《The Age of Chaos (Isekai/Fantasy)》


 Chapter 1: The Goddess

    It¡¯s a brisk morning, enough that he can see his own breath, but Oren doesn¡¯t really feel it. The cold barely affects him these days. Sitting there on a stump next to a crackling campfire, he spoons some breakfast stew into his mouth. Not fresh, unfortunately, but still only a day old. In fact, the only reason it¡¯s ¡®breakfast stew¡¯ is because of the time of day¡­ after all, it¡¯s the exact same thing he ate for dinner last night.


    The stump he¡¯s sitting on is one of many and the clearing he¡¯s sitting in is man-made, with a whole bunch of freshly cut down trees off to the side, ready to be processed. The tentative plan for the day is to start by getting rid of all the stumps in the clearing. Then, he can begin turning the trees into logs and start working on making those logs into an actual livable cabin. Back breaking work, but Oren feels well equipped for hard labor at the very least.


    ¡­ Admittedly, he¡¯s far less confident in the rest. He has zero skill in construction after all, and barely any idea what he¡¯s doing. But at this point, Oren has all the time in the world to make something work, doesn¡¯t he? Even if his first attempt fails, he¡¯ll just take whatever he learns from it and apply it to the next. And he¡¯ll keep doing that until he succeeds.


    Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men¡­ just as Oren is slurping the rest of the stew out of his bowl, he pauses and tips his head to the side as he hears something¡­ or rather multiple somethings, crashing through the underbrush. Eyes narrowing, he sets aside the bowl and rises to his feet, hand coming down to rest on the pommel of the sword sheathed at his waist.


    Tensing up, he listens closely, hoping that their trajectory will take them past him without Oren ever having to lay eyes on any of them ¡­ but it¡¯s not to be. The sounds get louder until they¡¯re practically right on top of him. Finally, coming out of the trees like she¡¯s being chased by a dozen baying hounds is a woman. A very beautiful, entirely too clean woman.


    One might be fooled into mistaking her as nobility at first. Maybe even a Princess. She was, after all, wearing a tiara atop her pristine brow. On top of that, she had dangling gemstone earrings, and a matching gemstone necklace, each of them set with a beautiful blue sapphire that almost seems to glow in the morning light.


    The necklace dips towards the valley of her bust, which is in turn clad in a gorgeous white dress that¡¯s frankly out of this world¡­ and certainly ill-suited for traipsing through the woods. But then, the heeled sandals she¡¯s wearing don¡¯t seem like they should have served her much better.


    It was probably enough to make most wonder how the hell she had stayed ahead of her pursuers for any length of time, dressed like she is. But Oren knew better. One look at her and he knew her for what she really was. Not a noblewoman. Not a Princess either. But rather¡­ a Goddess. She was too beautiful to be mortal. Too clean to be human. Too¡­ pristine to be anything but divine. And that wasn¡¯t Oren waxing poetic or being hyperbolic with his prose either. She was literally too perfect to be anything else but a deity.


    Upon seeing him, her gorgeous blue eyes, the same color as her sapphire jewelry, go wide in hope and relief.


    ¡°Please! Sir, p-please! I¡¯m being chased! You have to help me!¡±


    She rushes forward, causing Oren to tense up in anticipation of a trick¡­ but no. He senses no aggression or hostility in her stance. Deception, certainly. But she¡¯s not going to attack him. She doesn¡¯t exactly give off the impression of a fighter in the first place. Nor that of an assassin.


    Unfortunately, the sound of multiple people crashing through the woods in his direction has not ceased with the goddess¡¯ arrival. In fact, it¡¯s only gotten louder. Jaw clenching, Oren stands tall, shoulders squared as the goddess takes his silence as permission to get behind him and cower at his back.


    Her pursuers arrive a moment later in spectacular fashion. They come out of the woods clad in much more fitting attire for the wilderness, moving forward rather cautiously. Clad in a mixture of leather armor reinforced with metal plates, wielding swords and crossbows and pikes, they pause at the sight of him, but their eyes light up when they see their quarry just over his shoulder. The most equipped of the lot barely hesitates to step forward, spreading his arms wide and smiling smarmily.


    ¡°We have no quarrel with you stranger! All we want is the goddess at your back! Been chasing her for weeks now! Killed half of my men in that time, she did. She¡¯s all out of power at this point though. Easy pickings¡­ might even let you share some of the reward if you play nice!¡±


    Silence falls over the clearing, one of anticipation and excitement. The band of men wait for him to step aside and hand her over. The goddess at his back is clearly anticipating him doing the same given he can all but feel her preparing to turn and flee once more.


    The leader of the ragtag group in front of Oren is lying though, at least partially. She didn¡¯t kill anyone¡­ Oren can tell she¡¯s not capable of it. But he¡¯s not lying about all of it. She likely did lead them on quite the merry chase¡­ and yes, she is out of power, her divinity feeling faint at best by now. They¡¯d dogged her heels long enough to drain her and kept at it frequently enough that she couldn¡¯t rest to recharge.


    God Hunters. That¡¯s what they are, one and all. Not just simple bandits. Not just brigands or even adventurers. Oh, they¡¯ll turn towards banditry or the plundering of ancient ruins at the drop of a hat if the opportunity presents itself, of course. But their primary purpose, their foremost drive¡­ is hunting down gods and goddesses like the one standing behind him.


    Oren should just let them have her. He shouldn¡¯t interfere, even if they don¡¯t share the reward with him. And yet¡­ and yet¡­


    ¡°No.¡±


    His response, hotly anticipated by everyone else in the clearing, takes them all by surprise. The smile drops off of the leader¡¯s face and is quickly replaced by a dark sneer.


    ¡°No? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still clinging to some misplaced faith in the Gods after all this time. The Age of Gods is over, friend! Now is the Age of Man! And old relics like that pretty thing cowering behind you have no place in this Age. None whatsoever.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Oren snorts derisively. Age of Man¡­ not yet. No, while the Age of Gods was indeed over, things didn¡¯t just turn over quite that fast. They were still very much in a transitionary period right now. Perhaps they would reach the Age of Man one day, but given everything Oren had witnessed so far, all the destruction and death and mayhem¡­ it was far more accurate to call this the Age of Chaos than anything else.


    He wasn¡¯t going to bother saying all of that to these idiots though. Wasn¡¯t worth the breath. Even delivering a warning was barely worth the breath, though he¡¯d do so anyways. His hand on the pommel of his sword tightens, and with a sharp tug he pulls it an inch out of the sheath, revealing the part of the blade as it glints in the early morning sunlight.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a believer, no. Just an irritated man who¡¯s had his breakfast ruined by some miscreants. Consider this your one and only warning. Turn around and leave empty-handed¡­ or I¡¯ll kill you all.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause at that, even as his threatening words hang in the air. Alas, his warning falls on deaf ears. After a moment, the God Hunters break into laughter, starting with their leader and traveling through the entire group.


    ¡°Bahahaha! Good one! We¡¯ll be sure to tell the others how confident you were when we regale them with this story at the tavern later tonight! Kill him!¡±


    Oren¡¯s jaw clenches and he tenses up, drawing his sword the rest of the way out of its sheathe even as the God Hunters all begin moving forward as one. He isn¡¯t surprised. Getting involved¡­ this was only ever going to end one way.


    Nor is he all that surprised when he hears the shifting feet of the Goddess behind him, the telltale sign that she¡¯s turning to run and use his impending demise to give herself a bit more of a head start on her would-be hunters. Not surprised¡­ but maybe just a little disappointed.


    No matter. It is what it is.


    -x-X-x-


    Sophia isn¡¯t sure what makes her stop. Every thought in her mind screams that she should be running. The man she¡¯d come upon while fleeing her hunters with nothing but the dregs of her divinity left to her was¡­ not much to look at. Handsome, certainly, with the scruffy look of a woodsman to him. And judging by the stumps and the trees stacked high on one side of the man-made clearing, he was a hard worker as well.


    But the hides covering his body, while clearly gained through skill and talent, did not make for exceptionally good armor. And the sword, even once he drew it, was nothing special either.


    Ultimately, the God Hunters who aimed to take her head and sell it for coin were going to hew right through him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Sophia should have used the handful of seconds his grisly death would buy her to start running again, for as long as she still could run. She even half-turns to start fleeing again, but winds up taking not a single step.


    Instead¡­ instead something makes her freeze up and watch as the first of the God Hunters reaches her would-be protector. Something makes her stop in her tracks and bear witness to what is sure to be a one-sided massacre.


    ¡­


    Well, it¡¯s certainly a one-sided massacre¡­ just not in the way she¡¯s expecting.


    ¡°What?! He killed Edvard in a single blow!¡±


    ¡°Idiots! Take him down together, you think that sword of his is just for show! Clearly he has training!¡±


    ¡°Righ-urk!¡±


    ¡°Gack!¡±


    ¡°Hulghk-!¡±


    Ducking, dodging, and sidestepping attack after attack, the scruffy stranger moves with exactiny precision and a capacity for extreme violence the likes of which Sophia has never seen in a mortal man. His sword might not be anything special, but it¡¯s more than adequate enough for this purpose given how it always seems to find another exploitable weak point in his enemies¡¯ defenses.


    Heads fly, bodies crumple, and soon the clearing is filled with corpses and blood¡­ until finally, there¡¯s just the one God Hunter left. The leader, who it seemed was more inclined to lead from the back given he was still hale and whole.


    ¡°W-Wait! You don¡¯t have to-urk!¡±


    The sword, covered in red already by this point, goes right through the front of the last standing God Hunter¡¯s throat and out the back. Hissing, the scruffy stranger shakes his head as he yanks it back a moment after delivering the lethal blow.


    ¡°Gave you a chance. Warned you.¡±


    No one among her hunters is left to answer him. He¡¯s slew them all. Sophia stands frozen, staring in disbelief, as he looks around himself for a moment before sighing. Then he turns in the direction of his supplies only to pause when he sees her still standing there. His surprise is evident from the hitch in his step and the slight widening of his eyes, but he doesn¡¯t stop moving.


    Walking over to his things, he pulls out a piece of cloth and begins wiping down his bloodied blade. Only then does he finally acknowledge her again.


    ¡°Thought you¡¯d run. You probably should have while you still had the chance.¡±


    Sophia blushes a little bit at his blunt way of speaking. And she also blushes a little bit because¡­ well, he was right wasn¡¯t he? Still, she wasn¡¯t about to just admit as much. Instead, the Goddess straightens her back and squares her shoulders, letting her gloved hands come together beneath her bust as she tells a little white lie.


    ¡°I saw no reason to flee. I know a capable warrior when I see one, and I knew you would have the situation well in hand.¡±


    He gives her a look at that, one that makes Sophia flush all the harder. It¡¯s obvious he sees right through her¡­ and yet, he doesn¡¯t call her out on it. She¡¯s not sure whether that¡¯s a relief or a frustration truth be told. Still, her head is swimming with questions. Most importantly of all¡­


    ¡°You said before you weren¡¯t a believer. If you do not hold faith with the Gods, why did you defend me?¡±


    The man pauses in his cleaning at that question, looking up at her for a long moment assessingly. When he finally responds, however, his words are no answer at all. In fact, he answers her question with another question.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of calling you ¡®that goddess¡¯ in my head so let¡¯s get introductions out of the way now. The name¡¯s Oren. You are?¡±


    Sophia blinks and then tries not to wilt a little at the mortal failing to recognize her. But then to be fair¡­ she was only a minor goddess, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising. Still¡­


    ¡°O-Of course. Introductions¡­ I am Lady Sophia, Minor Goddess of Wisdom and Equity. Daughter of Law, King of the Gods and God of Justice and Righteousness.¡±


    And then, because she feels a desperate need to impress this man at least a little bit, Sophia draws herself up even further.


    ¡°I witnessed the God Killer rampage through the Heavens firsthand. I spat in his eye to escape his thirsty blade as he made his way to fight my father. I and I alone survive where all others have fallen. You stand before the last Goddess of Heaven, mortal. And you have done me a great boon this day, one worthy of significant reward.¡±


    There, that should add some gravitas to the situation, right? And the emphasis she¡¯d put on ¡®significant reward¡¯ would surely catch his attention. Indeed, the mortal was already looking appropriately gobsmacked and in awe of her! Finally, progress!


    -x-X-x-


    Oren stares at Sophia blankly, unable to muster a response in the face of what she¡¯s just said. Not because he¡¯s in awe of her or anything like that¡­ but rather because he doesn¡¯t quite remember events happening the way she claimed. And he should be able to. He really, really should. After all, he was there that day, in the Heavens, when the God Killer stormed the place.


    He was there when Law died, the King of the Gods slain at the hands of the God Killer. He watched it happen¡­ no, truth be told, he MADE it happen.


    Oren should know whether Sophia¡¯s version of events was accurate or not. Whether she actually faced down the God Killer and spat in his eye before escaping his ¡®thirsty¡¯ blade.


    After all¡­ Oren WAS the God Killer.

 Chapter 2: The God Killer

    Actually¡­ he might know who she is and what she''s talking about after all. It takes him a moment to dredge up memories he''d rather not revisit from that day, but after doing so and matching his own experiences to what the goddess is saying, Oren thinks he knows exactly who she is. Of course, things hadn''t happened remotely how she said they did.


    It''d been during a lull in the killing. He''d fought, or rather slaughtered his way through the Heavens singlehandedly, killing every single deity who dared to stand in his way. He''d massacred each and every one of them without mercy as they''d tried to stop him from reaching Law''s chambers.


    But eventually, there''d come a point where there was seemingly no more resistance. A sense of quiet had fallen over the area accompanied by a disquiet that had fallen over him as he''d stomped down the hallway. Then, just as he''d been turning a corner, so had someone else. She''d ran right into his armored chest and bounced off of him, falling back on her ass and freezing up in terror when she''d seen his imposing form and blood-caked arms and armor.


    He''d considered killing her in that moment. It was what he''d been told to do, after all. Show no mercy. Give no quarter. Anyone he spared would just try to stab him in the back a moment later, or so it had been said. And yet¡­ he''d already been a little weary. So he hadn''t delivered the blow. Instead, he''d stomped right on past her and kept going on his way, expecting an attack from behind that had never come.


    The goddess he was staring at now and the woman he''d run into that day looked nothing alike, but Oren already knew why that was and it had nothing to do with Sophia herself. That was a whole other can of worms not worth getting into right now. While there''d been no spitting in his eye¡­ it would make sense if that had been Sophia. Just as it made sense that she would try to embellish things a little bit, rather than expecting him to believe that ''the God Killer'' had chosen to spare her out of everyone else for some reason.


    Taking his silence as intrigue at the mention of a reward rather than contemplation over past events, Sophia puffs up her chest, the Minor Goddess of Wisdom and Equity''s eyes shining with excitement.


    "T-That''s right. In saving my life, you''ve not only earned my favor but also a reward beyond your wildest imagination! But¡­ before we go any further, I must know¡­"


    Here, her eyes narrow and she looks around at the corpses he just got done making.


    "¡­ where did you come by such strength? How did you kill them all so swiftly? Is it that¡­ perhaps you are a God of the Mortal Plane?"


    Oren snorts derisively at her words. He understands how she might come to that conclusion, but it was still rather silly. After all¡­


    "Do you sense any divinity from me, Goddess?"


    Flushing a bit, Sophia crosses her arms over her chest defensively.


    "W-Well¡­ I mean, I''m not at my best at the moment! Besides, I''ve never met a God of the Mortal Planes before! How should I know how one might feel to my divine senses?"


    Hm, he supposed she had a point. To be fair, Oren hadn''t found out that there were multiple types of Gods until after he''d murdered Law. It wasn''t until he''d run into his first God Hunters back here on the Mortal Plane that he''d discovered in a rather backwards way who was left for them to hunt in the first place.


    With the deities of the Heavens slain one and all (save for the Minor Goddess standing in front of him apparently) those who had orchestrated the genocide had turned their attention to the divinities located on the Mortal Plane. Deities who were more tied to the elements, such as Forest Gods and River Goddesses. These were divinities who relied on the material far more than their kin up in the Heavens had. Gods of actual, real things instead of Gods of concepts and beliefs.


    It was no secret by this point that the Gods of the Heavens were dead and gone, but there were still plenty of Gods and Goddesses to be hunted down and slain. Oren wanted no part in it though, regardless of his past. No, rather¡­ he wanted no part in it BECAUSE of his past.


    But he wasn''t so stupid that he would tell the goddess standing in front of him who he truly was. Even if Sophia didn''t seem to have a combative bone in her divine body, he had no desire to see the meager gratitude on her face morph into hatred and terror when he revealed himself as the man who killed her father.


    Instead, Oren decides to go with a somewhat safer secret¡­ a less inflammatory truth that will hopefully distract her enough to obfuscate the greater truth he wants to keep hidden at all costs.


    "I''m not a God, Sophia. Not of the Heavens nor of the Mortal Plane. I''m an Otherworlder."


    She still reacts with shock, of course. Even some disgust as she rears back and wrinkles her nose cutely, seeing him in an entirely new light.


    "Wha- but that''s not possible! You shouldn''t be here!"


    Oren grunts noncommittally at that, somewhat prepared for this reaction. Having finished with cleaning his blade, he sheaths it back at his side and then busies himself with tidying up his supplies, even as Sophia seems torn between backpedaling at her initial reaction and ranting over his shameful existence.


    "I-I mean¡­ obviously it''s probably not your f-fault, of course! Is it your fault? Or were you summoned against your will?"


    "The latter."


    "Right! So really, don''t take this personally¡­ but you should NOT be here. My father Law decreed the summoning of Otherworlders to be illegal several millennia ago! It was one of his most important commandments! Your very existence breaks a fundamental law of the universe! You represent a huge threat to everything and everyone just by your very existence!"


    Oh, if only she knew. But Oren doesn''t say anything. He just stays quiet, letting her tire herself out.


    "I s-suppose with my father and the others dead; there''s nobody left to enforce the Sacred Commandments anymore, is there? So just anyone can go around breaking a cardinal rule and summoning an Otherworlder. Oh no, what if there are more of you¡­"


    He doesn''t bother correcting the misconception about him being summoned to this world AFTER her father''s death. In fact, that was precisely the mistake Oren had wanted her to make when he''d spilled this secret in the first place.


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    If she knew he''d been summoned to this world years ago, she would likely get even more suspicious of his true nature. After all, back when Oren had originally been summoned, the Gods of the Heavens were still very much in charge. The God Hunters weren''t a thing yet, and the divine pantheon that Sophia was part still held power over both their own domain as well as the Mortal Planes.


    Those who had summoned Oren to this world had managed to do so right under Law''s divine nose. And then they''d spent years training him up, making him into the perfect weapon¡­ into the perfect God Killer.


    "You understand, don''t you? You have to know by this point. Just how fast you learn. How strong you get. Even though you''ve likely only been in our world for a few short months at most, you''re already strong enough to kill an entire group of men without even breaking a sweat!"


    It was true, aside from the part about how long he''d actually been in their world. Hell, Oren could even understand why Law had made the commandment against summoning Otherworlders in the first place. On the one hand, it was a dick move to drag someone from their home. Oren had once dreamed of returning to Earth, of getting back to the simple life he''d left behind. He''d quite literally been mere inches from stepping foot on campus for the first time, having sacrificed everything to get accepted into the University of his dreams.


    ¡­ And then he''d been whisked away without so much as a ''by your leave'', given a weapon, and told he had to fight.


    However, even setting aside the vile consequences of stealing someone from their life, there was also another very good reason for restricting the access of Otherworlders. Put simply, he and those like him were not properly tethered to this cosmos. They were not limited as those born in this universe were. A mortal being born on the Mortal Plane could never hope to ascend to the Heavens to lay waste to the Gods and Goddesses there. Nobody of this world could have become the God Killer.


    But as an Otherworlder, Oren''s potential was limitless. That wasn''t hyperbole or an arrogant boast either, that was a simple statement of fact. All he''d needed was time, and because of his natural advantages as an Otherworlder, he didn''t even need all that much time before he was capable of slaying divinity itself.


    Again, he doesn''t say any of that to Sophia. But he can''t help feeling a little guilty all the same, so he throws her a bone.


    "When I was summoned, I was the only one they summoned at that time. There were no Otherworlders there with me."


    As far as reassurances and comforts went, Oren was well aware that it was a shit one. Still, Sophia is floundering hard enough that she latches onto it like a lifeline all the same. Swallowing thickly, the Minor Goddess slowly nods.


    "R-Right¡­ alright. That''s good. And what of those who summoned you? Where are they now?"


    Oren can only shake his head at that.


    "I don''t know. I cut all ties with them."


    Again, it''s clearly not what Sophia wants to hear. But the plucky Goddess is a survivor, that much is obvious. She''s also very quick at adapting to a given situation. After a long moment, Oren watches as she swallows thickly, squares her shoulders, and visibly decides to work with what she has in front of her.


    "T-This changes nothing. While your status is certainly¡­ unfortunate, I remain deeply indebted to you. You saved my life when you didn''t have to¡­ no, you saved my life when you had every reason to refuse to. I would still see you rewarded for your actions on this day, Oren."


    He raises an eyebrow, easily able to tell she''s drawing out her speech for some reason. Where was she going with this, exactly?


    "¡­ Unfortunately, I am currently bereft of the rewards you would be worthy of for saving my life. In fact, I am bereft of practically anything, weakened as I currently am. I will not mince words¡­ I have the capability of rewarding you as you deserve, but only if you can help me reach safety. There is a hidden refuge near here, crafted by yours truly and filled with wonders beyond your imagination. See me there unharmed and not only will you be rewarded for saving my life today, but you will also be rewarded twice over for your troubles!"


    And there it was. By the time she''s done speaking, the goddess is panting with how many words she''s just spat out at once. Oren stares at her for a long moment, both surprised and not. On the one hand, he''s surprised that a Daughter of Law would dare associate with a filthy Otherworlder like him. He was a living example of her dead father''s broken commandments after all.


    ¡­ But on the other hand, what choice did Sophia have? She wasn''t wrong about being weakened. In fact, it would be more accurate to say she was utterly helpless at this point in time. The next God Hunters who managed to track her down wouldn''t even have to chase her¡­ she would not be able to give them the run around like she had the last batch.


    Oren lets out a sigh as he looks around his clearing, at the piled logs and the stumps still sticking out of the ground. He''d had plans. Plans that involved staying away from anything else to do with gods or goddesses. Plans that involved keeping his head down and living here alone in the woods. It was to be his penance for his sins and punishment for his crimes.


    But who was he to decide his penance? Who was he to decide what his punishment for his crimes should be? Oren didn''t necessarily believe in concepts like Fate or Destiny. Or rather, he didn''t believe in their power. After all, neither Fate nor Destiny had helped the God who claimed to embody them. Oren had slain him without issue all the same.


    And yet, was it mere coincidence that Sophia had stumbled upon his clearing in all these woods? Was it mere happenstance that she''d arrived before him in the nick of time for him to save her? And was it mere luck that she needed him now or she would surely perish without his intervention?


    ¡­ No, Oren decides. The God Killer was not allowed to decide his penance. And whether this was a sign or not, he had to acknowledge this was far more fitting than his own plans had been.


    "Very well. I will escort you to this¡­ refuge. How far is it exactly?"


    Here, Sophia pauses and fidgets. The beautiful blonde goddess even bites her lower lip for a moment before clearing her throat and answering him.


    "A-Ahem¡­ not far¡­ not far at all. Only a week away on foot at most!"


    Her poker face is terrible. She''s obviously lying and Oren suspects the refuge is probably more like two weeks away, if not further. Still¡­ it is what it is. Fortunately for the goddess, he''s already resolute in his determination to see her to safety. And luckily for himself, he''d already begun sorting his supplies, making it easy to gather up his meager belongings and sling his full pack over his shoulder a few moments later.


    "Fine. But we''ll need to get you a change of clothes immediately."


    Sophia blinks and then looks down at herself, before raising her hands protectively over her dress.


    "What? Why? What''s wrong with my clothes?"


    Lifting his eyes to the sky, Oren wonders not for the first time just how ''wise'' this supposed Goddess of Wisdom truly is. But then to be fair, she has admitted that she''s only a ''Minor Goddess''. Still.


    "Because you stick out like a sore thumb. Because anyone with two braincells to rub together will see you and recognize you as a Goddess. And anyone without two braincells may not recognize you as divinity but will still be talking about your inhuman and unnatural beauty for days and weeks to come, providing any would be pursuers with a trail to follow that will lead them right to us."


    In fact¡­ reaching into his pack, Oren pulls out his only blanket. It''s a large piece of black cloth, a little ratty around the edges but thick and comfortable enough that its kept him snug and cozy on many a cold night out under the stars. He throws the black cloth at Sophia, who barely manages to catch it.


    "W-What am I supposed to do with this?"


    "Wrap it around yourself and use it as a cloak. You''re literally glowing, Goddess. First step to escaping your pursuers now that we''ve killed the ones directly on your tail¡­ is to stop drawing attention everywhere you go."


    To her credit, Sophia merely pouts before doing as she''s told. That was good, because as strong as Oren was, those God Hunters he''d killed had felt more like fodder than anything serious. They might have been men, each with their own hopes and dreams, but he can only look back and see hunting hounds when he thinks of them. That leaves him with a single burning question¡­ where was their master?


    -x-X-x-


    Hours upon hours later, when morning has turned to day and day has turned to night, a single figure clad in black appears in the blood-soaked clearing. Looking around at the decomposing corpses, the figure hums in thought for a moment, tilting their head to the side.


    "Curious. Very curious."


    Then, as swiftly as they appeared ¡­ the figure vanishes without a trace.

 Chapter 3: Otherworlders

    Otherworlders. Sophia wasn''t born yet when her father Law had outlawed their summoning. Truthfully, she was relatively young as far as deities went at only a few hundred years of age. The commandment banning the summoning of Otherworlders, meanwhile, had been set down by the King of the Gods thousands of years ago.


    Still, Sophia had nevertheless been educated on the dangers posed by Otherworlders. They were a scourge on Creation and if allowed to run rampant, if left unchecked¡­ the damage they could cause was astronomical. It wasn''t just that their potential was limitless either. No, the real problem with Otherworlders was their foreign status to reality itself. They came from outside of the cosmos that her father and the other Gods and Goddesses of the Heavens stewarded. And that¡­ that led to most of them going insane in the worst of ways.


    It had taken a while for Sophia to wrap her head around things, truth be told. The Minor Goddess had needed it explained to her numerous times before it finally clicked. In the end, the metaphor that worked for her had gone something like¡­ what would you do if you found yourself waking up one day in a place so far from home that returning was impossible? What would you do if you found out that you were more powerful than most of the creatures in that place and would only get more and more powerful? And most importantly of all¡­ what would you do if you weren''t entirely sure the place you found yourself in¡­ was even real?


    Even thinking of it now sent a shiver down Sophia''s spine. Apparently, many of the Otherworlders from before the ban had been convinced this universe was some sort of ''game'' that could be ''beaten''. They hadn''t viewed the people of Creation as ''real'', whether they were mortal or divine. As far as those insane Otherworlders were concerned, everything was ''Experience'', which in turn could be ''farmed'' to make them ''stronger''.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, in a twisted and sick sort of way, they were right. The more they fought and killed and ''farmed'', the stronger they would get, until they could even become strong enough to challenge the Gods themselves. And the worst of them¡­ the most psychotic Otherworlders were said to even see an ''interface''. They talked about ''levels'' and ''attributes'' as if they were the most natural things in the world.


    Swallowing thickly and pulling the big sheet of black cloth Oren had given her more tightly around herself, Sophia suddenly feels the need to call out to him.


    "Ah¡­ Oren, a moment of your time¡­"


    They''ve made it out of the woods by this point at least and are now on the road heading for the nearest settlement. Sophia has to admit, she''s not that enthused about going to a human town and possibly being rediscovered by the God Hunters so soon after losing their scent, but Oren had been clear that she needed different clothes and they needed some extra funds if they were going to make the journey to her refuge in a reasonable time frame.


    Admittedly, given how little divine power she had left at this point and how long it would take her to recharge, Sophia was forced to listen to him. For all that he was an Otherworlder, he was also her only form of protection from the God Hunters at this point.


    The scruffy man doesn''t stop walking, but he does look over at her, slowing down momentarily.


    "Yes? What is it?"


    How did she approach this without potentially upsetting him? How did she broach this subject without setting him off? Swallowing thickly, Sophia tries her best to lean on her Domain of Wisdom. For all that she''s a Minor Goddess, she''s still a divine being after all!


    "Ah¡­ I was just wondering how exactly you saw the world. D-Do you have an interface? Does anything happen when you say¡­ ''Status''?"


    Nailed it. Perfectly normal line of questioning, definitely.


    Oren stares at her for a second as they continue walking along, before finally his brow furrows in consternation.


    "What, like a video game?"


    Sophia''s mouth goes dry and her throat convulses as she swallows involuntarily. ''Video Game''. That was definitely a pair of words that had come up in her tutelage.


    "¡­ Nah, nothing like that. I was never much for gaming back home anyways. I didn''t have time for ''frivolous pursuits'', had to focus on my education. Got myself a full scholarship too, not that I got to use it."


    Sophia quietly lets out a sigh of relief and starts breathing again. She honestly hadn''t even realized she''d stopped. Still, that was a good sign. That was a very good sign. For all that he was an Otherworlder, Oren seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders. Not like the God Killer.


    Her jaw clenches as her mind drifts to the man who slaughtered the Heavens and slew her father. Damn it all¡­ now that Oren has put the idea of Otherworlders in her head, it all makes so much more sense. The God Killer was definitely an Otherworlder, no doubt about it. And he was probably one of the psychotic ones too who treated all of this as a game and put no value in the lives of those born to this reality.


    Admittedly, she didn''t know why he spared her like he did. Sophia had lied to Oren about that. In actuality, she''d run face first into the God Killer''s chestplate during his rampage through the Heavens and fallen on her ass. By all rights, she should be dead. But¡­ in the end, she wasn''t worth killing. Even the God Killer didn''t think she was worth his time.


    Instead, he''d walked past her without a word and Sophia¡­ Sophia hadn''t even been able to muster up the courage to attack him from behind. She''d just stayed there on the ground, frozen in sheer terror for longer than she wanted to admit. By the time her body finally responded to her commands and she could move again¡­ it was already too late. She''d had to flee the Heavens and not look back shortly after that.


    Some Goddess she was. She''d certainly failed her father in every possible way. Even still, she refused to just roll over and die now. That would be letting the God Hunters win and Sophia couldn''t allow that to happen, not while she still had a chance of¡­ of doing something about all of this. Though truthfully, she was getting ahead of herself there. Doing anything substantial was little more than a fanciful dream at this point. Just surviving day to day would have to be enough for now. Reaching her hidden refuge was the next big step in that regard.


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    ¡­ Still, it wasn''t like she could stop her mind from wandering, now could she? And¡­ she kept going back to the God Killer. An Otherworlder almost certainly. Oren had already said that nobody else had been summoned with him, which was a very good thing. The ancient tales of entire groups of Otherworlders being summoned were rarely any better than solo Otherworlders being summoned. It always ended in tragedy. Always.


    But just because nobody else had been summoned alongside Oren didn''t mean the group that summoned him hadn''t summoned others. Someone like the God Killer would have had to have been summoned ages ago to be as powerful as he''d been. Years, maybe. And while it was insane to think that an Otherworlder had been summoned under her father''s nose while he still drew breath, it was also difficult to accept that the King of the Gods was dead and so were the rest of the Heavens to boot.


    "Apologies, but I must know¡­ the people who summoned you Oren, what were they like? Did they tell you why they summoned you? Did they¡­ do you know anything about their goals? Their motivations?"


    Silence falls and for a moment Sophia questions whether or not he''s even going to answer her. Just when she''s starting to think it''ll be ''not'', he speaks.


    "¡­ They were kind to me. Apologetic even for ripping me away from my life. They told me I was special and that they needed my help to fight against monsters. They started training me, but eventually I figured out they were lying to me. That''s when I ran away."


    Was the same organization that had summoned Oren also the same shadowy group behind the God Hunters? But for that to be the case¡­ they would need to be truly powerful. Perhaps a shadow cabal of mortal kings and emperors working together in concert. She would have accused the deities here on the Mortal Plane of being behind it, but the God Hunters were after them as much as they were after her.


    Frankly, Sophia suspected the God Killer of being linked to the God Hunters in some way. It only made sense, right? But then where was he? No one had seen the God Killer since his rampage through the Heavens and while Sophia hadn''t exactly had the time to do anything but flee, it was still rather strange. Was he still up there? Was he just¡­ lounging around the Heavens, treating the blood-soaked ruins of her home like his own personal playground?


    But then who was behind the God Hunters if not him? It didn''t really make sense. None of it was adding up. Sophia opens her mouth to question Oren further, but before she can get a word out, he cuts her off with a raised hand.


    "We''re almost there."


    Blinking, Sophia furrows her brow.


    "Almost wh-?"


    However, she cuts herself off when she sees what Oren had already noticed in the distance. Chimney smoke rises through the treeline, and as they crest one last hill, there''s a village laid out before them just down the road. Maybe another thirty minutes on foot and they''ll be among mortals again.


    Needless to say, Sophia shivers at the thought of walking among those who would probably happily see her dead. But she knows that fear isn''t entirely rational. Sure, the God Hunters wanted to kill her and there would be no small number of mortals who would sell out her location and existence if they caught wind of her.


    But Oren didn''t want her dead at least. He was direct proof that not every mortal was out for her divine blood. She could trust him, because by this point he would have killed her if he had ill intentions.


    "We should talk before we reach Amberwell."


    Looking over at him, Sophia furrows her brow in confusion for a moment before finally realizing that Amberwell must be the name of the town.


    "¡­ Alright."


    Keeping his gaze firmly forward, Oren clears his throat.


    "There are only three ways to gain the resources we need in the time frame we need them. First is to steal and rob."


    Sophia gasps at that.


    "What?! We can''t do that! T-Thievery is an unconscionable act! It''s evil!"


    The look Oren gives her makes Sophia flush in response, but she nevertheless stands her ground. Metaphorically speaking anyways, they''re still walking forward.


    "¡­ I thought you might say that. I almost didn''t mention it, but you needed to know it was an option all the same. Do you want to survive? Do you want us to make it to your hideaway without being caught out by God Hunters? Then we might just have to do some things you don''t want to do. Things that offend your delicate sensibilities."


    Sophia squawks at that last part. They barely even knew each other and he was talking like she was some spoiled brat or something! She wasn''t! She simply had her morals and wasn''t willing to break them at the drop of a hat when there were other options! Speaking of which¡­


    "What are our other two choices?"


    Rolling his shoulders, Oren sighs.


    "The second expedient method of getting what we need would be to enter me into a fighting pit. Bet everything we currently have on me coming out on top and then take our inevitable winnings and utilize them to get the hell out of dodge."


    That was¡­ well, it was better than outright theft, wasn''t it? Of course, as a Minor Goddess of Equity, part of her DID balk at this idea as well. It wouldn''t be very fair, now would it? Oren was an Otherworlder, and one of some training at that. She''d watched him cut through that squad of God Hunters like they were nothing, slaughtering them like animals. Anyone who wound up facing him in a fighting pit would be at a distinctly unfair advantage.


    And yet, Oren''s words about doing things that might ''offend'' her to survive are still fresh in Sophia''s ears. She wants to prove she can be a team player. Perhaps this is a concession that she can make to show-


    "Unfortunately, that''s not an option in Amberwell."


    Jaw dropping open, Sophia gapes at her male companion in disbelief.


    "What? Why not?!"


    Glancing over at her, Oren snorts derisively.


    "That eager to watch me risk life and limb in a pit for your enjoyment, huh?"


    Sophia blushes and sputters out denials at that, but Oren just waves her off.


    "You don''t need to defend yourself. A fighting pit would have been my preference as well. Definitely the safest and most legal way of procuring the funds we need as fast as we need them. But Amberwell isn''t a large enough town to have a fighting pit. It''s barely more than a village. At the end of the day, since outright thievery is out, that narrows our options down to one."


    Scowling, the Minor Goddess of Wisdom and Equity crosses her arms over her chest. It felt very much like Oren was leading her around by the nose at this point and she did not like it one bit.


    "And what is this final option, exactly?"


    They''ve cleared even more ground by now and will soon be entering Amberwell. Letting out a sigh, Oren rubs a hand through the back of his head for a moment before looking at her more seriously.


    "You''re not going to like it. Just keep an open mind, alright? And no matter what¡­ trust me. I know what I''m doing."


    A shiver runs down Sophia''s spine at that intense look in the Otherworlder''s gaze. It takes every fiber of her being not to swallow involuntarily. She''s not sure if she trusts him, but at the same time, she has no other options. If he was anything like the Otherworlders of ancient times, Oren was only more likely to become a danger to her and everyone else in Creation as time went on. Right now though, he was her best shot of making it to safety and managing to slip the noose of the God Hunters once and for all.


    She was surely going to regret this, but¡­


    "A-Alright. I''ll trust you."

 Chapter 4: Gambling

    She was right! She did regret it! She regretted it massively!


    "Bahahaha! Looks like my win! Better luck next time, stranger."


    It turned out, there was no such thing as a sane Otherworlder. Or if such a thing existed, Oren definitely wasn''t one of them!


    "Again."


    "Huh? Really now, don''t you think you should quit while you''re behind? You can always lose more, friend. Is it really worth it?"


    Cards. That was the third option. She''d shot down outright thievery, and Amberwell wasn''t big enough to have a fighting pit¡­ but it was big enough to have a few different taverns, some seedier than most. Right now, they were in the seediest of all of Amberwell''s taverns, taking part in a card game. Ugh, gambling¡­ it set Sophia on edge. There was no wisdom in gambling. Not much equity either.


    But even if her domains weren''t causing her to itch like nothing else and leaving her in intense discomfort, Sophia would still be very, very unhappy right now. Why? Because Oren was LOSING!


    "I''m not your friend. And I haven''t lost everything yet. Let''s go again¡­ unless you''re scared."


    They''d been here for what felt like hours, truth be told. Sophia had been against this from the very beginning of course, but in the end it wasn''t like she''d had any choice in the matter. Oren was the only thing standing between her and a grisly demise so whether the Minor Goddess liked it or not, she was hitched to Oren''s wagon at this point.


    "Well¡­ alright then. Let''s see if the cards are more in your favor this time, eh?"


    Sophia shivers as the cards are dealt once more. If Oren is afraid, he doesn''t show it. In fact, he seems completely unperturbed even now. But then, that''s how he''s been since he sat down at the table. Stone faced and standoffish.


    He''d started out facing off against other denizens of the tavern. It wasn''t all bad, she was forced to acknowledge. He''d won some games and lost others. Ultimately, he''d won enough to attract the attention of one of the biggest, fattest humans Sophia had ever seen. He''d introduced himself as ''Gentleman Grays'' and invited Oren to join him at a table in the back of the tavern where the ''better'' players could be found.


    It was obvious almost immediately, at least to Sophia, that this was all a trap designed to siphon Oren''s winnings. She should have told him to refuse the offer. They''d probably had enough already, though she wasn''t too sure. Either Oren hadn''t thought so¡­ or he was a gambler at heart and couldn''t resist the thrill of trying to win it big.


    Ugh, Otherworlders. Just when she''d thought maybe she''d found the one good one, he turns out to be a degenerate after all. Gambling was¡­ perhaps one of the lesser vices. Indeed, there weren''t even any hard rules against it in Law''s Court. But it was distinctly frowned upon all the same, and Sophia would certainly never be caught dead taking part herself.


    Gentleman Grays takes one look at his newest hand and grins wickedly, his eyes twinkling as he doesn''t even try to hide his amusement or excitement.


    "Ah¡­ bad luck, stranger. You should probably bow out now¡­ out of the kindness of my heart, I''ll let you know I have an unbeatable hand this time around."


    Sophia swallows thickly. Ever since Oren had been invited to join this table, the other players had started chipping away at his winnings. Not that they hadn''t suffered their own losses for it. But¡­ if she compared it to something like a battle, then it would be accurate to say that they were bleeding Oren dry by a thousand little injuries. He or Gentleman Grays had knocked everyone else at the table out of the running at one point or another. But those who had been removed from contention had rarely done any damage to the Gentleman''s stockpile of wealth. Instead, they''d taken bits and pieces from Oren, only to fall and have their own earnings added to his or Grays'' piles. Except most of the time¡­ it was added to Grays and not Oren''s.


    Sophia''s sapphire earrings can even be seen glittering brightly among Gentleman Grays'' pile of coins and treasure. Her necklace, meanwhile, is still within Oren''s much smaller stash. He''d needed all of her jewelry just to get his foot in the door with the initial games, and truth be told, Sophia wasn''t so attached that she didn''t see the necessity.


    Still, if he didn''t win soon, the fat mortal in charge of this establishment was right. They just might lose everything. Especially since this hand was apparently already a bust-


    "All in."


    Sophia''s eyes bulge out of her head as Oren suddenly pushes his meager pile of wealth into the center of the table, seemingly completely unperturbed by the Gentleman''s boasting. To be fair, she''s not the only one. Those at the table still watching also go bug-eyed¡­ and so does Grays himself, his beady eyes widening in disbelief at Oren''s arrogance. Then, his jowls shake as his lips curl back into a wide, wicked grin that sends a trembling shiver down Sophia''s spine.


    "Oh my¡­ you think I''m bluffing, don''t you? You''re loss, friend."


    "Not your friend. And why not make this truly interesting?"


    A silence falls over the room. Gentleman Grays had been in the middle of using one of his fat, meaty hands to push forward a share of his wealth that was equal to the entirety of Oren''s smaller pile. He pauses though, tilting his head to the side.


    "Oh?"


    Still completely calm and collected despite the fact that he should have been sweating bullets, Oren nods.


    "Everything you have against everything I have. One last hand."


    There''s some murmuring around the room at that. Some tittering and snickering. Gentleman Grays, for his part, chuckles and shakes his head.


    "This is already your last hand at this point, stranger. I don''t have to bet anymore than this to take you for everything you have¡­ unless you''re offering something of equal value to the vast amount of wealth sitting in front of me."


    Much to Sophia''s revulsion and horror, the Gentleman''s beady eyes dart over to her at those words and his tongue slips out to lick along his lips for a moment. She pulls her cloak tighter around herself and averts her gaze as a shudder of disgust runs down her spine. By this point, everyone knew she was Oren''s ''woman''. She''d only been allowed to watch because of that fact. But Oren had been very specific about doing her best to hide her features and keep the cloak on no matter what.


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    Unfortunately, while the piece of black cloth he''s given her to wrap around herself is quite large¡­ it''s not large enough. It hugs her curves in a way that hides much of her divine majesty but still reveals more about her figure than Sophia would have preferred. On top of that, it''s hard to keep her face completely hidden from all angles twenty-four seven without just straight up standing in the corner staring at the wall, and obviously she''s not going to do that.


    As such, over the length of time they''ve been here, Sophia knows she''s been caught out by a few men¡­ and she recognizes that they''ve been murmuring to one another about her beauty for a while now. Long enough that even the proprietor has caught wind of it apparently.


    "Yes."


    Sophia''s eyes snap to Oren, widening in disbelief yet again. W-What? Surely he wasn''t going to-!


    "I bet myself. One year of service as your sworn sword if you win. More than equal to the value of everything in front of you right now."


    That¡­ was better than Sophia had thought he was going to say. For a second there, she''d thought he would actually offer HER up as collateral o-or something! Even still¡­ his words were the understatement of the century. An Otherworlder, for all that they were abominations and aberrations on the fabric of Creation itself, was a force multiplier. They were one-man armies if they were allowed to grow for long enough. And Oren had already proven he was capable of slaughtering entire groups of trained men without taking so much as a scratch.


    A whole year of Oren''s services was worth ten TIMES the amount of coin and treasure currently sitting in front of Gentleman Grays. And yet¡­ looks could be deceptive, couldn''t they? Just looking at Oren, with his scruffy appearance and worn clothing, you wouldn''t know he was a scary, powerful Otherworlder. So it probably shouldn''t have been all that surprising when, after a moment, Grays throws back his head and laughs, causing the rest of the men in the room to laugh as well.


    "Bahahahaha! Oh man! You crack me up, friend, you really do! I wish I had half of your confidence, honestly!"


    Sophia fidgets nervously as she watches Oren''s reaction to everyone just laughing at his expense. Otherworlders were notoriously short tempered and while he''d seemed fine with her earlier, she couldn''t forget that he''d killed those God Hunters without batting an eyelash¡­


    But in the end, he doesn''t stand or draw his blade or slaughter anyone. He just sits there silently, as composed as ever, and waits. When everyone finally starts noticing that he''s not joking, nor is he even reacting to them laughing at him, they all start to peter off, looking at one another somewhat uncertainly.


    Gentleman Grays, meanwhile, scowls at Oren''s incredibly calm demeanor. Then¡­ he smiles and looks at her.


    "You do have one thing I want, friend. Your woman. Wager her and we''ll do it the way you want to do it. Everything we both have on one¡­ last¡­ hand."


    Sophia stiffens, her lips thinning out. Of course he would demand that. But Oren wouldn''t go that far. Surely he wouldn''t-


    "Deal."


    Her jaw drops open as Sophia stares at Oren in horrified disbelief. How could he¡­ what did he think he was¡­ she wasn''t just some treasure to be gambled away! She wasn''t some trophy to be won d-damn it! She was her own person¡­ no, more than that, she was a goddess! What did he think he was doing?! What if he lost again? The Gentleman certainly seemed to think he had a good hand!


    "Alright then. Your funeral."


    Gentleman Grays uses both of his big, meaty hands to push everything on his side of the table forward into the middle with Oren''s much smaller pile. Then, without missing a beat, he reveals his cards.


    "Read ''em and weep. Seriously, if you want to cry I won''t mind. Boys might think less of you for it, but-!"


    Oren just wordlessly reveals his own cards and when the Gentleman''s beady eyes dip low enough to see them in the midst of his gloating, he cuts himself off mid-sentence and just stares. Now, Sophia doesn''t know this card game. She''s not a gambler, and mortal games aren''t exactly something she learned up in the Heavens¡­ nor did she pay them much attention whenever she was down here visiting the Mortal Planes.


    But judging by the hush that falls over the room and the way Gentleman Grays gets progressively paler as the seconds drag on¡­ did Oren win? Was it possible that his hand was somehow better than the Gentleman''s?


    That certainly seems to be the case, because the next thing Sophia knows, Oren has risen from his seat and is collecting his winnings wordlessly. Her breath hitches as she watches him do so methodically, not really rushing. Some of the other men in the room look at one another for a second before stepping forward¡­ but Oren just drops his hand to the pommel of his sword in a silent promise, making them back down.


    In that moment, Sophia knows they''re not going to get out of here without a fight. Not if she doesn''t do something. So, reaching out to her meager divine power, Sophia leans on one of her domains. Specifically, she leans on equity. After all, while gambling might be the opposite of fair in most cases, it WAS fair that the winner got to take their winnings.


    Efficiently but not too quickly, Oren packs away all of the coins they''d just won along with her jewelry¡­ and steps away from the table as everyone in the room hesitates for a brief moment thanks to the power of Sophia''s domain. A glance thrown her way has Sophia rushing to join him from where she''d been watching off to the side and then they just walk out. Nobody stops them, much to Sophia''s relief.


    As soon as they''re outside though, Oren takes Sophia by the hand and begins power walking them down the street. Given she''s not sure how long the effects of her small use of divine power will last on the men in that room back there, she doesn''t protest the fast pace. However¡­ she does protest the rest of it.


    "I-I can''t believe you bet me like that! What if you''d lost me! What if you''d lost everything?!"


    Oren doesn''t pause as they turn a corner. Sophia thinks she might hear the sound of shouting coming from the tavern rapidly vanishing into the distance behind them and swallows thickly. For a moment, she thinks the Otherworlder isn''t going to answer at all¡­ but finally, he does.


    "The outcome was never in doubt. I knew I would win."


    Sophia blinks, caught off guard by the utter certainty in his voice.


    "W-What?"


    "They had a thing back in my world called ''card counting''. It was for a different game, but the principle is largely the same. What I can do goes a bit beyond ''card counting'' though¡­ or did you forget what I am?"


    She definitely hadn''t forgotten THAT. Still, what did his status as an Otherworlder have to do with anything?


    "My eyes are sharp enough that I can pick up on the imperfections in each card. Basically, by that final hand I knew what every card in the deck looked like, front¡­ and back. I knew his hand and I knew mine. That''s how I knew I could win no matter what. I didn''t risk you for even a moment¡­ it was a sure thing."


    Sophia''s mouth opens and closes wordlessly a couple times before the Minor Goddess finds her voice again. He could pick out the minute imperfections in the playing cards?! Just how good were his eyes?! Not even most gods and goddesses could do that, not unless keen eyesight was tied to their domains or something!


    But even still¡­


    "And if they''d pushed the issue even after they won? What if they''d attacked us? What then?!"


    Oren finally takes a moment to spare her a glance, having taken her through multiple back alleys and around half a dozen corners as he brought them further and further away from Gentleman Grays and his tavern.


    "¡­ Then I would have killed every last one of them to protect you. But it didn''t come to that. I guess they were smart enough to know better. Either that or shocked into a stupor long enough to let us walk away before they could recover."


    Sophia swallows hard, her mouth suddenly dry as she''s reminded of just how dangerous a man her current ''protector'' really is. She doesn''t bother telling him that she''d used the dregs of her divine power to influence the encounter. Suddenly, it just doesn''t seem that important.


    "Either way, we''re not staying long enough for them to track us down. We''ll get new clothes for you and supplies for the road and then we''ll head out of town."


    Right. She had to keep her eye on the prize. They were one step closer to making it to the refuge now. One step closer to safety.

 Chapter 5: Escape

    Shopping doesn''t take long, but that''s because this isn''t Twenty-First Century Earth. There''s no department stores with their own dressing rooms for the Minor Goddess he''s currently guarding to slip in and out of as she tries on multiple outfits. Thankfully.


    The corner of Oren''s mouth curls up slightly at that errant thought and he shakes his head in amusement even as he waits patiently for Sophia to finish getting dressed. Just because there were no dressing rooms didn''t mean a goddess of all people was going to be willing to change in some back alley or out in the woods.


    Luckily, they''d won more than enough off of ''the Gentleman'' to be able to purchase a single room at an entirely different tavern on the other side of Amberwell, even if they probably wouldn''t be staying the night. Indeed, by playing things close to his chest, Oren had been able to ultimately sweep that card game, just as he knew he would.


    Should he have told Sophia the plan ahead of time? Perhaps. It wasn''t like he took any pleasure in making her think he was risking her freedom on a single hand of cards. That was why he''d tried to bet his own services to begin with, after all. Oren had certainly noticed the way Grays was looking at Sophia and recognized the lust in the other man''s eyes¡­ but he was never going to let anything happen to her. Not while he still drew breath.


    Truthfully, the real reason Oren hadn''t told her just how much of a sure thing it all was¡­ was because he didn''t want her to get attached. She already had some level of affection towards him for saving her life, but it was tempered by the knowledge that he was an Otherworlder, something of a boogeyman in the eyes of a goddess like her.


    It would be even worse if she found out he wasn''t just an Otherworlder, but the God Killer who killed her father and everyone she''d ever known and loved. Obviously, Oren wasn''t intending on her finding out, but it nevertheless made him feel rather scummy to keep such a secret from her. Escorting her to safety was part of his penance¡­ but making sure she had little reason to like him just felt like good sense.


    After all, he wasn''t going to stick around once they made it to the refuge. Once he was certain she was safe and nobody was going to find her, he would make his excuses and depart¡­ likely after finding a way to turn down any rewards she wanted to give him. And that would be the end of it.


    Until then, Oren would do everything in his power to prevent Sophia from developing any further affection towards him. He would-


    The door he''s standing guard in front of suddenly creaks open, disrupting Oren from his thoughts. Blinking, he turns to see one of the Minor Goddesses'' unnaturally brilliant blue eyes peeking out at him.


    "Ah¡­ I''m done changing."


    Oren raises an eyebrow, causing Sophia to blink and then blush lightly before pulling the door open further. He steps inside of the room and lets her close it behind him before turning to regard her.


    "Well? W-What do you think?"


    He thinks¡­ this will have to do. Gone is the tiara and jewelry of course. Those are still in their bag of winnings with his supplies. In place of the tiara, Sophia''s previously flowing blonde locks have been pulled up into a bun and hidden under a somewhat unattractive brown cap with ear flaps to protect from the cold. This is good because Sophia''s shade of blonde is not a natural mortal hair color, not back on Earth and not here in this world either.


    Going further down, the white sleeveless dress she''d had on with its low cut and plenty of cleavage has been replaced by brown as well. Wearing a leather brown vest over a leather tunic, Sophia''s somewhat prodigal bust has been hidden away, though the size of her chest is still obvious to anyone who sees her from the side or spends a few moments staring at her. It is what it is.


    Likewise, down below the goddess has switched to brown trousers too, and brown boots instead of those high heels she was wearing previously.


    It''s¡­ a lot of brown. But then, that''s sort of the point. Before, Sophia was so obviously a goddess it was honestly painful. Not just because she naturally exuded an unnatural divine beauty, but because her garments and jewelry were clearly out of this world in terms of quality.


    Now though¡­ well, the unnatural beauty is still there. Sophia''s face is still perfect, her eyes still inhumanly bright, and her body sculpted in a way that''s meant to draw the eye like nothing else. But without the unearthly garments, she''s mostly just very, very pretty instead of unnaturally gorgeous.


    "I think you can go out in public without the cloak like this."


    Sophia brightens, puffing up in pride as if she''s pulled off some grand disguise¡­ instead of simply exchanging divine clothes for mortal ones and hiding a couple of her more prominent deific features. Oren holds back the urge to snort derisively at her pleased expression, even as he moves to gather up her shimmering white dress and heels and tuck them away in his satchel.


    His charge watches him do so in silence for a moment, but once he''s done she starts to speak.


    "So what-?"


    But before she can get the word ''now'' out, Oren stiffens up and twitches, his head turning to the side as his hearing picks up voices on the street outside of the tavern. Sophia picks up on his shift in attention immediately of course and falls quiet even as Oren frowns and makes his way over to the nearby window.


    What he sees outside¡­ well, he wishes he could say it was surprising, but it''s not.


    "What is it?"


    "The Gentleman''s men have been alerted to our presence here. They seem to be setting up a perimeter."


    Sophia gasps in shock, even as Oren considers their options for a moment before nodding decisively.


    "Come here."


    "What¡­ what are you going to do?"


    To her credit, Sophia does as he says and hesitantly walks over to him even as she asks that question. Once again, Oren considers telling her the plan¡­ and once again, he tosses that idea aside in favor of maintaining the slight disdain he''s been trying to foster in her since they began this journey.


    Instead of words, Oren answers with actions, reaching over and snatching Sophia by the waist even as he makes sure their things are hooked over his shoulder securely. The Minor Goddess yelps but falls silent as he proceeds to open the window in front of them¡­ and then leap through it with his hand covering Sophia''s mouth.


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    The jump does cause an abortive scream to erupt from the goddess'' lips, but its mostly muffled thanks to his forethought and a moment later the two of them land on the roof of the building across the street from the tavern. Oren doesn''t stop there, keeping them moving so nobody down below has a chance to see them (hopefully) as he proceeds to jump from roof to roof.


    Amberwell really is a decent town in spite of its lack of a fighting pit. The buildings aren''t tightly packed together or anything like that¡­ but for someone as strong as Oren, it doesn''t matter. He''s like a fucking superhero¡­ a genocidal maniac of a superhero.


    After a couple minutes of roof hopping, Oren finally reaches his destination¡­ the edge of town. Specifically, the edge of town that has a stables sitting on it. Leaping down behind a building out of view of anyone, Oren finally removes his hand from Sophia''s mouth and lets go of her, tilting his head to the side.


    "Sorry."


    He really is sorry, though he makes sure his tone is just a little off¡­ just a little fake. He''s expecting the goddess to be mad at him and is ready for her to either launch into a tirade or decide to give him the silent treatment. What he''s NOT expecting is for her to look back the way they came with a contemplative expression on her face.


    "¡­ You could have killed those men without breaking a sweat both back at the card game and then now again at the tavern. And yet both times you avoided conflict as best as possible¡­ this second time far more fervently than the first."


    Oren raises an eyebrow, feeling like he should be a little insulted.


    "I don''t necessarily want to engage in wanton slaughter if I can help it, Goddess."


    Of course, even as he delivers those words in as dry a tone as he can manage, he internally winces. Given his past¡­ well, saying something like that was rather hypocritical, wasn''t it? And yet, Sophia eats it up. She even looks guilty and goes so far as to bow her head in his direction.


    "O-Of course¡­ apologies, I''m beginning to realize my biases towards Otherworlders are unfairly coloring my perception of you, Oren. I will strive to do better going forward."


    Oh for fuck''s sake. On the one hand, he supposed he was stupid for expecting anything less from a Minor Goddess of Wisdom. Introspection and self-awareness were kind of her bread and butter, weren''t they? But on the other hand he can''t help but be annoyed that his plan to make her hate him is somehow backfiring on him. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.


    Not sure what to say at this point, Oren just grunts instead and turns his attention to their next objective¡­ namely, acquiring mounts so they can get out of town and back on the road.


    "Come on. Let''s get some horses and get out of here before the Gentleman''s men find us and force the issue."


    Sophia blinks at that and looks over at the stables they''re within spitting distance of as if she''s just now realizing why they''re here. Blushing, the goddess bites her lower lip and fiddles with the bottom of her leather vest.


    "Um¡­ I''ve never ridden a horse before, I''m afraid. We didn''t have much need for them up in the Heavens."


    Oh for the love of¡­


    "Fine. One horse. You''ll have to ride with me."


    Better that than risking the nigh-powerless divinity somehow falling off her own horse and getting trampled under its hooves. Good lord, who knew trying to keep a single deity alive after killing so many of them would be so fucking hard?!


    -x-X-x-


    Gentleman Grays was not a man who was used to being told ''no''. Nor was he a man who did not often get his way. He wasn''t the mayor of Amberwell¡­ but that was only because the position was entirely too much work and he much preferred to be the power behind the ''throne'' so to speak.


    That was all to say, it had been a long, long time since he''d been disrespected in his own ''house''. Somehow, that man must have cheated. You didn''t just win it big like that right at the end with everything on the line. This wasn''t a damn storybook, somehow he''d pulled a fast one on Grays. Normally, Grays would be impressed by someone pulling off such a high stakes con¡­ but since the victim in this case had been HIM, he was just infuriated.


    Unfortunately, he''d been so shocked by his loss that he hadn''t reacted until the man and his woman were already out of the room. And neither had any of his men either, the idiotic lot of them. They''d just¡­ let those two go, like it was perfectly fine for a stranger to walk into HIS tavern and sit down at HIS table and win that much of HIS money.


    Fortunately, all was not lost. Grays had eyes all over Amberwell, and his men had been able to locate the pair in no time. First, they''d tracked their trail down to a store that sold all manner of goods, where the shopkeeper had informed them that the strangers had bought clothes for the woman of all things.


    Then, from there, they''d managed to follow the trail all the way to another tavern on the other side of the town, where the tavernkeeper had assured his men that both the man and woman were still upstairs. As soon as he''d received word of that, Grays had sent orders for them to be taken and brought before him.


    Sure, maybe he should have waited until it was nighttime to at least keep up appearances¡­ but these were strangers. Nobody in Amberwell knew them and nobody would miss them if they¡­ disappeared. Besides, Grays wanted his money back. Immediately.


    Any moment now, his men would walk through that door with the man and woman in tow. Any moment now, he would have his coin back¡­ and get to decide what to do with such a pretty woman to boot. Yes, any moment-


    The doors to his tavern open up and Grays'' lips curl up into a wide smile¡­ before immediately dropping back down when his men troop in with heads down and nothing to show for their troubles. Snarling, Grays smashes a meaty fist into a nearby wooden pillar before stomping over.


    "What the fuck is this?! Where are the two I sent you to get?"


    "They¡­ t-they weren''t there, boss."


    What? Grays zeroes in on the one foolish enough to speak, moving to tower over him.


    "Excuse me? I gave you orders to subdue them immediately. What the fuck do you mean they weren''t there?"


    Swallowing nervously, the man looks around for help¡­ but nobody meets his eyes.


    "W-We went up to the room as soon as you told us too, boss! Promise! But by the time we got up there¡­ it was empty! The window was open too!"


    Another thug pipes up.


    "I''m tellin'' ya, I think they climbed up out of the window and up onto the roof!"


