Chapter 8 – Shot In The Dark

Sara broke another pen under her teeth. She spat the plastic out and sighed. More coffee was needed. The maids she set up in Arascus’ room were worthless, telling her nothing. The man didn’t even sleep with them! What was that? She had specifically chosen the best whores she could find!

Her hand slammed the table and looked at the latest piece of paper. “Stop Union recruitment, concentrate all assets onto Epa. You have six months to double our numbers. Do not worry about spies.”

Elassa and Allasaria walked through a marble corridor in Olympiada. They had met bowing servants a mile away, but this area was sparsely populated. Humans had no reason to come here, Gods even less so. “Did you meet the Sorceress?” Allasaria asked. She was tall, even for a Goddess, almost as tall as Arascus. A head taller than Elassa herself, her hair flowed down past her hips and the dress she wore was a simple white thing going to her ankles, even dressed as plainly as a peasant, her beauty effortlessly outshone Elassa. The Goddess of Magic wasn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with Allasaria over it though.

“First thing I did after the assembly.” Elassa said.

“And?”

“Nothing. She does not know.” Allasaria took a few moments to respond as they rounded another corner. A maid was sweeping the floor, she saw the two divines and instantly bowed. They walked past her without even an acknowledgement.

“Did you mention him?” Elassa grit her teeth. What was she? A little girl to be micromanaged?

“Of course I mentioned him.”

“Or she could be lying.” Elassa had enough. Curse Allasaria, the two of them had this conversation five times already. She made her voice cold.

“Do you want to visit her yourself?”

“Not particularly, I don’t like her.”

“Then shut up about her.” Allasaria’s chuckle rumbled like thunder through the corridor. The heat from Elassa’s side became almost searing and the aura of the woman next to her threatened to crush her.

“Dear sister, behave yourself.”

“I apologize for my lack of decorum.” Elassa instantly replied and Allasaria said nothing, she merely made another turn as the pressure instantly dissipated.

“What about the Beast?” Allasaria asked.

“Still in the tundra, we have drones tracking her location, she’s doing nothing of note.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I am.” Allasaria’s steps slowed. She actually turned her head to make sure the white marble corridor was empty. In the next instant, a sphere of light appeared around the two Goddesses. Elassa met Allasaria’s gaze and wished she didn’t. Those bright eyes seemed to claw their way into her very soul, she couldn’t pull her own away.

“I have considerations Elassa.” Allasaria began, her voice was cold. “I want your opinion on them.” Elassa tried to say something but her throat was dry, she merely responded with a nod. “I contacted the Artica camp, Olephia has shown no reaction either, I’ve checked on Kassandora myself and she’s as depressed as usual. If you’re correct on Anassa and Fer, then those two don’t know anything either.” The Goddess of Light took a breath. “One, maybe we could still be uncertain but how can four of them not feel anything? I do not think it is Arascus.”

“Send Kavaa to check.”

“Even if we send Kavaa, it would take her a year to make a path through the poisoned Earth. It poisons even stone.”

“Better than sitting around, isn’t it?” Elassa said and Allasaria nodded.

“I want her here for when crisis does come.”

“There is no one who can harm us.”

“You would have died at the Godkiller’s hands were Kavaa not there. You want to send her away to the middle of nowhere with no communication?” Elassa didn’t like the reasoning. Sending Kavaa was the obvious thing to do.

“Are you afraid for her?” Allasaria’s face became soft, her eyes lot momentarily lost that strength.

“I am. What if he is free and she runs into him?”

“Send Maisara and Fortia with her then.” Elassa quickly said.

“And what if she doesn’t?” Allasaria said. “We’d be simply throwing away our two best fighters for nothing.”

“So what do you think it is then?”

“We check on Leona first, then I want you, Maisara, Fortia and Zerus to reinforce the gates. You’ll be with Zerus, he’ll probably take Sceo too. Your team will watch the Paraideisius gate, Maisara and Fortia will watch the Tartarus gate.” Elassa blinked, her mouth falling open.

“You’re not saying… You don’t think…”

“The last time she collapsed, three worlds came together, we had a hundred years of warfare. This isn’t a Godkiller incident, this is something else entirely.”