Iliyal, Ilwin and Sara sat around for their nightly watch of Arikan news. Kirinyaa had takere stage of the world, with KTV broadcasting Kassandora, Kavaa, Helenna, or a discussion panel about them, every night. Now though, it was EIE’s turn.

  King Wissel of Doschia sat down to watch EIE. He was on a phone call with King Richard VI, and Aimone of Rilia. Today arently the White Pantheon’s terattack with EIE. Something to discredit Arascus finally.

  “I am paying attention.” Fer scrolled to a picture of lion cubs born in Nanbasa’s zoo. Very cute! Their natural habitat had loaken over by the Jungle and the species was on the verge of extin. The zoo was throwing a celebration tomorrow. Fer made pns in her head to attend.

  “You’re on your phone! I’ve made you a script!” Helenna said again.

  “I don’t need a script.” Fer said as she looked at herself in the mirror. EIE had obviously prepared for their interview with her. She had a rge room she didn’t eveo kneel in, a mirror, several chairs rge enough for Arascus. Fer fiddled with her shirt and undid the top button.

  “That’s not a professional look.” Helenna said. She herself had e in the sleek bck HAUPT uniform. Fer’s had arrived, but it didn’t fit for what Fer was about to pull off. She something lighter, the HAUPT uniforms were military gear. This white shirt, the shorts, her tail swing behind her back. That was the look she was going for.

  “I brought you because you wao e.” Fer said. “I don’t need help when I py games.”

  “This isn’t a game! And I wao help you!” Helenna, her hair going to a light pink. An ugly colour, it was a sign of exasperation from what Fer had worked out. Fer blinked and realised it was actually a brilliant suggestion. She poio Helenna’s hair.

  “I want this colour as lipstick.”

  “Why? It’s terrible.”

  “It brings more attention to my eyes.” Less trast with her skin, and she was far more emotive with her eyes than others. The most she could do with her mouth was smile or snarl. Helenna found it one of the closets and brought it to Fer. It tasted terrible.

  “Do you know why they called for me?” Fer asked. She smiled into the mirror, the pale pink was a good touch, her eyes were now the focus. That, ah, her fangs revealed themselves. Nid sharp and spotless white. She got a pair of fake gsses and put them over her eyes, the hosts had been wearing gsses, they were only here as bait. But still, she was cute!

  “Because you’re you.” Helenna said. “Because you’re the Goddess of Beasthood.”

  “Pack master. The Sce of the Steppe. Forest Stalker. The reason you don’t let your children py in the forest. Pgue upon Civilization. Manhunter. Bloodmother. Queen of d Fang. Beast-Queen. Sn of the Wilds.” Fer listed off her titles in a ft tone. “She Who Devours the Tamed.” That one she always liked. “Goddess of Beasthood, a person like that holding a publiterview only be disaster, ’t it?” Helenna shrugged.

  “Well… yes.” She said quietly. Fer turo face Helenna. This little Goddess of Love was very cute too! She grabbed Helenna’s shoulders and lifted her off her feet to be face to face with her.

  “Animals were speaking together long before mankind did. I know how to hold a versation. There is nothing to worry about.”

  “I know you do…” Helenna said. “But… I mean…” Fer gently set Helenna down and the Goddess of Love showed her the papers. “I’ve found out what they’ll be asking and…”

  “I’m gd you did.” Fer put a hand on her hip and wagged a fi Helenna. She always liked doing this to people, Big Sister Irinika had do to her more than once. “But I’m not Kassandora, who o know everything in advance. I’m not Nene, who will simply go quiet and kill you. I’m not Olephia, who will show off paintings. I’m Fer. I’m a natural at this.”

  “Are you?” Helenna asked, her expression low.

  “Did Kassie even try to stop me? What about Dad? Did he give me a lesson on this?” Fer kept wagging her finger. “No. Why? Because this isn’t the White Pantheon Helenna. If Neneria got this intervieould have de immediately. If Kassie, or Me, or Dad, get it, t immediately.”

  “I…” Helenna sighed. “I mean…” Fer rolled her eyes, people always uimated her ability at reading people. She didn’t know why, dogs could detect the quality of a person by sixth sense alone. Shouldn’t everyone just be able to put two and two together? If dogs could do it, and she was the Goddess of Beasthood, shouldn’t she be able to?

  “You feel like you owe me because I helped rescue Iniri. Now you want to pay this favour back. Helenna, if I ever need assistance, I’ll ask you, but I don’t need assistance for this.” Helenna fell bad shook her head.

  “You’re different to Kass.”

  “I’m direct, Kassie is roundabout.” Fer said. “Simple as that. I know why you’re here and I’m happy you came.” A green light buzzed above them. That was the signal EIE was ready for their set-up job.

  “That’s the signal.”

