Chapter 3

When Isaris finally freed herself from the crypt, she did not immediately hunt down the traitors. She was more powerful than either of them individually, but together, Lustra and Sakassen would surely overpower her again. No matter. Isaris was the goddess of death, and death was patient. Yet she was the goddess of war, too, and the seeds of conflict were already germinating. Soon, the gods would be drawn into battle, and she would strike.

Terena was not entirely pleased to be summoned to Eralore, to the gates of Lenne’s temple, but one does not easily decline an invitation from Isaris. Isaris was already waiting, with the others standing beside her in an awkward silence. Lenne was there, of course, an embodiment of elegant beauty. Her flawless skin radiated, and her rich red hair cascaded down her back in perfect waves. Terena was not surprised to see Lyanna waiting there as well.

“Welcome, Terena, we appreciate your presence,” said Lyanna, clasping the Goddess’s hands in her own. The tension in Terena’s shoulders melted away, unbiddenly. She was always caught off guard by the force of Lyanna’s grounding energy. It was like a warmth emanated through her body from where Lyanna had grasped her hands, anchoring her to earth and setting her at ease. She disliked the feeling. She refused to be comforted by a comfort she could not understand.

“When the goddess of death calls, I answer,” she said.

“You speak as though you regret my summons,” Isaris said, her cool tone casting away the lingering warmth from Lyanna’s touch. “I am not your enemy, though I believe you have always seen me as such. That is precisely what I am here to discuss with you today.”

“You can’t mean that you wish to align with us? With this… group?”

“That is precisely what I mean,” said Isaris. Terena glanced at her companions skeptically. Lenne, whose gaze had been cast into the distance and had not even bothered to greet Terena, was now captivated by patterns she drew in the earth with a stick. “I know you spoke with Lustra and admonished her for her allegiance to that petulant Sakassen. You were very right to do so. You recognize, like I do, that their allegiance is troubling. Particularly when it comes to this business with the Elves.”

Now, Terena saw Isaris’s motives clearly. This is how things went with these powerful gods. They might all be divine beings, but it was no secret that Lustra and Isaris held power that the others did not. Terena did not usually mind her relative lack of power, it left her unencumbered to focus on her studies. She was a scientist, the Master of Potions. Terena labored for her power; she could count on being left alone. But now everything had changed. With the balance of power put into question, the doings of the lesser gods had suddenly become relevant.

“It would be best to hear what she has to say,” Lyanna said, as though she already knew how Terena felt. “You’re right, Isaris, the Elves are most troubling. We have all felt the ache of our power waning.”

“Have we?” Terena turned to Isaris. “Your power is not tied to mortal worship like ours is. What stake do you have in this fight?”

“I have been attacked by my own sister, forced into imprisonment by the god of guile, and you ask me why I am called to fight? Sakassen has Lustra completely under his thumb.”

“Their partnership is quite strange,” said Lyanna. “Lustra seems to think she can control him, but we all think she’s being delusional.”

“Whatever the order of thumbs may be, the end result is the same. Lustra refuses to weaken the Elves, and we are hurting because of it! It’s time we force her hand,” said Lenne, finally looking up from her drawings in the dirt.

Isaris grinned at Lenne. She had them in her grip now. The lesser gods feared losing their power too much; Sakassen had clearly overestimated their mistrust for Isaris. She was no longer alone. For the first time in recent memory, she was ready to work with a team.

On the other side of the world, another god took matters into his own hands. Xaophet, a smirk painted across his face, approached the fortress where he knew Sakassen and Lustra were hiding. The imposing walls of Castlegaard loomed over him, the towers of deep gray stone worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain. He had chosen to wear a formal suit to this occasion, the kind favored by high-class mortals; leather wingtips and gaudy golden manacles. He looked like the kind of merchant who would sweet talk you out of half your wares before you even realized what was happening. He might have even passed for one were it not for the enormous wooden bow he kept slung across his back and the quiver of electric blue arrows that hummed with otherworldly energy.

The call from Sakassen had been unexpected, but Xaophet had answered the summons at once. It was not like Xaophet to waste his energy on the big gods, those he saw as “the establishment.” But, this was at least something of interest. New allegiances were not formed easily amongst the gods, least of all an allegiance of this kind.

It helped that Xaophet had experienced a surge in strength due to Sakassen’s antics, as many disgruntled mortals flocked to his temples, turning away from the sources of power that they thought had abandoned them.

The two gods were waiting for him at a large table in the center of the great hall.

“So it really is true,” goaded Xaophet, “I never thought even my immortal lifespan would belong enough to see the day where lawful Lustra and sneaky Sakassen work together. What is it, Lustra, are you finally ready to join the dark side?” A flash of anger crossed Lustra’s face.

“Don’t make fun, Xaophet. There is no dark side to speak of, only the side of the law—as my dear partner is so good to remind me,” said Sakassen.

“Oh, don't be crass,” said Xaophet. “The law is a tool—a powerful tool that can be wielded to get what you want. It is a tool you and I are well-versed in, Lustra.”

“The law is neither good nor bad; it is but the law,” said Lustra. “It is a neutral power that maintains the order. There is nothing more important than this.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure Isaris agrees; it was the neutral power of the law that imprisoned her in that catacomb.”

“Enough!” Lustra’s voice boomed through the great hall, rattling the chandelier to send a hailstorm of dust raining down over the three gods. “Do you mean to imply that I wanted to imprison my own sister? That I used the law to my advantage?”

“What Xaophet means,” said Sakassen, interrupting, “is that we all have a common enemy and common interests. And whichever methods we employ to achieve these interests, we can be of service to each other.”

“It’s true, Lustra. Do you think I’m excited to work with Sakassen? He’s always been far too messy for my liking. I much prefer your methods.”

Lustra glared at the god of archery, honor, and rogues. He had always left a bitter taste in her mouth; his intentions were never pure. As the patron deity to thieves, murderers, and outlaws, he flaunted his honor as if it compensated for the unsavory worshippers drawn to his allure. Still, he was a steady force. He would do what he could to get what he wanted, but never acted outside the bounds of the law. He would be a counterbalance to Sakassen’s unpredictable nature. Lustra would just have to remind herself, as she did with Sakassen, that it was not about the others’ personal sensibilities. This was about justice, order, and quelling any disturbance to the hierarchy of the gods. Isaris would be taken down.

The declaration of war came from both sides on the same day. Isaris and her allies admonished Lustra for the threat her Elves posed to the power of the lesser gods. Lustra knew that her sister was only manipulating them, that she did not care about the Elves, and that this was a plan to exact her revenge. No matter; Lustra declared loudly that Isaris must be made an example of for her vile lawbreaking.

It was Isaris who made the first move, and it was a brutal one. She descended to the mortal world and revealed herself in her true form. She declared to her worshippers that war was upon them, a divine war for the balance of power amongst the gods.

“Kill them all! Any worshippers of Lustra, Sakassen, and Xaophet must die!” Her voice boomed, reverberating across the mortal plane. Then, it was only violence. The mortal world roiled under the relentless bloodshed, and Lustra watched in horror as her worshippers were slain. She refused to order her worshippers to do the same to Isaris. No matter the personal incentive, she would not break the law so callously. She rallied her allies and prepared to fight, a fight she was determined to make fair and decisive. Amongst all of the chaos, she failed to notice Sakassen’s absence. He slipped out only for a moment. He was gleeful, things were going exactly according to plan. Isaris had broken the law, and now he would break another. Sweet Lustra, she would not be the only one pulling the strings. In a war-ravaged corner of the mortal world, Sakassen revealed the secret all gods had been sworn to protect.

He crouched low amongst the roots of a knotted tree and planted a palm flat on the ground, where the soil was freshly drunk on blood. He reached into the earth, seeking power from a land recently ravaged by battle.

“Attention, mortals,” he murmured, his voice reverberating in every tavern across the continent. “Tonight, and for many nights, you have bled for the gods, bled in defense of Isaris and Lustra. But I think it’s only fair that if you should die, you should know the truth of your sacrifice. This is the secret that all gods have been sworn to protect: our power is nothing without you. The more worshippers a god has, the more powerful they become. Don’t just kill my supporters because Isaris told you to; kill all of those who pray to a god not your own to ensure good fortune.”

With the spark set, the world was finally and truly set ablaze. This was no longer a mere squabble between two sisters; it was a war for the balance of the world.

Varyssa, peering down at the bursts of fire that pittered across the mortal realm, exhaled a long, steady sigh.

“It’s time, Gadolc, it is time to act.”