    "We CHECKED the roof, numbskull! There was nobody hiding up there! And we had our perimeter up as well, so there''s no way they climbed down in the back and ran off that way¡­ we would have seen them!"


    "Yeah I ain''t saying they did! After they got up onto the roof, they leapt to another roof, obviously!"


    "The jump to the nearest roof was thirty fucking feet away! That''s not possible!"


    "Well then you tell me how they got away!"


    "I don''t fucking know, I-!"


    "ENOUGH!"


    Gentleman Grays'' bellowing voice stops the building argument in its tracks. He glowers at his men, more than ready to dole out some punishments for their sheer incompetence at this point. Especially since it sounded like his actual prey was well and truly in the wind. However¡­ before he can speak, an unfamiliar voice suddenly cuts through the silence like a blade.


    "Interesting¡­"


    Everyone turns towards the man dumb enough to speak after the Gentleman has called for silence, including Grays himself. What he sees is someone cloaked all in black, covered in it from head to toe. The hooded figure tilts his head to the side.


    "The trail leads here. A man and a woman came through here, didn''t they? From the sound of things, they left quite the impression. Tell me about them."


    Tch, Grays didn''t know who this fucker thought he was, but he wasn''t about to be disrespected in his own damn establishment twice in one day. Still, from the sound of things, maybe he could make use of this. Stepping forward, he spreads his arms wide in a friendly greeting.


    "Welcome, friend! Sounds to me like to we might have business with the same people. Perhaps-urk!"


    It happens so fast that Grays can''t even track it. One moment the hooded figure is a dozen paces away¡­ the next he''s in Grays'' personal space and all the Gentleman knows is pain. Looking down, he sees the end of a dagger thick enough to almost be a shortsword before him¡­ the rest of it buried in his throat.


    The newcomer yanks his blade back and Gentleman Grays falls back, choking on his own blood and holding a hand to his neck to try stave off death.


    "Tell me about them."


    This time the question is directed at everyone else in the tavern¡­ and much to Grays'' impotent anger, rather than rush to his defense or to avenge him, his men fall all over themselves telling the stranger everything they remember, every detail they can think of, including the man and woman''s description.


    ¡­ Not that it saves them. The last thing Grays sees before he dies is this new stranger cutting through his men like a scythe through wheat, slaughtering them all. As the Gentleman''s vision fades and so does his life, he feels some small amount of satisfaction that at least those ungrateful, unfaithful idiots got their just desserts¡­

 Chapter 6: Vengeance

    Compared to their flight from Amberwell, their travel on the road over the next couple days is positively uneventful¡­ and quiet. Awkwardly quiet. Its not like Sophia WANTED this to happen or anything¡­ but they didn''t exactly have need of horses up in the Heavens. The Heavens weren''t nearly as big as the Mortal Planes were, and even for the parts that were somewhat far away on foot, one could usually just will themselves there with a simple burst of divine power. No mounts necessary.


    Fortunately, the stable master had a rather large stallion to sell them, on top of a saddle made for two people. It wasn''t exactly cheap¡­ but Oren had made quite a lot of coin off of betting her, so they were set all the same. And it was probably still cheaper than two saddled horses would have been.


    Still, there was definitely something a little awkward about riding behind Oren as they made their way down the road through the rest of the day before stopping and making camp for the night¡­ followed by more travel on horseback the next day. Sometimes Oren would hop down and just lead the horse by the reins while letting her occupy the saddle by herself, but most of the time she just had to suck it up.


    ¡­ She was pretty sure going off of stories she''d read that usually the passenger went in the front of the rider when two people were riding a horse, but as previously mentioned, it wasn''t like she had any firsthand knowledge of such things¡­ nor did she necessarily want to kick up a fuss. Not when she still found herself contemplating the events back in town.


    Sophia was starting to feel like she might have judged Oren too harshly. He really did have her best interests at heart, and more than that¡­ he wasn''t nearly as bloodthirsty as she''d been taught to expect from Otherworlders. Sure, there was the wanton slaughter of those God Hunters back when they''d first met, but even there he''d tried to show mercy. And it wasn''t like he''d taken any pleasure in the killing either. He''d been downright stoic as he slew each of her hunters.


    That was all to say¡­ she forgave him, even if she had yet to say it out loud. She forgave him for betting her in the card game with Gentleman Grays, and she also forgave him for being so forward as to grab her and leap out of a window with his hand covering her mouth. All things considered, he''d made the right call and they''d escaped without anyone else needing to die. That had to count for something, right?


    However, just as Sophia is starting to develop something of a good mood late into their second day of travel¡­ it''s like the universe itself is stepping in to correct her. As though the cosmos are saying "no, no you fool¡­ you don''t get to have nice things."


    They come upon it near the tail end of the day. Just as the sun is setting over the horizon. Buildings in the distance. When Sophia first sees them, she perks up a little in excitement. Maybe they won''t have to make a camp tonight, maybe they''ll actually get to sleep in normal beds.


    With her arms holding Oren from behind so she doesn''t fall off the damn horse and break her neck, Sophia feels him stiffen up when he notices the village too. But she doesn''t understand what his reaction really means at the time. Instead, she makes something of a fool of herself.


    "Looks like we might get to sleep in a real bed tonight, Oren!"


    "¡­ I wouldn''t be so sure Goddess."


    Blinking, Sophia can only be confused until they finally get close enough for her to pick up what his far better eyes were able to see from leagues away. The buildings that remain standing are blackened and half-burnt down. The village, in fact, starts a lot further out than she originally thought¡­ but the outskirts have been completely reduced to ash, only the barest remains of ruins left behind to signify that structures once stood there.


    The road changes from dirt to soot in short measure, with Oren keeping them going even as they enter the burnt out husk of a town. From the look of things, the place was burnt down weeks ago. Sophia doesn''t see any bodies¡­ until they get deeper in and find the first pile. And then another. And another.


    The fires have burnt the corpse piles down to smoldering heaps of bone fragments and ash, but its still obvious what they are, especially when a half-charred skull peeks out of a mound here and there. Someone came here and put this entire village to the sword. They slaughtered the inhabitants and then burned the corpses in a mercenary fashion to prevent the spread of disease. Then, they burned down the town too for good measure.


    "W-Why¡­ why would anyone do this?"


    "Religious differences, I suspect."


    Oren gestures and Sophia stiffens up as she looks to where he''s pointing. With a choked cry, she all but flings herself off the horse, only really saved from a bad fall by Oren grabbing her by the nape of her neck when she starts to drop forward and setting her down more carefully. The instant her feet hit the ground though, the Minor Goddess is off like a rabbit, darting forward as though getting there any faster will somehow save what''s already been desecrated and defiled for weeks.


    Finally reaching her destination, Sophia drops to her knees in front of the half-ruined statue, sobbing as she reaches out for the plaque beneath it with trembling fingers. The statue itself has been broken beyond recognition. Nothing above the waist remains, with the torso head and arms completely removed and gone. Judging by the sheer amount of stone fragments around the base, someone took several hammers to it after it was broken off.


    The plaque is vandalized as well, but not so much that Sophia can''t make out enough letters. Even then though¡­ she would recognize who the statue was supposed to be. Even if there was nothing left, she would be able to feel it. Because beyond the ruined statue sits a stone building that was clearly the center of this village, the place where everyone congregated¡­ a church.


    And not just a church but a church to her father Law, who the statue had clearly once represented. The King of the Gods, worshipped by the inhabitants of this village for being a God of Justice and Righteousness. The sort of deity that one could build an entire society around, that one could look to and know what to do and what not to do under his aegis and his protection.


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    ¡­ Except Law was dead. There was no more divine protection for his followers.


    "God Hunters must have come through. I see signs of a fight¡­ the villagers didn''t just give in or surrender. Maybe they were even offered a chance to renounce their god and refused it. And so they all died."


    Sophia flinches at Oren''s somewhat emotionless depiction of events. She can see it¡­ fuck, she can see it all too easily. Her Father was an inspiration to so many. Both among the divine and among the mortals down here beneath the Heavens. How could he not be? Law had ruled over Creation for thousands of years. He was GOOD. Those who followed him were similarly good.


    "It was my father¡­ they worshipped Law in this village. And the God Hunters m-murdered them for it."


    Even now, Sophia can feel flickers of her father''s presence in this place. Its how she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was a church to Law, and a community that worshipped her father and followed his teachings. And all of them had died for it. It just¡­ it wasn''t fair. It wasn''t RIGHT.


    "¡­ We can keep going, if you like. Travel for another hour or two before making camp. We don''t have to stay here for the evening."


    She recognizes that Oren is trying to be kind. Frankly, Sophia is half-tempted to take him up on his offer. Roughing it for another night in the woods sounds preferable to staying here in a lot of ways. But¡­ she can''t do it. They''ll have to move on in the morning, she understands that much, but for tonight at least she needs to be here.


    "N-No¡­ no, we''ll stay here for the night if that''s okay. In¡­ in the church."


    Oren hums his confirmation¡­ and that''s that.


    -x-X-x-


    As it turns out, the church is just as ruined as the rest of the village. The walls were made of stone, but the roof was not. From the outside, the church looked relatively intact. But the inside¡­ well, the roof is collapsed inwards obviously, and the first few blades of grass are already starting to grow in the dirt and ash where the ceiling is open to the sky.


    They wind up making camp anyways, just with the stone walls of the church surrounding them instead of trees and wilderness. Sitting there by the campfire under the moon and stars overhead, Sophia stares into the crackling flames and swallows thickly. Finally, she breaks her silence.


    "Oren¡­ what do you believe the difference between justice and vengeance is?"


    There''s a long pause before Oren finally answers her.


    "¡­ Where I come from, justice was supposed to be about fairness and impartiality. It was supposed to be unbiased¡­ about what was actually right rather than what felt right in the moment. In comparison¡­ vengeance would be about retaliation and personal retribution. About letting your feelings get the better of you. My world''s greatest philosophers would say vengeance only promoted cycles of violence. A very common phrase back where I came from was ''an eye for an eye will make the whole world go blind''."


    It takes Sophia a moment to parse the unfamiliar quote. An eye for an eye, meaning equal retribution doled out for every bad thing done to you. But when taken to its logical extreme¡­ she supposed she saw the logic. Say your father was killed by another man. And so you kill that man. But then his daughter comes after you. And your brother goes after her. And her son goes after your brother.


    Cycles of violence, yes. But¡­


    "What do YOU believe though? Don''t think I didn''t notice you never actually said you agreed with any of that."


    Oren smiles slightly at being caught out, though its gone in a flash. If Sophia didn''t know any better, she would have thought the Otherworlder didn''t want her to like him or something. N-Not that she DID like him¡­ he was just a means to an end, ultimately.


    Finally his hesitation passes and Oren sighs.


    "¡­ I think in a lot of cases, justice fails. Nobody is perfect and justice, as a whole, is a system that must be perpetuated by imperfect people. There''s going to be mistakes. Fuck ups, if you will. That''s why I think there are times when vengeance picks up where justice leaves off. When justice fails¡­ vengeance is what picks up the slack."


    Sophia¡­ liked that. Or rather, she wanted to like it. By her father''s name did she want to like it. It spoke to a dark part of her, a small kernel of hatred and anger and grief that had only been growing since that day in the Heavens when she lost everything. And yet, she cannot ignore her domains. She''s a Minor Goddess of Wisdom after all, and that part of her is screaming that Oren''s words are not that wise.


    ¡­ But they are rather fair in a way, another traitorous part of her whispers. Her Domain of Wisdom is quite certain of itself in this matter. Justice is good, vengeance is bad. The end. But her Domain of Equity is a lot less sure of things. On the one hand, its like Oren said, justice is supposed to be about fairness and impartiality.


    On the other hand, it''s like Oren also said¡­ sometimes justice fails. Sometimes those who are meant to uphold justice do not succeed. Sometimes¡­ sometimes the God of Justice is killed unjustly in his throne room by a monster.


    Sophia''s hands curl upon themselves so tightly that her knuckles whiten and her fists shake as she digs her nails into her palm. Her chest is tight with emotion for a moment¡­ until she feels a featherlight brush against her cheek and along the back of her neck. Gasping and jolting up onto her feet, Sophia looks around with wide eyes, even as Oren immediately rises as well, his hand on the pommel of his sword as he looks around to.


    "What? What is it?"


    She blushes when she realizes what happened. Shaking her head, she sits back down.


    "My father. Or at least, the fading remnants of his presence here. I felt him for the briefest of moments. Even as fragments of his power, he tries to comfort me."


    A smile lifts Sophia''s lips upwards¡­ but it does not reach her eyes as she looks at Oren with unshed tears.


    "I think you are right, Oren. Sometimes justice does fail. And sometimes when that happens, its up to vengeance to take the reins."


    Looking vaguely nonplused, the Otherworlder shifts back and forth on his feet for a moment before sitting back down as well.


    "I suppose, yes."


    His response is quiet and uncertain, but Sophia doesn''t pay it much attention. Her thoughts are already onto other things¡­ bigger things. Survival is still her priority. She needs to make it to her refuge, to stay ahead of the God Hunters and find a place where she can finally recharge her divine power without fear of being hunted down and caught in the process.


    ¡­ But even once she''s fully empowered again, Sophia is forced to acknowledge that she''s not a fighter. She won''t be slaughtering God Hunters by the dozens any time soon, and she''s certainly not going to be able to storm the Heavens and face the God Killer if he''s still up there. At least, not if she wanted to have any hope of survival, anyways.


    And yet, that doesn''t really matter does it? Because for all that Sophia is not a fighter¡­ she has one with her now. A consummate combatant with limitless potential and enough training and strength to both fight when he has to fight and evade his enemies when he does not have to.


    The God Killer took everything from her. There can be no justice when the Heavens stand emptied, coated in the blood of her father and the rest of her kin.


    But vengeance¡­ vengeance was still possible. And what better way to end an Otherworlder¡­ than with another Otherworlder?

 Chapter 7: Roadside Encounter

    Oren was starting to feel like his plan to make Sophia feel nothing but disdain and contempt for him had backfired somewhere along the way. Though in all fairness, he''d been stymied at multiple points. First had been the horse. Her not knowing how to ride one had ultimately led to them doubling up on the largest stallion that the stable master had to offer.


    Now, Oren had at least not gone in on having her sit in front of him. He was well aware that horses weren''t like motorcycles. Despite coming from Twenty-First Century Earth, he did actually have experience on horseback. On a motorcycle, Sophia would always be behind him, but on a horse, it was far more common for the passenger to sit up front, especially when they had a smaller frame.


    He wasn''t about to let that happen though. The sheer awkwardness of having her pushing back into his crotch for hours each day was something Oren wanted to avoid at all costs. Plus, forcing her to sit behind him and cling to him for fear of falling off should have engendered further negative feelings towards him¡­ or so he would have thought.


    Alas, he couldn''t quite bring himself to be a total monster. And besides, sometimes he wanted to stretch his legs. So once in a while, he would get down off of the horse and let her ride it alone while he guided the damn thing from the ground via the reins. Given his enhanced strength and stamina, it didn''t even really cut down on their travel time at all.


    But then they''d run into that burnt out husk of a town. Oren wasn''t all that surprised by it, truth be told. He''d seen that much and worse. Amberwell had largely managed to stay unscathed because it was mostly secular. The God Hunters had no reason to torch the place because there were no worshippers of the gods within it. Or at least, none who were stupid enough to worship in public, especially with things being as they currently were.


    Alas, Amberwell was an exception rather than the norm. Oren had lost count of the number of towns and villages he''d seen who were centered around worshipping this or that god or goddess after he fled from the Heavens. Some worshipped those he''d killed in the Heavens. Others worshipped deities that were more¡­ local. The sort that embodied aspects of the world, like Gods of the Forest, or a Goddess of a River.


    Even back just after his slaughter of the Heavens, the God Hunters had already been moving and moving quickly. Almost like they were ready for Oren to do what he did. Almost like they were planning on it all along. But then, it wasn''t ''almost'' anything. Oren knew they were tied to the people who had summoned him, didn''t he?


    Regardless, he was only one man. He couldn''t be everywhere at once and¡­ frankly, he hadn''t really tried. Some of the towns he''d passed through had been fine when he passed through them but probably weren''t by now. Others had already been put to the torch, just like they one they''d stopped in last night.


    It was really just his luck that they would find a burnt out husk of a village that worshipped Sophia''s father Law though. Of all the gods, it just had to be the King of the Gods himself, the God of Justice and Righteousness. In the face of Sophia''s freshly renewed sorrow and grief, Oren had found it all but impossible to play the callous, indifferent role he''d set for himself. Instead, he''d defaulted to trying his best to comfort her. Luckily he was terrible at that too, but then she''d asked that question about justice versus vengeance and Oren STILL wasn''t entirely sure about how that conversation had gone.


    Now here they were, back on the road again. At least they were making good time towards Sophia''s refuge. Still pretty far away, but Oren intended to push them a bit harder each day so they would actually get there when she''d originally said they would get there, even if she''d been telling a bit of a fib at the time.


    Then, they could hopefully go their separate ways¡­


    "Oren."


    Blinking, Oren is pulled from his thoughts, glancing up to where Sophia is riding their one stallion alone right now while he walks alongside it. She''s looking down at him curiously and he quickly turns back to facing ahead again, affecting a certain degree of disinterest even as he answers her.


    "Yes?"


    "I was just wondering¡­ what was it like, back on your world? Where did you come from?"


    Ah. He couldn''t really ignore it anymore, now could he? Sophia was pretty much doing everything in her power to find common ground with him. She was attempting to develop a rapport with Oren and while he didn''t quite know why, he did know he couldn''t let her. Not with the secrets he was hiding from the Minor Goddess.


    "¡­ Better than here, that''s for sure. Your universe is a backwards trash heap by comparison."


    There. That was plenty rude, wasn''t it? Now to be fair, it wasn''t entirely true. Sure, Oren missed plenty of the Twenty-First century''s creature comforts. But living in this world wasn''t so bad. It only sucked because he''d been tricked into murdering all the good guys and the people who tricked him into it were clearly continuing their crusade of wanton death and violence on anything and everything with even a hint of divinity to it.


    Still, he sees Sophia flinch back out of the corner of his eye and hopes she''s going to take offense and maybe start an argument defending her home from him. Instead, much to his surprise, she''s quietly contemplative for a moment before responding.


    "That great, huh?"


    Oren huffs.


    "Yes. All of this pales in comparison to the life of luxury I lived back on my world."


    Another lie, this one even more than the last one. Especially since Oren is gesturing out at the untamed natural beauty all around them¡­ and if he''s being completely honest, what he''s looking at right now is so much more alive and vibrant than anything he remembers from back home on Earth.


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    Now on the one hand, he HAS been gone from Earth for years at this point. When those who took him did so, they made sure to train him up long and hard to prepare him for his role as their weapon. But on the other hand¡­ he still remembers plenty of Earth and its numerous shortcomings. Having access to all those amenities and taking things like electricity and running water and such for granted was one thing, but Earth wasn''t all sunshine and roses. It had it''s fair share of problems.


    Of course, he wasn''t about to tell Sophia that. He was deliberately talking up Earth to make her mad. It just wasn''t working.


    "I see¡­ were you powerful back there as well? Rich? Beloved?"


    Oren''s lips curl up into a sardonic smile at that. How about none of the above? Briefly, he considers what to tell Sophia without it all being lies. After all, the best lies have kernels of truth in them.


    "¡­ I was a scholar of sorts. Not a warrior."


    True. He''d been about to enter University when he''d been summoned. Literally on the doorstep outside of the campus. And before that, Oren had thrown everything he had into his studies. He hadn''t had time for athletics, let alone learning how to fight. Honestly, he''d been kind of a nerd.


    "A scholar? Truly? Were your parents nobles, to fund such a thing?"


    Oren snorts. Talk about teeing it up for him.


    "My parents are dead."


    Sophia gasps and to her credit, looks actually dismayed by her mistake.


    "I¡­ I''m so sorry, I didn''t know."


    Of course she didn''t. She didn''t know much about him and Oren would prefer to keep it that way. He especially didn''t want her to find out that he''d killed her father and slaughtered her peers. Not before he could get her to the safety of her refuge, anyways.


    Shrugging, Oren keeps his gaze focused on the road ahead.


    "It''s fine."


    He keeps his tone flat, to make it seem like it''s not fine.


    "I''ve long since made peace with my parents'' deaths."


    Again, he tries to give off a tone that makes it clear he hasn''t. The truth is though¡­ he sort of has. Mostly because they died when he was a baby anyways. Oren doesn''t even have photos to remember them by. He grew up in an orphanage and then a handful of foster homes, and while the final one he''d wound up in had been a solid environment for his studies, it wasn''t the kind of place where he''d gotten particularly close to his foster parents. They''d let him do his own thing and that was good enough for Oren.


    For all that he''d effectively been parentless all his life, he''d done quite well for himself all the same. And he''d had plans to continue doing well for himself too. He''d had every intention of taking University by storm, getting a degree in business, and then climbing the corporate ladder until he reached the top.


    That was the dream, right? To become CEO of his own company one day and make the big bucks?


    Heh¡­ it was funny to look back at that now, what with it all so far away. He''d never even had a chance. Instead of becoming some snazzy businessman, Oren was a warrior and fighter. He was a trained killer and consummate murderer. And now, he was a goddess'' bodyguard. Protecting Sophia and escorting her to safety was probably the best thing Oren had done since finding himself in this universe. But she couldn''t be allowed to know that. She couldn''t be allowed to know any of it.


    "I¡­ I suppose you would want to go back though if you could, right? What with how you talk of things¡­"


    Oren nearly stops in the middle of the road; Sophia''s words give him such pause. Honestly¡­ it might seem strange, but he hasn''t thought about going back in years. It had been a promise made to him early on by those who had summoned him here in the first place, of course. They''d told him they would do everything in their power to send him home after he''d saved them all.


    Even back then, even when Oren believed all of their other lies, he hadn''t really believed that one. Somehow he''d just known that they weren''t telling him the truth about that¡­ that they had no way of putting him back where they''d pulled him from. And even if they could, they surely couldn''t rewind time when doing it, which meant every day he spent in this universe, every week, month, and year¡­ was another he was gone from Earth, from his life, from the society who had no doubt forgotten about him entirely by this point.


    He''d had all of his affairs in order when he''d initially been pulled from Earth. Bank accounts, ID, a dorm on campus to stay at while he attended University. All of that was likely gone by now. He was almost certainly presumed dead, if anyone even remembered he existed at all. Untangling that mess would be a challenge and a half and frankly, not really worth the bother.


    Snorting at Sophia''s words, he finally looks to the Minor Goddess, giving her a wry look.


    "I suppose this is where you offer me a way to get back, is that it? Careful what promises you make, Goddess."


    Sophia colors at his chastising tone, her face growing red as he takes her to task. Opening her mouth to respond, the goddess might have intended to apologize or protest his insinuations. Oren never really gets the chance to find out though, because before she can speak, he has to act. A shadow flickers almost too fast for the human eye to follow, but not too fast for his eyes to follow.


    In a single moment, Oren grabs Sophia off of the stallion they''d bought back in Amberwell and spins the goddess away, shielding her with his body. A moment later and the horse''s massive frame strikes Oren in the back as a boulder twice the mount''s size slams into it from the other side. Both horse and boulder strike Oren''s back with the force of a speeding truck¡­ and lose.


    Oren barely even grunts as the stallion is crushed between him and the boulder, letting out a frankly soul-wrenching death scream. Meanwhile, the boulder tries to keep going once its turned the horse''s body into paste but it too cannot help but shatter across his back. It doesn''t even succeed in shifting him a single inch.


    Finally, the entire ordeal is over. Barely a second has gone by since it started, but time has slowed down for Oren even as his perception has sped up. Narrowing his eyes, he turns his head to look back over his shoulder¡­ and sees the one who threw the boulder lumbering their way. Hill Giant. Big, thirty foot tall creature with a dumb face and a whole lot of physical strength.


    They were demigods, though nobody called them that. Born of dalliances between gods of the mortal planes and mortals. The God Hunters hunted them as well, but apparently in their haste to put entire villages to the sword and deface statues¡­ they''d missed this one.


    "ME KILL YOU! ME KILL YOU DEAD!"


    Oren checks to make sure Sophia is okay, finding the Minor Goddess shaken but unhurt. Slowly, he rises to his feet and turns, interposing himself between the Hill Giant and his charge. His hand drops to the pommel of his sword, even as the massive hulking creature continues its steady approach. It''d been hundreds of yards away when it threw that fucking boulder with enough force to kill their only horse instantly. But it was closing the gap fast.


    "We don''t have to fight, you know! We have no quarrel with you!"


    Not quite true given the loss of the horse, but Oren was willing to let bygones be bygones if it meant he and Sophia could be on their way. Alas, the Hill Giant has already spoken all the words he intends to speak it would seem, because the next thing he does as he finishes closing the distance and looms large over them is lift up his massive makeshift club and roar as he swings it down.


    Oren clenches his jaw¡­ and draws his sword.

 Chapter 8: The Hill Giant

    Honestly, Sophia is rather proud that she didn''t scream when Oren whipped her off of the horse faster than she could blink and shielded her with his body. She damn near bites her tongue when she hears the impact of the horse and rock against his back though, especially the horse''s choked off death scream. She doesn''t feel it though. Not a single ounce of the jarring impact that should have reverberated through Oren''s body reaches her.


    Then he''s standing up and turning to face whatever attacked them and Sophia finally gets a chance to identify what they''re up against as well. A Hill Giant of all things¡­


    Sophia knew about Hill Giants of course, but her knowledge was purely academic. They were demigods in that they were one of many types of monster that could be born from deities coupling with mortals. It was something that her father Law had always frowned upon, and of course most of her kin back in the Heavens had never engaged in such things.


    ¡­ But while Law was the King of the Gods, he tended to exercise a lighter hand on most of the Gods and Goddesses down on the Mortal Plane. He would step in if things got too bad, but there was only so much he could do at the end of the day, especially when only some mortals worshipped him and asked for his protection in the first place.


    So yes, demigods like Hill Giants were born and that was that. They tended to grow up parentless because neither their mortal nor divine parents wanted anything to do with them, but that didn''t mean they were solitary creatures. In fact, from what Sophia had learned in her studies, Hill Giants tended to be drawn together by their diluted divine blood and even forged small communities in out of the way locations.


    For a singular Hill Giant to be here alone so close to human settlements and roads¡­ well, it spoke of tragedy. It spoke of heartbreak on the same level as what she''d witnessed back in that burnt down husk of a town that had once worshipped her father.


    Unfortunately, for all that her heart goes out to this Hill Giant and whatever has made him so aggressive and furious, it doesn''t seem like he''s in the mood for talking.


    His club, which is more of a tree with its branches nonchalantly ripped off, comes down on their heads and Oren''s sword rises to stop it. The Otherworlder grunts as the weight and force the Hill Giant exerts causes him to take a single step back, while his blade digs deep into the tree trunk before coming to a stop.


    Roaring, the Hill Giant continues to try to push down with all his might¡­ but to no avail. Oren is simply too strong. Sophia can''t help but watch the Otherworlder with widened eyes. She''d known he was tough, fast, and capable of course. Certainly far beyond that of a mortal naturally born to this universe. However, seeing him go toe to toe with a Hill Giant, a veritable demigod¡­ well, it only goes to show how someone like the God Killer could slaughter the deities of the Heavens doesn''t it? And it really only serves to harden her resolve regarding her desire to try and convince Oren to hunt and slay the God Killer for her.


    With a roar of his own, Oren pushes the Hill Giant back through sheer strength, making the surprised demigod stumble a few steps while grunting in confusion. To be fair, if she were thirty feet tall and being stymied by something a fifth her size, Sophia would be confused too. Still, seeing an opportunity, she tries to call out.


    "Hold there, Sir Giant! The mortal speaks true! We aren''t your enemies! I myself share your divine blood; we do not need to fight!"


    There''s a brief pause as the Hill Giant stares at them with beady eyes. At least, beady for his massive face anyways. Squinting at them, glaring at them¡­ finally, he snarls.


    "No lies! Killers! Butchers! Try to trick me! I kill you! I eat you!"


    With an enraged, maddened roar that splits the air itself and causes the remaining birds in the area brave enough to stick around to finally flee, the Hill Giant stomps forward again. This time though, Oren doesn''t wait for him to come to them. In fact, the Otherworlder is already moving the moment that the Hill Giant''s first word had left his mouth.


    With lightning speed that even Sophia has trouble following, Oren strikes out, aiming his blade to cut through the Hill Giant''s legs in a bid to hamper his movement. Except, from what Sophia''s seen of Oren''s strength and speed so far, he should have been able to cut the Hill Giant off at the ankles entirely, robbing him of both feet before the creature could react.


    Instead, his sword barely manages to gouge a single inch into either of the Hill Giant''s trunk-like ankles, making the massive demigod roar more in anger than pain. Surprised by his own lackluster performance, Oren freezes up for a moment¡­ just long enough for the Hill Giant to use his free hand to slam Oren in the side, sweeping him off of his feet and throwing him into a nearby tree hard enough to take it completely out of the ground.


    "OREN!"


    Sophia finally does scream, even as she races over to the fallen Otherworlder. Luckily, Oren is only dazed and not actually hurt. He''s also managed to hold onto his blade. Unfortunately, the Hill Giant is barely hampered by Oren''s cuts and is already starting to make his way towards them.


    "Why can''t I cut him?"


    They have limited time to say the least, so Sophia tries to speak quickly.


    "Mortal blades cannot harm divine beings! Only weapons made of Celestial Metal have a chance of cutting through divine flesh. Of course, the Hill Giant is only half-god¡­ so he''s not immune, merely resistant. But you-!"


    Before she can say anything more, the Hill Giant''s shadow falls over them¡­ which effectively means the demigod is already on top of them. Sophia flinches, even as Oren lifts himself up and blocks the Hill Giant''s overhead strike once more, keeping them from being harmed.


    Technically, the Hill Giant doesn''t have Celestial Metal either¡­ but Sophia can tell just by looking at his tree trunk of a club that he''s been pouring his own blood over it. And that means the Hill Giant''s weapon is almost as good as a sword of Celestial Metal would be. Might take a little longer for him to kill her with it, but he''d get there eventually so long as he kept smashing.


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    As Oren pushes the Hill Giant away again, he looks at her with a frown.


    "Only Celestial Metal can kill divine beings, huh? I guess I should have known as much. But then¡­ are the God Hunters all equipped with Celestial Metal or something?"


    Is he thinking of those bodies they left behind back where she initially found him? Sophia shakes her head.


    "N-No, at least I don''t think so. Celestial Metal is incredibly rare, at least here on the Mortal Planes. Up in the Heavens, we used it for everything, even silverware¡­"


    Oren nods to show he''s listening, even as he continues to force the Hill Giant back again and again. He''s taken to fighting a completely defensive battle just so he can listen to her explanation, while the Hill Giant is insistent on continuing to charge in with very little in the way of tactics.


    "S-still, I imagine God Hunters have access to some amount of it given they''ve proven themselves capable of slaying Gods¡­ but I would bet that most of them just have tools for capturing and draining divine beings so they can be brought back to their bases where any Celestial Metal would be under lock and key until¡­ until it was needed."


    Sophia flinches as another earth-shaking roar from the Hill Giant shakes the clearing. In the end, they''d gotten a little off track, hadn''t they?


    "Maybe we should just run! Maybe he''ll eventually give up on chasing us!"


    Really, she didn''t know how else to end this. Oren might be able to match the Hill Giant strength for strength, blow for blow¡­ and hell, he wasn''t even bleeding from the hits he HAD taken at this point. But even still, how was he supposed to kill a demigod when he had no access to Celestial Metal?


    "No. He''s not going to let us go and while I think I could outpace any other man even while carrying you¡­ the situation is somewhat different when we''re fleeing from something six times our size."


    That was¡­ fair. Sophia hadn''t really thought of that. She yelps and ducks as the Hill Giant goes for another swing, but of course Oren is there like always, ready to impose himself in front of her and block the blow. The force behind the Hill Giant''s strikes should be having Oren''s bones rattling in his body, but truth be told¡­ he seems to be handling it rather well. That said¡­


    "How will you defeat him then?!"


    There''s a pause for a moment as Oren shoves the Hill Giant back yet again after another exchange between his mundane metal sword and the Hill Giant''s massive club. Finally though, the Otherworlder chuckles softly to himself.


    "Well¡­ he still needs to breathe, doesn''t he?"


    Sophia''s brow furrows in confusion at that. Then, her eyes widen in alarm when Oren¡­ suddenly tosses his sword aside. Before she can do much more than gawk, he crouches down and picks something up off of the ground before lunging at the demigod still finding his footing.


    "HEY FUCKFACE! YOU DROPPED SOMETHING!"


    Only as Oren reaches the Hill Giant''s feet and leaps up into the air does Sophia finally identify what he has in his hand. It''s a skull-sized rock, a fragment of the massive boulder that had been used to kill their horse mere minutes ago. Oren lands on the Hill Giant''s front and latches on like some insane rock climber, holding on with one arm and both legs as he begins to climb the thirty-foot tall demigod like a tree.


    The Hill Giant is so caught off guard by this move that he stumbles back at first, bringing up his hand to brush Oren off of him like one might try to do upon first noticing some sort of rodent or bug on their person. Much like those smaller critters, Oren uses his size as well as his status as an Otherworlder to dodge the Hill Giant''s swiping and climb higher, until his free hand is able to latch onto the monster''s facial hair and pull him the rest of the way up.


    Sophia only realizes what''s about to happen a moment before it actually does. Even when it does, she has a hard time believing her eyes. The Hill Giant''s mouth falls open in a roar of pain as Oren hangs off of his beard. And as soon as it does, Oren is there, lunging forward and shoving the skull-sized rock right down the Hill Giant''s gullet.


    He doesn''t just toss it in either. The Otherworlder buries his entire arm up to the shoulder in the Hill Giant''s mouth before letting go of the rock, or so it looks like. Sophia can only watch in a strange mixture of mortification and fascination as the Hill Giant chokes and sputters and finally grabs Oren by his torso and yanks the human man off of his front. But by that point its too late. The Hill Giant keeps choking, his free hand going to his throat.


    And Oren¡­ Oren isn''t kind about it either. He lands in a crouch at the Hill Giant''s feet and in an insane move that really shouldn''t have been possible, immediately pounces forward and wraps his body around one of the choking Hill Giant''s legs. He then completely lifts the Hill Giant off the ground¡­ and slams the thirty-foot tall demigod down a moment later.


    Still choking, the rock lodged perfectly in his throat, the Hill Giant tries to fight back but can''t quite muster up the concentration. Even when Oren rips the Hill Giant''s club from his hands, holding it in both arms and struggling with it for a moment before slamming it down onto the Hill Giant''s head. And then he does it again. And again.


    At some point, the massive hands trying to bat Oren away weaken and fall to the side, but the Otherworlder keeps going anyways. At some point, the movements from the Hill Giant''s massive body are completely a result of Oren''s actions. The jolting, twitching death throes of the demigod are greatly disturbing, but Sophia can''t quite bring herself to look away.


    Once again she''s reminded that this¡­ this is what an Otherworlder is. An unparalleled fighter, a peerless warrior, and an unstoppable killer. On the one hand, Oren has once again proved himself perfect for Sophia''s purposes. On the other hand¡­


    "You¡­ what was that?! You put yourself in grave danger there! What if the Hill Giant had grabbed you before you could reach his face? What if he''d thought to hold you aloft and beat you senseless where you had no leverage, rather than stupidly throwing you away?!"


    Oren blinks as he looks at Sophia, his front splattered with Hill Giant blood. He looks between the gargantuan corpse he''s made and the fuming Minor Goddess before him for a moment.


    "Uhh¡­"


    "It''s like you have no self-preservation instincts whatsoever! Don''t you care whether you live or die?!"


    The Otherworlder''s face suddenly becomes expressionless, sending a shiver down Sophia''s spine.


    "No. Not really."


    Sophia gapes for a moment, leading to Oren tilting his head to the side at her curiously.


    "I''m not sure why that bothers you. I don''t really care if I live or die¡­ and shouldn''t that be a good thing where you''re concerned? I''ve chosen that the best way I can spend my life is to protect you to my dying breath or until we reach our destination¡­ whichever comes first. You should be happy with that."


    As Sophia grapples with Oren''s words, he looks at the Hill Giant''s huge club for a moment consideringly before shaking his head.


    "Too unwieldy."


    Letting the demigod weapon drop to the ground with a tremor-inducing thud, Oren hops down from the Hill Giant''s now-headless corpse and moves to retrieve his sword and then their supplies. Some of their supplies were on Oren when the Hill Giant attacked. Much more were on the horse they''d bought back in Amberwell. Not everything that was on the horse was destroyed by the boulder, but not everything made it either.


    Sophia watches Oren take stock for a moment in silence, trying to put her thoughts in order before she speaks. But eventually she just can''t hold her tongue anymore.


    "What¡­ what happened to you? What did those that summoned you do to make you so cavalier about dying?"


    Oren pauses at that and Sophia can immediately tell that he''s not just thinking about her question.


    ¡­ He''s remembering.

 Chapter 9: The Summoning

    He was finally here. Standing there with a broad smile on his face, Oren looks out at the campus in front of him. Large buildings where he would be spending the next several years learning everything there was to learn about business. There would be opportunities to finally prove himself, to finally make a name for himself¡­ to finally make a life for himself.


    Oren was an adult now. From here on out, the only one who could decide whether he succeeded or failed¡­ was him. In the end, he just had to take the first step forward and start his new life. One step was all it would take. Firming up his resolve, Oren proceeds to take that decisive step forward. Or rather¡­ he tries to.


    His foot lifts off the ground but it never comes down. It¡¯s like he¡¯s suddenly weightless¡­ and indeed, looking down, he finds himself leaving the ground altogether.


    ¡°Wha- what¡¯s happening? What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    It¡¯s not like he¡¯s alone outside of the University. There are other people in the sidewalk moving back and forth, going about their days. But strangely, nobody seemed to pay him much attention. His startled cries go unanswered, even as he goes from baffled confusion to shouted pleas for assistance.


    ¡°Help! Help me, please!¡±


    He¡¯s rising higher into the air now¡­ faster and faster. Gravity has ceased to have any hold on him. Is he dreaming? Is this some weird kind of nightmare? Oren squeezes his eyes shut, willing himself to wake up. But when he opens them again, he finds himself staring out at a blanket of twinkling stars on black.


    Looking down, he sees all of Earth below him. The experience is decidedly surreal. Surely this is all a dream, but the detailing is more vivid than any dream he¡¯s ever had. Even when he¡¯d lucid dreamed before, it¡¯s been nothing like this.


    Earth¡­ grows small fast. He¡¯s picking up speed or something, surrounded by some strange nebulous force. And then, before he knows it¡­ he¡¯s moving too fast to even be capable of processing what he¡¯s seeing. The stars become streaks, like something straight out of science fiction¡­ and then it goes beyond that, until all he sees is light.


    It¡¯s almost anti-climactic when he finally arrives. Landing should reduce him to nothing but a smear on the floor, but instead all that happens is his legs buckle and he falls to his knees as he suddenly finds himself back on solid ground. Gasping for breath, Oren feels hands on him and a reassuring voice in his ear.


    ¡°Hey¡­ hey, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Just breathe friend. Just breathe.¡±


    What was going on? What was happening to him? Another voice echoes out, deep and serious in tenor.


    ¡°The Hero has been summoned successfully. Those who sacrificed themselves for this moment did not do so in vain. Our salvation is at hand!¡±


    Slowly, Oren lifts his head up, staring around himself in wide eyes. The first thing he notices is the man helping support him, smiling at him encouragingly. The next thing he notices¡­ is the bodies.


    They¡¯re in an auditorium and he¡¯s in the exact center of the room, surrounded by what Oren can only describe as occultist nonsense. Except¡­ is it really nonsense if it works? Around the edge of the circle, crumpled forms sit at equidistant points. Are they dead? It seems that they might be. Beyond them is a man in robes¡­ the man who spoke before. And beyond even that, the auditorium is filled with onlookers, people with desperate undisguised hope in their eyes.


    ¡°Hero! What is your name?¡±


    Swallowing thickly, Oren finds himself helped to his feet by the man at his side who gives him an encouraging nod to go with that smile of his.


    ¡°Wha¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand. Where am I? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    The deep voiced man looks sympathetic.


    ¡°We apologize, Hero. We have summoned you from your world to ours because the need for your help is dire. The Demon King has arisen once more and sends forth his armies from the Hells to destroy our civilization. If he is left unchecked, millions will perish beneath the cloven hooves of his army.¡±


    ¡­ The fuck?! That shit sounded like something straight out of a goddamn fantasy novel! There was no way any of this was real. Was Oren being pranked?


    ¡°Sir, I think the Hero needs a moment to collect himself. Perhaps the others should be dismissed?¡±


    There¡¯s a pause as the man at his side looks around them meaningfully. Honestly, until he said something, Oren hadn¡¯t truly realized how much being stared at by hundreds of hopeful faces was bothering him. After a brief pause, the other man nods and gestures.


    ¡°Leave and return to your work! The Hero is here now¡­ you may labor with lightened hearts knowing that our freedom from the tyranny of the Demon King is at hand.¡±


    Oh god. Did they really think Oren was going to be able to do anything about¡­ any of that. He blinks rapidly, trying not to fall into a full blown panic attack even as everyone begins to pile out of the room. As they file out, the man at his side looks at him with some concern.


    ¡°I am called Raythe. If it pleases you, I can continue to refer to you as Hero¡­ or maybe Sir Hero. Tell me how you want to be addressed and consider it done.¡±


    Shaking his head, Oren swallows dryly as he looks to Raythe.


    ¡°No! I mean¡­ no, please don¡¯t call me that. Just call me Oren. I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about being a Hero.¡±


    Raythe smiles another encouraging smile and nods his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly alright, Oren. It¡¯s expected for you not to know much. And¡­ I apologize most sincerely that we had to take you from your world. But the ritual is an ancient one, tried and tested. It will always summon the one that is most needed in desperate times such as these. Even if you do not know it yet¡­ you have it within you to be a Hero. To be THE Hero.¡±


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    Oren stares at Raythe with wide eyes, dry swallowing again in disbelief. He half-expected the other man to start saying nonsense like ¡®believe in the me that believes in you!¡¯ or something any second now.


    ¡­ What the fuck had he gotten himself into?


    -x-X-x-


    With a grunt, Oren brings his wooden practice sword up, barely dodging Raythe¡¯s overhead swing in time. As usual, the other man¡¯s years of conditioning make Oren¡¯s arms rattle from the blow, even as beads of sweat drip down from his forehead.


    ¡°Good, Oren! Great even! Again!¡±


    But Oren just shakes his head and takes a step back, holding up an empty palm as he gulps in lungfuls of air.


    ¡°W-Wait¡­ I can¡¯t, I need a moment please.¡±


    Raythe immediately relaxes his own stance and nods.


    ¡°Of course friend, take as much time as you need. Here, use my waterskin.¡±


    Offering the other man a grateful smile, Oren takes a long pull of refreshing water from the skin and then hands it back over as he smacks his lips.


    ¡°Thanks Raythe. That always hits the spot.¡±


    It¡¯s been a month now since Oren was summoned to this world. Four weeks since he¡¯d had his entire life turned upside down. To be fair¡­ he kind of got it. They¡¯d shown him how bad things were outside of their little underground cave system. Specifically, Raythe had taken him for a trip up to the surface, where he¡¯d barely lasted five minutes before they had to go back down.


    They assured him that the Demon King¡¯s armies hadn¡¯t reached everywhere yet. It wasn¡¯t all as bad as it was over their heads. But at the same time¡­ that taste of what their world would look like if the Demon King got his way made it clear that Oren couldn¡¯t just sit on his thumbs and do nothing. They needed his help¡­ and apparently, he was the big damn Hero.


    Huffing at that thought, Oren shakes his head.


    ¡°You know¡­ you keep telling me that I¡¯m the only one who can defeat the Demon King.¡±


    Raythe pauses and raises an eyebrow at that. Oren offers a helpless smile in response.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ I totally believe the Demon King needs to be defeated. You guys wouldn¡¯t have had volunteers sacrifice their lives to bring me here if it wasn¡¯t serious. It¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel like you have the wrong guy. It just doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m making any progress here to be honest.¡±


    There¡¯s a long, silent pause before Raythe hums and nods.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it. You¡¯re so busy second guessing yourself that you can¡¯t see your own improvement.¡±


    Oren frowns as Raythe suddenly moves over to the wall where a weapon rack carrying real blades is located. He picks out a weapon and almost faster than Oren can blink, turns and tosses it to him. Yelping, Oren nevertheless manages to catch the sword by its handle so he doesn¡¯t cut himself¡­ if only just barely.


    Giving Raythe a truly unimpressed look, Oren groans.


    ¡°Seriously? If that¡¯s supposed to prove something¡­¡±


    Sure, he managed to catch it. He definitely wouldn¡¯t have a month ago. But that¡­


    ¡°Nah. I want you to use that sword on the training dummy. And don¡¯t hold back, not even a little bit.¡±


    Frowning, Oren glances over at where Raythe is pointing, to the training dummy he tends to spend time smacking with his wooden sword each day whenever his friend is busy with other duties. And¡­ damn it all, Raythe IS his friend. It¡¯s kind of crazy to think, but he might be the best friend Oren has ever had. Only four weeks and they already feel like two peas in a pod.


    Shrugging, Oren strides over to the training dummy and takes up a proper stance just like Raythe taught him. Then, with a swing of his arms and a twist of his upper body, he lunges forward, slamming the blade down onto the practice dummy from an upper diagonal angle.


    ¡°HAH!¡±


    Not to toot his own horn, but the blow is pretty clean by Oren¡¯s estimation. Well-executed, one might say. He¡¯s expecting to bury the sword in the wooden practice dummy¡¯s ¡®shoulder¡¯ at best. Maybe cut in a few inches or something. He HAS gotten stronger over the last few weeks, after all.


    ¡­ But he¡¯s not expecting to shear completely through the training dummy, taking it from shoulder to hip and coming out the other side with what felt like barely any resistance at all. Oh, it wasn¡¯t as easy as cutting through butter or anything like that¡­ but it was far easier than anticipated.


    As the upper half of the practice dummy belatedly slides off and then falls to the ground, Oren just stares blankly for a long moment, not quite sure what he just witnessed.


    ¡°See? You¡¯ve already come a long way, Oren.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how did I do that?¡±


    Raythe chuckles, even as he takes the blade from Oren¡¯s hands and puts it back on the rack.


    ¡°Simple, really. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been telling you. You¡¯re the Hero and that comes with both a blessing¡­ and a burden. You have limitless potential, the capacity to become stronger than anyone else in the universe. You just need to reach out and grasp that power. Keep training, and you¡¯ll find that there is no ceiling you can¡¯t break through.¡±


    ¡­ In all fairness, Raythe HAD been telling Oren that for weeks now. He¡¯d just chalked it up to inspirational fluff. Taking down the Demon King had honestly seemed like an impossible task to Oren. It was something he knew he had to do¡­ but also something he was sure he would fail at. After all, he was just some random guy from Earth. There was no way he could take down an all-powerful Demon King and his armies¡­ right?


    ¡°Heh. I see you¡¯re finally starting to believe, Oren.¡±


    Blinking, Oren looks over to see Raythe grinning at him. And he realizes¡­the other man is right. This is the first time since his summoning that he¡¯s startling to believe in what it means to be the Hero. The first time that he¡¯s started to think he might actually have a shot at beating the Demon King and saving the world after all.


    Lifting his wooden sword back up into the air, Raythe retakes his stance.


    ¡°Still, that limitless potential isn¡¯t going to unlock itself. We still have a long way to go, Hero!¡±


    Right. Feeling a newfound sense of purpose, a new wave of resolve and determination flowing through him, Oren grins as he lifts his own wooden sword back up. A moment later, they¡¯re back at it, fighting one another back and forth across the room¡­ but now Oren thinks he can feel it. The improvement happening bit by bit.


    And maybe one day¡­ he¡¯ll be able to storm the Hells themselves and kill the Demon King in his own throne room.


    -x-X-x-


    Back in the present, Sophia¡¯s question still hangs in the air.


    ¡°What¡­ what happened to you? What did those that summoned you do to make you so cavalier about dying?¡±


    Obviously, Oren can¡¯t exactly answer her honestly. What did they make him do? Oh, nothing much¡­ just singlehandedly kill her father and everyone she knew and loved up in the Heavens. Which in turn seemed to have brought about an age of god-killing and worshipper-killing down here on the Material Planes. It was all his fault, in the end. Was it any wonder that he was so ready to lay down his life for her? He wasn¡¯t suicidal per say¡­ but if a ¡®good death¡¯ presented itself to him, he wouldn¡¯t exactly reject the idea.


    Still, what to say to her in this moment instead of the truth? In the end, Oren decides that stonewalling is still a perfectly reasonable response at this point. He doesn¡¯t want her to like him anyways.


    ¡°Nothing. I told you before, I figured out they were lying to me and sought my freedom. Still, you¡¯ve said it yourself. I¡¯m an Otherworlder. The chances of me ever seeing my home again are next to none¡­ but I don¡¯t really belong here either, do I?¡±


    And then, because he¡¯s kind of a bastard like that, Oren goes for the throat.


    ¡°What would your father say if he was here now? What would he do with me? I think we both know the answer to that.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t have to look over at Sophia to know his words have caused a grief stricken expression to spread across her face. So¡­ he doesn¡¯t. Pretending like he can¡¯t tell the Minor Goddess is rather aggrieved by the mention of her father, Oren just grunts.


    ¡°Nothing for it. With the horse dead¡­ we¡¯ll just have to keep going on foot. Unfortunately, our supplies have seen better days. I was hoping to move around the next few towns to minimize human contact, but¡­ we¡¯ll have to resupply at this rate. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He starts walking and to her credit, Sophia hurries to catch up with him a moment later. Hopefully between his attitude and the next few days of travel on foot, Sophia would come to despise and disdain him.


    Because Oren knew he wasn¡¯t worthy of anything more.

 Chapter 10: Shadows Revealed

    A while after Oren and Sophia depart, long enough for the Otherworlder¡¯s impeccable and enhanced hearing to finally no longer be an issue, a certain cloaked figure appears at the scene of the slaughter. Head tilting to the side, he sweeps his gaze from the pulverized horse to the lifeless Hill Giant¡¯s headless corpse. His gaze lingers on the bloodied club for a moment before he chuckles.


    ¡°As clever as ever Oren. Can¡¯t beat them with your own blade? Turn their weapons against them. Smart.¡±


    There¡¯s a brief pause before the cloaked figure stiffens and the air starts to ripple behind him. A tear in reality itself steadily forms, creating a hole in the world through which nothing but darkness seems to flow. Turning, the cloaked figure kneels and bows his head.


    ¡°My King.¡±


    ¡°Raythe. Status update.¡±


    Keeping his head bowed, Raythe prevaricates. He doesn¡¯t even mean to do it¡­ its just in his nature.


    ¡°Of course, Your Grace. I continue to follow the trail of the last Divinity of the Heavens. I have confirmed her to be nothing too special¡­ a mere Minor Goddess drained of her power. No real threat at this point.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause as Raythe¡¯s words hang in the air. Then, an oppressive sensation exudes from the portal. Still kneeling, Raythe begins to shake slightly, his shoulders lowering another fraction of an inch as he lets out a gasping breath.


    ¡°A mere Minor Goddess drained of her power. No real threat. Then why, pray tell¡­ is she still alive? How did she kill an entire group of God Hunters? Barely worthless fodder they might be, but even they should have been able to handle a powerless Minor Goddess!¡±


    Shivering, Raythe nods his head in agreement.


    ¡°Indeed, my King. There has been¡­ a complication. It is the reason I have not been able to report in quite as frequently. I-!¡±


    The pressure redoubles and Raythe is forced from one knee down to both. A rattling gasp escapes the cloaked man and he falls forward onto his hands.


    ¡°Careful, Raythe. Remember your place. Do not think to¡­ deceive me, no matter how good you believe yourself to be at it. I see through you. Always.¡±


    ¡°O-Of course, your Majesty. I would never dare. I was just about to say, the complication¡­ the Minor Goddess ran into the God Killer when she was fleeing those God Hunters we sent after her.¡±


    Its as if the very air has been sucked out of the area directly around the portal. Everything stands still for a long moment. Even Raythe, still on his hands and knees, freezes up.


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me? Did you say the God Killer has been sighted?¡±


    There¡¯s not a response at first. Only after a beat does the pressure, which had become so titanic as to be impossible to endure, finally pull back. Raythe lets out a shuddering breath as he¡¯s finally able to push himself up off of his hands. Though he dares not rise from his knees, merely resting back on his heels with his head bowed.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. The Minor Goddess ran into the God Killer and managed to persuade him to help her. In turn, he slaughtered the God Hunters and-!¡±


    ¡°What of the armor? The sword? Does he have them with him?¡±


    Here, Raythe hesitates for a moment¡­ before shaking his head.


    ¡°No, your Majesty. He does not.¡±


    There¡¯s another chilling sensation through the portal, though not as bad as last time. The unseen voice is¡­ reining it in so to speak.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? Absolutely certain?¡±


    Raythe nods.


    ¡°I am confident that he does not have the armor or weapon on him Your Grace. He avoided conflict with normal mundane humans in a town that he and the Minor Goddess stopped in, so I couldn¡¯t be sure¡­ which is why I located an undiscovered Hill Giant community in the wilds near the road they were traveling on. One wholesale slaughter later and the lone survivor was sent into a frothing rage.¡±


    This time, the voice sounds amused.


    ¡°Heh. And you sent him at our little patsy, to see how he would react.¡±


    Smiling under his hood, Raythe chuckles.


    ¡°As you said, my King¡­ I have a knack for deception. Turning the Hill Giant against Oren was child¡¯s play.¡±


    Immediately Raythe tenses up, recognizing his slip up. For a moment, he dares hope that the other will not mention it¡­ but alas, it¡¯s not meant to be. The voice, when it comes through the portal again, sounds contemplative.


    ¡°Oren. How¡­ familiar of you, Raythe.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, your Majesty. The God Killer and I spent years together. I was the only one he really had to talk to him while we trained him to slaughter the Heavens. Part of that deception involved getting close to him¡­ pretending to befriend him. It would be strange not to find myself thinking of him by his name every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Indeed? One has to wonder. All that time together¡­ you did good work Raythe. You helped the cause greatly. Even still, how much of it was really deception? And how much of it is you deceiving yourself even now?"


    For the first time, Raythe bristles, growing offended.


    ¡°Impossible, Your Grace. As you well know. I am incapable of self-deception. Oren, God Killer¡­ it matters little what we call him now, does it not? At the end of the day, all that matters is the armor and the blade.¡±


    There¡¯s a long stretch of silence, during which Raythe stays where he is, kneeling with his head bowed. Finally though, the voice speaks again, sounding almost suave now¡­ sickeningly smooth.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Of course, Raythe. You were telling me how you ascertained that the God Killer did not have the armor and weapon on him by setting a Hill Giant after him.¡±


    Nodding, Raythe glances over at the Hill Giant and his destroyed head.


    ¡°Indeed. I can safely say that the God Killer has hidden his armaments away somewhere. Otherwise, he would have used them against the Hill Giant. Instead, he was forced to resort to using the Hill Giant¡¯s own blood-empowered weapon against it to finally land a killing blow. Something he wouldn¡¯t have had to do¡­ if he were still equipped with a blade of celestial metal.¡±


    The voice assimilates this quietly for a moment before responding.


    ¡°So he doesn¡¯t have them anymore. What did he do with them? Where would he have hidden such artifacts? I want that armor and blade, Raythe.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my King. I swear that I will retrieve them for you, no matter what it takes. But that is why I cannot just kill the Minor Goddess yet. She and the God Killer are going somewhere together and so far they are not aware that they are being followed and watched.¡±


    ¡°You think that they might be going after the weapon and armor?¡±


    Raythe nods his head.


    ¡°Yes your Majesty. Yes, I do. It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense, that would explain why they move with such purpose. So long as I stay on their trail, so long as I continue to follow them¡­ I believe it is inevitable that they will lead me to our prize. It is simply a matter of time.¡±


    A sense of pride swells up in his voice¡­ only for it to immediately be dampened when the pressure from the portal exudes outward once more. Raythe gasps for breath yet again, even as his body begins to shake.


    ¡°My prize, Raythe. Not ours¡­ mine. And never forget that. As for it simply being a matter of time¡­ my patience has its limits. Do not test them. And do not let these two lead you on some merry chase across the lands forever. Do you understand me? I expect results and I expect them soon or I will be most displeased.¡±


    ¡°Of¡­ of course, Your Grace. I will not let you down.¡±


    ¡°See that you don¡¯t. I very rarely give second chances¡­ and I never give a third.¡±


    With those ominous final words, the portal begins to close, the rip in the fabric of reality slowly closing back up until it¡¯s gone completely. The pressure goes with it and Raythe is finally able to struggle to his feet, stumbling in an almost drunken fashion for a moment before turning around with a snarl and whipping his foot into the side of the headless Hill Giant.


    The corpse is just a corpse, meaty and dead. It doesn¡¯t react to his kick in any way. That doesn¡¯t stop Raythe from doing it again¡­ and then a third time for good measure.


    ¡°B-Bastard¡­ tch.¡±


    Curling his hands into fists to stop them from shaking violently with rage, the cloaked man just stands there for a long moment calming himself down. In the end¡­ the world was built on power. Those who had it and those who didn¡¯t. Before they¡¯d summoned Oren and unleashed him on the Heavens, it had been Law and his fellow divine beings who held the power.


    These days, with the Heavens slaughtered to (nearly) the last and the deities of the Mortal Planes on their way out as well? Well, power could be said to be a lot more¡­ spread out. And yet, that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t still power concentrated in a few key sources. Raythe wished he could buck the yoke resting around his neck. But no¡­ that would just result in him being hunted down and made an example of.


    ¡°Oren¡­ I¡¯m going to enjoy gutting you, when the time finally comes.¡±


    If only the ¡®God Killer¡¯ had done as he was told back then. Had they not developed a good enough rapport? Had Raythe not built enough of a relationship for Oren to even think twice before running? Obviously not. Somehow, Oren had seen through Raythe¡¯s lies. Not before doing what they wanted of him, but still much, much too early.


    Oren running off and doing who the fuck knew what with his armaments had been a staining black mark on Raythe¡¯s otherwise impeccable record of service. It was the second chance that his liege spoke of. Mercy was not something his superior was known for. Still, he fully believed the fact he was not a bloody stain on the floor for his failure to reel the ¡®God Killer¡¯ back in was a testament to his usefulness and value¡­ not a testament to his master¡¯s mercy.


    Finally unclenching his fists, Raythe sighs and looks around at the devastation again. The corners of his mouth quirk up as he takes in the battle site.


    ¡°Sloppy, Oren. Very sloppy. You let your guard down here. Let the Hill Giant get way too close.¡±


    His eyes linger on the demigod¡¯s corpse for a moment longer¡­ before shifting back over to the pureed remains of the horse and destroyed supplies that had been hitched to it. They would be on foot now, which meant they would likely be slower. Easier for him to keep up with, easier for him to track.


    As well, they would need more supplies. That meant they would have to stop in another town earlier than Oren might have wanted to. Raythe could make use of that.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t told his master everything. Like for instance, he was still quite confused about why Oren would side with a Minor Goddess from the Heavens¡­ perhaps the last Heavenly Deity still alive at that. Did she not know what he was? How had she convinced him to protect her? Heh, perhaps she was desperate enough to spread her legs for him, but based on what Raythe knew of her ilk, he somewhat doubted she would ever compromise her values THAT much.


    Even still¡­ Raythe couldn¡¯t help the niggling sensation in the back of his mind. It couldn¡¯t be that they knew about THAT could it? No, that wasn¡¯t possible. If they did know¡­ well, there was a reason he hadn¡¯t dared bring up the possibility with his liege.


    At the same time though, the doubt won¡¯t leave him. The thought of Oren having somehow deceived him weighs heavily on Raythe¡¯s mind. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, all things considered. Raythe was the best liar he knew. His capacity for deception was unmatched by anyone else in the world.


    ¡­ But that was the problem, wasn¡¯t it? Oren wasn¡¯t of this world. His status as an Otherworlder was precisely why they¡¯d summoned him in the first place. Raythe had told Oren quite a lot of lies in their time together, but there were also things he hadn¡¯t lied about. The limitless potential of the ¡°Hero¡±, aka Otherworlders¡­ was one of them.


