Another swath of dust brushed away from the tiles.*

It was another life where she'd been a Princess ruling an island kingdom she had founded herself. She had sought to bring peace through friendship and compassion. Her friendship had been used, then thrown away without ceremony. The compassion she showed for all people had seen her mocked, used, and belittled. Until everyone she'd loved had died and her people slaughtered.

And when she sought to avenge them, she was told she was wrong for doing so.

Similar stories like it seemed to happen to Taha over and over. And she wondered how many lives she had lived through like this. Why was Tamar interested in her anyway? How to broach the subject?

"So, you've cleaned many floors now, haven't you?" asked Tamar, watching from the air. She was standing on the ceiling.

"Why? Do you have something else for me to do?" asked Taha.

"Do you take it that you are employed doing honest work instead of murdering innocent people?" asked Tamar.

"Since when do you care about innocent people?" asked Taha. "Half of these lives end with me gruesomely murdered by your subjects. When it's not wild animals."

"Had to use the line," said Tamar. "I'm playing moral authority. Also, they are Father's subjects. While there is some overlap, my ways are not his ways."

"Fine," said Taha. "The answer is yes.

"That at least got me respect. I'd tell stories of victories at the tavern, make love to Nendas at night and do the same thing. It was glorious.

"This is...

"It's like I never even left my roots." What even were her roots? Taha genuinely did not know if her life was engraved on these walls. Perhaps it was someone else.

"Then why are you still doing it?" asked Tamar.

"Because the alternative is sitting in a dark cell and crying myself to sleep like a Princess," noted Taha. "Assuming I even did sleep. Nothing ever changes in this place.

"So why are you interested in me? I seem to have warranted special treatment."

"I think I already outlined my problem with you, Taha," said Tamar.

"Maybe, but I get the feeling you've wanted to do this for some time," said Taha. She felt her tail twitching behind her as she scrubbed. As she looked up, however, she saw Tamar's face inches from her own.

"Alright, I confess, I did enjoy watching everything fall apart for you in your first life," said Tamar. And she put her fan between them. "And in your second and third. You're something of an anomaly among mortals.

"Virtually every god has rejected you by now."

"Oh really," said Taha. "And why is that?"

"You overplay your part," said Tamar. "Most deities have their own style of commandment or guidelines, especially on how worshippers should conduct themselves. All of them have certain virtues they hold to.

"Every time you get given a code or ideology; however, you always take to it like a fish to water. And you take it to such extremes that it alienates whatever culture or god you serve."

"Right, and the one person I don't want to be associated with won't take no for an answer," noted Taha.

"You do know that you deserved a lot worse, don't you?" said Tamar, descending to land on the ground. "If I hadn't taken you away, you would have been destroyed. Likely alongside your entire city right now.

"Or do you think Rokas would have sacrificed himself with you there?"

"Maybe," said Taha, not interested.

"And would you or Nendas?" asked Tamar.

"Probably not," conceded Taha.

"So, I saved you from hell and your entire city from destruction," said Taha. "And since you already owe me everything you are, I figure having to wipe down some floors is a small price to pay. You took my power, got years of benefits, and were saved by me coming to collect.

"I'd call that a lot more than you deserve."

"I don't care about Tarasif. I'd happily sacrifice the whole city so long as I, Nendas, and Rokas got out of this alive and free," said Taha with a shrug.

"Now see, that is exactly the attitude that keeps you on the mortal coil," noted Tamar. "You're always in it for yourself unless you have no choice but to serve someone else."

"So, does this end?" asked Taha, scratching an ear.

"Does what end?" asked Tamar.

"Am I supposed just to keep washing the dust off endless floors for the rest of eternity? What happens next?" asked Taha.

"I thought you were giving me that choice, Taha?" asked Tamar.

"What do you get out of this?" asked Taha. "Why am I here, drudging through all of this? I finished one room, and you create another? Do you want me to suffer?"

Tamar sighed. "No, Taha.

"I want you."

"Why?" asked Taha, genuinely perplexed. "What is so important that you could go to all this trouble just to get me? And now that you have me, what do you want? What do you want from me?"

"I want you, okay," said Tamar, seeming flustered. "I want you to serve me like you said you would and love me like you did! I want you to be here with me and be happy to be here with me! And I want you to pledge to me as you did before and mean it!

"Is that so much to ask?"

"Yes," said Taha.

"Why?!" said Tamar. "Why do you hate me?"

"You know why," said Taha.

"I already told you that what happened to you is far better than what would have happened," said Tamar. "And you were the one who called me down in the first place, so what did you expect would happen?

"I'm just trying to make you comfortable with your new life, but you fight me at every turn!"

Taha sighed. They needed help. "This isn't working, Tamar."

"Your Majesty to you," said Tamar.

