Allasaria dashed back across the ocean. How? Why? It was impossible? She had done everything there was to do. She should have won! How did… Allasaria came to a stop across the roaring ocean and took a deep breath. There was no reason to be emotional right now. Uriamel may have lost Ktulu, but it did good damage on Kirinyaa. Without a nation to serve as a main base, Arascus and his daughters would eventually be worn down through attrition.

And besides, when it came to overwhelming power, she still had the ace of aces in her hand.

Kavaa opened her eyes and looked around a dark room. Stone. That’s the one she would describe it. She was inside a stone box with a heavy steel door on one side. The only slivers of warm orange light were through a series of bars in the door. And that was it. There was no bed, no chair, no table, not even a bucket. The walls were simply dark stone, there wasn’t a hook, a chandelier, there was nothing. It was a box that had been carved out into the world. Kavaa shivered from the cold and realised she had been stripped.

The Goddess of Health felt her breath catch as she slid into the corner and pulled her knees up to her chest. She tugged a few locks of grey-silver hair and stared at that crack in the door as she thought on what to do. Was there anything to do? Should she call out? She shivered and stood up, then walked on the bare stone to the little window in the door. A quick look through it revealed a corridor. Torches on one side of the corridor. A pair of dwarves standing in full armour opposite her doorway.

Kavaa stared at the dwarves. They were short and rotund, made almost rectangular by their spears and shields. Each one had a sword on his belt, and their armour was so thick, the slits for eyes so small, that Kavaa could not even make out the slightest hint of life within them. Kavaa sighed, well, they had obviously seen her now. There was no reason to hide.

And there was no reason to panic either. Not right now at least, it was like an operation on someone on the surgery table, the panic always came later once the patient was safe. Here, the laughter would come once she and Iniri got out. Kavaa cleared her throat and spoke to the two dwarves. “Hello?” She made her tone cold and commanding, the same sort of tone she would use as when issuing commands to her Clerics. “I am Kavaa, Goddess of Health.”

The dwarves did not react. They did not even pretend to not hear her, they stood there as unmoving as statues. “Hello?” Kavaa said again. “Hello!” She shouted this time. “Anyone?! Hello?!” Nothing. Not even movement from the corridor. Kavaa sighed and looked at the dwarves. “Can you speak?”

No reaction. “Are you alive?” Still no reaction. Kavaa thought about what would get a dwarf moving, insulting familial honour no doubt, but then, she didn’t want to make her situation worse. “Can you move?” Kavaa stared at the two unmoving suits of armour. Where they even alive? Actually… were they? Kavaa looked into the cold slits where eyes should have been, at first, she thought it was merely the angle but now, she realised that indeed the slits obscured nothing but darkness within them. Kavaa sighed and gave up.

“Whatever then.” Kavaa scowled as she retreated to her corner once again, the stone was cold and uncomfortable to sit on, but she had enough pride as a Divine to not beg to a pair of Dwarves. So Kavaa sat there. Did the temperature drop? Even if it didn’t, Kavaa felt like it did. The stones were terribly cold and her body did little to warm them up. How long did she sit there for?

An hour?

Two?

A day?

Mortals had it so easy. They’d be able to track the hours by sleeping schedule and meal times. Divines required neither for survival, open stomachs were annoying and uncomfortable, and sometimes a bed was nice to relax in. But both were optional; Divines sustained themselves off humanity’s sheer confidence in their demesne. So Kavaa sat in that darkness, the only light was the flickering orange of the torches in the corridor that would sometimes manage to angle itself and bounce into the cell.

Kavaa sat there until Kavaa heard a door slide open. Then clicking. A terribly nostalgic clicking, although for no one in particular. A clicking of heels on the ground, and from the amount of time between each click, it was the footsteps of a Divine. A Divine that was taking their time as well.