    Still, it was crazy to think that Oren might have somehow deceived him, found out the truth about what they were preparing him for, and made some sort of plan ahead of time with this Minor Goddess. After all, why the hell would he still go through with the slaughter of the Heavens if that were the case?


    And yet¡­ what was more likely? That Oren had made some sort of plan with this goddess, or that she¡¯d managed to somehow stumble upon him specifically in all the Mortal Planes and befriend him? Raythe¡­ didn¡¯t know. And that bothered him most severely.


    Not as much as knowing that his master was breathing down his neck, however. Knowing how much his liege wanted those God Killing Armaments, Raythe knows it¡¯s only a matter of time before there¡¯s another check in. And if he doesn¡¯t have something to show for it, then he¡¯ll be utterly ruined.


    He needed to push them. Oren and this Minor Goddess. Raythe needed to light a fire under their ass and get them moving quicker than they currently were. Admittedly, tricking a Hill Giant into killing their horse was counterproductive in hindsight, but there was nothing to be done about it. And besides, as long as they had their supply-laden horse, they had no reason to stop in any of the towns along the way to wherever their ultimate destination was.


    A slow grin spreads across Raythe¡¯s face as he consults a mental map in his mind¡¯s eye and contemplates exactly what lies ahead of them. There were possibilities there. All sorts of¡­ potential.


    Obviously, it would have been easier if Raythe could have just walked up and picked up where he and Oren left off. Maybe if he¡¯d come across the God Killer alone, he might have done exactly that. After all, they had spent years together. Regardless of Oren¡¯s treachery, Raythe should have always been his friend.


    ¡­ The Minor Goddess changed things though. Her presence meant that Oren had to know more than he let on. Things had unraveled enough for him to discover enough of the truth to not return and that meant Raythe¡¯s cover was at least partially blown.


    Nothing for it. He would just have to play things carefully and wait for an opening to present itself as it always did. Heh, in fact¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s see just how sloppy you¡¯ve gotten Oren. All that power seems to have gone straight to your head. It¡¯ll be interesting to see how much you¡¯ve forgotten from our time together.¡±


    With those ominous words, Raythe takes one last look at the destruction around him¡­ and disappears.

 Chapter 11: Oakvale

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for the night. Sleep in real beds for once.¡±


    Sophia jolts at Oren¡¯s gruff words. It¡¯s the first thing he says when they come into view of the next town along the road. Not to say they did so swiftly or anything like that. Actually, it¡¯s been days since the Hill Giant attack. Days where Sophia had to admit¡­ she¡¯s began to grow rather weary of ¡®roughing it¡¯.


    With so much of their supplies ruined, they¡¯d had to make do with what they had. Oren could hunt with the best of them thanks to his enhanced physicality and Otherworlder status, so they hadn¡¯t gone hungry or anything like that¡­ but it was still frustrating, especially with how low Sophia¡¯s divine power was at this point.


    If she could just find a comfortable place to rest, say her refuge where she had all sorts of protections and knew she¡¯d be safe from the God Hunters, then Sophia was confident she could regain her full power within a few days¡­ a week at most! The issue was, they hadn¡¯t really had that yet. It was just one thing after another, and trying to recharge anywhere but her refuge would likely just end with her drawing the God Hunters right to them.


    It was a bad situation that ultimately left her entirely reliant on Oren for¡­ everything. She¡¯d become even more of a burden than when they¡¯d first set out at this point, and she wasn¡¯t ignorant of that fact either.


    As a Minor Goddess of Equity, Sophia felt it tearing at her very being to be using Oren in such a manner, knowing that no matter what small trinkets she might have for him at her refuge, she was ultimately going to come up short of all that she owed him at this point. And yet, as a Minor Goddess of Wisdom, Sophia knew full well that dismissing him from her service would only lead to her death. Her two domains tore her in opposite directions. Wisdom said she needed Oren to live¡­ but she could never make their relationship equitable, not in a million years.


    That was all to say, as they approach the town of Oakvale, a slightly larger settlement than Amberwell had been, Sophia knows she should tell Oren they don¡¯t need to stop for the night here. She should tell him that they can just resupply and then keep going, because deep down the goddess knows that he¡¯s only stopping for her sake.


    After all, Oren isn¡¯t even remotely tired from their multi-day trek and their sleepless nights. The Otherworlder is as hale and hearty as ever. No, the only reason he¡¯s stopping here¡­ is for Sophia.


    By now, she¡¯s realized Oren doesn¡¯t want her to like him for some reason. It¡¯d taken her far longer than it should have taken a Goddess of Wisdom to figure it out, but eventually it had clicked. He was a good man, her Otherworlder bodyguard. He was a good man with a good heart and a strong moral compass. And yet, for whatever reason, he wanted to push her away. He wanted her to despise him.


    Unfortunately for him, his heart kept conflicting with his mind. He would be short and gruff with her for hours, sometimes even days at a time, but in the end there would always be another moment of kindness, of concern, of empathy. Like this one.


    In the end, Sophia is weak. She doesn¡¯t say a word as they approach Oakvale, instead giving her tacit approval of his plans. The idea of spending tonight in a real bed with a roof over their heads¡­ it sounds fantastic.


    Alas, they barely make it into town itself before Sophia¡¯s plans come crashing down around her head. The side of Oakvale that they¡¯ve entered from is a marketplace of sorts and just as she¡¯s envisioning a tavern-cooked meal with actual herbs and spices instead of more deer meat burnt haphazardly over a campfire¡­ a voice rings out, cutting through her thoughts.


    ¡°Oi! What do we have here? Religious iconography?!¡±


    Both Sophia and Oren come to a stop as their heads whip in the direction of the falsely jovial tone. Fortunately, they aren¡¯t the only ones who pause at the raised voice. A hush goes over the entire marketplace as everyone turns towards the brewing altercation.


    God Hunters. Sophia blanches at the sight of them. A group of men, armed and armored, crowd around one merchant¡¯s stall in particular. Most of them are facing outward, wearing openly hostile glares on their faces like they¡¯re just daring anyone to try to intervene. One of them though¡­ he¡¯s facing inward and has his arm stretched over the counter and into the stall. From what Sophia can see, he¡¯s holding a necklace from around the stall owner¡¯s neck, forcing the poor paling man to lean forward in order to avoid being choked.


    ¡°N-No sir! It¡¯s n-nothing! Just a little whittling my grandpa did back in the day! It¡¯s a family heirloom Sir Hunter! Nothing more!¡±


    The God Hunter chuckles darkly, pulling the necklace up higher to study the carving in the sunlight. This inadvertently gives Sophia a better look at it as well. It does indeed look man-made, far too imperfect to be anything but crafted by mortal hands. However, it also looks a lot like a Symbol of Power.


    Sophia had read about Symbols of Power up in the Heavens. They were often used by deities of the Mortal Planes as ways for their followers to spread their influence. Either they handed them out to their followers¡­ or they instructed their followers on how to make them.


    ¡°Just a little whittling, huh? Nothing more, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes sir!¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ and tell me, what was the name of the God of the Forest near here again? What did you lot call him?¡±


    Sophia grimaces, immediately recognizing the trap for what it is. Unfortunately for the merchant, he¡¯s in a deep, deep panic. He¡¯s answering quickly without thinking, hoping that by acting the part of a toady, he can make the God Hunters go away.


    ¡°B-Bormus, sir!¡±


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    The already quiet marketplace gets even quieter. Even the stall owner freezes up, realizing he¡¯s fucked up. A cruel, wicked grin spreads across the God Hunter¡¯s face. It¡¯s¡­ flimsy at best. Absurdly so. If there had been a God of the Forest near here, then everyone would know his name, not just its worshippers. Even if the God Hunters had killed him, his name would still live on in the memories of Oakvale.


    But the God Hunters don¡¯t operate on logic or reason. Sophia tenses up, expecting to see a man die any moment. The God Hunter will use his knowledge of the god¡¯s name as a sign of guilt and will strike him down right here and right now. She doesn¡¯t see another way this ends. Except¡­ that doesn¡¯t happen. After a long silent pause, the God Hunter chuckles and even lets go of the man and his necklace.


    ¡°Well. Just a family heirloom then. No harm, no foul.¡±


    The merchant looks like he can barely believe his luck. His hand goes to the carving around his neck, even as he swallows nervously and nods hurriedly.


    ¡°Y-Yes sir. Nothing m-more than that. Thank you s-si-!¡±


    ¡°Burn it.¡±


    The God Hunter¡¯s harsh voice cuts the other man off on the spot. For a moment, the stall owner looks like he doesn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I¡­ I beg y-your pardon sir?¡±


    Stepping back from the market stall, the God Hunter points to the ground at his feet.


    ¡°Come out here, place it on the ground, and burn it.¡±


    When the other man hesitates, the God Hunter drops his hand to the pommel of the sword at his side.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Slowly, shaking, the merchant comes out from behind his stall. He clutches at the necklace like a lifeline.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ p-please sir¡­ it¡¯s just a simple carving. I-!¡±


    ¡°It is religious iconography carved in worship to the dead god Bormus. Such things are illegal in Oakvale. Now, judging by your age, your grandfather has long passed, so no judgment can be rendered upon him. And if what you say is true, you did not know¡­ so no judgment will be rendered upon you either. All you must do is prove yourself. By burning the religious iconography.¡±


    Such base cruelty. Sophia trembles with emotion as she watches the stall owner slowly pull off the necklace and set it down on the ground between him and the God Hunter.


    ¡°I¡­ I do not have a way to start a fire, Sir Hunter.¡±


    With a wide smile on his face, the God Hunter pulls a flint and steel from one of the pouches at his waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright my good man! I have them right here.¡±


    Everyone in the market watches as the merchant, trying not to cry, kneels down with the flint and steel and carefully lights the wooden carving on fire. It takes a few tries, but when the God Hunter looming over him makes a noise of impatience in the back of his throat, the man hurries up and quickly gets it done.


    The God Hunter lets the small blaze burn away at the carving for a couple minutes before bringing his boot down hard. Snuffing out both the flame and crushing the weakened wooden Symbol of Power under his boot, he shifts his foot back and forth a few times before letting out a boisterous laugh and yanking the merchant up from his knees by his shoulders.


    ¡°There we are! Good man! A good, proper, god-hating man! Well done! Well done!¡±


    The God Hunter takes his flint and steel back, and then he and his compatriots walk away. Slowly, movement in the marketplace picks up again and while some continue shooting pitying looks over at the despondent stall owner, most just go back to their business. Almost like this was a daily occurrence for them.


    It strikes Sophia then that it probably was. Oakvale was bigger than Amberwell. Not big enough to have its own fighting pit¡­ but perhaps big enough to have its own squad of God Hunter stationed here.


    Turning to Oren, she grabs him by the arm, leaning in close to whisper to him.


    "W-We can¡¯t stay the night¡­ they¡¯ll surely discover us. We have to keep going.¡±


    Oren hesitates for a moment, staring at the smoldering remnants of the necklace on the ground. Then, he shakes his head.


    ¡°No. We¡¯ll just keep our heads down. The coin we got in Amberwell was one of the things we didn¡¯t lose in the attack, so we don¡¯t have to draw attention to ourselves earning anymore. We¡¯ll simply resupply, get a room in a tavern, and hunker down for the night. They¡¯ll never know we were here.¡±


    Sophia shivers. He sounds so confident and really, she wants to believe him. Especially because of all the aforementioned reasons for not wanting to spend another night under the stars. But¡­ she has a premonition about all of this. Something is going to go wrong. She just knows it.


    In the end though, Sophia just bites down on her words and slowly nods her head in agreement. Together, they move to buy new bags and fill them with the things they need. Sophia lets Oren do the talking, afraid to draw any attention to herself at this point. Better to be as much of a wallflower as possible and let the ugly brown garments that Oren picked out for her back in Amberwell do the heavy lifting.


    Before long, they find themselves entering a tavern without incident. Oren had been smart enough to ask some subtle questions about the God Hunters. Sophia¡¯s assumption was right, they were staying in town and operating out of the mayor¡¯s house. The mayor, who was now dead and who¡¯s entire family had been killed for worshipping the God of the Forest.


    It sent a shiver down Sophia¡¯s spine, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything they could do about it. Oren agreed too, because he¡¯d picked out the tavern further from the mayor¡¯s house. Within twenty minutes they had a room and even had permission to eat in private, taking bowls of a delicious smelling soup upstairs and locking themselves away in the process.


    ¡°Are we getting close?¡±


    Sophia blinks as Oren finally breaks the silence just as she¡¯s bringing a spoon full of soup to her lips. She quickly slurps it down, swallowing thickly before responding.


    ¡°What¡­ uh, what do you mean?¡±


    Oren gives her a look.


    ¡°Your hideaway. Are we almost there? You said it would take only a week to reach it.¡±


    Sophia does her best not to flinch at that. She may have been fibbing ever so slightly back when she gave that time frame. Funnily enough though, Oren has made something of an honest woman of her. Between the horse and the blistering pace he¡¯s set, they¡¯re actually a lot closer than Sophia would have expected to be at this point.


    ¡°¡­ Still f-four days on foot¡­ faster if we get another horse. Its North of here. The last time I was on the Mortal Planes, the road ended a couple days North and there was a great big boulder about thirty minutes past the road¡¯s end. We turn left at the boulder and walk for another thirty minutes and we¡¯ll be at the cave I hid with my divine power and made into my little home away from home.¡±


    She falls quiet at this, hoping that he won¡¯t ask her about the reward she¡¯d promised him. By her father, she hopes he doesn¡¯t ask about that. She has things to offer him of course, she wasn¡¯t being completely dishonest¡­ but they¡¯re baubles at best.


    Oren gives her a long look, one that Sophia avoids. Finally¡­


    ¡°Alright then. Eat up and rest well. We¡¯ll depart at first light.¡±


    Sophia nods and focuses on her meaty soup. First light was probably prudent, given there were God Hunters in town. Fortunately it seemed like Oren had been right. Keeping their heads low and not drawing any attention to themselves was working just fine. So far they were just a pair of travelers passing through. No more, no less.


    The soup is amazing. The bed even more so. Sure, it doesn¡¯t hold a candle to her accommodations up in the Heavens, but with each passing day those feel like more and more of a faded memory, or maybe a very good dream she once had. This bed, for all its lumps and hard spots, was the best bed she¡¯d had in days.


    As she drifts off to sleep, a small smile spreads across Sophia¡¯s face. Maybe¡­ maybe everything was going to be alright after all.

 Chapter 12: Surrounded

    Oren¡¯s eyes suddenly snap open, coming awake quite abruptly. For a moment, he just stares up at the ceiling of their room on the tavern¡¯s second floor, not entirely sure what woke him up. Then¡­ he hears it again and curses under his breath.


    Sitting up in bed, he looks to the window. It¡¯s the early morning hours, the twilight between light and dark. The pitch black of true night is being steadily chased away by the early morning sun, but the sun itself has not yet begun to rise over the distant horizon. It gives an almost eerie feeling to the bits of light that herald the sun¡¯s inevitable arrival. Certainly, most of the town of Oakvale is not awake yet. They¡¯re all still asleep in their beds. And yet¡­


    ¡°Sophia, wake up.¡±


    To her credit, the Minor Goddess is a light sleeper. Her blue eyes open and she looks to him, even as she sits up in her own bed. Her brow furrows in confusion when she sees how early it still is.


    ¡°What¡­ what is it?¡±


    Letting out an explosive sigh, Oren shakes his head and swings his legs out of bed.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s eyes widen at that, even as Oren rises to his feet and tilts his head to the side, considering all that he¡¯s hearing. It¡¯s nothing within the tavern itself. They¡¯re smart enough to avoid that, which is half the reason he didn¡¯t hear them earlier. But Oren¡¯s hearing extends far past just this building.


    Just like he did back in Amberwell, Oren can hear the men slowly moving into position to surround the inn. There¡¯s a great deal many more than there were back in Amberwell though, and the kicker is the men on the roofs of the buildings closest to the tavern. They¡¯re not taking any chances.


    ¡°Who¡­ the God Hunters?¡±


    Sophia pales as the realization hits her. Oren grimaces and nods, because he can¡¯t think of anyone else who could field these numbers. Not to mention, that encounter in the marketplace from the day before is still fresh in his mind. The God Hunters were practically running Oakvale at this point. Who else could it be?


    Perhaps he should have listened to Sophia when she said they needed to keep moving, but he¡¯d been confident that they could remain undetected. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case. How had they found out about them though? Did they have some way of sensing divinity or something? Surely not, or they would have been caught out in the market. And besides, Sophia was running on fumes anyways.


    Moving over to the wall next to the window, Oren very carefully tries to get a visual on exactly what they¡¯re dealing with. He can hear them moving around out there, can even make out distinct heartbeats if he really focuses, but he¡¯s still reliant on his eyes to differentiate. Only, he must not be careful enough, because a voice suddenly rings out from down below.


    ¡°Ho up there! At the window!¡±


    Oren¡¯s jaw clenches at being called out. At the same time, he hears everyone else in the area beginning to stir. The God Hunters hadn¡¯t bothered evacuating the tavern nor the surrounding area. People start to wake up in their beds at the shouting voice. Oren doesn¡¯t think this was a mistake or anything like that though. Rather, he gets the impression that they don¡¯t care if any innocents get in harm¡¯s way.


    Finally deciding to bite the bullet, Oren steps out into full view of the window, standing silhouetted in the frame. He¡¯s practically daring them to attack him¡­ and at the same time, using the opportunity to get a good look at what he and Sophia are up against.


    The tavern is surrounded on all sides of course, eerily mimicking the situation they found themselves in back in Amberwell. This time around however, there are God Hunters positioned on each rooftop, armed with bows and quivers of arrows. Oren doesn¡¯t think they¡¯re there to necessarily stop him from pulling the same maneuver he did last time, but rather to provide overwatch support from above if a fight breaks out on the street.


    Speaking of the street¡­ there¡¯s a dozen men on the road outside of the tavern and another two dozen surrounding each side. Among the dozen men in the front¡­ is the cruel one from yesterday in the market. He¡¯s also the one who spoke up now, a wide grin spreading across his face when he sees Oren standing there. He takes a step forward.


    ¡°There you are! Why don¡¯t you and your friend come out here so we can chat, hm?¡±


    His voice carries, causing more of the inhabitants of the buildings around them to stir and move to the windows to find out what¡¯s going on. When Oren just stands there silently, the God Hunter¡¯s smile turns slightly¡­ brittle.


    ¡°Heh, big strong silent type, eh? Or maybe you just don¡¯t trust me. Fair enough. The name¡¯s Elric. Elric Steelwater. I¡¯m the Lieutenant of these sorry excuses for men you see around me.¡±


    There¡¯s some shifting of feet from the other God Hunters at that. Some seem to take Elric¡¯s insult personally, while others grin at his words, treating them like a joke. When Oren continues to stand there silently, Elric¡¯s smile finally drops.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder than it has to be. We know you¡¯re traveling with a goddess. Her divine stench permeates through this town like a plague.¡±


    A lie. Has to be. But what if it isn¡¯t? What if they actually have a method for detecting divinity? If that is the case¡­ Oren might have a way out of this that doesn¡¯t require bloodshed. A slim chance admittedly, but better than nothing.


    Stepping up to the window, Oren finally pushes it open. Elric¡¯s eyes light up in interest, even as Oren hears the archers on the rooftops all drawing back their bowstrings, aiming arrows right at him. Not that they would do anything even if they fired.


    ¡°My companion is not a goddess. What you¡¯re sensing is the Hill Giant I had to slay a few days back. The demigod¡¯s blood got all over me¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to properly clean it off until last night¡¯s bath.¡±


    There¡¯s a brief pause as Elric and his men take that in. Oren has spoken plainly and concisely. His words were a pack of lies, but he knew for a fact that he¡¯d given no tells, showed none of the usual signs of deceit. His tone was matter of fact in the extreme and anyone who was looking for deception would hear nothing but honesty in his voice, or so he hoped.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, there are two components to being believed when telling a lie. There¡¯s you and there¡¯s the lie itself. Even if you¡¯re the best liar in the world, even if you give away no tells whatsoever¡­ if your story is too outlandish to be believed despite the most outlandish parts being the most honest, then it won¡¯t matter how good you¡¯ve lied.


    After a moment, Elric throws back his head and laughs and all of his fellow God Hunters do the same, chuckling and snickering and even guffawing at Oren¡¯s expense. They all seem to think what he¡¯s just said is the height of hilarity. And obviously, they don¡¯t believe him in the slightest. With a low sigh, Oren turns and steps away from the window, causing Elric down below to snap out a response.


    ¡°Oi! Where the fuck do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    But Oren is already out of sight, both of the ground below and the archers on the rooftops surrounding the tavern. He steps over to Sophia, who has hurriedly gathered up their supplies and is looking rather unsure of what they¡¯re supposed to do next. Fortunately, the situation isn¡¯t as dire as it looks where they¡¯re concerned. Unfortunately¡­


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    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kill them all.¡±


    Sophia jolts at his words, but he can see as she eventually reaches where he¡¯s already at. This isn¡¯t like Amberwell, after all. Those were just small time thugs in a small town. The reach of Gentleman Grays cannot even hold a candle to what the God Hunters are capable of. Even if they successfully flee Oakvale like they did back in Amberwell, the God Hunters will just report on them and bring in more of their kind, hunting them to the ends of the world. And since Sophia¡¯s refuge is far too close¡­ they won¡¯t even have to look far.


    No, his and Sophia¡¯s only hope, in the end, is to silence these God Hunters here and hope they haven¡¯t already sent off a message to their superiors. Even if they have, at least there won¡¯t be any God Hunters left to talk about them when reinforcements finally arrive.


    Finally, Sophia nods.


    ¡°I¡­ I understand. They won¡¯t let us go. They¡­ they¡¯ve brought this on themselves.¡±


    That they have. Oren can hear them outside even now, with one of the other God Hunters asking Elric if they should storm the tavern already. So far, the self-proclaimed Lieutenant is hemming and hawing, but Oren knows he won¡¯t wait forever. And if the God Hunters do storm the tavern, they¡¯re not likely to discriminate between him and Sophia and the other innocent people in the building.


    There should have been one silver lining to all of this though. As Sophia had explained to him, the only way to kill a divine being was with Celestial Metal or something infused with Celestial Blood, like the Hill Giant¡¯s club. It was why his mundane blade had done so little damage to the Hill Giant.


    Supposedly, Celestial Metal was very, very rare. So Elric and his God Hunters shouldn¡¯t have any on them because this was some backwater town, right? And yet¡­


    ¡°How did they kill the God of the Forest? How did they kill Bormus?¡±


    Elric had boasted about it the day before in the market. He¡¯d made it quite clear that they¡¯d slain the region¡¯s local forest god. Sophia blanches at Oren¡¯s question, having clearly not considered such a thing until now. She thinks quietly for a few long, tense moments before shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe they have some other way of harming the divine? Or maybe the God Hunters know some source of Celestial Metal I do not and are equipping all of their men with it after all¡­ but those who were chasing me back when we first met definitely didn¡¯t have any¡­¡±


    Oren clenches his jaw and nods. The uncertainty made things more difficult. If he was absolutely certain there was no Celestial Metal or other threat to Sophia in this town, then he could just jump out that window right now and start killing people. If he didn¡¯t have to worry about her safety¡­ tch. It is what it is. He¡¯ll just have to mix offense and defense. And¡­ he knew just how to start things off.


    After a long moment of planning, Oren holds out a hand in Sophia¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Give me our coin bag.¡±


    The Minor Goddess looks confused for a moment, before hesitantly handing over the pouch of copper, silver, and gold that they¡¯d won all the way back in Amberwell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are¡­ are you going to try to bribe them or something after all?¡±


    Oren shakes his head, even as he opens the bag and pulls out one of the metal coins inside, rolling it between his fingers for a moment.


    ¡°¡­ No. They all still have to die. But I can¡¯t just leave you defenseless. That means improvising.¡±


    -x-X-x-


    ¡°Boss? Should we go in now, do you think?¡±


    Elric Steelwater clenches his jaw and resists the urge to backhand his subordinate across the face. While indulging in his crueler, more sadistic tendencies with the townsfolk of this shithole was fine, he couldn¡¯t be a tyrant to his men. Not if he didn¡¯t want to wake up to a dagger in his throat while he slept. No, his subordinates needed to think of him as the best superior they¡¯d ever had. That was just good sense.


    Still, sometimes he really wished he could indulge. Especially when one of his men made such a stupid question. And especially when Elric¡­ didn¡¯t quite know what to do.


    The information they¡¯d received said that there was a goddess in the tavern in front of him, but that she was accompanied by a very dangerous man who was acting as her protector. He¡¯d been advised to move with extreme caution, and yet even though he¡¯d had his men surround the tavern in the early morning as silently as possible, they¡¯d still been caught.


    Just what-


    Elric¡¯s head twitches as a whistling noise suddenly pierces the silent air.


    ¡°The fuck was that?¡±


    His men look around uselessly, just as confused as he is. Another whistling noise sounds out a second later. Elric looks up towards the window of the tavern, but he doesn¡¯t see anyone there. And yet, as he peers up at it¡­ he thinks he sees something small flash out of the open window, even as a third whistling noise echoes out.


    The fourth time it happens, Elric sees the end result, mostly because the angle means he can see the archer he stationed on a rooftop to his right as insurance. And since he can see the archer, he gets to watch as the whistling noise is directly proceeded by the man¡¯s head exploding.


    Elric¡¯s eyes widen and one hand falls to his sword while the other goes elsewhere, grasping onto something he has hidden away in his armor. This¡­ this was divine power. It had to be.


    ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK! SPREAD OUT, THE GODDESS IS TRYING TO STRIKE US DOWN!¡±


    On pure instinct, Elric throws himself to the side, specifically behind one of his men¡­ a moment before a whistling noise sounds out and a splatter of blood and brain matter strikes him as the man¡¯s head explodes. Elric finds himself using the headless corpse for cover, even as he stares uncomprehendingly for a moment at the blood-coated golden coin resting on the ground next to it.


    Then, he¡¯s scrambling. More whistling sounds ring out as his men, slow to react and standing still like the morons they are, make for more appealing targets than Elric himself. Meanwhile, the men surrounding the buildings on the other sides begin to move in all at once upon hearing his words.


    Elric finds cover quickly, hiding behind some barrels and panting for breath with his eyes wide as he watches his men rush into the tavern and up the stairs¡­ and then hears their screams moments later.


    What were they dealing with here, exactly? What had they been tricked into facing off against? This was supposed to be a Minor Goddess, but she¡­ she was dropping his men like flies!


    Only, Elric¡¯s whole world is turned on his head when his quarry finally exits the tavern on the ground floor. He watches from his hiding place as the man from the window steps out and the woman said to be a goddess moves behind him. A dozen of his men come around the corner from the back of the tavern at the same time, and upon seeing the two they draw their weapons with a roar and charge forward.


    Elric expects to see the goddess drop them all¡­ instead, he watches as the man puts his hand in a bag she¡¯s carrying, pulls out half a dozen coins¡­ and begins flicking them, one after another in the direction of the advancing God Hunters. Heads explode and bodies are flung back as the coins kill Elric¡¯s men one after another, sending a thrill of terror down his spine.


    ¡­ But to their credit, his men do not falter in the face of what probably looks to them like divinity. Elric knows better, but they just see a god fighting them and in their zealotry, continue rushing in even as some of them die. This in turn forces the man to finally draw his sword and fight them, though that doesn¡¯t go much better for the surviving God Hunters. Only the arrival of even MORE reinforcements keeps the battle going as men lose their limbs and their lives faster than Elric can blink.


    This¡­ he¡¯d thought himself so smart when he¡¯d taken his orders and expanded upon them. The advice had been to take the majority of his forces to apprehend this goddess and her protector. But Elric had taken every God Hunter in the town, an entire fifty of them, and brought them with him. It had only seemed like good sense at the time. Now¡­ well, now it was obvious that even fifty wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡­ Or maybe it was. On the one hand, Elric wanted badly to run, to flee, to turn tail and never look back. But on the other hand, he knew what the price for desertion was. And there was still a way he could accomplish his mission.


    The goddess and her protector are a few feet apart now. The man has stepped into his advancing subordinates to more readily butcher them as they senselessly throw themselves at his blade. The goddess, meanwhile, has wound up positioned with her back to Elric¡¯s hiding place. Just his luck.


    Slowly, carefully, Elric pulls his secret weapon out of his armor. He drags the dagger from its sheath, the metal shimmering oddly. This Celestial Dagger¡­ he wasn¡¯t supposed to have it, but Elric was nobody¡¯s fool. He hadn¡¯t risen to the rank of Liuetenant by being nothing more than another drone among the thousands that populated the ranks of God Hunters.


    Fast as he dares, and almost still not fast enough, Elric darts out of his hiding place, grabs the goddess from behind, and places the Celestial Blade against her delicate little neck. He still almost dies for it, as the man whips around at the same time that Elric moves. Had he been tracking Elric the entire time?


    Maybe he had, but he¡¯d made a critical mistake in letting his bitch get between the two of them, because Elric was able to use her body as cover and now¡­ well, now he has all the power.


    ¡°HOLD! Move another inch and I¡¯ll kill her dead!¡±


    Even as the words are leaving his lips, the last of his men is charging at the butcher¡¯s back. Without even looking, the goddess¡¯ protector lashes out backwards with his sword, skewering the final God Hunter through the throat and sending him to the ground choking and gurgling on his own blood.


    Elric winces. From what he can tell, all of his men are dead now. It¡¯s just him left. But he can still salvage this. He can still make this work.


    ¡°¡­ Move another inch starting NOW and I will end this bitch¡¯s life.¡±


    The man glares at him impotently, blood drenched blade at his side. But it¡¯s obvious he recognizes the dagger in Elric¡¯s hands for what it is. A feeling of power wells up in Lieutenant¡¯s chest. He would not die here. He could do still do this. He, Elric Steelwater, held all the cards in this moment. Now it was time to use them.

 Chapter 13: Retreat

    Standing there, Oren seethes with rage. He wishes he could say it was mostly directed at Elric, the duplicitous God Hunter Lieutenant who had a knife to Sophia¡¯s throat¡­ but no. Most of his anger and loathing was currently directed inwardly for this monumental fuck up.


    He should have killed the Lieutenant first when he had the chance, but he¡¯d ultimately deemed the man to be little threat on his own. Elric Steelwater was a worm, the sort of worm who got to where he was through plenty of brown nosing and scheming. He was no leader, no great strategist.


    But then to be fair, Oren didn¡¯t have much room to talk, did he? He wasn¡¯t some spectacular tactician either. His training since being brought to this universe had mostly been focused around fighting and killing and surviving. He¡¯d become a one man army¡­ but in hindsight, that had left a massive gap in his education. Namely, he didn¡¯t know how to fucking fight alongside an ally, let alone how to protect a charge from multiple enemies.


    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d forgotten about Elric or anything like that. Oren had known where every single God Hunter was by the time he¡¯d started flicking coins out with the speed and force of bullets. He¡¯d prioritized the archers on top of the surrounding buildings first in case someone innocent stepped out of their house and wound up taking an arrow to the chest or something.


    Then, he¡¯d turned his attention towards those on the ground. He¡¯d made a token attempt at killing Elric, but the Lieutenant had proven himself slightly faster on the uptake than the rest of his men and had gone for cover, so Oren had focused on easier targets. Eventually, he and Sophia had been able to move downstairs and exit the tavern so he could deal with the rest of the God Hunters.


    Even then, Oren had been cognizant of Elric¡¯s position. He hadn¡¯t been that worried, because he hadn¡¯t expected the Lieutenant to have Celestial fucking Metal on him. Even still, he¡¯d had no intention of letting the bastard close in on them. Unfortunately¡­ when Elric had finally made his move and Oren had whipped around to finish him off, he¡¯d found himself stymied for a second too long by the simple fact that Sophia was in the way. The sneaky bastard had used her as a meat shield of all things.


    Now here they were. The rest of the God Hunters, what felt like dozens and dozens of them, were dead. But Elric was still alive and¡­ yeah, Oren recognized the difference in the metal as it lay against Sophia¡¯s delicate neck.. It was shimmering and shifting in a way normal steel didn¡¯t. Definitely had a ¡®magical¡¯ property to it. He didn¡¯t even need to see the look of terror in Sophia¡¯s eyes to recognize it for exactly what it was. A dagger made of Celestial Metal. A God Slaying Blade. It wasn¡¯t the first time Oren had beheld such things. He just hadn¡¯t known them for what they truly were back then.


    As Oren stays in place, considering his options, Elric seems to take his lack of movement as submission. The God Hunter Lieutenant grins a little bit, seeming pleased with himself as he believes himself in control of the situation.


    ¡°Good¡­ very good. You-!¡±


    ¡°Let her go and I¡¯ll let you leave here with your life.¡±


    Cutting him off, Oren watches the man¡¯s face contort in fury as his words wash over him. Elric grits his teeth, his gloved hand tightening around the dagger¡¯s handle. The blade digs a bit further into Sophia¡¯s neck, causing the goddess to cry out in pain as a drop of divine blood dribbles down her pale throat.


    ¡°Excuse me? What makes you think you can dictate terms to me?¡±


    Oren slowly pans his gaze left and then right, letting his eyes drift over the bodies surrounding him. He didn¡¯t enjoy killing¡­ but damn if he wasn¡¯t very, very good at it. The blood of Elric¡¯s comrades soaks the ground and Oren can tell his looking has reminded the other man of this, unnerving him further.


    ¡°We both know you¡¯re not a true believer in the cause. This is just a path to power for you. That¡¯s not a bad thing¡­ it means you still have a chance to make it out of this alive.¡±


    He¡¯s lying, of course. Elric has to die. But Oren would rather not risk Sophia¡¯s life if he doesn¡¯t have to. Meanwhile, his latest accusations cause a twitch to develop in Elric¡¯s eye.


    ¡°You¡­ where do you get off, huh? What makes you think I¡¯m not a true believer?! I am a Lieutenant! I¡¯ve more than proven myself to the God Hunters!¡±


    ¡°She would already be dead.¡±


    Silence falls at Oren¡¯s blunt words. Elric freezes up, even as Oren stares him down.


    ¡°You have her in your grasp Elric Steelwater. You have a goddess at your mercy. And you¡¯re not killing her¡­ because you know that if you do, I will kill you. The moment she dies, you die as well. A true believer would have already made the call. A mortal¡¯s life for a deity¡¯s? It¡¯s an easy trade. But not you. Because you want to live.¡±


    He can tell he¡¯s rattling the other man something fierce. He can also see hope budding in Sophia¡¯s eyes as he explains things. Oren is right, after all. If Elric were half the zealot some of his men had proven to be when they¡¯d fruitlessly charged right into Oren¡¯s blade, than he would have killed Sophia instantly when he had the chance and died with a smile on his face a moment later.


    Instead, Elric was holding his supposed quarry hostage to try and force Oren¡¯s surrender. It didn¡¯t make sense unless one factored in his sense of self-preservation.


    ¡°You¡­ you think you¡¯re clever, don¡¯t you? Heh. Maybe you¡¯re right. Maybe I am more interested in surviving than I am in killing this stupid bitch.¡±


    Sophia stiffens in outrage while Oren winces. Still, it sounded like they were getting somewhere here¡­


    ¡°But that¡¯s precisely why I can¡¯t let either of you go. Orders from on high, you see. You¡¯re wanted alive. For questioning presumably. If I let you leave, I¡¯m signing my own execution order anyways.¡±


    ¡­ Orders from on high? What? Was that how they¡¯d been caught? Because someone else knew they were here and sent the local God Hunters after them? But how had they been found out?


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re going to drop the sword and look for some shackles on the bodies around you. You¡¯re going to put them on your wrists and ankles and we¡¯re going to walk nice and slowly to the Mayor¡¯s House, where I have a very comfortable, extremely lovely cage waiting for the two of you. Do as I say, and I don¡¯t have to lop off some of this bitch¡¯s fingers.¡±


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    In the end, as confused as Oren was¡­ it didn¡¯t really change what he had to do next, did it? Now he knew Elric would never kill Sophia. Hurt her? Maybe. But kill her? No, that wasn¡¯t an option and not just because Oren would kill him afterwards. And that meant¡­


    ¡°Did you hear me? There¡¯s no way-urk!¡±


    He¡¯s been eyeing the angles this entire time just in case Elric proved to be obstinate and unreasonable. And now¡­ he strikes. His sword hanging loosely at his side wasn¡¯t by happenstance. Oren has been planning his aim, looking for the best way to get what he wants.


    Spinning through the air faster than Elric¡¯s eyes can track, Oren¡¯s sword launches from his grasp¡­ at the ground between them. Flipping end over end, the weapon¡¯s pommel strikes the hardpacked, blood soaked dirt road, causing the blade to bounce upwards at an angle. Flashing past Sophia, the point of the blade slices right into Elric Steelwater¡¯s armpit. Specifically the armpit of the arm holding a dagger to Sophia¡¯s throat. Specifically¡­ Oren was aiming for the radial nerve.


    As Elric chokes on his own spit from the pain, his hand spasms open and the dagger held within drops from his suddenly nerveless fingers. Oren moves forward as fast as he can, catching the dagger before it hits the ground and yanking Sophia away from Elric at the same time.


    ¡°Y-You-!¡±


    But Oren doesn¡¯t waste time listening to a dead man¡¯s words. He pulls his sword free of Elric¡¯s armpit¡­ and swings once, relieving the God Hunter of his head right there on the spot. Elric Steelwater¡¯s head bounces one way as his decapitated corpse flops another. Oren is already turning away from him though, looking to Sophia.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Swallowing thickly, Sophia nods, though her eyes track down to the dagger in his hand after a moment. He can see the naked fear there, and he quickly tucks the magical blade away out of sight. However, he can tell that she wars with herself for a moment over whether to ask him to throw it away entirely¡­ but in the end, wisdom wins out and she lets the matter rest. If they run into another Hill Giant or other aggressive type of divine being, the dagger could be invaluable after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine. T-Thank you. You saved my life¡­ again.¡±


    Oren moves to shake her head, to tell her this one definitely doesn¡¯t count because it was his own stupidity that led to her being in danger in the first place. He should have taken the possibility of there being Celestial Metal on Elric more seriously, especially when he knew the man was the highest ranking God Hunter in town.


    But before he can say a word, someone else cuts into the conversation.


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    Oren and Sophia both jolt. Admittedly, Oren had been aware of everyone watching, but he¡¯d gotten so laser-focused on killing Elric and saving Sophia that he hadn¡¯t realized just how much of Oakvale had begun to converge on this street. Looking around somewhat bewildered, he finds that he and the goddess are surrounded at this point, though most people are keeping their distance and look far too afraid of him to try anything.


    One of the townsfolk, the owner of the establishment where Oren and Sophia had slept the night before, stands a bit closer though. Specifically, the tavernkeeper stands at the top of the steps leading up to his establishment¡¯s porch. He looks at them both intensely, big burly arms crossed over his chest.


    ¡°Is it true? You two are gods?¡±


    Oren doesn¡¯t like the tone. Nor does he like the looks they¡¯re getting from the rest of the townsfolk. Unfortunately, Sophia doesn¡¯t pick up on the same cues he does. He chalks that up to shell shock more than anything. It¡¯s not her fault she¡¯s not at her best after what she just went through.


    ¡°It¡¯s half true. I am a Minor Goddess and he is my protector. You do not have to fear any longer, the God Hunters that have plagued your town are-!¡±


    ¡°I think you should both leave. Now.¡±


    Sophia stiffens as if slapped across the face. Oren saw it coming from a mile away though.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°You think that will be the end of it? When the God Hunters find out what happened here, they will want answers. And even that might not be enough. You may have just killed us all with your defiance. Go. Just¡­ go.¡±


    Finally, Sophia seems to understand that the general sentiment of the town they¡¯ve just ¡®freed¡¯ from the ¡®tyranny¡¯ of the God Hunters is not actually gratitude. There will be no dancing in the streets, no celebratory feasting in their honor. They aren¡¯t the heroes here. Instead, all they¡¯ve done is make a rather large mess.


    And for what? Oren had killed all of these men to try and keep knowledge of them suppressed, but now not only had Elric revealed that someone higher up the food chain knew about them, but these townsfolk would also sing like canaries the moment they had to if it seemed like it would save their lives and the lives of their loved ones.


    Oren obviously wasn¡¯t going to kill everyone here. And Sophia would never condone such an act either. Sharing a look, both of them see the same defeat in one another¡¯s eyes before finally, Sophia nods.


    ¡°O-Of course¡­ we¡¯ll go. Our sincerest apologies¡­¡±


    She begins to shift, turning to the left to take the road North, but before she can complete the motion, Oren stops her and pulls her to his side. He masks the move as a protective one, shooting a glare at the men and women around them and making them shy back at his fierce expression. But in reality, he¡¯s turning her to the right to take the road Southward instead.


    To her credit, Sophia doesn¡¯t question him, not when they¡¯re surrounded by so many unfriendly eyes. Carefully, they make their way out of town, followed all the while as if the population of Oakvale thinks they¡¯re going to double back and try to hide in one of their cellars or something. That¡¯s not the plan though.


    Only once they¡¯re far enough away from Oakvale does Sophia finally speak, her voice quiet but her tone urgent.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the right way. Are we no longer going to my refuge?¡±


    Keeping his head forward but his senses on high alert, Oren grunts.


    ¡°No, we are¡­ but those villagers will tell whoever comes after us exactly which direction we¡¯ve gone. We¡¯re going to have to improvise.¡±


    He expects her to ask him what that means, but her experience has clearly left her shaken, because Sophia ultimately falls quiet and doesn¡¯t say another word. Thirty minutes later though, Oren stops.


    ¡°¡­ This will have to do. Hop on.¡±


    He turns and drops to one knee, putting his hands behind him and leaning forward to offer up his back. Sophia chokes on her own spit.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    But Oren has made up his mind. If they continue as they have been, they¡¯ll eventually be caught. They need to do something unexpected. They need to flip the script.


    ¡°Climb onto my back. They¡¯ll be looking for two sets of tracks. I won¡¯t give them any.¡±


    Sophia hesitates for a moment longer before doing as she¡¯s told. Carrying both her and their supplies isn¡¯t what Oren would call easy, but only because he only has so many arms and its all a bit unwieldy. Still, with her wrapping her limbs around him from behind, Oren is able to slowly straighten up¡­ and take a running leap off of the road and into the woods.


    When he lands, he does so with all his weight on his big toe, carving a little divot out of the boulder he¡¯d been aiming for. Then, he leaps again. And again. And again.


    They¡¯ll be looking for normal tracks, so Oren endeavors to be anything but normal as he flings them through the woods. There are still minute signs of their passage here and there, but he keeps it as imperceptible as possible.


    Eventually, they arrive at the Northern Road out of Oakvale. Sophia begins to squirm, expecting him to set her down¡­ but Oren holds her in place.


    ¡°No. Now¡­ now I run.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°We need to get to your refuge sooner rather than later so that your wards can hopefully hide us from the God Hunters long enough for you to regain some divine power. So I¡¯m going to run us the rest of the way there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Ridiculous? Crazy? Insane? Oren grins a little bit as Sophia falls silent rather than disparage him so bluntly. Chuckling, he settles himself in, looking down the open road before him. Traversing the woods at any sort of speed, especially with so much protruding from him, was difficult. But the open road? That was another story.


    Oren takes off like a shot, causing Sophia to squeak and cling to him all the harder as she buries her face in his back to save herself from the wind. He, meanwhile, starts running and keeps running, sprinting down the dirt road in the direction of safety and security.


    Hopefully this refuge was everything Sophia had talked it up to be¡­

 Chapter 14: Refuge

    Two days. Oren runs with her on his back for two days straight barring the call of nature. He even has her feed and water him while moving, simply slowing down to a jog so the food and waterskin don¡¯t go everywhere in the process. It¡¯s an impressive feat no matter how you shake it, and it really just goes to show the power of an Otherworlder. Sure, they¡¯re one man armies and capable of slaughtering fifty opponents without breaking a sweat, but this¡­ this kind of stamina was what truly set them apart from mortals native to Creation.


    It wasn¡¯t just that Oren had run for two days straight either. That was impressive enough in its own right, but he hadn¡¯t stopped there. Not only had he run for two days straight¡­ he¡¯d also ran fast enough to get them to their ultimate destination in two days as well. What Sophia had assumed would take another four days at the very least, had instead been cut down massively by Oren¡¯s dogged determination to reach their goal.


    Fortunately, the rock was still there where Sophia remembered it, because the road North of Oakvale actually stretched far further than it had when she¡¯d last been on the mortal plane. Which to be fair, might have been a few dozen years ago, here or there?


    Regardless, the large boulder was no longer a half hour past the end of the road, but rather right alongside it. They¡¯d almost missed it initially, but fortunately Sophia had recognized the great big rock for what it was and let Oren know they needed to turn around before they got too much further.


    From the rock, Oren had finally let her off of his back and Sophia hadn¡¯t failed to notice the slight tremor in his legs as he¡¯d straightened up to his full height for the first time in forty-eight hours. Nothing else she¡¯d seen him do since they met had taken much out of the Otherworlder. He hadn¡¯t broken a sweat against God Hunters, or running from Amberwell, or even fighting the Hill Giant. But this¡­ this had clearly winded him.


    Still, it was going to be worth it. By pushing himself this hard, Oren had given them two more days than they would have had otherwise. There was every possibility that the news of the massacre in Oakvale hadn¡¯t even reached God Hunter ears yet. If they were particularly lucky, then they would have all the time in the world they both needed to rest and recuperate. Oren could get some sleep and Sophia could finally begin refilling her divine power without fearing discovery or attack in the middle of the process.


    Everything was going to be okay¡­ and that only becomes more solidified in Sophia¡¯s mind when she sees it after they walk together for a while.


    ¡°There! Oren, it¡¯s there just up ahead. I can feel my own divinity calling to me!¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    She only manages to take half a step before Oren grabs her by the arm and stops her in her tracks. Looking back, Sophia furrows her brow in confusion.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t sense or hear anything in that direction. There¡¯s just this big¡­ void up ahead.¡±


    Sophia blinks and then laughs.


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s the refuge, silly. I said it before, it¡¯s covered in divine wards. I suppose to someone like you, it¡¯s not working as effectively as it should because of your special circumstances¡­ but you don¡¯t need to worry. The divine wards turn away all mortal interest. Even if someone did stumble across the refuge while out here in the woods for whatever reason, they would find themselves distracted and going in another direction without even realizing it shortly.¡±


    It was an excellent ward in Sophia¡¯s humble opinion. The type of ward that didn¡¯t hurt anyone and merely¡­ turned away the unwanted and uninvited. That was the best kind of ward as far as the goddess was concerned.


    ¡°¡­ Right. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    This time it¡¯s Oren who tries to take a step forward¡­ only for his legs to finally buckle, giving out on him. Sophia¡¯s eyes widen as she finds herself lurching forward to keep him from hitting the ground, only to almost collapse herself from his weight. Luckily, the Otherworlder is able to recover quickly, only needing partial support from her as he finds his footing again.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡­¡±


    Sophia just shakes her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. You¡¯ve done so much for me Oren. Now let me do this for you. Come on. Safety and security are just a couple hundred feet away. They won¡¯t be able to get to us once we¡¯re within my wards.¡±


    Oren nods and together they all but shamble the rest of the way to the refuge. He really has exhausted himself pulling off this latest stunt, but it was for a good cause. They¡¯d finally made it. The smile on Sophia¡¯s face as she pulls Oren through the wards covering the entrance to her refuge grows wider and wider. The cave entrance quickly gives way to a set of stairs that lead down deeper into the earth and together, they stumble down them.


    Honestly, she can¡¯t wait to show him everything. There wouldn¡¯t even be dust either, because the hideaway has some self-cleaning enchantments too! The very first thing Sophia was going to do was-!


    They both stop dead in their tracks at the bottom of the staircase, Sophia¡¯s thoughts fizzling in her head as her eyes widen at the sight waiting for them.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Oren¡¯s reaction is as succinct as it is appropriate given the state of her refuge. The whole place looks like it¡¯s been through a damn hurricane, despite being fully underground! Her table and chairs are knocked over, her drawers have all been pulled out haphazardly, and her things are strewn all across the floor.


    Pulling away from her, Oren draws his sword and sets his stance, even though he can barely walk.


    ¡°Thought you said nobody could get in here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ t-they shouldn¡¯t have been able to. And if someone had gotten inside, I should have been alerted. The wards are all still intact too.¡±


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    Before Oren can answer¡­ a third voice cuts through the stagnant cave air, causing Sophia¡¯s eyes to widen even further and a shiver of fear to run down her back.


    ¡°You should never be too reliant on wards. Honestly, you shouldn¡¯t be too reliant on anything or anyone you don¡¯t have full control over. Never know when it or they might¡­ fail you.¡±


    There, up on a shadowed ledge close to the cave ceiling¡­ Sophia can just barely make out the outline of a person. Oren immediately moves to stand in front of her¡­ and he even manages to make it look easy too, like he¡¯s moving without stressing already strained muscles. Pointing his sword up towards the third party, he grunts.


    ¡°Who are you? How did you get in here and what do you want from us?¡±


    There¡¯s a brief pause before the shadowed figure speaks again.


    ¡°Mm¡­ always so blunt, Oren. So impatient. Never any time to just¡­ talk with you, is there?¡±


    What? Did this man know Oren? Sophia can see Oren faltering in confusion as well¡­ something that the shadowy figure pounces on.


    ¡°You know, I really thought it would take you two longer to get here. After you were both so kind to give me directions the other night at the tavern, I did everything I could to slow you down. Tell me, how are dear Lieutenant Elric and his God Hunters faring these days?¡±


    That was him! And¡­ he must have somehow been spying on them when they¡¯d discussed things their first night in Oakvale before bed. He¡¯d overheard them and then sicked Elric and the other God Hunters on them. But how hadn¡¯t Oren detected his presence? Just who was this man?!


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    Oren¡¯s succinct, one word answer provokes neither anger nor grief. Instead, the shadowy figure lets out a bark of laughter.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s not surprising. You are such a very good killer, Oren.¡±


    The Otherworlder flinches and Sophia finds herself finally speaking up, if only to come to his defense.


    ¡°They left him no choice! They were going to keep coming after us no matter what!¡±


    And yet, while Sophia does believe that¡­ she also can hear how weak her excuses sound, even to her own ears. They¡¯d justified killing the God Hunters instead of just running because they knew that unlike those thugs in Amberwell, these ¡®thugs¡¯ were far more likely to chase them to the ends of the earth, on top of reporting them to their superiors.


    But then they¡¯d had to leave behind witnesses in the form of the entire population of Oakvale anyways. And even worse, now they were finding out that the superior Elric had spoken of¡­ was two steps ahead of them all along, waiting for them to get here. What was all that slaughter for, in the end? Oren had been forced to kill all those men¡­ for nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. And yet, judging by the speed with which you arrived, they barely equated to more than a bump in the road, didn¡¯t they? Ugh. How infuriating. First, your directions were outdated and it took me half of a day to realize it and locate that stupid fucking boulder. Then, it took me another half a day to slip past those pesky wards you¡¯ve put on this place. Seriously, most deities would have just slapped on half a dozen or so and called it done. But not you¡­ no, you decided you were going to pack this place with over FIFTY.¡±


    Sophia blushes at the sudden rant thrown her way. Of course she hadn¡¯t stopped at just the basics. Even if she¡¯d never gotten a chance to use this place, it was supposed to be her home away from home. In reality, she¡¯d made this in a fit of youthful rebellion, intending to come live on the mortal plane because she was upset about some forgotten slight that someone had dealt her up in the Heavens.


    By the time she¡¯d finished the refuge, cooler heads had prevailed and Wisdom had reasserted itself, making Sophia realize just how foolish she¡¯d been. But of course, she¡¯d kept the refuge anyways just in case¡­


    Before she can formulate a response to the shadowy figure¡¯s diatribe¡­ he suddenly moves. Leaping down from the ledge, he lands a dozen paces away from them both. Covered from head to toe in black, the man chuckles.


    ¡°And you, Oren. Pushing yourself so hard to get you both to safety only to find it was all a lie. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised I suppose. You were always¡­ driven when you wanted to be.¡±


    ¡°Who. Are. You?¡±


    Oren is gritting his teeth at this point, his sword still pointed at the figure. In response, the other man just chuckles.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I suppose you wouldn¡¯t recognize my voice. What if I talked a little more like this. ¡®You¡¯ve come such a long way, Oren¡¯.¡±


    Oren freezes in place. The shadowy figure has completely changed his voice on them and it sounds like Oren recognizes him from somewhere now.


    ¡°¡¯You¡¯re the Hero, Oren. Your potential is limitless. You just have to believe in yourself more¡¯.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Finally, the man reaches up and pulls back his cloak, dragging down his mask to reveal his face.


    ¡°¡¯I see you¡¯re finally starting to believe¡­ Oren¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Raythe.¡±


    Sophia doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. Oren sounds like he¡¯s seen a ghost. She doesn¡¯t recognize the man of course, but then she wouldn¡¯t¡­ not if he was from Oren¡¯s past. Wait, was this man connected to the people who summoned Oren to this world in the first place? And they already knew he was connected to the God Hunters too. So in the end¡­ it was they who¡¯d summoned Oren here after all.


    ¡°You! You brought Oren to this universe. You and the God Hunters! Why? Were you hoping he would kill Gods here on the Mortal Plane for you? What do you know about the God Killer? Did you lot summon him too?!¡±


    Silence falls in the face of Sophia¡¯s frenzied questions. ¡®Raythe¡¯ looks past Oren and stares at her for a long moment before a slow, wide grin spreads across his face. Oren, meanwhile, looks frozen stiff. He¡¯s facing away from her so Sophia can¡¯t see his face, but she sees something she¡¯s never seen before etched into every inch of his posture anyways. Terror.


    ¡°Oh? Comparing me to those worthless scum¡­ what a lark. The God Hunters are nothing but pawns for those like me and my master. Still, I¡¯ll let it slide in favor of everything else you said. Because this¡­ this is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Raythe.¡±


    Oren¡¯s voice sounds almost pleading, which causes Raythe¡¯s grin to widen even further.


    ¡°What was it you said? Yes, we did indeed summon Oren to this universe. But you wanted to know about somebody else, didn¡¯t you? The God Killer.¡±


    Sophia tenses up. Is this ¡®Raythe¡¯ really just going to tell her what she wants to know?


    ¡°I usually prefer to tell lies over the truth, admittedly. But sometimes even someone like me can admit¡­ that the truth is worse than even the darkest, most cutting lie.¡±


    ¡°Raythe. Not another word.¡±


    This time, Oren¡¯s tone sounds angry. And threatening. Sophia blinks at the Otherworlder¡¯s back. What is this? What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°What if I were to tell you that the God Killer is closer than you think, Goddess?¡±


    What? Was he saying HE was the God Killer? Sophia didn¡¯t understand.


    Raythe¡¯s grin grows and he lets out a dark chuckle.


    ¡°In fact. What if I were to tell you that Oren and the God Killer-!¡±


    Suddenly, Oren bursts forward with strength he doesn¡¯t have and slams his sword into Raythe¡¯s chest. Sophia gasps at the abrupt violence, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Only¡­ just when she¡¯s expecting the man to drop to the ground dead, Raythe seems to recover from what should have been a fatal blow. He reaches up, wraps one hand around the hilt of Oren¡¯s sword¡­ and backhands him away with the other.


    As the Otherworlder falls to the ground at his feet, Raythe holds up the handle of his weapon to reveal the blade no longer exists. Almost like it met an immovable object and disintegrated in the face of it. Almost¡­ almost like the mortal blade came into contact with true divinity and shattered into a million fragments.


    Raythe was a god. The one who summoned Oren to this world¡­ was a god. That god¡¯s grin stretches from ear to ear now as he pays Oren no mind and stares Sophia down, finishing his sentence like there was no interruption.


    ¡°-are one and the same.¡±


    ¡­ What? It takes a second for Sophia to parse his meaning. But even once she does, she¡¯s still bewildered. He¡¯s saying that Oren and the God Killer are one and the same. That¡­ that can¡¯t be. The God Killer was a monster who slew the Heavens. Oren had saved her. He¡¯d helped her. He¡­ he was looking at her now from the ground with guilt on his face.


    The Otherworlder doesn¡¯t even try to deny it. No¡­ the God Killer doesn¡¯t try to deny it. Because it¡¯s true. Oren is the God Killer. Oren is the one who killed her father and everyone she¡¯d ever known or loved.

 Chapter 15: The "Demon King"

    ¡°Ready to save the world, Oren?¡±


    Oren grunts, mostly because Raythe punctuates his question by helpfully yanking another strap on Oren¡¯s armor nice and tight for him. Giving his only friend a look and a snort, he shakes his head.


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be, I suppose.¡±


    Raythe hums at that, even as he checks Oren¡¯s armor over, making sure everything is fitted properly. Admittedly, it feels strange to be wearing the armor and wielding the weapon after all this time. They¡¯d told him he would have special armaments for when the time came, and Oren had even gotten a chance to meet with the blacksmith who had crafted these. A monstrous prisoner captured from among the Demon King¡¯s armies, the demonic blacksmith had been muzzled and chained down to prevent his escape. But Oren couldn¡¯t deny that the bastard did good work.


    His armor shimmers and glows in a way normal armor doesn¡¯t, and his sword¡­ his sword is truly a thing of beauty, shining brightly like no mundane sword could. These are the tools Oren is going to use to destroy the Demon King once and for all. If he didn¡¯t fuck it up, that is.


    ¡°Hey. You¡¯ve got this. You know that, right? You aren¡¯t going to fail or falter. I know you Oren¡­ you don¡¯t stop until the job is done.¡±


    His best friend¡¯s words are a balm on Oren¡¯s weary soul. After years of training here with only Raythe for company, he can¡¯t deny being a little tired of it all. Sometimes he even found himself wondering what the point was. But this was it. This was the point. Finally, at long last¡­ they thought him ready.


    ¡°You¡¯ve beaten me in every spar we¡¯ve had in the last three months Oren. You¡¯ve gotten stronger and stronger. The limitless potential of the Hero sings in your blood and flows through your veins. And with this armor and that sword¡­ you will truly be unstoppable. They won¡¯t know what hit them. The Demon King, his Generals, his soldiers¡­ every last one of them will die by your blade.¡±


    Oren straightens up, feeling bolstered by Raythe¡¯s confidence. He sounds so sure of himself¡­ so how can Oren do anything less than prove his friend right?


    ¡°I just wish I could go with you. I wish I could fight by your side.¡±


    Immediately, Oren shoots a worried look Raythe¡¯s way, hearing the wistful longing in the other man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t do that, Raythe. The environment would kill you in minutes. You told me yourself that what we feel on the surface up above is a hundred times worse in the Demon King¡¯s Castle.¡±


    Sighing, Raythe hangs his head and nods.


    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just¡­ someone should have your back. I know you¡¯re the Hero and everything Oren, but it pains me that you have to go through this alone.¡±


    What¡¯s left unsaid is that Raythe might have been able to come if they¡¯d had enough time for the Demon Blacksmith to create another set of armaments as beautiful as Oren¡¯s current gear. Unfortunately, things were getting worse up top. Based on the most recent reports, their window to save the world from the Demon King¡¯s madness was rapidly closing. Any longer and there wouldn¡¯t be a world to save.


    Reaching out, Oren takes his friend by the shoulders with both hands. It seems its his turn to reassure Raythe.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I can do this, just like you said. I¡¯ll go to the Demon King¡¯s Castle and I¡¯ll kill anything and anyone who gets in my way. I¡¯ll take down the Demon King. I¡¯ll save everyone. You¡¯ll see. Now¡­ give me my helmet.¡±


    Raythe hesitates for a moment longer before his face firms up in determination. He hands Oren his helmet and Oren puts it on, fastening the plate helm in place as Raythe turns and begins leading him through the underground hallways. Eventually, they arrive at another room where multiple robed figures wait for them to perform a ritual that will open a back door right into the Demon King¡¯s Castle.


    Turning to face him as the ritualists begin chanting upon their arrival, Raythe looks Oren in the eye despite the helm.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go in, you¡¯ll kill the Demon King and anyone who might replace him, and you¡¯ll come back. No more, no less. Understood?¡±


    Smiling softly, Oren nods.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this Raythe. I promise.¡±


    The chanting reaches a crescendo and suddenly the air rips open, a rent in space torn apart and forming a nice big hole for Oren to step through.


