The Epan Hunts were the six-year long extermination campaign of the abominations that Anassa and Baalka created and then unleashed on Epa in the closing days of the war. “Hunts” is the correct terminology here. These monsters were crazed abominations. They could not be left alive. It was a noble goal in the same sense that the extermination of criminality is a noble goal for a society. Yet that is just the thing. Although we can all agree that the extermination of criminality is something to be achieved, it is how we exterminate criminality that decides our success.

I think that was the first time there was a crack in the Pantheon’s ranks. It wasn’t caused by a disagreement of opinion but rather the extremity with which the Hunts were approached. Everyone had decided that they needed to die but Maisara approached the subject with such…

Ferocity?

The woman did not hate them. Not one bit yet she singlehandedly slaughtered more of the abominations than the rest of the Pantheon combined. I do not think she took pleasure in the act of killing, yet likewise I do not think that the killing particularly perturbed her. It was more that natural order, whatever that means only Maisara knows, was broken and she fixed it. I am the Goddess of Love, naturally I understand ideals and passions. What Maisara exhibits is not an ideal nor a passion.

It was then I realised that Maisara had a beast inside that had constantly expressed itself, but I had assumed was merely a result of tension due to the world being at war. There was no tension, that was simply Maisara’s natural state. She does not love or hate, yet she is impassioned. I have never seen her engage in recreation. I know she drinks in company yet looking on it now, I have never walked in on her drinking. I know she expresses emotions and stoic would be one of the last words I use to describe her, yet that only makes me question her more. The woman would be far easier to understand if she were an unfeeling psychopath yet I know, or I think, she has emotions.

I will write it honestly. Maisara is just as monstrous as the abominations she was killing, it is just she has a mind and they do not.

- Excerpt from “Roses, Blades & Blood”, written by Goddess Helenna, of Love.

Eliza sat in a room as the minutes counted down to eleven. Anarchia seriously would not come until it was the hour mark on the dot. The girl plugged in the new radio, put on the usual station of Imperial tunes on channel ninety-nine. She pulled out the phone from her pants, got down and pretended to clean with one hand as her other turned the phone on.

It was a miracle that the little device had battery power. The lack of a card could be side-stepped, she simply connected to the same network that they had used to call before this disaster with Anarchia; the open frequency sent out by Skyseer One. Her moment of thought was cut short by the sound of heavy, drum-like footsteps and Eliza immediately typed out the first number she was sure someone would answer: Iliyal Tremali’s. To think she would rely upon an elf of Kassandora rather than the Goddess who was her direct superior, but Iliyal would know what to do even if the signal started breaking up. The call was muted and, just in case, she turned the recording application on the phone. Just as the Kirinyaan War had taught her, the path to victory was fashioned upon back-up after back-up. Eliza managed to just slide the phone under the shelves when the door opened.

Anarchia stood in the doorway as Eliza turned red in the face. It was entirely from the fact she had almost been caught but she knew how to play it off. “I’m sorry but I collapsed.” Eliza said as she scooped up more of the wreckage from the previous radio into a pile. She thought of adding more but decided not to. That was always a mistake in lying. Some things didn’t have to be explained.

“You did?” Anarchia sounded both curious and worried. Eliza turned to Anarchia. The Goddess of Anarchia stood there in her dark dress and red shirt. The black hair made it all a striking combination. Eliza didn’t particularly like it. It reminded of Anassa but without the class.

“I just fainted.” Unable to keep looking at the woman with a straight face, Eliza turned back to the wreckage. “I tried to catch something and…” She scooped up some more of the broken plastic with her hands. “Well, I did.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever drained someone continuously.” Anarchia said. “So it’s probably me. Are you feeling alright? You’re not ill, are you?”

“I’m feeling about as well as I can.” Eliza made her tone light. The Goddess couldn’t actually be feeling sorry for her, could she? It was the complete opposite of what treatment underneath Anassa was like. The Goddess of Sorcery… well, why even bother recalling it? The Goddess of Sorcery did not teach, she forced knowledge and skill into other’s minds. And now Anarchia, her supposed jailor, was asking Eliza if she was ill. Was the woman actually serious?

