I stared at the Goddess of Death in silence for a moment as I waited for her to start, and the other women got comfortable so they could listen closely. The dark-haired woman before me seemed harmless enough from an outside perspective, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down as long as she was in my presence.
“Start at the beginning,” I encouraged. “You’re from Sacramento. What was that like?”
“I was raised by my dad,” the goddess said with a shrug. “My mother died when I was really little. She suffered from a brain aneurysm, but at least she wasn’t in pain for long. She named me Tiffany Anne Smith, but I’ve always gone by Tiff. If you try to call me Tiffany, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Duly noted,” I said with a smirk. This goddess had spunk.
“That had to be hard, though, growing up like that. I had a single mom who passed away.”
“Yeah, well, my dad wasn’t the greatest.” Tiff tried to sound nonchalant, but her emerald eyes unfocused as she was lost in memories. “I mean, I get it. He was a vet, and he came back home all fucked up in the head. Losing my mother sent him over the edge.”
A solemn silence hung in the air as we all envisioned the rough childhood this woman had endured, and I was beginning to see how she’d become the way she was. Losing a parent at a young age was traumatizing, but she seemed like she was comfortable with death since it was the basis for her powers.
“So, how did you get to this realm?” Zenda asked in a studious voice.
“I’m getting to that.” Tiff rolled her eyes and seemed to regain her blasé attitude. “But, as I’m sure you can imagine, I mostly kept to myself as a kid, and I was a bit of a loner when I started high school… I didn’t have many friends, but I had more than a few enemies.”
“Enemies?” I frowned.
“Bullies,” Tiff clarified as she pursed her lips. “There were these four girls, cheerleaders, who plagued my every step. It was like they were robots programmed to destroy me.”
“Did you stand up for yourself?” I asked, but the goddess shook her head.
“What’s a cheerleader?” Elissa asked in a curious tone. “Is it like a general?”
“They’re supposed to work up the energy of the crowd during sporting events,” I explained. “They usually end up being a clique of popular girls who pick on anyone they see as inferior.”
“That’s awful.” Zenda’s sapphire eyes filled with sympathy for our strange guest. “Being a leader means supporting those who follow in your footsteps.”
“The only place they led anyone was to the bathroom to purge,” Tiff scoffed. “I hated them, but I wasn’t dumb enough to do anything while we were on school property. They had the principal’s attention, but I’m pretty sure that was just because he was a pedophile.”
“Gross.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “He should have been reported.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Tiff shrugged. “Anyway, I just wanted to explain the backstory to avoid questions during the good parts.”
“Alright,” I chuckled. “We’ll try to restrain ourselves.”
Mahini returned to the sitting room a moment later, and she reported zero activity around the perimeter of the castle. The desert beauty eyed the goddess cautiously, but my wife’s body language revealed the tension and anxiety she felt in our guest’s presence.
“Has she told you where the God of the Plague is located yet?”
the warrior woman asked in a terse tone.
“Not yet,” I said. “But she’s starting to explain some things.”
“Hello! I’m right here.” Tiff scowled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m invisible.”
“By all means, carry on,” Mahini said, and she pressed her lips into a thin white line as she leaned against the doorframe. She and Akina exchanged glances and nods, so I knew they were both thinking about the same thing: the safety of the children.
I wasn’t sure if I could trust the goddess or not, but as long as she was openly sharing information with us, then I was inclined to give her the chance to explain. I wasn’t going to let her get the opportunity to do anything nefarious, but I was still grateful to have capable warrior women guarding our home.
“So, you had some bullies,” I said as I returned to the conversation at hand. “What does that have to do with how you got here?”
“Everything,” Tiff said. “It would have been a normal day if they hadn’t interfered. They set the events in motion that led to me arriving in this strange world.”
“And what does a normal day look like for someone who would become the Goddess of Death?” I asked, and I tried to mask the amusement I felt from my voice. She made it seem as though she was a harmless innocent, but I knew she wouldn’t have come so far in this world if she hadn’t resorted to brutality. I’d watched her murder two men without remorse in a previous run-through, after all.