Locks on the other side of the cell door suddenly started to slide open. One. Two. Three. Kavaa smiled in satisfaction. It was only right that a Goddess of her status should have seven different locks to be kept behind. Kavaa stood up straight, maybe Elassa would care, Leona probably would, but Leona had been a different breed of power. Frankly, Kavaa doubted anyone in the White Pantheon, or any of Arascus’ family, even the God himself, would cower in a corner just because they had been stripped. It was merely standard procedure.

The door slid open as Kavaa waited for what sort of Divine the Dwarves had conjured up for themselves. She could talk her way out of it yet, whether they were seeking rehabilitation with the Pantheon or still loyal to Arascus, both sides could be played.

White hair. Dark dress. Very dark dress, tight and hugging too, the sort that… Kavaa felt her breath catch. It was the sort of dress that Malam, so high and mighty and pretentious and full of herself always, would wear. A style not seen on the surface for a thousand years, but it only made sense because within that dress, with its deep neckline, was of Hatred herself. Daughter-Goddess of Arascus and Goddess of Hatred. Helenna’s nemesis, although the two had far more in common with each other than Helenna would ever like to admit. Malam stood there, her hair white like pristine snow. It sparkled in the torchlight as the Goddess looked over Kavaa with bright eyes. “Long time no see Kavaa.” Malam said cheerfully as she extended an arm, her voice was a scarf of velvet, soft and cold. She was holding a thin cloth, enough for Kavaa to cover herself up with, but not much more.

Kavaa met Malam’s gaze. Of everyone she had expected… Well, it certainly was not Malam. Was it good luck? Or was it misfortune? Malam… Kavaa sighed. Malam was competent, Malam knew what she was doing, she was honest too. And if there was one person who could out-deal Kassandora, it was Malam. “Likewise.” Kavaa said carefully.

Malam lifted an eyebrow and bounced her arm to bring attention to the cloth. “Have you become a nudist?” If the woman phrased it in any different way, Kavaa would have simply and slowly reached for the cloth. She stood straight to show she wasn’t intimidated, not to be humiliated like that! How could the woman even say something like that? Of course she had NOT! Kavaa’s cheeks went red and she ripped the cloth off Malam’s hand. “Sticks and bones then, sticks and bones now Kavaa.”

“What a…” Kavaa shut up. She was about to ask what the woman just meant and then she realised. Teeth were grit and the Goddess of Health covered herself up.

“You’re the one who stripped me.” Kavaa said slowly. “So I think that says more about you.”

Malam’s smile revealed perfect white teeth. “That was just simple procedure. You never know where someone like us could keep a dagger.” Malam hiked her dress up to reveal her thigh. Five dagger on a belt around it, more on the other leg. Why the woman needed that many, Kavaa had no clue. “And with you.” Malam made a terrible chuckle. “Well, if I could heal my wounds like this.” The Goddess of Hatred snapped her fingers. “I’d be walking around with an armoury in me.”

Kavaa’s cheeks went red at the thought. “You are disgusting Malam.”

Malam chuckled and turned. “To each their own. I’m disgusting, you’re boring. Who’s more memorable though?” Kavaa didn’t take the bait this time. Every single time she so much as opened her mouth, Malam would have some stupid infuriating comment. Already Kavaa could feel her blood pressure spiking. “Come, follow Kavaa.” Malam said.

Kavaa remained where she was and Malam stopped, she leaned back into the cell. “Come, Come Kavaa. Here. Here.” Kavaa realised what she was being treated like.

“I’m not a dog.” Malam sighed and changed tactics.

“Pss pss pss pss.”

“What are you doing?”

Malam sounded abashed that she actually had to explain herself. “Isn’t that what you say to cats to get them to follow?” She shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I talked to Fer.”

“I’m not a fucking pet.” Kavaa said, harsher this time and Malam smiled in glee.

“I was thinking how long it’d be before the doctor’s tongue came out.” Malam raised an eyebrow and that stupid smile said everything that Kavaa needed to know about the incoming comment. “Although personally, I’d prefer if you-“

“You don’t have to finish that.” Kavaa interrupted her.