    ¡°I¡¯m holding you to that promise, Oren. Do it exactly as I said. Don¡¯t make a liar of me now, my friend.¡±


    Giving Raythe one last nod and wave, Oren draws his Holy Sword from its sheath and stomps forward into the portal.


    Immediately upon arriving on the other side, he feels the pressure. It¡¯s like the air itself has become weighted and difficult to breathe¡­ but Oren doesn¡¯t struggle. He notices the change of course and detects the harsh conditions, but he¡¯s able to push through it rather easily. That¡¯s a combination of his status as a Hero and the magical armor he¡¯s wearing, of course.


    Still¡­ what he finds on the other side of the portal is awful. He¡¯s in a castle entrance hall and¡­ there¡¯s blood everywhere. Chains and hooks dangle from the ceiling dripping viscera. The color palette seems to be red and black and not much else. It would be rather edgy if it weren¡¯t for all of the horror movie elements everywhere Oren looked.


    He was in the right place. This right here¡­ this was the heart of the Demon King¡¯s domain.


    ¡°Wha- intruder! Who are you?! How did you get here?!¡±


    And there were his first opponents. Oren can¡¯t help but grin savagely beneath his helmet as he turns to face the group of demons that has come across him. Their armor is impressively spikey and they all have red skin with horns and yellow eyes. They snarl at him, drawing dark blades and rushing towards him when they see him standing there with his own blade drawn.


    Oren sets his stance and readies himself to meet their charge, but even as they approach¡­ they¡¯re just so slow. Even as they swing, he can dodge with ease. And when he brings his own sword up and hews through the first demon¡¯s neck¡­ they can¡¯t react in time. Everything goes still for a moment as his first kill¡¯s head falls to the ground, bouncing for a few moments before rolling to a stop against a nearby black pillar.


    And then the remaining demons all roar in fury and outrage, attacking him all the harder. Not that it helps very much. Oren laughs as their blades bounce off of his armor and his own sword cuts into their flesh, killing them one by one. This¡­ this was why he was here. To finally slay the evil of this world. To finally free the innocents still living on this forsaken planet from the Demon King¡¯s tyranny. Suffer not the demon to live, right?


    Grinning fiercely behind his helm, Oren doesn¡¯t stop moving. Step after step is paid for with another demon¡¯s life as he steadily makes his way down the entrance hall. More demons arrive, but it doesn¡¯t matter how many soldiers they bring. Oren cannot be overwhelmed with mere numbers. Not anymore.


    -x-X-x-


    The passage of time gets away from him a little bit, admittedly. Oren isn¡¯t sure how long it¡¯s been since he entered the Demon King¡¯s Castle. Minutes? Hours? Days? He hasn¡¯t bothered keeping track of how many demons he¡¯s killed either. He just knows he has to kill all of the biggest, most important ones so that¡¯s what he¡¯s done. Methodically treating this like an RPG level, he¡¯s gone back and forth, hunting through every room, searching for every enemy.


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    Most of the time, they came to him to be fair. It wasn¡¯t so much like a video game that they were ¡®static¡¯ or anything like this. No, these were living, thinking beings¡­ they were just also all hell spawn and deserved nothing but his blade. Again and again, Oren had killed. Again and again, the demons had flung themselves at him as if they could stop him.


    He hadn¡¯t seen one for a while now though. In fact, Oren was starting to wonder if there were any left besides the Demon King. He would-


    Oren blinks as he turns a corner and something runs into his chestplate. Or rather, someone. Slowly, he looks down with a furrowed brow at the demon who just bounced off of him and landed on her ass. Red skin, yellow eyes, horns atop her head. And yet¡­ she sits there trembling in terror rather than attacking him. She¡¯s not even armed. Is that¡­ a dress?


    Snorting derisively, Oren considers swinging his blade out anyways for a second¡­ before ultimately deciding against it. The fear in her eyes feels unnatural. She¡¯s likely putting on an act and will attack him from behind, giving him reason to kill her after all. But despite every instinct telling him to just slay her before moving on¡­ he shakes his head and steps past her.


    Tense, he waits for a backstab that never comes. The demon girl doesn¡¯t even get up off of the ground from what his enhanced ears pick up. She just sits there trembling while Oren stomps his way forward, turning another corner.


    Before long, he puts the demon girl out of his mind entirely. Not because he finds more demons to kill, but because he finally finds the grand prize. A pair of massive black metal double doors that just SCREAM ¡®entrance to the Demon King¡¯s throne room¡¯ to his senses. Grinning, the Hero steps forward and with a roar, kicks out with all his might.


    The black metal doors crumple and bang open to either side, slamming into the walls and staying there as Oren stomps into the throne room. And it¡¯s definitely the throne room. There¡¯s even more blood and bodies dangling from hooks in here. And on other side of the circular room is a throne covered in spikes and skulls.


    The Demon King himself is also there, though he¡¯s not seated on his throne. Instead, the hulking red monstrosity is standing tall, wearing the most ridiculous armor that Oren has seen yet. He also carries a massive sword in his hands, one big enough to act as a shield with how wide and long it is.


    Eyes narrowing, the Demon King snarls at him.


    ¡°You then, are the one who has invaded my domain. Hero. You know not what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    He¡¯s not surprised that the Demon King recognizes him for what he is. Only the Hero could have gotten this far. Oren scoffs and steps forward, raising his shining blade.


    ¡°I know exactly what I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ve slain your subordinates to the last. I¡¯ve drowned these horrific halls in the blood of demons for once instead of men. And now that I¡¯m done with all of them, I¡¯ve come for your head as well, Demon King. This ends today. Your tyranny comes to a close at long last. With your death, those left alive will have a chance to rebuild and make something new from the ashes.¡±


    The Demon King stands there for a long moment, staring at Oren. Finally, he sighs.


    ¡°You are a fool, Hero. A blight on an otherwise perfect universe. Those who have summoned you¡­ it is clear I was far too lenient with them. Once we are done here, I will rectify my error once and for all.¡±


    Oren narrows his eyes, Raythe¡¯s smiling features flickering through his mind.


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    Lifting his massive blade, the Demon King just grunts.


    ¡°That¡­ is the plan.¡±


    One might think from looking at him that the Demon King was more about strength than speed. They would be dead wrong. He is upon Oren in an instant, swinging that slab of metal he wields faster than should have been possible. He is stronger and faster than every demon Oren has faced today combined. He is simply more powerful than them in every way.


    ¡­ But he is not more powerful than Oren. Trusting in the weapon that¡¯s brought him this far, Oren raises his holy sword and blocks the Demon King¡¯s strike. It takes everything he has¡­ but he doesn¡¯t give an inch. He can see the surprise in the Demon King¡¯s eyes. The shock at Oren being able to match him. Grinning savagely, Oren takes a step forward and pushes with all his might, forcing the Demon King to disengage to avoid being forced into a stumble backwards.


    From there, the battle begins in earnest. They trade blows back and forth across the chamber, with Oren roaring his defiance, even as the Demon King wordlessly matches him blow for blow. It¡¯s easily the toughest battle that Oren has had since being summoned to this world. In fact, he would say at first the Demon King has a distinct edge on him in some ways.


    ¡­ But that¡¯s the beauty of being the Hero. Oren¡¯s potential is limitless. The more he¡¯s faced with adversity, the more he¡¯s challenged, the better he gets. Slowly but surely, he starts to overtake the Demon King. Sweat coats his brow and drips down his face under the helm, but Oren does not falter.


    The battle takes its toll on both of them all the same. In spite of Oren¡¯s armor and weapon, he does take some blows that leave him tasting blood. Not all of the liquid trickling down from his brow is sweat either. Some of it is more than likely blood. But he doesn¡¯t give up. He doesn¡¯t give in. Raythe is counting on him. This world is counting on him.


    Finally, with one last shout, Oren does it. He shatters his opponent¡¯s armor and buries his blade in the Demon King¡¯s heart in one fell swoop.


    They go down together, the Demon King on his back and Oren kneeling over him, pinning him to the floor of his throne room with his sword. The Demon King¡¯s own blade has fallen to the side, discarded and forgotten. Choking on his own blood, the Demon King grabs Oren¡¯s wrists, gripping them so tightly he cannot pull away.


    ¡°F-Foolish¡­ Otherworlder¡­ I will show you¡­ what you have done.¡±


    Oren¡¯s brow furrows in confusion because¡­ that is not the Demon King¡¯s voice. Originally the Demon King¡¯s voice was deep, dark, and monstrous, with a guttural inhuman quality to it. Now his words do not match his face. His tone is rich and sophisticated, and his voice is that of a man, not a demon.


    Then¡­ there¡¯s a pulse. It emanates from the Demon King and pulses through the throne room. Oren couldn¡¯t even dodge if he wanted to. As the pulse hits him, it¡¯s like the world itself is peeling away. Like an old wallpaper coming off and showing what was hidden underneath. Oren blinks rapidly, even as his view of things changes dramatically. He wrenches himself free of the Demon King¡¯s grasp and rises to his feet, staring uncomprehendingly as the world shifts around him.


    The throne room remains, but the difference is night and day. Gone are the chains and hooks and bodies. Gone are the black pillars and the spiked throne made of skulls. In their place¡­ is a glorious, gorgeous room of shimmering white marble and golden filigree. The walls are covered in stained glass that looks more beautiful than anything Oren remembers from Earth, depicting artwork that he can¡¯t even begin to comprehend.


    No matter where he looks, the story is the same¡­ even when he looks back to the Demon King. Gone is the red-skinned monster wearing black armor with skulls for pauldrons and kneepads. In his place is a gleaming golden warrior, divine blood leaking out of the side of his mouth as he stares up at Oren with glowing eyes.


    ¡°An¡­ illusion, Otherworlder¡­ one that you¡­ labored under for quite some time. Even my true words¡­ could not reach you¡­ until the very end.¡±


    No¡­ no this couldn¡¯t be happening. Oren stumbles forward, collapsing to his knees at the side of what he now knew to be a god. It was like the knowledge was etching itself into his mind the longer he gazed upon the divine being. This was a god¡­ and not just any god either. This was Law, King of the Gods, God of Righteousness and Justice, High Lord of the Heavens.


    And he¡¯d killed him. Oren rips his helmet off and leans forward, tears streaming down his cheeks as he finds himself hovering his hands over the blade buried in Law¡¯s chest. Should he remove it? Or would that just kill the god all the quicker?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know! What can I do? Please, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Law chuckles and even though its his final moments, the god¡¯s voice reverberates through the Heavenly Throne Room.


    ¡°God Killer¡­ though you might be¡­ you were just their pawn, Otherworlder. There is nothing¡­ to be done for me now. You ask what you can do? Your weapon¡­ your armor¡­ they are as much a blight on Creation as you. Such armaments¡­ were never meant to be.¡±


    Oren doesn¡¯t understand, but then again maybe he does. Even in their duel, it felt like his armaments were just plain better than Law¡¯s. Indeed, while he¡¯s certainly bled from their exchange, his weapon and armor are blemish free, while Law¡¯s sword is covered in knicks and scratches and his armor¡­ well, his armor is shattered.


    ¡°Take thy blade¡­ take thy armor¡­ and flee this place, Otherworlder. Hide them away¡­ so that your masters may not have them. And then¡­ God Killer¡­ you must¡­¡±


    But whatever Law was going to say next, it never comes. Those are the King of the Gods¡¯ final words before he expires, the light of life leaving his eyes as he slumps back on the floor of his throne room, dead.


    Oren stares for a moment¡­ before hearing footsteps in the distance. Knowing what he knows now, he can only assume that they¡¯ve entered the Heavens through the portal after him, sure of his success. They¡¯re coming now¡­ which means he has to flee.


    Picking up his helmet, drawing the blade slick with Law¡¯s blood from the dead god¡¯s chest. For a long moment, Oren stares down at the corpse. He¡¯d thought he would be happy when he finally stood over the defeated Demon King. He¡¯d thought he would revel in his victory. He¡¯s imagined the moment a thousand times.


    No joy comes to him now though. There will be no reveling, at least not from Oren. All he feels is sick to his stomach as he flees Law¡¯s Throne Room, as he flees the Heavens¡­ as he just flees.


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way.

 Chapter 16: The Truth

    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way. Raythe¡¯s words linger in the air as Oren kneels at the other man¡¯s feet. No, not man¡­ because Raythe is a god. Raythe has always been a god.


    Suddenly, so much makes sense. But at the same time, so little. Questions Oren didn¡¯t even realize he had swirling around in his mind in the first place have been answered, but even more questions have already arisen to take their place.


    He¡¯s aware of Sophia standing behind him. She now knows what he¡¯s done. She sees him for what he truly is. Oren never wanted her to know, but the cat¡¯s out of the bag now.


    ¡°My oh my. Trying to stick a blade in your best friend¡¯s heart just for telling the truth. For shame, Oren.¡±


    For all that his words are an admonishment, Raythe¡¯s tone is one of pure amusement and pleasure. He¡¯s enjoying this. He¡¯s enjoying it greatly.


    Gritting his teeth, Oren looks up at Raythe. If he hadn¡¯t run him and Sophia all the way here without sleep, if he was at full strength¡­ but no. Even now his chest burns from the over-exertion. It was like he¡¯d run a marathon at the speed of a sprint the whole way through. Oren had long since come to accept his superhuman physique, but it seemed even he still had limits for all that he was constantly told his potential was limitless.


    ¡°Why¡­ if you were a god all along¡­ then why use me?¡±


    Raythe blinks and then sneers down at him.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t be an idiot, Oren. You¡¯re asking why we summoned and trained up a disposable tool, rather than risk facing off against the God who had ruled all of Creation for countless eons? Flip it around. Why would we risk ourselves when we could just use you instead? The one thing Law feared above all else.¡±


    Oren¡¯s brow furrows in confusion, prompting Raythe to explain.


    ¡°Otherworlders. Do try to keep up, Oren! Law has long feared you Otherworlders. Your type were the only real threat to his rule because he couldn¡¯t control you. He couldn¡¯t keep you down like the rest of the universe. So of course he outlawed your summoning. You terrified him.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡±


    Sophia finally speaks up, breaking into the conversation in defense of her father.


    ¡°My father didn¡¯t fear the Otherworlders personally. He was too strong for that. He feared for Creation itself! He recognized the damage that Otherworlders could do if left unchecked. All of the Gods and Goddesses of the Heavens did!¡±


    Raythe¡¯s eyes shift away from Oren and over to Sophia. His lips pull back into a sneering grin as he shakes his head.


    ¡°So na?ve. So trusting. But then, I suppose you did run into the arms of the God Killer himself and beg him to protect you. The Heavens¡¯ blood on his hands, and you¡¯ve been cozying up to him for a while now. What WOULD your father think?¡±


    The Minor Goddess whimpers but is not completely cowed just yet. If anything, she sounds just as confused as Oren.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Why do all of this?! Why train the God Killer to slaughter the Heavens only to create the God Hunters down here on the Mortal Planes?! They¡¯re indiscriminately murdering all of you just as HE murdered my father and my kin!¡±


    Oren flinches at the sheer vitriol in Sophia¡¯s voice when she addresses him. He can¡¯t really be surprised though. She hates him now, just as he knew she would.


    ¡°All of us? You really are so very young and innocent, aren¡¯t you? The volume of things you don¡¯t know could fill an entire library, Sophia. Alas, I¡¯m not here to answer your questions. You¡¯re here to answer mine. Tell me what I want to know quickly and I might even make it quick. Lie or try to stonewall me and¡­¡±


    He¡¯s heard enough. Raythe isn¡¯t intending to let either of them walk out of this cave alive. Meanwhile, Oren¡­ Oren has one last trick up his sleeve.


    As the god reaches for his hair, perhaps intending to make an example of him or something, Oren surges upwards while pulling the Celestial Dagger he¡¯d taken off of Elric Steelwater from its hiding place. The shimmering metal flashes for a moment before he slashes the blade across Raythe¡¯s throat, sending a spray of divine blood all over the floor as the god¡¯s eyes widen and he falls back, clutching at his ruined neck.


    Oren stands over him, clutching the Celestial Dagger in his hand and grits his teeth.


    ¡°Funny. You never were very good with surprises, Raythe.¡±


    The light in the god¡¯s eyes fades a few moments later. Oren watches until Raythe goes completely still. Only then does he turn to Sophia¡­ who is staring at him with wide fearful eyes, her gaze flickering to the bloodied dagger in his grasp.


    Grimacing, Oren tosses the weapon away from himself, letting it clatter across the floor until it hits the wall.


    ¡°I would never. Sophia, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want you to find out this way.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want her to find out at all, to be fair. And yet she had all the same. She knew what he¡¯d done now. She knew what he was. There was no going back.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did you spare me that day in the Heavens? Why did you let me live and then go on to murder my father in cold blood?¡±


    Oren grimaces, excuses flitting through his head. For one, he was under an illusion that made everything look hellish and evil, including Sophia. But when she¡¯d just sat there staring up at him, Oren had been able to see the actual fear in her eyes past the demonic visage, as though the illusion was starting to fray away.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hurt you. You were no threat to me. Sophia, I-!¡±


    He doesn¡¯t even see the boot coming. His head turns with a sickening crack as he¡¯s struck across the jaw, cut off and sent careening to the floor. Pain radiates through his body, especially when that same boot slams into his side, hitting his kidney directly. An agonized cry spills forth from Oren¡¯s lips, even as he curls in on himself.


    ¡°Cute. Real fucking cute. I would say you two should just kiss already, but there¡¯s not much chance of that happening I¡¯m not at all sorry to say. Stay where you are, bitch.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Through the pain, Oren looks up to see Raythe looming over him, hale and hearty¡­ and holding the Celestial Dagger aloft, pointed in Sophia¡¯s direction. The Minor Goddess had taken an aborted step forward, only to freeze up on Raythe¡¯s order. The dagger¡­ it doesn¡¯t have any blood on it, Oren belatedly notices. And when he looks over to where Raythe¡¯s body should have been, there¡¯s nothing there.


    Another kick to the ribs has Oren groaning and focusing back on Raythe, who grins down at him with nothing but malicious, malevolent intent in his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m the God of Lies and Duplicity, you stupid fucking mortal. Did you really think you could pull one over on me?¡±


    Looking at the Celestial Dagger, Raythe snorts derisively.


    ¡°Still, this is a fine blade. Not what I¡¯m looking for, but quite impressive. Where did you pick this up, exactly?¡±


    Oren stays silent, obviously. Something that Raythe doesn¡¯t really appreciate, judging by the subsequent blow to the ribs. But this time Oren is ready. He wraps himself around Raythe¡¯s leg and yanks with all of his considerable might, trying to bring the god to the ground with him. Sure, Raythe is the one that¡¯s armed in this situation, but Oren isn¡¯t going to go down without a fight.


    Alas, it isn¡¯t meant to be. As if Raythe can detect exactly when Oren is going to try something, that foot turns out to not be real. Oren curls around nothing and leaves himself hopelessly exposed when Raythe stomps on his spine from the other side a moment later, causing Oren¡¯s back to arch and another pain-filled scream to echo through the cave.


    ¡°Idiot. What was that quippy little one liner you threw at me earlier? I was ¡®never very good with surprises¡¯? Don¡¯t you get it yet, Oren? I played you from the very beginning. You were MY pawn. MY tool. You fucking moron. Everything you are, you owe to ME!¡±


    Another kick sends Oren onto his back, his arms and legs splayed out. His vision is starting to blacken around the edges and he feels like he might just pass out if this continues on much longer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go to sleep on me now, Oren. You¡¯re going to want to answer my questions before you do, because for every minute you¡¯re unconscious, I¡¯ll take a finger off of your little girlfriend.¡±


    The threat to Sophia certainly wakes Oren up, but the knee on his chest and the blade pressed against his neck does an even better job of spiking some more adrenaline into his failing system. Eyes snapping wide open, Oren stares up into Raythe¡¯s face. His best friend in this whole damn universe snarls at him.


    ¡°Where did you get this fucking dagger?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Elric¡­ Steelwater¡­¡±


    Raythe furrows his brow for a moment before snorting derisively.


    ¡°That little ant had a blade like this? Well then he should be glad you killed him, because he would have been in very hot water when I got done here otherwise. Still, that¡¯s good. That¡¯s very good. For a moment there I was worried you¡¯d done something stupid Oren. You¡¯re so very good at making dumb decisions after all. Trusting the wrong people and all that.¡±


    Oren blinks, scowling as he tries to focus. What was Raythe even talking about? What was he so worried about.


    ¡°Now then. Next question. Where did you-urk!¡±


    At first, he¡¯s not sure what he¡¯s seeing is real. Raythe¡¯s eyes suddenly bulge out of his head as he¡¯s cut off mid-sentence. As well, blood starts to leak out of his mouth for a moment before the front of his throat begins to bulge outwards until an extremely small blade bursts out of his flesh.


    It takes Oren a second to see past Raythe to where Sophia is standing behind the God of Lies and Duplicity, burying something made of Celestial Metal in the back of the man¡¯s neck. The Celestial Dagger falls from nerveless fingers now that Raythe¡¯s spine has been severed and Oren barely reacts in time to catch it before it carves a furrow through his own throat with its incredibly sharp edge.


    Then, with what strength he has, Oren flips the Celestial Dagger around and stabs it upwards through Raythe¡¯s heart. The god dies choking on his own blood, even as Oren and Sophia work together to shove him to the side, each of them letting go of their weapon. Though in Sophia¡¯s case¡­ her ¡®weapon¡¯ is silverware. Literal silverware. It¡¯s a butterknife made of Celestial Metal of all things. And she just killed another god with it.


    -x-X-x-


    Sophia has never killed someone before. She¡¯s never so much as harmed another living being. Truth be told, the Minor Goddess has always been opposed to the concept of violence. She was a Goddess of Wisdom and Equity, but even past that¡­ she just didn¡¯t like fighting. And she certainly didn¡¯t like killing or hurting people.


    But when she saw Raythe looming over Oren like that¡­ it was almost like her body had moved of its own accord. The other god had thrown her things all over the ground while looking for whatever it was he¡¯d been searching for. And¡­ maybe it was a little over the top, maybe it was a little bit spoiled, but Sophia had brought a set of fine silverware from the Heavens when she¡¯d first set this place up all those centuries ago.


    The butterknife she¡¯d just used to help kill a god had never been used for anything else before now. It had lain forgotten in its drawer until Raythe had come around and tossed it and some forks and spoons onto the floor during his search. Sophia had picked it up, taken a few steps¡­ and stabbed Raythe in the nape of his neck with all of her might.


    She was just so angry¡­ so very, very angry. At Raythe. At Oren. At herself. The God of Lies had been right, after all. She¡¯d been an idiot for trusting Oren. Her grand scheme of convincing Oren to kill the God Killer for her sounded so STUPID now that she knew the truth. And¡­ an Otherworlder of Oren¡¯s power and strength? Of course he had to be the God Killer. Even Otherworlders didn¡¯t grow as fast as he would have had to if he were only summoned after her father¡¯s death.


    ¡°Sophia¡­¡±


    Blinking, Sophia looks over to see Oren on his knees next to Raythe¡¯s body, making sure the god is truly dead this time. Prudent, given what had already happened. But from the amount of blood pooling under him and the fact that the body isn¡¯t disappearing again, she would say they got the real deal this go around.


    Oren seems to agree, because he turns away from Raythe still on his knees, holding the Celestial Dagger. For a moment, her heart skips a beat. Has he changed his mind? Was he going to kill her after all?


    But no. Instead, Oren turns the dagger around and holds it out from himself, positioning the tip of the blade against his chest.


    ¡°I cannot make up for what I¡¯ve done to you. I cannot make up for killing your father or your kin. But we have a concept back on my world¡­ A life for a life. I know my life isn¡¯t worth all of the lives I stole from you but say the word and I will pay it all the same. It¡¯s what I should have offered you the first day we met back in those woods.¡±


    Sophia stares, eyes wide, as Oren asks her if she wants him to take his own life for her. And she knows he means it too, because she can feel the building power behind the gesture. Human sacrifice had been forbidden under her father a long time ago, but that didn¡¯t change the facts. A human sacrifice was just as good if not better than any other animal sacrifice one could offer.


    Oren is well and truly ready to give her his life in this moment. It seems she has what she wanted after all. Oren is offering to kill the God Killer for her.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. You should have offered it then.¡±


    Oren doesn¡¯t flinch, merely staring at her solemnly and waiting for her to give the word. The minor tremble in his arms is the only sign that he¡¯s still on his last legs from the trek here.


    ¡°But I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if I would have been wise enough to make the right choice back then.¡±


    A flicker of confusion appears in the Otherworlder¡¯s eyes, even as Sophia steps forward, looming over his kneeling form.


    ¡°This is not forgiveness. I¡¯m never going to forgive you for what you¡¯ve done, Oren. But it¡¯s like you said¡­ you owe me a life, not a death. Killing yourself here and now doesn¡¯t help me. It doesn¡¯t even begin to make up for everything you¡¯ve taken from me. No¡­ I refuse to let you die so easily. You will live and devote yourself to me. Completely and utterly. You will serve me until I have no further use for you. Understood?¡±


    Slowly, Oren lowers the blade from his chest and nods.


    ¡°¡­ Yes Goddess. I understand.¡±


    And then, not but a moment later, he keels over onto his side, passing out from his exhaustion and injuries. Sophia stares at him for a moment, the sight tugging at something in her heart that tells her to get him into a bed. But that tugging is nothing compared to the anger and hatred she feels towards the man she now knows to be the God Killer.


    She might have spared him, but only because she knows he¡¯s more useful to her alive. Especially now that she knows the God Killer was just a pawn¡­ and that it was gods like Raythe who sent him forth to do their bidding. Her eyes linger on the god¡¯s cooling corpse for a moment before she stalks away.


    Sophia wanted answers. And one way or another, she was going to get them.

 Chapter 17: New Normal

    By the time Sophia wakes up, Oren already has breakfast ready and on the table. It¡¯s funny, for all that they¡¯re living in a cave, it¡¯s probably the best experience that he¡¯s had since arriving in this world. Well, if one ignores the fact that his ¡®roommate¡¯ hates his guts and wants barely anything to do with him.


    But then, that¡¯s more than fair all things considered. He did kill everyone she knew and loved. Frankly, even the fact that she was able to tolerate him was a miracle¡­ no pun intended.


    It¡¯s been a week since Raythe¡¯s death and in that time, a lot has happened and not much at all has happened. For one, Oren has cleaned up the refuge and put everything back where it¡¯s meant to go under Sophia¡¯s careful supervision. He¡¯s also taken care of the God of Lies and Duplicity¡¯s remains and cleaned up the blood that Raythe left behind with his somewhat grisly demise.


    The butterknife made of Celestial Metal that Sophia stabbed through the back of Raythe¡¯s neck has been scrubbed clean and put with the rest of the celestial silverware she¡¯d brought down from the Heavens. Meanwhile, the Celestial Dagger has also been cleaned off and currently rests in a sheath at Sophia¡¯s side.


    It makes sense that she wouldn¡¯t want him to be armed in her presence after all he¡¯s done, and truth be told, Oren is more than happy to not have a sword at the moment either. If he spends the rest of his life as Sophia¡¯s manservant, never expected to commit violence again, he doesn¡¯t think he would really mind that. No more killing, just spending his days making up for the mistakes of his past.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. And not for lack of living conditions when it comes to Sophia¡¯s refuge. With the place no longer ransacked, the ethereal beauty and inhuman quality of the renovated cave truly starts to shine through. They don¡¯t even have to leave the refuge¡¯s protections for food or drink because there¡¯s an ever-flowing cornucopia of any sort of fruits, vegetables, and nuts one could ask for, and a self-refilling jug that can contain any liquid one can imagine.


    Those are just two of the magical items that Sophia has outfitted her refuge with as well. The place is chockful of divine magic and Oren could safely say he didn¡¯t ever really want to leave. And yet¡­ he knew it was coming eventually. And he wouldn¡¯t fight it either.


    As Sophia comes down from the refuge¡¯s only bed, she moves with grace over to the dining table, sitting down and picking at the meal he¡¯s done his best to prepare for her. After a moment, she gestures to his own plate and only then does Oren sit and partake as well.


    Their relationship has certainly changed. Sophia doesn¡¯t have it in her to torture or hurt him for what he¡¯s done to her. She¡¯s neither cruel nor capricious despite having every right to feel a certain way towards him. The most he¡¯s gotten from her for the past week is a cold shoulder, one that Oren has borne silently and without complaint.


    ¡°It just¡­ it just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Apparently, that cold shoulder was coming to a close. Blinking, Oren looks up from his breakfast to see Sophia frowning most severely, staring off into the distance for a moment before looking back at him.


    ¡°Why would the Gods of the Mortal Planes summon you to slaughter the Heavens, and then turn around and create the God Hunters to hunt down themselves? There¡¯s no denying that Raythe was a god¡­ only the Celestial Metal actually did anything to him. And his powers fit quite well with a so-called ¡®God of Lies and Duplicity¡¯.¡±


    Oren stays quiet, watching as Sophia works through her thoughts out loud.


    ¡°I was always taught that most Gods of the Mortal Planes were tied to physical places though. Forests, Oceans, Volcanos¡­ things like that. The entire reason they were on the Mortal Plane in the first place was because their divinity was tied to the land, not a concept. But that wasn¡¯t true of Raythe, was it?¡±


    It might be a rhetorical question¡­ but Oren takes a chance anyways, quietly answering.


    ¡°No Goddess, it doesn¡¯t seem so.¡±


    He holds his breath, but while Sophia scowls, she doesn¡¯t scowl at him. Leaning back in her chair, the Minor Goddess crosses her arms over her chest and frowns even harder.


    ¡°¡­ We need more information. I know what I want. I want vengeance. I want everyone involved in your summoning and the death of my family to die by your hand.¡±


    Oren inclines his head wordlessly. Yes, while he might be happy staying here in this refuge forever, he knew Sophia would not stand for it. The Goddess of Wisdom and Equity was full of rage and hurt and anger. She was eager to find out exactly who and what had turned him into the weapon he¡¯d become. Who had made him into the God Killer?


    Admittedly, part of Oren wondered what the answer to that question was as well. Their confrontation with Raythe had left him questioning everything. He¡¯d always thought that it was his fellow humans who had managed to summon him under Law¡¯s nose and train him for years before sending him off to do their bidding. Powerful humans with powerful magic to be sure¡­ but just humans.


    Only now did Oren know the truth. Humans in this universe didn¡¯t really have magic most of the time. Magic was purely the domain of the divine. There were some demigods who could maybe pass for humans and had played at being sorcerers here and there, but that was nothing. Not compared to the power needed to summon an Otherworlder and then ensnare him in an illusion that made him see the world as a hellish landscape and gods and goddesses as monsters and demons anyways. That, Oren had found out, was something only a deity could pull off.


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    Sophia takes a moment to take another bite of her breakfast, chewing slowly and swallowing before nodding decisively.


    ¡°I¡¯m back at full power at this point. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡±


    Oren hesitates, but in the end simply bows his head.


    ¡°As you say, Goddess.¡±


    Of course, Sophia is quick to pick up on his hesitation.


    ¡°Do you have a better idea? Speak.¡±


    Sighing, Oren shakes his head.


    ¡°I do not have a better idea, no. I simply wondered what your plan was. But it is not my place to know such things. All I need to know is what you decide I should know, as your servant.¡±


    There¡¯s a long awkward pause after that. Oren just keeps his head down, his eyes on his meal. Until finally¡­


    ¡°I need to find Gods of the Mortal Planes and demand answers of them. One of them must know what¡¯s going on or at leave have a clue to the divinity that appears to be behind the God Hunters. Except all of the Gods of the Mortal Planes are dying or in hiding. I confess, I have no clue where to even begin hunting for such deities. So tell me¡­ where would you start if it was your choice?¡±


    Oren blinks at the question, lifting his eyes to see Sophia with a constipated expression on her face. After a moment, he slowly nods.


    ¡°I would start in Goldriver, Goddess.¡±


    Sophia furrows her brow at that.


    ¡°Goldriver¡­ that small town on the river South of here? They still exist?¡±


    ¡°As of a few months ago, yes. But it¡¯s not a town anymore, Goddess, it¡¯s a full-blown city now. I passed through Goldriver on my way to the spot where you found me in the woods.¡±


    Goldriver wasn¡¯t just a city, it was the region¡¯s largest city. As the name suggested, it sat upon a river that actually ran straight through the city itself. The city was built up around the river and was quite prosperous on account of the gold nuggets that had been found washed up on the shore of said river by early settlers.


    Of course, when Oren passed through Goldriver, the God Hunters were barely in their infancy. They didn¡¯t have the hold over mortal minds that they seemed to have now. But by this point¡­


    ¡°The God Hunters must have a presence in Goldriver, one that¡¯s likely to be even bigger than the one in Oakvale. If they don¡¯t, then it would still be a good place for us to check for rumors of any gods or goddesses in the area.¡±


    Sophia, being a Goddess of Wisdom, is quick on the uptake. She doesn¡¯t bother asking him why he wants to go find God Hunters when she¡¯s looking for Gods. Her eyes narrow, but she¡¯s already caught up to his thinking without him having to explain it.


    ¡°But if they do, then we can use them to find the deities we seek. After all, what better way to hunt down our quarry than piggybacking off of the other hunters going after the same prey?¡±


    Oren nods wordlessly, waiting to see what she thinks of the idea. From the scowl that spreads across Sophia¡¯s face, she probably wants to reject his idea purely out of spite. Given the fact that he¡¯s her father¡¯s killer, Oren doesn¡¯t even blame her. But¡­ in the end, the Minor Goddess is pragmatic. And she said herself she doesn¡¯t have any better ideas.


    ¡°Fine. It might actually work. We still leave tomorrow.¡±


    Oren bows his head in agreement.


    ¡°Understood, Goddess.¡±


    The rest of the day is spent with them preparing for their departure. Oren is the one who handles most of the supply gathering. Unfortunately, they can¡¯t bring the cornucopia OR the ever-filling jug with them.


    ¡°The God Hunters are hunting divinities down somehow. If there is a large enough group of them in Goldriver to be worth our while, they¡¯ll have a way of tracking divine energy.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s wisdom is unquestionable, even if it means they¡¯ll be back to rations and whatever they can get from the lands once they¡¯re on the road again. Of course, then the goddess comes out with a jewelry box in the evening and begins going through it. When she sees him glancing her way, she gets defensive and explains.


    ¡°These are different. Specifically, this necklace will keep my own divine signature suppressed. So long as I wear it, I will appear completely mundane to both mortal and divine eyes. And anything on me will be under the same protection.¡±


    Oren just nods wordlessly, accepting her statements at face value. Even still, Sophia doesn¡¯t load herself down with magical jewelry, he notes. The necklace goes under her shirt, disappearing between her cleavage and of the several rings she has in the box, she ends up only picking one. It goes onto the middle finger of her right hand and after staring at the rest for a moment the goddess winds up putting them all back in the box.


    He doesn¡¯t bother asking what the ring does. If Sophia wanted to tell him, she would tell him. That she doesn¡¯t simply means that it¡¯s not his business to know.


    Finally, with everything prepared and dinner eaten, they separate to bed down for the night. Sophia to her bed and Oren to the floor near the entrance of the cave, just in case another god of the deceptive sort managed to sneak past all of her wards and protections. He wasn¡¯t armed with the Celestial Metal he would need to fight them off, but if nothing else his strength and speed as an Otherworlder would allow him to both sound the alarm and potentially capture them.


    Laying down with his pack behind his head to act as pillow, Oren stares up at the cave ceiling for a long moment, waiting for sleep to take him.


    ¡­ Admittedly, part of him does chafe at being in Sophia¡¯s service. He¡¯d always been an independent soul. Even back on Earth, Oren had put everything he had into breaking free of the stigma behind being an orphan. His plans had involved turning his raw determination into a stellar work ethic so he could rise to the top by being the cream of the crop.


    But Oren¡¯s debt to Sophia is one that can never be paid. Patsy though he might have been, he¡¯d still been the one who wielded the blade against her father and every god and goddess who had called the Heavens their home. They were dead because of him and there was no reversing that fact.


    Besides, it could be worse. Sophia would be well within her rights to humiliate him to her heart¡¯s content if she wanted to. Even if she didn¡¯t have the stomach for physical torture, there were a million different ways she could have punished him for his crimes. Petty things like making him take his meals on the floor instead of at the table with her.


    As far as he could tell though, she hadn¡¯t even considered it. She hated him now and rightfully so, but even with all that hatred, the Minor Goddess was unfailingly kind and good hearted. Despite all of her talk of wanting revenge, she hadn¡¯t even begun taking her vengeance out on him yet.


    Perhaps that could be chocked up to fear or even cold hard logic. On the one hand, he was the dangerous God Killer and the only thing that truly bound him to her service was his own word. He could kill her at any time. On the other hand, she needed his skills and his strength for her revenge against whoever Raythe was working with. The ones who summoned him in the first place were to die at his hands. Poetic, in a way.


    Oren didn¡¯t really get the impression that Sophia was afraid of him though. Nor was she quite that calculating or conniving to use such cold logic to keep herself on his ¡®good side¡¯. In the end, she was just a good person who was hurting. Honestly, Oren was more worried that her kind-heartedness would only get her hurt even more if left unchecked.


    But that was where he came in. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the original plan. Maybe it wasn¡¯t what he initially intended to happen when they finally made it to her refuge. Things changed. From now on, Oren¡¯s sole purpose was to protect Sophia no matter what form that protection needed to take. Even if it cost him his life.

 Chapter 18: On the Road

    They¡¯re back on the road again, but the dynamic has changed completely. With a full week of rest under the protection of her refuge¡¯s wards, Sophia has been able to restore her divine power. She¡¯s no longer quite so helpless anymore, thankfully. But¡­ what should be a relief and a joy is somewhat tempered by everything else that has happened.


    Oren¡­ was the God Killer. Even a week later, it was still difficult for Sophia to wrap her head around. Not least because just thinking about it filled her with rage and fury. He¡¯d killed everyone, and then on top of that, he¡¯d kept it a secret, letting her remain oblivious to the danger at her side as they¡¯d traveled together.


    Of course, if Sophia were really afraid of Oren, she would have let him take his own life. Either that or she would have exiled him from her presence entirely. That she hadn¡¯t¡­ well, in the end she needed him. She needed his strength.


    Law and the rest of the Heavens deserved vengeance for what had been done to them, that was undeniable. But Oren was just the patsy. His ¡®friend¡¯ Raythe had made it clear that the Otherworlder had been nothing but a tool. But who? Who were the gods who had tricked Oren into doing their bidding? Why were there divine beings intent on killing not just the Heavens, but also the Gods of the Mortal Planes as well?


    Sophia had the feeling that her youth was to blame for her lack of knowledge once more. At only a few centuries old, she¡¯d been one of the younger deities back in the Heavens. And while she¡¯d been a voracious reader and an eager learner over the years, she was starting to feel like there had been things her tutors had been reluctant to tell her.


    She wasn¡¯t even willing to entertain the thought that her father hadn¡¯t known about these ¡®dark¡¯ gods. But that he hadn¡¯t told her¡­ well, Sophia was sure he had his reasons. Just like she now fully understood the ban on Otherworld Summoning. Oh sure, she¡¯d always believed she comprehended it on an academic level¡­ but seeing was believing, as they liked to say.


    Oren was dangerous, as evidenced by his ability to slaughter not just his fellow humans but also gods and goddesses alike. He¡¯d struggled against Raythe sure, but in the end he¡¯d killed the God of Lies and Duplicity all the same. They both had.


    And that was another thing that Sophia was forced to contend with. She had played a rather large role in another god¡¯s death. Even all these days later, she still felt guilty. Even knowing that Raythe would have gladly returned the favor without a second thought, she still felt sick to her stomach at times.


    Perhaps that was because she couldn¡¯t truly pin down why she¡¯d done it. Was it for her own survival? Than that made it an action born of desperation, but also selfishness. She¡¯d killed so that she could live, a concept Sophia had always found to be distasteful when applied to intelligent beings. Lower intelligent creatures like predators hunting prey for food¡­ that was one thing. They were following instincts and satisfying their basic physical needs.


    But those capable of higher thinking and complex problem solving were another story, or so Sophia had felt. Be they man or be they god, they were all capable of just¡­ walking away from the violence. Of fleeing rather than stooping to the same level as the instigator.


    ¡­ That wasn¡¯t true though, now was it? Those in the Heavens hadn¡¯t fled the God Killer¡¯s advance. They¡¯d stood and fought, trying to save their home and themselves from Oren¡¯s relentless blade. Only Sophia had fled, coward that she was. And when Raythe had stood over Oren, threatening them both and demanding answers from the exhausted and injured human, Sophia¡­ Sophia hadn¡¯t fled either. She¡¯d picked up the closest weapon and fought back.


    Of course, then there was the other option. What if she hadn¡¯t done it for herself? What if she hadn¡¯t stabbed Raythe through his neck because of her own selfish desire to live¡­ but because of something else? That option was almost worse in a way. The only other person in danger was Oren, after all.


    The thought of killing to save her father¡¯s killer, to help the man who had taken everything from her¡­ that turned her stomach as well. Sophia hated Oren for what he did to everyone she knew and loved. She didn¡¯t want to think she¡¯d sacrificed her innocence just to save his life.


    The third option then, was the most palatable of the three. She¡¯d done it¡­ because Raythe deserved it. Because his death was part of her vengeance. It wasn¡¯t about survival; it wasn¡¯t about saving Oren. No, at the end of the day, Sophia had helped kill Raythe because he was the first steppingstone to avenging the deaths of her fellow gods and goddesses.


    Sophia liked that idea. Or so she told herself. For some reason, that was rather hard to stomach too. But then, that was why she¡¯d spared Oren¡¯s life in the end. She wouldn¡¯t be killing any more gods or goddesses with her own two hands. She wouldn¡¯t be stabbing anyone else with a butterknife any time soon. Oren would be her blade. He would be the instrument of her vengeance.


    Of course, that did mean she would eventually have to give him the Celestial Dagger sheathed at her waist. He would need some way of ending a divine being. They would probably also need to get him new equipment in Goldriver, the city they were heading towards even now. Hm, speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Step close. I¡¯m going to walk us forward again.¡±


    Without grumbling or complaining, Oren steps over to her side, allowing Sophia to reach out and grab his arm. The dynamic between the two of them had indeed changed. Once upon a time, it had been Oren who had carried Sophia. Now it was she who sped up their travel. With a burst of divine power shielded by the enchanted necklace around her neck, Sophia steps them forward down the road as far as her eye can currently reach.


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    She doesn¡¯t dare go further than anything in her line of sight. Not only would too large of a discharge of divine energy potentially be caught by the God Hunters, but also who knew if they didn¡¯t have traps meant to draw divine teleportation off track? That was the only reason that they weren¡¯t in Goldriver yet. But still, the travel was being cut down immensely, even if they still took breaks and walked normally just to make sure nobody was on the road with them that might catch her divine actions.


    Letting go of Oren¡¯s arm, Sophia steps away from him and they resume their journey to Goldriver, another stretch of road closer than they were before.


    Admittedly, being able to hop right over Oakvale on their way South had been quite the relief for Sophia. Between everything that had happened, she thought she might be starting to hate humans. Otherworlders were one thing. They were abominations and aberrations that damaged the natural fabric of Creation, just like her father had always said. Sophia had been foolish to think of Oren as different for a time.


    ¡­ But at least he had an excuse. Oren had been ripped from his world, pulled into this one, and lied to. She couldn¡¯t exactly bring herself to pity him, not after what he¡¯d done, but she could at least understand why it had all happened. However¡­ what about the rest of the world? What about the God Hunters?


    Sure, one could argue they were being manipulated as well, because Sophia now had undeniable proof that they were from Raythe¡¯s boasting and oversharing. The God Hunters were being controlled by evil gods. It would be ironic if it wasn¡¯t literally an existential threat to her very existence.


    And yet, they were people of this world. Of this universe. Of Creation. Unlike an Otherworlder like Oren, these were people who had been born under the light of the Heavens. Under Law¡¯s righteous rule. To see them so easily manipulated and turned to violence against the divine and those who dared to worship the divine didn¡¯t just turn Sophia¡¯s stomach¡­ it made her see red.


    She had felt bad for the people of Oakvale at first. Having to live under the capricious and cruel antics of someone as small-minded and vile as Elric Steelwater. But then they¡¯d shown their true colors after Elric¡¯s death. They¡¯d revealed that at the end of the day, they weren¡¯t willing to stand up for themselves¡­ so why should Sophia waste time on any of them?


    No. She wasn¡¯t doing this for the mortals. If they were the only reason to track down Oren¡¯s summoners, then Sophia might as well have stayed in her refuge. But that would have meant living in close quarters with her father¡¯s killer for who knew how long and that¡­ that wasn¡¯t happening.


    They were going to go to Goldriver and discern whether there was a big enough presence of God Hunters in the city for their purposes. They were going to hunt the hunters and use them to find a Deity of the Mortal Planes who might know more about these gods who had summoned Oren. Because Sophia was convinced of one thing¡­ whoever these divinities were, they were old. Very old.


    They were also likely magnitudes more powerful than her too. Raythe certainly had been. Killing him had been more of a fluke combined with him getting sloppy more than anything. And if Raythe was stronger than her, just how much stronger would those above Raythe be? But that was okay because Law had been an ancient and powerful god as well. He¡¯d been THE ancient and powerful god. And Sophia had the one who killed him at her side. These¡­ usurpers would discover that their own weapon would be their undoing.


    Determination filling every fiber of her being, Sophia deems them having walked far enough physically for another hop forward. But just as she¡¯s opening her mouth to tell Oren to come close again, she pauses upon noticing someone else coming down the road in the opposite direction from them.


    Immediately, Sophia stiffens up and grabs Oren anyways, albeit to get his attention instead.


    ¡°Someone up ahead. Tell me what you see.¡±


    To his credit, Oren doesn¡¯t hesitate to put his enhanced Otherworlder eyes to use for her.


    ¡°I see¡­ a man with a beard. He looks old. Gray hair and wrinkles. He¡¯s using a walking stick.¡±


    Sophia frowns but finally nods. Slowly, they close the distance with the man and she¡¯s able to make out all of those details and more herself. The man is indeed old. His hair is wild and untamed, neither pulled back with a hair tie or cut short by a barber any time recently. His beard is likewise quite large and scraggly, going down to mid chest.


    His clothes are weathered and worn but well maintained. Despite his unkempt hair giving him a somewhat ragged appearance, his clothing has no holes. It¡¯s also as Oren had said. He¡¯s wielding a walking stick in his right hand and nothing else that Sophia can see. And yet¡­ after their encounter with Raythe, she can¡¯t help but be on edge. Is there anything remotely suspicious about happening upon another traveler venturing on foot down a road meant for travelers? Perhaps not. But her guard is up all the same.


    To his credit, Oren seems to be tense and ready for something to happen as well. Even unarmed, he¡¯s still capable of incredible violence. If the old man proves to not be an old man at all, Sophia is sure that between the two of them, they can take him. All of the sudden, he¡¯s upon them. Or are they upon him? Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as a mutual ¡®uponing¡¯.


    Their paths finally cross and Sophia prepares herself for anything¡­ only to blink when the old man just smiles and tips his head to them both.


    ¡°Good day.¡±


    And then continues on his way. Neither Sophia nor Oren stop walking, but they do both noticeably slow down as¡­ nothing happens. And then nothing continues happening, even as the distance between them and the old traveler grows and grows and grows. After about thirsty seconds, Sophia flushes a little bit, embarrassed by her silence. Except at this point, it would be even more ridiculous to turn and call out ¡®and a good day to you too!¡¯ wouldn¡¯t it? By now, the old man was too far away¡­


    Glancing back over her shoulder a handful of times, Sophia bites her lower lip as she watches the other traveler fade into the distance. Maybe¡­ maybe she was being a little paranoid. For a moment she forgets herself and who she¡¯s with and lets out a breathy laugh.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I thought he was going to attack us or something for a moment. Honestly¡­ I¡¯m becoming paranoid.¡±


    Of course, she remembers she¡¯s supposed to hate Oren a moment later, and that she¡¯s certainly not supposed to be sharing laughs or confiding in the damn God Killer. Only, Oren doesn¡¯t share in her laughter anyways. Instead, after a moment her sworn servant responds quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not paranoia if they really are out to get you, Goddess.¡±


    That was¡­ a very good point. Not that Sophia would admit as much. Instead, after processing his words, she checks to make sure the old man is fully out of sight and over the hill behind them and then checks up ahead as well to make sure no one else is coming in their direction. Once she¡¯s confirmed that the road is clear again, she wordlessly grabs Oren and teleports them forward again.


    It¡¯s not paranoia if they really are out to get you¡­


    Well. He¡¯s certainly not wrong about that.

 Chapter 19: Lay of the Land

    There are camps outside of the city. Oren stiffens up a little bit when he sees this, quickly relaying the information about what he¡¯s able to makeout to Sophia. From the look of things, Goldriver was dealing with something of a refugee crisis. Suddenly, he was less than confident about their ability to slip into the city undetected.


    As they get closer, Oren clears his throat and speaks up.


    ¡°Goddess¡­ we might want to consider entering the city through an alternative means of egress. From the look of things, they¡¯re being rather picky about who they let into Goldriver these days.¡±


    Sophia frowns at this, eyeing the situation herself for a moment.


    ¡°And how exactly would we go about doing that? I can¡¯t just pop us in this close to such a huge population center. If the God Hunters are in the city, they¡¯re likely to pick up on it.¡±


    Oren inclines his head in acknowledgment of that, before eyeing the walls of Goldriver quietly for a long moment.


    ¡°¡­ I believe I can jump us over the wall, Goddess. We just need to find a section that¡¯s unmanned.¡±


    Goldriver was a true city. That meant unlike Amberwell and Oakvale, which were both barely a quarter of its size, the city had walls made of stone. Those stone walls were around twenty to thirty feet tall from what Oren could see, built atop earthen ramparts and lined with a ten foot deep ditch. Nothing at all insurmountable for someone like him. With a running leap and perhaps a single bounce off of the wall itself, he could have the both of them up and over quick as can be.


    Unfortunately, there was a single glaring issue with that plan.


    ¡°No. We¡¯ll go through the front gates. This will allow us to assess the situation from the very beginning. If there are God Hunters working alongside the City Guard, then we¡¯ll know we¡¯ve come to the right place. If there aren¡¯t, we can ask some probing questions to find out if our plan is still viable or if we need to move on.¡±


    The Minor Goddess¡¯ logic is impeccable but Oren privately suspects that she¡¯s just making excuses. He¡¯d watched her react to his suggestion out of the corner of his eye and seen how she balked at the thought of having him jump them over. She didn¡¯t like the idea of anything that involved them touching¡­ and truth be told, Oren got it.


    It was one thing for her to let him manhandle her when the situation was dire and she saw him as her protector and savior. It was another entirely for her to allow him to lay his hands on her when she knew him for what he really was.


    Oren doesn¡¯t call her out on it though. He simply bows his head in wordless agreement and follows Sophia up the road to Goldriver¡¯s front gates. There¡¯s a line of people and carts trying to get entrance to the city, with just as many being turned away as are being let in. However, while it¡¯s almost an even split between people getting in and people being turned away, it¡¯s rather obvious to Oren¡¯s eyes what makes a visitor ¡®worthy¡¯ of entrance to Goldriver. Namely¡­ wealth.


    Those without any sort of goods to sell, or coin to spend, those who cannot prove that they will in some way contribute to the city¡¯s economy¡­ they¡¯re being sent to the shanty town quickly building itself up outside of the city¡¯s walls. Meanwhile, those with carts filled with products, while usually subject to close inspection, can almost always expect to get in.


    He and Sophia don¡¯t have any goods to sell, but they also don¡¯t look poor. And, even though it¡¯s been quite a while since Amberwell, they still have a sizable amount of coin from his gambling against Gentleman Grays. Man, if that doesn¡¯t feel like it took place a lifetime ago. Still, eventually they reach the front of the line¡­ and Sophia doesn¡¯t hesitate to take charge.


    ¡°Name and purpose in Goldriver?¡±


    Stepping forward, the Minor Goddess offers the City Guard manning the gate a simple smile that nevertheless draws his eyes.


    ¡°I am Lady Sophia of House Goldencourt. Currently traveling with my bodyguard to meet my betrothed. Goldriver is just a stopover for us, though I assure you we have the coin to spend the night in the best inn your city has to offer.¡±


    She¡¯s laying it on a little thick, but with the sort of blockheads who are put in charge of gate duty like this, you kind of had to go all out sometimes. Indeed, Oren can see the Gate Guard already nodding along by the time Sophia is done speaking. Meanwhile, the Otherworlder takes the time to look over the rest of the guards. None of them really give him the feel of a God Hunter though. One of them DOES have sharper eyes than the rest, however.


    ¡°Your bodyguard seems to be unarmed while you have a dagger at your side, milady. A strange arrangement.¡±


    While the first Gate Guard gives his fellow a frowning look, probably for ¡®daring to harass the beautiful noblewoman¡¯, Sophia doesn¡¯t miss a beat.


    ¡°Yes. His sword was lost fending off a rather large bear that attacked us on the road as we journeyed here. He was able to chase the beast away, but not before it ran off with his weapon buried in its thick hide. I have already chastised him most severely for this failure, and our first stop upon being allowed entrance into the city will be at the nearest blacksmith.¡±


    Again, the guards manning the gate look to be eating up Sophia¡¯s bullshit. A third one even enters the conversation with a derisive snort and provides them with the perfect opening.


    ¡°Heh, doesn¡¯t surprise me. The wilds grow less and less safe by the day because of THEM. Honestly surprised you lot didn¡¯t run into anyone who decided to ¡®confiscate¡¯ your jewelry and belongings for possibly being ¡®religious paraphernalia¡¯. You-ow!¡±


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    SMACK!


    The first guard, perhaps the Guard Captain in fact, doesn¡¯t hesitate to reach over and slap the other guard upside the head.


    ¡°Quiet, you. Still your damn tongue lest someone decides to relieve you of it.¡±


    That right there already told Oren so much more than he¡¯d expected. For one, it was obvious the guard was talking about the God Hunters. For two, it was also obvious that his superior feared the God Hunters. And that likely meant they were already here in the city.


    Oren exchanges a meaningful glance with Sophia and can tell that the Minor Goddess picked up on the exact same thing. He wonders briefly if she¡¯ll push for more information, but the goddess remains quiet. An awkward beat of silence later and the one Oren has pegged as the Guard Captain clears his throat.


    ¡°Ahem. Alright you two, go on through and enjoy the city. We appreciate your patronage, Lady Goldencourt.¡±


    Sophia smiles and nods and just like that, they¡¯re in. That was practically painless¡­ and yet, the situation is obviously not perfect in Goldriver. Between the refugee camps outside no doubt putting pressure on the region and the chilling effect brought on by the God Hunters¡¯ presence in the area¡­ they might just have something they could work with here.


    -x-X-x-


    Back at the refuge, Oren had been ready to never wield a weapon again for as long as he lived. And yet, as he steps out of one of Goldriver¡¯s blacksmiths with a new sword sheathed at his side and a pair of cheap vambraces around his forearms, he has to admit¡­ part of him feels whole again. There¡¯s a certain relief in being armed once more, even if it¡¯s just normal steel and not Celestial Metal.


    With one hand on the pommel of his new sword, Oren nods to Sophia as he hands back the rest of their funds. He hadn¡¯t had to spend much, thankfully. Full armor would have been wasted on him really. Even the vambraces are more for show than anything else, so nobody finds it strange that a noblewoman¡¯s bodyguard was walking around vulnerable.


    ¡°Where to now, milady?¡±


    Sophia hums for a moment.


    ¡°Well, I told the guards back at the gate that we would be staying at the best inn the city had to offer. I certainly wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Oren winces at that. They weren¡¯t hurting for money yet, but if they made unnecessary purchases, they might be soon enough. There was a world¡¯s difference between staying at a tavern in Oakvale and staying in the fanciest inn in a city like Goldriver. And yet¡­ it wasn¡¯t really his place to question it, now was it?


    ¡°As you say, milady.¡±


    Within fifteen minutes they¡¯ve ascended to the wealthier part of Goldriver. Oren keeps expecting to see God Hunters posted up on a corner or even patrolling the streets like they had been back in Oakvale, but he doesn¡¯t see any other groups of armed men outside of the City Guard.


    Coming to an inn, they wind up at a small table on a second floor balcony overlooking the street, where Sophia splurges for a full-blown tea service. Again, Oren finds himself internally wincing at the expense¡­ but to her credit, Sophia DOES have ulterior motives when she quickly befriends the waitress serving them.


    ¡°What is your name, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s Anna, Lady Goldencourt.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Sophia.¡±


    ¡°¡­ As you wish, Lady Sophia.¡±


    Sophia pouts and Oren honestly can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s pouting for effect or actually pouting for real. Either way, Sophia waits for Anna to come back again with the next part of their service before continuing to build a rapport with the young woman.


    ¡°Tell me Anna, my bodyguard and I couldn¡¯t help but notice things on the road to the city were¡­ less than stellar. I was sure that would change once we made it back to civilization, but even now that we¡¯re in the city itself, there seems to be a strange tension in the air.¡±


    Anna hesitates briefly, her eyes seeming to linger on Sophia¡¯s accessories for a moment.


    ¡°Ah, w-well¡­ I would never speak ill of t-them you see¡­ b-but¡­¡±


    She trails off, clearly second guessing herself. Reaching out, Sophia lays a hand atop one of Anna¡¯s, giving the waitress an encouraging smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to fret. I am a young, unmarried noblewoman. Gossiping and rumormongering is in my blood. You can rest assured that no matter what you tell me, I will never speak on who exactly gave me the information.¡±


    Funnily enough¡­ that actually seems to work. Anna relaxes and after glancing around to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be overheard, she leans in and whispers to both of them.


    ¡°Its those God Hunters, Lady Sophia. They came into the city a few months back now. Goldriver isn¡¯t a secular place¡­ it never has been. My father has always said this city was built off of the back of a god¡¯s generosity¡­ specifically the River God Aureo. Father said, back when the God Hunters first showed up, that they wouldn¡¯t stick around for long¡­ but he was wrong.¡±


    Anna bites her lower lip, looking around again for a moment before continuing on.


    ¡°No one¡¯s seen Lord Aureo since shortly before the God Hunters arrived. And¡­ within a week of their arrival, there was an announcement that Goldriver would no longer allow the worship of any gods and goddesses. The priests and priestesses over in the temple district protested, but they were all gone by the second week¡­ and by the third week, the God Hunters had moved into the Temple District, making it their own.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, the young waitress looks down at the ground.


    ¡°Now, nobody goes in or out¡­ a-and I¡¯ve heard stories about entire towns nearby being put to the sword by the God Hunters. Or f-forced to give up everything they own including their homes. Father says that¡¯s why there are so many refugees outside of Goldriver. Because they¡¯re running from the God Hunters. I just¡­ I dunno why they¡¯d come here. Not like the city is much better at this point.¡±


    Silence falls with the end of Anna¡¯s explanation. Sophia hesitates for a moment, clearly parsing through everything that the young woman has just told them. Oren has to admit, there¡¯s a lot to unpack there. Still, if the God Hunters have taken over an entire section of the city¡­ that had to be the largest concentration of the organization that they¡¯d found yet. Perfect for their purposes, even if the overall situation sounded quite dreadful for everyone involved, whether they were residents of Goldriver or not.


    ¡°Anna!¡±


    A voice from inside of the inn calls out for their waitress all of the sudden, causing Anna to jolt. She blushes, bows, and makes profuse apologies that Sophia waves off before sending the girl on her way. Soon enough they¡¯re alone, just the two of them. Oren looks to Sophia curiously, even as the goddess seems to be thinking rather hard.


    ¡°What do you want to do, milady?¡±


    Sophia takes a long draw of her tea, letting out a content hum as her eyes drift shut for a moment. Oren waits quietly until she finally speaks again.


    ¡°It seems to me that the God Hunters have been very busy here in Goldriver over the last few months. Perfect for our plans, really.¡±


    Oren nods as she unintentionally repeats his thoughts.


    ¡°¡­ They should have what we¡¯re looking for, if nothing else.¡±


    When Sophia doesn¡¯t say anything more for a moment, Oren hesitantly puts forward his own plan.


    ¡°I could slip in under the cover of night while you stayed here, maybe. Infiltrate them and bring back what information I can glean in the process?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No. I have a better idea.¡±


    Oren raises an eyebrow at that, but Sophia just smiles at him somewhat vindictively.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to like it.¡±


    Oh. Oh no.

