I was so shocked, I dropped out of [Charm]. I didn’t even know that was possible. Perhaps it wasn’t, perhaps [Charm] just decided that an actually honest, unmediated response was the the best move here.

  “Uh, what?” I said.

  “A small part,” Naldyna clarified. “A very small part. One not shared with the others, I can assure you!”

  Yeah, [Charm] doesn’t know what it’s talking about.

  I’d heard it said that for any proposition, there was at least one god in favour of it. And at least one god against it as well.

  “Really? You’re the god that's in favour of removing the gods?”

  “No.” Naldyna scowled at me. “Not at all. But I am in favour of the mortal races being free to develop at their own pace. Even under the rules of our Game, most of the others are still intent on interfering.”

  “So you’re not in favour of it, but you can see some benefits.”

  “Some, I suppose. Far outweighed by the dangers you have subjected the world to, but… there’s nothing to be done about that now. And also…

  She paused, hesitating over whether to tell me.

  “If you had not been there at all, if Reggie had come through on his own, I would have been there. So close to my beast-kin, how could I not? Few of the others would have. We would have been trapped, and the others left free. That would have been a disaster.”

  “Well… I don’t know that he would have come through if he couldn’t guarantee you were all there,” I said.

  “I suspect that he could have achieved his goals with just one of us. Rendering all of us helpless made his task safer, not easier. Perhaps he would have restored us, and the balance, but I don’t think he cared overmuch for that.”

  “It could have gone either way,” I allowed. “So, does this mean we can develop a working relationship?”

  She glared at me some more. “For now, perhaps. I will get my godhood back… eventually.”

  “I’m sure you will,” I said diplomatically.

  “Why did you wait to ask me about this?” Naldyna asked suddenly.

  “It would have felt a bit like extortion,” I answered. “Asking for favours while I was responsible for keeping you alive. Our positions feel more even, now.”

  This was mostly an illusion. Sure, Naldyna was sitting up on her throne, and she probably had hidden guards around… but she was still level two. I could kill her with a quick [Iron Dart], a spell I was so weak at that I couldn’t use it in combat. Her guards might prove a hindrance, or perhaps be able to avenge her, but I didn’t think they had an answer for [Invisibility]

  Not that it mattered, since I wasn’t going to attack her.

  “Hmmph. I already know what you’re here for. It wasn’t that long ago that I was almost omniscient. I know what you’re headed into.”

  “Nice to have confirmation, I suppose,” I said wryly. I’d really hoped that this wouldn’t be necessary, but I guess those hopes were officially dashed.

  “I’m sure it is. But is not the priestess there sufficient for your needs? Tonet, I think her name was. She is as skilled as any priestess that I might lend you.”

  “I’m sure she is,” I said. “But there is the small matter that she didn’t tell me that she had the ability to undo [Mind Magic]. It makes me feel that she can’t be trusted to help.”

  “Perhaps not,” Naldyna allowed. “She has little love for Latorrans. However, you should not think too badly of her.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Consider how it feels to be the lynchpin of someone else’s strategy against a deadly and ruthless opponent,” Naldyna suggested. “Were Tonet your only defence against Marrienne Rankin, she would surely be a target for assassination. Her ability can’t be concealed from a mind mage who attacks the same target twice.”

  Which was a roundabout way of saying that if the Countess targeted the same person twice, she’d see the memory of Tonet removing the earlier spell. Maybe we could mitigate that by having her work from hiding…

  “Is that fear going to impede the rest of your priestesses?” I asked.

  “That depends. [Mind Heal] is not meant as a defence, it is a tool of attack. Do you have the resolution to drive this snake from your town?”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “I’d rather kill her,” I said bleakly. “That might cause problems with the King, but letting her live seems like a mistake.”

  “I thought you were against killing.”

  “I am,” I agreed. “I just don’t see any other way, that doesn’t leave her to come back and bite me. Not to mention Talnier.”

  Naldyna nodded slowly. “Perhaps you are not lost to the Way of the Wild,” she said. “You are not there yet, but you can learn.”

  “I’m happy with my current moral stance, thanks. So can I get some priestesses? Or priests, I’m not fussy.”

  “I will send two with you,” she decided. “Added to Tonet, that should be enough.”

  “Great! What is that going to cost me?”

  This was better than I had hoped. If Naldyna hadn’t come through, I was planning on approaching some of the clergy directly. Since Naldyna wasn’t big on control, I figured she wouldn’t stop any priest or priestess that I managed to convince. But this was better.

  “We are not like your greed-loving civilisation,” Naldyna said with disdain. “We do not put a price on every thing, while valuing it not. Mind magic is a cancer on society that needs to be carved out whenever it is found.”

  “That’s great,” I said. “Can they be ready to leave tomorrow morning?”