  “That is the signal.” Fer said. “Trust me, I’m a natural at this.”

  “I don’t doubt you.” Helenna said. “But…”

  “Watd learn Helenna.” Fer had always wao say those words. Her other sisters had said them, even Olephia had written them down before. “Watd learn.” They did taste good.

  “Learn what?” Helenna asked ftly. Fer eyebrows shot up and her ears stood straight. Actually, she didn’t think of an ao this. She just liked the words. She turo Helenna and stuck out her tongue.

  “Why animals evolved to be cute Helenna. That’s what we’re learning today.” She cpped her hands a off before Helenna could ask another question. There were assistants about crewmen and so on. Everyone moved out of their way, Fer towered half agaihe tallest man’s height. Helenna was at least a full head higher. This, Fer always appreciated her divinity for. She didn’t like to step out of people’s way.

  The interview room was already set. Four people, two aged men and two rather grumpy women were already there. They had stacks of papers about them. Cups of water on their desk, that was a rge brown thing of Kirinyaan wood. There was a chair ready for Fer, opposite them. Fer’s eyes sed the room immediately.

  The lights were aimed at them, there was a slightly duller for where Fer would sit. Cast her in shadow, very obvious. The cameras would be looking up at her, that was another cssic, looking up at someone made them big and imposing and scary. The chair itself was rather dull and flimsy looking. Fer was sure it wouldn’t colpse, but there was no erson sitting on that would be taken seriously. There was a carpet of crimson red underh it. No doubt to try and evoke an image of the Goddess of Beasthood sitting in a puddle of blood. A steel beam separated them in the background, that was obvious too, to draw a liween reasonable humanity and unreasonable divinity. Two monitors in the background.

  Fer smiled at the cameras. There was full crew of busy young men and women behind them. W hard no doubt. She wao burst out in ughter. Thirty people were managing four cameras. If Kassie was here, she would have cut the number down to five. Maybe six. She waved and stepped into view.

  Sara and Ilwin looked at Iliyal grinning from ear to ear. They were sharing a bottle of vodka for this interview, Fer apparently liked vodka and it was a toast to her. “Why are you so happy? This is a set-up job.” Sara asked.

  “You’ve don’t know Fer.”

  Fer walked to her chair and made a show of iing. Hands on hips, back to the cameras. Tail swinging about. She had decided what to do immediately, but there was always a tinge of sadistic pleasure to be had when she didn’t follow others pns. She picked it up, moved it, and sat crossed-legged on the carpet. So much for their flimsy high chair and cameras pointed up at her. One of the interviewers, a balding man in gsses coughed. “We did prepare a chair for you.” He said quietly. Fer ignored him and fiddled with the clip-on microphone.

  She kly what she was doing. This procedure had been expined five times to her already. But still, she was the Goddess of Beasthood, is there anyone who expected the Goddess of Beasthood to not be just a little of a klutz? She purposefully flicked it on. “Sitting cross-legged is good for your back.” Fer answered. That, she entirely made up on the spot. She had simply always sat cross legged, it was more fortable for her. One of the crew members motioned for her to turn the microphone off. Fer ignored him.

  The four interviewers gave each other sad looks. This was for show too, and then turo Fer. “This is the Goddess of Beasthood.” One of the men raised his hand to indicate to Fer. The words sounded weak though, it was hard to use that title when Fer was sat on the flrinning from ear to ear. “We have an expert set of historians well versed in Divinity today. Introdus please.” Fer was obviously going to be introduced st, then the host would introduce himself. That wasn’t going to be pn, you either introduced yourself first or st, never in the middle. That’s how you made an impression. Kassie had taught her that.

  “I am Fer, Goddess of Beasthood.” Fer said with a grin.

  A man behind the cameras threw his arms up in exasperation. The other historians took their turn speaking, obviously trying to hide their annoyance. Fer didn’t even know what they were expeg here. She was a Goddess, who was she to wait for them to finish? “Owyn Jordan.” One of the men said, a young man, early thirties, with a face so soft he probably never spent a day w in his life. “Editor to the Divine Encyclopaedia of Epa.”

  Fer looked at the camera and whispered into her microphone. “Not even the writer.” She was sure it would be picked up.

  “Ana Kennedy.” The first of the grumpy women introduced themselves. A thin woman, with her hair in a bundle in the back, a pair of ridiculously rge gsses on her face. “Professor of Diviudies in the Union.” Fer rolled her eyes.

  Fer whispered again, she wasn’t as slow as they thought she was. “No uy named, very high-css then.”

  “Lain Alkar.” The st woman said. Frankly, Fer did not think highly of her just from sight, she was sixty something dressed in a suit that would have been outdated twenty years ago. “Journalist rep for EIE on the Recmation War.” From the to was obvious she did not think highly of it. Fer smiled. Aor, a professor and a journalist. She had expected schors and philosophers. This would be brutal.