 Chapter 20: Temple District

    She was right. Oren didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t like it one bit. In fact, he¡¯d been so opposed to this plan Sophia had implemented that he¡¯d tried harder to talk her out of it then he¡¯d done for anything since she found out he was the God Killer.


    Unfortunately, his words had fallen on deaf ears. Either that or more likely his attempts to change her mind had ultimately backfired on him and done more harm than good. Sophia didn¡¯t want to hear about how her plan was ill-conceived from the man that slew her father. More than that, she clearly felt like she was trapped in a situation with no good options because she had to rely on him, but at the same time did not want to rely on him.


    And so, despite his protests, despite his objections, here they were going through with Sophia¡¯s plan. Her magical accessories have been removed and safely tucked away and the Celestial Dagger is sheathed on the small of his back. Finally Sophia herself hands bound behind her in hemp rope, as Oren escorts her by the arm up to the entrance of Goldriver¡¯s former Temple District.


    There, men who are clearly associated with the God Hunters guard the entrance, though it¡¯s not until Oren and Sophia have ascended half the steps leading up to the Temple District that they finally get noticed. Jolting out of their lazy stupors, the God Hunters move to block their path.


    ¡°Halt! This area is off-limits. State your business.¡±


    Oren doesn¡¯t like this. He really doesn¡¯t like this. But¡­ it¡¯s too late to back out now.


    ¡°You¡¯re God Hunters, aren¡¯t you? Well I¡¯ve caught myself a Goddess.¡±


    He makes a show of jostling Sophia¡¯s arm, causing her to stiffen up a bit. But he has to sell it. This was the great big plan that Sophia had come up with. They were going to infiltrate the God Hunters¡¯ territory together or not at all, or so she¡¯d decided. Oren had still argued for them to both try and sneak in through the dead of night, but Sophia hadn¡¯t been interested in that either. No, for all that one of her domains was supposed to be Wisdom, the Minor Goddess had set her mind on this front and refused to be swayed.


    The God Hunters exchange looks before studying Sophia a bit closer. Oren half expects one of them to pull out some sort of device to scan Sophia and confirm her divinity, but that doesn¡¯t happen. Instead¡­ he sees what he probably should have known he would see. A bunch of men enjoying the view and realizing that their positions might allow them to enjoy even more if they played their cards right.


    ¡°Well now! Good on you, citizen. You¡¯ve done very well bringing this dangerous goddess here¡­¡±


    The one doing the talking licks his lips in a truly despicable manner as he hungrily stares at Sophia. Like a fucking hyena staring at a goddamn gazelle. Stepping forward, he reaches out to take custody of the goddess, but Oren isn¡¯t about to let that happen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just-hey!¡±


    Oren¡¯s hand flashes out fast as can be and grabs the wrist of the particularly frisky God Hunter. The other God Hunters drop their own hands to the weapons at their waists, but far slower. The talkative one tries to pull his hand back, only to find it caught in a grip that might as well have been stone.


    ¡°No. I know the value of what I¡¯ve caught. You¡¯ll take me to your superior so I can negotiate proper pay¡­ or I¡¯ll turn and walk away with my prize.¡±


    The frisky God Hunter continues to fruitlessly try to pull himself free of Oren¡¯s grasp, so Oren squeezes a bit until the sound of his wrist bones grinding together is audible in the hushed silence that¡¯s fallen over all of them in the wake of his declaration.


    ¡°¡­ F-Fine! Fine! We¡¯ll take you to the Commander! Just let go of me!¡±


    Oren does so, only to drop his hand to the pommel of the brand new sword at his waist. Every eye follows his hand down, noting the sword. For a moment he can see the collective God Hunters contemplating their chances of being able to take him or not. Oren almost hopes they do, if only so he can drive home how stupid this whole plan was to the Minor Goddess next to him.


    Alas, it¡¯s not meant to be. The one who¡¯s wrist he nearly broke has been intimidated enough that he¡¯s not willing to chance it.


    ¡°You heard me, you lot! We¡¯re going to the Commander. You two are with me, everyone else stays at their damn posts!¡±


    Oren watches as two of the God Hunters peel off to join their comrade. They take up positions behind and to the right and left of him and Sophia, even as the two of them follow the first God Hunter into the Temple District.


    The first thing Oren notices is how ruined the place is. Not just ruined¡­ the Temple District is in literal ruins. Most of the buildings have been half torn down, every statue has been completely defaced, and the place is littered with rubble and debris from the demolition. However, from what Anna had told them, the God Hunters had shown up and taken over the Temple District several months ago.


    By now, demolition should have been finished and new construction should have already begun. Oren doesn¡¯t see any of that though. There¡¯s no scaffolding, no new buildings, no nothing. He shouldn¡¯t be surprised really; these are the God Hunters they¡¯re talking about. Even still¡­ it¡¯s a little disconcerting.


    Most of the Temple District looks abandoned too. It¡¯s not until they get down the street to the biggest building in the area that they start seeing more God Hunters swarming around the place. There are dozens and dozens of them, and from the look of things they¡¯d repurposed an entire Cathedral into their Headquarters.


    Oren narrows his eyes, half-expecting their ¡®guide¡¯ to try something now that they would have way more reinforcements if they decided to pick a fight with him. But instead, the God Hunter he¡¯d nearly broken the wrist of just walks up to the men guarding the Cathedral¡¯s front entrance and speaks with them quietly for a moment before motioning Oren and Sophia through.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The eyes on Sophia at this point are too numerous for Oren to count with a single glance. He can feel them coming from every direction, can practically sense their hunger. She¡¯s a very beautiful woman, goddess or not, but her divinity just makes her all the more enticing. And these men¡­ well, they¡¯ve been occupying a city that clearly doesn¡¯t like them for several months now. Maybe the local whorehouses have been taking care of their needs¡­ but maybe not.


    All Oren knows for sure is that he¡¯s not leaving Sophia alone with any of these men. Not even for a second. Thankfully, they don¡¯t try to force the issue. Both he and his ¡®catch¡¯ are led through the repurposed Cathedral, where it seems the God Hunters actually have done some construction. Enough to partition the large central room into several smaller rooms at least.


    As they¡¯re walked down a hallway that definitely hadn¡¯t existed on the Cathedral¡¯s original floor plan, Oren is still on high alert, waiting for the inevitable ambush. Alas, it doesn¡¯t come¡­ at least not before they finally reach the ¡®Commander¡¯.


    Stepping into what would probably have been the church leader¡¯s office back when this was actually a place of worship, Oren immediately clocks the greying man behind the desk at the end of the room. He also notices that someone has gotten word somehow, because there are already several God Hunters lining the walls of the office, on top of the three who have escorted him and Sophia here.


    Indeed, the talkative God Hunter from the Temple District¡¯s entrance doesn¡¯t even have to say anything before the man behind the desk rises to his feet with his hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°I am Commander Hogarth. And you, I¡¯m told, claim to have brought us a goddess. I hope you understand that the consequences of lying to our organization are quite¡­ severe.¡±


    Oren smiles thinly at that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are. But I¡¯m not lying. She¡¯s a goddess, I¡¯m confident of that much.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause as the God Hunter studies him. Is Commander Hogarth looking for some crack in Oren¡¯s fa?ade? Because he¡¯s not going to find it. Or maybe he¡¯s trying to intimidate him with silence. That¡¯s not going to work either. The other God Hunters in the office shift from foot to foot, clearly feeling antsy.


    Finally, Commander Hogarth smirks and reaches for a circular device on his desk. It looks almost like a pocket watch, Oren notes, even as the God Hunter flips it open and holds it up towards Sophia, studying the inside for a moment before slowly nodding.


    ¡°I see¡­ you are correct young man. This is indeed a goddess. Well done.¡±


    One might think if the God Hunters in the room were true to their own creed and cause, then finding out what Sophia was would cool their passions. But Oren isn¡¯t an idiot, so he¡¯s not surprised when Sophia¡¯s true nature only seems to enflame their vile lusts even further. They don¡¯t care that she¡¯s a goddess¡­ or maybe that makes it even better for them.


    It doesn¡¯t matter though, because he¡¯s not going to let them have her.


    Commander Hogarth smiles thinly as he sets the device aside.


    ¡°Well now. I¡¯m told that you wished to¡­ negotiate payment with me? Tell me, what exactly do you want in exchange for your captive Mister¡­¡±


    Oren grunts.


    ¡°Coal. You can call me Mister Coal.¡±


    Obviously he¡¯s not going to give the bastard a real name. The Commander just nods.


    ¡°Very well. What can we offer you Mister Coal?¡±


    ¡°One of those devices, for starters.¡±


    The Commander¡¯s eyes flicker to the divinity detector he¡¯s put down on the desk and he makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat.


    ¡°As well as any leads you might have on other gods or goddesses in the area. And of course, I want some gold too.¡±


    At his side, Sophia is quiet as a mouse¡­ just as they¡¯d both agreed she would be. However, Oren can tell that she¡¯s wishing she could micromanage him more. If she could communicate privately with him in this moment, the Minor Goddess would no doubt be telling him to watch his tone with the Commander.


    But here¡¯s the thing¡­ Sophia¡¯s plan requires him to leave her here once he exchanges her for what they want. Gold, information, and now that device as well. Then, he¡¯s supposed to come back in the dead of night and ¡®extract¡¯ her after she¡¯s checked out their dungeons and made contact with any other divine beings they might have down there.


    It¡¯s a bad plan. Even if the God Hunters didn¡¯t have designs upon Sophia¡¯s body, it would be a bad plan because they would still probably torture her in conventional ways. Or they might just execute her outright if they were truly committed to their own cause.


    Oren couldn¡¯t talk Sophia out of her bad plan, but now that they were this deep in, she couldn¡¯t tell him what to do. And if he just so happened to sour things before they could get to the point where he had to hand her over¡­ well then, that would be such a shame, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°¡­ I see. Interesting that the gold is almost an afterthought for you, young man.¡±


    Snorting derisively, Oren shrugs.


    ¡°The payday is important, but more work means more paydays. I¡¯m a bounty hunter by trade and the normal bounties have all dried up recently. Adapt or die, right?¡±


    Commander Hogarth smiles at that last bit, and there¡¯s even something genuine to his smirk.


    ¡°Heh. Adapt or die¡­ I like that. I¡¯m probably going to use that, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Be my guest.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Unfortunately, I must be the bearer of bad news. While I applaud your ingenuity and gumption young man, with the capture of a goddess speaking highly of your skill¡­ you have not gone through the proper channels.¡±


    Oh? Oren raises an eyebrow, even as the Commander affects an ¡®apologetic¡¯ look.


    ¡°Unless you have a license for divine bounty hunting that I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Heh, and here it was.


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much since you hadn¡¯t already produced it. You would need to go to the Capital and pay a small fee to take a simple test¡­ I¡¯m sure someone of your caliber would pass with flying colors. You would probably even be offered an officer¡¯s commission within our organization depending on how well you did.¡±


    Stepping behind his desk, the Commander opens a drawer and pulls out a small pouch that jingles. Coin, though clearly not very much from the size of the pouch.


    ¡°This should be more than enough to get you to the Capital and pay for your test. Unfortunately, you will have to leave the goddess here with us. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    Heh, of course. Oren doesn¡¯t even look to Sophia as the greying man walks across the room, holding out the pouch. He¡¯s sure if he does, she¡¯ll be giving him some sort of look that says ¡®just go with it¡¯ or something. She probably doesn¡¯t even realize the danger she¡¯s truly in at this point.


    No, better to beg forgiveness than ask permission sometimes. Keeping his steady gaze focused on Commander Hogarth, he watches as the God Hunter slows to a stop a few feet away, noticing that Oren isn¡¯t extending his arm to take the coin.


    ¡°And if I refuse your¡­ generous offer?¡±


    The Commander¡¯s smile becomes a bit sharper at that.


    ¡°Well now¡­ I would certainly advise against that young man. We are charged with the erasure of all that is divine. You¡¯ve brought us a goddess¡­ you can¡¯t possibly think we¡¯d just let you leave with her dear boy.¡±


    Oren hums for a moment, feeling the shift in the room¡¯s atmosphere as the other God Hunters all put their hands on their weapons, ready for their superior to give the order at any second.


    ¡°Plenty of people watched us walk up here. If we disappear, there will be questions about what became of us.¡±


    Commander Hogarth furrows his brow for a moment¡­ and then chuckles.


    ¡°You really are new to all of this, aren¡¯t you? We have an arrangement with the City Guard and while they might not like it, they will continue to follow it if they know what¡¯s good for them. They knows not to enter this district under any circumstances.¡±


    Oren inhales and exhales slowly.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Then, he lets the smile he¡¯s been holding back spread across his face. Not under any circumstances, eh?


    Perfect.

 Chapter 21: Slaughter

    If they¡¯d bothered asking for her opinion, Sophia might have warned them how in over their heads they were. Then again, they were all God Hunters¡­ so probably not. Admittedly this wasn¡¯t the plan, but she should have known all along that her Otherworlder Servant would find a way to turn things into a bloodbath all the same.


    Faster than any of the mortal men in the room can react, Oren¡¯s sword is out and the God Hunter Commander¡¯s head flies off his shoulders. From there, everything becomes pure pandemonium as Oren turns and starts killing everyone else in the room with them as well.


    As God Hunters shout and scream, as body parts fly this way and that, Sophia is rather quickly forgotten amidst the chaos. Nobody is paying her any mind, mostly because they seem to be under the mistaken impression that they¡¯re facing two gods now instead of one¡­ and more importantly, that Oren is the actual combatant. They¡¯re not wrong about that last bit to be fair.


    ¡°SOUND THE ALARM, THE COMMANDER¡¯S BEEN-ACK!¡±


    ¡°Has to be a God of War, he-urk!¡±


    With a simple flex of her wrists, Sophia flings off the rope that had been not-so-securely binding her arms behind her back. She watches as Oren kills the last of the first batch, but by the time he¡¯s done so, others have started to arrive. Some had been right outside the door and still more were racing down the makeshift hallways.


    This was, after all, once a Cathedral. The main hall might have been partitioned off for the God Hunters¡¯ purposes, but it was done cheaply and haphazardly. The ¡®walls¡¯ of this makeshift headquarters were rather¡­ thin. As evidenced by Oren literally throwing a God Hunter choking on his own blood through one of those walls as he pushes out of the office and into the rest of the building.


    Sophia stays behind, walking over to the desk and picking up the device that Commander Hogarth had used to identify her as a goddess. Popping it open, she frowns for a moment as she studies it. It¡¯s rather simplistic¡­ and yet, she can see it for what it really is. Enchanted. Magical. Divine.


    A god or goddess made this device. Probably one of Raythe¡¯s allies, she imagined. And the man who might have had information for them¡­ well, he¡¯s dead. Sophia glances to where Hogarth¡¯s head landed, the aging mortal¡¯s face forever etched in smug superiority. He¡¯d died so fast that he didn¡¯t even register it. Too busy being so confident in himself and his organization that he hadn¡¯t considered just who or what he might be dealing with.


    And now it had gotten him and all of the men under his command killed. Even now, Sophia can hear the fighting taking place outside. Wordlessly tucking the divinity detector away, she moves behind the Commander¡¯s desk and begins pulling out drawers and looking at documents and letters for information.


    All the while, Oren is doing what he does best¡­ making a mess of things. Sophia pays it little mind. Maybe she¡¯s becoming desensitized to it all. Maybe she knew deep down inside that Oren wasn¡¯t going to go along with her plan forever. It was what it was. Sophia wasn¡¯t an idiot. The Minor Goddess of Wisdom was fully aware that she only had as much control over him as he allowed her at the end of the day.


    Perhaps the Otherworlder would go insane at some point and kill her too and that would be that. But it wasn¡¯t like Sophia had anything else to live for besides her revenge. She would continue to seek out everyone involved in the massacre of the Heavens, and she wouldn¡¯t rest until they were all dead¡­ or she was.


    Silence falls over the Cathedral at a certain point, but Sophia barely pays that any mind as she continues reading the Commander¡¯s correspondence. There¡¯s some very interesting information in here, especially when she gets towards the oldest of Hogarth¡¯s letters. Very interesting indeed.


    Finally though, Oren returns. He¡¯s covered in blood of course, even as he wipes his sword clean. Stopping at the entrance to the office, he looks at her from across the room.


    ¡°I went all the way to the entrance to the Temple District to take care of the God Hunters there as well. Then, I closed the gates to buy us some time¡­ but I didn¡¯t see or hear anyone out there in the rest of the city mobilizing either.¡±


    Sophia hums at that, before slowly nodding and holding up a letter she¡¯d found in her exploration.


    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising, honestly. The Commander wasn¡¯t bluffing. He has assurances here from City Leadership that they won¡¯t allow the City Guard to enter the Temple District under any circumstances without express permission from him first. Apparently, they were happy to say that even the sounds of fighting would be ignored.¡±


    The City Guard would have to investigate eventually of course, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise Sophia if they dragged their feet for quite some time. Really, it was interesting in a way. The God Hunters were still a new, insular organization. They¡¯d spread their influence incredibly fast and wormed their way into every aspect of society with blinding speed, but while they might be able to force people to do what they wanted, they couldn¡¯t exactly change mortal nature.


    And mortals, as her father had been fond of saying, LOVED to question things. Of course, now Sophia knew that the God Hunters had probably only spread as fast as they did and gained the authority they now wielded because of the backing of this additional faction of hidden gods. Even still, the rest of the mortals were starting to wake up, starting to realize that something was wrong. They were starting to get¡­ disgruntled.


    Putting that from her mind for the moment, Sophia steps out from behind the Commander¡¯s desk, once again glancing down at the dead man for a moment before looking back to Oren and sighing.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t the plan, as you well know. That man had a magical artifact powered by the divine. One capable of detecting further divinity in close proximity. I would very much have liked to question him on exactly where he got it. But you just couldn¡¯t stick to the plan.¡±


    Oren¡¯s eyes drift down to the dead Commander as well for a moment before moving back to her.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°No Goddess, I couldn¡¯t. Not when many of them were clearly planning on having their way with you.¡±


    Sophia stiffens at that, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    But Oren doesn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°I recognize lustful hunger in my fellow man, Goddess. The way they were looking at you¡­ your plan called for me to leave you in their clutches for hours, under the assumption that they would have perhaps let you stew for a while or only tortured you lightly at first. I came to the conclusion that that assumption was incorrect. They would have done whatever they wanted to you the moment I was gone. And their Commander would have let them because it would have improved morale and unit cohesion.¡±


    Her mouth opens and closes wordlessly for a moment at that. He couldn¡¯t be serious¡­ and yet, now that he¡¯s said something, she finds herself relitigating every single glance, every single look, every single gaze since they¡¯d arrived in the Temple District. She hadn¡¯t been paying that much attention to the small fry, admittedly. The true goal was a man like Commander Hogarth¡­ a man with information.


    Indeed, if the God Hunter Officer had met with them alone or with less guards, she might have even altered the plan on the fly and had Oren bar the room so they could interrogate him properly.


    That hadn¡¯t happened¡­ but a lot else hadn¡¯t happened as well. Sophia abruptly turns away from Oren, not wanting him to see her face in this moment. She¡¯d very nearly been¡­ they had¡­ the goddess grabs the edge of the desk in front of her, gritting her teeth.


    He was right, damn it. Her original plan had been most unwise. Her own Domain forces her to acknowledge that fact now. Admittedly, Sophia didn¡¯t really care if she lived or died at this point so long as her enemies died with her. But to suffer that sort of indignity? To be subjected to such ignobility? Fuck, he was right.


    She refuses to tell him that though. Sophia won¡¯t let her father¡¯s killer see her break. She won¡¯t let him see her cry either. She¡¯d done enough of that in the nights after Raythe¡¯s death, when she was forced to once again confront the grief of losing everyone she knew and loved while at the same time living under the same cave roof as the man who did the deed.


    Slowly pulling herself together, Sophia pushes off of the desk and straightens up. When she turns back around to regard Oren again, it¡¯s with a stone-like expression, her eyes like flint. Oren watches her, but if he notes her moment of weakness, he¡¯s at least smart enough not to comment on it.


    ¡°Apologies Goddess. I should have left the Commander alive and slaughtered the rest. That way we could have gotten our answers from him still.¡±


    ¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s what he should have done. Grasping onto Oren¡¯s words, Sophia responds in a clipped tone.


    ¡°Next time, do better.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t accept his apology, nor does she comment on her own failings. That¡¯s not the kind of relationship she intends to have with the man who killed her father. Oren is a weapon¡­ and nothing more.


    ¡°Fortunately for you, all is not lost. There are still answers to be had here in this place¡­ answers down below, in what used to be this Cathedral¡¯s catacombs.¡±


    Oren raises an eyebrow, even as Sophia holds aloft some of the papers she¡¯d pilfered from Commander Hogarth.


    ¡°I now know what happened to Aureo, the God of the River that flows through this city. The mortals in charge of Goldriver sold him out to the God Hunters because they believed they didn¡¯t need him anymore, and the God Hunters paid better. It allowed Commander Hogarth and his men to establish an early foothold in this city, at which point they ransacked the Temple District, slaughtered the priests and priestesses here, and began using Goldriver as a staging ground to hunt down every deity in the region.¡±


    Oren remains silent, processing her words for a moment as Sophia hums and then begins heading for the door and out into the hallway. There¡¯s bodies everywhere of course¡­ but they¡¯re God Hunters and she can¡¯t really bring herself to care. Aside from making sure she doesn¡¯t get their blood on her shoes at least. Carefully making her way around them, she feels Oren following her at her back and continues explaining.


    ¡°Goldriver¡¯s leadership expected the God Hunters to kill Aureo, of course. But Hogarth was a bit smarter than that. So long as Aureo still lived, Goldriver had to continue playing ball. Because if anything happened to the God Hunters here in the Temple District and Aureo was allowed to get free¡­ well, that would be very bad for Goldriver, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I imagine so, Goddess.¡±


    Sophia just smirks. It takes a moment, but she eventually finds a staircase leading downwards into the Cathedral¡¯s catacombs. Catacombs which, from Hogarth¡¯s own documents, she knows have been repurposed into a prison for the divine beings they capture, be they gods or demigods.


    ¡­ Her smirk drops however when the smell hits her like an invisible wall. The blood and viscera coating the Cathedral up above weren¡¯t exactly pleasant by any means, but this¡­ this is somehow making that feel like a walk in the park. She barely makes it halfway down the spiral staircase before she has to brace herself against the wall for a moment, gagging a bit.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ this is¡­¡±


    Oren is smart enough not to touch her, but he does hover at her side¡­ and silently offer her his hand. Truthfully, she half-expected him to make some cutting remark about how ¡®this is where she would have ended up if they¡¯d followed through with her full plan¡¯. But¡­ he doesn¡¯t. That¡¯s the only reason Sophia finally takes ahold of his arm, using him to support herself even as they continue down the stairs.


    ¡­ She was wrong. The catacombs haven¡¯t been converted into a prison. They¡¯ve been converted into a charnel house. Divine blood is spilled everywhere, and she can see runes on the walls meant to contain divine power. Indeed, as they enter the catacombs, Sophia feels her own divinity restrained and bound. This would be how they were able to torture, dismember, and kill gods and goddesses, even without Celestial Metal. A shiver runs down Sophia¡¯s spine as she realizes she would not have been able to escape on her own if she¡¯d wound up down here without Oren¡­


    ¡°Are you okay Goddess? Should we go back up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m f-fine. And no, we can¡¯t leave. Just¡­ strike through those runes with the dagger. Then we can continue on.¡±


    Oren nods sharply and pulls the dagger made of Celestial Metal from the small of his back. He steps forward and slashes through each of the runes on the wall, and piece by piece Sophia feels her divinity returned to her. She can breathe again, though the rest of the place is still grotesque to the extreme.


    They continue on like that, deeper and deeper into the catacombs. There¡¯s practically nothing still alive down here. Deities, demigods, and divine beings of all stripes have been brought here. Goldriver must be the central hub for the God Hunters¡¯ actions in this region. Given the rarity of Celestial Metal, they probably had to capture most deities and then bring them here to do the actual executions. But before the executions, they clearly tortured their prisoners thoroughly.


    But as awful as the sights down here were, Sophia has to keep her eye on the prize. They came to Goldriver hoping to pry information about any nearby deities from the God Hunters¡¯ hands. Instead, she had confirmation that there was a living deity here in the city itself, beneath the God Hunters¡¯ headquarters. This wasn¡¯t an opportunity they could afford to pass up.


    Finally, Sophia senses it. Up ahead, she feels the faintest flicker of divine power. As Oren continues to strike through runes with the dagger, that faint flicker grows¡­ but only to a certain extent. The divinity up ahead is still breathing, but that¡¯s about the most Sophia can say for it. Still, she knows they¡¯ve found who they were looking for when they finally stand in front of a makeshift cell that still has a living occupant.


    There in the darkness, breathing laboriously, still alive after months of captivity at the hands of the God Hunters, lies Lord Aureo, Minor God of the River.

 Chapter 22: The River God

    How long? How long had he, a god, been in this place, the captive of a bunch of damn mortals? Truthfully, Aureo didn¡¯t know. Sometimes it felt like an eternity had passed. It was impossible to keep track of time down here. His captors weren¡¯t even kind enough to keep their tortures and torments to a set schedule.


    All those months ago, when the first signs of something brewing had come¡­ he¡¯d been so cavalier about it. Carefree was another word for how he¡¯d acted. After all, he was Aureo, Minor God of the River, Patron God of Goldriver, and a Lord of the City to boot. He was on top of the world¡­ to fall this far, to suffer this much had seemed unthinkable back then.


    The problems had started in the Temple District, where the temples to Heavenly Deities had reported nothing but silence. Even the King of the Gods, Law himself, was said to have stopped speaking to his followers. That was strange, admittedly, but Aureo hadn¡¯t thought much of it. The Gods of the Heavens were of the Heavens and the Gods of the Mortal Planes were of the Mortal Planes. They didn¡¯t really have much in the way of contact.


    ¡­ But then rumors started reaching Goldriver of a strange new group of mortals supposedly doing the impossible. Supposedly, these ¡®God Hunters¡¯ were hunting down anything and everything with divine blood. That early on, the rumors hadn¡¯t been entirely clear on why or what they were doing. Some said the God Hunters were out to slaughter anyone with divinity coursing through their veins. Some said they just wanted to control the divine; to capture those with power so they could take that power for themselves.


    Personally, after everything Aureo had witnessed, it seemed likely to be a mixture of everything. The runes that even now restricted his divinity were not of mortal make, after all. The God Hunters had gotten them from somewhere, perhaps tortured out of another god or goddess.


    Of course, the God Hunters themselves had their own proclamations that soon spread far and wide. None were to continue worshipping the divine on pain of death. And, according to them, they weren¡¯t playing around¡­ their strongest warrior, the so-called ¡®God Killer¡¯ had already slain the entirety of the Heavens singlehandedly.


    It seemed laughable. Aureo had said as much when he and his divine neighbors had met up outside of the city all those months ago, after the nonsense had begun. He couldn¡¯t remember who called the meeting truth be told. It wasn¡¯t him¡­ maybe it had been Bormus? He recalled thinking at one point that that old Forest God was a bit of a worrywart.


    Of course, in the end Aureo was forced to acknowledge that Bormus and the other worriers had been right. And he¡­ he¡¯d been wrong. So very, very wrong. That day, Aureo had leaned on his wealth, his power, and his influence. The others wanted to take action, wanted to come up with some precautions. But Aureo hadn¡¯t thought the threat that serious. So what if these God Hunters were making a mess of things elsewhere? It wasn¡¯t like they would find a foothold in these lands. Certainly not in Goldriver.


    The people of Goldriver loved him¡­ or so he¡¯d believed. Back when the first mortal settlers had arrived generations previous, Aureo had briefly considered whether he wanted to encourage them settling on his river or not. Some of his peers had warned him not to, some had told him it would be perfectly fine. In the end, he¡¯d listened to the ones who told him to be cautious and lay down the law, so to speak.


    Early on, he¡¯d set himself up as a benefactor of sorts to the early mortal settlers by helping them find gold in his river. Along with a constant bounty of fish and the freshest damn water in the region, it hadn¡¯t taken long at all for a village to sprout up. And from there, with the gold and fish flowing, the village had become a town and the town had become a city.


    All the while, Aureo had been hand in hand with the mortal leadership. He frequently talked with the headsman when Goldriver was just a village, he had dinner every week with the mayor when it became a town, and finally he joined the nobility as a Lord in his own right when Goldriver finally became a full blown city. He¡¯d been there every step of the way.


    Was it so strange then that he thought his position untouchable? Was it so odd that he considered his mortal allies above reproach? When the others at their little divine meeting had expressed their concerns, Aureo had brushed them all off and thrown his weight around a little to make them all feel foolish and small. He¡¯d told them that these God Hunters didn¡¯t concern them because they would never reach this area anyways. That they were a flash in the pan and would die out soon enough without them having to do anything about it.


    Aureo had left that meeting feeling quite proud of himself for calming down his fellow gods and goddesses. He¡¯d returned to Goldriver then for a scheduled meeting with the City leadership to talk to THEM about the God Hunters as well.


    That was where he¡¯d been ambushed and captured. Because even as Aureo had been telling his peers not to worry about the God Hunters¡­ they were already there in Goldriver. Waiting for him. His mortal allies, people he had thought of as friends, had betrayed him. And for what? Coin, of course. Pure greed.


    The city¡¯s nobility had decided they knew which way the wind was turning. With the Gods of the Heavens silenced, the Temple District was no longer pulling in nearly as much revenue as they used to, and that meant less money for the city as well. It had also been a long time since he¡¯d made gold show up in the river, since the city was sustainable and they didn¡¯t really need a constant flow of the shiny rock anymore.


    Put bluntly, the God Hunters gave city leadership a better deal. And Aureo didn¡¯t even get a chance to outbid them before he found himself in chains and being tortured. Pain¡­ pain hadn¡¯t been something that Aureo was familiar with until this experience. Early on, he¡¯d given up too many names, too many locations, all to make the pain stop for just a little while.


    It wasn¡¯t until his peers had wound up in the catacombs alongside him that Aureo had realized the true gravity of what he¡¯d done. Of how badly he¡¯d failed all of them. Listening to their screams, their pleas for mercy, their death cries¡­ it had broken something in Aureo. At the same time, it had hardened him.


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    At a certain point, he¡¯d stopped giving his captors what they wanted and started spitting in their faces. Literally in fact, whenever he got the chance. He¡¯d wanted to die at that point. He¡¯d welcomed the thought of finally provoking them into killing him. But they refused. Even as the torture got worse, even as they took his right eye and then his left ear, even as they¡¯d cut some of his fingers and toes off, they didn¡¯t go so far as to kill him. Hell, they¡¯d even removed a foot at one point before searing the wound shut so he wouldn¡¯t bleed out. No matter what abuse he threw at them, no matter how many of their questions he refused to answer, they refused to let him die.


    Heh, the last time they¡¯d gone at him, they¡¯d talked about just removing his tongue so he couldn¡¯t talk anymore. But one of his torturers had reminded the other that such a decision would require the Commander¡¯s permission first so nothing had come of it. Still, Aureo figured it would be any day now. Even as the catacombs had fallen into silence, most of his kin already dead in their cells, he had figured they would still come back for him. After all, they may have wanted him alive for some sick reason, but he didn¡¯t need his tongue to continue breathing, now did he?


    That¡¯s why¡­ when he hears someone approaching, Aureo prepares himself for the worst. Even as he feels something strange brushing against his senses, he tenses up. Until finally, the sound of footsteps stops right in front of his cell. And after a moment¡­


    ¡°Aureo? Aureo, can you hear me?¡±


    Aureo huffs out a laugh and sneers. Talking is difficult these days, but he forces the words out all the same, bit by bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you¡­ enough times¡­ it¡¯s ¡®Lord Aureo¡¯ to you¡­ scumfucks.¡±


    Silence falls and Aureo waits for the jingling of keys and the opening of his cell door. Not because he has some way of escaping¡­ he doesn¡¯t. But rather because then he¡¯ll know to prepare for the attack that¡¯s sure to come for his impertinence. Except it never does. Even as his crass words hang in the air, there¡¯s no keys, no door opening. Instead¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re not God Hunters, Lord Aureo. I¡­ I am Lady Sophia, Minor Goddess of Wisdom and Equity, daughter of Law, the King of the Gods.¡±


    ¡­ What? Aureo slowly blinks his one remaining eye. What was this? This was poorly conceived even for the God Hunters. After he¡¯d first started clamming up, they¡¯d tried different tactics besides pure torture to get him talking again. Things like bringing his friends before him and having THEM beg him to speak. It had even worked once or twice before he finally realized none of them were ever getting out of here.


    Still, this was just silly. Chuckling tiredly, Aureo shakes his head side to side, his words slurring a bit as he speaks.


    ¡°Not¡­ a very good lie¡­ everyone knows¡­ the Heavens were slaughtered¡­¡±


    He might not have believed it back then before he found himself here, but he sure as hell believed it now. If Law and his ilk were still up there, then they would have put a stop to the God Hunters by now. While he didn¡¯t know if he believed that shit about a single ¡®God Killer¡¯ doing the deed, it was obvious that the Heavens had been dealt with some way or another.


    ¡°That¡­ is true, yes. The Heavens were slaughtered almost to the last. I am the sole survivor, Lord Aureo. I ran. I hid¡­ and for now at least, I still live. We¡¯re here to rescue you. We¡¯re going to get you out of here.¡±


    Hm¡­ maybe he was hallucinating. This seemed too ridiculous even for the God Hunters, but for his fevered, laboring mind? It was certainly possible that he¡¯d conjured up something as nice as this. But then, what was one supposed to do when one¡¯s own mind began betraying them? In the end, Aureo chooses to stay silent. Better that then giving in to madness.


    ¡°¡­ Oren, I think I see the problem. We¡¯ve destroyed all of the runes out here, but they put even more runes on the inside of his cell. Deal with them please.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Goddess.¡±


    Aureo¡¯s one eye blinks as he sees the faint shimmer of Celestial Metal in the darkness. It cuts through the bars of his cell like butter and a man steps in through the hole he¡¯s just created holding a dagger. He doesn¡¯t even look to Aureo, instead moving to the walls and striking through each of the divine suppression runes drawn there.


    A shudder runs through the Minor God of the River as he sucks in a deeper breath than intended through half-ruined lungs. Coughing and choking on his own dried blood, Aureo nevertheless feels¡­ good. Or at least, he feels better than he has in all the time he¡¯s been in this cell.


    The runes blocking him from his power have been taken care of and suddenly it¡¯s like he can see again. He feels the connection to his river growing by the second and can even feel the river itself reaching for him like it missed him.


    ¡°Lord Aureo. How are you feeling?¡±


    Pulled back to the present, Aureo looks up to see the woman has stepped into the cell as well. She looks¡­ beautiful. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she IS a goddess. Even still, maybe this is all part of the hallucination. Testing the waters, he jingles his chains a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯d feel better¡­ if I wasn¡¯t shackled¡­ to the wall, I suppose.¡±


    Sophia, as she¡¯d named herself, nods to her male companion. Oren? He steps forward and uses the Celestial Dagger on Aureo¡¯s chains, freeing him from the wall. As his arms drop rather limply to his sides, the River God decides this at least isn¡¯t a ploy from his captors. Sure, they might free him, but they would never destroy his shackles or the runes on the walls in the process.


    Could¡­ could still be a hallucination though, right? Except the goddess, Sophia, comes up to him and places a hand on his face and¡­ and Aureo has never felt such warmth. Divine power flows from her into him and he lets out a gasp as he feels some of his much diminished strength returning.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you out of the city, don¡¯t worry. Do you think you can stand?¡±


    Doubtful. Aureo doesn¡¯t trust himself to speak though, still torn between whether this is real or not. Frowning a little at his silence, Sophia looks to her male companion. However, before she can say anything, Oren speaks first.


    ¡°They¡¯re finally moving.¡±


    Aureo strains himself looking up too, to see the man standing there with his head cocked to the side and his eyes staring up through the ceiling of the catacombs.


    ¡°The City Guard is mobilizing to investigate the district, Goddess.¡±


    The City Guard? Why would they be investigating? Aureo blinks in confusion, even as Sophia frowns harder.


    ¡°I see. Well, with all of the God Hunters dead, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about risking divine movement anymore. I¡¯ll just bring us all outside of the city and they¡¯ll find nothing but the bodies.¡±


    All of the God Hunters dead? Aureo¡¯s not sure even a hallucination would be this ridiculous. And that means¡­ that means there¡¯s a chance all of this is real. If all of this is real, then¡­


    ¡°Wa¡­ Wait¡­¡±


    The beautiful goddess hesitates, having been reaching for both him and Oren. Wetting his lips, Aureo shakes his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ take us out of the city. Take us¡­ to the sewers. I have a place¡­ under the city. Hidden¡­ away. I can¡­ heal fully there.¡±


    Heh, the way Sophia¡¯s nose wrinkles at the prospect of sewers is kind of cute. Yeah, this is all way too nice to be an actual hallucination. And even if it is¡­ Aureo decides he doesn¡¯t care. He¡¯ll go ahead and buy into it for now. Fuck, if it turns out to be real, then he might just get his revenge after all¡­

 Chapter 23: Hideaway

    As they traverse the sewers, Oren keeps his eyes and ears open and his head on a swivel. His nose, however¡­ not so much. You know, Oren hadn¡¯t really had time for too much entertainment back on Earth. What with studying for a life he would never get to live and everything. But it was impossible not to pick up on some stuff via simple cultural osmosis. And he was pretty sure that no tv show, movie, or comic ever really showed the downsides of having enhanced senses.


    The smell down here was bad. Really bad. Even breathing in through his mouth didn¡¯t fully prevent the overpowering stench from hitting his brain. In the end, his only real recourse is to hold his breath entirely. Which he actually can do for several minutes at a time, but eventually he has to take in another breath and deal with the smell for a few moments again.


    It would have been better if they¡¯d just gone with Sophia¡¯s plan and let her transport them all out of the city. The City Guard might have mobilized a little faster than he expected, but it wasn¡¯t like they would have been able to hunt them down, nor would they really have had any reason to venture out of Goldriver to try to find them. Now though? Oren wasn¡¯t so certain.


    Sophia had never seen the sewers of Goldriver before, so instead of just teleporting from the catacombs into the city sewers, they¡¯d been forced to find a shared wall and Oren had smashed it open. The City Guard would almost certainly make their way down to the God Hunters¡¯ makeshift dungeons eventually, and they would probably find the hole into the sewers as well.


    Whether they would realize it was an escape route or not was more of a toss-up, but it was still far too iffy for Oren¡¯s liking. Unfortunately, even after his and Sophia¡¯s talk about what the God Hunters might have done to her if they¡¯d followed her plan¡­ the goddess was less than interested in listening to what he had to say. In the end, he hadn¡¯t even tried. Aureo had convinced Sophia that he couldn¡¯t leave the city, and so now here they were.


    Of course, Sophia didn¡¯t exactly have the physicality to drag along an injured god. And the River God, while he¡¯d been healed a little bit by Sophia¡¯s infusion of divine power, was still very injured. Missing an eye, several fingers on both hands, toes on one foot, and the entire goddamn foot on the other¡­ yeah, Aureo had certainly seen better days.


    Oren was forced to help him along as they made their way through the sewers, searching for what the River God described as ¡®something he¡¯d recognize as soon as he saw it¡¯. Frankly, Oren was starting to have his doubts. But at the same time, what else could they do? They needed Aureo to survive so he could answer their questions, and that mean staying ahead of the City Guard. Especially since the City Guard were working for the leadership of the city, the same exact people who sold Aureo out to the God Hunters all those months ago.


    Even now, Oren can hear a lot of movement over their heads. They¡¯ve definitely moved away from the Temple District at this point, but every once in a while Oren hears men marching in armor down a road towards said district from elsewhere in the city. He¡¯s not sure if the City Guard is expecting a fight from the God Hunters, or if they stopped the moment they found the first bodies and immediately called for reinforcements.


    Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter too much in the end because hopefully they¡¯ll never find them. Even if the City Guard did try to search the sewers for them, this place is labyrinthian in nature. Aureo keeps telling him they need to turn left or right, but while Oren can at least tell they haven¡¯t turned around at any point, he has no clue where they¡¯re going or if they¡¯ll actually get there.


    It''s entirely possible that the River God he¡¯s helping to limp along is already lost. After everything Aureo has been through, Oren wouldn¡¯t even blame him or be that mad. Worst case scenario, they could always still have Sophia transport them all out of here and-


    ¡°H¡­ Here.¡±


    Oren blinks as Aureo suddenly pulls to a stop and speaks up. The injured god is still very weak and this trip hasn¡¯t been any better for him, but he¡¯d refused to entertain the idea of having Oren carry him in any shape or form. He¡¯d even ruled out a piggyback ride. His pride simply wouldn¡¯t allow it, so Oren had been reduced to a crutch instead for the god to lean on as they¡¯d made their way.


    Looking around, this section of the sewers doesn¡¯t look any different from the others, Oren has to admit. He furrows his brow as he studies the walls¡­ and then he sees it, his eyes widening slightly. There, hidden beneath the muck and grime is the faintest outline imaginable for a doorway.


    ¡°I see it.¡±


    Aureo peers at him with his one working eye before grunting as Oren turns them both, orienting perfectly onto the hidden doorway. After a moment, the River God snorts derisively.


    ¡°You do, do you? Good eyes. Yes, it¡¯s right here. And I, thanks to the lovely goddess at our side, have just enough power to activate it.¡±


    Sophia blushes lightly, preening a little bit under Aureo¡¯s praise. Of course, she¡¯s not too pleased about it¡­ mostly because this sewer trek hasn¡¯t been something she¡¯s enjoyed anymore than Oren.


    Reaching out with his hand, Aureo places it flat against the wall in the exact center of the faint outline that Oren can just barely makeout. Then, he pulses his divine power and the entire door becomes far more visible as it glows from the infusion of energy. Until slowly, with a grinding noise that fills the sewer, the section of wall comes away, pushing down into the floor until it reveals another passageway.


    This one is hewn from natural rock and the ground is fine sand instead of¡­ well, instead of what they¡¯re currently dealing with. Aureo slumps against Oren in relief and excitement, but he doesn¡¯t push for them to rush forward. Instead, he gestures to Sophia.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    Oren clenches his jaw at that, not liking the idea of Sophia taking lead in unfamiliar territory. However, before he can say anything, she¡¯s already giving Aureo a polite curtesy and stepping ahead of them into the cave tunnel. Frowning, Oren makes sure he and Aureo follow right behind her so there¡¯s no foolish clich¨¦ like the door closing and cutting them off or anything like that.


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    Not that it would have worked to separate them if it had happened anyways, but it would have been better not to have to destroy the door if the City Guard decided to investigate the sewers after all. Indeed, once he and Aureo are into the passageway as well and out of the sewers, Aureo reaches to the side and grabs an innocuous-looking rocky outcropping, sending another pulse of divine energy out and closing the door behind them.


    With that¡­ it was like they were never there. Or so Oren hoped. As the three of them begin moving down the tunnel again, Oren can¡¯t help but raise some concerns.


    ¡°This place we¡¯re going to¡­ does anyone in the city know about it?¡±


    Turning, Aureo peers at him for a second.


    ¡°If you mean those treacherous fuckers who sold me out to the God Hunters¡­ nah. None of them know about this place. It predates them¡­ predates any living mortal, in fact.¡±


    Oren just grunts.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t have any information about this place in your holdings up in the city? You know those were almost certainly ransacked and salvaged for spoils after your capture and imprisonment right?"


    The River God grimaces at that, either because he hadn¡¯t thought of that yet or because he didn¡¯t like being reminded. Still, his answer is satisfactory when it finally comes.


    ¡°¡­ No. Nothing up there would have exposed my hideaway down here.¡±


    Okay good. Content for the time being, Oren falls silent as they continue on. Unfortunately, it seems he¡¯s roused Aureo¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly an inquisitive one, aren¡¯t you? And if I¡¯m not mistaken¡­ mortal as well. Strange company, goddess.¡±


    Turning to regard them as she keeps moving forward, Sophia forces a smile onto her face as her eyes flicker to Oren.


    ¡°He¡¯s my bodyguard¡­ and a skilled one at that.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I couldn¡¯t help noticing when you said earlier that the God Hunters were all dead. That¡¯s a lot of men for two people to slaughter their way through.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s smile falters a little at that, but the goddess is too honest for her own good.


    ¡°Just one, actually. I¡¯m¡­ not much of a killer.¡±


    Her wince at the end makes it clear she¡¯s thinking of what happened with Raythe. Oren itches to reassure her and point out that he struck the killing blow there technically but coming from him he¡¯s not sure it would really help. And besides, the injury that Sophia had dealt Raythe HAD been lethal, Oren had just¡­ sped things up a bit.


    Still, its obvious that Aureo is getting somewhat suspicious. Oren doesn¡¯t quite know how to allay those suspicions though. In the end, he¡¯ll just have to leave it to Sophia to-


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    In an instant, he¡¯s blurring forward. Sophia had still been looking back over her shoulder at them as she walked forward, biting her lower lip and clearly just as deep in thought as him. As such, she hadn¡¯t seen the cave tunnel coming to an end and opening up into a larger cavern¡­ or the drop just beyond it.


    Faster than the blink of an eye, Oren has deposited Aureo against the nearest wall and dashed forward, his hand reaching out and grabbing the front of Sophia¡¯s top near the small of her back. Modulating his strength so he doesn¡¯t just rip her top open and let her fall anyways, he pulls her away from the edge she¡¯s tipping over. In the process, she spins around and winds up pressed flat against him, her hands flat on his chest.


    For the briefest of moments, the two of them stare at one another, wide eyed. And then Oren remembers himself and lets go of her, pulling back and coughing into his fist.


    ¡°Apologies, Goddess.¡±


    Sophia blushes before making a show of brushing herself off.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ well, don¡¯t let it happen again.¡±


    Whether ¡®it¡¯ was her nearly falling off a ledge or him ¡®saving¡¯ her, Oren doesn¡¯t know and doesn¡¯t ask. He¡¯s silent as he helps Aureo off of the wall and they move forward to join Sophia on the ledge overlooking the cavern. It¡¯s¡­ admittedly very beautiful, Oren has to admit. There are glowing crystalline structures in the ceilings and walls, providing a strange sort of lighting that is as gorgeous as it is unnatural. The fine sand from the passage fills the cavern below as well.


    Finally, there are two major features to the cavern aside from the crystals and the sand. On the left is an open ¡®bedroom¡¯ of sorts. The sand has been covered in stone slabs and upon those stone slabs sits a large four poster canopy bed along with a desk and a wardrobe. On the right of the cavern, meanwhile, is a small stream that ends in a pool filled to the brim with the clearest, brightest, bubbliest water that Oren has ever seen.


    After a long moment of allowing Oren and Sophia to silently admire the place, Aureo speaks up, his voice filled with unmistakable pride.


    ¡°The stream is technically part of my river. Not part of the main river, that¡¯s all above ground, but there are some underground caves that the river opens up into. One of those caves is thin but deep, going far enough down to find pockets of heat that then push the water back up into that pool you see there. I¡¯ve imbued the pool with enough of my deific power over the centuries that it¡¯s a divine healing spring by this point. For mortals, just a drink of its waters could cure any ailment or injury in seconds. For a god though¡­ you¡¯ll have to help me in.¡±


    Oren glances to Sophia for permission first. Not that he thinks she¡¯ll say no, but it¡¯s not his decision. The goddess blinks and then hurriedly nods.


    ¡°O-Oh! Of course, let¡¯s get you in so you can begin healing then!¡±


    If it was Oren¡¯s choice, he would have made their continued assistance and Aureo¡¯s healing contingent on answering their questions. After all, having slaughtered an entire garrison of God Hunters, he really did want them on the road away from Goldriver sooner rather than later. This was so much worse than Oakvale¡­


    But Sophia was the boss and Oren wasn¡¯t so emotionally stunted that he didn¡¯t recognize the lack of morality in his thoughts. Helping Aureo down the winding path from the ledge to the cave floor below, they make it over to the healing spring soon enough. Luckily, it¡¯s like a bowl. The sides aren¡¯t too deep, though now that he¡¯s closer Oren can make out the seam along the bottom of the spring where the heated water is bubbling up from deep within the earth.


    Easing Aureo down into the side of the hot spring until the god is submerged up to his neck¡­ the effects are almost immediate. First, all of the blood, grime, and other disgusting remnants from his captivity and torture fleck off of Aureo¡¯s godly figure in mere moments. But rather than muddying up the hot spring and ruining the crystal clear waters, it¡¯s almost like all of it just¡­ dissolves away into nothingness.


    From there, a light glow covers the River God from head to toe, even the part of his body that isn¡¯t submerged under the water. Aureo closes his own remaining eye with a sigh as he leans back in contentment.


    ¡°Thank you, both of you. I confess, part of me still wonders if this might be a hallucination.¡±


    Sophia makes a noise in the back of her throat at that, but Oren is forced to acknowledge that it¡¯s fair assumption. Aureo was extremely fortunate to have lasted long enough for them to save him.


    ¡°But by now, I kind of have to admit¡­ you both are far too strange for me to have thought you up.¡±


    Opening his one good eye, Aureo looks between the two of them.


    ¡°Apologies, but it seems my paranoid mind can¡¯t accept the lack of answers any longer. Please tell me how a Minor Goddess of the slaughtered Heavens and a mortal capable of slaughtering an entire God Hunter garrison came to be traveling together.¡±


    While Oren appreciates the polite fa?ade, he¡¯s not so unobservant that he doesn¡¯t notice the crystals on the walls and ceiling glowing with power¡­ or the water of the healing spring as well. Damn it¡­ Aureo had said it himself, hadn¡¯t he? This stream and hot spring were part of his river. They¡¯d effectively put the diminished god back in the center of his domain¡­ the center of his power.


    They would have to tread very, very carefully from here on out.

 Chapter 24: Explanations

    Sophia wasn¡¯t an idiot. She knew full well the moment that Aureo had rejected the idea of leaving the city entirely that they would be bringing him to the heart of his power. Hell, he hadn¡¯t even made much secret of that fact either. Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have allowed Oren to help him into the pool without some assurances, but even demanding such a thing seemed like a terrible way to get their relationship off on the right foot.


    She was just so tired. Physically, she was fine, but emotionally, she was exhausted. Nothing had gone right for her since her father¡¯s death. Nothing had been as it should have been. But this¡­ this feels like it should be a sure thing. They¡¯d saved Aureo from a truly horrendous captivity, killing his captors and torturers and rescuing him from the depths of their prison. Then, they¡¯d brought him here to recover.


    As far as he should be concerned, they were friends. If not friends, then they were at least allies right? Even still¡­ Oren¡¯s words from the road come back to her in that moment. It¡¯s not paranoia if they really are out to get you. The River God was smart to ask questions. He was wise to use them to reach this point before signaling his suspicion too.


    Sophia knew she had to give him some sort of answer to his query. Oren certainly wasn¡¯t going to speak without her approval. But¡­ she was hopeful, not stupid. She had to tell Aureo something, but she definitely didn¡¯t have to tell him everything. In fact, as much as it pained her to be so duplicitous¡­ if she worded things right, then she could steer Aureo to certain conclusions without having to actually tell a single lie.


    ¡°Oren is an Otherworlder.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, Sophia sees Oren stiffen up at her words. It¡¯s the perfect reaction truth be told, because it makes it less likely that Aureo will realize they¡¯re hiding anything deeper than that. And indeed, just this much is enough to make the Minor God¡¯s single eye widen in shock.


    ¡°An Otherworlder¡­¡±


    He trails off for a moment, clearly having to process the reveal. All the while, Sophia can see him healing in real time. Goldriver¡¯s patron god is submerged within the waters of his domain and finally able to recover from months of torment and torture. His battered, bruised, torn up body is slowly rejuvenating itself and even his missing fingers are beginning to grow little stubs. The foot the God Hunters took from him is also slowly reconstituting itself, though that injury seems to be taking the longest. Well, that and his eye.


    Finally, Aureo lets out a soft chuckle.


    ¡°Are you sure your Law¡¯s daughter? The King of the Gods certainly wouldn¡¯t approve of an Otherworlder running around.¡±


    Sophia flushes at that, her jaw clenching and her hands curling into fists at her side. She can feel Oren looking at her worriedly¡­ but frankly, she doesn¡¯t want the Otherworlder¡¯s pity right now. Jutting out her chin, she meets Aureo¡¯s needling with an acidic tone.


    ¡°My father isn¡¯t with us anymore. And desperate times call for desperate measures.¡±


    Again, no lie. Aureo looks at her, peers at her¡­ but there¡¯s no deceit in Sophia¡¯s words. The deception is in what she¡¯s NOT saying¡­ and if he questions her further on this, he might just uncover the truth.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not wrong. Summoning an Otherworlder is a truly desperate measure¡­ but these are indeed desperate times.¡±


    Sophia restrains herself to a small sigh of relief, one that Aureo will hopefully take as her relaxing because he¡¯s not judging her. In reality, Sophia is more relieved that he bought into the deception that she¡¯d summoned Oren herself AFTER her father¡¯s death when she¡¯d done no such thing.


    ¡­ It¡¯s not lost on the goddess that this is precisely the lie Oren peddled to her back when they first met. The idea of an Otherworlder being summoned under Law¡¯s nose and trained in secret for years was just so outlandish and ridiculous that most people would default to assuming he¡¯d been brought to Creation after the King of the Gods had already been slain.


    Maybe eventually they would be able to tell Aureo the truth, but while he wasn¡¯t a God of the Heavens, she still didn¡¯t know how he would react to finding out he was sharing a cave with the God Killer himself. Especially when Oren is still carrying the Celestial Dagger he used to destroy the runes on the walls, break open Aureo¡¯s cell, and cut through his shackles back in the catacombs.


    ¡°Still, to think one could become so strong so fast¡­ truly, Otherworlders are scary beings aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Sophia bites her lower lip, throwing a glance to Oren. Aureo wasn¡¯t wrong and Oren, through his feats and deeds, was direct proof of that. Otherworlders were capable of immense destruction with enough time and energy. Though Aureo was wrong about the time frame, just as Sophia had been. Oren¡¯s strength and power wasn¡¯t the result of just a few months, but rather years of focused training.


    ¡°Oren is¡­ reliable enough. He¡¯s dangerous yes, but not to me.¡±


    Oren gets this look on his face that forces Sophia to turn her eyes away from him. She doesn¡¯t want to feel compassion for her father¡¯s killer. She doesn¡¯t want to pity him either.


    ¡°Oh? I suppose that¡¯s a subtle way of saying he IS dangerous to me¡­ is that it?¡±


    Jolting, Sophia looks to Aureo, her eyes widening slightly.


    ¡°N-No! That wasn¡¯t¡­ he¡¯s dangerous to God Hunters, Lord Aureo. God Hunters and anyone else who wants me dead. You have nothing to worry about so long as you don¡¯t attack us. And why would you? We helped you.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She puts a little bit of steel in her voice on that last part. Sophia is happy they saved him, don¡¯t get her wrong¡­ but she¡¯s not going to let him boss her around and she¡¯s certainly not going to bend over backwards to please him either.


    Aureo pauses for a moment¡­ and then chuckles.


    ¡°Ah, I was wondering if you had a backbone. Good to see it. And please, you can drop the Lord¡­ so formal, heh. I guess that¡¯s just the way you all talked up in the Heavens, hm?¡±


    Sophia furrows her brow, wondering if he was just testing her or something. If that was the case, she didn¡¯t like it. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t exactly blame him after everything he¡¯d been through. In the end, all she can do is try to extend an olive branch and hope he¡¯ll meet her halfway.


    ¡°No¡­ but it is how we were taught to address foreign deities such as yourself. It¡¯s simply a matter of respect. But¡­ you can just call me Sophia as well, if you like.¡±


    Aureo¡¯s lips curl into a smile.


    ¡°Well met, Sophia.¡±


    Silence falls over the cavern after that, and Sophia wonders if Aureo has no further questions. The River God seems to be relaxing for the time being, his one remaining eye drifting shut as he luxuriates in the healing spring. Maybe¡­ maybe this was her chance to ask HER questions at long last. It was doubtful she¡¯d have a better chance than this, what with how relaxed Aureo currently is.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ earlier we talked about desperate times and desperate measures.¡±


    Aureo hums in agreement.


    ¡°¡­ The situation is perhaps more desperate than even you know, Aureo. Tell me, does the name ¡®Raythe¡¯ mean anything to you?¡±


    The River God doesn¡¯t really respond for a moment, his eyes remaining shut. Finally his lips move even as he lays there in the healing waters.


    ¡°Mm¡­ can¡¯t say that I do, no. Should the name ring a bell?¡±


    No, in fact it was the exact opposite. If Aureo HAD known Raythe, Sophia¡¯s not sure how she would have reacted.


    ¡°Perhaps not. He was a god you see. Specifically, he was a God of Lies and Duplicity.¡±


    Aureo¡¯s brow furrows, his lips curling downwards into a frown.


    ¡°Those are not domains I¡¯ve heard of, I¡¯ll admit. Most domains here on the Mortal Plane are connected to a physical location of sorts. Forests, mountains, oceans¡­ rivers.¡±


    Sophia nods. That lined up with what she knew as well, that¡¯s why Raythe was so strange. But not only that¡­


    ¡°He hunted Oren and I down. Eventually, he came for us personally, but not before sending all manner of obstacles our way. And the majority of those obstacles¡­ took the form of God Hunters.¡±


    That gets a reaction out of the River God. Aureo comes up into a seated position in an instant, turning to face her with BOTH eyes open now. The other seems to have healed at some point in their conversation, because both of his eyes are staring her down, glowing slightly with power.


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me.¡±


    Sophia smiles thinly.


    ¡°It¡¯s why we came to Goldriver in the first place, I¡¯m afraid. Raythe is dead, he made it clear that it was him or us¡­ and we chose us. But before he died, he spoke as though the God Hunters were his pawns. He talked like they were working for him and others, even if unknowingly.¡±


    Beneath the water, Aureo¡¯s hands curl into fists at the same time that his jaw clenches.


    ¡°¡­ Others. You mean other deities.¡±


    Sophia nods enthusiastically. She¡¯s admittedly a little eager to get to the heart of the matter. Maybe finally they were closing in on some answers.


    ¡°The impression that I got from Raythe led me to believe he had the backing of other gods and goddesses. And looking at how fast the God Hunters spread across the Mortal Planes and how quickly they inserted themselves into so many places where they shouldn¡¯t have been welcomed nearly as quickly as they were, I have to wonder. How much help did they have? And who among the divine would stand to gain from all of this deific blood being spilled?¡±


    Aureo looks disturbed by her questions. Good, because they disturb Sophia as well. Someone had set Oren against the Heavens and from what he¡¯d told her and the things Raythe had said, she was confident it wasn¡¯t JUST the God of Lies and Duplicity. There was more at work here. There were more hiding in the shadows, she was sure of it.


    ¡°Do you know anything about these gods? I know you were surprised by Raythe¡¯s domains, but please think long and hard on this. Have you ever heard even a whisper of anything like this before? Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just gods of the land and water who stayed behind on the Mortal Planes when my father built the Heavens millennia ago. Perhaps there was another group of gods who were in hiding all this time."


    Aureo looks stricken by the thought. He looks down at his restored hands and a shudder runs through him.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but the idea that the God Hunters have divine backing gives me little solace Sophia. I¡­ don¡¯t have any idea who you could be talking about, I will admit. I¡¯m only a little over a thousand years old and like you said, the separation of the Heavens and the Mortal Planes was¡­ thousands of years ago.¡±


    Well, he¡¯s twice her age still, but Sophia isn¡¯t about to admit that. Still, it¡¯s distressing to hit a dead end. While she¡¯s glad they were able to save Aureo, she finds herself wondering where to go from here¡­


    ¡°I think I know who would know, however.¡±


    Sophia blinks, pulled from her thoughts by Aureo¡¯s next words. He looks thoughtful for a moment, his eyes moving to the stream that leads away from his healing spring briefly before going back to her.


    ¡°My father Oceanus is an Ancient God of the Seas and Winds. He was around before the separation of the Heavens and the Mortal Planes. If anyone knows about these hidden gods, it would be him.¡±


    Oh¡­ oh that sounds perfect! Sophia can¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Yes! That sounds like exactly who we need to talk to! Maybe he could tell us what¡¯s going on and where we might go from here!¡±


    Aureo nods, before looking to the stream again.