"This isn't working, your Majesty," said Taha. "I believe I would have come to a bad end if you hadn't done what you did. I admit that I was probably a horrible person. I shouldn't have broken my contract with you; that's obvious to anyone. From a pragmatic sense, anyway.

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"You have every legal right by any law to do worse to me than you did according to the privileges given deity. I admit I don't fully believe that, but you make a compelling case.

"So, assuming this isn't all some drug-induced hallucination, you are completely right.

"But I'm not feeling what you want from me. That's my failing, not yours.

"Now, can I do something to make up for my failure? Or are we just going to sit here forever?"

Tamar sighed. "...You can stay with me. Just, just until I release you to something else, please.

"I'll find a quest or something; just... please don't leave."

God, this was pitiful. "Fine. I won't leave until you tell me I can."

She wasn't going to be able to escape anyway, so it was a moot point.

Tamar stood up, looking completely miserable. "I... I need to be alone.

"Just for a little while." And she walked off.

"If that's what you want," said Taha, trying to feel sympathy. Pretending to have sympathy wasn't any good.

Tamar departed, and Taha continued her work.

As she did so, Taha began to rub down more and more of the floors and walls. She began to realize that you could spend a century getting rid of the dust in this place. It would be much the same in the end. So why was she bothering?

Because she'd been told to by a deity who had the power of life and death over her. That seemed the only justification she needed, actually. Of course, Taha could come up with an elaborate explanation about it being for a job well done. But she didn't care; this place didn't belong to her anyway. Just because Tamar claimed it was her soul, it didn't matter, even if it was her soul.

Taha had been handed a soul at birth without asking for it and then told that having it meant that she was a slave. That she did not belong to herself, and nothing she did could be anything but a channel for the Gods. Or whatever you called the force at the back of creation. The demons were trying to steal her soul or hurt her.

But really, what was the use of a soul?

Taha could probably get on just fine without one. If indeed she was cleaning it, then her consciousness had an independent existence. That meant the soul was just how she was kept enslaved. Perhaps it came with certain luxuries, like emotions and faith. But why were those valuable?

A person who had never felt love or friendship would not miss them. Any more than someone who had spent all their life in prison would miss the open air. And there would also be clear benefits. One was not being kidnapped by sociopathic Goddesses who wanted to force her to love them. Still, she probably would lose access to some of her own power or even a lot of it. And it was possible that the operation would destroy her.

But there was no guarantee that it wouldn't be in a better state of existence.

That settled it; after Taha got out of this place, she was going to look into severing herself from her soul. Come to think of it, she'd read in several places that their spirit determined the length of a species' life. Which meant if she played her cards right, she might make herself immortal.

And then a door opened. And Rokas raced in, a hawk flying beside her. "Taha, come quickly!"

"Rokas, how did you... is that Nendas?" asked Taha, stunned.

"It is?" asked Rokas.

"Yes, I remember Jaha transformed him into that," said Taha.

"Then this is excellent news. You must come quickly; we cannot leave without you," said Rokas.

"Why, how did you even get here?" asked Taha.

"Elranor aided me in getting through the Divine Gate. Come quickly, Taha; we must go," said Rokas.

This was a secret test of character, and Taha was not going to fall for it. "I can't leave.

"You do know that you're infiltrating the domain of a God, don't you? And she just left five seconds ago. There's only one way this situation will end if I try to go with you. She'll appear and lecture me on how I'm a worthless traitor or something.

"Then I'll be stuck tied up again."

"We got in here unopposed, Taha," said Rokas. "And we have the support of several other deities. It may be that they are hiding us from sight.

"Come on; you are needed in the city."

"Why? What's so important?" asked Taha.

"We have only a matter of days now," said Rokas. "Soon, our home will be destroyed by divine judgment. The only way we can escape is to sacrifice ourselves willingly to appease them."

Wait, sacrifice their lives to save people they did not know? People who had been actively terrible? Had Rokas taken to exotic herbs? "Wait a minute; you want to free me so I can be a human sacrifice?"

"I am also giving myself up," said Rokas. "I would not arrange our reunion in such circumstances, but all that we fought for may be consumed by blood and fire."

"But even if I do go with you, who says the sacrifice will work?" asked Taha ruefully. "I mean... in legal terms, I belong to Tamar now. And I've already given an oath not to leave without her permission.

"I wish you'd gotten here five minutes earlier."

"It may be that she got the oath from you five minutes before we arrived on purpose," noted Rokas.

"In which case, we have no chance of escape anyway, Rokas," said Taha. "I can't leave without Tamar's permission. She almost certainly knows what we are doing and..." How to state this in a way Rokas would understand. "I gave my word. I can't break it again."

Technically true, and hopefully, it would pacify.

"I don't believe you," said Rokas.

"Are you saying I would have no problem breaking an oath?" asked Taha.

"Yes, Taha, I am," said Rokas. "You hold no value in such things save how breaking them might backfire.

"So why are you doing this?"

Caught lying again. Rokas always was sharper than he let on.

"Alright, fine," said Tamar. "This is an obvious secret test of character, and I'm not going to give her the pleasure of falling into it. Even if she isn't, she is able to move far swifter than us and is powerful.

"If I thought there were any chance of escape, I'd accept the offer in a heartbeat. Tamar has no moral grounds to hold me; I advanced her goals even after I cult. What she was doing to me wrong by any standard of morality."

"What about the idea that Gods can do what they want when they want?" asked Rokas.

"Even Tamar doesn't buy into that theory," said Taha. "Or she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to justify herself to me. If your conscience is clear, you don't have to keep insisting that it is."

"Then our home will perish in fire," said Rokas.

This was going nowhere.

The only situation in which Taha was wrong was if Tamar was that stupid. And Elranor could provide them with cover. But even if that were the case, Taha would be going to her death and end up back here.

So what were her options?

"...Fine then," said Taha. "Tamar, since we all know you're watching, how about you tell me if I can get permission for this?"

Tamar appeared, looking very pleased with herself. "How nice of you to address me, Taha. I knew there was a reason I liked you.

"Let me see here...

"You sacrifice yourself heroically to redeem your sins. You suffer a painful death at the hands of Impus. And as soon as you die, you come back here to me. And this time, you can't run away from me anymore, even if you want to.

"What am I going to say, no?

"I'll tell you what, Taha. Finish this up, and I'll have a very pleasurable welcome waiting for you."

"What has she been doing to you?" asked Rokas, whose outrage seemed hypocritical. He now saw the cat ears and blonde hair.

"A lot more than that," said Taha.

Nendas swooped in and landed on Taha's shoulder. He cawed at Tamar, who glared back in obvious hatred.

"How did you rescue Nendas from Jaha anyway?" asked Taha.

"He was waiting for me when he got out," said Rokas.

"Oh, was he?" asked Tamar before raising a hand.

There was a flash, and a cage of iron bars surrounded Nendas as he was pulled into the air.

"What are you doing?" asked Rokas.

"As I suspected," said Tamar. "So, Jaha thought she'd steal away my pet-"

"I thought I was your slave," said Taha.

"Jaha thought she'd steal away my slave pet and use her as a human sacrifice. Then have Nendas here fly back to her," said Tamar. "Sorry, but I don't intend to let that happen."

"Wait, Nendas, is this true?" asked Rokas.

Nendas cawed in return.

"Would you have gone back?" asked Taha, curious.

"Of course, he would," said Tamar. "Jaha will have told him she'd curb his freedoms even more than she has already. This is his big opportunity to impress her. And he's absolutely terrified of her retribution, aren't you, Nendas?"

Nendas was silent.

"So you would have let our city burn?" asked Rokas.

"He is going to have to spend the rest of eternity with Jaha, after all. And even if he was successfully sacrificed, he'd go right back to her," said Tamar. "I don't think you realize how cruel Jaha can be. "It's just that she makes you feel guilty for her being cruel to you.

"Although I suppose she does have huge breasts, so, some benefit there."

Taha thought Tamar was the last person to have an opinion on either subject. "So, what can we do?"

"Obviously, you simply need to kidnap him," said Tamar. "Take him with you, and don't let him out of the cage under any circumstances. He's probably been threatened to come back, and I'd say he would. But, if he was forced against his will to run away, Jaha won't have a problem with him.

"Give him the opportunity to die as a sacrifice, with the knowledge that it'll send him right back.

"All three of you die horribly; Jaha and I get our pets back, and everyone is a man or woman of their word."

"You make it sound far more pleasant for us than it actually will be," noted Rokas.

"Relax, will you," said Tamar. "You all know for sure there is an afterlife, and you brought all of this on yourselves anyway."

"I take your point," said Rokas.

They turned to leave, but Tamar spoke suddenly.

"Oh, and Taha," said Tamar.

Taha turned and found Tamar's lips on her.

"That's for luck," said Tamar.

Taha tried desperately to suppress the wave of revulsion she felt at the kiss. However, that emotion alone could get her killed or worse. So she focused on the physical sensation, how it was a physical pleasure. Focus wholly on the hedonistic aspect and not on the implications surrounding it. Or the foreshadowing of what was coming.

Focus on getting out of there.

Get out.

Now.

*This chapter is drawn from a separate manuscript. The previous one was incomplete and ended before Tamar met with Rokas and Nendas. It is possible that those two were the people referred to going to meet.

However, because of the source material, Tamar's meeting is never resolved. I keep it for the sake of completion.