Goddess Episode Two
The Overlord Goddess Murdered Us
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Episode Two
Episode 2
30 years later
Kajana stepped into the great guild hall. The registration desk was at the far end of the room and the Guild job board was on the far right. The mess hall was on the far left but through a door. The rumors of loud merriment were true. Adventurers gathered in the hall to eat, drink, cry, and laugh - not always in that order. Today, Kajana needed money and she didn’t want to use her savings. She soloed a lower dungeon and defeated a floor boss, however, her best sword broke. She wedged it between two neck vertebrae of a male Wyvern and lifted when she should have twisted. She broke its neck but also snapped the sword in two. Even though she was a Rank 20 Sorcerer she liked to fight as a warrior. Common knowledge was that Rank 10 anything was the limit. Kajana, early in her life, decided she would stick to admitting common knowledge.
Grek, a Dragonoid, stood behind the registration counter. He stood 2 meters tall. His tail added another meter and a half to his overall length. His skin was shiny slate grey and he had a colorful plume of hair at the top of his head. “Kajana!” he cried out. “Whatcha got?”
Kajana pulled out a fist-sized crystal from her Infinite Pocket pouch and placed it on the counter.
Grek nodded and spread his mouth wide in a grin that revealed dozens of sharp teeth. He placed his left hand on the crystal and moved his right hand across it. A translucent screen appeared over it. “10 gold coins,” he said.
Kajana nodded. Fair enough she thought. The best blacksmith in town was her friend. He’d give her a good deal – If she fed him. The alternative would be a night in his bed. It crossed her mind, but she would rather spend her time talking with him than screwing him. And, on most days he would agree. “Deal.”
Grek counted out 10 gold coins and took the crystal to the back room.
Kajana walked over to the Job board. Nothing grabbed her attention. Most of the jobs were for rank 5 and below. She was a rank 8 Warrior, so many of them would be more tedious than challenging. She was about to grab a job when she heard a commotion from the entrance. A group of five adventurers walked in. There was a buzz in the air. Some said the group was looking for a tank. Kajana watched as the leader, Yahen, stepped up to the registration desk.
Kajana sized him up. She knew of him. He was human, like herself, and a magick user, also like herself. The difference was he was a rank 7 Wizard.
Yahen approached the desk. Grek was looking at him. Chur, another Guild worker, human, stepped from the backroom. Yahen greeted both men. “Any leads yet?” Yahen asked.
Grek smiled and said, “Actually, yes. Do you mind if they are human?”
Yahen shook his head. “Can they tank?”
Chur laughed. He turned to Grek and said, “You must be talking about Kajana.”
Grek nodded. “Absolutely. Probably the best.”
“Good, good,” Yahen said. “How do I get in touch?”
Kajana heard her name and approached the group. “Greetings.”
Chur said, “Here she is now.”
Yahen turned and eyed Kajana. Both stood about the same height. Kajana was about 172 centimeters, with Yahen at 178. “I am Yahen.” He held out a hand.
Kajana took it and shook it three times. “Call me, Kajana. I hear you are looking for a tank?”
Yahen released her grip. “We are.”
Hallona, Basco, Plono, and Bita stood near Yahen.
Yahen continued, “Plono,” He gestured to a tall dark-skinned Elven dressed in leather holding a small shield, “and I am are our only fighters. Basco and Hallona are healers and our long-range casters.” He pointed to a solidly built dwarf with a red beard and long red hair tied into a ponytail - he was dressed in grey leather and carried an iron helmet underneath his left arm. Hallona was also redheaded but human. She was thin and about Kajana’s height. She wore a short tan leather shirt, tan leather shoes that went up to her ankles, and a cloth top with a tan leather jacket. He turned to Bita, who was felinoid. “Bita is our archer.” She smiled teeth and her ears perked up. Kajana liked the shape of her face. Bita’s fur was light brown and had a healthy glow to it. She stood about 165 centimeters tall and wore leather shorts, a leather crop top, and a leather trench coat. She gripped her blow tightly and stood with her feet shoulder wide apart. Kajana felt Bita was always ready to shoot.
Kajana shook their hands, “A pleasure to meet everyone.” She turned to Yahen, “You only need a warrior and not a magic caster?”
Yahen replied, “I also cast. With another warrior added to the group I can work on leveling up my casting.”
Kajana nodded. “Makes sense.” She decided not to mention she could cast as well.
“Let’s drink and talk,” Yahen said walking toward the Mess hall door.
Kajana caught Basco’s eye. It glowed yellow for a second, then faded back to its normal brown. Kajana smiled but said nothing after she showed Basco that she too had the God-sight skill.
Yahen and the group stepped through the doorway into controlled chaos. Half the round tables were occupied by between three and six adventurers. Mess chatter was loud and raunchy. Ale was spilled and words tossed. Yahen glided everyone to a table near a window in a more quieter area. As the group sat, Darta, one of a dozen human hosts walked up to the table.
She said, “Yahen, and Kajana! Never thought to see you two at the same table.”
Yahen laughed, “You may see more of her if all goes well.”
Darta smiled, “What shall you have and who’s paying?”
Yahen coughed. “No tab?”
“Ha! Not tonight, love.”
Kajana spoke up. “It’s on me. Ale and whatever everyone wants.”
Hallona said, “That is awfully nice of you, but don’t you think we should be treating you?”
Kajana sat back and said, “You can get the second round. One who buys first pays least. I’ll have an ale.”
