Chapter 4

Axlan's Point of View

Her aloof nature was an enigma. The air around her seemed less shiny than the rest of the world. I had thought it would be the opposite. Maybe it was just my anger towards her that dulled the effect.

She hadn't fluttered an eyelid when I took off her guard's head. Didn't flinch when I came straight at her with my sword raised.

Her personal guards were better trained, I was sure of that. The ones that led me with her weren't even close to a match. They were lax. More reserved.

If I tried the same stunt with her personal guards, I might just end up dead.

She knew this, somehow. Predicted the outcome. Knew I would run at the first chance.

And none of this seemed to faze her.

Marzanna set a lazy pace for our long walk. Hadn't called any other guards to her side. Just remained silent as we trudged forward.

Her long silvery hair bounced off of the back of her dress in waves. The small crown she wore sparkled in the sun. With just her outfit alone, I could buy a better house for my parents. Pay off most of my father's debts.

Yet here she was, flaunting it in my face. 

Wasn't she the one to condemn me to this place for hunting? Did she honestly think that I would have done it, if not for our starving bellies?

"I can feel the daggers your eyes are sending into my back," She said and twisted her neck just enough so that she could look at me behind her. "What? Not a huge fan of the gods?" 

She was joking. Had a lilting tone in her voice. Was intended to spark humor between us.

All it did was throw some more logs on my anger. Fueled it to the point where I wondered if I shouldn't have just killed myself with that sword.

"Not fond of you is more like it." I quipped back.

A hearty chuckle came from her chest. Another unnatural sound that sent the hairs of my neck standing on edge.

"Brutally honest. I applaud you for that. Very few people are." 

The tips of buildings finally became visible just above the treeline. Animal sounds danced around me. Soft, at first, but the closer we got the louder the sounds became.

She seemed more to be floating closer than walking. Like a puff of wind had her in its grip and wouldn't let go. It added to her sense of innocence. Purity.

Although she was far from either.

Finally, we breached the trees, only to unveil an entirely different world in front of me. Cages, or rather, habitats, rose up from the ground. Each one unique. Exquisitely made. None of them were cages.

Or even pens.

The zoo of sorts covered a large portion of the land behind the temple, it seemed. Stretched on further than I could even see. 

"How am I supposed to get between all of them? I am just one man!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

Once more, she turned to look at me from the corner of her eyes. Assessed me with humor glinting on her face. 

"I will provide you with enough horses and carriages to last you a lifetime. No expense spared. These are my children and I intend for you to come to love them just as much." 

I highly doubted I would. I could still remember when Giovanna brought home a stray cat she had found in the street. The bloody thing scratched me relentlessly. Hissed when I came close to it. It had been a nightmare.

Our mom was thrilled for my sister, seeing as she had always wanted a cat but my dad always refused. So, my sister got a cat and I got scarred.

At least when it died two years ago, we all could laugh about the menacing beast.

But right then I knew I wasn't an animal person. If I could barely handle a single cat, what were the odds I could handle lions, tigers, and the like?

"Most of the felines are in this section over here," Marzanna said as she walked to the right. Sure enough, a large orange tiger came up to the fence closest to us. "We feed them once a day. Sometimes they get treats and cuddles," She looked over her shoulder at me. "But never try to cuddle them when I am not around. They will bite and kill you."

Oh. How fucking lovely. I wasn't just going to spend my time with a delusional and two-faced goddess but with men-eating animals as well.

How utterly fucking wonderful.

Somehow, this made me miss the war front more. The thrill of slicing someone's throat. Battle cry as I stampeded into the mess of men and limbs.

It seemed a lot better than this.

***

Marzanna's Point of View

My bath was steaming around me. Some priestesses had heated to the maximum. Scented it with lilies and jasmine. 

As sank down deeper into the water, all the smells of today washed off of my skin. Revived me.

The orgy had been a bore, as per usual. Then he came along. 

With that tantalizing smile and hard exterior. The bristling hatred beneath his tanned skin.

Toying with mortals was always amusing to me. Sure, I never told anyone about my dalliances with them. Kept it a closely guarded secret. 

Not like I ever fell in love. Nor did I want to.

Ixion knew the limits of my love. Which was just the physical. Never anything else.

Only one man had my heart and he was gone from me.

Sekhmet always promised to take us back home. Somehow open up the barrier between this world and ours. But it has been years with no luck. No new breakthroughs.

Vodou got his accolades to look into the matter as well. He was a strong spell weaver and the god of necromancy. Yet even his powers had limits.

My most frequently asked question to the others was how did we get here in the first place? What war had waged so badly that it ripped a hole between our worlds?

None of them could answer me. Or refused to.

None of this mattered, though. My longing was my own and there was nothing I could do about it.

Gerovit was gone and I just had to face the music of it. 

"My lady," A priestess said from the edge of my bath house. Her long flowing silver robe hugged her frame beautifully. Hair was pinned up into a braided crown. "You have a letter from Sekhmet." She declared.

Sighing, I walked closer to the edge of the water. Folded my arms beneath my head as I leaned on the marble floor. "What does it say?"

"She is interested to know when you will begin the spring rituals. She is concerned that you might be dallying too long with it." 

Ah. The spring fertilization ritual. One of the most demanding and taxing of my duties.

Without it, spring wouldn't come to full fruition and the crops would fail. 

"Please write back that I am preparing for it. It will happen in due time." 

"There is no need, my lady. The letter also says that she will be with us within a week. She is eager to see you." 

Giddiness filled the hollow spot I had only moments ago. Swept over me like a tidal wave. 

My sister was coming back to me. After being gone for so long, it was a cheery announcement. 

Although, I wanted no part of her war stories. Those always dampened my spirits.

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed and clapped my hands together.

The priestess smiled back at me, exuding radiance all around her.

My priestesses were the most revered among the people. None of the other gods or goddesses had such fine maidens to tend to them. Such beautiful women that bathed with them almost every day.

And sometimes, I didn't know what I would have done without them.