and their lives had been relatively good until Uranus awoke. The weakened Uranus did not immediately notice the three Furies originating from him, but this was enough to make the Furies anxious. They abandoned their caves and hid everywhere, seeking only to avoid the Sky God's gaze.
Fortunately, Uranus also disdained the subtle origins of weak deities, and coupled with the gods constantly searching for him, he did not trouble the Furies. It wasn't until Uranus was completely annihilated that the Furies, who had lived in constant fear, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting to wander and hide as before, the Furies made up their minds. Their purpose in visiting Tyche this time was to seek Tyche's protection, just like the tree nymphs, and become Tyche's subordinate deities.
Blocked by the mist, the Furies dared not force their way in. Using their shared origin, they attracted the attention of the tree nymphs. As all four deities had gone to Mount Olympus to attend the feast, the tree nymphs naturally did not dare to allow the Furies onto the island, so they had them temporarily reside on a nearby island, waiting for Tyche's return.
Philyra led the three Furies into the temple. Tyche, flanked by the rainbow goddesses, sat majestically on her throne, exuding an aura of authority. The Furies' divine positions were quite valuable to Tyche. Her divine positions of Fate, Opportunity, and Choice had encountered a bottleneck in their advancement. To elevate these two divine positions to the level of powerful deities was a long and arduous journey. Tyche wished to condense the divine position of Wealth using the golden basin bestowed by the Earth Mother, thereby obtaining the domain of Luck. The Furies' power would allow Tyche to glimpse the domain of Misfortune, and after a long period of accumulation, she could naturally elevate both divine positions to the level of powerful deities.
The Furies prostrated themselves beneath the divine throne. Tyche frowned as she looked at the three goddesses, never having seen such disheveled deities! The two rainbow goddesses, who had been on high alert, relaxed upon seeing this, their vigilance replaced by pity. Kanas almost dropped the leg of lamb in his hand, his mouth agape in surprise.
Despite being goddesses with divine positions, they couldn't even obtain a complete set of clothes! Looking at the goddesses' tattered and decaying garments, Tyche couldn't help but feel fortunate that the sea nymphs were considered to have some background and were not poor. The Furies, lacking background and weak in power, receiving no worship and having no territory, lived truly meager lives.
The Furies, with their snake-like hair and bat-like wings, were tall, and their blood-red eyes were awe-inspiring. Compared to the brilliant butterfly wings of the rainbow goddesses, their appearance was indeed less appealing.
Tyche clapped her hands and summoned Philyra, instructing the tree nymphs to lead the Furies to bathe. She also ordered the rainbow goddesses to find various jewels, ornaments, and fine clothes to present to the Furies.
When the Furies returned to the temple, they were transformed. Dressed in black gowns, their radiance was enhanced by the various gems, finally bestowing them with the majesty of deities. Even their snake hair and bat wings possessed a unique, otherworldly charm.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, the Furies hesitated. Tisiphone, the goddess of vengeance, pushed forward by her sisters, timidly approached Tyche.
"Merciful Sky Goddess, thank you for deigning to hear our plea."
Tyche smiled and gestured for the Furies to be seated. The tree nymphs busied themselves serving them lamb and fresh fish. Tyche swore that for a moment, she saw the Furies' blood-red eyes brighten.
Under Tyche's warm invitation, the Furies awkwardly took their seats, looking at the delicious meat but not daring to touch it. It was only after Tyche repeatedly gestured that they began to eat.
After a hearty meal, the Furies, surprised by Tyche's amiability, looked at each other. Finally, Tisiphone stood up and said, "Your Highness Tyche, we have not yet congratulated you on becoming a powerful deity. It is truly remiss of us."
Alecto and Megaera also stood up and congratulated Tyche. Tisiphone earnestly requested, "Respected Highness, please grant us a place to reside, so that we need not wander the earth. We are willing to swear allegiance to you by the River Styx!"
Tyche feigned hesitation, looking at the hopeful eyes of the Furies, and then nodded, solemnly responding, "I am willing to accept your allegiance."
Overjoyed, the Furies immediately swore by the River Styx. Tyche, watching the threads of causality connect to her from the goddesses' divine fire, smiled with satisfaction.
Oaths witnessed by the River Styx were unbreakable, and Tyche was naturally willing to accept the Furies. Under the barrage of Tyche's gifts of various cosmetics and jewelry, the Furies, who already held a favorable impression of Tyche, were completely won over and willingly submitted to Tyche as their primary deity.
Selecting several beautiful mirrors and various corals and pearls, Tyche instructed the Furies, "To the west of the Invisible Islands lies a forest of yew trees, where there are comfortable hot springs and water sources, suitable for your residence. Once you are settled, I will arrange work for you."
The goddesses nodded repeatedly, bowed reverently to Tyche, and quickly withdrew.
Philyra accompanied the goddesses to the western yew forest. The three goddesses found a rock face by the hot springs and carved out caves in the rock with their divine power to dwell in. Philyra also brought them a flock of sheep and cattle. The snake hair on the goddesses' heads danced joyfully, emitting hisses.
In the temple, Tyche took out the golden basin from which flowed gold and jewels, successfully obtaining a trace of wealth divinity from it. Her divine fire forged this trace of divinity, and from it, she deciphered the mysteries of the wealth godhead. With Tyche's unsparing support, the ethereal wealth godhead manifested in Tyche's hands.
The domain of Wealth was not occupied by any deity. Among the existing deities, only the Earth Mother Gaia and the Goddess of Radiance Theia had some involvement with the domain of Wealth. Seeking the wealth godhead would not provoke hostility from either goddess. Among the twelve great gods of Zeus's generation, only Hermes, the god of commerce and livestock, possessed the godhead and divine position of Wealth, and this was not his primary divine position.
For the current deities, the divine position of Wealth was even less important than the divine position of handicrafts. Once humans appeared on earth and developed civilization, the divine position of Wealth might allow her to gain an advantage. Tyche pondered the divine position, which only had a framework in her hands.