“You do realize I wasn’t a goddess on Earth, right?” Tiff seemed to pick up on my thoughts, and she narrowed her emerald eyes. “Despite a fascination with the morbid and absurd, I was just a normal teenager. I listened to angry music and wrote in my diary about how much I hated my dad.”
“Yeah, you seem like you were one of the goth kids in high school,” I said.
“And?” Tiff glared at me. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing.” I held up my hands in surrender. “Just making an observation.”
“What’s a goth kid?” Zenda asked, and I glanced over to see her taking notes on the conversation in her journal.
“Someone who is always wearing black, and they try to look like vampires,” I explained, but I saw the goddess’ eyes flash with
anger at my description as she leaned forward. “Well, how would you describe it, then?”
“Anyone who is in love with the macabre and morbid,” Tiff huffed. “Duh.”
“Anyway, we’re getting off-topic,” I said, and I gestured for the goddess to continue her story. “It was a regular day?”
“Yeah, it was a Saturday, so there wasn’t any school.” Tiff settled back into her chair. “My dad had to work, but I was bored at home, so I went to the mall.”
“What is a ma--” Zenda started to say.
“A group of shops in one building,” I said before she could even finish her sentence.
It was almost like Tiff and I were speaking a different language, but it was strangely nice to have a conversation with someone who understood the world I had come from.
A sudden shrill cry from the nursery had us all looking in the direction of the door, and the two mothers instantly headed toward the sound of the crying children. I wanted to hear more of Tiff’s story, but I also didn’t want to interrupt my children’s routines. This could
take a while, but it was already late in the evening, and the babies were tired, so I decided a change of scenery might be a good idea.
“Let’s go outside,” I suggested to the goddess. “We can talk more openly without waking the babies.”
“Alright.” Tiff pushed herself to her feet. “Lead the way, dude.”
Akina and Zenda started to follow behind us, but I motioned for them to stay behind as I led the goddess to the entrance of the castle. I could always catch them up on the pertinent information later, but it would go a lot smoother if I didn’t have to explain every reference to modern America.
“I’m sorry for making your babies cry,” Tiff said as we walked along the side of the castle to the gardens behind the building. “To be honest, I’m kind of surprised you have kids in the first place.
Aren’t you worried about what will happen to them when you go back to Earth?”
“Go back?” I frowned. “Why would I do that?”
Tiffany stared at me in confused silence for a moment, but then she shrugged and turned away. We walked through the flowerbeds full of sleeping blooms, and Tiff trailed the tips of her fingers across the outside of the petals. The flowers began to decay and die before
my eyes, but she didn’t pay them any more attention. If she could kill with a touch, then she was more dangerous than I’d imagined, so I would have to make sure I kept my guard up.
I suddenly heard the flutter of leathery wings, and I spotted Nameless land on a branch in a nearby tree. I could just barely make out the stardust gleam in his eyes, but I could tell he was curious about our visitor. She stared back at him with a blank face, but a subtle smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Why wasn’t the dragon threatened by the goddess?
“Your dragon is cute,” Tiff observed as her gaze returned to my face.
“He’s called Nameless,” I said. “He isn’t usually so friendly with strangers.”
“I’ve always had a way with animals,” Tiff said as if this explained everything. “It was like they could always tell I didn’t have any friends.”
“But if you didn’t have bullies, you wouldn’t have ended up here,” I pointed out. “How exactly did that happen, anyway?”
“Well, like I said, I was at the mall while my dad was at work.”
Tiff trailed her finger along the top of a hedge, and I watched in awe
as the leaves shriveled and changed into a variety of brown colors. “I was sitting on a bench that ran along the outside of a fountain when the bitches from school showed up.”
“What did they do to you?” I had a bad feeling about where this story was going, and I couldn’t hide the empathy I felt for the lonely teen she described in her story.
“They started calling me names and pulling on my clothes,” Tiff said, and I could tell from the tone of her voice that the memory still pained her. “It was like they were compelled to point out everything they didn’t like about me.”
“They were bitches,” I said. “You shouldn’t let it get to you.”
“Oh, really?” Tiff scoffed and fixed me with a heated look. “And what about when they started to dunk my head into the water fountain because they wanted to wash off my weird makeup? Should I have just let that go, too?”