    ¡°My river actually goes all the way to his domain. Now that I¡¯m healed, it would be child¡¯s play for me to transport the three of us to the coast. And from there, I can contact him.¡±


    Is this what it feels like when everything is going right? Sophia isn¡¯t sure she¡¯s felt this light and happy in ages. Smiling from ear to ear, she¡¯s about to ask Aureo when they can leave. But before she can, he continues on.


    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t leave yet. I have unfinished business here in Goldriver first.¡±


    Oh¡­ right, of course. Sophia swallows thickly, the knowledge she¡¯d gleaned from Commander Hogarth¡¯s letters weighing heavily on her mind. The city leadership had betrayed Aureo to the God Hunters. They¡¯d let the God Hunters pay them off and sacrificed a friendship between Aureo and Goldriver that had lasted longer than any of them were alive.


    Sophia would be a hypocrite if she demanded Aureo ignore his vengeance for the sake of her own. She couldn¡¯t in good conscience try to talk him out of going after the Goldriver Nobles who betrayed him while she was planning to use Oren to kill everyone involved in his summoning, the slaughter of the Heavens, and the propping up of the God Hunters.


    Letting out an explosive breath, Sophia slowly nods.


    ¡°I understand. Oren and I will help you take your revenge on those who wronged you.¡±


    Oren shoots her a look at that but doesn¡¯t question her, thankfully. Aureo, meanwhile, lets out a little laugh.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer Sophia, but that won¡¯t be necessary. Your Otherworlder is certainly a powerful tool¡­ but I¡¯m no slouch myself. Flooding the city and drowning its inhabitants will be far easier than having him slaughter them all singlehandedly anyways.¡±


    Wait¡­ what?

 Chapter 25: Attempting Appeasement

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s shock is reasonable, given what Aureo just told them. Oren though¡­ he can¡¯t say he¡¯s all that surprised. He¡¯s been watching the River God since they rescued him and even as Aureo lay healing in the water of his domain while they talked, Oren had come to one simply conclusion. The God of Goldriver was not okay.


    Who would be after everything Aureo had been through? The god had been tortured for months by the God Hunters. He¡¯d had everything stripped away from him. His health, his power, his dignity, his pride. They¡¯d reduced him to a mere shell of his former self. Rescuing him and healing his physical injuries wasn¡¯t going to be enough to fix him if something was off upstairs.


    To be fair, the River God had put on a brave face. Quick as a whip and eager to laugh to cover his pain, he¡¯d clearly fooled Sophia with the act. Oren saw through it though. He saw the micro-expressions as Sophia and Aureo talked back and forth, he saw the God of Goldriver for what he truly was. The most telling moment had to be when Sophia told Aureo that Oren was an Otherworlder.


    Oh, the god had made all the right noises and said all the right things, but what Sophia had failed to notice was that truthfully, deep down¡­ Aureo was relieved that Oren was an Otherworlder. Oren hadn¡¯t really understood why at the time, but he was starting to get it now. Aureo was harboring a deep, seething, visceral hatred for all things mortal. By labeling Oren as an Otherworlder, he was able to divorce him from his hatred, to separate Oren from the native humans he so desperately wanted to kill.


    At Sophia¡¯s confused words, Aureo just laughs again as he rises out of the water, fully healed. He doesn¡¯t walk or step out of the spring, no he quite literally rises up out, with the water moving beneath him to guide him to land. His feet hit the sand and he barely falters upon his regrown foot, even as he strides with purpose over to the open-air bedroom on the other side of the cavern.


    His intentions are obvious given his complete nudity. Oren was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t been fully naked back when they¡¯d rescued him, but the healing spring seemed to have treated the scraps of clothing he¡¯d still had on in the same way it¡¯d treated the muck, filth, and dried blood. Namely by doing away with it all and leaving him pristine and also entirely naked.


    Sophia averts her gaze of course, blushing a bit as Oren focuses more on Aureo¡¯s response than his looks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what has you confused, Sophia. You said it yourself; I need to take my revenge on those who wronged me.¡±


    Throwing open the wardrobe, Aureo reveals a rack of robes, all in different shades of blue. He begins looking through them, even as Sophia makes a point of studying the crystals on the ceiling. That doesn¡¯t stop her from seeking clarification though.


    ¡°I just¡­ wasn¡¯t it the city leadership who wronged you? I read a letter from Commander Hogarth. I know they turned on you and sold you out to the God Hunters. They deserve to pay for that¡­ even with their lives really, after everything that happened to you. A swift death is more than fair in payment for months of torture.¡±


    From the surety in her voice, Oren thinks that last sentence might have been a domain thing. She is a Goddess of Equity, after all. It¡¯s interesting that her divine power seemed to take that view on things, but he can¡¯t really find it in him to disagree with her. Aureo on the other hand turns his head sharply in Sophia¡¯s direction, his eyes narrowed for a second. When he realizes that Sophia isn¡¯t looking his way and why, the River God snorts derisively.


    ¡°A hard death is no less than they deserve. I wouldn¡¯t know given what I am, but I¡¯m told drowning isn¡¯t a fun way to go. It¡¯s no less than they deserve though. No less than they ALL deserve.¡±


    Aureo picks out a robe of cerulean blue and puts it on, wrapping it around himself with a sigh. Sophia chances a look down and then reorients onto the River God now that he¡¯s clothed. Nevertheless, she looks downright stricken by his words.


    ¡°The whole city though? Surely there are innocents among the populace. People who had nothing to do with your captivity. Do they really deserve death?¡±


    Stepping in front of a standing mirror, Aureo fluffs the collar of his robes for a moment, letting the silence drag on just long enough that it¡¯s not clear if he¡¯s going to respond or not. Finally, just as Sophia is starting to squirm, he does.


    ¡°Yes. They do.¡±


    Turning away from the mirror, Aureo looks to Sophia¡­ and Oren thinks the madness in the River God¡¯s eyes is more apparent than ever given the way she freezes up.


    ¡°They are all complicit, Sophia. Every last one of them. The city nobles sold me out for their own gain, certainly, but every single person in this city went along with it. They all sided with their leaders over me, their god.¡±


    Sophia bites her lower lip.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sure most of them didn¡¯t see a single copper of the money the God Hunters paid the nobility for you though. They¡¯re just¡­¡±


    As the goddess trails off, Oren can see this is difficult for her. She doesn¡¯t necessarily want to be stuck in this position, defending mortals. Not after how the people in Oakvale had treated them. Not with all the things the God Hunters have done.


    Aureo also senses Sophia¡¯s hesitation and whether he recognizes where it comes from or not, the River God nevertheless capitalizes on it, pouncing on the perceived weakness.


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    ¡°They¡¯re just what, Sophia? Living their lives? Going about their days? That is where their complicity begins. Not a single one of them does not know me as their patron god. Not a single human being in Goldriver was unaware of my existence. And yet¡­ where were they? When I disappeared, did they question it? When the God Hunters took over the Temple District and defaced the statues there, did they try to stop it?¡±


    Oren watches Sophia fret for a moment before her eyes suddenly light up.


    ¡°Y-Yes! At least for the first part, yes! I¡­ Oren and I met a young woman in the city before we came for you. A waitress at an upscale tavern. She mentioned you. She talked about her father¡¯s worship of you, how they missed your presence greatly!¡±


    Now its Aureo who pauses and hesitates. Sophia takes a step forward, continuing on.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to drown the entire city. You don¡¯t even have to get your hands dirty, Aureo. The God Hunters are all dead! If you reveal yourself to Goldriver, if you tell them what the nobility has done, I¡¯m sure the people will rise up and tear down their leaders for you. You can be their god again!¡±


    For a moment, Sophia seems to be getting through to the River God. At the very least, he doesn¡¯t immediately blow her off. Aureo truly looks like he¡¯s giving Sophia¡¯s words the consideration they¡¯re due. Which makes it all the harder for her when he finally shakes his head.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    Oren¡¯s jaw clenches as he hears Sophia make a wounded noise in the back of her throat. Aureo hears it too of course, offering her an apologetic smile.


    ¡°I do not truly believe every mortal is evil, Sophia.¡±


    That, Oren can tell, is a lie.


    ¡°In fact, some of my followers did try to reach me during my captivity and rescue me from the God Hunters.¡±


    That on the other hand, was not a lie.


    ¡°The God Hunters delighted in telling me about it. About how this or that follower had died screaming before ever reaching my cell.¡±


    Sophia looks stricken once more, while Aureo gazes off into the distance for a moment.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t blame those mortals for failing to save me.¡±


    Oren recognizes that as another lie. Aureo¡¯s mask is damn near flawless, but under his contemplative expression is seething rage. He did in fact blame the mortals who died trying to save him for their failures. In his broken madness, he was putting all of humanity in the same basket.


    ¡°But they represent the sum total ¡®value¡¯ of mortals in this city. Everyone else didn¡¯t even try¡­ or contributed directly to my suffering. For that, they must pay. For that¡­ they will perish.¡±


    This was bad and only getting worse. Oren was more than happy to sit back and let Sophia try to talk the River God out of this. Not only did they need Aureo¡¯s help still, but also he figured the Goddess of Wisdom would have the best chance at talking the god down. However¡­ Oren was not about to let Aureo drown a city.


    He might be a monster. He might have more divine blood on his hands than even the God Hunters. And sure, he might not even be from this universe. But those were still people up there. Living, breathing people. Oren didn¡¯t have a problem with killing to defend himself or Sophia, especially when it was kill or be killed more often than not. And the God Hunters, generally, tended to be just as monstrous as he was.


    But standing aside and letting an entire city of innocents drown just so they could stay on good terms with Aureo and hitch a ride to go and see his Ancient God of a father? That was looking to be a step too far for Oren. And would you look at that¡­ he still has a certain Celestial Dagger on his person.


    ¡­ He didn¡¯t want to kill Aureo though. Not just for of his usefulness to them, but also because the River God had been through a lot. He was the victim in all of this. Surely he could be talked out of going too far. Oren knew it would never be him who did the deed, but Sophia¡­ surely she wouldn¡¯t just give up. Indeed, he¡¯s proven right a moment later when Sophia breaks the silence once more.


    ¡°What about after though?! If your father can help Oren and I track down the gods behind all of this, we can put a stop to them. And from there, without their divine backing, the God Hunters will surely crumble! If you destroy Goldriver now, there¡¯s no turning back the clock. What if you come to regret it?¡±


    There¡¯s another pregnant pause¡­ but this time Oren can tell Aureo isn¡¯t actually giving Sophia¡¯s words any real consideration. At this point, the River God is simply humoring her. After a moment, he just shakes his head with a chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that there¡¯s no turning back the clock, Sophia. Even if the God Hunters are disbanded, the damage is already done. I wasn¡¯t alone down there. You know that. Everything in this region with an ounce of divine blood was fair game to those bastards. They took gods and goddesses I¡¯ve known for centuries and reduced them to corpses. They destroyed divinities that have watched over these lands for longer than this city has existed.¡±


    Aureo is barely keeping it together now. If Sophia were anything less than the beauty she is, Oren suspects that he¡¯d probably be sneering. But in this case, he¡¯s clearly still trying to be ¡®gentle¡¯ with the goddess. His tone softens, even as he takes on a chiding voice.


    ¡°What gives the humans the right to continue profiting off of the fruits of divine labor? Even if the God Hunters are gone, so are all of my peers. All of my kin. Taken from their domains, tortured to death down in the dark of those catacombs. There must be a reckoning, Sophia. There will be a reckoning.¡±


    His words hang heavily in the air for a moment before he smirks.


    ¡°I also feel I must correct you on something you said. I¡¯m not intending on destroying Goldriver. Goldriver is the river, not the city. I and the river were here before the city¡­ and I fully intend to make sure that we¡¯re both here long after the city as well. Even if I have to take matters into my own hands.¡±


    Well damn. It doesn¡¯t look like Sophia is going to succeed at talking Aureo down. This was it then, was it? Oren was going to have to step in.


    ¡°Please¡­ Aureo, you don¡¯t have to do this. You¡¯re only lowering yourself to the God Hunters¡¯ level.¡±


    Even Sophia starts to sound defeated. Fuck, maybe she¡¯s going to give him the order at this rate. Oren tenses up, ready for whatever comes next. Or so he thinks anyways.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong Sophia. I do have to do this. But you¡¯re also wrong in another way. Because I already started doing it five minutes ago.¡±


    What? Oren furrows his brow at that, his hand falling to the dagger of the Celestial Dagger. Only, before he can make a decision, the ground beneath the three of them begins to shake. More than that, Oren hears a lot more thanks to his enhanced senses. Admittedly, he¡¯d heard the distant sound of rushing water and hadn¡¯t thought much of it given all that Aureo had already said about the underground sections of his river.


    But now¡­ the Otherworlder¡¯s motion of inaction costs him as the sand they¡¯ve been standing on flows away from the stone platforms that are suddenly lifting up under their feet. Without really thinking about it, Oren leaves the dagger sheathed and moves towards Sophia instead of Aureo, flashing to the goddess¡¯ side with all his speed and taking hold of her arm to steady her before she can fall off the rising stone.


    The look Sophia shoots him is too complicated for even Oren to put into words¡­ or maybe he just doesn¡¯t want to try. Either way, they¡¯re both torn away from their locked eyes by the light coming from overhead and when they look up, they¡¯re damn near blinded by the sun¡¯s rays as they realize the cavern¡¯s crystalline ceiling has come apart.


    They¡¯re climbing now. Climbing out of the depths. Climbing up from under the city¡­ into the sky.

 Chapter 26: Perfectly Reasonable

    Aureo absently notes Sophia''s pet moving to help her maintain her balance, even as they all rise up out of the cavern together. Admittedly his attention is on other things at this point, but he''s still glad that she didn''t fall off. Despite their difference in opinions, it''s not like he wants any harm to come to her or her pet Otherworlder. They had saved his life, after all.


    ¡­ Still, the goddess'' soft personality was going to get her killed one of these days. For a so-called Goddess of Wisdom, she didn''t actually seem very wise. After they were done here and he took them to his father''s realm, he would have to convince her to stay there, deep beneath the ocean depths where most mortals dared not tread. Indeed, the idea of retreating to Oceanus'' Kingdom had been brought up at that summit all that time ago, back before he was betrayed and captured. If only he''d agreed, so many more of his peers and friends would still be alive.


    No use crying over spilt milk though, now was there? He would avenge them. Every mortal in Goldriver would die for the blood the God Hunters spilt in those catacombs beneath the Temple District. If he had more time, Aureo might go further still and drown the entire region in blood¡­ but no. The annihilation of the city would have to do, and then he would take Sophia and her pet to his father.


    They would be allowed to ask their questions, as well as tell Oceanus exactly what they knew, but Aureo doubted they would actually be allowed to leave his father''s domain once they entered it. Certainly not with him advocating for their confinement. Really, it would be for their own good¡­ or rather, it would be for Sophia''s own good.


    Aureo didn''t really care what happened to her Otherworlder Pet so long as she kept it on a short leash. But Sophia¡­ Sophia, for all her silly thoughts, was a beautiful young goddess. Aureo wasn''t entirely sure if he really believed she was the daughter of Law at this point even now, but if she was¡­ well, there was something to be said about a possible union between the two of them, wasn''t there?


    That''s why he''d been willing to entertain her constant arguing back down in the cavern. His mind was set and he had no intentions of changing it, but his father always said it was better to let a goddess talk herself in circles and tire herself out rather than shutting her down completely. Made them less likely to make a nuisance of themselves.


    He just-


    "-ureo! Aureo please! What''s happening?! What are you doing?!"


    Aureo twitches, letting out an aggravated sigh as Sophia''s words reach him even over the rumbling, shaking, and grinding taking place around them. They''ve risen high above the city now, a massive pillar of wet stone looming over the entirety of Goldriver. As he looks down at the city below, the River God can make out all sorts of mortals scurrying about like the ants they are. The entire city is shaking ominously at this point, so he''s not surprised that they''re running around like chickens with their heads cut off.


    ¡­ However, he doesn''t like them going for the gates. Even as he turns to answer Sophia, Aureo pulses out his will and wet earth explodes upwards at the gates of the city, blocking them off completely. Meanwhile, the river entrances are similarly blocked by massive walls of water rising unnaturally out of the river and creating thirty foot tall waves that loom as high as the walls.


    "I am reclaiming what is rightfully mine, Sophia. As I said, Goldriver is not the city¡­ it is the river. And the river will remain long after the city is gone."


    The goddess looks lost and bewildered, staring around at what he''s doing with wide eyes.


    "I don''t¡­ I don''t understand. This power¡­"


    Ah. Now he sees why she''s confused. Aureo gets it, really he does. After all, he''s spent centuries cultivating a certain¡­ image.


    "It doesn''t make much sense, does it? I''m just supposed to be a Minor God of the River, no?"


    He grins, exulting in the rush that comes with getting to reveal his true potential to someone after all this time.


    "I''ve been working on this for a long, long time, Sophia. Goldriver is me and I am Goldriver. The water is my domain and always has been. But I asked myself¡­ why stop at just the river? Why not see just how far I could expand?"


    He got the idea from his father, actually. Not directly though. Oceanus had talked often and frequently whenever they spoke about how Aureo couldn''t remain ''just'' a River God forever. There was a system to these kinds of things, and eventually he would be welcomed into his father''s realm, where he would move to the frontlines of the never-ending war that the God of the Seas and Winds was having with his fellow water-based deities.


    There, Aureo was expected to carve out a section of the seas for himself from his father''s enemies, becoming just another one of his father''s lieutenants in an ever-growing army.


    ¡­ Needless to say, that idea had never truly interested Aureo very much. Fighting other Sea Gods and Goddesses for territory, struggling to build his own underwater kingdom. Aureo had never been all that inclined to follow in his father''s footsteps. Especially when living it up in his river, surrounded by peaceful peers and grateful mortals, was so much more fun.


    So he''d thought to himself¡­ what if he could break the cycle. What if he didn''t need to leave his river and enter the sea to become more powerful in his domain? What if he could make the land around his river¡­ an extension of his river?


    "It''s an aquifer, Sophia! He''s turned the ground under the city into one great aquifer!"


    Aureo''s eyes flicker to the Otherworlder as despite being right next to the goddess, he has to shout to be heard. Sophia''s pet is quicker on the uptake than he''d thought, really. The goddess'' eyes widen and Aureo chuckles, letting his grin widen at the same time.


    "Your pet has hit the nail on the head, Sophia! I''ve been feeding water from my river into the ground here for centuries. Oh, but it''s not just one great big aquifer¡­ its layers and layers of aquifers, one after the other, expanding outwards in all directions including deep, deep beneath the earth!"


    The expression on Sophia''s face as her jaw drops open is honestly precious. Aureo can''t help but preen a little bit, enjoying her shock and awe. And hey¡­ maybe he could score some points with the goddess by telling her the true purpose of his little scheme.


    "I intended for it to be a hidden defense, you know. All this time, all that effort¡­ it''s not like I WANTED to just throw the mortals away or anything like that. This city¡­ I built it up just as much as they did! I gave them everything! I was ready to defend them from anyone and everyone too, if only they''d bothered to ask. But no¡­ they took my generosity and SPAT on it."


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    If only he''d seen the God Hunters coming, none of this would have happened. If only a single one of the city''s leadership had reached out to him and warned him¡­ but no. They''d been unanimous in their decision to stab him in the back and before he could do anything, his divine power had been suppressed and it didn''t matter what hidden strength he''d had lurking under the city. All those months, the power to destroy his captors and anyone else who got in his way had been beneath Aureo''s feet and he could do nothing.


    It was extremely vexing. Maddening, even. There was so much Aureo wished he could have done differently. So many things he thought of that might have changed the outcome. If he''d taken the threat more seriously, he could have evacuated all of his divine kin and peers to his father''s realm via his river, allowing them to survive the God Hunters'' malice. If he''d simply had even an ounce of forewarning, he could have blocked the God Hunters from entering Goldriver entirely and slew them all with his power.


    ¡­ But no. Instead, he''d been betrayed. Captured. Tortured. Made to watch as his peers were dismembered right before his eyes. No¡­ there was no use thinking about what could have been. There was only what had been done¡­ and what he was going to do about it now.


    Turning, Aureo''s eyes alight upon Castle Goldriver. The largest building in the city, towering over even the Cathedral in the Temple District. He''s close to being at eyeline with its ramparts at the moment. It makes for a perfect place to start. Lifting his arm, open palm facing upward, Aureo draws upon his divine power and domain¡­ and curls his hand into a fist.


    Nothing happens for a moment¡­ and then every window on the lowest level of the castle explodes at the same time, water gushing from it. And then the next level, and the third, and finally¡­ the roof itself bursts up and then crumples inward as Aureo destroys the castle with all that power and water he''d stored up for centuries. People underestimated water more than they should. Even his river had claimed mortal lives over the years. Unfortunate accidents most of the time, or mortals killing each other for one reason or another.


    Still, water was nothing to scoff at. Drowning wasn''t a fun way to go. Or so Aureo had been told, he''d never experienced it for himself.


    Sophia, somewhat predictably, screams in horror at the destruction. Nobody in that castle survived his attack, of that Aureo is sure. He is his domain and his domain is him¡­ and that means he felt every single mortal his water touched as they were either crushed to death from the pressure or drowned slowly from the lack of air.


    As the castle crumbles into rubble, Sophia calls out to him once more.


    "Aureo, p-please! Surely you can stop now! The people who betrayed you were in that castle, r-right? Your vengeance is complete!"


    Even now she would try to bargain with him for the lives of mortal insects. Truly, his future bride was too kindhearted by half. Aureo would appreciate it more if this were a time of peace¡­ but they''re at war and Sophia doesn''t quite seem to understand that yet.


    "No, far from it Sophia. I''m just getting started. Do you think every noble was in that castle? Many of them were, but many more tried to flee my wrath the moment they realized what was happening."


    Slowly, Aureo turns his attention towards the richest district in the city. Mansions and the like litter it. The wealth disparity between it and the rest of Goldriver is stark¡­ but also meaningless. Why should Aureo care if one ant hill is particularly nicer looking than another? They were all just ants at the end of the day. Ants who had tricked him into treating them like they were his equals. Ants who had betrayed him and led to his confinement and torture for months and months.


    Aureo raises his hand again, preparing to let the water surge up from under the city and demolish this next section as well. He could do the entire city at once to be fair¡­ but he wanted them to fear him in their final moments. He wanted those pathetic mortals to-


    He almost doesn''t see it coming. Only his complete control over his own domain saves his life. The massive stone pillar they''re currently standing on is technically part of his aquifer. Permeated with water through every inch of the rock and earth that made it up. Including the top of it where they''re standing.


    As such, he feels Sophia''s Otherworlder pet leave her side, taking a step that covers half the distance between them in half a second. Only instinct has Aureo conjuring up a shield of water that slows the lightning quick Otherworlder down just enough for him to twist his body out of the way of the Celestial Metal dagger the mortal is wielding.


    With a snarl, he blasts the Otherworlder back away from him, causing him to skid across the platform. He''d been aware of the Celestial Metal that Sophia''s pet wielded of course. The mortal could not have destroyed the runes suppressing Aureo''s divine might nor cut apart the bars of his cell or the shackles encircling his limbs otherwise.


    However¡­ he had to admit, not in a million years would he have thought the Otherworlder would have turned that weapon on HIM. Especially not when his loyalty to his goddess seemed so absolute. Snarling, Aureo gestures to Sophia.


    "Sophia! Control your dog!"


    Except when he looks at her¡­ she doesn''t look shocked by what her pet has just done. She doesn''t have the look of surprise that Aureo would expect if the Otherworlder had acted of his own initiative. Almost¡­ almost as though she''d given the order. Or at least given the go ahead.


    Aureo''s jaw clenches, even as Sophia dares to look at him with big, teary, sorrow-filled eyes.


    "Please Aureo! Stand down! It doesn''t have to be this way! Let''s just leave! The people of Goldriver aren''t our enemies¡­ our true enemies are the gods behind the God Hunters. They''re the ones who need to be stopped!"


    He actually does consider giving in for a second. Not because he agrees with her, but because there''s an argument to be made about bringing them to his father''s realm so that the Otherworlder can be neutralized and Sophia can be contained without any further personal risk to Aureo himself.


    ¡­ But no. No. He can deal with one pesky Otherworlder. And once he does, once he''s done in Sophia''s pet and put the goddess in her place, he''ll finish drowning this city in its own blood.


    Turning his full attention towards the Otherworlder, Aureo sneers¡­ and calls upon his divine power to rend the mortal limb from limb.

 Chapter 27: Unfortunate Endings

    If only his first strike hadn''t missed. If only he''d struck earlier, perhaps all the way back when they were still in the cavern beneath the city and it became obvious Aureo couldn''t be reasoned with. If only, if only, if only. Alas, Oren can''t dwell for too long on what could have been. He''s too busy fighting for his life against an all too powerful River God in the middle of his domain.


    Oren has to give Aureo props¡­ the aquifer was inspired. He was honestly impressed when he finally realized just what was happening. The river that ran through the center of the City of Goldriver was thick and deep and winding. But it wasn''t big enough to drown the entire city all on its own. In the end, it didn''t need to be¡­ because the surface water was a kind fa?ade.


    The nobles of Goldriver had made a truly colossal mistake when they turned Aureo over to the God Hunters. The River God was right, he could have easily defended Goldriver from Commander Hogarth and his men if the city leaders had just given him a chance. He''d hidden his strength from them too well. He''d made himself seem all too¡­ mortal.


    Now though, there''s nothing mortal about what Aureo is doing. The amount of power he''s wielding is beyond even some of the gods and goddesses Oren had fought up in the Heavens. And back then he''d had the armor and blade of the God Killer to back him up. Now¡­ he''s armed with nothing but a single Celestial Metal Dagger.


    On top of that, this stone pillar they''re standing on is incredibly wet and that to Oren means that the entire thing is filled with Aureo''s water. Whips of the stuff explode upwards, trying to slice Oren into pieces, trying to turn him into a slurry of flesh. He ducks, dodges, and dives this way and that, leaping free where he can, slipping around the attacks where possible.


    Some hit him all the same, glancing blows that he can feel will definitely bruise. And if they''d fully landed, he might be dealing with broken, or at least fractured bones. Oren is strong, fast, and durable. But his armor leaves a lot to be desired and the power of a divine being in the heart of their domain is not to be underestimated.


    He really, really wished he''d managed to take Aureo out with that very first blow.


    "Stay still you little GNAT! I will DESTROY you!"


    At this point, Aureo has lost any semblance of sanity or decorum. The god''s tortured mind is on full display at this point. No more act, no more fa?ade. This is Aureo stripped down to his true self after the God Hunters got done with him. It''s awful, really. Oren feels nothing but pity for the River God. However¡­ if Sophia hadn''t unleashed him, he likely would have acted on his own a second later.


    In this, he and the goddess were of one mind. Watching Aureo destroy Goldriver''s Castle was one thing. That was horrifying enough. But then the River God had turned his attention to the city''s Noble District. The same district where he and Sophia had tea in the city''s finest inn before heading to the Temple District. The same place where a bright young waitress named Anna had told them all about the state of the city and expressed her fears for the future.


    Sophia and Oren''s eyes had met in that moment¡­ and the goddess, stricken as she was, had nodded. She''d given him the go ahead and Oren had moved with all his speed. Not quick enough though, or he wouldn''t be locked in this battle with Aureo now, fighting the enraged River God for the fate of the city.


    The only saving grace is that Aureo is ignoring Sophia for some reason. The goddess would be an easy target, though the moment the River God attacks her, Oren hopes she''ll transport herself away in the same way as she transported them closer and closer to the city. Maybe that''s why Aureo is ignoring her. Or maybe he has another reason entirely.


    Either way, it''s to Oren''s gain. If he had to defend Sophia on top of trying to find a way through Aureo''s defenses, this situation would be untenable. No, rather¡­ it was already untenable enough as things stood.


    Oren grits his teeth as yet another dash forward is met with bubbling water beneath his feet tripping him up while water whips lash through the air to block his path. Finally, there''s a shield of water a few feet away from Aureo that rises up to force Oren to redirect every time.


    On the one hand, he''s not exactly getting tired. Compared to the two day sprint to Sophia''s hideaway, this is nothing. He can do this all day so long as he stays ahead of Aureo''s water whips. The only problem is, Aureo doesn''t seem to be getting very tired either. And the rumbling down below in the city hasn''t stopped¡­ if anything it''s getting worse.


    They need to end this sooner rather than later, but Oren keeps coming up short. Time and time again, he tries to get closer to the River God, only to find himself harshly rebuked and sent skidding back. The dagger in his hand could do the deed, but Oren would need to get nice and personal first and that''s proving to be extremely difficult.


    Unless¡­


    The beginnings of a plan start to form in Oren''s mind. On the face of it, it''s a rather simple plan truth be told. And yet¡­ the devil is in the details. If he''s going to pull this off, he''s going to have to lull Aureo into a false sense of security first. He''s going to have to convince the River God that he''s winning.


    Luckily for his purposes, Aureo doesn''t spend much longer bothering with water whips and shields and what not. While the god might not be getting tuckered out any time soon, that doesn''t mean he''s not still getting tired of Oren''s unrepentant bullshit.


    "ENOUGH!"


    Finally, the River God breaks out the big guns¡­ a massive torrent of divinely charged water that comes rushing up out of the stone pillar and then winds its way down towards Oren. If Aureo was utilizing water whips before, this is more like a water hydra.


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    Oren could have probably kept dodging even then, but that wouldn''t serve his purposes. So instead, he braces himself¡­ and lets the massive blast of water clip him, sending him flying backwards and careening right off of the edge of the massive stone platform.


    Fortunately, the whole thing is on top of a pillar of rock and earth and stone rather than being held aloft by some huge fuck-off geyser. Oren falls about a hundred feet before slamming his fist into the side of the pillar, arresting his momentum and grunting as he stabs the Celestial Dagger in next.


    Then, he begins to climb. At the same time of course¡­ he knows full well that Aureo can sense him down here. That''s the point. If the River God thought Oren to truly be defeated, then he might have turned his attention onto the city of Goldriver once again¡­ or worse, Sophia. Oren wants him to keep coming after him, but you know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.


    Eyes widening, only his reflexes allow for him to dodge to the side as a blast of water explodes out of the pillar where he just was. Dodging with rapid speed, Oren darts left and right, even as he begins climbing his way back up to the top of the platform. Aureo''s efforts to kill him haven''t stopped¡­ if anything they''ve intensified. But that''s okay because now Oren is perfectly positioned for his plan. And if all goes well, Aureo won''t even see it coming.


    ¡­ Another blast nearly takes his head off, causing Oren to slide down a few feet to avoid it. With a grunt, he gets back to climbing. Aureo wouldn''t see it coming¡­ so long as Oren actually managed to make it back to the top.


    -x-X-x-


    It wasn''t supposed to be like this. None of this was supposed to be happening. They''d come to Goldriver hoping to use the God Hunters to find a divine being that might have the answers they sought. They''d partially succeeded in that front, rescuing Aureo and helping him get back to full strength. His father, an Ancient God, would almost certainly have the answers they sought.


    ¡­ But Aureo couldn''t be reasoned with. The River God had gone mad down in those catacombs. The God Hunters had torn his heart out of his chest and stomped on it. They''d taken any good will he might have had towards mortals and turned it into pitch black hatred.


    Sophia could accept him killing those who sold him out to the God Hunters. She''d offered Oren''s services for exactly that. But this? This was too far. And when she''d realized he was going for the part of the city where they''d enjoyed Anna''s company at the upscale inn just a few hours ago, she couldn''t stand aside any longer. And neither could Oren.


    Unfortunately, Oren''s first attack had not struck true. Otherwise, this whole situation might have ended far sooner. Instead, Aureo had managed to sense it coming and had dodged out of the way of the dagger of Celestial Metal. From there, battle had been joined between the River God and the Otherworlder.


    Sophia had not stood idle though. She wasn''t a combatant, but she was still a goddess and she had divine power of her own. Nothing on the level of what Aureo was bringing to bear right now, but Sophia had to admit, she''d be hard pressed to match the River God even on her best day. Luckily, she didn''t have to match him. She just had to support Oren to the best of her abilities.


    Of course, when Oren goes over the side from that massive blast of water, Sophia screams at first, assuming the worst. But then she notices that Aureo hasn''t taken his concentration off of the Otherworlder. In fact, he even tosses her a mad grin as he shakes his head in faux amusement.


    "These insects¡­ one moment please, Sophia. I''m almost done with your ''protector''."


    Oren was still fighting. Still struggling. Vaguely, Sophia can hear the blasts of water from over the side of the edge in the distance. They sound like they''re getting closer. They sound¡­ like Oren is climbing his way back up.


    If Oren hasn''t given up yet, then neither can Sophia. She pushes more of her divine power into the fray, focusing on the battle between Aureo and Oren as she strives to give Oren the edge he needs to take down the River God. She''s been doing it all along¡­ but unfortunately, now that the Otherworlder is no longer directly in Aureo''s face, Sophia apparently isn''t as stealthy as she might have preferred.


    The River God suddenly twitches, his eyes snapping over to her as Sophia goes still.


    "You¡­ what are you doing?"


    She''s finally been found out. And perhaps this is to be her end. If it is, Sophia refuses to cower. She stands tall, staring Aureo in the eyes unflinchingly.


    "I''m doing my part, Aureo. You forget, I''m not just a Goddess of Wisdom, but also Equity. Do you think it fair, what you''re doing to the people of Goldriver? Do you think it just? I certainly do not and in this, my domain and I are in concert!"


    Aureo''s brow furrows, his lips curling into a deep frown. He''s still trying to kill Oren; Sophia can hear the water crashing about what sounds like just behind and beneath her. But now more of his attention is focused on her than ever before.


    "¡­ This¡­ this isn''t fairness, you dumb bitch. You''re not balancing the scales. You''re-!"


    Funnily enough, despite watching him destroy an entire castle filled with people, Sophia is more taken aback by him calling her a ''dumb bitch'' than anything else. Was that truly what he thought of her?


    Alas, she never gets to find out anymore because Aureo is interrupted mid-sentence by Oren''s return. The Otherworlder comes launching over the edge of the stone platform, forcing Aureo to cut himself off with a snarl as he refocuses his attention on Oren.


    Only¡­ rather than avoiding her like he''s been doing since the beginning of this battle, Oren makes sure that he lands right next to Sophia. This gives Aureo pause because even now it seems like the River God doesn''t want to truly hurt her, let alone kill her. That hesitation only lasts a scant few seconds, however, before his face begins to contort into something truly grotesque. Those scant few seconds are all Oren needs to reach out and grab Sophia''s hand in his own and shout at the top of his lungs.


    "SOPHIA, NOW!"


    She''s doesn''t know how she somehow instinctively understands what he wants of her. She doesn''t know why she immediately reacts to his command on pure instinct. But for all that Sophia doesn''t know, she does know one thing¡­ what to do next.


    With a pulse of divine power, Sophia jumps them both forward across the watery stone platform, past the water shield that Aureo has up around him¡­ and right into the River God''s personal space. So close that Sophia can literally see his teeth as his lips curl back in a snarl and he opens his mouth. Whatever he might have said to them however¡­ he never gets to say it.


    Quick as a flash, Oren slams the Celestial Dagger up under Aureo''s chin, forcing his jaw closed as the blade pierces through the River God''s tongue and the roof of his mouth before finally driving deep into his brain.


    There''s a moment where Sophia thinks that they might both still die anyways as a byproduct of Aureo''s death throes given that they''re surrounded by so much of his still-moving water. She''s surprised to find that she''s at peace with it, if this is how it ends.


    But then Oren twists the dagger viciously and the water surrounding them drops as the last ounce of life leaves Aureo''s eyes. The River God is reduced to a corpse¡­ and with him goes their best shot at getting the answers they sought.

 Chapter 28: Aftermath

    Oren grimaces as he stares into Aureo''s lifeless eyes for a long moment before slowly lowering the dead god to the ground as gently as he possibly can. Once the River God is laid out atop the platform, he slides the Celestial dagger out of Aureo''s head and straightens back up, staring down at the body as time seems to stretch on forever.


    He and Sophia are still holding hands from when she brought him in close to deliver the killing blow. Aureo''s defenses had been too tough for Oren to penetrate by himself, as powerful as he was. He just couldn''t get close enough. But Sophia could get him close enough¡­ and fortunately, when the time came, she''d delivered in spectacular fashion, bringing him right up next to Aureo so he could strike before the River God could react.


    Of course, he''s still the man who killed her father, so Oren isn''t surprised in the least when she finally remembers herself and yanks her hand out of his. He IS surprised when she crashes into him a moment later however, burying her face in his chest and sobbing. Oren slowly places his free arm around her shoulders and hugs her, even as the arm wielding the dagger lies limp at his side.


    Aureo shouldn''t have had to die. He was as much a victim of the God Hunters as everyone else. But¡­ the innocent citizens of Goldriver didn''t deserve death either. The ruins of Goldriver''s Castle can be seen from here in the distance, testament to just how indiscriminate Aureo had been in his revenge. Sure, he''d probably gotten the lion''s share of the nobility. No doubt most of them had convened when news of the massacre in the Temple District reached them, at which point they would have probably been in a panic and asking each other what to do.


    ¡­ But how many servants had been in that Castle when Aureo destroyed it? How many people just trying to get by, just struggling to survive? It couldn''t even be chalked up to callous disregard either. It wasn''t like Aureo had decided their deaths were a necessary evil to get to the ones who really deserved to die. No, he''d fully believed everyone in the city deserved to be put to death.


    And now Oren had killed him for it.


    "Why¡­ why did this have to happen? Why wouldn''t he just listen to me? What''s kind of Goddess of Wisdom am I when I couldn''t even get him to listen to me?!"


    Sophia pulls away from his chest at long last, staring up at him with red, watery eyes as she begs for an answer to her question. Oren''s jaw clenches and he squeeze the goddess a bit tighter.


    "It wasn''t your fault. This wasn''t your fault, Goddess. Sometimes¡­ sometimes people just can''t be reached. The God Hunters did this to Aureo. They broke him long before we ever got here."


    Oren''s words seem to finally bring Sophia back to herself enough to realize what she''s doing right now. Namely, taking comfort in his arms. With a jerk, the goddess yanks herself free of his grasp. Oren lets her go immediately of course, swallowing thickly as she puts some distance between the two of them.


    Sophia looks at Aureo''s body for a moment¡­ and then looks away, out at the city. Goldriver still stands, albeit with some changes. Everything Aureo did before his death remains done. The castle is in ruins, a massive amount of stone and wood and bodies at this point. The walls of rock, stone, and earth that Aureo had raised up to block the gates so people couldn''t run are also still there and will need to be dug out by hand.


    Down on the river that runs through the middle of the city, things have calmed down dramatically. The water hadn''t just been raised at either end of the river''s exits out of the city, however. It had also risen up in other parts and come crashing down onto the riverfront on either side of it in different areas, destroying dozens of buildings.


    And of course, last but not least, there was the pillar they now stood on. As tall as the castle and about half as thick, this pillar of stone and earth wasn''t likely to go anywhere any time soon. The city still stands¡­ but at what cost?


    "The God Hunters broke him¡­ and we unleashed him. I was so eager to find answers. I was so ready to do whatever it took to get my revenge. I really am a terrible Goddess of Wisdom. So blinded by my own revenge that I couldn''t see the stupidity in my actions¡­ nor the pain in my fellow god until it was too late."


    With a slight stutter in her step, Sophia moves over to Aureo and leans down, gently shutting his eyes. It doesn''t exactly do much for the gaping bloody hole visible under his chin, but at least the dagger didn''t go out the top of his head or anything.


    "And for what? We''re right back where we started. Even if we can reach Oceanus without Aureo''s help, can we convince him to talk to us? And will we be able to keep an Ancient God from finding out we killed his son?"


    Oren watches Sophia stiffen at that and shoot a glance his way. He very carefully doesn''t react, not exactly taking any pleasure from the parallels.


    Straightening up, Sophia looks down at Aureo and then out at the city again.


    "We¡­ I need to bury him. He deserves that much at least. Will you help me?"


    He blinks at the question, surprised that it''s a request and not an order.


    "Of course, Goddess. I am ever at your disposal."


    Sophia bites her lower lip at that but doesn''t say anything. With Oren doing the physical share of the heavy-lifting and Sophia doing the metaphysical share, they disappear off of the top of the stone platform with Aureo in tow. Sophia takes them a ways down the length of Aureo''s river, clearly no longer worrying so much about being detected by God Hunters when they''ve slaughtered every single one in the city.


    The goddess finds a spot rather quickly and Oren is able to dig out a deep hole on the side of the riverbank in no time at all, even using just his bare hands. Putting Aureo''s body inside of it and filling the hole back in is similarly swift enough that by the time he''s done, it''s only been about half an hour.


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    For a moment, Oren and Sophia both stand there, staring down at the unmarked patch of dirt. It''s not much better than they gave Raythe, truth be told. But what more can they do? Marking the grave risks having someone else happen upon it and decide to dig the River God up. Better he be safe in obscurity here, next to a random stretch of his river.


    "We''re going back. To h-help."


    Oren looks to Sophia, seeing the goddess regaining some of her confidence in real time. Just because she''s no longer asking doesn''t mean it''s a command he has only issue following, however. Stepping close to her, he allows her to take hold of him so she can bring them both back to Goldriver.


    They appear in a small dimly lit alley near the upscale inn where they''d been served tea by Anna earlier that day. It feels like a lifetime ago at this point, and yet it''s only been a few hours at most. The Sun is only just now starting to set on the horizon too as the two of them step out of the alley.


    The street they find themselves on has clearly seen better days. The cobblestone is cracked in places and there''s still a lot of dampness pretty much everywhere. No doubt there will be for quite some time, and the structural integrity of some of the houses in the area is certainly¡­ questionable.


    And yet, to Oren and Sophia''s shock, they don''t find grim faces or teary, weeping citizens. If anything, the people that pass them on the street seem excited about something¡­ eager even.


    "What¡­ what''s happening? Where are they all going?"


    Indeed, at Sophia''s words, Oren realizes that everyone is moving in the same direction. Of course, the answer to the goddess'' question is obvious. Lightly touching her arm, he points upwards¡­ to the massive stone pillar that the city''s population seems to be steadily making their way to.


    The place is a mess and yet everyone is going towards the pillar¡­ why? Oren doesn''t know and judging by the bewildered look he shares with Sophia, neither does she. Perhaps-


    "Oh! H-Hello you two!"


    It''s probably not too much of a coincidence that they''d run into Anna now. They are quite close to her place of work, after all. The waitress smiles at the two of them as she stops beside them.


    "Have you heard the news? Everyone is saying Lord Aureo has finally come out of seclusion and that the God Hunters have been defeated! I''m going to the pillar to see what there is to see, would you care to come with me?"


    Oh no. Oren exchanges another glance with Sophia. On the one hand, he can see the relief in the goddess'' eyes that Anna is still alive and safe. On the other hand, if Anna is hoping to see her ''Lord Aureo'' in the flesh, she should be prepared to be very disappointed. Still, it''s not like the two of them have anything better to do, a sentiment that Sophia seems to agree with as she nods.


    "We''ll¡­ we''ll go with you, yes."


    Together, they follow the waitress through the damaged streets of the city. Things could be worse though; Oren has to continually tell himself. If Aureo had gotten his way, things would be much, much worse. At least they all still had their lives. Indeed, that seems to be enough for the people of Goldriver too. Despite the destruction, Oren doesn''t see nearly as much grief and sorrow on the faces of those around them as they move.


    He doesn''t get it¡­ until they reach the base of the pillar.


    "PEOPLE OF GOLDRIVER! I SEE NEWCOMERS ARRIVING BY THE MOMENT SO I SHALL REPEAT MYSELF!"


    Standing near the base of the pillar on a hastily constructed platform is a man shouting at the top of his lungs. A town crier, maybe?


    "OUR LORD AUREO HAS RETURNED TO US AT LONG LAST! HE HAS SEEN FIT TO DESTROY THE GOD HUNTERS WHO PLAGUED OUR STREETS!"


    The people are staring upwards transfixed, but Oren doesn''t think they''re staring at the man necessarily. Or not just the man.


    "THE LORD HAS SEEN FIT TO DESTROY THE CASTLE WHERE THE CORRUPT AND VILE NOBLES WHO CONSPIRED WITH THE GOD HUNTERS CONVENED WITH ONE ANOTHER!"


    ¡­ Well, that much was true at least.


    "ALAS, LORD AUREO COULD NOT STAY! HE MUST CONTINUE TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE GOD HUNTERS! BUT HE HAS LEFT US WITH A SINGULARLY IMPRESSIVE GIFT FOR OUR FAITH!"


    Spreading his arms wide, the man grins even as the people cheer, hoot, and holler. Not because of anything the man is saying or doing though¡­ not really. The people are cheering because¡­ just behind the man, in the side of the massive pillar that now dominates Goldriver''s skyline, one can see the distinct shimmer of countless veins of gold sparkling and shining true in the dying embers of the day''s last light.


    The man has chosen his location well, because while his position has put the setting sun in his face, it also means the last rays of sunlight are cascading over the shining, shimmering pillar behind him, making it all the more spectacular of a visage.


    Unintentional as it might have been, Aureo had left behind a massive monument of wealth for the people of Goldriver. He had died giving them one last gift, even if he''d certainly not planned on doing so.


    Of course, practically nothing that the man has said is true. His lies¡­ reek of opportunism though. Opportunism and just enough knowledge to carry the weight of his words. Oren can''t say for sure, but perhaps the man is one of the nobles that Aureo hadn''t managed to kill when he got the castle in his first concentrated attack. He seemed to know just enough about the God Hunter Massacre and the River God''s betrayal to be able to make up a story surrounding the events.


    Oren looks to Sophia as they stand slightly behind Anna. The young woman is just as excited as everyone else, clasping her hands together and shouting ''Praise be to Lord Aureo!'' at the top of her lungs. In that moment, Oren tilts his head towards the man up on the podium meaningfully. Sophia bites her lower lip, clearly understanding that he''s asking if she wants him to kill the man.


    They could still do it in Aureo''s name. Hunt down and slay every last noble still alive who played a part in the River God''s capture and subsequent madness.


    ¡­ But no. Sophia shakes her head after a moment and places a hand on Oren''s arm, tugging him away from the crowd. They move against the tide of people for a moment, going away from the pillar while everyone else in the city looks to be crowding around it to hear the ''good news''.


    Finally though, they''re alone with each other once more. Standing on an empty street, staring back at where Aureo''s last ''gift'' to Goldriver is being celebrated and cheered on by the population he had been so eager to slaughter.


    "At least¡­ at least they''ll honor his memory, I suppose."


    Oren lowers his head in a solemn nod. There''s not much to say in this moment¡­ so he doesn''t say anything at all. That doesn''t stop someone else from cutting in, however.


    "Indeed they will, Lady Sophia. A memory built on lies, but a memory nonetheless I suppose."


    Both Oren and Sophia spin on the spot to see someone has managed to sneak up on them¡­ no, on him. Oren is immediately on guard and tense as a well-strung bow as he takes in the figure before him¡­ a figure he finds himself recognizing after only a moment''s notice.


    "You¡­"


    Sophia recognizes him quickly enough as well.


    It''s the old man from the road. The one they passed by on their way to Goldriver. The one both Sophia and Oren had tensed up for, thinking they were about to be attacked. Gray hair, wrinkles, and the exact same walking stick as well. His clothes are in working order but nevertheless weathered and worn and for all that he''s somehow snuck up on them and knows Sophia by name, he looks as much like an unassuming old man as he did before.


    But just as Oren is thinking that, an aura fills the air that is unmistakably divine. And it''s certainly not coming from Sophia. No, it''s coming from the ''elderly man'' in front of him. What''s most terrifying, however, is that Oren can only really compare this feeling to one other time. This old man¡­ feels exactly like Law did when Oren faced the King of the Gods in the Heavens.

 Chapter 29: Travelers & Roads

    It''s not paranoia if they really are out to get you.


    Oren''s words ring through Sophia''s head, even as she stares with wide eyes at the old man who is very much not an old man. Back on the road where they''d originally crossed paths, she''d definitely been tense, expecting an attack of some sorts. But that was that. This was¡­ this was the feel of an Ancient God. This was the power of someone who had been around just as long as her father.


    The ''old man'' looks up at the pillar and an expression of sorrow flashes across his wizened features. In that moment, Sophia knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he''s aware of what really happened up there atop the stone platform. He knows what happened between them and Aureo. He knows they murdered the River God.


    A shiver runs down Sophia''s spine as she wonders if this is the moment where they die. Sure, Oren had killed his fair share of Ancient Gods when he''d stormed the Heavens, including her father Law¡­ but she remembers the gleaming armor and blazing sword he''d wielded back then. Neither of which he had on him now.


    If Aureo gave him that much trouble when Oren was armed with nothing but a Celestial Dagger, than Sophia didn''t even want to know what an Ancient God could do to him.


    "¡­ You did what you had to do."


    Sophia''s doom-filled thoughts stutter to a halt as the ''old man'' turns back to them both with sadness in his eyes but conciliatory words on his lips.


    "Madness like young Aureo''s could not be stopped with mere words. As tragic as his death is, neither of you can be blamed. He forced your hands."


    The last thing she expected was for the Ancient God to¡­ condone their actions. And yet, there he was, doing exactly that.


    Suddenly tapping the end of his walking stick on the cracked cobbled stone beneath his feet, the ''old man'' nods decisively.


    "Come. Let us discuss matters somewhere with a tad more privacy."


    Then he turns and begins to walk away, clearly expecting them to follow. Sophia exchanges a bewildered glance with Oren, but in the end¡­ she''s not sure they can do anything else but comply so they both hurry after him.


    Soon enough, the three of them are sat down at a corner table in a cozy but otherwise abandoned tavern. The fireplace is still burning brightly, but there''s not a soul in sight, not even behind the counter. When Sophia shoots Oren a questioning gaze he shakes his head, confirming that he doesn''t hear a single other person in the entire tavern.


    ¡­ They''re all at the pillar, aren''t they? A massive pillar filled with gold ''granted'' to them by Lord Aureo himself. Every single living person in Goldriver is at the base of that pillar. Except for them, Sophia supposed.


    Taking a seat and gesturing for them to do the same, the ''old man'' lets out a world-weary sigh, lacing his fingers over his chest.


    "Introductions are probably in order, I suppose."


    Blinking, Sophia straightens up at that.


    "Oh! Yes, I''m-!"


    But he just holds up a hand, cutting her off.


    "I know who you are Sophia. Oren. I meant myself."


    Wait, he knew who they were? Did he truly know Oren? Did he know what he had done, what he was? Sophia exchanges an alarmed look with the Otherworlder, even as the Ancient God clears his throat.


    "I am Tyranos, God of Travelers and Roads¡­ and brother to Law, King of the Gods and God of Justice and Righteousness."


    Wait¡­ what?! Sophia''s mouth drops open, even as Tyranos cracks a grin and winks at her.


    "Feel free to call me Uncle, if you prefer."


    However, when he sweeps his gaze over to Oren a second later, he cools noticeably.


    "You, however, can address me as Lord Tyranos."


    Oren, wisely, doesn''t say a word. It''s obvious at this point that the God of Travelers and Roads knows exactly who and what Oren is. Both an Otherworlder and the God Killer. Sophia would bet money on it. Still, she''s reeling from the fact that she has an uncle she never even knew about.


    "You''re my¡­ father''s brother? My uncle?"


    Tyranos hums and nods, leaning back a bit in his chair as he sighs heavily.


    "Indeed. I would apologize for the fact that we''re only just now meeting, but Law was rather particular about the separation of the Heavens and the Mortal Planes."


    That was true. Even Sophia''s excursions to the Mortal Planes had technically been breaking her father''s commandments. She''d just been too curious to stay away. Still¡­


    "But why would you stay down here? I thought most of the deities who stayed on the Mortal Planes when my father decided to make the split did so because they were tied to physical domains that they couldn''t just leave behind."


    Tyranos tilts his head in acknowledgment.


    "Most¡­ but not all. Think about what my domains are, dear niece. The Heavens were as small as they were big. Not many travelers up there. Not many roads either. Not like down here on the Mortal Planes, where there are plenty who worship me hoping for a safer trip."


    Oh¡­ yes, that did make sense. Sophia ducks her head in embarrassment for not seeing that before. Tch, some Goddess of Wisdom she was¡­


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    Still, this was¡­ this was exactly what they''d been looking for. An Ancient God as old as her father, which meant he was as old as any of them. If he didn''t have answers, then who would?


    "Sir¡­"


    "Please Sophia, call me Uncle."


    "R-Right¡­ Uncle Tyranos, you seem to already know a lot about our situation. But I''m not sure if you know what we''ve discovered. The God Hunters¡­ the God Hunters have divine backing. We already had a run in with one god who admitted they were nothing but stooges and he implied that there were more like him."


    Tyranos doesn''t look surprised, but he does look like he ages even more than he already is. Letting out a deep, rattling breath, the God of Travelers and Roads shakes his head.


    "I was afraid of that."


    Finally! Sophia doesn''t squeal in excitement, but only because the situation is so serious. Positively vibrating in her chair as she manages to somewhat hold herself back, the goddess leans forward, wetting her lips.


    "Do you know who these gods might be, Uncle? Do you know who our hidden enemy is?"


    His expression extremely grave, Tyranos nods his head.


    "I have had my suspicions for some time. Ever since that one first appeared in the Heavens."


    Oren stiffens up, even as Sophia shoots him a glance. Her Uncle had been aware of the Otherworlder for that long?!


    Snorting at Oren''s reaction, Tyranos juts out his chin.


    "I am the God of Travelers, boy. When someone travels to my brother''s domain from seemingly nowhere at all, I start to wonder. When they then travel from the Heavens to the Mortal Planes, well that keeps my attention. Indeed, there is only one place my senses do not reach¡­ and that is the Void."


    Sophia''s eyes widen. The Void? That sounded rather dangerous. From the look in Tyranos'' eyes, it definitely wasn''t a happy place.


    "¡­ To explain, I should start back at the beginning. Or at least far enough back for things to make sense. It was shortly after your father finally shut down the summoning of Otherworlders altogether, during the last apocalypse we were forced to put down after such beings started it. Back then, there were really only two types of deities. There were those whose domains were concepts, and those whose domains were tied to the physical."


    Sophia slowly nods. That tracks with everything she knows. Though from the sound of things, Tyranos is about to blow her mind.


    "¡­ Unfortunately, the defeat of the final Otherworlders and the subsequent banning of their summoning led to an unprecedented time of peace in the cosmos."


    The goddess wrinkles her nose in confusion at that. Unfortunately? Why unfortunately? Easily picking up on her incredulity, Tyranos chuckles and shakes his head with a crooked smile.


    "I say ''unfortunately'' because ever-lasting peace is a fairy tale, my dear niece. There is no such thing as peace without end¡­ and without a proper enemy to unite us, even gods can fall to infighting and division."


    Tyranos pauses for a moment, clearly going somewhere else briefly¡­ likely far into the past. When he speaks again, his voice is solemn.


    "There are two schools of thought about what happened next, mind you. Some would claim that without the Otherworlders, a new scapegoat had to be found. Others would point out that without the Otherworlders, there was nowhere for those with darker impulses to focus them save for on their kin."


    Sophia is truly lost at this point. Thankfully, Tyranos sees this and chuckles again.


    "Consider this, Sophia. There are two types of gods, yes? Conceptual Gods and Physical Gods. But¡­ where are the gods and goddesses with concepts of a more negative persuasion? Where are those who can neither be labeled ''neutral'' or ''good'' but instead ''evil'' and ''dark''."


    Sophia''s eyes widen as she thinks about it. She can''t name a single God or Goddess of the Heavens who embodied such a concept. But she can think of a deity she and Oren dealt with recently who does.


    "You mean like a God of Lies and Duplicity?"


    Tyranos starts to nod.


    "Exact- ah¡­ I assume that was the god you and the Otherworlder had a ''run in'' with?"


    Grimacing, Sophia just nods, not really wanting to remember how things went down with Raythe.


    "Then that only confirms my suspicions. Continuing on¡­ without the Otherworlders to unite us, a schism formed between the Conceptual Gods. Those with neutral concepts such as myself were asked to pick sides between those with negative and those with positive. Needless to say¡­ your father and his supporters won the day. Righteousness and Justice beat out Tyranny and Conquest."


    That¡­ sounded good to Sophia. Right? She would much rather have the Heavens and Mortal Planes ruled over by a god like her father who embodied such decent concepts. Especially if the alternative was a God of Tyranny and Conquest. Such a God would not stop until everything was conquered and everyone was his to control.


    Her Uncle seems a little ambivalent about the whole thing though, like he''s not sure one way or another. But then to be fair, he''s admitted he was a neutral god in the conflict. As someone who embodies moral concepts like Wisdom and Equity, Sophia knows¡­ the right side won that ancient war.


    "Of course, when all was said and done¡­ your father couldn''t bring himself to kill them. Not when they were kin and their leader was his brother¡­ our brother. Instead, Law chose to exile him and those gods who followed him to the Void, locking them away and imprisoning them for forevermore. Or so we all thought."


    Sophia reels at this latest revelation. She has another uncle she never knew about? And more than that, he was locked away in the Void for all eternity? But no¡­ she quickly puts two and two together.


    "They''ve escaped the Void, haven''t they? That''s where Raythe, the God of Lies and Duplicity, must have come from."


    Tyranos hums and nods.


    "It would seem so. Somehow, the Gods of the Void figured out how to get out. They must have turned the Void from their prison into their fortress. It would make for the perfect staging ground, given that nobody in our cosmos can see into it properly. So they summon the Otherworlder here to the Void without Law or any of the rest of us being any the wiser. They train him up for who knows how long until they think he''s ready. And then they unleash him upon your father and the rest of the Heavens while at the same time turning the mortals here on the Mortal Planes against the deities they''ve lived side by side with for generations."


    It all made a sickening amount of sense. Sophia can''t help but feel a little lightheaded, even as she whimpers.


    "But¡­ how did they make the mortals turn so fast anyways? The God Hunters are one thing, but why does nobody else stand up to them?"


    Tyranos is solemn as he answers her.


    "Despair. On a conceptual level. Avarice, Wrath, Jealousy, and more. All of these are domains that the Gods of the Void embodied. All of them could be used to turn mortals against their patron deities or make them cower and bury their heads in the sand while others do the killing for them."


    Of course. Sophia swallows dryly, sitting back in her chair. It sounded awful. It sounded¡­ unwinnable.


    "How do we even begin to fight them? There must be dozens of these¡­ these Void Gods."


    "Hundreds, actually."


    Sophia shudders. She''d thought, for some reason, that there would maybe be one or two more besides Raythe. Half a dozen at most. And she supposed she''d also thought they would be lesser gods taking advantage of the mortals and Oren to try and usurp control.


    Now though, now she knew she was dealing with gods as old as Tyranos and her father. And at the head of them all, another uncle who she''d never met. A shiver runs down Sophia''s spine as she realizes she''s gotten all the answers she was seeking. And yet, rather than provide clarity, all of this information simply makes things all the murkier. She doesn''t know what to do now. She doesn''t know where to even begin.


    "As for how to fight them¡­"


    Sophia perks up as her uncle''s voice pulls her out of her thoughts. She looks to see him gazing in Oren''s direction.


    "There might be quite a few of them dear niece, but there were quite a few deities in the Heavens as well. In truth, the Void Gods have created their own executioner¡­ in the form of the very man you already travel with."


    Oren. Sophia looks to him to see the Otherworlder frowning in thought. Even from the beginning, back before she knew who and what he really was, Sophia had hoped to use Oren to get her revenge. Perhaps¡­ perhaps that was still possible. Perhaps Tyranos was right and the solution to their problems was even now the mortal man sitting beside her.

 Chapter 30: Harsh Reality

    Oren can''t help but be wary of Tyranos. He doesn''t doubt for a second that he''s an Ancient God on the same level as Law. And he feels like most of what the God of Travelers and Roads has said so far is true. It all makes a sickening sort of sense, filling in the blanks and connecting the handful of disparate clues that he and Sophia had managed to collect so far.


    At the same time though, they''ve both been burned so many times before. When something is too good to be true, it probably isn''t¡­ right? Or is that just his paranoia talking?


    Still, he''s been content to sit back and let Sophia and Tyranos speak for a while now. His place isn''t to do the talking after all. His place is at Sophia''s side, taking whatever form she needs of him. Only now he''s been brought into the conversation and both Sophia and Tyranos are looking at him expectantly.


    The Ancient God''s words about the Gods of the Void creating their own executioner hang in the air as they await his response. In the end, Oren feels he can only be honest with them in this moment.