“Well are you staying here or can I move you to a better cell?” Malam asked. “Because personally, I’d prefer a chair.” Kavaa sighed and took a step forwards. Then another. She followed Malam out of the corridor. Those two dwarves weren’t statues, they did in fact move to follow Kavaa and Malam as they moved. Two more marched silently ahead.

“They were statues for me.” Kavaa said in displeasure.

“They don’t talk.” Malam said. Kavaa absolutely hated the walk Malam was pulling, there was no need to swing like that when it was just the two of them.

“Oh.” Kavaa said as Malam leaned down and pulled a helmet off one of the dwarves. It revealed a skull, carved with and illuminated by glowing runes. They pulsed blue and orange and red and the skeleton in the suit of armour did not even seem to take notice as Malam slid his helmet back on.

“Most of them are like this. This entire hold only has eight hundred and thirty one living dwarves.” Malam said.

“That little?”

“Let’s not play around Kavaa. The Pantheon launched a war of extermination here. The fact we’ve lasted so long is impressive in itself. We have another century in us, maybe two.” Kavaa watched as they turned down another corridor. All smoothed stone once again, without a single decoration, and all lit up by torches. The silent dwarves, the animated skeletons ahead and behind them kept quiet as they walked with spears.

“Where is Iniri?” Kavaa asked.

“She was in the cell next to you. I’m just not going to wake Mother Nature up, am I?” Kavaa sighed. It really was Malam, not some illusion. But Kavaa realised the issue. This was a Malam who was still fighting the Great War, even though it had ended a thousand ago for those on the surface. This Malam legitimately still thought that Kavaa and Iniri were of the White Pantheon. They walked through a series of twisting corridors, up, then down, and eventually Malam came to stop at a door. Of steel, like all the doors here. “This is going to be your room.” Malam said as she opened the door and motioned for Kavaa to step in.

Kavaa took the first step in a tentative manner as she looked around. There was a simple bed, a chair, a table, a wardrobe and a mirror. Another door, open and leading to what looked to be a bathroom. It was all stone and steel, apart from the bedsheets and two pillows. Those were some thick wool. And there was a bottle on the table, two glasses next to it. Kavaa did not even need to ask whether that was water or drink, Divines would stop drinking the moment humanity did – never. Malam gave Kavaa a little push to hurry her through the doorframe. “How polite.” Kavaa said dryly.

“I aim to please.” Malam said, it made Kavaa’s blood boil that even such an innocuous statement like that coming from that creature’s mouth sounded disgusting. “Sit.” Malam said. “Or stand, I don’t really care. There’s clothes for you in the wardrobe. I made them myself.”

Kavaa blinked and stared at the snow-haired woman. “Excuse me?”

“You’re the odd one out that you’ve lived for how many thousands of years and still don’t know how to sew.” Malam said smugly. That wasn’t even true!

“I can sew.” Kavaa said dryly as she went to inspect the wardrobe. “It’s not really…” She opened the doorframe and the artisanship within shut her up. She touched a sleeve, it was some thick ram’s wool, but to be able to work wool like this? She looked at Malam. The woman was sitting smugly at the table, pouring herself something that smelled like alcohol from that clear bottle.

“Can you sew?” Malam asked innocently.

“Not like you.” There was no point to even try and compare. It would be like doctors or healers pitting themselves against Kavaa herself.

“Come, sit.” Kavaa shut the wardrobe and got over to the table before the woman started treating her like an animal again. “See? That wasn’t hard, was it?” Kavaa sighed.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” The Goddess of Health.

And the Goddess of Hatred’s smile was so wide that Kavaa didn’t even know how to describe the emotion. Euphoria maybe? “Am I Kavaa?” Malam asked. “I apologize profusely for the indulgence, but you do have to see it from my side. I’ve been down here for a thousand years and suddenly, two White Pantheon members just happen to drop themselves at my feet.”