“Okay, no, that’s fucked up,” I agreed with a wince. “Were there any security guards or people around who could help you?”
“Any time I got the chance to look around, I just saw people watching and not doing anything.” Tiff glared into the shadows at the edge of the gardens. “No one cared that they were killing me.”
“Wow.” I shook my head in awe. “I’m surprised you managed to survive that.”
“I don’t think I did,” Tiff muttered in a low voice.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“I started to black out under the water,” Tiff said. “When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on a stone platform in an underground grotto.”
“So, the last thing you remember from Earth was being drowned by those cheerleaders?” I worked the muscle in my jaw.
“I’m sorry. What they did to you was fucked up, but I’m sure they were punished for it after everyone found out what happened to you.”
“I don’t know.” Tiff shrugged, and a pained look crossed her face. “I doubted anyone cared.”
“But you were given another shot at life,” I pointed out.
Tiff strolled through the garden paths without replying for a moment, and she kept her gaze cast downward at the plants. There was a trail of decaying vegetation in her wake, and I wondered how long it would take her to kill the whole garden. Hopefully, she finished
her story before it came to that, but I could always replant. This could be my only chance to learn about the mysterious Goddess of Death.
“Are you sure this isn’t hell?” Tiff asked as she cast a worried glance over her shoulder. “Maybe we’re being punished.”
“There’s no way I’d have this much fun in hell,” I argued. “I’ve gotten everything I ever wanted in this world, and other than you and your master trying to tear me down, I’m beloved by all.”
“So, maybe it’s heaven for you and hell for me.” Tiff smirked.
“In any case, being summoned to this world didn’t change who I am.
I’m still that lone wolf going through life without a pack.”
“Isn’t the God of the Plague part of your pack?” I asked. “You two are working together, after all.”
“I guess…” Tiff fell into silence and looked away.
Nameless watched from his tree branch while the goddess roamed the gardens, and there was obvious curiosity in his eyes.
I let her be for a moment to let her gather her thoughts, but this conversation was far from over.
“What happened when you woke up in the grotto?” I asked in an effort to get the conversation moving again.
“I woke up like this.” Tiff turned to me with a smirk on her face, and she held up her hands with a flourish. “I didn’t know that at first, though. I opened my eyes to see a crazy weirdo standing over me, and he kept insisting I would be his slave so he could use my powers for himself.”
“Weird sorcerers are all the rage these days,” I chuckled. “The one who summoned me had fourteen men with him, and he was trying to kill me because he thought that would give him my powers.”
“Obviously, that worked out for him,” Tiff said in a dry tone.
“So, what did you do?” I pressed. “You don’t strike me as slave material.”
“Right?” Tiff snorted. “I didn’t even know about my powers yet, but when he went to grab me, I wrapped my hand around his wrist.”
After seeing what she could do to plants, I could only imagine the deadly effect she had on a human, and I shuddered as the image of decaying flesh passed through my mind.
“He died?” I asked, and the goddess nodded in confirmation.
“It took a little while,” she added. “But after his dried-up corpse was lying on the ground in front of me, I started to look around at my
surroundings. There was a weird text floating in the air that said I was a goddess among other things.”
“You can kill with a single touch,” I observed. “But I’m sure that’s not the end of your powers.”
“You could say that,” Tiff said in a vague tone. “It took me a while to learn how to control it, though. There were a lot of accidents along the way, and for years I refused to touch a single living thing. I didn’t want to destroy everything I touched.”
“How do you control it?” I asked.
“It’s like a mental dam,” Tiff explained with a shrug. “I have to hold back the dark energy.”
“That sounds exhausting,” I said. “I’m surprised word didn’t spread about you.”
“It did at first,” she admitted. “Anywhere I went, villagers would chase me away with torches and pitchforks. I could have killed them all, but what would be the point? Live in an empty village by myself?
I’d rather die.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
I had asked that question during our interaction in Arginold Hold, but she’d merely quipped that it had been longer than I’d been
here. I was hoping she would be less withholding during this encounter, but so far she seemed willing to tell me everything. I just had to guide the conversation toward the information I really needed to know, such as the God of the Plague’s location and plans.