  * * *

  The caravan that finally left the beast-kin capital was big enough to rival the entourage I’d picked up on Axel’s final floor. There were my normal companions of course. Duit was tagging along as well. She brought her elven escort and two young tribal folk who seemed to want to sign up for the Church of Life. One was human and the other was, I thought, a beaver-kin.

  Then there was the trade caravan. I had been worried that everyone was going to have to carry a pack, but we had been provided with two Beast Tamers, each with a flock of five Quillstriders.

  They were remarkably ferocious-looking for beasts of burden. They were about halfway between bird and lizard. They looked a little like ostriches with iridescent feathers, but they didn’t have wings. Instead, they had forward-reaching arms, like a Tyrannosaurus. The head rose up on a flexible neck, like an ostrich, but it had a lizard-like mouth, with lots of small, sharp teeth.

  They could be ridden, apparently, but there wasn’t much advantage to it. Their gait made for an uncomfortable ride, and while they were strong enough to carry a rider, the weight tended to unbalance them, especially when jumping from tree limb to tree limb. They were more of a test of skill than a viable transportation option.

  Instead, they were loaded down with our trade goods and supplies, and the caravan as a whole would be travelling at the speed of our slowest member, Duit.

  Finally, there was our guide, Bram. This was his second stint at guiding me, and I greatly preferred the quiet bear-kin to the treacherous Reynard.

  “Do you think we can find some beasts along the way?” I asked him. “I want to get Duit up to level three if we can.”

  He looked at me and then, more doubtfully, at Duit.

  “You’ll be carrying her, then, not having her make the kills on her own?”

  “That’s the idea,” I said.

  “Might have to split off from the main group,” he mused. “Most creatures with sense won’t come near ten Quillriders.”

  “Are they commonly used in caravans?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Too much trouble to raise,” he said. “Though there is one village, where these guys are from, that don’t care. Tough skins.”

  I looked at the two trainers, who were the same race, possibly even related to each other. They had short, dense, black and white fur. Badger-kin?

  “Let’s not do it on the way, then,” I decided, returning to the main topic. “When we get to a village, we’ll see if they have any nearby monsters that need clearing out.”

  Bram nodded.

  * * *

  Our departure was surprisingly festive. I tried not to take this as the beast-king being glad to see us go. They did seem, on balance, to be happy with what we had done. We travelled the same route Reynard had taken us, in reverse, so I got to see the same villages again. They were happy to see us, though some individuals weren’t happy to hear the news about Reynard.

  Word had been sent out, affirming our status as welcome guests of the tribes, so we didn’t have any trouble finding places to stay. My stash of coin was sadly depleted, so we opened up some of the trade goods. There were wines, preserved meats and cheeses that the villagers were happy to accept as hospitality gifts.

  When we got to Mossridge Gather, our final stop on the way home, I took the others aside before the feast started.

  “I’ve arranged for Duit and the caravan to stay an extra few days,” I said. “Bram will be staying with them. I’m pretty sure we can find our way back to Talnier on our own.”

  By we, I mean’t Cloridan. [Memorise] wasn’t as helpful as it should be, in the Great Wild. Landmarks changed with surprising speed. Cloridan was good at noticing the things that didn’t change.

  Bram looked doubtful. It was his default expression. “If they’re staying a few days, I can guide you and then come back for them,” he said.

  I thought about it. “We want to enter the town at night,” I said, “And it won’t be safe for you there. Will you be fine outside the town overnight?”

  Bram nodded. “No problem.”

  Duit looked at me knowingly. “You should send word when you can. If you are not successful, we will need to bypass the town.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You knew, and you weren’t going to tell me.”

  “Your trials and tribulations are none of my business,” Duit said. “Your success or failure will be up to you.”

  “That sounds like you’re still restricted by the Game,” I countered. “But you’re not anymore, are you?”

  “What makes you say that?” Duit asked, but her deflection was transparent to me. She wasn’t a god anymore, just a mortal.

  “I knew it. Was it a vote, or did you just decide to stop?”

  “There was no need for a vote,” Duit admitted. “The Game existed to protect mortal from our squabbles. We are no longer anyone that the world needs protecting from.”

  “For now,” I said. “You’ll get your levels up soon enough. And you’re not exactly ordinary mortals are you? You have resources, and followers, and now you can go back to squabbling over the destiny of the mortal races.”

  “And will you do something about that, Kandis Hammond? Will you stand in judgement over us again?”

  “No,” I said. “You do what you want. I know you think it’s for the best. I just wanted to know where I stood.”

  “On very thin ice, Kandis Hammond. None of the gods are in a position to drag you down, but you have enemies aplenty.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I said. I would have been bitter about it, but all the enemies I knew about were good enemies to have. I looked at my party.

  “We’ll discuss how to approach Talnier in the morning,” I told them. “Away from ears that aren’t fully invested in our success.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Kyle said. “Ready for anything.”