SWNOVELXO Chapter 17: Three Desires
'Finally, the very question that I waited for all this time.' thought Ashok. He longed to ask her for a glimpse of her face, to finally witness the mystery that had eluded him for so long. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it. A fleeting glimpse, a mere glance, would never be enough to quench the insatiable hunger inside him.
Humans are creatures built on desire. The more they are given, the more they carve. A single look would only fan the flames of his longing, leaving him yearning for more. And Ashok was no exception. A mere glance would never satisfy him, who died for a quarter of that face.
What he truly craved was more. He didn't just want to catch a brief, elusive moment of her beauty; he wanted everything. He wanted the face behind that veil, all of it, to belong to him and him alone. Every delicate feature, every subtle expression, every whisper of emotion in her gaze—he wanted to know it, possess it, and make it his own.
"I would like to propose a deal to Your Highness, instead of asking for a blessing," Ashok said smoothly, his voice steady but his eyes gleaming with the sharpness of someone who knew exactly what he wanted.
"This Ritual is already a kind of deal, Foreigner," replied the Goddess.
'Foreigner, Foreigner. How distant it sounds. Just ask for my name at this point,' Ashok thought to himself, the words echoing in his mind, but he didn't allow them to escape his lips.
He bowed slightly and said "The ritual is indeed a deal. But I wish to propose another, one that will benefit both Your Highness and me. A mutual exchange, if you will."
"Your soul doesn't give the feeling of Divine, even though it possesses the Divinity of an Outer. Which means you are a mortal, Foreigner. How would a deal with a mortal such as you benefit a Goddess like me?" asked the Goddess, stating the fact in a cold voice.
"The deal will be this, Your Highness would accept one wish of mine, without asking what it is at first. Simply accepting would mean that the blessing I was supposed to receive for the sacrifice would be considered granted. And in return, I will cure three of your greatest regrets—or should I say, I will fulfill three of your greatest desires—if you accept my wish unconditionally." explained Ashok with a grin never leaving his face.
"Do you know the meaning behind your words, Foreigner" The goddess used her divine tongue for the first time, the chillness in her voice increasing.
The meaning behind his words was simple— Just grant me one wish, and in return, I will grant you three of yours. The very idea that a mortal could set the terms, that he could claim such power over a being of her stature, was enough to wound the pride of any God.
The Goddess had expected Ashok to crumble under the weight of her divine tongue. She had anticipated seeing signs of unease, and fear, as most mortals would have shown by now. Yet, Ashok remained standing tall, unshaken, his composure as calm as ever.
'I inscribed three conditions with the Ancient Human Tongue when making the ritual. The First One is; Any being summoned through the ritual cannot harm the summoner in any kind of way.
He had anticipated every possible scenario, even the ones that could threaten his very life. After all, he couldn't afford to take any risks. He knew the Goddess's power all too well. Even the God of Fate had fled in terror when she revealed her presence in the form of darkness. Ashok's imagination flickered with the thought of her divine tongue, so potent, so vast, it dwarfed even the might of the God of Fate. That very God had made him kneel with mere words.
But now, protected by the ritual's condition, Ashok was shielded from the lethal effects of her divine voice. He spoke "I am sure Your Highness has already sensed that I never meant a single lie behind any of my words"
"Oh! You have the audacity to keep your stance and even respond back, just because, for some reason, my words are not affecting you?" The Goddess's voice dripped with a blend of incredulity and a growing, icy fury.
"I just wanted to say that my words were absolute truth when I proposed the deal," said Ashok still maintaining his stance.
"You think quite highly of yourself just because you somehow managed to survive against a God with a simple trick. Just because you speak the truth, does that mean I will believe someone like you, who has not even lived enough to see a hundred winters? You think you can fulfill my three greatest desires, for I have lived more than a millennium? Do you even know a single of my desires? Don't waste my time. Just ask for the blessing that you want before I change my mind and decide to kill—" Before the Goddess could complete her sentence, Ashok interrupted.
"Since you do not believe me, I shall speak of the three greatest desires—or regrets—that Your Highness can never achieve or fulfill, even after holding such immense power.
Ashok's voice remained calm, unwavering, as he continued. His words sliced through the air, carrying the weight of a truth too profound for even an ancient being to dismiss so easily.
"Your First Desire is that you want to feel emotions like every other being in the world.
Your Second Desire is that you want to experience the three lost senses—smell, taste, and touch. These basic sensations, so simple yet so vital, are beyond your reach.
Your Final and the Greatest Desire is that you want permanent freedom from the place where I called you from. The place which serves as both your Home and your Prison."
Ashok had spoken the greatest secret, the deepest vulnerability of her existence. And in doing so, he had created the perfect opening for his offer—one she could not even think of rejecting.