“Well, it was the late eighties when I got here,” Tiff said in a thoughtful tone. “But it’s hard to keep track of time in this world, so there’s no telling how much time will have passed by the time I return to Earth.”
“You keep talking about going back,” I said with a confused shake of my head. “What makes you think that’s even possible?”
The Goddess of Death eyed me for a long moment, and a twinkle of excitement gleamed in her emerald eyes before she schooled her expression once more.
“Anything is possible,” she countered with a shrug.
“But how do you know you’d even survive going back? If you died when you were summoned, what would happen if you returned home?” I frowned. “There wasn’t any mention of a return trip in my instructions.”
“I’ve figured some things out over the years.” Tiff turned away from me to continue her casual stroll through the gardens, and I
followed a few paces behind her. Then she paused and turned to face me again, and she tilted her head to the side as she peered up at me. “What about you? What year was it when you were summoned?”
“About forty years after you,” I said. “I worked in a call center where people could ask for help with technology.”
“You mean like telling people how to rewind their VHS tapes?”
Tiff smirked. “Sounds like a challenging job.”
“Things have changed a lot since the eighties,” I laughed. “But that’s beside the point. That was then, and this is now. I left Earth behind when I accepted my role as the God of Time.”
“So, you’re basically from the future?” Tiff’s face lit up. “Were there spaceships? Holograms? Brain implants?”
“Well, things didn’t change that much,” I corrected in an amused tone. “But the internet certainly puts the entire world at your fingertips, and everyone carries around a tiny but powerful computer everywhere they go.”
“It must have sucked to come back to the dark ages after experiencing futuristic technology,” Tiff said as she wrinkled her nose.
“Actually, it was kind of a relief,” I admitted. “I don’t feel the need to escape my day-to-day life through video games anymore.”
“That’s because your life is a game now,” Tiff said with an understanding nod.
Nameless’ curiosity finally got the better of him, and the dragon hopped down from his tree branch into the garden before he trotted over to us with a wagging tail.
“He’s like a big puppy,” Tiff said as she held out her hand for the dragon to sniff.
Nameless inhaled the goddess’ scent a few times before he stepped close enough for her to touch him, and her face was alight with wonder as she caressed his iridescent scales. Tiff had probably never touched a dragon before, and I was surprised by how quickly he took to her.
The dragon even rolled over onto his back, and Tiff kneeled in the grass so she could scratch the scales of his stomach. Nameless wiggled happily like a horse itching its back in the dirt, and his tongue hung out the corner of his mouth as his eyes half-closed.
“He likes you,” I observed. “Did you do something to him that made him more docile?”
“Are you accusing me of giving your dragon some dope?” Tiff laughed. “How am I supposed to overpower a flying fucking lizard?
No, he just knows I’m cool.”
“It has been kind of cool to get to know you better,” I said with a small smile. “Thanks for sharing the story about how you got here, but I still have so many questions.”
“I figured you would.” Tiff smirked as she rose to her feet, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she cocked one hip to the side. “What would you like to know?”
“We’re both from Earth,” I said. “And so was the God of the Purge, but he was from Hitler-era Germany. What about the God of the Plague? Where is he from?”
“Everyone has come from different times and places so far,”
Tiff said without directly answering my question. “There used to be a lot more of us, you know.”
“Oh, really?” I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. “What happened to them?”
“They died.” She shrugged. “This game is to the death, and not even immortals are safe from fate.”
“Did you kill them?” I asked.
“A few.” Tiff narrowed her eyes. “It was them or me, so I made the only choice I could. I want to go back to Earth, but not like that.”
“Yeah, dying sucks,” I said as I thought about the countless deaths I’d suffered since I’d first arrived in this medieval world.
“Well, it wasn’t easy, in any case.” Tiff shook her head as she reminisced about the other gods she’d faced. “You’re the first player I’ve met who didn’t go straight into a life-or-death battle with me.”
“What about the God of the Plague,” I said. “Aren’t you allies?”
“I guess.” Tiff shrugged again. “But I had to prove that he couldn’t beat me first.”