  Fer whispered once again, her voice full of sarcasm. “The Arikan Jungle Crisis, brought to you straight from Epa!”

  “And I’m your host. Clive Aniker, proud to have the first interview for Epa with Fer.” Fer grinned and waved her hand. All the attention would be on her.

  “So…” Fer immediately took charge. “I’m sure you have things to ask me.” Clive blinked and readjusted his gsses.

  “Ahh… yes…” The hained his demeanour and Fer had to tain her ughter. This was a host? She remembered arguing for her herds with Kassandora’s Generals in the past. Those were men that simply dominated rooms. Iliyal was one of them, there was little that could get under his skin back then. “Well first of all, we have some questions from EIE before we get to the debate. What do you make of the Recmation War?” Fer raised an eyebrow.

  This was a question? This was nothing. “I think it’s going well.” The host had his follow up already prepared.

  “In regards to the Caretaker issue, do you not think it is dangerous to aggravate the Jungle?” Fer shrugged.

  “Is something worth doing if it’s safe? Is it better to let the ti fall to the Jungle?”

  “But we’ve taken damage iest assault.” Fer’s ears stood up and she angled her eyes. If he was going to take an argumentative tone, she would show him why you didn’t aggravate a wolf.

  “There is no we, news-presenter-man.” She explicitly avoided his name. “We, as in the people of Kirinyaa, the Clerics, and us, the Divines, have taken damage, that is true. About fifteen of the Binturongs were damaged. That’s it. No loss of life. So we’ve fended very well for ourselves.”

  “And if more Caretakers arise?”

  “Let them e.” Fer said. “Are we supposed to beg the Juo not swallow Arika instead?” The host fell silent. Fer knew why, he had maybe fifteeions prepared for what was supposed to be a thirty mierview. She smiled at him.

  “In that case, why does Olephia not-“ Fer cut him off.

  “Strategis are not reyed to me. You would have to ask Kassandora.” There you go sister. Hopefully they would be stupid enough to get Kassandora on the live stage. Fer, as talented as she was, knew she could only be brutal, her little sister would leave a bloodbath. “I apologize.” People liked it when you were humble. “But I ot talk of why something is done or something isn’t done. Divines don’t read minds.” The host looked over to one of the women. What was her name again? Ana?

  “There are some Divines who do.” The woman said, obviously taken aback she had to e in so early.

  “You should ask one of them then.” Fer said. “None I know do and I’m sure I’m on a first-name basis with more of them than you are.”

  “I’ve studied with tless Iion Divines.” Fer burst out in ughter and wiped her eyes. It was a natural rea, but she did py it up.

  “I was talking about Of Death and Of War, not Of Windows and Of Wires.” There we go. People liked when you were strong, but likewise humans did not think highly of Divines, and Iiohe worst of the lot. Twice as grandiose as the highest Abstracts because they had something to prove. At the end of the day though, a God of Forks was nothing but a fug joke! Fer giggled once again as she thought of a snarky ent that didn’t have swearing, ’t have that on TV! “Gods of Spoons should stick to spoons.”

  The host tried tain trol. “In regards to that, do you have any pns to expand the Recmation War to other Arikan tries?” Fer had a polite ao this, which was yes, if they were willing, but she simply did not like these people.

  “Ask Kassandora, I’m don’t deal with strategy.” Fer smiled at the camera as the host sighed. What did they even expect? For her to get mad? She didn’t get mad or annoyed when ants crawled up her leg, she simply brushed them off.

  “And in regards to the damaged Binturongs?” Fer sighed.

  “I was told this would be an interview questioning me, not Kassandora. You should have done your research.” That st line ure bait.

  “We did but it’s hard to find any modern sources about you.” The host said. “You’re a rather secretive Goddess, wouldn’t you say?” Fer wao burst out in glee. She let the man dig his hole though. Sometimes prey really did wander into the open and go to sleep.

  “I’m easy going and open.” Fer said.

  “Well I wouldn’t be sure about that.” Clive said. That was the host’s name, right? Clive? Fer didn’t like it.

  “I think I am.”

  “Helenna for example takes interviews all the time to expiuation, but this is the first time you’ve agreed to an interview.”

  “It’s the first time I’ve got a request, but I even have an at on YapYap.” Fer said. “It’s Very underscore Real underscore Fer.” The four people’s eyes oage bulged. One of the women even pulled out her phone. “You pull it up now, it’s publicly accessible. I don’t private anything.” Fer grinned. She kly what the millions of people would be doing at hht now.