    "I don''t think I''m up for the task."


    Sophia frowns thoughtfully, while Tyranos raises an eyebrow in bemusement. The Ancient God lets out a derisive snort and shakes his head.


    "You were certainly up to the task that day in the Heavens, ''God Killer''. And you seem to still be up to the task even now if today''s events are anything to go off of."


    That¡­ Oren doesn''t flinch at the mention of Aureo''s death, but Sophia does. Brow furrowing, the Otherworlder shakes his head.


    "Today showed just how weak I truly am. Without Sophia''s help, I could never have landed the killing blow on Aureo. If I were alone, I would have been forced to flee and let him destroy the city once he got serious. As for the Heavens¡­ I was far better equipped for that than I am now. These¡­ Void Gods made me a special set of armor and blade that¡­ I suspect they were more than just Celestial Metal. There must have been something special about them both, because they let me rampage through the Heavens without pause."


    Oren shrugs.


    "It was the perfect blend of defense, offense, and endless Otherworlder stamina. Without the armor and blade, I just have the stamina. I might be capable of killing a god or two, but hundreds of them? As I am now, I doubt I can pull off the feats of the past."


    It pains him to be talking about such ''feats'' in Sophia''s presence. As Oren falls silent, he looks over to the goddess, hoping she won''t be too upset by him talking in such a cavalier tone about his assault on the Heavens. To his surprise, she doesn''t look angry or sad. Instead, she looks contemplative. Finally, Sophia raises her eyes to meet his and asks a question Oren has been dreading for some time now.


    "What happened to your armaments? What happened to the armor and blade you had on that day in the Heavens?"


    Letting out an explosive breath, Oren leans back heavily in his chair.


    "I got rid of them. The sword, the armor¡­ I threw it away."


    Tyranos hums at that.


    "Curious. Such powerful artifacts¡­ one wonders why you would abandon them."


    Oren grits his teeth at that, his mind going back to those days just after he''d unknowingly slaughtered the Heavens. Truth was¡­ he hadn''t followed Law''s final orders immediately. Initially, he''d simply fled. Making it from the Heavens down to the Mortal Planes, he''d run the fuck away.


    Maybe he should have stayed behind. If he had, or if he''d gone back like he was supposed to, maybe he could have killed the Void Gods to the last just like he did the Deities of the Heavens. Of course, from the way Raythe had talked¡­ there had been plans in place for his return. The impression that Oren had gotten from the last conversation with his ''best friend'' was that Raythe was angry Oren hadn''t come back, that the blame for his desertion had fallen on Raythe.


    Could Oren have ended the Gods of the Void that day? Maybe. Or, just as likely, they would have been ready for him in their own way, ready to deal with him and end the threat he posed to them. Like Tyranos had said, Oren was a weapon of their own making. They would never let their weapon turn on them.


    Thinking about what could have been was pointless either way. Law had given Oren his last orders. With his dying breath, the King of the Gods had told Oren what he had to do and so Oren had fled and wandered the Mortal Planes for a time, hiding from his summoners.


    ¡­ But he hadn''t given up the God Killer''s armor and blade immediately. He''d told himself at the time that he was looking for the right hiding spot. Lying to himself about his own motivations was so damn easy. The truth was though, the feeling of power that the armor and sword gave him¡­ it was intoxicating.


    As an Otherworlder, Oren was pretty damn capable already, so it might surprise people to learn how quickly he came to covet the power of that magical suit of armor and blade. It made him so much more than he already was. He''d barely had a couple of weeks to get used to that power before he was sent on his ''holy mission'' to ''defeat the Demon King'' once and for all. And after everything, even knowing how badly he''d been hoodwinked, Oren had still not been entirely sure he could give it up.


    That is, until he finally ran into God Hunters¡­ and they''d recognized him. Not as Oren, but as the God Killer. In hindsight, Oren now knew that the Gods of the Void must have spread the details of his armor''s appearance around to their patsies once they realized he''d pulled a runner. They''d spread knowledge of him to all of the God Hunters but they''d been smart about it. After all, he was their propaganda piece.


    Those God Hunters had both recognized him as the God Killer and expected him to come with them. They''d had a certain amount of awe and reverence to their tones¡­ until he''d refused. At that point, they''d become increasingly belligerent and hostile, demanding he hand over the armaments until eventually, they''d forced Oren to kill them both in self-defense and to silence them.


    It was then that he''d realized Law was right. He couldn''t keep gallivanting around in the regalia of the God Killer. Not unless he wanted to be increasingly hunted day and night. The next day, he''d hidden the armor and weapon away and left them behind, putting as much distance between them and him as he could before finally settling down in that forest where he''d intended to live out the rest of his days¡­ and where Sophia had run into him and turned those plans on their head.


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    Oren doesn''t regret helping Sophia, nor swearing himself to her service. But even now he can''t quite bring himself to tell her of his tardiness, especially not in front of Tyranos. Instead, Oren keeps the details to himself and keeps things simple. Straightening up, he looks the Ancient God sitting across from him in the eye.


    "Law''s final instructions as he lay dying at my feet were to hide them away so that his enemies could not get their hands on them."


    Tyranos raises an eyebrow at that, but before the Ancient God can respond, Sophia beats him to it.


    "Then¡­ you know where they are. You didn''t just toss them away, you hid them somewhere. You could¡­ we could retrieve them."


    Oren grimaces at the fervor in Sophia''s voice.


    "I could but¡­ Goddess, if such artifacts were to fall into the hands of these Void Gods, it would spell the end would it not? What if¡­ what if that was what Raythe was after back at the refuge? He could have killed us at any time, but instead he drew it out and seemed intent on demanding information from me. What other information could I possibly have that he would want? They''re hunting for the God Killer''s armaments. I fear we might play right into their hands if we have me retrieve them."


    Sophia hesitates, looking like she hadn''t thought of it that way. Slumping back in her chair, the beautiful goddess frowns. Silence reigns for a moment before Tyranos cuts through it with his own two cents.


    "Hm. The boy might have a point, niece."


    Oren blinks, surprised that the Ancient God was siding with him. Sophia is similarly surprised, Tyranos'' words causing them both to look over at him in shock. Snorting derisively, the ''old man'' shrugs.


    "Your father, my brother, was not one to mince words. He wouldn''t have wasted his dying breath on mindless drivel or meaningless nonsense. That he focused on convincing the boy to flee and hide his armaments above all else¡­ it speaks to the power of such artifacts. And if that power were to fall into the wrong hands¡­ well then, we might all be doomed."


    Finding himself nodding along to Tyranos'' words, Oren is surprised when Sophia throws her hands into the air all of the sudden.


    "But aren''t we already doomed?! The Heavens either lie empty or have been taken over by these ''Gods of the Void. The Mortal Planes are swarming with God Hunters who have hunted and tortured and slaughtered every divine being they could find! If we don''t do SOMETHING, then everything is lost anyways! This might be our only hope!"


    Tyranos chuckles, shaking his head.


    "I appreciate your fire, dear niece¡­ but I wouldn''t be so sure that things are as dire as you think. Yes, the Gods of the Heavens have been slain. Their loss is keenly felt, don''t get me wrong. But the only gods and goddesses to die here on the Mortal Planes are the minor and young. In all my travels, I have not heard of the God Hunters successfully hunting down a single Ancient God. We''re made of sterner stuff than that, you see."


    Gesturing, Tyranos continues on.


    "Eventually, the Void Gods and their God Hunter Pets are going to hit a wall, Sophia. They cannot enter the oceans to fight and kill the Sea Gods there. They cannot climb to the sky to face off with the Ancient Gods of Wind and Sun. They cannot even climb into the volcanoes to fight the Gods of Fire and Earth found deep beneath the magma there. They are limited in just how much damage they can cause right now. The Otherworlder could be correct that retrieving the God Killer''s armor and blade might be exactly what they''re hoping will let them take the next step in their conquest of Creation."


    Again, Oren finds himself largely agreeing with Tyranos. It wasn''t good for the younger divinities of course¡­ in fact, it was downright awful. But from the sound of things, it wasn''t the end of the world¡­ yet.


    However, when he looks to Sophia, he doesn''t find her defeated. Instead, she looks more determined than ever.


    "So you want me to put my head in the sand and ignore what''s happening? Let me guess, you would offer me your protection to¡­ weather the storm?"


    Tyranos nods.


    "I would. You and your companion both."


    "Well I appreciate the offer Uncle, but I can''t accept it! I can''t just sit idly by while the God Hunters slaughter more of our kin, no matter what age they are. And I can''t just let the Void Gods get away with what they did to Oren and me either!"


    Oren blinks, a little caught off guard by Sophia including him at the end there. Tyranos looks a little taken aback as well, though he smiles after a moment.


    "I would not be opposed to taking the fight to the Void Gods, my dear niece, blood of my brother. But without the God Killer''s armor and weapon, the fight is hopeless. It is not I that you have to convince¡­"


    He trails off meaningfully here, while glancing in Oren''s direction. Oren stiffens up because at the end of the day, all Sophia has to do is say the word and he''ll probably capitulate. He''s still sworn to her service, after all. He owes her a blood debt that can never be repaid so-


    "Uncle¡­ please give us a moment alone if you would."


    Confusion fills Oren as Tyranos frowns for a moment before slowly nodding.


    "Of course. I shall be nearby¡­ once you have decided to travel, wherever you intend those travels to take you, I will know and rejoin you."


    With that, the Ancient God rises from the table, walking stick still in hand, and makes his way out of the empty tavern. In his absence, Oren feels nothing but confusion as Sophia looks to him. All she has to do is say the word and he''ll bow his head and accept it.


    "I owe you an apology, Oren."


    Wait, what?

 Chapter 31: Apologies

    Sophia''s words hang in the air between them as Oren just stares at her for a long moment before finally shaking his head.


    "I don''t understand, Goddess. I''m the one who wronged you. You don''t owe me anything."


    But Sophia shakes her head right back.


    "No. You''re the only one who has helped me. You saved my life and escorted me to safety. And for what? I lied about having some great reward for you at my refuge in the first place. Sure, I could have given you some minor divine artifacts, a piece of magical jewelry or two, but we know now that would have just put a target on your back."


    Oren stares, more than a little caught off guard by Sophia''s sudden contrition. He still didn''t get it. Seeing this, Sophia sighs.


    "I''ve treated you terrible, Oren. You, the man who spared my life in the Heavens even while under the thrall of these Void Gods. You, the man who when confronted with the option of leaving me to the nonexistent mercies of the God Hunters, chose to defend me instead. You, the man that my father trusted implicitly to follow his final orders."


    Oren isn''t so sure about that. In fact, he''s long thought about what Law had said at the end there. He''d told Oren to hide the weapon and armor, but then he''d had something else he intended to say to Oren as well. For a moment after realizing who Sophia was, Oren had wondered if Law had been trying to ask him to protect her.


    ¡­ But that couldn''t be it, now could it? By all accounts, Law should have believed Oren had already killed Sophia just like he killed everyone else in the Heavens. Just like he''d slain Law himself.


    Truthfully, thinking about it some more and learning everything he''d learned about Otherworlders and Law''s less than stellar opinion of them, he''d began to wonder if the King of the Gods didn''t want him to end it all once he''d completed his final task.


    "I willfully blinded myself, because all I wanted was to hate you for the blood you were tricked into spilling. But I see the good in you, Oren."


    Blinking, Oren looks at Sophia, more than a little perplexed. He''d all but forced her to help him kill a god just an hour ago. Smiling softly, almost as though she can read his thoughts just from the look on his face, Sophia sighs.


    "You saved this city today, Oren. Countless mortals owe their lives to you. You''re not the monster I painted you as in my head. You''re not simply the God Killer, you''re not some insane Otherworlder¡­ you''re just Oren."


    Sophia looks to the side for a moment, biting her lower lip. Oren is too stunned at this point to really respond, so she has plenty of time to gather her thoughts before continuing on.


    "I''m sorry for how I treated you. I''m sorry for refusing to accept that you were as much a victim in all of this as I was. I hope you can forgive me."


    This was the last thing Oren was expecting from the Minor Goddess. He can hear the sincerity in her words all the same however. This was no base attempt at manipulation, she really meant it. In the end, even if he didn''t know where this was all coming from¡­ Oren shakes his head.


    "I said it before. There''s nothing to forgive. My crimes-!"


    "Your so-called crimes were made under significant duress! You-!"


    But Oren holds up a hand and shakes his head.


    "They tricked me, yes. Their illusion convinced me that everything I saw was real, and that I was the final hope of a doomed world. But I still could have questioned things more. I let myself become their weapon because¡­ because I didn''t have anything else. My entire future was gone in the blink of an eye and I wanted something to latch onto. I wanted it to be real. Just my luck that I happened to grab on tight to something so damn fake and refused to let go."


    Sophia bites her lower lip, staring at him as Oren lets out a heavy sigh.


    "All my life, I knew I wasn''t special. Just another orphan in a sea of orphans. No particularly special talents, no amazing skills. All I had going for me was my work ethic and my will to succeed, so I leaned into that at the expense of everything else. And yet¡­ even knowing I wasn''t special or one of a kind in any way, I guess part of me still yearned for it all the same. That''s what let Raythe sink his claws into me so easily."


    Looking Sophia in the eye, Oren''s next words are as solemn as they are blunt.


    "For all that I was used, for all that I was tricked¡­ I still carry a share of the blame, Sophia. I still wielded the blade that murdered your kin and slew your father. You can''t forget that, not ever."


    Sophia hesitates for a moment before slowly nodding.


    "Then I won''t. But I will forgive you."


    Even as he opens his mouth to object, Sophia cuts him off by slapping her hand on the table and a snarl on her face.


    "If not me, who can?! I am the last living goddess of the Heavens, Oren! And you don''t get to decide who I can and cannot forgive. I forgive you completely and fully¡­ because if I don''t forgive you now, I fear my hatred will consume me just like Aureo''s hatred consumed him."


    Oren''s eyes widen as he finally realizes where this is all coming from. Meanwhile, Sophia''s feature soften as she sits back with a sigh.


    "Aureo was like looking into a dark mirror. All he wanted was to punish those he felt had wronged him. The God Hunters stripped everything else away when they tortured him all those months. All they left him with was his hatred¡­ his vengeance. I can''t be like that. I don''t want to involve innocents in my crusade against these Gods of the Void."


    This conversation and the conversation Sophia just had with her uncle have Oren more confused than ever, truth be told. Furrowing his brow, he looks to the door that Tyranos exited through.


    "Then¡­ do you wish to take your Uncle up on his offer of safety and security after all? To give up on taking the fight to the Void Gods?"


    But Sophia shakes her head.


    "No. No, I¡­ it''s not about vengeance anymore, Oren. It can''t be. This is bigger than just you and me and how they wronged us. This is the entire world at stake and as much as I want to trust Tyranos is on the up and up¡­ I can''t bring myself to believe he''s right about being able to just ''ride everything out''."


    That was¡­ fair. Oren wasn''t sure about that particular plan either. He didn''t doubt that Tyranos could protect him and Sophia for a time¡­ but forever? And turning the tide on the God Hunters and the Void Gods? It seemed like the longer they waited, the stronger the Void Gods and their mortal pets would get. Sophia, of course, agrees.


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    "The Ancient Gods down here on the Mortal Planes aren''t as untouchable as they think they are. Just look at what happened to my father and the rest of the Heavens. And even without you and your armaments, they''re making short work of the lesser divinities all the same. Not to mention, Raythe is the only God of the Void we''ve even encountered so far. Where are the others? What are they doing? When they strike, will the Ancient Gods still standing here in the Mortal Planes really be alright?"


    She raised several salient points. Oren finds himself nodding along with Sophia, even as she gets this fire in her eyes that burns bright with determination and resolve.


    "It''s not about vengeance anymore. It''s not even about dispensing justice. This is about the duty we have to all of Creation to do what we can for as long as we can. If not us, then who? The Ancient Gods hide away. Those like Aureo are being captured, tortured, and killed as we speak. We''re the only ones besides Tyranos who know what''s going on. And you¡­ you''re the only one who knows of a way of beating them."


    The God Killer''s weapon and armor. Oren lets out a shuddering breath, even as Sophia slowly nods at the look that crosses his face.


    "We need the blade and armor you used to storm the Heavens if we''re going to have any chance of stopping the Void Gods before they make things even worse. It''s the best plan we have at this point. Retrieve your armaments, find out where the Void Gods are, whether it''s the Void, the Heavens, or here on the Mortal Planes¡­ and take the fight to them. We end this together, once and for all. What¡­ what do you say?"


    She offers him his hand and Oren just stares at it for a long moment before chuckling softly and taking it in his own. Her fingers and palm are soft of course when compared to the thick callouses on his own hand.


    "You know you could have just ordered me to take you there and I would have done so, Goddess. You didn''t have to say all of that to convince this lowly servant to obey."


    Sophia''s eyes widen and she immediately begins to sputter and stutter in response.


    "N-No! Oren, I didn''t say all of that j-just to convince you, I truly meant every word! Please don''t think I was trying to mani-mmph!"


    Putting his finger against her lips, Oren grins.


    "I know, Sophia. I''m teasing you."


    She freezes for a moment before pulling her hand from his and smacking him on the shoulder.


    "You¡­ y-you jerk!"


    And yet, after a moment her lips twitch upwards and before she knows it, she''s not just smiling but honest-to-god giggling. And once she starts giggling, Oren can''t hold back more chuckles, until they''re both gasping for air from how hard they''re laughing. It wasn''t even that funny. But then, nothing is these days. And maybe, just maybe¡­ it was what they both needed.


    Finally though, catching their breath, the two sober up from the momentary emotional high. Oren solemnly nods to Sophia, even as he rises to his feet.


    "I''ll lead us to where I stashed the armor and blade, Sophia. It''s months of travel by foot East of here though. Maybe your Uncle can speed things up a bit, being the God of Travelers and Roads and all."


    Sophia hums while rising to her feet as well. The two make their way to the door of the tavern and step out onto the empty street. Everyone is still at the pillar, even now.


    "Well, he did say he would know when we decided we were ready to travel so-!"


    "That I did."


    Sophia and Oren both jump as Tyranos manages to sneak up on them yet again. This time, Oren had definitely been on the look out for the Ancient God, his enhanced Otherworlder senses straining to their absolute limits as he tried to listen for any sign of him. And yet, there was nothing until Tyranos wanted to be seen. It was unnerving to say the least.


    As they turn to face him, the Ancient God raises an eyebrow.


    "Well? Have you two decided exactly where we will be traveling?"


    Straightening up and squaring her shoulders, Sophia nods sharply.


    "Yes. Oren has agreed to take us to where he hid the armor and blade he used on the Heavens. We''ll retrieve them, rearm him, and then hunt down the Gods of the Void to stop this madness once and for all."


    Tyranos nods approvingly at this course of action, though he does pause briefly.


    "¡­ You do know that my other brother, your other uncle, is no doubt leading them, yes? I must confess, some part of me wishes he could be reasoned with even now¡­"


    The Ancient God looks all the more like an old man for a moment, weighed down and weary from regrets and a long immortal life. Sophia bites her lower lip, worrying it between her teeth for a brief second before shaking her head.


    "But he can''t be, can he? He''s not going to stop, no matter how nicely we ask him."


    Letting out a sigh, Tyranos shakes his head.


    "No, you''re right. He was past the point of negotiating when Law imprisoned him and the others in the Void all those millennia ago. I shudder to think what has become of him by now."


    Both deities look a little despondent at that, so Oren clears his throat and changes the subject.


    "Shall we get going? I can''t give verbal directions to the armor and blade, but I know where I put them. Perhaps if you have a way of telling when someone is ready to travel, you also have a way of telling where I want to travel? We might be able to cut down on the time with that¡­"


    Tyranos hums thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head.


    "I''m afraid not. While Travelers are one of my domains, I cannot simply peer into their heads and read their minds. I merely get a sense of¡­ intention, one might say. Still, so long as we stick to roads, I can most certainly cut down travel time significantly. And so long as you are with me, we need not fear even a thousand God Hunters."


    Based on that power Oren had felt before, back when the Ancient God had first revealed himself to them, he believed it. Slowly nodding, Oren looks to Sophia who looks back. After a moment, they share a smile before turning once more to Tyranos.


    "Let''s get some supplies and head out then, shall we?"


    Tyranos smiles back and chuckles.


    "Indeed, let''s."

 Chapter 32: Questions

    They''re traveling for a week and making pretty damn good time before Sophia''s curiosity finally gets the better of her. That''s not to say she and her uncle don''t talk a single time throughout that week. They talk about plenty throughout the days, and Sophia learns quite a lot about the God of Travelers and Roads.


    However, there''s one thing that weighs on her mind. And the way Tyranos sometimes talks about her father only builds on it. It''s not¡­ it''s not like he''s going out of his way to badmouth Law, mind. But he obviously had a very different relationship with the King of the Gods than Sophia did. Hell, he''d had a different relationship with Law than any of the Gods of the Heaven could have been said to have.


    In the Heavens and on the Mortal Planes, it was commonly considered that Law''s words were sacrosanct. His edicts were unquestionable, his commandments to be followed without hesitation. Nobody ever told her father ''no''. Not because he was a tyrant or anything like that, but because he was King as well as the God of Justice and Righteousness, so obviously he knew best.


    However, Law wasn''t those things to Tyranos. For Sophia, Law had always been her King first and her father second. She loved him with all her heart and she knew he loved her back, but at the same time, there had existed a separation there that she couldn''t deny. The same couldn''t be said for Law and Tyranos, at least the way the latter god talked about her father.


    In Tyranos'' eyes, they were brothers first and nothing else second. Listening to him tell tales of when he and Law had been even younger than she was, barely even a century old, it became obvious that he simply didn''t have the same reverence for the fallen King of the Gods that Sophia did.


    And that made her think back to something he''d said in that empty tavern in Goldriver. As well as what he hadn''t said.


    "Uncle¡­"


    And so, finally, over dinner one night, Sophia decides to jump the gap, so to speak. Lifting his head from his food, Tyranos raises an eyebrow at her, the Ancient God smiling softly.


    "Niece. Was there something you needed?"


    Swallowing thickly and gathering her courage, Sophia nods.


    "It was about what you said back in Goldriver. It''s been bothering me. When you explained the existence of the Void Gods to us, you said there were two schools of thought regarding why events played out the way they did. About why the conceptual gods would up experiencing a schism of sorts¡­"


    Smiling dropping, Tyranos becomes more serious, nodding along.


    "Indeed I did."


    Well, she was in too deep to back out now, wasn''t she?


    "You said some believed the Void Gods to be scapegoated¡­ and the others believed the only thing keeping the Void Gods from giving into their darker impulses was the outlet provided by the Otherworlders. But¡­ you never said which school of thought you fell into."


    There''s a long pause as Tyranos takes a moment to take another bite, clearly needing the time to chew on her words along with his food.. Sophia is partially aware of Oren watching from nearby, quietly eating his own dinner. But the human man is smart enough not to interject right now.


    "¡­ I do not wish to speak ill of the dead, Sophia."


    Given the Void Gods are all still alive save for Raythe so far as she knows, that really kind of narrows it down to what he''s implying. Sophia frowns but shakes her head.


    "I''m not going to hold whatever you have to say against you, Uncle. Please, speak your mind."


    Sighing, Tyranos leans back and collects his thoughts for a moment longer before responding.


    "I do not think your father always believed that having domains tied to negativity or darkness inherently made those gods and goddesses who had them evil, per say. After all, we grew up with the one who would go on to lead the Gods of the Void in the schism. He was our beloved brother, once upon a time¡­"


    Sophia can''t help herself at the mention of the other uncle she''d never met before.


    "What were his domains? If you don''t mind me asking."


    Tyranos smiles thinly, causing Sophia to blush. She can tell her interruption has irritated him.


    "Conquest. And Tyranny."


    Sophia shivers. Those were¡­ certainly not good things. She struggled to see how they could ever be used in positive ways, truth be told. But she stays silent all the same, not wanting to annoy her uncle any further. Especially not when the Ancient God was being so forthcoming.


    "¡­ However, by the end of the schism, by the time the civil war between Conceptual Gods came to a close and one side was banished to the Void¡­ I can''t help but think your father had made up his mind for good."


    Tyranos adopts a rueful, nostalgic smile.


    "That was the thing about Law, you see. Once he decided something, he was impossible to convince otherwise. Utterly intractable. In a lot of ways, it was an admirable quality if his. He was the kind of god to stand his ground against would-be bullies. The kind to set his feet when told to get out of the way and say ''no, you move'' to whoever was in front of him."


    The smile fades and he shakes his head.


    "However, that trait could also be a downside. Even when he was wrong, he always had to be right. Even when he made a mistake, he would refuse to accept it."


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    Sophia blinks. On the one hand, it''s easy to imagine the god that Tyranos is describing because yes, her father had indeed been like that. Not to make a pun of it, but his word was literally law. Once he laid down a decision, it was expected that it would be followed no matter what.


    However, in all her centuries of life, she couldn''t remember her father ever being wrong about anything.


    "Heh, I see from the incredulous befuddlement on your face that he didn''t allow much in the way of dissent up in the Heavens. I don''t begrudge him that¡­ it was his right as King, after all. Still, there were many reasons I stayed down here on the Mortal Planes, dear niece."


    Frowning, Sophia crosses her arms over her chest. She''d told herself she wouldn''t get defensive on her father''s behalf, and yet¡­


    "Law was King of both the Heavens and the Mortal Planes."


    Tyranos just smirks at her correction.


    "Certainly. But there''s a difference between being the King of your own domain and being the King of some far off land. Law didn''t travel down to the Mortal Planes very often? Nor did he allow all of you to do much traveling either. I should know. I am after all¡­"


    The God of Travelers, right. Sophia huffs, forced to admit, at least in her own head, that he''s right about that much. While her father would project some small fragment of his power down to some portion of the Mortal Planes regularly, even daily at times, the truth was, the King of the Gods preferred to keep things separate.


    "Law didn''t want the possibility of another schism. He wanted it even less than he wanted anyone to bring Otherworlders back into our universe. That''s why he created the Heavens in the first place¡­ as much of a gilded prison as it was a paradise."


    Wait, what? Now Sophia can''t help but be defensive.


    "T-The Heavens were NOT a prison! What are you talking about?!"


    She tries to tell herself that it''s just her uncle''s domains talking. Of course a God of Travelers and Roads would consider the Heavens to be ''too confining''. They were both vast and tiny at the same time. You could go further out in the Heavens than you could travel on the Mortal Planes, but you would get there in the blink of an eye with zero travel time involved.


    Still, Sophia had never felt trapped or imprisoned and nobody she''d known up there had felt that way either. It felt like Tyranos was quite¡­ biased in this regard.


    "Hm. Perhaps not a prison¡­ but rather an early warning system."


    What? What was he talking about?


    "Tell me this Sophia¡­ in all of your centuries up there, was there ever a god or goddess who had even the slightest bit of darkness in their domains?"


    Sophia pauses¡­ and thinks. The answer is ''no'', but then of course it would be¡­ right?


    "¡­ There wouldn''t have been. After all, weren''t all of those deities trapped in the Void?"


    The look Tyranos gives her is disappointed and Sophia finds herself flushing in response.


    "That was thousands of years ago, Sophia. You yourself are an example of a goddess who was born long, long after the schism and the separation of the Heavens and Mortal Planes. Tell me¡­ did any of your peers, seniors, or juniors have a whiff of negativity in their domains?"


    No. Not that Sophia could remember. She racks her brain for several long silent moments, thinking about everyone who she''d known, everyone who she''d loved. Thinking about them still hurts, her heart clenching in her chests, however it doesn''t hurt quite as much anymore. Forgiving Oren really was the right call, because while she certainly doesn''t feel light, she feels lighter than she has in quite some time. Like some small fraction of the weight on her shoulders has been lifted off.


    "¡­ None of them did. Why do you ask?"


    Tyranos grunts.


    "Because that''s impossible. Back before the schism, there was a relatively even split between us three types of conceptual gods. Neutral concepts, light concepts, and dark concepts if you will. For there not to be any further dark concepts in all the time you were alive¡­ simply doesn''t make sense."


    Sophia''s blood begins to chill in her veins. Surely he couldn''t possibly be saying¡­ she finds herself grasping for answers, trying to explain it away.


    "W-Well if every deity with dark domains was banished to the Void at the same time, w-wouldn''t it make sense that there would be no more to come after them outside of the Void?"


    Again, Tyranos levels a disappointed look her way, though it softens up considerably when Sophia cringes and averts her gaze.


    "That''s not how it works, dear niece. And I think you know that full well. Domains are not inherited. They are intrinsic to each individual, regardless of the way they were born. The truth is simple¡­ for there to be no ''dark gods'' in the Heavens all this time, it means your father, my brother, was doing something with any born up there."


    No. No, she couldn''t believe that. She didn''t want to believe that.


    "W-What about down here? On the Mortal Planes?"


    Tyranos just shakes his head.


    "There is still a separation between physical and conceptual gods. Physical gods cannot birth conceptual gods. And I was an extreme outlier in that regard, allowed to remain here on the Mortal Planes when Law recalled all the others¡­ so long as I swore to my brother that I would never father any children."


    Sophia''s breath hitches and Tyranos nods at her.


    "I''ve had a long, long time to think about that oath I swore. Not because I wanted to break it, but because I wondered why Law had me swear it. In the end, given what you''ve told me¡­ all I''m left wondering now is whether Law killed those who did not fit into his ideal Heavens, or whether he immediately exiled them to the Void the moment he learned their domains."


    That¡­ neither of those options were good! In fact, they were both downright monstrous! Her father would never¡­ he wouldn''t¡­ but he¡­


    "Your father was not a bad King, Sophia."


    What? Sophia looks up at Tyranos incredulity, only then realizing how watery her eyes have become and how blurry her vision currently is. She hurriedly wipes her eyes with the back of her hand as Tyranos patiently explains.


    "Kings have to make hard decisions regarding the realms they rule over all the time. The schism left Law with few options. And as we previously discussed, once he had made a decision about something, he was set in his ways. If his belief by the end of the schism truly was that all gods with ''evil'' domains were dangerous and a threat to everything he''d built, then ultimately all he can do is do away with them¡­ one way or another."


    How had they gotten here? Tyranos had exposed her father''s monstrous actions¡­ only to start defending them? Sophia didn''t know what to believe anymore. She wished she''d never asked her questions in the first place. The last thing she wanted to do was be told things that would tarnish her father''s memory and yet here they were.


    "¡­ If it makes you feel any better, I know one thing for certain, Sophia. My brother loved you very much."


    Jolting out of her inward spiral, Sophia raises her head again and furrows her brow as she finds Tyranos looking at her with a serious expression on his face.


    "Perhaps he didn''t always show it, but you were clearly the light of his world Sophia. If your own domains had been dark, I doubt he would have simply tossed you aside. In fact, I imagine he would have found a way to keep you with him, no matter the cost."


    Sophia lowers her gaze again. She can appreciate what her uncle is trying to do, but his words don''t make her feel better. How can they? It didn''t erase what her father had probably done. It didn''t change the dark past of the Heavens that Sophia never even knew existed.


    In the end, they all fall back into silence, Oren never having said a word and Sophia wishing she''d never said anything to begin with as they finish their dinner and tuck in for the night.


    She didn''t need this right now. She didn''t need to have her head stuck in the clouds thinking about the past. She needed to focus on the present and fighting back against the Void Gods and the God Hunters. They were the ones hurting people right now. They were the ones doing the most damage.


    With the help of her uncle and Oren, Sophia would stop them. No matter what it took.

 Chapter 33: Training

    "Fight me."


    Tyranos pauses, the Ancient God of Travelers and Roads giving Oren a distinctly unimpressed look as he lifts an eyebrow in response.


    "Excuse me?"


    Perhaps it''s not the most diplomatic way for Oren to be approaching this, but he''s still a little annoyed at Tyranos for putting Sophia in such a dour mood this past week. It''s been two weeks since the three of them set out for Goldriver and by this point, Oren would say they''re about halfway there. A journey that had originally taken him several months would only take about four to five weeks thanks to the god and goddess he was traveling with.


    He''d thought he would have more time to broach this subject, and he''d also been a little hesitant after the conversation Sophia and Tyranos had with one another. It wasn''t like Sophia came away from it giving the Ancient God the cold shoulder or anything, but she''d been more than a little depressed in the days since they discussed the actions and decision making of her father.


    Of course, now that Oren is making a bit of an ass of himself, Sophia is pulled out of her funk and giving him a wide-eyed look.


    "Oren?"


    Mission accomplished, Oren tilts his head to the side and reframes his words.


    "Would you spar with me, Lord Tyranos?"


    Sophia blinks and then scowls mightily as she realizes Oren was just being needlessly agitating for attention. Tyranos, meanwhile, tilts his head to the side.


    "Spar? What a strange request¡­"


    Oren just shrugs.


    "I''m rusty. It''s been more than half a year now since the last time I wore the armor and wielded the blade we''re currently going to retrieve."


    When Tyranos still looks far from convinced, Oren rolls his shoulders slowly and continues explaining.


    "As you know, I''m an Otherworlder. Comes with limitless potential and all that."


    The flippant way he describes it provokes a derisive snort from the Ancient God.


    "I am very aware of the power of Otherworlders, boy. I''ve faced ones who would have run circles around you."


    Oren chooses to take him at his word and flashes a toothy smile.


    "Perfect. Because limitless potential doesn''t mean you grow at the same rate forever and ever. I''ve plateaued and that''s not a good thing. It means I might not be good enough to kill the gods who need killing, even with my armor and sword back."


    Sophia interjects; her brow furrowed in confusion.


    "I''m not sure I understand, Oren."


    He softens his demeanor as he turns to explain things to her.


    "The Void Gods trained me for years. They pushed me to my limits again and again. Just when I thought I was outgrowing Raythe, he would reveal another level of strength and speed for me to surpass. In hindsight, it makes sense now how that was possible. He was never mortal, so he wasn''t constrained to the same limits as mortals in this universe."


    Sophia nods, showing she''s following along so far.


    "Well, eventually I started to hit diminishing returns. And ever since that day in the Heavens, I haven''t really been challenged in a meaningful way. The Hill Giant''s attacks barely tickled, but he maybe made me a little bit more durable. Running the entire way from Oakvale to your hideaway probably made me a little bit faster, given how hard I pushed myself for that. And more recently, fighting Aureo¡­ I definitely could have gained more from fighting him than anything else, but eventually he might have gotten tired of me and focused on drowning the city so I couldn''t exactly draw things out."


    Shrugging again, Oren gestures to himself.


    "In the end, those are the only three things that have happened in the past half a year that could have increased my physicality in any way. Other than that¡­ I''ve just been languishing. For good reason, or so I thought, but now I need to be strong enough to slay hundreds of these Void Gods. I need to be pushed to my limits again and we just so happen to have someone as powerful as your father right here¡­ and ostensibly on our side."


    He didn''t need to add the word ''ostensibly'', admittedly. So far, Tyranos had been nothing but helpful to them. Sure, he might have told Sophia things she''d rather not have known, but she HAD asked. Oren does it anyways and isn''t surprised at all when the Ancient God in question narrows his eyes at him.


    "We will be retrieving armaments that allowed you to singlehandedly slaughter the Heavens shortly, Otherworlder. I''m not sure why you think you would need more power than that."


    Planting his hands on his hips, Oren stands his ground.


    "Well that''s just it, isn''t it? That armor and blade were given to me by the very same Gods of the Void that we now want to hunt down and kill. I''m fairly certain that their intentions were to kill me whenever I finished the job, and they must have had some way of making sure they succeeded. I was strong enough to take down the Heavens when they were unprepared and unsuspecting. But the Void Gods are on the look out for the God Killer. They''ll be on high alert no matter what, so we can''t just rest easy thinking this will be a cakewalk."


    When both Sophia and Tyranos both look befuddled by that last bit, Oren sighs.


    "It''s something from my homeworld. ''Cakewalk'' means something very simple or easily done. The exact opposite of what I imagine trying to kill the Void Gods to be."


    Tyranos looks mulish, particularly so thanks to the visage of an old man that he wears. Law didn''t look nearly as old as the God of Travelers and Roads, so Oren has to assume that the look is a choice.


    "Please Uncle¡­ Oren is right."


    Sophia interrupts then, coming down on his side much to Tyranos'' visible surprise.


    "We can''t just assume that the God Killer''s armor and blade will be enough for us to stop the Void Gods alone. We need every advantage we can possibly muster, including making Oren stronger if at all possible."


    Tyranos'' visage softens noticeably at his niece''s beseeching words. After a moment, he lets out a long, drawn out sigh.


    "Otherworlders being allowed to grow too powerful was what started this whole mess, you know. Your father would not approve."


    Sophia flushes at that but nevertheless doesn''t back down.


    "Yes well¡­ I believe I''ve done many things my father would not approve of. Please Uncle. Oren is right, you''re the only thing we have capable of pushing him past his current limits at this point."


    Tyranos snorts at that.


    "A bit of advice, dear niece¡­ when trying to convince someone to help you, you would do well to refrain from describing them as a ''thing''. It''s not very¡­ wise."


    The Minor Goddess of Wisdom and Equity blushes crimson and bows her head, mumbling an apology. Still, Tyranos turns to face Oren, narrowing his eyes at him thoughtfully.


    "I should warn you; I''m not much of a combatant."


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    Oren furrows his brow at that.


    "You said before that you faced Otherworlders who could run circles around me."


    Tyranos inclines his head in agreement.


    "Indeed. ''Faced''. I did not fight them alone, nor was I the one who went toe to toe with them. That was always my brothers. Still, if nothing else this old traveler should have a few tricks up his sleeves. Draw your blade."


    When the Ancient God switches his grasp on his walking stick to a one handed sword grip, Oren tenses up and slowly draws his own sword. Not the celestial dagger, but the mortal-crafted steel that Sophia had had him arm himself with back when they''d first arrived in Goldriver. Eyeing the walking stick warily, Oren comes to a sudden realization.


    "That¡­ stick wouldn''t happen to be imbued with your divine blood, would it?"


    Tyranos'' weathered lips pull back to reveal startlingly white teeth as he gives Oren a wicked grin.


    "How observant, Otherworlder. Now¡­ defend yourself."


    That''s all the warning he gets before Tyranos is right on top of him and swinging his walking stick so fast that Oren almost doesn''t bring up his blade to block in time. His bones shake and rattle in the fleshy confines of his body as he just barely manages to brace himself before the full weight of the Ancient God''s blow registers.


    Even then, he''s sent skidding back several feet. At least he doesn''t go flying, but as far as small mercies go, it isn''t much of one. And Tyranos doesn''t let up either. He immediately follows that first blow with another, and then another. Oren finds himself forced purely onto the defensive, grunting as he blocks strike after strike until finally one manages to get through his defenses, slamming along his abdomen and making him double over as he gags and chokes on his own spit.


    Only then does Tyranos let up, taking a step back while Oren falls to his hands and knees in a recovery position.


    "Oren!"


    Sophia''s worry is palpable in her tone, but Oren just holds out a thumbs up to let her know he''s alright. Slowly, though much faster than any normal man would be capable of, Oren recovers and rises back to his feet. Heh, if he were a mortal native to this universe, he was pretty sure that blow would have not only pulverized his ribs but burst every single one of his vital organs at the same time.


    As it is¡­ it hurts more than anything has hurt for a long, long time. But pain is good. Pain is how he knows he''s on the right track.


    "Heh¡­ thought you said you weren''t a combatant."


    Tyranos scoffs, even as he flicks the walking stick to the side.


    "I''m not. All I''m doing is wailing on you with a stick, boy. Or would you truly compare my lackluster technique to what my brother was capable of the day you fought and killed him?"


    No¡­ he''s right and Oren inclines his head, wordlessly conceding the point. Law was definitely a more capable warrior than Tyranos from what Oren remembered. He wasn''t just fast and strong like the God of Travelers, he was also tactical and cunning. The King of the Gods had been quick on his feet and always trying another gambit. The only thing Oren could truly say ill of Law''s fighting style was that he''d completely lacked in adaptability. He was very set in his ways and that had ultimately been what allowed Oren to defeat him.


    Of course, he''s not going to say any of that out loud. Not with Sophia right there and already questioning everything she thought she knew about her father. He wasn''t going to contribute to that, not if he could help it. Instead, he lifts his blade again and gives Tyranos a nod.


    "I''m ready. Let''s go-!"


    The Ancient God doesn''t even give him a chance to say ''again'' before he''s on him once more. But that''s alright. This is nothing less than what Oren asked for. Punishing, grueling, challenging, and backbreaking. That was what Oren wanted. That was what they all needed for him, really. The more demanding the better, and so long as they had Tyranos with them, Oren didn''t need to worry about getting too beat up and not being able to protect them from God Hunters or Void Gods. He could truly go all out and train his ass off as much as possible.


    And so that''s what they do. As their traveling continues, Oren constantly pesters Tyranos for help in pushing past his limits. When they''re not moving, they spar. Well, Tyranos comes at Oren with his divine walking stick and Oren tries to keep from getting battered and bruised, but it''s still sparring. Sort of.


    Meanwhile, even when they are moving, Oren takes every opportunity to improve. He even introduces Tyranos and Sophia to the concept of ''tag''. He doesn''t tell them that it''s a child''s game from his home world, of course. Instead, he describes it as a training exercise, one where he would do everything in his power to lay the lightest touch on one of them to make them ''it'' while they did everything in their power to keep away from him.


    Needless to say, despite both being distracted by the process of getting them to their destination as fast as possible, Oren is nevertheless ''it'' for the vast majority of the time. And the rare few times he does manage to ''tag'' either Tyranos or Sophia, they''re able to almost immediately tag him back because unlike the two conceptual gods, Oren can''t fucking teleport.


    That''s okay though. It''s not about winning or losing. It''s about growing. There''s nothing quite like a game of tag with two individuals who are almost impossible to catch to bring Oren to the limits of his speed¡­ and then past them once more.


    Three more weeks pass like this. It would have only been two but after a certain point Oren had gone off the beaten path in his bid to hide his armor and blade. He''d figured putting it anywhere near human civilization¡­ and therefore roads, was a losing proposition. As such, their speed is somewhat curtailed by the necessity to leave the roads where Tyranos is more powerful thanks to his domain.


    Even still, they manage to make the trip that took Oren several months by himself¡­ in just five weeks. And finally, after a day of rest so Oren could recuperate on their approach, they had arrived at long last.


    "¡­ A waterfall?"


    Sophia''s confusion brings a slight smile to Oren''s face. They stand on a riverbank staring at a massive rushing waterfall just up ahead. Coming down the side of a huge cliff face, the white water pulses and roars. Not that it deafens any of them. Sophia and Tyranos are deities and Oren is what he is as well.


    "Yep! Specifically, behind the waterfall. It was¡­ traditional, back on my world. Come on¡­"


    As he begins to lead Sophia and Tyranos up the riverbank towards the cliff, Oren doesn''t let any of his anxiety show on his face. And he definitely doesn''t say anything really stupid like ''I just hope it''s all still there''.


    Wouldn''t want to jinx it, after all.

 Chapter 34: Successful Retrieval

    As Sophia and Tyranos follow Oren to the cliff-face, all Sophia can think is that she hopes it''s all where Oren left it. The last thing they need is for the God Killer''s armor and blade to have been pilfered by someone else at some point in all this time.


    Still, they''d certainly had to go pretty far out of their way to get here. The nearest road was weeks away without spending a huge amount of divine energy to traverse the distance faster, and there was no mortal settlements around for leagues and leagues. That gave Sophia some peace of mind about all of this. It seemed as though Oren had picked a pretty good hiding place.


    Of course, eventually they arrive at the sheer cliff face that the waterfall to the side is pouring down from. It goes up quite a ways, so much so that Sophia has to crane her neck all the way back and still can''t see the edge of it when they''re right against it. This close to the cliff face, she CAN see behind the waterfall now¡­ but she doesn''t see anything in the way of armaments or an entrance.


    "One second."


    Sophia jolts as Oren suddenly leaps up onto the cliff, driving his fingers into the rock to make himself temporary handholds. She watches him scale the cliff face and sidle off onto the sheer rock behind the waterfall for a moment, a little perplexed. Coming up beside her, Tyranos snorts derisively.


    "Like a damn monkey."


    For some reason, that raises her hackles for a moment. Sophia almost leaps to Oren''s defense before thinking better of it, blushing a bit as she wonders exactly where her defensiveness was even coming from. In the end, she concludes that she''s still perhaps a little bit upset about the conversation her Uncle and her had a month ago, back when they were just a week into this journey.


    She would be eternally grateful to Oren for dragging the two of them into his training sessions, because without that, she''s not sure where she''d be at with her Uncle after all this time. Even if it did seem a little silly to be bouncing around while Oren flung himself at her at breakneck speeds trying to catch her and ''tag'' her. Especially when she could just teleport right over and ''tag'' him right back immediately afterwards, making it impossible for him to ever stay untagged for long.


    But then, as Oren put it, it wasn''t about winning or losing. It was good, solid training for the Otherworlder, and Sophia could tell that he''d gotten faster, stronger, and more durable in the time they''d been traveling.


    The worst part of it all is, Sophia knew it wasn''t Tyranos'' fault. She''d struggled these past few weeks, not because she was angry at her Uncle, but because she couldn''t accept that her father was anything less than perfect. And yet¡­ it was obvious the more she thought about it that she hadn''t known nearly as much about Law as she thought she had.


    It was just hard because she would never be able to confront him about it. She would never get to demand the answers from her father that she sought. He was dead and gone and Sophia was left holding the pieces. Was he a monster? Was he simply stuck making hard decisions to try and keep the world from falling apart around him? She would never know, in the end.


    Suddenly, her Uncle''s hand falls upon Sophia''s shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise and look to him. He gives her a smile and a nod.


    "Almost there now, Sophia. I apologize if I upset you before¡­ but I''m glad to be here with you now, dear niece."


    Flushing, Sophia lowers her eyes to the ground for a moment before shaking her head.


    "No¡­ you didn''t upset me¡­ or if you did, it doesn''t matter because it was necessary. Everything you told me was something I needed to know even if I didn''t want to hear it. I just¡­ needed time to really process it all."


    Tyranos hums knowingly and opens his mouth to respond, but before the Ancient God can say anything, he''s cut off by a shout from Oren.


    "Here!"


    They''ve both been watching Oren as he''s moved along the wall behind the roaring waterfall. The Otherworlder has been randomly tapping the rock and pressing his ear to the cliff face, clearly looking for something. Until finally, it seems he''s found it. Rearing back his hand, he brings it down like a cudgel, using his fist and entire arm to slam through a specific part of the cliff face.


    It crumbles too easily to have been rock, even with Oren''s enhanced strength. Indeed, it turns out to be something of a fa?ade, and before long there''s a large man-size hole in the cliff-face hidden out of sight behind the large waterfall. As Oren hops from his hanging position to stand in the middle of it, he grins down at them with his hands on his hips.


    "Come on up!"


    Sophia looks to her uncle, who gives her a nod. With but a thought, she brings them both up to the tunnel entrance, landing with room to spare since Oren has taken a few steps back. Of course, the tunnel is extremely dark thanks to the waterfall hiding it, and it only gets darker still the deeper back it goes.


    Oren pulls out a lantern he''d bought when they were getting supplies for this trip and lights it, providing them with the ability to see as he leads them in. Sophia can''t help but stare at the walls around them curiously. She''s never seen anything like it before. It was almost¡­


    "This tunnel¡­ it doesn''t look natural, but it also doesn''t look like it was carved out by tools."


    Tyranos'' voice cuts through the silence, causing Oren to glance back and chuckle.


    "Oh, that''s because it wasn''t. I dug this whole thing out with my bare hands. It really didn''t take that long to be honest¡­"


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    Sophia blinks and Tyranos pauses briefly before chuckling as they continue on.


    "So the armor and blade have been here all this time? Languishing in the dark. Amusing."


    Oren just nods, leading them deeper down the tunnel.


    "It seemed like the best place for them in the end. Didn''t want them to be easy to find, after all."


    Finally, they arrive at the end of the tunnel, which it turns out opens up into a surprisingly large room. Not too large, but certainly big enough to house somebody. When Oren sees her and Tyranos looking around curiously, he goes a bit red.


    "Ah¡­ I carved this place out when I still thought I might stick around and¡­ guard the armor and sword, I guess. Fancied myself as some ''eternal guard'' sitting here and watching over their resting place to make sure they weren''t stolen or something. That was before I finished digging out this room and quickly realized just how mind numbing such a thing was."


    Reaching up, Oren scratches his cheek in thought.


    "Plus, I would have still had to go out foraging for food and supplies all the time, making it more likely that someone might catch sight of me and follow me back here. In the end, I figured it was best for me to just seal the place up and get as far away from it as possible."


    Oren finishes off his explanation with a shrug. Sophia understands though. She can''t imagine what it must have been like for him back in those days. He''d just been fooled into slaughtering the Heavens and was given a mandate from her dying father to find a way to hide his armaments. Oren had done so... but just sitting in this cave day in and day out would have been impossible.


    "Certainly an intelligent choice. Has it worked? I see neither armor nor weapon, but the place looks relatively undisturbed and the barrier you put up to hide the entrance seems to have held¡­"


    At Tyranos'' words Oren nods and then holds out his torch. When her Uncle doesn''t take it, Sophia steps forward after a moment and grabs it instead. Giving her a grateful smile, Oren turns and looks down at the ground.


    "¡­ I think they''re still here. I don''t know why anyone would retrieve them and then bother covering their tracks to be honest. But¡­ well, only one way to know for sure in the end."


    Walking forward, Oren begins to stamp on the ground with his boot in a few places, seemingly looking for something.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    He stomps around a bit longer while Sophia and Tyranos watch on, until finally he grunts. Sophia doesn''t really hear any difference in the last stomp when compared to the others, but Oren nods decisively and drops to his knees.


    "Here. This is where I buried them."


    "Heh. The strongest armor and weapon in the entirety of Creation and he buried them in the dirt¡­"


    Her Uncle''s voice is soft as he mutters to himself and Sophia doesn''t pay him much mind. She''s too focused on watching Oren suddenly start digging like a mad man. The goddess would question why he was digging with his bare hands¡­ but truth be told, it''s working for him. He digs fast and hard, unearthing more and more dirt and piling it off to the side of him as he goes.


    In just a couple minutes, Oren is in a hole as big as himself. Just when Sophia is beginning to wonder how deep he really buried them, the Otherworlder''s voice cries out.


    "They''re here!"


    A moment later, the first of many pieces of armor wrapped in cloth is lifted up and set on the ground to the side of the hole. And then another¡­ and another¡­ Sophia swallows thickly as she sees the torchlight glinting off of the glimpses of armor under the cloth wrappings. She can barely make out anything, but what she does see takes her breath away. The craftsmanship¡­ even with just this much, she can tell it''s something special.


    Oren finally finishes with the armor and straightens up to his full standing height in the hole, lifting up what is clearly a sword also wrapped in cloth. Giving her a grin, he hops up out of the hole.


    "It''s all here, Sophia."


    His smile is infectious, because Sophia quickly finds herself smiling right back at him.


    However, when she opens her mouth to say something¡­ the words never get a chance to come out, choked off by the sudden pressure of her uncle''s divine walking stick pressed against her throat hard enough to cut air flow and forcibly tilt her head back.


    Oren freezes in place, his eyes widening as Tyranos takes her hostage. Because that''s what''s happening. It takes Sophia a moment to truly process it as she futilely gasps for air, but eventually she processes what''s going on. Her Uncle is holding her in such a way that he could probably break her neck in an instant. And she knew just how powerful his stick was, how much of his own blood he must have infused in it over the millennia. It was akin to having celestial metal at her neck once more.


    "Good boy. But you''ve done your part now. Put down the sword so I''m not forced to break my niece''s pretty little neck."


    Sophia can''t see the Ancient God''s face, but his voice¡­ his voice has changed completely, going from old and wizened and grandfatherly to something far darker and more sinister. She tries to swallow, but she can''t¡­ she can''t breathe and she''s starting to see stars.


    Seeing this, Oren growls but tosses the sword to the ground in front of him.


    "Why-!"


    "No talking. I''m not interested in that right now. The dagger too, obviously. Kick them both over here as well as the armor. And don''t try anything¡­ we both know I''m still much faster than you."


    Frustration etched across every inch of Oren''s face, he nevertheless does as he''s told. Every piece of the God Killer''s armor, as well as the God Killer''s blade and the celestial dagger they got back in Oakvale to boot. All of it lands to the side of Sophia and Tyranos, even as the Ancient God pauses for just a moment before humming his approval and finally letting up on Sophia''s neck.


    Not entirely, mind you. He loosens his grip just enough that she can breathe again, but the walking stick is still pressing against her throat, ready to silence her in a moment if need be. Sophia hacks and coughs briefly and then sucks in large lungfuls of air before finally speaking up. Tyranos had told Oren not to talk, but Sophia can''t help herself. She has to know.


    "Uncle¡­ why?"


    Fortunately, the Ancient God doesn''t decide to tighten his grip again. He does chuckle, however, a dark malevolent noise that grates on Sophia''s senses.


    "Why? You haven''t managed to figure it out yet, Sophia? I''m a little disappointed in you. The ''why'' should be obvious. Did you really think my brother would allow a conceptual god to stay on the Mortal Planes after the schism? No, of course not. He was much too controlling for that. Honestly¡­ I''m a little disappointed that you thought I was really a God of Travelers and Roads. Roads, Sophia. Seriously?"


    W-What? Forcibly held hostage with her back against her Uncle''s chest, Sophia can only stare bewildered at Oren¡­ who has his eyes narrowed as he stares intensely at Tyranos over her shoulder.


    After a long moment of silence, Tyranos sighs.


    "It seems I must spell it out for you, dear niece. After we finished dealing with the Otherworlders, your father couldn''t stand sharing leadership with me any longer."


    No¡­


    "Even though I was his beloved brother, he betrayed me and those under my care and threw us away, tossing us into the Void and imprisoning us there for thousands of years."


    Please, no¡­


    "I am not the God of Travelers and Roads, thankfully. I''d frankly rather die than be saddled with such useless domains."


    Please¡­


    "No¡­ I am Tyranos, King of the Void, God of Tyranny and Conquest. Leader of those so-called ''Gods of the Void'' that you two hoped to slay. And now¡­ I''ve won."


    Fuck.

 Chapter 35: The Truth

    Fuck.


    Oren can only watch helplessly as the fictional age flows off of Tyranos like a whole lot of paint. To be fair, it had been obvious from the second time they''d met him that the Ancient God was hiding his true form behind the appearance of a wizened old man. However, neither Oren nor Sophia had thought much of it. Gods could choose how they wished to look, especially of that age.


    Now though, the wrinkles melt away and the elderly look disappears, leaving behind a tall, aristocratic man with short-cut black-and-silver hair and a vicious mien to him that causes goosebumps to run up and down Oren''s arms. This was not a good deity. Just looking at him, Oren could feel the malevolence wafting off of the Ancient God alongside his powerful aura.


    He should have seen this coming. He should have figured out that Tyranos was not who he said he was. In the end, Oren only had himself to blame for failing once more. Now they were fucked¡­ a sentiment that only solidifies further when Tyranos'' lips curl into a wicked, toothy grin.


    "You know, I briefly considered confronting you two on the road the first time we met. Killing you then would have been easy. Capturing and torturing you wouldn''t have been much harder. But alas¡­ I didn''t quite know what had happened to poor, poor Raythe yet. So I let you go. It would seem I made the right choice, in the end."


    Tyranos'' eyes flicker over to the armor and blade on the ground next to him and Sophia. Oren''s hands curl into fists and his teeth grind in anger. They''d practically presented the God Killer''s armaments to their enemy on a silver platter. Tyranos was exactly who Law didn''t want to get his hands on the armor and sword and yet¡­ fuck.


    "Dear Raythe. All he wanted was to expunge the black mark left on his record when you vanished on us after slaughtering the Heavens. All he wanted was to make me happy again. And you killed him for it. Tsk-tsk you two."


    The insincere musings only make Oren angrier. Raythe had been more than ready to hurt and kill them. They''d done what they had to do. Not because they wanted to, but because they were forced to defend themselves.


    "Uncle¡­ please¡­"


    The broken expression on Sophia''s face makes Oren''s heart clench in his chest. Her eyes water, even as she''s forced to stay almost completely still with Tyranos'' walking stick against her neck. The Ancient God could snap Sophia''s neck in a second if he wanted to and there''d be nothing Oren could do about it. Fuck, Oren wouldn''t even be able to take revenge¡­ because he simply wasn''t good enough.


    The last few weeks had been helpful, but they''d also made it clear just how much heavy lifting the God Killer''s armor and blade had been doing up in the Heavens that day. Without the armor, without the sword, there was simply no way Oren would have been able to kill Law on his own. He wouldn''t have been strong or fast enough¡­ and he certainly wouldn''t have been durable enough.


    The gap between him and Tyranos was similarly massive and the amount of progress Oren had made in closing the gap these last three weeks had ultimately felt like he was barely moving the needle. As far as training to take advantage of his Otherworlder nature and limitless potential went, it was perfect.


    ¡­ But only so long as Tyranos was on their side. Now that the Ancient God had revealed his true colors, Oren couldn''t hope to beat him without donning the armor of the God Killer once more. And that armor was now on Tyranos'' side of the cave.


    Still, it wasn''t like Oren had a choice. Tyranos could have killed him and Sophia ten times over before Oren was anywhere near done putting on the armor. Frankly, Tyranos could kill them both now and there was absolutely nothing either of them could do to stop it. They were completely helpless at the moment.


    ¡­ So then why wasn''t he? Just to gloat? Maybe, or maybe there was something else. Maybe he would make a mistake and there would be an opportunity.


    "Begging, Sophia? Appealing to my better nature? Come now. You should know that doesn''t work by this point. After all, it didn''t work with poor Aureo, now did it?"


    Oren snarls as Sophia flinches. But Tyranos just laughs at the both of them.


    "Ah but to be fair¡­ the deck was stacked against you from the start."


    Wait, what? They both go still at the insinuation Tyranos is making. The Ancient God just grins wickedly again in response.


    "Well, I couldn''t very well have you two running off to Oceanus, now could I? The anger and hatred was already there, to be fair. All I did was stoke it a bit. A little push from Tyranny and Conquest and Aureo knew what he had to do. They were all in on it, in the end. Every last one of them. The board had to be wiped clean."


    As the full weight of Tyranos'' confession hits them both, the tears building in Sophia''s eyes finally start to fall. She chokes out a sob, shuddering in the Ancient God''s grasp.


    "You¡­ you made him go c-crazy? You turned him into that¡­ that m-monster?"


    Tyranos scoffs at that.


    "Go crazy? No my dear, I made him go sane. All I did was show Aureo the truth. Everyone betrayed him. The nobility betrayed him to the God Hunters, but the everyday citizens of Goldriver¡­ they betrayed him with their inaction. All I did was help him see the light. The rest he did on his own¡­ and quite spectacularly, mind you."


    Grinning again, Tyranos shakes his head ruefully.


    "I honestly thought I would have to step in for a second there to make sure he didn''t kill you both. Who could have guessed that a simple River God would be squirreling away that much power for a particularly rainy day? Certainly not I. It was truly impressive¡­ for a god of his standing anyways. But you two didn''t need my help in the end. You slaughtered poor Aureo the same way you murdered poor Raythe."


    Sophia lets out another sob, her eyes shut tightly. Oren snarls again, unable to hold his tongue anymore.


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    "We defended ourselves. We defended the people of Goldriver. If anyone did anything wrong, it was you."


    He''s expecting the retaliation, of course. Maybe even hoping for it just in case it gives Sophia a chance to flee or something. But alas, it''s not to be. One second he''s glaring at Tyranos, the next he''s dropping to one knee and choking on his own spit as something drives the air from his lungs and nearly crushes him on the spot.


    ¡­ Tyranos doesn''t even have to move. He just looks at Oren and makes him collapse.


    "Oren!"


    Sophia''s worried cry has Oren raising a hand towards her, to let her know he''s alright.


    "I''m¡­ fine."


    He doesn''t want her doing anything rash. Not for him. Not for the man who failed to protect her yet again.


    Tyranos just acts like nothing happened though, even as he chuckles darkly.


    "Yes¡­ you defended yourselves. Of course. Heh. Just as you defended yourself that day in the Heavens when you killed everyone my dear niece knew and loved."


    On Tyranos'' orders, Oren doesn''t say. He doesn''t need to say it. Sophia knows. And Tyranos is still talking.