I couldn’t help seeing the goddess in a new light of appreciation now that I’d learned more about her, but it was even more obvious than ever before how deadly and dangerous she really was. I kept a safe distance between us so she couldn’t reach out and grab me, but I knew I could just reset to my save point if she ended up catching me off guard.
“You call them players,” I said as I thought about what she’d said so far. “But every single one has been called a god so far.”
“Or goddess,” Tiff corrected. “There were a few other women in the early years. There was the Goddess of Fate, as well as one for
each season, but they were some of the dumbest people I’ve ever met.”
“How long ago did they die?” I asked, and I racked my brain for any reference to gods or goddesses from when I first arrived in this world.
“Long before you arrived,” Tiff snorted. “The God of War led many of them into a ferocious battle, and no towns were safe from their destruction as they swept over the land. At the end of the war, there were only me and a few others remaining. We all separated and went into hiding, but over time, we found each other and battled again.”
“Why isn’t the war mentioned in any of Sorreyal’s history?” I frowned. “You would think something like that would be noteworthy.”
“I think everyone just wanted to forget about it,” Tiff said. “I didn’t make sure it was written down or anything, either.”
“What changed?” I asked. “There obviously isn’t a war of gods still going on in Sorreyal.”
“I teamed up with Plague to end the war.” Tiff pressed her lips into a thin white line, and her shoulders stiffened as the painful memories washed over her. “He convinced me that was the only way
we would survive the battle. The God of the Purge showed up and started to use everyone as his personal puppets, and it seemed like the end was near. I was outnumbered and outgunned, but with the two of us working together, we ended up as the last three players standing.”
“Why didn’t you kill the God of the Purge, then?” I asked.
If the mind controlling madman had died before my interaction with him, I never would have learned that he was from Earth, but it would have saved me a lot of time and energy that I spent chasing him down.
“We were all injured from the battle,” the goddess explained.
“Purge ran off almost immediately, and the two of us went deeper into hiding to stay off his radar.”
“So you just stood back as he manipulated tons of people into following him?” I scoffed. “You could have put a stop to it.”
“And steal your fun?” Tiff laughed. “You had everything under control. Thank you for that, by the way. I was able to come out of hiding after you killed him.”
“I do what I can.” I worked the muscle in my jaw as I thought about how my actions and decisions led to this moment.
I’d first heard of the God of the Purge while I was hunting Smiguel, the fire-breathing dragon, and I’d encountered a group of his followers led by one of his priestesses. Sarosh stood against me for as long as she could, but in the end, my logic and compassion for humanity showed her the error of her ways. We’d teamed up again in the Zaborial Isles when I was after arcane knowledge, and I’d ended up killing the God of the Purge before returning home.
Now, Sarosh was my priestess, and she led my church here in my homebase. I’d turned her to my side, and I counted her as one of my most loyal followers.
Could I do the same with the Goddess of Death?
While Tiff hadn’t shown any hostility toward me or my family, I still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of her showing up inside my castle whenever she wanted to. She had come to me for a reason, but she didn’t seem eager to share her true motivations with me just yet.
Was the goddess just keeping me occupied while the God of the Plague made moves against me?
I couldn’t rule anything out, but I had to admit, I was dying of curiosity about this beautiful, mysterious woman. Tiff had suffered a
lot in her life, and while she put on a nonchalant mask and acted like she didn’t care, I could tell there was something in her heart saying she was on the wrong side.
“Why have you been following me?” I asked when it didn’t seem like the goddess was going to continue her story without prompting. “Tell me the truth. Did the God of the Plague send you to watch me?”
“He doesn’t know I’m here,” Tiff admitted in a quiet voice, and she looked away. “And I don’t plan on telling him any time soon.”
“You don’t trust him,” I said as more of a statement than a question.
“I don’t trust anyone,” Tiff countered, and her green eyes snapped back to mine. “Trust gets you killed.”
“Sometimes.” I shrugged. “I think there are still plenty of good, trustworthy people in the world. You just have to give them a chance to do the right thing.”
“Aren’t you an optimist?” Tiff’s lips tugged into the familiar smirk. “I’m sure you’ve encountered your fair share of assholes, though. You don’t get anywhere in this world without stepping on a few toes.”
