“I’ve heard… things.” Wissel Ellenheim said to Jozef over the phohe President of Lubska only sighed.

  “Is it ing…” Jozef paused as he spoke. Phone lines could easily be tapped, and he wouldn’t put that past the White Pantheon, there was a reason they always met up in a castles that were designated heritage sites and had modern teology barred. “A guest?”

  “I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but yes, I’ve heard a guest has joihe party.” Wissel replied. Jozef was gd they both got the message quickly.

  “Then that is true, someo on the list did show up.”

  “That does put us in trouble Jozef.”

  “The trouble only happens if the party turns out to be disappointing.”

  “It won’t.” Jozef said.

  “Better not be, for all of us.” Wissel said and turhe phone off.

  Fer put an arm over her head, the other pressed the elbow, she stretched a out a “ooooaaaahhhhh.” A for the other arm. That helped ease the tension, the past day had been brutal, her pack had to pick up the pace, but she couldn’t order a sprint as that would have left them exhausted for what was going to happen tonight.

  Her eyes veered downwards, off the cliff and towards her own forces. It was a beautiful night, the clouds had been pushed back to reveal a b of deep blue smattered with bright stars, and in the tre a huge full moon domihe entire se. The skies above were picturesque, a perfeight for a hunt. And what a hunt it would be.

  Below those skies sat CR. Under Anassa’s red bubble. Those should be fairly opaque, but now it was a tarnished blood-crimson pimple that erupted from out the of jungle’s edge. Where the trees ended and became Kirinyaan prairies, empty highways led to it from all dires, and a cirages of y siege to that massive bubble. The immediate ground around it was smooth stone, buildings to house the attackers were there too, most likely simply pulled out of the ground by geomancers. And there were endless ritual circles, all glowing bright blue.

  Mages moved around those ritual circles, they walked to and thro, they sed with those whetting tired. They hovered in the air and ied the cracks that were appearing on Anassa’s bubble. They worked the spell that was beginning to break through them. Kassie would know what it was, Anassa would know too, but Fer did not. Each ritual circle simply sent up a tration of pure blue mana into the air, they culminated in the tre of that bubble, and then reversed downwards, smashing magical energies into Anassa’s sorcerous ones.

  And Fer spotted today’s prey. Essa hovered in the air, her staff of pure white-wood topped off with a fantastic diamond. She lethargically made circles in the air, iing her men and the spell around her. Fer licked her lips. Essa’s blood would be a sweet taste, she was sure of it. That Goddess was far too small and too cute to be bitter. A thousand years ago, they had endlessly evaded each other, ambushes were foreseen by Kassandora or by Leona, traps that should have ended either’s life were simply riggered, and it had been an endless battle of attrition.

  But Leona was not here anymore, was she?

  All Fer had to do was wait for the final piece of the puzzle. She interlocked her fingers, twisted her palms away from herself, and stretched her back with a sigh. She wore the armour Arascus had sent to her, a heavy vest of some new material to cover her chest, and a skirt. The rest, she would go without. Boots and gloves got in the way of cws, helms in the way of ears, and trousers were unfortable with the lion’s tail that flicked from side to side.

  Her eyes, nose and ears found the beastmen in the forest. She would take the east, along with some few hundred beastmen to mop up survivors who would try to run past her. Traius took the north-east, Logar took the south-east. They were spreading their troops out, although no one had been spotted yet. Fer had only seen them because she knew what she was looking for. Fur melded into trees and woodnds in a way no camoufge could replicate.

  A few minutes passed, and Fer smelled her sister. She heard the click of heel against dirt, she smelled the fresh perfume and she felt Anassa grab her shoulder as the Goddess settled on the ground. “Are you exhausted?”

  “Just let me catch a breath.” Anassa said as she let go and stood up straight. Fer still towered over her, but Anassa mao look at everyone in that way she did, as if she was looking down her was holy an impressive skill, Fer didn’t know how the woman could even do it to her.

  “So you are tired?” Fer said.

  “I’m not!” Anassa shouted, then quickly spun to look at the mages.

  “They ’t hear you from here, I barely make them out.” Fer said lightly, she made aretch, leaning over at the hips to touch her toes. Anassa merely rolled her eyes as if she was annoyed with the dispy. “What?”

  “You’re stretg?”

  “I’m bored!” Fer replied. “I got here three hours before you!”

  “Well I’m sorry for being te.” Anassa replied and swung her hand towards the red shield, another craed on it, from where the blue beam above it was cutting into it. It dashed like lightning down the surface of the barrier. “But everything still holds as far as I see.”

  “That’s just an eraser barrier?” Fer asked as she poi the red bubble.

  “It is, don’t touch it.” Anassa replied. Some things, like learning fire is hot, had to be learned from experience. Some things, like the effectiveness of Anassa’s Sorcery, Fer only had to see to know not to question her sister when she gave out advice. “So what noait?”

  “You don’t know?” Fer quipped. She had already expected Anassa not to read Kassandora’s orders, but it was always fun to tease.

  “Do I look like I know?” Anassa said quietly. The two Goddesses stood on the edge of a cliff as they watched that red bubble.

  “You really don’t know?” Fer said again.

  “Do you think I know?” Fer smiled and crossed her arms. Of course she khat Anassa would not know.

  “I caaaannnnn tell you.” Fer stretched the word out, she k was annoying. She knew Anassa wasn’t in any position tain her.

  “But you won’t.” Anassa said, her tone low and tired.

  “But why should I?” Anassa sighed heavily, her posture dropped, her arms fell loose, even that red dress of hers which exposed the side of a thigh looked depressed.