The smile became even wider. “So am I enjoying myself? Yes, I am Kavaa. In fact, you should be grateful, you should be on your knees and thanking me for not doing the things I’ve promised myself I would do when I got my hands on one of you.” Kavaa caught the implicit threat. Some people would just threaten, but then there were those like Malam. Allasaria had this skill too, and Kass did, but neither as well as Malam. The way she made it sound promised not just pain but also humiliation.

“Things have changed up above.” Malam crossed her arms and smiles. Kavaa once again got annoyed that the woman was showing off what she had been blessed with, Kavaa wrapped the cloak tighter around herself.

“Well?” Malam asked. “Are you going to explain how?”

“Leona and Atis are dead.” Kavaa said flatly. “Arascus is out. Me, Iniri and Helenna freed Kassandora from her prison in Olympiada. Fer, Neneria, Anassa and Olephia are also with Arascus. And Baalka has been found but she’s unconscious and no one knows what has happened to her. I’ve tried to heal her. Anassa has tried too. The main base is in Arika.” Kavaa pointed upwards. “That’s the continent we’re under now.”

“I know where Arika is.” Malam said as she tilted her head. “That’s it?”

“That’s the short of it.” Kavaa said and Malam sighed. She moved her head from side to side, eyes on Kavaa.

“Do you want an explanation of why I don’t believe you, or do you not need one?” Malam asked.

“You’re scared of Leona.” Kavaa said. Malam closed her eyes and gave one slow nod.

“The term we use is Luck-Paranoia.” Malam said. “But I am indeed scared of Leona.”

Kavaa sighed. “You can ask Iniri.”

“Leona is lucky enough to tell you that when you dive here, to prepare a story between you and Iniri that will suit me.”

“Leona is lucky enough that we wouldn’t have gotten captured in the first place.”

“Leona’s luck is powerful but not omnipotent. There may be multiple ways this ends, and you may have needed to come here to learn something.” Malam said as she poured some of that alcohol into the Kavaa’s glass. “The dwarves brew it, drink.”

“And if it’s poison?” Kavaa asked, she didn’t think it was honestly. If Malam wanted her dead, she would be already.

“Woman I want someone to drink with that’s not Irinika. Now drink or I’ll force it into you.” Kavaa’s eyes widened at the name.

“Irinika?” Kavaa asked. Malam raised an eyebrow in a farcical manner.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the best of us.”

“Irinika? That one?”

“There’s only one Irinika, isn’t there?” Malam said, she tapped her finger on the table and nodded. “That’s a good honest reaction there Kavaa. You’re cute.” Kavaa blinked, her cheeks went red again. Did… No. Did Malam just call her cute? Excuse me?

“What?”

“You’re cute Kavaa. What, did Allasaria not tell you where Irinika went?” Kavaa’s jaw dropped.

“Allasaria knew?!” Kavaa screamed and stood up. Malam smiled at the reaction.

“My my…” She cooed. “The White Pantheon looks to be just as tightly knit as all the Pantheons of the past. Yes. Allasaria knew. She chased Irinika down here and then we chased her out. Would you fight Irinika here?” Kavaa shook her head. Fighting Irinika in the darkness of the underground would be like trying to out-madden Anassa, or to out-track Fer. If anywhere was Irinika’s natural habitat, it was here. Malam nodded to Kavaa’s glass. “Drink Kavaa, I didn’t pour for it to sit.”

Kavaa finally acquiesced. It wasn’t pleasant, the taste of mushroom and earth was obviously in the drink, and it was strong. Stronger than human drink, that was easy, but it was still drinkable. Malam smiled in satisfaction. “I once heard you could drink everything.”

“I’ve had worse.” Kavaa said, ignoring the woman’s terrible tone that hinted at a double meaning.

“Oh I’m sure you have.” Kavaa failed at containing the red in her cheeks.

“You’re fucking terrible. You know that?” Kavaa finally gave up. Her tone dropped to a simple flat monotone. “You are the worst Malam. You’re as bad as Anassa.”

Malam shrugged and smiled as she poured two more glasses. “Yet somehow, people keep coming back to me.” Malam said. “But why am I as bad as Anassa?”