The contempt came out in Eliza. She couldn’t help the negativity and once she realised it, she couldn’t put it down. Somehow, the fact that she wanted the woman to be worse to her made Eliza disdain Anarchia even more. Divines should be respectable, Divines weren’t friends to people. Divines were Divines. “We’re going to continue then.” Anarchia said and Eliza sat down on the couch as she always did. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”

Eliza kept the sourness out of her throat. She made the topic light. These entire past three days had been spent crafting a character, she couldn’t let her annoyance out now. Especially not with a phone-call going. At least Eliza hoped the phone-call was going. “Before we start, can I just ask a question?”

“Is it the same one you always ask?”

“I have to ask it.”

“They’re all fine.” Anarchia said. “Lyca asked after you again. He made a mess in his room so I’ve taken his radio away. Edmonton and Fleur are both fine. Fleur tried to stab with her magic, I stole it before she could.”

“Thank you.” Eliza said. “I’m sorry for Lyca and Fleur.” There was nothing to apologize for, but she was a timid and stupid girl after all. Apologizing for friends was what timid and stupid girls did. Anarchia smiled at that as if Eliza was a small dog.

“They’re fine. I’ve not hurt them in any way.”

“You’re just using them as sorcery sources.” Eliza made an accusatory tone but it was actually for the phone under the cupboard. Iliyal needed to hear what was happening, still though, she couldn’t make it seem too obvious that she was explaining the situation. “Will they be fine?”

“I’m not going to kill them Eliza.” Anarchia said lightly. “I take just the sorcery, nothing else.” That was a lie.

“The magic too.” Eliza correct Anarchia but again, it wasn’t for the Goddess, it was for Iliyal.

Anarchia smiled and shrugged. “Is there a difference?”

This was the sort of debate that all the sorcerers avoided. Arcadia had taught that sorcery was catalyst-less magic. Anassa taught that sorcery was the next step of magical advancement in a similar fashion as to what the car was to the cart. “That’s not my place to say.” Eliza answered, she quickly thought of what other information Iliyal could use.

“Is it not?” Anarchia asked.

“It’s apples to oranges. Both are fruit but they’re not the same thing.” Eliza sighed. “But honestly I don’t really know the difference. I just know how to use them.”

“If you don’t know then you don’t know.” Anarchia replied. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I am curious though.” Eliza asked Anarchia gently, she made sure her tone was careful and submissive. The same that a timid admirer would use. The sort that made one want to explain because it was an acknowledgement of ego rather than a genuine sharing by goodwill. The Goddess of Anarchy smiled and sat down, she blew on that fruity tea as Eliza stared into her own. She couldn’t be too forward. “Because I’ve met a few Divines by now.” She couldn’t be too pushy at this point. “If I may of course, I’m not demanding an answer, I’m just curious.”

“Do continue Eliza.” Anarchia affirmed.

“Major ones like Anassa or Kassandora. I’ve met Kavaa and seen her heal. I’ve talked…” Eliza faked a giggle, although what she was saying was a direct lie. “Well, I’ve been given orders to by Arascus. And Neneria. And Fer and Elassa actually.” Eliza faked a blush by thinking of Lyca. It wasn’t too difficult when she imagined how the man was suffering right now. “And… well, you too.”

When Eliza saw Anarchia smile, she knew she caught the Goddess hook, line and sinker. Who wouldn’t want to be included in the club of the highest Divines after all? “I’m honoured you think so highly of me.” Anarchia said.

“You are though.” Eliza said and then reiterated. That smile revealed the woman liked being buttered up. “You are, I’m not lying to you, you’re as major as any of them.”

“Thank you.” Anarchia said.

“Half of them don’t know what they’re doing.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

That wasn’t the answer Eliza wanted, but she couldn’t just drop a straight ‘So hello, what are the specifics of your powers? Please answer loud and clear and with detail!’ sort of question. “Well I’ve heard it said that you steal humanity.” Eliza shrugged and raised her hand. She forced what meagre amount of sorcery she had into existence. It appeared as an opaque crimson orb that hovered over her open palm. “But this isn’t me.”

“Is it not?”