    "And you did such a good job too. Killing all of those sheep who followed my brother for millennia, never sparing one thought towards those of us he trapped in the Void. And slaying even Law himself¡­ you know, you weren''t supposed to be able to do that."


    Wait, what? The Ancient God''s grin becomes all the toothier at the confusion on Oren''s face.


    "Surprised? So were we. You were never supposed to actually succeed at killing Law, Otherworlder. The rest? Certainly. But Law was always a cut above the others, just like me. We were always so much¡­ MORE than all of them."


    Suddenly, Oren chokes again as another invisible blow lands on his back, forcing him to both knees and almost forward onto his hands as well. Tyranos has dropped the grin and is now sneering at him angrily.


    "Law was supposed to be my kill. Your purpose was to weaken him, to distract him before your inevitable death. Imagine my surprise¡­ my dismay when I came upon his throne room and found him on the floor with the light gone from his eyes, already dead. And the armor and blade used to slay him¡­ nowhere to be seen."


    Tyranos lets out a laugh with no humor in it.


    "Ohoho¡­ I was quite wroth that day. Raythe could have told you if he were still with us. After all, he bore the brunt of my rage. Truthfully, that might have been a mistake. Perhaps if I''d been a little less emotional, he wouldn''t have had to spend all those months recovering from his punishment. If I''d sent him to retrieve what you took immediately, maybe all of this would have been taken care of so much sooner."


    Oren is starting to really get sick of the sound of this bastard''s voice. Unfortunately, it doesn''t feel like there''s anything he can do here. Just being in Tyranos'' presence is forcing him to the ground right now. He can barely move with the Ancient God exerting so much of his power over him. This was the power of a God of Tyranny, Oren imagined.


    "¡­ But then, I suppose I should be grateful, shouldn''t I? This way was best in the end¡­ because otherwise my dear niece would never have come to my attention. And I would never have realized the truth about you, Sophia."


    What? Oren looks to Sophia to see her just as confused as he''s feeling. What was Tyranos talking about?


    Suddenly, the Ancient God lets Sophia go. He pulls his walking stick away and allows her to turn around and face him. A seemingly magnanimous gesture, not that it means anything. She''s still closer to the King of the Void than she is to Oren, and even if she were right beside him, Oren is in no state to defend her at the moment.


    "What¡­ what truth, Uncle? What are you talking about?"


    Tyranos grins again.


    "It bothered me so very much that the Otherworlder managed to kill your father before I could, Sophia. I really, really wanted to be the one to kill my brother with my own two hands. But more than just my desires, I couldn''t fathom how the Otherworlder had gotten so strong. His training should not have allowed him to overcome someone like Law. For the longest time, I just couldn''t figure it out¡­ until I finally met you and saw some examples of your work."


    What was Tyranos talking about? Oren didn''t understand and while he couldn''t see Sophia''s face anymore, he could tell she was just as confused as he was simply by the way her shoulders were hunching.


    "My w-work? I don''t understand. What do I have to do with my father?"


    Tyranos'' eyes take on a cruel glint to him.


    "What did you have to do with Law''s death, my dear? Everything, I''m afraid."


    No, that wasn''t true. Oren starts to snarl, but Tyranos doesn''t let him get a word off this time before more pressure pushes him onto his hands and knees, forcing him to focus on just continuing to breath. Sophia glances back at him, before looking back to her uncle.


    "Uncle please! Don''t kill him!"


    "We''re not talking about him, Sophia. We''re talking about you. Tell me, have you truly no inclination of what I mean? Even after all this time? Law has been dead for months now. His work should have unraveled by this point but you''re still clinging to it so very hard."


    Oren wishes he could tell Tyranos to fuck off on Sophia''s behalf, but at this point he''s reduced to nothing more than a bystander. Just the process of getting air into his lungs is a struggle in and of itself.


    "We talked of what Law must have done with all those so-called ''dark gods'' who were born after the schism once before, Sophia. Now that we''re being honest with one another, I can tell you¡­ none of them made it to the Void. Your father couldn''t risk us getting out after all. The Void isn''t a jar where the lid can just be pulled off and put back on over and over again."


    "Then¡­ then what did he do with them?"


    Tyranos shrugs.


    "The vast majority, he probably killed off, I would imagine."


    Sophia lets out an emotional croak at that, but Tyranos isn''t done.


    "However, I know for a fact he didn''t kill them all. He couldn''t bring himself to. One of them was spared."


    ¡­ No. Oren''s eyes widen as he realizes what Tyranos is saying. He struggles to get up, to do something, but he can''t pull himself off the floor.


    "O-One of them?"


    The look the God of Tyranny and Conquest gives his niece is unamused.


    "Quit playing dumb, girl. You know the truth, deep down inside. Law slew those born with ''evil'' concepts in their cradles, making sure they never grew to be a threat to his rule ever again. But when it came to his own flesh and blood¡­ when it came to his own daughter, he couldn''t do it. He couldn''t kill you. And that proved to be his undoing."


    "No¡­ no, you''re lying. I''m a Goddess of Wisdom¡­ of Equity. What''s dark or negative about those domains?!"


    "Nothing! But then that''s the point, niece! You''re not a Goddess of Wisdom. You''re certainly not a Goddess of ''Equity''. What a ridiculous sham! Your father repressed your true domains and layered false ones over them. He forced your true nature into the dark and in doing so dealt himself a mortal blow that he labored under for hundreds of years until the Otherworlder finally killed him."


    Sophia shakes her head vehemently.


    "T-That''s not possible!"


    But Tyranos isn''t having it.


    "Enough! My brother''s little weaving should have finished unraveling ages ago, but you cling to it like a safety blanket niece. It''s time for you to see the truth! And if you won''t open your eyes of your own volition, then I will open them for you!"


    With a snarl, he slashes his walking stick through the air and something¡­ something changes. The air ripples out from Sophia. It even gives Oren a brief respite, allowing him to force himself off of his hands and back onto just his knees. However, he can''t bring himself to be relieved. Not when it''s obvious that something has been irrevocably altered about the goddess before him.


    Tyranos smiles, his eyes glinting as he takes in whatever he sees on Sophia''s face.


    "There we are. The falsehoods stripped away and only the truth left. You see it now, dear niece. And so do I. How fascinating. This explains an awful lot, doesn''t it? You were never a Goddess of Wisdom or Equity. All this time your TRUE domains¡­ have been Misfortune and Folly."


    Oren doesn''t want Tyranos to be right, for Sophia''s sake more than anything. And yet, as the goddess'' shoulders slump, he knows that the Ancient God is telling the truth. After all, sometimes¡­ sometimes the truth is worse than any fiction.

 Chapter 36: Revelations

    Misfortune and Folly.


    Her Uncle''s final words hang in the air even as Sophia stands absolutely still. She wishes she could call him a liar. She wishes she could claim he''s trying to deceive her as he''s been deceiving them for weeks now. Unfortunately¡­ there''s no denying it.


    The God of Tyranny''s last ''attack'' hadn''t been directed at Sophia so much as it''d been directed at the divine bindings that she hadn''t even known were there. But then how could she have known? All her life, all these hundreds of years that she''s existed¡­ it turns out she''s been living a lie. She was never a Goddess of Wisdom or Equity. That was simply what her father''s weaving enforced, to hide his hypocrisy from everyone else.


    "You see now. As I said before, my brother''s magic should have unraveled ages ago but here we are. Still, I suspect if you look back you''ll see the signs. Misfortune and Folly are powerful domains¡­ when used against one''s enemies."


    Sophia flinches hard at that, finding herself reliving so many moments since her father''s death the day the Heavens fell. She''d run because she had no choice and she kept running because it was either that or be killed. But there isn''t much to be said about the power of Wisdom and Equity in a situation where you''re fleeing from your life from bloodthirsty pursuers.


    Looking back, Sophia wonders if she might have unconsciously influenced them into foolish mistakes that let her keep ahead of them. And¡­ what she''d thought were very conscious uses of her divine power in the form of her Equity Domain could be likened to serious cases of misfortune instead. Indeed, Sophia had told herself that it was only fair her hunters have a harder time when they were several men chasing one single goddess.


    ¡­ But was that really equity? No. She''d been continuing the lie. The one she''d fooled the most¡­ was her.


    Likewise, looking back at the encounter with Gentleman Grays in Amberwell makes it clear that her falsified domains had played no part there either. Rather, she''d simply pushed a bit of folly onto the crowded bar in the form of befuddlement that had lasted long enough to allow them to get away for a time.


    And Elric Steelwater¡­ the man was a dead man walking without her ''help'', but there was no denying that Sophia had felt nothing but negative feelings towards him when he''d held that blade of celestial metal to her neck. In hindsight, the bounce that Oren had managed with his sword had been a truly special thing¡­ perhaps a little too special. Perhaps Sophia had been unconsciously pushing some Misfortune in Lieutenant Steelwater''s direction¡­


    Commander Hogarth is another obvious example in hindsight. His overconfidence had proven to be his undoing. What sort of man rises to the rank of Commander without questioning how someone like Oren could have captured a goddess like Sophia? How did he not have an ounce of survival instincts when he was effectively trying to browbeat Oren into submission. It smacked quite heavily¡­ of influenced Folly, didn''t it?


    Even Aureo¡­ oh. Sophia''s eyes widen as she realizes Aureo had known by the end. After all, it was against Aureo that Sophia had used her divine power the most. Throwing as much of it as she dared without drawing his attention until the very end. But then at the very end Aureo had looked at her¡­ and he''d seen something. He''d seen what Sophia herself had been unwilling and unable to see.


    "¡­ This¡­ this isn''t fairness, you dumb bitch. You''re not balancing the scales. You''re-!"


    The River God''s final words ring through Sophia''s head as she stands there, frozen in place. Law''s weaving must have been paper thin by that point with how much Sophia was using her divinity to influence the battle. Aureo had seen right through it. He''d been about to tell her at the end there. He''d been about to reveal the truth to her, even while in the throes of madness and rage stoked by Tyranos. However, before he could do so, she and Oren had killed him.


    Her Uncle is right. Looking back, it''s so obvious now. Each time she''d thought she was drawing on her domain of Equity, she''d instead been using Misfortune to imbalance things in her and Oren''s favor. And far from being some sort of Goddess of Wisdom, she''d instead been unconsciously pushing the essence of Folly itself onto her enemies, making them make unwise and foolish decisions time and time again.


    "It would seem Law finally found something he loved more than his control."


    Sophia flinches, looking up to see Tyranos staring at her bemusedly. After a moment, the Ancient God shakes his head.


    "¡­ But even you could not make him change his ways. In the end, he tried to force a compromise. He tried to make you something you were not so that he wouldn''t have to kill you. And that¡­ killed him."


    That sends a jolt through her as she''s reminded of the point Tyranos had been making before this reveal. The King of the Void had claimed Oren was never supposed to be able to kill her father. He''d only been supposed to weaken him. And yet, Oren had managed to murder the King of the Heavens¡­ because Law had weakened himself beforehand.


    "A deity''s domains are sacrosanct. What Law did¡­ oh, if only he was here so I could laugh in his face now. My brother committing a worst crime than anything he could ever accuse me of¡­ and against his own daughter at that! For a God of Justice and Righteousness, it would have been like placing razors under his fingernails before stabbing a dagger into his chest and leaving it there for good measure. Every day you lived, every day he betrayed everything he ever claimed to stand for, it was killing him."


    Tyranos scoffs and gestures past Sophia, causing her to glance back and see Oren on his knees. He''s not having trouble breathing at the moment at least.


    "And thus this insect was able to kill him. Shameful. Truly shameful. If only he''d listened to me. If only he''d stopped for just a second."


    Blinking, Sophia furrows her brow.


    "What¡­ what do you mean?"


    Smiling, Tyranos shrugs.


    "My brother and I¡­ we fell out because we had differing opinions on how to govern all of Creation. After we finally rose up and put an end to the Otherworlders, the whole of the universe was our oyster. It wasn''t separated back then. The Heavens were a distant twinkle in Law''s eye and the Void was somewhere that nobody sane would ever go, lest they wind up trapped there for all eternity."


    The Ancient God scoffs.


    "The so-called ''mortal'' planes were home to everyone. Deities and mortals alike. And we were in charge. The two of us along with all of those who fought beside us to wipe the slate clean, kill the Otherworlders who were already here, and destroy any knowledge on how to summon more of them. But Law has always loved his edicts. His commandments. His rules."


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    The way Tyranos says ''rules'' makes it clear exactly what he thinks of his brother''s laws. He sneers it out, rolling his eyes in disgust.


    "I didn''t mind some of them at first, especially early on. I certainly didn''t think I would ever want or need to summon an Otherworlder at the time, and after the damage they did to Creation, it made sense to come down hard on anyone who did try. And the other early ones¡­ well, it made sense. There was no reason to squabble amongst ourselves when we had all of Creation and so very many mortals to play with."


    Tyranos gets a distant look in his eyes for a moment that makes it clear he''s reminiscing. But Sophia doesn''t make a move. She knows better at this point, knows that anything she could try would just end in her and Oren''s deaths.


    "¡­ And then the fool went and decided all of his commandments, edicts, and rules would apply to all of us gods and goddesses as well. Not just the mortal insects scrambling in the dirt just to survive. No, he wanted to police us all. He wanted to control us. He wanted to judge ME."


    This is clearly a pain point for the Ancient God because as Tyranos snarls out that last word, the cave shakes for a moment with his poorly restrained rage. His face contorts into something truly nasty and vile and it''s obvious he''s not happy about whatever he''s remembering.


    Sophia takes a step back, but just as soon as the quaking starts, it ends and Tyranos is back to normal, like it never happened. For a given value of ''normal'' anyways¡­ her uncle is still oozing malevolence just as he''s been doing since he shed his guise as God of Travelers and Roads and revealed his true nature.


    "I tried, Sophia. Oh how I tried. But your father just couldn''t share. We were supposed to rule together. I won''t deny my domains are what they are. But your father tempered me once upon a time. Until he betrayed me. Until he chose his pathetic mortal followers over me, his own brother."


    Tyranos hums for a moment before shaking his head.


    "He had to die. Him and all those who helped him imprison me and my followers in the Void for all these millennia. There was no other way. Even if we''d broken free, it would have just been the schism all over again. Gods fighting gods, all across Creation. No, things had to be done more delicately than that."


    Sophia chokes on her own spit at that and for the first time in a while, finds her voice.


    "Y-You call this delicate?!"


    A flash of irritation appears on Tyranos'' face before he just smiles at her condescendingly.


    "Darling niece¡­ yes. This is about as delicate as it gets. I haven''t wiped out the mortals altogether, have I? In fact, I''ve given them purpose. I learned something from last time¡­ I learned how to use my brother''s beloved playthings for my own purposes. A healthy dose of Tyranny here, a stoking of the burning embers of Conquest there¡­ and the God Hunters were born. With the right support, they''ve carved a swathe through the gods and goddesses of the Mortal Planes all without knowing who they truly serve. It''s glorious."


    Sophia swallows hard at her uncle''s excitement.


    "B-But why? Why go this far? You already had Oren kill everyone in the Heavens. Weren''t they who stood against you in the schism? What did the gods of the Mortal Planes have to do with any of it?"


    For a long moment Tyranos just stares at her. And then, almost blank in his delivery, he answers the question.


    "Nothing. And that, my niece, was all they had to do. Powerful Gods of Oceans, of Mountains, of the Sky itself. And what did they do when the schism started? They sat back and watched. They did nothing as Law enforced his own special tyranny upon all of us. They didn''t fight back, they didn''t stand up. They let it happen, they accepted his rule, and they allowed him to throw me into the Void. For that¡­ they deserve to die. Every last one of them."


    A horrified shiver runs down Sophia''s spine, even as her uncle smiles again.


    "But that fate needn''t befall you."


    Wait, what?


    "I won''t lie to you, Sophia. You''ve been lied to enough all your life. If you had died in the Heavens or been killed by Raythe or the God Hunters at any point before now¡­ I would not have shed a tear."


    Wow. Sophia wasn''t even sure how to respond to that. Thankfully, she doesn''t have to.


    "Still, there is a place for you now in the future that I''m building. You''re too young to have wronged me and mine. And truthfully, having learned what Law did to you¡­ you were as much a victim of his excesses as I was¡­ as any of us in the Void were."


    Was he¡­ was he seriously trying to recruit her? After everything he''d done? After everything he''d said? Did he really think she would join him? Just like that?


    "I can see the incredulity in your eyes dear niece, but think about it. Really think about it beyond just your anger at me. You are a Goddess of Misfortune and Folly. If you''d been born thousands of years ago to any other god or goddess besides your father, you would have wound up in the Void with the rest of us. If you''d been born at any point in the thousands of years since to any other deity besides Law, you would be dead."


    ¡­ He wasn''t wrong about that, she had to admit. The only reason Sophia had been allowed to live was because Law couldn''t bring himself to kill her. And yet, that hadn''t stopped him from binding her, from limiting her with divine shackles that suppressed her true nature and replaced it with falsehoods.


    "I''ll even throw in a little something extra. Join me and I''ll let you be the one to kill the Otherworlder."


    ¡­ What? Sophia blinks, pulled out of her thoughts as she looks back at Oren. The Otherworlder looks exhausted. There''s been no conventional fight, but even still, he''s been beaten down by Tyranos'' mere presence at this point.


    The Ancient God in question chuckles darkly as she looks to Oren.


    "It must be done, I''m afraid. Mortals are fun enough to toy with and subjugate, but an Otherworlder? No, he''s far too much of a threat to let live. He''s not leaving this cave alive Sophia, but considering all the harm he did to you, I thought you might like to do the deed before we depart. Cut him down with this and we can get going."


    Sophia turns back around to see that Tyranos has picked up the Celestial Dagger and is holding it out to her, handle first. Swallowing thickly again, she stares at the handle for a long moment before taking a step forward¡­ and pulling it free from his grip.


    Tyranos'' grin grows wider and wider as Sophia looks down at the blade.


    "¡­ A-Alright."


    Then, she turns and begins walking towards Oren, dagger in hand.

 Chapter 37: Survival

    Oh Sophia¡­ no¡­


    As the goddess takes unsteady, trembling steps in his direction, Oren can already see it in her eyes¡­ she''s not going to kill him.


    He honestly wishes she would. For all that Tyranos is an evil, lying bastard of a god, if there''s even the slightest chance that Sophia might get to survive, she needs to take it. Oren doesn''t see any other way for them to get out of this. The God of Tyranny is just too damn powerful.


    No, the only way is for him to die. If Sophia would just kill him, then maybe she might have a chance. It was a slim one of course, reliant on the whims of a capricious and fickle god. Still, it was a chance. Besides, it wasn''t like she owed him anything. She didn''t owe anyone in this blasted world anything at this point.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, given she''s already pretended to take Tyranos'' deal, Oren can''t speak up and beg her to reconsider without tipping the Ancient God off. Or¡­ can he?


    "Sophia¡­"


    The goddess pauses, staring at him from about halfway across the cave, dagger in her trembling hands. She''s shaking like a leaf. Looking her in the eye, Oren does everything in his power to convey his meaning to her and her alone with his next works.


    "Don''t do this. Please¡­"


    And for once, despite the numerous times they''ve failed to be even remotely on the same page¡­ it works. He sees understanding dawn in Sophia''s eyes which widen slightly at the same time. Meanwhile, Tyranos just laughs.


    "Begging for your life now insect? How quaint. But my niece knows what she has to do. You''re the last thing holding her back from her new life. Once you''re dead, the whole world becomes her oyster."


    Sophia bites her lower lip before slowly nodding.


    "H-He''s right Oren. I''m sorry."


    As she takes another step, Oren slowly exhales. Tyranos can''t see it but he can¡­ there''s desperation in Sophia''s eyes but also determination. She won''t take the easy way out, no matter how much he might want her to. She won''t just kill him.


    That means she''s going to try something. Is she going to pretend to kill him and then leave him here presumed dead? Somehow, he doesn''t expect Tyranos to fall for that sort of thing. Perhaps she''s expecting to be able to pass off the dagger so he can try to kill Tyranos himself.


    Shifting as much as he dares, Oren thinks he might be able to do it. A single throw, right at the Ancient God''s face. If he didn''t see it coming, they could end all of this right here and right now. They could cut the head off of the snake and kill the Void Gods'' leader.


    ¡­ But the likelihood of success is next to none. Especially since Tyranos is watching too closely. If Sophia tries something, the God of Tyranny will see it and put a stop to it, surely. They need a distraction. They need to draw this out.


    When Sophia is close enough to block Oren from Tyranos'' view entirely, Oren looks up at her and mouths the words ''hit me''. The goddess stops then, blinking down at him as he mouths them again. He dares not even try to whisper his instructions¡­ he can only hope she''ll read his lips properly.


    She needs to hit him, to beat him senseless. Maybe even cut him a little bit. She needs to hurt him, both to convince Tyranos that she''s on his side and to bore the Ancient God even a little bit.


    ''Hit me'', he mouths again. ''Beat me'', he tells her.


    Sophia stares down at him for a long moment before her shoulders begin to shake. From behind her, Tyranos scoffs.


    "Truly? You''re not going to survive long in the world I''m creating if you struggle with even this much, dear niece. Your domains might be interesting, but-!


    C-CRACK!


    The Ancient God is cut off mid-word, even as Oren''s head twists to the side from the blow Sophia just landed on his cheek. She was smart enough to hit him with the pommel of the dagger, striking him with it hard. Oren lets out a groan, trying to make it seem like it had hurt more than it actually did At the same time, he meets her eyes and mouths ''more'' to her.


    To her credit, Sophia follows up with a series of inexperienced but seemingly enthusiastic blows. She slams her foot into his gut, she bashes him back and forth across the face, and she even uses the dagger to through his armor and across his chest in multiple places. They''re shallow enough gashes not to put him in any real danger, but they still bleed freely, steadily staining his clothing.


    Tyranos watches for a few minutes as Sophia seemingly ''gets it out of her system'', smiling approvingly all the while. As Oren had thought, this sort of violence is something the Ancient God approves of quite a bit. But finally¡­


    "Enough, Sophia. Finish the job if you please. The Otherworlder is nothing but a distraction at this point."


    Stopping, her entire body as tense as a well-strung bow, Sophia trembles for a moment before bowing her head.


    "¡­ You''re right, Uncle. He''s nothing."


    Then, with a snarl, she goes for it. To her credit, Oren thinks it probably looks pretty good, especially for an inexperienced fighter like Sophia. The Celestial Dagger clenched in her fist, the goddess goes for an upward swing that would bury the magical blade right in Oren''s chest, likely piercing through numerous vital organs before eventually skewering his heart.


    As she does so, she drops into something of a crouch, her other hand falling to Oren''s shoulder for support. And that''s when she tries to pull it off. Instead of stabbing him in the chest, Sophia flips the knife over out of Tyranos'' view and grazes the pommel along his ribs before pushing it right into his waiting palm.


    The instant that Oren feels the handle of the blade land in his grasp, he''s moving. Putting every ounce of his strength and speed into it, he lunges upwards against Tyranos'' loosened restraint.


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    "GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    A primal shout of pure noise leaves Oren''s throat as he breaks free of the mere presence that the Ancient God exudes. For just a split second, he''s free to move¡­ and that split second is all he needs. With all his might, muscles bulging, Oren throws the Celestial Dagger right at Tyranos'' smug face.


    ¡­


    Unfortunately, the God of Tyranny is not caught as off guard as they might have hoped. Faster than even Oren''s eyes can track, Tyranos'' hand snaps up and catches the dagger mere inches from his right eye.


    "So very disappointing. Just as inflexible as your father, in the end."


    Oren is expecting Tyranos'' power to slam into him again. He''s expecting the God of Tyranny and Conquest to force him back to the floor of the cave and is bracing himself for the incoming pain. But that''s not what happens. Only at the last possible second does Oren realize¡­ he''s not going to be Tyranos'' first target at this point.


    Almost contemptuously, with a simple but blindingly fast flick of his wrist, Tyranos throws the dagger of Celestial Metal back at them. No, not at them¡­ at Sophia. She can''t react in time. It''s a question of whether she even knows it''s coming. And Oren can''t pull her out of the way either, not without moving her fast enough to hurt her.


    ¡­ So he does the only thing he can do. Really, he''d love to say he thought it out and came to the logical and rational conclusion that this was the only way. But the truth is¡­ his body moves on its own.


    Interposing himself between the blade and Sophia, Oren shields the goddess with his body even as she''s just starting to react. A moment later and the Celestial Dagger hits his back, the magical blade tearing through him and lodging firmly in one of his lungs.


    As Oren chokes on his own blood, staggering from the sudden pain, he notes that at least he stopped the dagger''s momentum enough to keep it from stabbing her. As Sophia stares down at where the tip of the blade is protruding from his chest in horror, Oren tries his best to give her a reassuring grin. Unfortunately, the red seeping out of his mouth probably doesn''t help very much.


    -x-X-x-


    "NO! OREN!"


    As Oren begins to fall, Sophia is there to catch him. But he''s too big for her and in the end, it sends them both to the ground, with her holding the Otherworlder in her arms. He''s trying to say something but the blood bubbling out of his mouth makes it a struggle.


    "S-Stop talking, you''re only making it work. Just focus on breathing, okay?"


    "Heh. That''s likely to be difficult with a ruined lung."


    Sophia''s head snaps up to see Tyranos staring at them both in malevolent amusement. After a moment, the Ancient God shakes his head and steps over to the armor and blade to his side.


    "Shame that it had to come to this, niece. That you tried to kill me¡­ I can almost respect that. Almost, but not quite. Defiance¡­ is not something a God of Tyranny can ever tolerate."


    To her horror, Tyranos just reaches out to the wrapped pieces of armor¡­ and the metal flows from under the cloth its wrapped in, acting more like a liquid as it begins to coalesce all over his body. In mere moments, he''s covered from head to toe in the same armor that Oren wore that day in the Heavens. The armor of the God Killer.


    Looking at her, Tyranos chuckles, the sound reverberating through the enchanted helm he now wears.


    "Did you already forget? I said it before¡­ this armor and weapon were made for me, not for that idiot. He was only ever supposed to have them for a short time, to pave the way forward. I must admit, being forced to spend all these months tracking down my property has left me downright furious. I probably wouldn''t have let you live even if you had killed him if I''m being honest."


    No, Sophia had thought not. Not that she would have killed Oren even if she thought her uncle was telling the truth. The Ancient God just wanted to see her hurt some more. He wanted to see her murder and then make her beg for nonexistent mercy afterwards.


    She refused to play his games. She refused to admit defeat, even now. And despite how bad the situation was¡­ it wasn''t over. Not yet. She needed to get Oren to safety, but she also couldn''t leave everything at just this.


    Unlike the armor, Tyranos actually takes the time to unwrap the God Killer''s blade. Holding it aloft, he hefts it a few times before nodding to himself. Then, he points it in her direction.


    "Any last words, niece?"


    That''s as good of a cue as any, Sophia figures. With a snarl, she focuses on Tyranos¡­ and for the first time ever, she purposefully unleashes the full power of her true domains.


    "I curse you Tyranos, God of Tyranny and Conquest. I curse you, O'' King of the Void. I curse you, Brother of Law. May Misfortune dog your every step. May Folly influence your every action. I. Curse. You."


    There''s true divine power behind her words. All of the divine power she can muster on short notice. Funny, she''d always thought she was a Minor Goddess. But all this time, that had been a lie to. Her father''s divine bindings had reduced her to a point where he could force the ''proper'' domains on her. It kept her small and weak.


    She would come to terms with everything her father had done to her later. But right now? Right now, Sophia pushes all of her hatred, all of her anger, and all of her rage into this one act.


    The force of her words reverberates through the air and proves enough to make even an Ancient God stumble for but a moment. But then¡­ a moment is all she needed. A moment was exactly what she''d been looking for.


    Pulling Oren close, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she dares, Sophia''s left hand goes to the ring on her right. And just as her Uncle is straightening back up, she activates it, flinging both her and Oren from the cave¡­ all the way back to her refuge.


    Truthfully, the ring had been a backup plan that Sophia had never told Oren about because it was a backup plan for him. Back then, when she''d taken him as her servant but not trusted him as far as she could throw him, Sophia had believed there was every possibility Oren would snap at some point and try to kill her anyways.


    The ring was to be her escape. Her way of getting away from him in the event that the worst case scenario came to pass. Or rather, what she''d thought was the worst case scenario at the time.


    As the two of them land heavily on the floor of the cave where they''d fought and killed Raythe together what feels like a lifetime ago, Sophia grimaces when Oren chokes on blood. The landing was not good for his injury but¡­ she can''t help him right now. Not yet anyways.


    "S-Sit tight Oren. Please, focus on breathing, focus on living. We''re not safe yet."


    Funny how having the veil lifted from her eyes is making Sophia think more clearly than she ever had when she still thought she was the Goddess of Wisdom. Still, her logic feels irrefutable. Tyranos had passed them on the road going back the way they''d come from, towards Oakvale and this very refuge. And then¡­ he hadn''t shown up until the very end in Goldriver, likely sometime after they''d rescued Aureo.


    Before that¡­ he must have been trying to figure out what happened to Raythe. And given how he''d talked about his subordinate, it sure sounded like he''d learned of Raythe''s death somehow. And if he knew about Raythe''s death¡­


    "SOPHIA!"


    Sophia flinches as Tyranos'' presence descends upon the refuge. How he got here so fast, she couldn''t say, but she''s glad she assumed they didn''t have any breathing room. She''d already been up and halfway across the refuge, making for her jewelry box.


    Grabbing the damn thing, Sophia runs back to Oren even as the wards begin to buckle and bend inward, steadily breaking under the wrath of a very angry Ancient God. The Otherworlder, meanwhile, is on his side, the dagger still in his back and poking through his front. There''s so much blood¡­ but Sophia can only hold faith that he will live long enough for her to help him. For now¡­


    "I''m sorry for this Oren. Prepare yourself for another hard landing."


    Practically ripping open the jewelry box, Sophia grabs another ring at random and all but slams it down onto her finger. Just as the wards of this refuge break, Sophia throws herself over Oren''s body, clinging to him for dear life as she activates the second ring.


    An instant later they''re thrown to another hidden refuge somewhere else. Somewhere Tyranos shouldn''t know about yet. Somewhere safe.


    But then¡­ is anywhere safe at this point? The King of the Void has the God Killer''s armor and blade. They''re so fucking screwed¡­

 Chapter 38: Rough Times

    As Oren wakes up, his eyes open and he stares up at the cave ceiling for a long moment before remembering what happened last. Immediately he tries to rise from his laid out position, only to groan loudly when agony flares from his chest.


    "Oren! Lay back down. You''re okay! I''m okay! We''re safe!"


    Sophia is almost immediately at his side, forcing him to lay back on the¡­ bed? He blinks and takes in a bit more of his surroundings. They''re not in the cave where he hid the armor and blade anymore. And he''s not on the ground either. He''s laid out on a large, rather comfortable bed with his chest covered in makeshift bandages seemingly prepared from torn garments.


    "What¡­ what happened?"


    Sitting on the bed beside him, Sophia bites her lower lip.


    "I suppose the last parts would have been a bit of a blur for you. You moved in the way of the blade. You saved my life¡­ again."


    Oren grunts, remembering that part.


    "Had to. Couldn''t pull you out of the way in time, would have wrenched your arm off if I tried."


    That''s his excuse anyways. Truth was, he definitely moved on pure reactionary instinct. Sophia seems to buy it though, slowly nodding. Looking into her worried eyes, he can see that she''s been crying recently.


    "Well after that, my Uncle was too busy gloating in his perceived victory to stop me. I¡­ the ring I took back in my refuge all those weeks ago. It was to teleport me back to the refuge if I needed it. I didn''t tell you¡­ in case I needed to use it to escape you."


    That gets another blink from Oren as he both processes her confession and forces himself to remember what she''s talking about. After a moment he recalls the ring she''s speaking of and how it was the only other piece of magical jewelry she took besides the necklace to disguise her divinity.


    Finally, Oren nods.


    "Smart. You couldn''t trust me. You made the right call."


    Sophia looks almost stricken by that but after a moment she continues on.


    "Tyranos followed us, o-of course. He knew where that hideaway was and would have gotten us but I was able to retrieve the jewelry box and grab another ring to teleport us here to one of my other refuges."


    Huh. Looking around the cave, Oren can see that it is indeed different from the other one. Similar, but definitely different.


    "Seeing as he hasn''t come after us in the days since, I''d say we''re in the clear for now. Which is good because I''m not sure what would have happened to you if he''d stayed on our tail."


    Oren hums at that, before glancing down at his bandage-covered chest with a frown.


    "What DID happen to me? Did you heal me?"


    Letting out a little scoff, Sophia shakes her head.


    "No, I''m no healer. I don''t even know if I did the bandages right. Honestly you probably would be dead right now if it wasn''t for your unique constitution. Even then, I almost didn''t act in time. Once I was sure we were safe from my uncle, I didn''t know what to do next. You were bleeding everywhere, but I worried that removing the dagger would only kill you faster. In the end¡­ I did it anyways, because it seemed like it was killing you either way."


    Oren winces, both at the phantom sensation of what it must have been like to have that dagger yanked from his body and on behalf of the goddess sitting with him. That must have been terrifying.


    "You fully passed out then, but I guess you don''t really remember anything before that either. Still, fortunately it proved to be the right call¡­ your body wouldn''t let you die that easily. And once the Celestial Metal was removed, you started healing up all on your own."


    Huh. That was one aspect of being an Otherworlder that Oren honestly hadn''t known about. His durability had outstripped most of the threats he was facing, so actual wounds had become few and far in between after a certain point. Still, nice to know he had regeneration in the event that he got stabbed by something that bypassed his durability, such as Celestial Metal.


    "¡­ Unfortunately, wounds made by Celestial Metal aren''t like normal wounds. Even if your constitution wouldn''t let you die, you''re still going to be healing for a while yet from the look of things¡­"


    Sophia trails off there, looking at his bandaged chest for a moment before looking away. An awkward silence falls between them before Oren finally breaks it.


    "I''m sorry I failed you, Goddess."


    Her head jerks back around, her eyes widening in incredulity.


    "What?! You didn''t fail me! I failed you! All of this¡­ everything that has happened is MY fault!"


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    Frowning now, Oren narrows his eyes.


    "That''s not true."


    Letting out a laugh that sounds half-exhausted and half-crazed, Sophia throws her hands up in the air.


    "How can it not be?! We led our greatest enemy to exactly what he wanted because of me. I couldn''t even see through my Uncle''s incredibly obvious lies. And why? Simple, really. All this time, all my life I''ve thought I was a Goddess of Wisdom and Equity. I thought I knew best that I was wise, that I was fair."


    Her tone becomes increasingly bitter as she looks down at her hands.


    "¡­ Only to find out it was all a lie. My whole life has been nothing but a lie perpetuated by my father so he didn''t have to add kinslayer to his list of titles. And in the end, that''s why he died. That''s why you were able to beat him. Because he''d weakened himself so much suppressing me."


    Smiling a smile that doesn''t reach her watery eyes, Sophia sniffs.


    "There''s a certain irony to it, isn''t there? A Goddess of Misfortune and Folly bringing the God of Justice and Righteousness low. Perhaps even as a newborn, I influenced my father with my domain. If he''d just killed me like all the others, none of this would have ever happened. But he looked at me¡­ and in his folly, he let me live."


    Oren might not be able to move much right now, but he''ll be damned if he''s going to let Sophia talk about herself like this without doing something. Reaching out, he grabs her hand in his own, squeezing down gently but firmly so she can''t pull away. Not that she even tries¡­ instead, Sophia freezes in place, staring down at his hand in hers.


    "None of this was your fault, Sophia. Your father made the choice he made¡­ and honestly, I''m glad he did. I''m glad you got to live. I''m even glad that I got stolen away from my world because despite everything else that''s happened¡­ I''m glad I got to meet you."


    He knows there''s not much he can say to convince Sophia that all the ways in which she''s putting herself down is wrong. In the end he doesn''t even try. Instead, he speaks from the heart, letting her know that no matter what¡­ she has someone who''s happy to have met her in this fucked up universe.


    Sophia''s eyes are wide for a long moment as she stares at him. Oren can only hope he''s gotten through to-mmph!


    His own eyes widen as the goddess suddenly leans forward and kisses him soundly on the mouth. Her soft lips press into his for a long moment, longer than would necessarily be considered chaste or platonic. Oren, for his part, doesn''t pull away even if he probably should. He kisses her back as the moment drags on into eternity¡­ until it finally doesn''t.


    Sophia pulls away and looks at him for a moment before reddening and immediately fleeing the bed. Admittedly, the cave hideaway isn''t very big so she can''t exactly run from him¡­ but she definitely refuses to meet his eyes for the rest of the day and Oren is too befuddled by what happened to push the issue. So instead they fall into silence. A painful, awkward silence¡­


    -x-X-x-


    A single day after he wakes up and Oren is finally well enough to move around and start eating again. He''s glad because the realization that he was effectively hogging Sophia''s bed and forcing the goddess to sleep in a damn chair had him chomping at the bit to get it back to her as soon as possible.


    Right now though, the two of them are both sitting in chairs however, eating a hearty soup in silence at the hideaway''s dining table. Oren wants to say something, but he doesn''t know what to say. He doesn''t know how to progress things after everything that''s happened.


    "¡­ I forgive you, you know."


    Blinking, Oren looks up to see Sophia staring at him mulishly.


    "I already said it once, but sometimes I feel like you didn''t hear me. I absolve you of your so-called crimes, Oren. Just in case you thought I was only doing it before to keep you on side. Well, there''s nowhere for us to go now. It''s over. So maybe now you''ll believe I truly have no ulterior motives when I say I forgive you fully and unconditionally."


    Oren opens his mouth¡­ and then closes it, not entirely sure how to respond. Sophia takes another spoonful of her soup, lowering her gaze after a moment.


    "Just¡­ thought you ought to know."


    Letting out a shuddering breath, Oren leans back in his chair for a long moment. She''s right that they''ve had this conversation before. She''s wrong that Oren thought she had ulterior motives back then though. But maybe¡­ maybe she is right that he didn''t truly let himself accept her forgiveness. Because even now he''s struggling with the idea.


    "¡­ I suppose having a face and name to put to the mastermind behind all of this puts things into stark perspective, doesn''t it?"


    Sophia looks up from her soup at that, seeming hesitantly hopeful now that Oren isn''t immediately criticizing himself again. After a moment, she snorts derisively at his words.


    "That''s an understatement. We''ve learned it all by now, haven''t we? Even the things we maybe didn''t want to know."


    Oren grimaces, thinking of Sophia''s domains. He knows how much she''s hurting because of that particular truth.


    "What if¡­ what if Tyranos was lying? What if he didn''t unravel your father''s working, but instead imposed his own back there? Maybe you''re not the Goddess of Misfortune and Folly after all¡­"


    But Sophia just shakes her head, letting out a low sigh.


    "No. He was telling the truth. The signs were there long before he showed up to trick and use us. I was such a fool¡­ and I turned the people around me into fools as well, all the while pushing misfortune onto them as I thought I was ''equalizing'' things. I may be an idiot, but I know my true domains now. That part wasn''t fake."


    Damn. Oren had known it was a long shot¡­ but he''d still held an ember of hope at least. Still, with Sophia confirming it, he refuses to just leave things at that.


    "It doesn''t matter. You''re still you. You''re Sophia first and the Goddess of Misfortune and Folly second."


    Sophia freezes at that, staring at him with widened eyes for a moment before humming to herself quietly.


    "¡­ Am I? The Sophia I always thought I was, the Sophia who lived for these past few hundred years¡­ she was as much a lie as the domains. I can''t just pretend like everything is fine, Oren. There''s no going back to the way things were before."


    "Then don''t go back. Look forward. Find the true Sophia amidst all of this¡­ chaos. This isn''t the end."


    Silence falls between them once more as Sophia mulls over his words. But finally¡­ the light in her eyes seems to dim as she looks at him blankly.


    "Isn''t it?"


    Oren grimaces again, mostly because she''s right in a way. It''s over. Tyranos has won. He has the God Killer''s armor and blade. Even without them, he''d proved that he was stronger than Oren by several magnitudes. It''s hopeless.


    And yet¡­ and yet, even if all feels lost, Oren can''t help but think back to yesterday, to the feel of Sophia''s lips on his own. Perhaps it''s clich¨¦, but he finds strength in that kiss, meeting Sophia''s dead eyes evenly from across the table.


    "It doesn''t have to be."


    Her eyes widen and she looks taken aback for a moment before blushing again and looking away. They don''t exchange any more words that day¡­ but Oren likes to believe the awkward tension in their shared silence has eased up, even if just a little bit.

 Chapter 39: At Worlds End

    Her other refuge was hidden under a hill in the middle of practically nowhere. Or at least, it was practically nowhere when Sophia had first built it because the road from Oakvale hadn''t gone that far North at the time. By the point where she and Oren came upon it, it wasn''t quite as hidden as she might have wanted it to be. It was still impossible to find with mortal eyes though, which was the original point of it in the first place.


    This hideaway on the other hand is both more and less hidden than that one. When she''d first found this place, Sophia knew she had to have it. It might not have seemed like much, but with some divine renovations, she could turn it into something truly spectacular. Especially since it started out as an awesome cave easily hundreds of feet up in the side of a massive cliff overlooking the sea!


    Admittedly with the ocean eroding the rock at the base of the cliff near constantly, the whole thing might have been prone to falling into the water below at any time. It wasn''t the kind of place that just anyone would make their home. But Sophia had taken precautions on that front. She''d made sure to layer the protections and wards on this hideaway in such a fashion that they descended all the way into the bedrock below.


    This meant that even when the cliff all around her cave eroded enough to fall into the sea, her refuge would remain. Indeed, in another few centuries, the hideaway might be a literal island pillar in the middle of the ocean because of that, even as the rest of the cliff was carved away more and more until this particular piece had no more connection to the greater landmass.


    For now though, it was somewhat nondescript and the only way anyone would be able to tell it was there was if they went looking for it. Mortals would struggle to even reach it without having to risk life and limb, while deities would have to go pretty far out of their way to find it.


    Why was this all important? Well, ever since shortly after they arrived here, the mother of all storms has been slamming against the cliff constantly. At this point it was powerful enough to be a full-fledged hurricane, and that might have caused faster erosion and sped up the process of her refuge being turned into an island¡­ if it wasn''t for something Sophia had noticed and currently had a sinking suspicion about.


    "¡­ Seems Oceanus might have found out about Aureo finally."


    Blinking, Sophia is startled from her thoughts as Oren walks up next to her. She''d been standing at the cave entrance, the protective barrier blocking the wind and rain from reaching her as she watched the divine storm rage outside of it.


    Looking over to Oren, the goddess bites her lower lip, almost wanting to tell him he''s not fit enough to be out here. But¡­ she knows that would be a lie. Oren is getting healthier and healthier by the day and it''s obvious he knows it. He might not be ready to get into a fight or something quite yet, but he can easily do this much.


    ¡­ They still haven''t discussed the kiss. She''d hoped he would bring it up, demand answers from her, something that would force her cowardly lips to actually talk about it. Instead, it seemed that the Otherworlder was trying to let her come to terms with what happened at her own pace. He wasn''t going to talk about it unless she was ready to talk about it, meaning that she was the one who was going to have to bring it up.


    Needless to say, Sophia didn''t exactly want to do that. Or maybe she did. Fuck, she didn''t know what she wanted truth be told. The situation was¡­ confusing to say the least. With everything else that was going on, she wasn''t sure if she should be confronting her feelings for Oren at the moment. Or maybe¡­ maybe she just didn''t want to confront the possibility that he might not feel the same way.


    Deciding that she would rather focus on his words instead of her inner turmoil at the moment, Sophia sighs. Might as well share the suspicion gnawing away at her with him. She could stand to get a second opinion.


    "Maybe. Or maybe my uncle told the truth more than we care to admit."


    Oren gives her a confused look at that, prompting Sophia to gesture out at the hurricane brushing up against their hideaway. And yes, ''brushing up'' is precisely the word to describe it. Despite the rampant destruction happening just outside of the barrier, it''s not as bad as it could be. And it''s not getting worse even though it should be.


    "This storm is not directed at us or at the coastline whatsoever. We are in fact on the edge of the hurricane, which hasn''t moved in days at this point."


    That causes Oren to blink, the Otherworlder furrowing his brow as he considers the situation. It doesn''t take him long to figure out what Sophia is getting at though. His eyes widen before he grimaces.


    "Damn. You think Tyranos was telling the truth when he said the God Hunters couldn''t hope to hunt down Ancient Gods like Oceanus?"


    Sophia nods, not surprised that Oren was able to understand so quickly. Unfortunately, the fact that he''d come to the same conclusion as her made it abundantly clear that her sneaking suspicion was right. It was just as her uncle had said all those weeks ago when he''d suggested that they just ride out the God Hunter purge and travel with him to stay safe and secure.


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    In hindsight, most of that was obviously a pack of lies designed to manipulate Sophia into pushing them towards the God Killer armor and blade. By presenting another option, that of running and hiding, Tyranos had made it all the more important in Sophia''s eyes to push them towards gaining the power to take the fight to the Void Gods.


    And in doing so, she''d led their greatest enemy right to his prize.


    Still, something he''d said that day had nevertheless been true. The God Hunters, for all that they were very good at hunting down and killing demigods and lesser deities, were not in any way equipped for handling Ancient Gods.


    Someone like Oceanus could drown an entire army of God Hunters and without them ever even laying eyes on him to boot! A volcano deity would just throw lava at them until they went away. A sky god could just fly higher in the sky than they could reach, all while raining lightning down on their heads from above. It would be impossible for the God Hunters to reach such a deity.


    In the end, the God Hunters were just up jumped mortals with delusions of grandeur. And mortals, as her uncle had proven with Oren, didn''t stand a chance against a truly powerful and ancient deity.


    So then what was to be Tyranos'' solution to that conundrum? How was the God of Tyranny and Conquest going to get the upper hand and lay low his fellow Ancient Gods, especially those with physical domains who had spent the last several millennia building their power?


    Hell, if even someone like Aureo could create something like the aquifer beneath Goldriver, just imagine what sort of trump cards those much older than him could call upon.


    Well, the answer was staring them right in the face, wasn''t it? If Tyranos wanted to assure his victory, he would need something to tip the scales firmly in his favor. Something¡­ like a set of God Killing armor and a God Killing blade, perhaps.


    "Well¡­ look on the bright side. If that is Oceanus and Tyranos fighting out there¡­ then at least Tyranos hasn''t won yet."


    Sophia pauses and then huffs out an unamused laugh at Oren''s observation.


    "I suppose you''re right. So long as the storm rages on, there must be some Ocean, Sea, or Sky God still out there fighting back against his tyranny."


    It''s a cold comfort though. Because Tyranos doesn''t just have the God Hunters to call upon. He has the rest of the Void Gods as well. Combined with the armor and blade of the God Killer, it seems unlikely that the Ancient Gods of the Mortal Planes will last forever.


    "¡­ What do we do next?"


    Blinking, Sophia looks over to see Oren looking at her quietly. Expectantly, even. He''s really trying to follow her lead even after everything. Letting out another laugh entirely lacking in amusement, Sophia shakes her head.


    "There''s nothing we can do, is there? I handed the world to Tyranos on a silver platter."


    "We handed it to him on a silver platter."


    Sophia can''t help but weakly glare at Oren for that correction. But he just offers a half-shrug in response, refusing to back down.


    "If you''re going to continue to insist on taking the blame, so am I. I''m the only one who knew where I hid the armor and sword."


    "Yes but I''m the one who convinced you to lead us to them!"


    "But I''m the one who fell for Tyranos'' lies and allowed him to fool me so easily."


    "We BOTH fell for that! I didn''t realize it was a trap until it was too late either!"


    Oren just smiles and nods decisively.


    "You''re right. We both fell for it, so I suppose the only reasonable course of action is for us to share the blame."


    Sophia''s mouth opens and closes a few times wordlessly as she realizes how easily he''d backed her into a corner.


    "You¡­ you¡­"


    Oren''s smile dims somewhat and he grows more serious as he looks her in the eye.


    "I don''t think you''re ready to give up, Sophia. Even now, even if you think your whole life was a lie, I don''t think you''re the type of goddess who just stops trying. No matter how bad things seem. No matter how tough things get. You''ll find a way. I have faith in you."


    He¡­ he can''t just go around saying things like that! Sophia''s cheeks burn as she looks away, averting her gaze. After a few moments of silence between the two of them, she mutters out her response.


    "You have too MUCH faith in me, Oren¡­"


    There''s a pause after she says that and staring out into the storm Sophia can''t be sure Oren is even there anymore. She doesn''t dare risk further embarrassment by checking. That''s why she''s ill-prepared when his fingertips suddenly alight upon her chin and turn her to face him.


    Sophia''s eyes widen as Oren presses a kiss into her mouth. His lips against hers, his fingers gliding along her jawline. She shudders and her eyes start to drift shut even as she finds herself instinctively kissing him back for a long moment.


    And then, just as suddenly as it started, it''s over. Oren pulls away, ending the kiss before it can deepen any further and leaving Sophia to stare at him gobsmacked.


    "You¡­ y-you kissed me!"


    Oren blinks and then looks a little offended and more than a little confused.


    "I mean¡­ you kissed me first."


    That was true. Sophia blushes but doesn''t back down.


    "Y-Yes well¡­ you were supposed to confront me about that! Not just¡­ kiss me back like t-that!"


    The handsome Otherworlder that Sophia may have increasingly certain feelings for stares at her for a long time. Long enough that Sophia begins to squirm. Until finally, she can''t take it anymore.


    "Well? S-Say something!"


    The corner of Oren''s mouth quirks up and he chuckles.


    "I suppose a goddess must have cursed me with a mild case of folly."


    Sophia gawks at him for a moment before smacking him in the chest with her palm.


    "That''s! Not! Funny!"


    And yet, despite it definitely NOT being funny or humorous in any way, Sophia''s lips curl upwards of their own accord as Oren snickers. Before she knows it, she''s giggling too. And then, they''re both laughing helplessly as they have to hold onto one another for support.


    Eventually, they move away from the cave entrance, deeper into the refuge. And they kiss some more too, until stomachs begin to gurgle and they break for mealtime. And then they kiss more after that and Sophia¡­ for a brief moment, Sophia is able to forget everything happening outside right then. She''s able to forget the absolute state of things in the world and just focus on the here and now.


    As fucked up as everything is, it all feels a little less fucked up when she''s with Oren¡­

 Chapter 40: First Time

    "And there we¡­ go."


    Oren watches with a slight smile on his face as Sophia peels away the last of the bandages she''d insisted he wear wrapped around his chest all this time. The truth was, he hadn''t really needed the bandages for days at this point. He''d still been healing, but it''d mostly been internal, with both the entrance and exit wounds from the Celestial Dagger having healed over fairly early on in his convalescence.


    Still, he''d been happy to let Sophia continue bandaging his blemish-free chest until he was finally feeling one hundred percent again because it not only gave her something to do but also gave her some amount of satisfaction and joy¡­ two things that had been missing from both their lives for a while now.


    The hurricane still rages outside of the hideaway, meaning Tyranos hasn''t won yet, but they''ve been utterly stymied on how exactly they''re going to get themselves back into the fight. If there was one thing Tyranos'' betrayal had taught them, it was just how out of their league they were.


    Of course, coming up with a back up plan had also taken something of a back seat to the¡­ other things they''d been doing since Oren had kissed Sophia back the other day. Lots of kissing, some heavy petting, and quite a bit of cuddling had taken place in the last couple of days.


    The only reason they hadn''t gone further yet was because Sophia was terrified of hurting him. Still, Oren had made it clear that he wouldn''t be sleeping alone in her bed any longer.


    Either she was taking the bed and he was taking a chair, or they were both going to wind up on the floor or sleeping in chairs. Or¡­ well, in the end he''d gotten what he wanted as they ''compromised'' by just sharing the bed like they should have been doing in the first place.


    Oren hadn''t realized just how touch deprived he truly was until he woke up with Sophia in his arms that first morning. Ever since, it had been¡­ well, it had been eye opening in a way. It had also been quite enjoyable.


    Now though, as Sophia runs her fingers along his bared chest, Oren can tell that things might just be about to escalate. The Goddess of Misfortune and Folly is biting her lower lip and blushing slightly even as she pretends she''s just ''checking him over'' instead of very obviously checking him out.


    Grinning wryly, Oren finally breaks the silence.


    "See something you like, Goddess?"


    Jolting out of her reverie, Sophia looks up at his grinning face and scowls a little bit, lightly smacking his chest.


    "D-Don''t tease me, you jerk. I was just¡­ making sure."


    Uh huh. Sure she was. Still, Oren isn''t going to push Sophia. When she doesn''t go in for a kiss or anything else and instead climbs back off of the bed, he doesn''t let his disappointment at her departure show. He-


    Oren''s mind bluescreens as Sophia, having turned away from him, reaches up and slips her dress down off of her shoulders. Before he can blink let alone react, the dress cascades down Sophia''s body like its become liquid, exposing her back profile.


    His mouth goes dry as he stares long and hard at Sophia''s naked flesh. She''s a goddess so it''s not like she''s anything but perfect, of course. From the slope of her back to the soft curve of her backside. From her thin waist to her wide hips.


    Looking back over her shoulder at him, Sophia''s face is half-smirk, half-apprehension as she bites her lower lip.


    "S-See something you like, Otherworlder?"


    ¡­ Heh. Nine out of ten comeback, with one point taken off for the stutter. Still, Oren just nods slowly, letting a wide smile spread across his own face.


    "Yes Goddess. I like what I''m seeing very much."


    Sophia''s blush intensifies and she squirms in place for a moment.


    "Pervert¡­ you''re supposed to be struck dumb by my beauty, not capable of coherent sentences!"


    Letting out a laugh at her words, Oren shrugs.


    "Must be my Otherworlder constitution letting me stay on task."


    Rising from the bed, he approaches slowly. Sophia tenses up but doesn''t try to move away, even when he''s right behind her. Hesitantly, almost reverently, Oren reaches up and runs his hands down her arms, causing her to gasp as he feels goosebumps all along her flesh.


    She leans back into his chest without hesitation, her derriere pressing into him in a way that only makes Oren''s current struggle all the harder. But even then it''s a good struggle. The best kind of struggle, really.


    Ignoring the straining in his pants with a clarity of mind that surprises even him, Oren takes his time to smell the roses so to speak. Or rather, the Otherworlder leans in and buries his nose in the crook of Sophia''s neck, breathing her scent in deeply.


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    The goddess gasps in response, tilting her head to the side to provide more access to her neck. Seeing that, Oren does what any man would do and begins to suckle at the supple flesh he finds there. This causes a soft moan to leave Sophia''s lips. At the same time, Oren''s hands have descended to the goddess'' hips and anchored there¡­ only for her own hands to reach down and take hold of his.


    "Touch me, Oren. Please¡­ I want you to touch me."


    Her meaning couldn''t be clearer when she pulls his hands up directly to her breasts. Reaching around her from both sides, hugging her back against his chest, Oren finds himself cupping the beautiful goddess'' chest with his hands. He''s just as reverent here as he was before though. His fingers glide over Sophia''s bust, not squeezing or molding, but cupping and holding. His thumbs don''t flick at her nipples, but instead brush over them, feeling how quickly they''re hardening with every pass.


    Sophia continues to moan, even as Oren continues to suck at her neck. Her hands move back behind her as he touches her, grasping at his body, but while she finds an easy grip in his pants, it quickly becomes apparent that she doesn''t approve of the garment being in her way.


    Finally, the goddess pulls out of his grasp and suddenly turns around. Oren barely has a moment to look upon her full naked glory for a moment before she''s giving him orders.


    "You''re overdressed, Oren. Why am I the only one baring all?"


    Grinning crookedly, Oren inclines his head.


    "Of course, Goddess. As you wish."


    Pulling off his pants, he frees his straining erection from its confines at long last. His shaft pops right up, standing at attention as Sophia stares at it unabashedly¡­ even hungrily one might say. In turn, Oren stares at her right back. Her breasts are of course perfectly shaped, just the right size and each capped with a pink, hard nipple that Oren has the sudden urge to suckle and nibble at with his mouth.


    Meanwhile, down between the cleft of her thighs is her sex, glistening in the artificial light of the refuge, her arousal on full display.


    Sophia hesitates for a moment more before moving forward. She reaches up and places one hand on Oren''s cheek¡­ and the other on his member. Her fingers curl around his girth while her soft palm glides up and down the length in a way that makes Oren''s breath hitch.


    His own hands move to her body in turn, starting on her hips¡­ but it''s not long before he''s reaching up again with one, fondling and softly squeezing one of her breasts. On Sophia''s neck, Oren can already see a spot forming from where he''d sucked long enough to leave a mark.


    He''s tempted to go right back there just from the front this time and keep sucking¡­ but her full lips are right in front of his face now and Oren can''t resist them. Especially not when they''re partially parted so cutely, as though Sophia wants to say something but has not a clue of what it should be.


    Leaning in, Oren captures Sophia''s lips in his own, kissing her deeply. As she returns the favor, he walks them back towards the bed, tugging her along until she follows. And then he turns them around so he can lay her on her back, all the while continuing to kiss her.


    He can hardly believe he''s gotten so lucky. He can hardly believe Sophia wants to be with someone as unworthy as him. But if he can give her even one iota of happiness in this unforgiving world¡­ than damn it, he owes it to her to try.


    -x-X-x-


    Sophia can hardly believe this is happening, especially after how she''s treated Oren in the past. She doesn''t deserve him. And he deserves better than her. But¡­ they''re all each other has at this point. Maybe it''s selfish, but Sophia can''t bring herself to stop.


    Neither can Oren, to be fair. As he climbs atop her on the bed, she''s happy to spread her legs for him. Her hand wrapped around his throbbing shaft pulls it down towards her slit where the wetness has reached the point of absurdity. That''s good though, because he''s larger than she thought he would be.


    It wasn''t as though this was Sophia''s first time or anything. She was only a few centuries old, but she''d experimented with both men and women. Most of the time, the women were far more attentive than the men in her experience.


    Not with Oren though. Any other man would have already buried himself inside of her. They wouldn''t have bothered with anything like sucking at her neck or toying with her breasts. If they had, it would have been love bites and a mauling for her chest.


    Oren, despite all of the power lurking in his Otherworlder frame, is exceedingly gentle with her. He only enters her now that she''s urging him to and has guided him directly to her entrance. A soft exhale slips and slides against his lips while they continue kissing, even as more and more of him disappears into her.


    Letting go of his length, Sophia instead reaches up and loops her arms around Oren''s neck. She cards one hand through his hair, pulling him in for an even deeper kiss. His own hands also cannot stay where they are, instead planting on either side of her body as he begins to slowly slide in and out of her. His strokes are deep and impactful but he''s taking his time even now.


    The pleasure builds in her core, the more they shift and gyrate against one another. Her body was already feeling hot before, but now it''s like she''s burning up as he thrusts in and out. Her inner walls clench and squeeze along his length of their own accord while all Sophia can do is arch her back and moan into his mouth.


    It''s more than she deserves, but she can''t help holding onto Oren for dear life all the same. As she rides out wave after wave of pleasure, she selfishly clings to him with all her might, afraid that any moment he''ll realize she''s not worthy of him and leave her.


    That doesn''t happen though. They continue kissing even as the satisfaction builds within Sophia again and again, crashing over the edge over and over. It''s a rapturous sensation, to be so thoroughly filled. In that moment, she and Oren are one. In that moment, the rest of the universe just¡­ falls away.


    Alas, all good things eventually come to a close. Sophia loses track of how many times Oren brings her crashing over the edge before she finally returns the favor. Their lips come apart as Oren arches his back in turn and lets out a small gasp¡­ and then she feels it, him releasing inside of her.


    The sensation of him filling her sends Sophia over the edge one more time as well and together the two of them ride out the bliss of the moment together before ultimately having to come crashing back down to reality.


    A shuddering breath leaves Sophia''s lips as she looks into Oren''s eyes. They hold one another, both refusing to fully pull away as they cuddle there in bed, still connected to each other both physically and emotionally.


    In that moment, as they lay there cuddling, Sophia finds her resolve. Oren''s faith in her¡­ it feels misplaced even now. He expects her to keep fighting, but she''s not been sure she can after everything.


    And yet¡­ so long as he believes in her, Sophia can''t bring herself to let him down. Not again. She''ll do whatever it takes to justify his faith. And she''ll do whatever it takes to stop her uncle. Even if it kills her in the end.