“You’re the goddess of knowledge!?” Rye looked the freakishly tall woman up and down.

She had the long raven hair of Uovis, owlish eyes rimmed by delicate black feathers, and those robes did have her symbol – a silver half moon – prominently stitched onto it. But that was a tall claim, if it hadn’t been for the ginormous dead feathered… thing behind her.

No, not a thing. That was an Erethel, a small and generally less significant messenger and symbol of the goddess. Except, it was neither small nor insignificant. The woman was stroking its feathers gently, reverently even.

Officially, Uovis had been birthed when Worga and Ruthe contemplated the secrets on the other side of the moonwell, and she spontaneously manifested in an egg fallen from the dark skies. But if that legend wasn’t true, and she actually had a father, then…

Well, I’d have hidden him too if my Da’ had been born a bird.

As parts of the puzzle clicked together, the woman seemed to smile imperceptibly.

Uovis smiles upon you

“Oh my gods, it really is her,” Rye said, her voice rising with every word. “Eeeee!”

She jumped onto her knees and almost smacked her head against the ground.

“I’m your biggest believer. When I had to study late at night, I knew you were always there with me. I sacrificed an entire grug for you once! Well, our family did, and it was because Da’ wanted to impress someone, but anyways…” She elbowed Sam in the shin. “Get down here! Don’t you have anything you’re thankful for?”

Sam blinked, then slowly fell to one knee. “Learning to read, to write, and all things necessary for proper knighthood was hard. I had a statuette of you in my room. I didn’t sacrifice much, but I hope you will excuse my poverty and accept my sincerity through what little I did offer.”

Oh.

Her family always had money to sacrifice, or an entire cart of fruit to donate to the temples. Rye had never thought much about how abnormal that was, or how Sam felt standing next to her as she offered a single fruit earned through heavy labor. Hopefully the gods didn’t rank mortals by how much they had given them, because in that case the only friends they’d ever have would be senators and kings. And emperors, because the empire apparently had those at some point.

“Thy reverence is welcome, but please, do stand.” Uovis waved them away. “All thou have learned stem from the fruits of thy own labor; I am but a symbol. If thou pursued erudition in my name, then let that be enough. Though equals we may not be, thou dids’t struggle greatly in thy coming, and thus may call me friend.”

Internally, Rye squealed. She couldn’t believe it. Friends with the goddess of knowing things. She could ask so many questions!

“Objection! You’re no god.” Hannah pointed at her. “You’re just a fancy lady with a big bird.”

Rye immediately felt her everything clench. How could she say that to a god’s face, in her house? However, instead of an angry god, Uovis simply smiled sadly.

“It is true. Power hath long abandoned me. No more am I the goddess of knowledge than thou art goddess of dreams, stone one. If thou was in need of an oracle, I fear I cannot serve.”

Rye blinked.

What, a goddess without power? That… would explain a lot about why the world is as it is.

Hannah stared at her for a while. “Well… good.”

Meanwhile, Rye and Sam shared a stare.

“What do you–”

“Are you–”

They shared a stare again. This time, Rye let Sam take the lead.

“What do you mean, power has abandoned you?”

“When my great mother Worga left us, the great father Ruthe decreed that all gates be barred, and none let pass, not pets, not servants, not even family. I went against this divine decree and for it I was censured.” She leaned against the big feathery bird again. Rye wasn’t even sure if it was alive or not. It hadn’t breathed, hadn’t moved at all.

Sam looked like she wanted to say more, but then thought better of it.

Ok, she answered the important question already.

“Are you alright?” Rye asked.

Uovis paused. “You battle through innumerable obstacles, arriving at my domicile, show respect like in the old days, but you are concerned if I, a former god among gods, am alright?”

She most certainly hadn’t noticed how wistfully she had been looking about, as if it was barely worth bothering to think whether the trio of trespassers had any ill intentions. Which they didn’t. They weren’t Elia, and even Elia wouldn’t stoop so low as to attack a defenseless person.

Probably.

“You look sad.” Rye licked her lips once, and decided she needed to do more. She walked up to the goddess, to the strangled sounds of Sam, until she was standing right in front of her. Even sitting on her side, looking down at her, she seemed so graceful, so perfect, like a piece of art artfully crafted from marble and obsidian.

Sam was giving her the kind of stare that said she should not hug the goddess.

Rye gulped. “Please don’t smite me.”

She hugged the goddess.

It felt… normal. Like hugging any other twelve foot woman. She was warm, her skin was as smooth as her silk, and Rye just about kept herself from playing with her hair.

Then their eyes met, and she felt herself be sucked into those round owlish pearls.

A life flashed before her eyes, too quickly for even a single scene to stay in her memory. Grass, green, forest, dragon, sky, worm, tree, water, civilization, stone. What had started out filled with color and joy had drained over time until now it was all shades of black, gray, and brown.

The decree is powerless, the gods are afraid. A schism, a twist, and here the executioner comes. I run down the steps, knowing that what I have done cannot be undone, nor forgiven. I just want to return to the nest, even if by doing so I forsake it all.

She found her dad, dead, sleeping, or in stasis. Then she sat down and waited for him to wake.

She was so lonely.

As soon as the vision started, it ended and Rye blinked tears and dry eyes away.

She’s just like us.

“Thou art a proficient hugger, little one.” Uovis smiled distantly. “Though all-knowing I am no longer, mine eyes doth see the present clearly. Perhaps thou art intrigued? For thy service, thou may ask one thing of me, free of censure.”

Rye opened her mouth. “Can we… no, I shall confer with my betters. Um. With all politeness.”

She unfurled herself and hurried back to the others, where Sam gave her one of those glares, and a flick to the forehead.

“Sorry.”

“I can see my serial charmer is still at it.” She sighed. “But I guess it was worth the risk.”

“There was no risk… in hindsight. Uovis is very nice, very…” she turned to Hannah. “Chill?”

Hannah nodded wisely. “And you got us a question out of it, and didn’t waste it like an idiot. Good. That was the smartest thing you did since riding a chandelier into a knight’s face, and missing.”

“That was barely four hours ago! And you, since when did you get so sassy?”

Sam cleared her throat. “Let us decide on what to ask of her. This is a goddess we are talking about. We could ask about anything.”

“Maybe we should ask her if we can stay in this place.” Rye looked around. “There were living areas outside of the tree-ice forest. And we kind of did barge into her home.”

Hannah nodded wisely. “It would only be polite to ask.”

“Rye. We could ask her how to cure your scale disease.”

“Oh. Almost forgot about that. I’ll go ask her right away.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Rye took one step and felt a hand pull on the hem of her shirt. She looked up and oh boy did Sam not look happy.

“Forgot? Rye, this is the whole reason we even went on this journey. Your health, your wellbeing.”

“Um, I–”

“I will ask her.” She curtly walked up to the goddess and stopped a rather polite distance away. “My love has fallen afoul of the living tar. Do you perhaps know of a cure?”

Uovis cocked her head. “There exists no cure for such transformation of the spirit, not beyond the sky, not deep in the bowels of the earth. Thou art pursuing an impossible task.”

Rye’s heart froze. So, that was it then, as confirmed by the most knowledgeable person to ever exist. Rye was a dead girl walking, and more than the average walking corpse. One more year at max, and then it would be over. That was a terrifying thought, one she almost locked away with all the other ones.

But it was… freeing in a way. It was inevitable, it would happen no matter what she did. All this terror, the constant threat of death and deterioration – why worry? All she had to do was escort Hannah off the mountain, then get Elia and Karla’s house back. No need to worry about anything after that, nothing but how to spend her time with Sam. A year was more than they’d ever had together at a time. Mum had of course had her suspicions, and there was always more work around the corner.

She picked at her shoulder where a new ring of scales had marched upwards. Sam of course didn’t like it. She was completely rigid.

“There has to be some other way,” she said, almost pleading. “There has to be. There is, you’re just not telling.”

“There is not, and yet I find myself moved to pity. In such matters our hands are not clean. Thou may pose another question.”

Hannah immediately perked up. “How do we get your blessing, so we can get out of this ruin of a city?”

“To escape a curse of the mountain, thou must follow its desires.” Uovis spread a spindly arm. “If thou proves thy knowledge on a subject yet unknown, thou mayest receive a blessing true. Thou art welcome to rest within my abode, and search it to thine heart’s content. I doth possess a library stocked with all knowledge that remains. Now as thou leaves me, do beware: Some knowledge lies best unseen.” She blinked blearily, teetering on unconsciousness as she cuddled close to the Erethel. “Rise above, young ascenders, thou wilt see the world for what it is: Nothing but a pile of ugly muck.”

***

Up.

That was where Elia was headed. Which way should she take there? Unimportant. How long was this going to take? More time the more she spent thinking. But it was simple, just a whole lotta climbing and a whole lotta dregs between her and her goal. Finally something she knew how to do.

I hope Gnawen got away alright.

She was inside a crumbling castle which was blocking the path forward, a long bridge stretching out from the back part of it. Getting in had been the easy part – the ballistae that could launch a dozen shots at once like a shotgun couldn’t tilt fast enough to hit her in mid air – but the inside was an absolute charnel house.

You have gained: Soul x1,594

You have gained: Soul x1,811

You have gained: Soul x1,350

Big knight, small knight, dragon knight. Lotta knights so far.

You have gained: Soul x328

You have gained: Soul x699

You have gained: Soul x550

Their support mages have some really nasty trap-spells. We’re seeing more copper compared to gold this far up. But that last guy was pretty fiery too. I wonder…

The end of the stronghold approached. Two large double-doors ground open with the sound that big doors made when their hinges went unoiled for decades.

Squeeee– and, open.

Oh that’s a big dude.

That he was. There out on the bridge stood a legionnaire at least twice as tall as Elia and four times as wide. His heavy plate was covered in abs and smoldering fur ran down his massive pauldrons, which were shaped like wolves.

It took Elia a second to remember who he reminded her of. Captain Hall. This guy was cosplaying captain hall. He even had a hammer attached to a long chain, though that at least was not shaped like a dog-head.

“Ascender!” he called, dragging the hammer across the ground. “Cease thy endless yearning.”

Elia sized him up. That armor was going to be hard to penetrate, even with Moony fully charged. But the space between his bracers was naked skin, likely for better mobility. The only leg armor he was wearing were shin guards and a studded leather dress-thing.

She smiled. “Hey Body. Wanna stretch?”

Do I? Boy, do I ever.

Elia slipped out as smoothly as Body-Elia slipped back in. She cracked a grin, then leveled her sword at the legionnaire.

“Hey chucklenuts. Bet you can’t hit me with those fat chains of yours. You trying to compensate for something?”

He ignored her, revealing instead a giant-sized shortsword attached to the other end of the chain. “Very well. Then taste the blade of Hektor, champion of the legion!”

You have been challenged by: Hektor, Champion of the 41st Legion

Boy, Sense-Elia thought. He sure can yell.

Not like he can do much more, Elia thought back, shaking her newly reacquired snake body. I’d put him as a fun challenge for Body, nothing we’d really have to strategize for.

A massive hammer passed within inches of her face. Then the world turned into swirls as Body-Elia started a series of evasive hops and flips.

Well, Mind said, now that you’ve laid the scene, care to say what’s on your mind?

Wuh? Elia said.

We’re going to the top. Not down, upwards. It’s a jarring change of pace. Did you find something that I didn’t? Or are you afraid?

Elia’s throat clenched as they went airborne again.

Me? Afraid? That’s… no, that’s Sense’s whole thing.

Hey!

It’s true! I just think that maybe if I can do some good, I should?

Elia leaned back as a cold tongue flicked over her body. Snake-Mind was kinda intense.

What you did to Karla was cruel.

That stung more than it should have. O-ok, maybe not just good. But…

But it was hard to admit when she had done something wrong.

I know I’m selfish.

Snakes didn’t have eyebrows, but Justice’s surely rose an inch.

If there’s a boogeyman in front of the house, I’ll kill it. If there’s a broken pipe, I’ll fix it. If people are hungry, then by the gods I’ll go out and slaughter an entire moose with my bare hands if I have to. And I can, gods, I’ve been proving that since day one. But now, things have changed.

Changed how? Justice asked inquisitively.

It was getting easier to speak with every word.

What I can do and what I need to do have never been so close together. If the course is set by the gods and their grail, then all I gotta do is get to the steering wheel and pull. I don’t want help, I don’t need help. If someone does, then everything could go wrong. No tolerance for failure.

And Elia was scared of that. Failure. But she would never admit it.

And I AM scared of that. Sense-Elia blurted out. Really, really scared. One misstep, and everything could go so terribly wrong. And… if Karla were with me and we found her mother dead on top of that, I don’t think I could leave her then. Because her mother IS dead. There is no other reason why she would take so long to come back.

Two slitted eyes bored into Elia’s forehead, swapping between her and Sense.

Very well. But, as the sensible part of you, I demand that you return to Karla for cuddles, and let her do what she wants for a month.

A whole month? Elia could barely imagine what she could do in a month. I can do a week.

Two months. Three.

Fine! I’ll do everything Karla says for as long as she wants. A year, minimum. Elia huffed. I… I’ll even wear the maid-costume.

If snakes could grin, then Mind would be beaming.

Nice.

I think I was just scammed. Elia mumbled as she returned her interest to the fight. Hektor was bleeding a river of fire from a wound on his forearm, and he was leaning on one leg. Hey Body, you can wrap it up now.

“Aw, but I was having so much fun.”

Ew, did you just lick my sword? Ew ew ew,.

Body laughed, jumped in close and proved again why she was the master of the body. Parries rang out with the sound of metal on metal like she was playing a drum set. The champion’s pauldrons grew alive with fiery ghost dogs, but she nimbly stepped aside, ripping each one open with the shard dagger in her off-hand. The one thing she could handle with ease were incorporeal threats.

One of her cuts disarmed the man. A sooty fire blast blinded him for just long enough for her to sneak around and jam her sword into the back of his knees.

He fell forward, one hand burning an imprint into the ground.

“Oh Quintus, greatest of men. I have failed you. We will meet in the afterlife... soon…”

A stab to the neck and he sagged to the ground, rapidly turning into ash and coal.

Ascender slain

You have gained: Soul x60,000

You have gained: Bone shard

“Wooh. Nice workout.” Body wiped her forehead before noticing a lick of flame crawling down her arm. She sprinkled it with bowl-water before it did more than surface-level damage, then slinked back into the backseat.

Nice showing Body. Now, we ought to make sure we DON’T fight legion or tar people all willy nilly. A few bad hits and that’s permanent damage to the spirit, to us all, not just to you OG Elia.

Elia limbered up. All she had to do was get up, then get back down, simple as. Fighting the fiery legion was fine, but she would like to fuck up some tar knights as well. For Pawil, the old fool, and her bekki Mom.

“Now, before we move on, let’s try our luck with some–”

Heavy footfalls. She twirled around, Moony in hand, but it was unnecessary.

“Brod.” She forced a smile. “Just the company I asked for.”

Actually, we specifically asked for no company–

Elia pinched Mind’s snout. The giant looked at her with furrowed brows. That face could hide so much disapproval.

“You climbing the mountain too?” she asked.

“Yup.”

“To the top?”

“Yup.”

“Gonna get in my way?”

“Nah.”

There it was, the famous straight-laced eloquence of the giants. Elia appreciated it, usually, but sometimes his brevity was annoying. It made it hard to notice when he was lying, or when he was hiding something.

Elia sighed. “Nothing to it then. You may follow.”

Elia took one look at the end of the bridge and the twenty foot hole separating her from the further climb, flexed her legs, and soared across it.

That is, if he can keep up. Ha-hah, devious lil’ fucker, aren’t you, Spirit?

“Don’t call me that. I’m still Elia.” I hope.

A jump like that might be daunting for a normal immortal, but Brod is anything but. He is a sort of special even among the superhuman giants.

Elia looked over her shoulder right as Brod landed with a mighty thump.

“There are bigger jumps out there,” she mumbled. “We’ll lose him, and if not then my name isn’t Elia.”