“I’d still be Eliza even if I wasn’t a sorcerer.” Eliza chose her words carefully. The goal was to make Anarchia want to explain the power, rather than give any weakness away. Iliyal knew more on this topic than she did anyway, and the elf would definitely pass it off to someone who knew even more than him. “So that’s why I don’t believe you.”

“Is it not you though? Is it not part of your humanity?”

“The fact I’m twenty years old and already feel old is part of my humanity.” Eliza said in a tone as sweet as honey and as light as a cloud. The joke hid behind something more important though, could Anarchia steal age? “I’d give you my sorcery for free if you could make me fifteen again.”

Anarchia laughed and shook her head. “That’s out of my capabilities.”

“Well it was worth a shot, wasn’t it?”

“That it was.” Anarchia said. “But I can’t make you taller or shorter like that either. I just take power as a whole.”

“Oh no I like my height.” Eliza said. “But if you could give me natural golden hair, that’d be nice.”

“That’s just aesthetics, I’m not the Goddess of Vanity!” Anarchia said with a laugh. The woman had to be enjoying this conversation. Eliza was sure she was. Every single time Anarchia came in, Eliza made sure to make the most small-talk she could bring herself to. Why made sense, it would be the same as for Anassa. The woman was off managing a war and a conflict, she had to deal with Lyca and Fleur and Edmonton and she had to set an example to her men. Of course she wanted someone to relax with and if it happened to be a prisoner then so be it.

Eliza risked the question, the woman was laughing right now, so now was the best chance she would get. And, officially, Eliza was a prisoner with only a radio to her name. Even if some secret was spilled, then how could Eliza spread it? “And what if I said no and didn’t allow you to sap me?”

“Nice try.” Anarchia said. “But I still would. You’ve still committed crimes.”

Eliza sighed and shrugged. “I had to ask. Maisara cannot lie and Kavaa needs to touch to heal so I thought maybe I could just say no.”

Anarchia shook her head. “It’s not challenging, I just drain through emotions.”

“Ah, so I just have to become a psychopath!” Eliza exclaimed jokingly again. It was a façade, she couldn’t believe she had actually managed to get the woman to admit something.

“It’s not that cut and dry. There’d still be pride there, or self-loathing, or anything like that.”

“So what, I would need to become a doll to be immune?” Eliza feigned horror.

“I don’t know myself. Can you have a person without emotions?”

“That’s a question for the ages, isn’t it?” Eliza asked and Anarchia laughed again. She held out her hand and pointed it to Eliza. So the sapping was going to come soon.

“I suppose it is Eliza.” Anarchia answered. Eliza listened carefully to the woman’s tone. It sounded… sad. “Honestly, I don’t know myself what and how. I don’t think most Divines know what they are. It’d be nice if we did but this is where humanity has us beat.”

“Well I’m glad we have something at least.” Eliza only said it to calm Anarchia down. She didn’t know exactly what to make of that information. She was stumped and gave it one last attempt, one last shot in the dark. “Honestly, I’m asking because I wanted to know if there was a way to stop you.”

Anarchia smiled and shook her head, black hair waving from side to side. “I appreciate the honesty but the greatest lie Divines have ever foisted onto humanity is that we know ourselves. I know I hook onto emotions Eliza and I’m curious to see how far it can be pushed.”

“That’s crazy.” Eliza said, her words becoming a slur as Anarchia drain her magic and her sorcery. She tried to hide her emotions but nothing came of it. Maybe the woman honestly did not know? Eliza herself did not know what to make of it. Emotions? There had to be some greater system at play. Maybe Iliyal would know.

Footsteps and a door slamming indicated Anarchia had left the room although Eliza was too tired to even consider moving her head to see.

Eliza sat there, out of energy. She fell asleep for a moment, maybe two. She didn’t know how long. But eventually she opened her eyes and stood up, half-walking, half-stumbling to the counter. The guard wouldn’t enter now, he never did. Eliza fell onto the ground and stuck her hand under the cupboard. She pulled the phone out, her heart awash with dread. She had to check though. She knew she had to. She couldn’t not.

She turned the phone screen on.

The call was still ongoing. Iliyal Tremali’s number was at the top. The call had gone on for an hour and forty-nine minutes. He had heard it all.

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report