"So, what's the plan?" Ishar asked.

"Plan?"

"For a God it sure does take you a while to grasp things, Ovek."

"She's usurped my domain, made it hers. We are at her mercy and there is nothing we can do."

"Damn. You can't take her down while I handle Selarch?"

"I can't. I'm not as powerful as I once was while she's grown in power." Ovek shook his head from side to side. "We are at her mercy."

Her presence came with an alignment of thought, one after the other, flowing in tandem towards a pool of meaning that should have made sense to Ishar. Her skin was ivory white, paler than a Binorian's and light seemed to split as it hit it, fragmenting into a mirage of rainbow hues dancing all around her. From the distance it looked like she wore a red gown but as she neared Ishar realized it wasn't a fabric but a liquid that adorned her body. Blood. Thick and layered fell like a waterfall down her shoulders, torso and legs to come to a stop at her feet, flowing back up her curves. The blood mimicked a dress, flowing around her, hugging her figure, retreating at the hem and flowing back up its route. The blood parted at the hip, forming a slit running down her left leg, revealing a succulent white thigh.

Red eyes regarded him for a fraction of a second, eyes whose shape felt so right to Ishar and the distance between the eyes, her straight bridged nose and her full red lips wouldn't have surprised Ishar if they'd been found to be even. Her hair, golden as the four suns of her domain was pinned in place by two large needles made of wood that hard symbols etched on them.

"Damn she's gorgeous." Ishar said right as the Goddess Meena was about to open her mouth to address Ovek.

Selarch Vigon stepped forward, towering over Ishar and dressed in some ancient garb that was made out of brown moccasins, brown pelts and white fur over his wide shoulders belonging to some ancient beast. Ishar noticed that his pants were made out of the skins of a type of reptile he wasn't familiar with right when Selarch slapped him across the face. "You will speak to the Goddess only when spoken to.

Mbengo."

Selarch turned his head to Ovek as Ishar rubbed his jaw, daring the God with hatred evident beneath his bushy brows that held menacing grey eyes.

"Ovek darling, looking homeless as usual." Meena said with an even smile, she turned to Selarch and ran a hand upon his white fur. "Thank you Selarch, but I feel this meeting will be a tad bit too dull for my liking if we're to dictate how our hosts are to behave." She flashed Ishar a smile that held a variety of meanings, one of them being contempt. "My voice doesn't affect you? That's good. I find it insulting to limit oneself when it comes to speech. Be free with me Kolotian , alas, it is my final gift before obliteration." She shifted her red eyed gaze to Ovek and Ishar wondered at the fluidity with which her smile morphed to fit its every prescribed meaning. "There is order in freedom, after all."

Silence ensued. Selarch's eyes stayed glued on Ishar, daring him to contradict his command. The two deities maintained their locked gaze, no doubt speaking without need for words.

"Damn she's gorgeous." Ishar said into the silence and Selarch pounced. Ovek reached out a hand to block Selarch but Meena was faster. She moved with the grace of a dancer, cutting through space as a knife through butter. Within the blink of an eye the First King of Binoria's blonde hair was in her hand, head titled back to stare up at the four suns. Mouth agape in a silent cry and back arched like a bow.

"Selarch, I hate repeating myself. It's never the same words used the second time." Meena said while looking at Selarch's face.

"I'm sorry my love. He Insults you, here, in your domain. I cannot stomach the disrespect." Selarch Vigon said.

"Self control, Selarch. I've taught you that many times together with patience. You will have your fill of vengeance but first let me take a measure of your foe, I know his God and I'm curious as to his choice of a champion." Meena said and let go of her champion. Selarch straightened his coat of white fur and bowed once in her direction before turning to Ishar. His face a patient mask.

"Ishar, if you die here you shall die too in the Mortal realm. I cannot revive you for it is not my domain, she on the other hand can revive Selarch as many times as she wants." Ovek said.

"I just said she's gorgeous, man. It's not like I want her or anything, I have a girlfriend." Ishar said. At his words everyone turned to face him.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Why him, Ovek?" Meena asked. The God of chaos turned to face her, arms still crossed around his chest.

"You thought I'd take a mortal female lover to spite you?" Ovek asked with a silver toothed smile.

"Spite me?" Meena tilted her head back with cackling laughter. "I have found love, Ovek, not that lie Nyawe fed us. True love.. Without.. Without-"

"Without the pain? Without the chaos? Without what, Meena? You've ruined the whole dynamic of the realm. Destroyed the very structure of all we built to keep the bringer away. All for what? To prove that you know what love is?" Though Ovek delivered his words in a calm tone the weight they had seemed to drop upon the Goddess.

Meena flung her hands into the air and the very grass beneath their feet caught fire. The four suns seemed to grow in intensity and it took all Ishar had not to scream at the heat. "To prove what love is? Yes. You are all fools! All of you! Falling for her trap! Gods worshipping their fellow God? How ironic is that? There is no order to such stupidity."

"Nobody worshipped her." Ovek said. The heat vanished, replaced by calm. The flames dancing upon the domain's floor faded, the wind stilled and the grass that surprisingly hadn't blackened froze straight as if pressed on all sides.

Meena whispered. "Nielda ran away, disappearing after her death, sure you'll claim he was holding the bringer back from above but does that mean he should never return? To see his worshippers? I took mercy on them and claimed them for myself. That is love. Alietsi chose to sleep under the guise of watching over the depths, I took mercy on her abandoned worshippers and showed them love. You all discarded who you were, choosing solitude over your duty to those who pray to you. All because your beloved Goddess was no more." Meena flashed a smile and shook her head from side to side. "And you, most despicable of all. I was certain you will remain with the mortals, remain upon the realm with me. No, you had to stand at oblivion's gate, peering at Locha's purest form in the hopes that you'd see a glimpse of your beloved Nyawe."

"Okay. I'm starting to feel like all of this is none of my business." Ishar said. Everyone once more turned to face him. Ishar held up his hands, palm forward. "No disrespect to any of you, really, but this feels like it has a love triangle vibe to it and I can't offer any advice in such a case. I'm only good with one on one situations not threesomes." Ishar pressed his palms together and pointed at Meena. "Though, I uh.. I feel like I should advice you to heal, lots of unresolved trauma with-"

Meena waved a hand to stop an advancing Selarch. "Kolotian, your fingers, is that their normal hue?"

Ishar observed his fingers. The tips that were once stained blue were now a bright magenta. "Nope, they've always been blue."

Meena turned to Ovek, she moved close to him until their faces were inches apart, her flowing blood gown complimenting the grace with which she moved. Ishar heard a low growl from Selarch.

"She is back." Meena said. Ovek remained silent. "Do you wish to see if it still exists?" She rolled each word off her tongue.

Ovek's calm mask suddenly broke into a boyish grin. "The last time we did that you tore my forehead with your pins."

Meena's smile that had been held thus far, vanished. She closed her eyes. "Nyawe, your presence is in every realm. Show yourself in mine."

A purple rope coiled around the left ankle of Selarch Vigon suddenly appeared. It pulsated with a glowing pink light that traveled the length of the rope towards its other end beneath Meena's blood dress. The Goddess grabbed her liquid garment that flowed beneath her fingers, she raised it and the blood lifted, never pooling upon the ground and revealed her right ankle where the rope ended in another coil. The pulsating pink light traveled from Selarch's end to Meena's and the Goddess gave a satisfied smile at the sight. "Selarch, your love for me is true according to Nyawe's laws." The Binorian King's chest seemed to swell with Meena's words.

Meena turned her attention to Ovek while letting go of the garment. "It appears I have found true love indeed."

"He loves you, but you do not love him." Ovek replied with a chuckle. Meena opened her mouth to speak but Ovek continued. "Show your touch in chaos, Nyawe."

A purple rope appeared, coiled around Meena's left ankle and traveling across the ground to wrap around Ovek's right ankle. The pink light pulsed from Meena to Ovek and the Goddess hissed. Ishar, in awe, realized that a similar rope coiled around his right foot and traveled off into the distance, it's pulsating pink light didn't travel in one direction. It interchanged, going one way and coming back the other, glowing brighter as the lights collided on their journey towards opposite ends.

"Your champion has found shared love?" Meena asked. Forcing Ishar to turn to where she stood. She had a look of hidden disappointment, her chin held high on purpose so as to seem unperturbed by the revelation of whatever the purple ropes meant.

"Yes." Ovek said. "For he is willing to do anything for the person he loves without needing to control them as you do or needing their love in return." Ovek turned violet eyes to Ishar and gave him a pained smile. "It is why I chose him, Meena, he understands what we both don't."

Meena waved a hand and a gleaming gold sword appeared in Selarch Vigon's hand. She tiptoed to Ishar and the Kolotian looked up at her, struggling not to melt before her radiance. "I will kill you and shatter your God. You're in my domain and I am at my strongest. I will destroy both of you and this stupid lie" She reached out a hand and the rope coiled around Ishar's foot rose into her grasp. "A lie! That is all it is, the perception of a flawed Goddess. One that lacks order!" She pulled the rope and suddenly, five paces away from Ishar. Niada appeared in a thigh high white dress, the other end of the rope was tied to her right ankle, she dropped to her knees while panting heavily.

Niada raised her head, white silky hair framing her face. Her almond shaped eyes were wide as her gaze shifted across all who were gathered until they came to rest on Ishar. "Ishar?" Her voice was a whisper filled with fear.

Meena smirked at Ishar. "I will free you of this ailment before I take away your life, mortal. Be grateful." Meena waved at Selarch Vigon and the Binorian King stepped towards the kneeling Niada while raising his gold sword.