Goddess Rising

Alogun’s expression changed from one of suspicion to curiosity. He still doubted her, but he wanted to know what she did. The only question left was whether he would trade for the information or try to torture her for it.

She saw the moment he decided. Force would be his last resort. He would trade for it while he still could. Still, she waited for him to speak his choice aloud.

“What are your formal terms?” he asked.

“My information is valuable,” she said. “I want access to your library and whatever knowledge you’re willing to share as well as your help in hiding from Garo. In return, I will destroy the planted book. In one month, if I am still alive, I will tell you what I know about Garo.”

“Access to the entire library for free?”

Aria smiled. “We both know that the valuable information is stored in your head.”

He smiled as well. “I’m generous to younglings. Access to the library for one month. If your information is not as valuable as you claim, you will owe me for that entire month and I will help Garo destroy you before I destroy him.”

“You’ll want money and my life? That seems illogical, but fine.” She stretched out a hand to shake his, but he only stared at the proffered hand as if it was an oddly-colored rock.

He rose from his chair. “Since we are now allies, let us see if your intelligence suffices to help me a puzzle.”

“First, take down your barrier so I can leave.”

He did so and Aria struggled to keep from sighing.

“Come with me,” he said. “You can destroy the book later. Garo won’t wake for three more days.”

She followed him out of the room and back into the maze of bookshelves. Minutes later, they were in another room much larger than their previous perch. One of its walls was covered in drawings, done in a variety of colors, and unreadable scribblings done in another language.

“Consider this for me,” he gestured at a drawing on the wall. “This it Tivelo.” It resembled Tivelo in no way, but Aria did not dispute the statement.

“Tivelo,” he repeated, “no claimed title, so he’s not particularly vain. His observed powers are: object manipulation, moderate telepathy, and weak precognition.

“What do you mean by weak?” Aria asked. She considered the pathfinding ring anything but weak.

Alogun was irritated by the interruption. He replied quickly, as if eager to return to his speech. “Weak precognition means the ability to predict possible future events but not foretell actual ones. Strong precognition involves the ability to foretell actual future events, typically at the expense of clarity about their details.”

He returned to the drawing.

“Tivelo kept to himself for centuries. Then, suddenly, he rose like a tsunami, took down dozens of deities, and forced the remainder to submit to him. A century later, out of nowhere, he introduced his son.”

Alogun indicated another drawing, presumably Achi.

“We launched our plan, kill the son to kill the father. But, at some point, he discovered the truth. What did he do then?”

Aria waited for him to continue, but he watched her instead, waiting for a response.

“He probably hatched a plan to defeat you,” She said.

Alogun nodded emphatically. “He should have. But where is the plan? Achi is dead, supposedly, and Tivelo is in a stupor. What became of this plan that he made? With centuries to plan and his precognition, he should have an unimpeachable plan.” He shook his head. “I don’t think it failed. But what is it?”

His expression was well-controlled, but Aria read fear in it. Fear much like hers. Achi was dead and Tivelo was contained, but she was always looking over her shoulder, expecting him to suddenly appear.

“It must be a plan that is already in motion,” she said, “something that will come to fruition without his assistance. Either that, or his plan failed and we’re being paranoid.”

Alogun chuckled. “You can trust this from me: the plan did not fail yet, and we are not being paranoid enough. But, try as I might, I cannot imagine what he would have planned that would develop in this manner.”

“He does not control all the variables,” Aria said, recalling her conversation with Achi.

“Of course,” Alogun said. “It is the most frustrating part of being a seer. You know the future, but controlling it is maddening. People keep stepping out of line. But, even given his constraints, how did he end up in a situation in which he seems to have lost? Surely, there were many other paths that led to victory?”

He fell into silence while Aria pondered the matter herself.

Suddenly, he moved again, indicating Achi’s figure.

“Then, consider Achi,” he said. “Harmless as a fly, and just as powerless. Naturally, he’s love-bound like his father. But why is he powerless?”

Aria frowned. “He has not found the person he loves.”

“So? Tivelo had powers before Achi was born.”

That silenced Aria. When she spoke again, it was with caution. “If he had powers before Achi was born, then his powers don’t come from Achi.”

Alogun looked frustrated. “Love-bound gods gain their power from their love, not from the object they love. And you can love someone before the person is born. In the same way, Achi should love whoever he’s bound to even before she is born.”

“As long as he knows who she is,” Aria said.

“No, the knowing doesn’t -” He froze, his mouth open, his eyes wide.

“The knowing doesn’t matter,” he spoke slowly. “Him knowing does not matter. But….”

He found piece of red chalk and began to write on the wall, hands moving in strong, frantic strokes.

“He doesn’t know,” he muttered to himself, “but no one does either.”

He stopped writing and threw Aria a smile. “You might not be bright, but your stupidity is helpful. You may read whatever you want.”

He stalked out of the room and almost collided with Chalik. The goddess of wealth stood just before the doorway, watching them as if she’d stumbled upon an opera. To her embarrassment, Aria had no idea how long Chalik had been standing there.

“What is going on?” She asked.

But Alogun pushed past her and her three attendants, and resumed his hurried journey. Chalik turned to Aria instead.

Aria shrugged. “I think he made a breakthrough. He wasn’t making any sense.”

“That isn’t new.” She eyed Aria. “But you are. I am Chalik, Goddess of Wealth and Good Fortune.”

“I know. You look just like your paintings.”

The goddess smiled as if Aria had paid her a compliment. “And you are?”

“I haven’t picked a name yet.” She picked her way through the doorway. “Let’s go see what Alogun has discovered.”

They found him in the exact center of the building standing before a glass room. The room was odd because Aria had not sensed it. Even standing in front of it, her new senses told her that the position it occupied was empty. Inside it, a man stood glaring at them with open animosity while on the outside, Alogun fiddled with objects on a desk.