Kavaa opened her mouth. Her cheeks went red, her throat caught. She simply could not say. “Ana… she…” Kavaa felt her hands get dirty and she wiped them on the cloth again. “You are both disgusting. That is all I have to say.”

Malam burst out in laughter as she drank and immediately poured herself yet another glass. “You are the sweetest little Goddess Kavaa.” She pushed Kavaa’s forward too. “Come, come.”

“Don’t treat me like that.” Kavaa said coldly. She did drink though. And Malam immediately refilled it. “I’m not here to get shattered with you.” Kavaa said.

“I don’t like seeing empty glasses and full bottles.” Malam replied innocently. Kavaa looked at the bottle. Full? It was half empty already. “But you said you freed Kassandora.” Kavaa nodded quickly. She hated her own quick reaction. Why did Malam deserve such haste? For what reason exactly? “Prove it?”

“Prove it?” Kavaa asked in disbelief. “What?”

“Tell me something only Kassandora would know.” Malam said with a smile. Kavaa stared blankly at Malam upon hearing that.

“Kass told me…” Kavaa trailed off as she realised the impossibility of the task. Not because the woman had asked something nonsensical, but because was there any real answer to a question like that? Did Kassandora even share any personal information like that? Malam sat there and motioned with one hand for Kavaa to keep going. What did Kavaa even know though? Facts? There were none! “Kassandora told me she formed in Sythia with Allasaria. How they fell apart, Allasaria settled down, Kass never did.” Kavaa cracked a smile she knew was stupid. “And that’s it basically. She said that Arascus gave her a chance. He told her ‘Give War a chance.’ She smiled when she said that.” Kavaa tried pining for any detail about Kassandora that only Kassandora would know. “She loves all of you, she told me I have an inferiority complex.” Malam interrupted at that.

“You do. Continue.”

“She…” Kavaa looked into the glass of dwarven spirit and wrapped the cloth tighter around herself. “I don’t know Malam. I genuinely do not know. I can tell you what I like about Kassandora, but I can’t…” Kavaa shrugged. “She doesn’t share information.”

“You mentioned Anassa. What about her?”

“Anassa is despicable.” Kavaa said flatly. “She is disgusting, she’s pleasured when I heal her. I feel dirty when I think about her.” Malam raised an eyebrow.

“That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say about Anassa? I know you are sisters, I’m not going to badmouth her in front of you.” Malam smiled and nodded.

“Good choice Kavaa. Then Arascus, what about father?”

“He…” Kavaa did not know either. There were times when she wanted to be rid of the God. There were times when she didn’t doubt a single decision that led up to this moment. “He pulls people together. Once he told me he was a man with a shovel and that others simply get caught up in the river he’s digging. It’s a bit like that.”

“Do you like him?” Malam asked quickly.

Kavaa had to think about the question for a few moments. How long had it been since she stopped killing that spark within her that wanted acknowledgement from Arascus? Quite a while at this point. “I suppose I do.”

“And he’s alive?”

“I swear on my life Malam, he is.” Kavaa said. Was she having an effect? Malam didn’t have even the slightest of tells. She was the opposite of Kassandora, where that woman could be a brick wall that hid everything, Malam’s face was constantly changing, from smiles to shock to surprise, and yet there was nothing to take out of it. Of course the woman would smile at mentions of her sister, of course she would be surprised at the fact Arascus is alive. There an oceanic trench of emotion in there, and Kavaa could not even dip her toe into the water to scout it out.

“How do you like him?” Malam asked yet another one of her terrible, just downright rancid, questions, in her terrible, just downright rancid, tone.

“What?” Kavaa asked flatly.

“Well? Romantically? Platonically? Friend-ily? Rival-ily? How?”

“I simply have grown to respect him.” Kavaa said and Malam made a knowing smiling.

“You’ve got the hots for dad. I’ll tell him that.”