  One of the ss turned from bck to a feed of Fer’s at. There she was, smiling wide, fangs exposed and eyes closed and making a peace sign. It scrolled down, it ictures she had taken of animals with descriptions. The lion cubs that had been born in Nanbasa zoo were the test picture. Very cute babies! With a cute felii Fer had found in her phohen a picture of a stork in some Kirinyaan ke. Long legs! Then a picture of a lion on the prowl in near bushes. Rawr! A rhinoceros in the wild. I’m i the size of this d. That was a good ohe likes were ing in now. Sihe time she said it, she had gaiwo-huhousand.

  Fer looked at the cameras and grinned. “Thank you for liking my photos!” She said to the audiehere it was, check-mate. Now time for the victory p around these idiots. She could not believe they did not even search her up. Journalists? Excuse me? She ughed again.

  “This is your at?” The host asked as he looked at the monitor, his tone pure bafflement.

  “It is, you see the picture is me.” Fer made the same expression to the camera.

  “And you prove it?” Fer was gd she was not Kassie. Kassie would have burst out in ughter at such a stupid question. Fer, unfortunately for them, toyed with her prey.

  Fer pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the presenter before he could react. Perfect image, the four of them in stunned shock. She tapped her app and quickly thought of something to say that would get uheir skin.

  The image popped up on the feed. Four stunned people, in a thhly ungmorous angle, with equally ungmorous expressions. The below it: Wao go to the zoo, ended up ihis o a huhousand likes in a few seds. The monitor turned off as the four started to blush and Fer grinned.

  “So, onto the debate.” The host said. “Is it true that you drink blood?”

  “It is.” Fer nodded in the way i little puppies did, her golden hair flying out of pce. That was on purpose, she liked this look.

  “Do you not think it is uhical to drink blood?” The other man said. The soft boy-man. Fer had actually fotten his name.

  “Do you eat meat?” Fer asked.

  “I’m vegetarian.” Fer didn’t believe him, but the snark came easily to her even if she did.

  “I see that.” Fer replied and shrugged. “Talk to Iniri then, ask her what the pnts feel when you chop them down.” The man swallowed his spit together with his words as one of the women followed up.

  “Do you not think it is barbarism to drink blood?”

  “Are you vegetarian too?” Fer asked.

  “I’m not.”

  “Then you eat meat.”

  “I do.”

  “Then I’m more moral than you.” Fer gri her. “Since we both kill animals to eat, but you waste more of it than I do.”

  “But I don’t kill them myself and skin them and-“ Fer stopped her. She kly what this tactic was. Arascus had taught her it, it was to jure an image of horror in the audience’s mind that made their eyes and ears gze over when any ter-argument was mounted.

  “Instead you butcher them by the thousand from some factory-farm. Where they’re force-fed and ied to grow at thrice the speed they grow naturally at. I think the animals I kill, who live pleasant lives in the wild, are much healthier and happier than whatever barbarity it is your civilized world does.” She smiled at them again. Anything else? e at her. Let them try to match Beasthood in a game of words.

  “In the past, in the Great War, is it true that your herds ran rampant over what is Karaina today?”

  Fer khis question was ing. It had to e eventually. Her beastmen were her greatest asset, but admittedly, they were rather hard to defend. You’d need Divine prote to defend them. Fortunately, Fer was a Divine.

  “War is war.” Fer said. “Do we decry the Padin’s inquisition too? The Guardian’s factory cities of the past? Alsaria’s purging? The Tourai massacre?”

  “Those are just theories-” One of the women said and Fer interrupted her once agaione cold and sharp.

  “Then what better source for it than a Goddess who lived through them. Ask Maisara, she ot lie. Ask what happe Tourai. Ask about the Inquisition. Will you do that?”

  The four fell silent. Nothing? Are we out? Fer looked around, made her eyes rge, her ears jumped up and dowail whisked through the air as she tried to make herself look i.

  “Does Arascus pn to start anreat War?”

  “You interview him, I don’t speak for other people.” Fer said.

  And nothing again. From their postures, Fer knew she had crushed them utterly. The host attempted one final question. “Why are you wearing gsses? Don’t Divines have perfect vision?” Fer touched the gsses on her nose and smiled at them. She answered in as sarcastic a tone as she could manage. Kassandora would have smacked her for a tone like that, and rightfully so!

  “We all know that gsses are a sign of intelligence. Only smart people wear gsses.” She took them off and threw them off to the side. It was a low blow, sihe four hosts were wearing gsses, but it was ohey did not recover from.

  She sat there and waited until the interview ended.

  Iliyal raised his gss. “That’s how you do it!” Ilwin and Sara sat there, their jaws dropped at the massacre they had just seen.

  “issel said ftly over the phohat was fug brutal.” Aimone agreed as Richard looked over to his children, they were scrolling through Fer’s pictures of wild animals on YapYap. ‘Fug brutal’ was one way to put it.

  Essa leaned bad colpsed onto her bed. She had told EIE to destroy Fer, and Fer had destroyed EIE instead.