Basco erupted into a roar of laughter. “I like this one! Two for me.” He winked at Kajana and laughed more.
Bita said, “Then one for me, too.”
Yahen and Hallona held a finger up.
Darta nodded and walked away.
Yahen leaned close to the center, “What’s your skill, and what do you prefer.”
“I’m rank 8 with a sword and staff,” Kajana answered.
Basco nodded approvingly. He figured Kajana wanted to keep casting a secret – for the time being. When she said her name was Kajana, he thought of the Goddess Kaja. He ran across numerous Kajahas, Kajamas, Kajagos, Kajakas, but not many Kajanas. It was doubtful she was Kaja, but still, his God-sight couldn’t see all her skills. From her clothing, she had to be Royalty. Wyvern skin and enhanced Bison leather were expensive articles of clothing, not just any average adventurer could or would acquire.
Yahen said, “Excellent! I want to test you out first, of course. The last person who said they ranked 8 was really a 4. It didn’t end well.”
Darta walked up with the drinks and placed them on the table. Kajana produced three steel coins, which Darta pocketed, and produced 8 iron coins as change.
Kajana said “Yours.”
Darta smiled and walked away.
Everyone picked up a stein.
Basco boomed, “Sláinte is táinte!”, and drank deep.
Health and wealth indeed Kajana thought. She upended her stein. The others followed.
The day was still young with the sun at its largest size and just passed its zenith. In a few more hours it would set west, grow small, and then reemerge as the moon, moving across the sky until it set east. Sun during the day, Moon at night.
Yahen led the group to the Guild’s test and fighting area. It was about 300 meters in diameter and had an artificial magick barrier erected around its circumference.
“The rules are simple,” Yahen began as he stepped out into the field, walking about 10 meters in. “No head blows but everything else is okay. Basco and Hallona are skilled enough to heal cutoff limbs and fatal stabs if gotten to in time.”
Kajana nodded as she stopped about 20 meters from Yahen. “Fair, and ready.” She drew her short sword and lifted it one-handed over her head.
Yahen pulled his long blade out and held it with both hands. He noted Kajana took an open stance. He reasoned she was bating him or just foolish in trying to intimidate him. The stance was silly as far as he was concerned –
Kajana closed the distance in less than a second and plunged her blade deep into Yahen’s abdomen.
Yahen blinked, dropped his sword, and fell to his knees. He didn’t see the attack coming.
Basco and Hallona rushed to Yahen and applied healing magic. A minute later the damage was repaired and the wound closed, however, his leather tunic had a clean cut through it.
After a moment, Yahen stood up. He conspicuously stepped a meter away from Kajana and realized he left his sword on the ground. He hastily retrieved it, then stepped further away.
“Okay,” he said, “point for you.”
Kajana smiled and took a few steps back. “Let me know when you are ready.”
Yahen took a deep breath and let his awareness-sense stretch out a few meters from him. “Ready.” Anyone stepping inside the field would –
Kajana exploded forward. Dirt kicked up behind her and in the span of a heart beep, she stabbed Yahen again. This time the wound was superficial. She pulled her knife out, pivoted around Yahen, and snatched the sword from his hands.
Everyone stood silenced as Yahen thrust a non-existing sword forward into empty air. It took him a second to realize he lost his sword and he was stabbed again.
Kajana waited. She had a perverse pleasure in soundly defeating Yahen a second time.
He stood straight, turned around to face her, and took a step back. He cleared his throat and said through clenched teeth, “Point. Again.”
Kajana stepped toward him to give him his sword back. Subconsciously, he started to take a step back, paused, and stepped forward with an outstretched hand. He took the sword and took two steps back. He paused thinking for a few seconds. “How? I’m ranked 10.”
“I have time-span at level 90 - -”
Plono exclaimed, ”Ninety!”
Kajana nodded.
Plono continued, “I didn’t hear any incanting - -”
“- - I don’t need to.”
Yahen said, “You said you were a Warrior.”
“Actually, I said I was a rank 8 Warrior. You said you didn’t need any casters, so I felt no need to disclose I could do any.”
Yahen frowned.
“We can do this again without me casting. Regular fight, no surprises?”
Yahen hesitated.
Kajana said, “Promise. Just my physical skill alone.”
He thought a moment and tried to see her stats. He didn’t believe she was a mere rank 8 warrior. He’d have a talk later with Basco. Her stats were blocked from his sight, which meant she had a high-level blocking skill or her actual level was higher than a 10, which was improbable. He was one of a dozen at 10 and the Goddess never revealed she intended to have anyone higher. “Okay,” he finally said.
Kajana took the raised overhead one-handed stance again. She slid her right foot forward but left most of her weight on the left foot.
Yahen leaped forward, covering the distance fast, with a thrust. Kajana stuck down and deflected the sword to the ground. She shifted her weight to her right foot and using her left foot as a weight spun around to give Yahen a vicious cut.
Yahen anticipating the move, let the sword hit the ground and used it to pivot his body into Kajana’s side. She was caught off guard, stopped her attack, and rolled over his body. She shifted her blade's position and blocked a killing blow to the head.
Yahen was satisfied and stopped. “Passed.”
Kajana stood up straight and lowered her blade. Her expression was blank. He said no killing blows to the head she thought. Strike one.
Bita and Plono looked at one another. Yahen said no killing blows to the head. Hallona seemed the only one oblivious to what Yahen attempted to do.
Basco yelled out, “This deserves another round of drinks!”