Eurilie tried to shake the sleepiness from her head. Everything was confusing. she wasn't even on her mat. Where was she?
She looked over the sandy beach, wondering if she had walked out of her house in her sleep.
There, not far from her, lay another form in the sand.
"Julian?" she crawled over to him, trying to rouse him. She looked down and felt her heart flip flop just by glancing at his face. A slight beard had begun to form on his chin, and his cheeks held a faint pink glow.
But as much as she liked looking at his sleeping form, her fear began to mount for he did not stir. "What is wrong?" she asked the air. She did not expect the reply that came.
"This is your trial, Eurilie." She jumped, turning to face the voice. Though she had never seen him, she knew she was now face to face with the demon of death.
"wh-what do you mean?" her voice whispered. he backed away and a woman took his place.
"You were promised to the god Agwe, and now you turn your back on him for this mortal boy.", Asaka explained. Her face, like Papa Ge's, held no emotion. Or maybe, she wondered, a trying to hold back emotions. What were those emotions? were they on her side?
Another woman spoke, a voice like silver floating through the air.
"You are charged with disobeying the gods, trying to create chaos for your tribe and heresy. how do you plead to these charges?"
Eurilie looked around in silent horror.
Another woman stepped forward, bathed in a pink glow; she turned to the silver couple that glared at Eurilie.
"Sol, Please I beg-" she was silenced with a look from the powerful man, if a man he could be called. Eurilie had to look away quickly from his brilliant form.
Instead she her eyes focused on the one person she could.
Agwe's eyes, flooded with pain, met hers and would not break the bond.
Seeing his anguish caused her to fins her voice.
"Please, I can only beg forgiveness. I did not mean it. My Agwe..."
"You shall not speak to him." It was the woman again, just as beautiful, just as terribly beautiful as the silvery man. Eurilie began to realize the gravity of her situation. If these two were Sol and Selene, there would be no chance to save herself.
She took a deep breath and began without looking up, I have done no wrong.
I did fall in love with this boy."
She looked down on his sleeping form, just as beautiful to her as the goddess of love herself.
"But I knew I could not stay. I knew I would leave-"
"but your heart tells us different," reprimanded Sol.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. did she even know her own heart?
"Then there is nothing you will let me say! I am condemned no matter what!!"
She threw herself over the sleeping boy, waiting for Papa Ge to strike.
there was silence, and the gods looked around to each other.
"then all that remains is punishment..." came Selene's voice.
"And I know what must be done. Papa Ge, the boy Julian must die," Sol announced.
"NO!!" Eurilie screamed so loud it felt as if her voice were being ripped out.
Papa Ge's eyes grew wide in anger at being ordered. "The boy is innocent. Why take his life?"
Sol turned to him, still stone faced.
"Do you disobey me, Ge?"
Papa Ge took a deep breath and turned to look at Julian. "No, your grace," he admitted reluctantly.
"Good. You are a mere Demon. You can be replaced. remember that."
Eurilie listened, heartbroken for even Papa Ge.
Then came a sound, like a cymbal crashing in the silence. Agwe was laughing. Eurilie looked up, rising till she was sitting.
All the gods turned to him and waited for an explanation.
"Your grace, dear Sol, forgive me. But why waste time with these mortals.
Kill him if you feel you must. But the girls tribe gave her to me as an offering so that I would not flood their rivers. Would it not be a fitting punishment if I did just that?"
His eyes met Eurilies. Weather the other gods knew it or not, she knew what he was doing for her. He was offering them another solution. He was saving her Julian.
Sol nodded, "There is much truth in what you say, Agwe. But the girl must suffer some form of punishment."
He walk toward her, lifting his hand above her waist.
She felt a tugging, then burning inside her. She tried not to cry out.
"You are released from your betrothal. You may have this mortal boy. You may even mary him. But you will never bear his children."
She he took in a sharp breath. Never to have children?
But as she looked down to Julian's face, she realized she could bear it, knowing he was alive.
She looked back up to Agwe. Even if it took her a lifetime, she could never find words to thank him for what he had given her. "In addition, you will never again see Agwe in his god form again."
her face changed, contorting into agony. "No! please I-"
Agwe was in front of her again.
the pain was gone from his eyes. He in fact, looked... free.
"I know. I shall miss our nights by the river together, my child. but this is best.
I have always said my pleasure comes from your happiness."
He took a thin string from around his neck. on the end of it was a simple, small shell. "I will still be there, as I always have. You just wont see me like this. But I'm always here."
He slipped the necklace over her head. Her eyes never left his, even as he faded.

"Eurilie?" she was pulled from her thoughts. She was back in her own world, on the beach at night. Julian stired beside her, sitting up and rubbing his head. "I had a strange dream... but what are we doing outside?"
She threw her arms around him, letting her tears fall. Not understanding, Julian simply held her and let her cry.