Immortal Mortals

Reflections

Mo Yuan

Mo Yuan walked slowly back to the Tavern in deep thought. His day had been the most eventful he had, had in a very long time. Thinking back to his arrival at the Peach Grove earlier that morning, his thoughts had been solely on Ai. She had stirred something in his heart that had never been moved before. For a Mortal woman, her innocence and gentle manner made her seem very vulnerable, but within her eyes was a strength he had never seen in any Mortal before. There was also an ancient wisdom to them, as if her many lives that had gone before had gathered within them. They held lifetimes of wisdom, experience and knowledge, an inner power so strong, he sometimes felt as if they could burn into the very depths of his soul if he held her gaze long enough.

But she was a Mortal woman, one that was destined to live her life that fate had laid out for her, and at the end of it, she would die, never to be seen again. That he felt moved enough to want to pursue something more than just friendship, surprised him. He was no Mortal, and nor was he an ordinary Immortal. His position required absolute dominance over his emotions and his heart. With himself, he was ruthless and unmerciful, he could not allow even the slightest weakness. He was The God of War, a man of powerful persuasion, and no instability or frailty of the mind or heart could be permitted.  Not when it came to the security of the Realms.

But it had. She had slowly and without effort moved her way into a part of his heart that no other woman had ever been.  Perhaps it was her ability to instantly heal a part of the soul that lacked companionship just by being present.  Or was it her soft voice and gentle kindness that flowed with each word that passed her lips that broke into the most shrouded and secret of places deep within his own hardened heart?  He couldn't be sure what it was, but having spent enough time with her over the passing Mortal Realm months and then again that evening, he knew, he would not be able to let her go.

Not when he had just witnessed an even softer side. A side of that had him wanting desperately to protect her.  And even having already been made aware of her ability to take care of herself, tonight he had seen something else in her. A moment of weakness, which he felt, she too had been struggling to understand.  A woman who had lived years alone and had withstood the onslaught of a brutal and unforgiving world that battered her mind daily, yet she had.  With fortitude and perseverance, and through it all, she remained true to herself to her nature and to those she cared deeply for.  No amount of hardship or struggle had seen her heart harden or even accustom itself to the harshness that surrounded her, instead she continued to love and to gently infuse a tranquil harmony upon those around her.

And then there was Bai Qian.  The woman who he had almost given up on, and he would have had she not shown herself that day.  As day is to night, so too was Ai to Bai Qian.  Two complete polar opposites, and yet she too had moved him.  But in a different way.  And it wasn't just her unnatural beauty either, though his heart had definitely skipped a beat when he first saw her raging through the sky to tear apart The Golden Lion.  Her beauty was unparalleled,she was stunningly gorgeous, flamboyant and glorious, ravishing and elegant but her power surpassed even her exquisitely stunning features. 

 The raw and unbridled energy of her might, was almost impossible to comprehend.  No other Goddess of their world matched her in strength or power, and her magical skills far exceeded most Immortal High Gods, that Qing Qiu, would never need an army with her at the helm. And as The God of War, his mind saw a partner, one who he could trust and rely on, one who would match him in every way. 

But even that wasn't what had drawn him to her.  The woman was wild, unabashed, seductive, experienced, unpredictable and very much an adult who knew exactly what she wanted, and took it without mercy.  But she was also playful, childish, unsophisticated, ill mannered, callous, immature and spoiled.  The woman had many facets, but of them all, the one that really stood out for him, was her sultry seductiveness.  Her untamed provocativeness, sent immediate shivers down his spine.  She was the kind of woman, most mothers warned their sons about, a woman who could tear a mans soul to pieces without mercy, and he would still go back for more.