Tyche, in a good mood, did not make things difficult for Pontus, leaving him ample time to consider. She surmised that after the predicament of being attacked by both Gaia and Uranus, the primordial sea god would make the choice she desired.
Aphrodite's selection of a husband thus ended anticlimactically. Tyche, having profited from the situation, bid farewell to her father and Asteria, intending to return to the Invisible Isles.
The rainbow goddesses had already brought forth the chariot drawn by white falcons for the chief deity, but Tyche was stopped by her friend, who looked troubled.
Asteria hesitated to speak, then sighed, covering her forehead in exasperation. After much deliberation, the star-night goddess gritted her teeth, pulled her daughter aside, and whispered something urgently into Hecate's ear.
The sorceress goddess, who presided over death magic, lost her composure in front of Tyche for the first time. Her beautiful olive-green eyes were filled with horror.
Pushed forward by her mother, Hecate looked around helplessly before steeling herself and saying, "Your Highness Tyche, please forgive my rudeness."
This, however, piqued the goddess's curiosity. Did Asteria have something she couldn't tell her directly? Asteria had always been the one to tease others; when had this star-night goddess ever shown such distress?
Asteria's figure was obscured by a stone pillar, allowing Tyche to finally shift her gaze from her friend. "I consider your mother a sister; you don't need to be so reserved in front of me."
Hecate then spoke in a low voice, "My father's brother, Pallas, who governs slaughter and wildness, is seriously considering becoming your husband."
Unexpectedly, Tyche was faced with such matters again. She rationally refused, "I have also considered it seriously; we are not suitable. Please convey my refusal to him and tell him I am honored by his preference."
Seeing that her friend was not angry, Asteria emerged from her hiding place behind the pillar and came to Tyche's side, asking uneasily, "Aren't you angry?"
The goddess, contrary to her usual behavior of treating suitors like ferocious tigers, smiled calmly. "Someone admires me because of my excellence; why should I be angry? Doesn't this prove that I am outstanding enough to attract him?"
Asteria was finally relieved and said shyly, "After all, he met you because of my prophecy, and I was worried you might be angry with me because of it."
"Didn't you tell me this was fate's arrangement?" Tyche teased her friend. "You even advised me to follow the guidance of destiny."
Seizing the rare opportunity, Tyche was in no hurry to leave. She adopted Asteria's usual playful smile. "Who is it that always advises me to enjoy the beauty of love? It turns out you're all talk."
Asteria chuckled, embraced her friend, and then turned to leave.
Tyche took the reins from the waiting subordinate gods. Before she could command the birds to fly, Pallas's call halted her. The vigilant Kyanos immediately stepped forward to block the god of slaughter.
Tyche calmed her furious eldest son and told Zeus to keep an eye on Kyanos. The goddess did not want any entanglement with Pallas, nor did she wish to become a topic of gossip among the gods. She calmly said to him, "Your Highness Pallas, please return. The star-night goddess will convey my answer."
Pallas's bestial eyes reflected Tyche's serene face. "Asteria has conveyed your refusal. Why are you unwilling to accept my courtship?"
Tyche lowered her eyes and sighed. "I have no reason to accept. Pallas, why do you wish to become my husband? We have only met three times. The first time was when I was about to punish you, the second was not long ago, and this is the third."
"Because I need your strength to stay clear-headed, we are very suitable."
Tyche couldn't help but frown. This deity, who was always accompanied by beasts, was truly difficult to communicate with. She had just played games between Pontus and Eros, and now the retribution was so swift. It seemed one really couldn't gloat over others' misfortunes!
The goddess looked at Pallas, who did not believe his words were wrong and looked expectant, and let out a long sigh.
"Do you know what love is?"
Tyche looked at the god of the hunt, who in a sense retained his innocence. "Love can make fierce beasts willingly put on the ropes of restraint; it gives the weak the courage to resist and leaves a fatal weakness in the hearts of the strong."
"If there is a lasting affection between immortal deities, it must rely on shared attraction. It cannot be obtained by continuous giving. Love is precious precisely because it is real."
The goddess's words were not just for Pallas, but also applicable to Rhea.
"In my opinion, you do not love me," Tyche gently advised Pallas, who possessed a childlike heart.
The god of slaughter, who was accompanied by beasts, had his own logic. He did not understand the goddess's words, only stubbornly believing that they should be together because they were suitable.
"Companions in a wolf pack are loyal to each other. If one dies, its mate will faithfully guard the other until death."
Pallas's bright eyes were filled with confusion. "Isn't there love between them? I need you, so we should become companions."
Tyche sighed in helplessness. "What if one day you no longer need me? Will you still firmly believe that we should be together?"
In the simple world of the god of slaughter, he had never considered such complex questions, and therefore did not know how to answer the goddess.
Pallas was stunned. Seeing Tyche's figure disappear into the sky, he turned and went to Aphrodite. The goddess of love had just regained consciousness and, before she could figure out what had happened, saw the god clad in animal skins approach her.
The goddess of love turned her head away in disgust, not wanting to look at the rough deity, but heard Pallas's question to her: "Your Highness Aphrodite, can you give me love that never changes?"
The goddess of love, eager to avoid the bare-chested male deity, casually replied, "Of course, I can. I will bring unfading passion and ardor to all life."
Satisfied, Pallas left the divine mountain and returned to the forest, leaving the bewildered goddess of love behind.
Tyche and her retinue returned to the Invisible Isles. Iris excitedly recounted the chief deity's heroic deeds to the dryads, eliciting gasps of astonishment.
Kyanos and Zeus accompanied their mother as they walked through the metasequoia forest. The mist swirling in the canopy gathered into water droplets on the leaves, flowing down the straight tree trunks to nourish the moss that had grown at some unknown time.
The god of disaster eagerly said, "Mother, your tolerance and kindness should not be bestowed upon that detestable Pallas! How dare he speak such words to you!"
Tyche looked at her eldest son, who was becoming more impetuous as he grew, and said sternly, "Kyanos, do not let the power of your divine office of disaster control your emotions! Did you not see the plight Pallas was in under the influence of slaughter!"
Kyanos recalled the terrifying sight of Pallas losing his sanity and involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat.