“I am in need of a Champion, Liam.” Maridah broke the enjoyable silence right as he sat down to eat breakfast. “Your lover also has yet to go through the basic rites. Neither of these can be allowed to wait any further.”

He took note that she hadn’t addressed Aisha by name. “Well this is awkward.” He commented idly. “Any particular reason why you haven’t brought it up with her?”

“I am not going to beg a mortal to become a follower.” Maridah sat down opposite to him, fiery eyes blazing with irritation.

Maybe he’d point out he was a mortal too.

But he liked having all his limbs, so maybe it was best not to push things when Maridah was not in the mood to humor him.

“I’ll speak to her about it.” He calmly took a bite of his food. “But the Champion thing… I’m pretty sure you have a better grasp of who amongst your existing followers might fit the bill.”

“Hassim and Noor are tied with their existing duties. To make them Champions would be… it is best to leave it as a last reserve.”

“Hassim…?” The Mengele-dwarf had become a follower of Maridah? That seemed like a development he’d need to keep an eye on in the future. “Not sure what you want from me. My stance on not becoming any God’s Champion is one I can’t and won’t change.”

“Then give me someone new.”

The statement caught Liam by surprise, he glanced at the Goddess’ expression and frowned as he leaned back into his chair. “I consider you my friend, Maridah, I’ll lend a hand, but… this is very awkward.”

“You weren’t ashamed to propose your lover as my Champion.” She accused him.

“That was a nepotism thing, and one you knew carried conflict of interests.” He frowned. “I trust I could keep a friendly relationship with her regardless of how things turn out down the line.” He eyed the Goddess for a second. “To be clear, what you’re asking is for me to use my knowledge of the setting to hook you up with a Champion candidate.”

“You won’t?”

At the end of the day, the Champion would invariably become a key political figure within Maridah’s cult. If Liam’s relationship with that Champion was a sour one, then things could get ugly and highly inconvenient. And what might be the best match for her could very well turn into a nightmare for Liam. Worst came to worst, he’d end up having to distance himself from the cult completely until the Champion croaked.

But if she was asking him to actually pick someone from the long list of names he knew, then that turned what would’ve originally been a friendly suggestion into a favor. Him intentionally bungling it up for his convenience would be, as far as he was concerned, a breach of trust.

In short, it was like asking a friend to do a job for you.

Apparently his silence urged her to act. Maridah stirred and her form shifted, turning from the dryad she’d been wearing as of late, to a human girl.

A familiar human girl.

Matilda.

Matilda, but not quite. She was different to how he remembered her, ever so slightly. Her hair was longer, her complexion was darker, her eyes remained Maridah’s inhuman and full of fire, her skin carrying a wisp of darkness and shadows. But everything else was almost a mirror copy of that young girl that’d been his first crush.

Liam immediately stood up, seat clattering back as his stomach twisted into a knot.

“This is my true form.” Maridah declared flatly, staring up at him with an even stare. “I chose it. Me. You did not make it, nor did you impose it on me.” Even her voice was eerily close to the one in his memories. “I need a Champion. Name your price.”

It was wrong to hear those words spoken with that voice, and from that face. Liam grit his teeth against the instinctual desire to demand she change back. He knew she spoke the truth, that this was the visage that she identified with, even if the feeling coiling through him made him feel a deep gut-wrenching guilt that twisted in awareness this was not Matilda.

“Fine.” With a growl, he picked up the chair and sat back down, keeping his eyes closed as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “What do you want?”

“A Champion.”

“No. Be specific.” He stated through clenched teeth. “Tell me exactly what you are looking for, traits, skills, demeanor. What are you looking for, Maridah? Are you looking for a mercenary that hates the pantheon enough to sell their soul? Are you seeking for a genius strategist that’d latch on to the first sign of validation? What. Do. You. Want?”

“They preferably would be a mage of at least the fifth circle, though a fourth circle would be acceptable if their other skills are passable.” She started off. “Someone with skills in warfare is the priority.” There was a pause as she made a show to tap her chin. “You said you will set to travel once the meteor comes, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I doubt Imani will be going with you during your journey, at least not unless you manage to convince her to let go of that spear.” Maridah chuckled. “Maybe this Champion of mine could be your bodyguard instead.”

“Denied.” Liam shook his head. “Mostly for safety reasons, both for them and me. Several of the places I need to go to would recognize him for what he is and kill him on the spot. Anything else?”

“Do you truly boast that you’d find someone that meets my criteria if I go into specifics?” The Goddess asked in amusement.

“Try me.”

“Very well.” She smirked. “They need to be experienced, older by mortal standards. Brilliant mind, a warrior poet, if there are any to be had. Male, preferably, but not necessary.”

“I guess I walked right into that one. Now I feel like I’m Tinder.” He shook his head. “Give me some paper.”

He hadn’t even finished the sentence that a piece of paper and a pen popped into existence next to his meal. Liam scratched his brain as he scribbled down the requirements. One by one he deleted names of the mental list of candidates, and reduced it further still by trying to imagine who among them might actually be open to the possibility of joining Maridah.

It took him roughly half an hour of going back and forth before he felt satisfied, handing over the paper with a dozen options for her to pick from. Each profile gave a rough rundown of the broad strokes of who that person was in terms of skills and personality, as well as some rough background, and general location.

“I notice you haven’t included their names.” Maridah spoke as she glanced at the paper. “Or any details that might make it easy for me to track them down.”

“Intentional, I assure you.” His smile was full of teeth, yet did not reach his eyes.

“What does ‘danger rating’ mean, exactly?”

“It’s how likely it is that a certain meddler might get in our way before we can finish things.”

Maridah twitched. “We?”

“I will be the one recruiting them for your cause. Consider it a basic courtesy.”

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“You wish to have a hand in the process to verify if they can get along with you.” Her tone wasn’t accusatory, more like contemplating it. “Very well.”

Liam’s smile was not unlike that of a shark. “I expect full paid accommodations and expenses during the business trip.” He gestured at the paper. “Obviously, the price for my help will be proportional to how much of a pain it’ll be.”

“And what would you be asking for?” She asked as she regarded the piece of paper.

“Baseline minimum asking price is for a mind-shade up front.” He was grinning from ear to ear. “Anything else would be a bonus after the recruit has signed on.”

“The only reason I’m putting up with this scam is that you literally helped me secure a relic several times more powerful than the one I used to create this avatar.” She intoned with a warning. “A mind-shade is not worth a Champion. Especially if you seek to become a demigod.”

“You say that, but you once had a whole damn continent’s worth of mortals grown and raised in your ways. And even then, you’d only find a capable Champion once every million years give or take.” Liam’s grin became predatory. “I won’t be an ass about it, you can decide on the bonus once this is done.”

“You take success for granted.”

“Assume the best, prepare for the worst.” He shrugged. “I’m confident I have a decent shot with the mortals on that list. As much as you want to deny that I made this world, it doesn’t remove the fact that the only mistakes in my base knowledge have been in the minor details.”

Maridah took a moment as she regarded Liam. “Tell me his name.”

“Who?”

“If you think you know me half as well as you claim, then you know exactly who.”

Liam’s throat tightened. “The God of Knowledge.” He muttered under his breath, focusing on the platter in front of him. It was the best he could hope for to keep his thoughts from dredging up details Maridah should not know about. “Don’t go down this path, Maridah.”

“Why not?” Two words, two words spoken with power. The very air darkened and shook, her presence tugged at the edges of reality as her eyes blazed with fury. The Goddess leaned her head ever so slightly forward, and in her scowl there were promises of great and terrible things.

“Because it’s how you die in the original timeline,” he said. “By biting more than you can chew. You’re not strong enough as you are now.”

A coldness swept over him like a bucket of icy water, lungs tightening as he gasped for air. The Whisperer’s voice rang out like a deathbell. “I will not be-”

“Maridah!” He slapped the table, not looking into her eyes, his gaze turning down and fixing on his plate, taking in and hyperfixating as best he could on every little detail. On the way the crumbs were arranged, the glimmer of light against the plate, the position of his utensils, the stain in the wood. “Ask this question again once you’re comparable to when you were at your prime, no sooner. You have my word I’ll answer then.”

The oppressive feeling diminished, but did not relent.

“I will not speak another word of this without the mind-shade.” He warned, gritting his teeth. “I don’t want you to die, Maridah. You are not prepared.”

The threat and darkness loomed over him for another second.

Then, with a sigh, she dispelled it.

“It is supremely frustrating to speak to you, Liam. You, a mortal, keep making claims as if you know better than I do.” Maridah’s voice came in a growl. “And I loathe to admit when you are right. There are dangers in this world even fully grown Gods tremble at.”

There was also the fact that she could rarely if ever resist the temptation of delving into something further, to unveil every nook and cranny, to explore every secret she could sniff out. And this was a secret that was personal, one she would not be able to stop once she got the first hint.

“Yeah, figures, I’m just the bratty snotty kid.” His eyes did not leave the platter, arm extended towards her. “Mind-shade, please. I think it’s best for both of us if you can’t reach into my mind without my permission or knowing.”

She growled.

A second sigh.

“One does not reach my age without knowing their own weaknesses. I acknowledge your words, Liam.”

The Goddess’ avatar reached out, grasping his hand. Her skin was warm and impossibly soft, as if made of porcelain that’d been sitting under the sun for too long. Part of this warmth spread into and through him, climbing up his arm and leaving black lines in its wake. For a moment, it looked as if his skin had been covered in a tattoo of thorny vines, one that reached all the way up and surrounded his head.

An odd coolness took root over his mind, and with it came a mild sense of inquiry.

Liam focused on the idea of an impregnable wall, and could feel as if his thoughts had a boundary. There was a sense of volume to his mind now, the space his awareness occupied stretching out a foot in every direction away from his skull.

“Ok.” He relaxed, almost slumping down from the throbbing headache he’d developed out of the intensity of his focus. Closing his eyes and making the mental note to tinker and tamper with the mind-shade after this conversation was concluded. “I’ll be honest, I feel like a contractor. I’m sorry I need to be an ass about this.” Liam finally met her eyes again. “I know this is important to you. I’ll see what I can do to set something up in case I die or go missing. I swear I’ll give the knowledge to you eventually, but you really REALLY need to be strong.”

For a moment, Maridah didn’t say anything, the form crossing her arms and keeping her glare on him. “I do not like this imbalance, Liam. You know something deeply personal to me, and I wish for this to be rectified. I want a secret.”

He nodded, relieved. “Sure.”

“Personal.”

“Yes.” With a sigh, he rubbed his cheeks. “I wouldn’t be comfortable with someone else walking around… anyway, nevermind.” Slumping into his chair, he stared at the plate blankly. There were many things he could’ve told her, but seeing her in her current form, only one possible secret bubbled to the surface, escaping his lips almost on its own. “When Matilda broke off with me, I attacked her.”

He could feel Mariah’s gaze as she stared at him, boring into his skull. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head, voice lowering to a whisper. “I’ve regretted it every day since.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Liam felt as if he was on trial, a fitting discomfort, he presumed, considering the situation.

“I notice you’re not making excuses.” Her voice had shifted, changed in some insubstantial way that made it sound decidedly not like Matilda’s.

When Liam glanced her way, he noticed the Goddess had changed form, retaking the shape of the dryad. The wave of relief he felt was immediately followed by guilt. “There’s nothing to excuse.” He didn’t like how much easier it was to speak now that he wasn’t staring at the ghost of his past. “I had reasons why I did what I did, and they were wrong ones.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“Never got a chance to. After the incident, her family moved away.” It’d been more complicated than that. They’d tried to press charges, but Matilda had covered for him and lied, claiming she’d gotten her injuries elsewhere. Just remembering it left a bitter taste. He still struggled on whether or not he should have sought her out somehow, perhaps through social media, if only to apologize. But he knew that, in part, the reasons he wanted to do so were entirely selfish, that he didn’t want to carry that burden and felt that telling that to Matilda might free him of it.

In the end, he’d never worked up the courage to try.

“I think… that’s enough of that.” He shook his head, trying to dispel the uncomfortable past. A past he’d never get a chance to go back to. “I think enough heavy stuff’s been brought up for both of us.”

“Indeed.” Maridah’s voice carried an edge of levity to it as she relaxed into her seat.

“Anyway.” With a heavy sigh, he shook his head. “I think I’ll go train and clear my head a bit. Give me a heads-up when you know who-”

“The third option.” She interrupted, returning the piece of paper.

“...of course you’d pick him.” Liam sighed. “The hardest of the bunch.”

“So?”

“Khalid al-Ashtar.”

The Goddess took a moment to process the name. “Taking you to him will take four days.”

“Seriously? He’s on the opposite side of the Caliphate.”

“Yes, now that I know his name, I can sense his location.” She nodded.

“You’re not explaining how you’ll get me there.”

“Thanks to you, I’ve learned how to spot where the Weaver cannot see. I am slowly spreading weak aspects, positioning them within those cracks. It is easy for me to teleport you from here towards where any one of them are. From there, I would sacrifice the aspect to send you back.” She explained. “It’d be impossible for me to go there myself, however. Having my avatar jump such a distance would consume too much power, and it would undoubtedly cause ripples other Gods might notice.”

“Understandable. I guess I’ll need some sunscreen.”

“Are you certain I can’t convince him myself?”

“I’m sure you could if I explained how, but this is as much something for myself as well as to help you.” Liam grinned from ear to ear. “The guy’s got a very hard principled stance against Gods, demons, spirits, and any other divine things.” He snapped his fingers, creating a tiny spark. “If you approach him openly, he’ll tell you to eat shit. And if you trick him, he’ll do the same once he finds out the truth.”

The Goddess did not appear amused. “Even if he already became my Champion?”

“ESPECIALLY if he’d become your Champion.” Liam shook his head. “The guy’s very bullheaded in these kinds of things. That, and he’s got a strong sense of integrity. You’ll know what I mean when you see him.”

There were a few ways Liam could see this succeeding, but it was going to be hard.

After all, Khalid al-Ashtar was the guy that would turn down three different Pantheon Gods and die for it.