“There have been some challenges along the way,” I allowed.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“Yeah, you seem pretty capable,” Tiff observed. “That’s why I came to you. Well, that and because I don’t really have anyone else to ask for help.”
“You need my help?” I frowned. “What could you possibly need from me?”
Tiff sighed as her shoulders slumped in defeat, but she didn’t respond right away. I gave her some space to sort out her thoughts, but I could tell I was getting close to the real truth.
“There’s a lot more going on than you know about,” she said after a few moments of silence. “There are dangers out there hiding in the shadows, and another great war of the gods is looming in the future. I can feel it.”
“But you’re all set, right?” I arched an eyebrow. “You and the God of the Plague are allies, so a little war shouldn’t scare you.”
“I’m not scared.” Tiff lifted her chin to a stubborn angle. “I just want to make sure I end up on the right side. The winning side.”
“So, you’re questioning your alliance with the God of the Plague?” I struggled to restrain the grin that attempted to spread
across my face.
This was the best possible scenario that could have unfolded, and if the Goddess of Death was in my debt, then maybe she’d think twice about standing against me in this future war.
“I question everything,” Tiff said. “That’s how I’ve survived as long as I have. Trust no one, and no one will be able to betray you.”
“Then why trust me?” I crossed my arms. “I could kill you right now.”
“You won’t,” Tiff asserted confidently. “You’re not like that.
You’re different from the other players. I sense something special about you, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
We walked through the gardens a few more times as we talked, and I caught a few curious glances from passing townspeople walking down the street, but no one stopped to question us. There would likely be rumors about the mysterious visitor spreading like wildfire by morning, but I didn’t care. It would all be worth it if I managed to get the upper hand against my enemies.
“You seem like one of the good guys,” Tiff admitted after a while, and I turned to see her staring after some of the townsfolk walking off down the street. “No one has anything bad to say about
you, and people flock to you like feathers on tar. What’s your secret?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I chuckled. “Maybe if you stick around, you will learn more about me, but right now, you’re the one answering the questions.”
“You want me to stick around?” The twinkle of mischief in her emerald eyes was plain to see, and I had a quick memory flash of the aroused expression on her face when she’d watched Zenda and I making love.
“I’d have to insist on a few conditions at first,” I said in a cautious voice. “I still don’t know whose side you’re on or what you really want.”
“I want to survive the game, just like you,” Tiff said in an adamant tone. “I don’t want to die of some mysterious plague in a fucking fantasy world.”
“You don’t have any desire to rule this land?” I frowned. “You could have everything you ever wanted here.”
“Maybe.” Tiff shrugged. “But I also want to win. There’s only one way to do that.”
“Oh, yeah?” I questioned.
Tiff strode away from me without continuing to explain, and I followed behind her at a slower pace. She eyed the towering walls of the castle, and her gaze swept over the quiet street on the other side of the building. There were still distant noises of people gathered in the taverns, and the faint sound of music floated along the breeze.
“This is quite a town you’ve got here,” she said in an admiring tone. “I used to have a place kind of like this, but no one really knew who I was.”
“It must have sucked to feel so alone,” I said. “I can understand why you would choose to ally yourself with someone, even if it was the God of the Plague.”
“I didn’t really have a choice.” Tiff hugged herself and rubbed her arms. “I could join him or die.”
“We always have a choice,” I said in a reassuring voice. “Like right now, for instance. You’ve chosen to remain peaceful and cordial when you could have attacked me. I know there’s more you’re not telling me, but as long as you’re honest, I can be patient.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Tiff narrowed her eyes with obvious suspicion. “Why not just kill me and be done with it?”
“Curiosity killed the cat.” I smirked. “But satisfaction brought it back.”
“Whatever, dude.” Tiff rolled her eyes, but I could see her struggling to restrain a smile at the same time. “Why are you so weird?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” I countered. “You’re the one who was hiding in my rafters like a bat.”
“Hey, bats are cool!” Tiff laughed, and the sound reminded me just how young she was when she came here.
“Yeah, well, you came off as a little creepy,” I pointed out. “It’s almost like you would prefer to watch from a distance than join in on the fun.”