Kavaa hated Malam’s tone, she hated the smugness, she hated that this Goddess thought she knew everything, and she hated the fact her cheeks were going crimson. “I fucking hate you.”

“Mmh.” Malam said. “Love and hate, two sides of the same coin. Fer then?”

“Fer is lovely.” Kavaa said. “She helped pull Iniri out of the Jungle.” Malam raised a doubtful eyebrow.

“Iniri could not get out of a Jungle?” Malam asked, her voice thick with doubt, yet even that doubt did not seem real.

“Would I actually make something that stupid up?” The Goddess of Nature stuck in a Jungle, it had to be seen to be believed.

“I don’t know.” Malam asked the air. “Would you?” Kavaa said nothing as Malam didn’t give her a chance to answer. “What else about Fer? What do only we know?”

“Fer gets scared easily and she stalls herself.” Kavaa said. “She’s very loyal, she loves all of you immensely. When she gives gifts, it’s always something really thoughtful rather than expensive.” Kavaa still had the leopard skin that Fer had given her for the cold Arikan nights. “She and Anassa made the beastmen. She drinks blood, my blood heals her. Kassie’s makes her stronger than mine. Anassa’s doesn’t have much of an effect.”

“Mmh.” Malam said. “You know a lot about Fer.”

“I like her.” Kavaa defended herself. She honestly did like Fer, in the same way that she liked Helenna and Iniri, it was simply that the latter two she had known longer. “I actually do. We’re friends.”

“You and her were both assigned to Erdely.” Malam said. “So it makes sense.”

“Malam, please…”

“Olephia.” Malam said.

Kavaa remembered when she had met Olephia at the party in CR. Back then, she was merely curious. She could not believe her luck she had decided to talk to Olephia then. “Olephia paints beautifully. She’s also really chatty, even though she stays silent. She makes disgusting concoctions of drinks to play pranks on people but she actually just drinks vodka. She’s really sweet. I honestly feel sort of bad for her because she can’t speak.” Kavaa finished as Malam sat there and watched. Was that everything? Did the woman want anything else? Please.

Kavaa realised she had tears in her eyes. And she realised she wanted to spill everything and anything to Malam. Whatever the Goddess of Hatred would ask for, she was ready to say. She just wanted the chance to prove herself. And as she realised that want, she saw the Malam before her again. Cold calculating and dark eyes, completely devoid of emotion. A face that revealed nothing in that sweet smile. And the beautiful white hair, at first, Kavaa had thought it was like fallen snow, but it was actually a cold tundra, stretching on forever. And as Kavaa sat there, she almost choked on her spit. Kassandora had played her back on Olympiada, but Kassandora had been honest to the extreme. Malam was another beast entirely.

Allasaria and Olephia were awe-inspiring in their power. Kassandora was brilliant in her strategy. Anassa was despicable and Fer was lovely. Iniri was sweet. Helenna was the most supportive woman Kavaa knew. And Malam was the most terrifying person Kavaa had ever met. Never once had she sat across someone who had just imprisoned her and somehow been convinced to want to spill every secret in her head. And yet, Malam had done it. One conversation was all it took.

Malam finally stood up and clapped her hands. “You are wonderful Kavaa. You are just the best.” Kavaa hated that she couldn’t get a single tell on whether Malam believed her or not. It was worse than talking to Kassandora, at least that woman would say flat out whether she believed you or not. “I’ll go now. I’ll think on what you said, and I’ll come to a decision regarding you.”

“Do you believe me?” Kavaa asked. “Just answer like Kassandora? Please?” She couldn’t believe how pathetic her voice was.

Malam made a terrible Ohohoho of a laugh. “Well Kavaa, I’m not Kassandora, I’m Malam. Do you believe you?” She raised her hands. “Do you want me to believe you?” Kavaa never got the answer to that question. Malam simply left, the door falling shut behind her.

The woman had not even said anything terrible, she wasn’t even rude. She had said nothing horrible but mocking compliments and childish innuendos. And yet Kavaa wanted to cry.

What a terrible Goddess.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep