Goddess Episode Three

The Overlord Goddess Murdered Us
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content

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Episode Three

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Episode 3

The journey to the Foxtail dungeon would take over a day on horseback. Yahen had procured a covered wagon drawn by two horses. Kajana volunteered to ride up front with Bita, who drove. Plono sat just behind them in the back with Hallona and Basco. Yahen rode a wingless Dragon Horse. There was no rush. He explained to the group that the Temple wanted a Red Dragon heart, a dozen scales, talons, teeth, a gallon of blood, and both eyes. The pay was 1000 gold coins. Kajana and Plono acting as tanks would get 200 each and the rest divided equally amongst the others. Any artifacts found would be divvied up based on needs and potential uses. Kajana thought that fair, though she still decided to keep Yahen’s strike in place. They would stop at the town Foxtail and register the quest with the Adventurer’s Guild. They would consider overlapping quests if the payout was good. They would also find an inn for themselves and a stable for the horses. The Dungeon was about several hours away walking distance outside the south main gate and considering the quest meant they would be in the dungeon for a day or more.

Bita gave Kajana a side look while she held the reins loosely in her hands. She wasn’t sure if she was impressed with Kajana or frightened of her. Yahen was the best warrior she knew. He took down dozens of monsters and demons ranked 10 with skill levels over 100. She thought he was unstoppable. That was until yesterday. His defeat was beyond embarrassing. Though Yahen took it in stride and acted unphased she knew it ate at him. Even without magick Kajana obviously appeared to be his equal.

Bita cleared her throat. “Kajana, may I ask you a question?” She kept her voice down.
Kajana shifted her body a bit toward Bita. “Of course,” and with a smile finished, “I can’t promise you’ll get an answer or an answer you’ll like.”
Despite herself, Bita laughed.
Plono looked up at the two. Earlier, Bita voiced her thoughts about Kajana to him. He agreed. To be impressed or watchful? He was leaning toward watchful. Bita, he sensed, was conflicted with her emotions, which made him a bit jealous. He felt Bita had just started to like him beyond mere comrades. Or, at least to the point, he could consider making his feelings known.
Bita said, “How’d you learn to time-span?”
Kajana smiled. “I learned from a Wizard.” That was kind of true.
“So, anyone can learn it?”
“Depends.” Kajana paused a second. “If you don’t have natural nanytes your body will use up your life force.”
Bita had none. “The Goddess overlooked my family.”
“Still,” Kajana said, “you can still learn it, and it is still possible to acquire nanytes –”
“-- at a million gold coins –” Yahen interjected.
“-- or someone giving you some.” kajana shot back.
Yahen had been listening and decided to speak up. “Yeah, only Sorcerers and Necromancers can do that. I trust neither. And most would only give you deadytes!”
Basco yelled from the back, “Spoken like a true Wizard.”
Yahen yelled back, “As it should be. The Goddess blessed us with what she thought appropriate. Gaining nanytes by payment is not divine or natural.”
Strike two Kajana thought. She knew when not to push the issue. She was a Sorcerer blessed with an absurdly high level of command nytes. As a Sorcerer, she could grant or take away nanytes. Her lot was scorned and cursed pretty much everywhere within the Empire. Only the ones in the know or educated properly knew the truth. She knew Plono, being Elven, understood, as well as Basco, being Dwarven. Humans seemed to be the ones living in the dark. The saying went, “An age is not dark because light fails to fall, but those living fail to see.”
Basco said, “Your only fault that may guide you off a cliff.”
Yahen, “Basco! You cannot sway me. I know the Goddess’ inner thoughts. I’ve heard her words and I am a believer –”
“-- no one doubts that my friend. The hours we’ve gone back and forth –”
“-- that is always tedious.” Yahen snapped the reins and the Dragon horse sprinted forward.
After a few moments of silence, Basco made his way to the front. “He has a good heart, though partially dipped in lead, he fights and believes true. So, don’t cast him aside yet.”
Kajana nodded. She turned to Basco and leaned in close, inches from his ear. “He doesn’t know about you.”
Basco leaned close to her ear. “You keep my secret, I’ll keep yours. May our knives lay flat on the table –”
“-- and pointed outward,” Kajana finished the Dwarven saying for an alliance.
Both leaned back. Basco moved back toward the rear of the wagon again and Kajana faced forward.
Bita watched in silence. Her hearing, perfect.
Plono did the same. His hearing, also perfect.

After several hours, Yahen pulled his Dragon horse off the road. There was a clearing big enough for the wagon, horses, and tents. He had been fuming the entire trip and cursed himself for it. He accepted Kajana as a superior warrior. No one had bested him so quickly and solidly. No one. Not after he had ranked to level 10, and the Goddess herself blessed him. She called him Beloved and said his destiny was his alone. She said she would watch but not interfere. He would be in control of his life. Her words, embedded deep in his heart, gave him strength and solace. At night, he would dwell on her words, embraced with warmth as to their meaning. The Goddess loved him and he loved her back. No one was born with such luck to have the Goddess’ blessing. No. One. And yet, something tugged and teased thoughts he knew to be impure. Did the Goddess have another favorite? There it was. Did she? Yahen looked around. Guilt and shame embraced him. She did have another favorite.
Yahen dismounted his Dragon horse and led it to a tree. He tied it up and pulled down his pack. He had some thinking to do.

Kajana helped Bita with the horses. They tied them next to but spaced at a reasonable distance from the Dragon horse. Yahen sat on the ground deep in thought. She decided to let him be. It wasn’t her place to tell him what he should and should not do to help. She was the newcomer. And, after helping Bita feed and water the horses, she made her way over to Basco. He had the main fire started. A large pot, half full of water, held up by metal poles hovered over the blaze. He tossed in quartered baby potatoes, two handfuls of chopped mushrooms, and a large portion of cubed meat into bubbly water. He sprinkled in crushed rosemary and peppercorn. Next came about a handful of sea salt and cummin powdered. Minced garlic went in last with some baby onions. He looked up as he covered the pot and said, “Wanna help me with dessert?”
Kajana said, “Dessert? Is that normal?”
Basco laughed, “It is when I cook. No journey should end on an empty stomach. And I don’t believe in an unappeasable sweet tooth.”
Kajana smiled. “What do you need me to do?”
“There’s some sweet berries in a sack. Grabbed two hands full, a cup of sugar, a stein of cream, a cut of butter, and three pinches of nutmeg. Put’em all in a quart bowl and crush well. When you’re done I’ll handle the rest.”
Kajana nodded and set about her task. Out of everyone, she liked Basco the most. Then Bita, who she hoped would requite her feelings in getting better acquainted. Hallona and Plono were unknowns. Both were unreadable, unlike Yahen. He wore his emotions and thoughts on his sleeves. He was the one to watch.

After dinner, Kajana helped Bita and Basco clean up. Hallona and Plono got the horses settled with buckets of water in front of each. They let Yahen tend to the Dragon horse. It fussed and huffed for a while. Yahen rubbed its neck and scratched underneath its chin. He whispered in its ear and after a moment the Dragon horse relaxed. It squatted down on its legs, huffed loudly, and laid its massive head down. Seconds later it was asleep. Yahen walked over to the main fire and sat near it. He remained silent as everyone else made their way to the fire. It was still early. The Moon had several more hours before it reached its zenith. It was still the size of a fist in the sky, which meant another three hours before it reached its maximum size of a large pumpkin.

“We’ll get an early start tomorrow,” Yahen said. “I’ll do first watch until the moon reaches its peak. Hallona, you’ll be next, with Plono last until first light.”
Kajana said, “I have no problems with doing watch.”
Yahen shook his head. “You helped Bita and Basco with chores and cooking. That alone is worth the extra hour of watch. Besides, helping Basco with dessert meant we ate earlier than usual.”
It’s still two strikes, Kajna thought. Still two.

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