  “Because you’re the best sister ever.” Anassa admitted heavily. “And because I, Anassa, do not know. So you tell me now?” Fer chuckled to herself. It really didn’t require that much praise, but she still e.

  “What’s the magic word?” She cooed.

  “Please?” Anassa had to force the word out of her lips. Fer had holy never heard Anassa utter that to a her.

  “We wait for the shield to drop, and then move in. Kassie said she’s ready on her end. We’re ready now.”

  “That’s it?” Anassa replied.

  “That’s it.”

  “I drop the shield at any moment.” Anassa said.

  “That’s not what Kassie said to do.” Fer snapped bad Anassa sighed. The Goddess of Sorcery merely shrugged.

  “Well alright then.” Another Anassa stepped iehen ahey said nothing, merely turned around and took a step. Both disappeared before their feet even touched the dirt.

  “What are you doing?” Fer asked.

  “Looking for fruit.” Anassa said. “Want one?”

  “Please.”

  “Alright.”

  Fer saw Essa pull a pho of her dark blue dress, all flowing with magical ruhat pulsated like beatis and naturally ged shapes. Fer’s tall ears sprung up and aimed forwards. It was far away, but Essa had put the phone on loudspeaker so she could listen above the slow rumbling of her spell. Fortia was oher side, and Fortia was not happy at all, she screamed through the speaker. “ELASSA! GET OUT OF THERE!”

  Fer saw Essa blink and look around, her eyes going to the Jungles on the edge of that rocky circle which the mages had carved their ritual circles into. Fer only smiled to herself, she was looking too close. With her so high in the air, it wasn’t too difficult to pick out what she was saying. “What are you talking about?” Fer smiled and leaned close to Ana.

  “We’re moving soon.” She whispered.

  “She’s on the phone.” Anassa said.

  “To Fortia.”

  And Fer listened again. Fortia screamed through the phone in a desperate fashion, a way Fer had only seen a few Divines scream in. “GET OUT OF THERE ELASSA! RETREAT! I’M A FULL RETREAT!” It was odd. Kassie almost never shouted, and when she did, her voice was a tremendous hammer that gave no ce at terargument.

  Anassa poked Fer and held an e in her hand. Fer took it, ripped it in half, and tore the fruit from the peel with her teeth. The juices dripped down her as Anassa held her own e. It split itself into delicate pieces, perfect for eating in her hand. “You eat like an animal.” Anassa said quietly.

  Fer merely shushed her as she leaned forwards, licked her lips, and listeo what Essa was saying. It was only one slow word. “Why?”

  And Fortia responded immediately, a scream frantic as if wherever she was staying at was currently on fire. “FER AND ANASSA ARE ING FROM THE EAST! GET OUT OF THERE!” Fer blinked. So even without Leona, their movements had been tracked even though the pack had avoided all danger. Kassie should be told about that immediately, that was life-saving information.

  “We’re ging pns Ana.” Fer said as Anassa delicately pinched a slice e and chewed it. “On my t, drop the barrier.”

  “You sure?” Anassa said. She looked down at the fruit in her hand, then quickly ate two more pieces. Fer turned back to Essa when her eyes caught the Goddesses’ lips move to speak. Two tall ears strained and aimed directly at the Goddess as they caught what she was saying from more than a mile away.

  “Are they?” Essa spoke slowly, almost as if in disbelief. “I’m almost doh breaking through the sed barrier, it’ll be over.” Fer’s eyes sed the skies. If Essa shot off now, she would be gone immediately. Anassa could catch up, but the pn wasn’t for those two to have a duel. Duels were flips, Kassie never employed duels as trepieces of tactics.

  Fortia screamed through the speaker again. “AND IF SHE..” Fer ignored what she was saying as she grabbed Anassa’s hand.

  “Drop the barrier, and throw me at her, uood? ge of pns, I’m in charge now, Kassie will be ready, it’s Kassie.” Anassa threw the final slice e in her mouth, chewed, swallowed and nodded.

  “When?” She asked.

  Fer turned her head back to Essa. Fortia was still screaming through the phone. “MOVE ELASSA! NOW!” Essa started to drift higher into the air.

  “She knows we’re here, she’ll retreat.” Fer said as she shook her sister. “Now!”

  “I’ll be a sed behind you, alright?”

  “JUST THROW ME!” Anassa nodded, her scarlet eyes became sharp, she rose into the air and waved a finger. A tendril of red light extended from her and coiled around Fer’s chest. And then Anassa was gohe trees around Fer became a blur, the cliff she had just stood on, she viewed as if she was looking through a picture. She turned her arms, her tail and legs stabilized her flight, and she saw Essa turn towards her.

  Essa began to speak as Fer uhrough the air. “I’m fine For…” Her voice trailed off, those blue sapphires for eyes met Fer’s wild topaz ones. Fer saw the shoe through Essa’s face. A weaker Divine, maybe one of the more modern ones, would have beeaken by shoot Essa though, she was an old breed, a respectable type of prey. The type that would fell a hunter unprepared.

  That bright white staff fred with light immediately, and winds caught Fer. It was a bcksmith’s hammer from above, and Fer fell through the air.

  She saw the barrier fall.

  She felt Anassa’s sorcery catch her.

  She felt herself be flung back up.

  She saw Kassandora standing on top of a ptform.

  She saw trees move to reveal her heavy artillery.

  She saw Iniri raise her hands as the walls sprouted outwards.

  And she turo Essa.

  Truly an old breed of Divine. She was smiling, her staff making delicate spins in her hands. Fmes burst out around her, winds howled as they carried a firestorm downwards.

  They really did not make them like that anymore. It was almost sad to think the world would run out of prey worthy to hunt.