Tiff blushed a crimson hue and avoided my gaze, and I had a feeling I knew exactly what she was thinking about. There was no mistaking the look of desire in her eyes when she’d watched me in action, but if it led to a peace agreement between us, then it was worth it.
“I’m sorry for sneaking up on your family,” Tiff said in a quiet voice. “I was trying to wait until you were alone before revealing myself.”
“You had more than one opportunity to do so while you were stalking us through the forest,” I reminded her. “It seemed like you wanted to say something, but you kept chickening out.”
“I still don’t know how to tell you…” Tiff bit her dark red lips as her emerald eyes filled with doubt. “What if you say no? I would have revealed too much. No, I need to know I can trust you first.”
“How am I supposed to help you if I don’t know what’s going on?” I led the way back to where Nameless was lounging on the grass, and Tiff squatted by his head to give the dragon some more scratches. “You have to be honest with me so I can do the same with you.”
“I-I-I just… I have worked so hard to get where I am,” Tiff said and ran a hand through her hair. “I could lose all the progress I’ve made over the years, and for what?”
“Then why come at all?” I pressed.
“I don’t have any other choice,” Tiff sighed, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. “There’s no one else strong enough to help me.”
“And what do I get for helping you?” I frowned as I held her gaze firmly with mine. “What would stop you from stabbing me in the
back as soon as you got what you wanted?”
“Gratitude?” Tiff shrugged. “You can always say no…”
“Tell me,” I insisted.
Tiff stared up at me with doubt circling her gaze, and I watched her wage an internal war with herself. She had already shared so much information with me, so I wondered what was making her hold back now. She was obviously scared of something, but maybe she didn’t want to admit it. Showing any signs of weakness could put her at a disadvantage, but I wouldn’t be able to do anything if she wasn’t honest with me.
“I think I’m in danger,” she admitted in a defeated voice, and her shoulders slumped. “Plague sent me on a mission, but I have a bad feeling about it.”
“What do you mean?” I stepped a little closer to her as I continued to lock her eyes with mine. “What is the mission?”
“He sent me to fetch something.” Tiff bit her bottom lip as she gathered the courage to tell me more. “But I think it’s his way of getting rid of me. My failure to retrieve an item in the recent past has put me on his bad side, and I don’t think he is going to tolerate any more mistakes.”
I worked the muscle in my jaw as I remembered how the Goddess of Death had hired two thieves to infiltrate the Vallenwood palace, but their attempt to rob the king’s treasury failed horribly thanks to me. Apparently, the goddess had also suffered from the events in the capital, but it was hard to sympathize with her on that since I’d watched her kill the two thieves in a previous run-through.
Tiff didn’t have any memory of our first meeting, but it had made a lasting impression on me.
“So, you think it’s a trap?” I pressed my lips together. “Why would he turn against you like that?”
“Plague is convinced this is a winner take all type of game.”
Tiff’s eyes clouded with an internal darkness. “He allied with me as long as it suited his needs, but now, he probably considers me to be a liability he needs to remove from the game.”
The God of the Plague had sent the goddess on a retrieval mission, but I had a feeling I knew what he was after. I’d taken the dark crystal out of the treasury in Vallenwood, but the two gods probably didn’t realize I was the reason they failed to acquire the powerful artifact. Viceroy’s Toy was safely locked inside my own vault, but I didn’t have to tell the Goddess of Death that.
In the meantime, I could keep tabs on her a lot more easily if I was traveling with her on a mission for the God of the Plague. Plus, the chance to gather more intel on my enemy was too good to pass up.
For a moment, I considered resetting to my save point, but I didn’t want to clue Tiff in on my abilities too soon, so I decided to let time continue forward. Besides, I’d already accomplished a favorable outcome.
“Alright,” I said in a decisive tone. “I’ll help you, but on one condition. After you get what you want, you have to give me all the information I need to defeat the God of the Plague.”
The Goddess of Death took a deep breath before she nodded in agreement. I had her right where I wanted her, and it seemed like everything was falling into place. With her on my side, the God of the Plague wouldn’t stand a chance, so making her trust me was the obvious next step.
The God of Time would win this game.
No matter what.