The suns had already set by the time Derzina returned to the world she knew, though the moonlight was still bright compared to the darkness of the other realm. Appearing amongst the palace gardens beside Brtetsia, Derzina let out a sigh of relief.

“How did you find her?” the young goddess asked.

“I didn’t,” Derzina said, “the heart returned her to me. Do you know anything about the heart or what lives within it?”

“Something bad.” Brtetsia’s usually bright tone was dampened by fear. “I can feel it hungering for me even now.” Then, as if forgetting the subject entirely, her voice returned to normal as she continued. “Now that your god is back, are they also going to fight?”

“If they must. Why do you ask?”

“Well, the other gods are already fighting, so I thought yours might as well.”

“Who are they fighting?” Derzina asked, struggling to shift her focus from the heart back to this world.

“Each other. Well, Inea and Xanathel are at least. I don’t know what Gorthar is doing.”

Recalling the warning Mostanto had given her, Derzina cursed the foolishness of gods. They’d only narrowly defeated Meztraxia and they were already turning on each other? It was madness.

“We need to stop them,” Derzina said, “is there anything you can do to help?” Even with Atasimon restored to her, the goddess’ diminished power could only do so much on its own.

“Like what?” Brtetsia asked, tilting her head to the side. “I might be able to send them back to the other world, would that help?”

Sending just one of them would certainly put an end to the fighting, but Derzina misliked the idea of sending anyone to that place. Especially a god. “Is there anything else you can do?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I see. Do you know where they are?”

While Brtetsia only shrugged, Atasimon’s voice sounded in Derzina’s head. “I’ve located my son, let’s not waste any more time here.”

Without so much as a goodbye, Derzina rushed off at Atasimon’s behest. Trying to navigate through the city using only the goddess’ vague directions proved difficult, but as Derzina got closer she was able to follow the sounds of clashing steel and dying men, punctuated by stone crashing to the ground. She passed Paladins of the two gods doing battle, but ignored them in favour of seeking out those they served. Once the gods stopped fighting, their followers would as well.

A building, stained black by the power of Xanathel and his Paladins, collapsed in on itself before Derzina. Beyond it lay a great flowing mass of darkness which hurled itself at Inea. Standing defiant before it, the goddess’ blade cut through great swathes of darkness as it sought to envelop her.

As blackness flew around her, some of it sticking to her armoured form, she thrust her sword deep inside it. Xanathel cried out in pain and fell back, but his power was already taking effect on Inea. Pieces of steel sloughed off her like dead skin, falling away as she pursued her foe.

“Stop this at once!” Derzina shouted, Atasimon lending her voice greater volume.

The duelling gods before her fell back from each other, staring at her and their opponent.

“You’re supposed to be allies protecting the city, not trying to kill each other. And over what? Who rules the city?”

“She attacked me first,” Xanathel said, darkness fading to reveal a hole straight through his shoulder, “I seek only to defend myself. Help me in this, that we might defeat the tyrant once and for all.”

“Why did she attack you?” Derzina asked, recalling the warning Mostanto had given her. Had that simply been a ploy to engineer this very situation? If so, it appeared it hadn’t been necessary to provoke Inea’s wrath.

“Because she refuses—” Xanathel began, only for Inea to talk over him.

“He was plotting to steal my followers for his own and give this city over to the demons.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Derzina said, “he fought every bit as hard as you did to defeat Meztraxia. How can you claim he’s in league with the demons after he helped destroy them?”

“He only did that so he could hand the city over to those he’d already pledged it to.”

“Do you see the depths of her madness?” Xanathel asked. “I know you to be a just woman; help me rid the city of her poison once and for all.”

Though she didn’t entirely trust Xanathel, he was the only one speaking sense.

“If there’s any truth to what he says,” Atasimon said inwardly, pre-empting Derzina’s question, “then we should support him in this.”

“Lady Inea,” Derzina said, moving between the two and approaching the goddess, “please, be reasonable. Whatever you believe is happening here, we can resolve this peacefully.”

“We’re long past that,” Inea said, not wavering for an instant. “Stand aside, or you can die with him.”

She spoke with such hatred and conviction, that Derzina knew peace was no longer possible. Without a word, she gave control over to Atasimon. The goddess’ dark veil manifested around her, a fitting accompaniment to the flowing darkness surrounding Xanathel which swelled to obscure the god once more.

Inea slashed at Atasimon’s head and the sword shredded right through the goddess’ veil, forcing her to duck. Even while forced to retreat, Atasimon’s shadows curved around her attacker and sought out the gaps Xanathel had opened in their armour. Yet the few shallow cuts she was able to inflict did nothing to slow Inea as she continued to press Atasimon with a rapid series of strikes. Focused on her opponent, Atasimon lost sight of Xanathel until he appeared behind Inea as a dark cloud and fell over the goddess before she could turn.

Hidden from view, Inea’s limbs and sword poked out from time to time as she struggled. But Xanathel’s grip was firm and her flailing slowed before stopping completely when her sword arm, still clutching the weapon, fell from the cloud. When the darkness lifted, all that remained of Inea was a puddle of green, silver and bone.

“Thank you, mother,” Xanathel said, beaming as he emerged from the darkness he’d brought. “you have done a great service, to me and to the people of Bretet. One we shall never forget.”

“You can handle the rest,” Atasimon said, speaking internally. “I fear even that paltry display has expended my strength.”

“Atasimon extends her appreciation,” Derzina said, “but the battle was most draining for her and she must rest.”

“Then I hope she recovers quickly, though I’m sure we can handle what comes next between the two of us. After all you’ve done for our city, I hesitate to ask more of you, and yet I must. There is still a great deal to be done here to bring order to the city, will you assist me? Having the support of a figure as pivotal as yourself, would go a long way toward soothing the minds of the people. They have never liked me for the most part, and I’m sure many of them will be terribly upset by Inea’s death.”

“I’m willing to help, what do you need from me? What do you intend to do with the city now?”

Brief as the fight against Inea had been, Derzina was still numb from it. But she had to work past that; Xanathel was right, there was much to be done here. The sounds of battle had faded with Inea’s death, presumably her paladins had sensed her fall and given up the fight.

“Come with me and I’ll explain. There’s an associate of mine who shall play an integral role in what comes next; their presence is necessary before I can go into the details.”

Derzina accompanied the god through the city while he spoke at length of Derzina’s glorious deeds and how tragic Inea’s end had been, whatever her flaws. Though initially she tried not to let Xanathel’s words influence her overmuch, in the end the validation of all her efforts was too sweet to ignore. By the time they reached the home of one of Xanathel’s followers where they’d stayed previously, Derzina was fully convinced of the righteous nature of their actions. Regrettable as Inea’s death had been, it was for the best.

The owner of the home was nowhere to be seen when Xanathel came calling, the only occupant was the traveller he’d introduced to Derzina last time. After all that had happened, and was happening at the time, she couldn’t recall their name.

“I apologise,” Derzina said, as they were moving deeper into house, “but I seem to have forgotten your name. Would you mind refreshing my memory?”

“It’s Nirinphage,” the woman said. She wore the same wide-brimmed hat Derzina had seen her in last time, and from the way her clothing bulged slightly, it seemed she was wearing armour underneath her clothes. A somewhat odd choice, but not unreasonable given the current state of the city.

“First of all,” Xanathel said, as the three of them sat down at a table, “I’d like to congratulate you both on the glorious future that awaits us.” He turned to Derzina. “I’m sure you must be confused as to Nirinphage’s role in all this, so allow me to explain. She is an emissary from another city, not so distant from ours, who I intend to make an alliance with.”

“How exactly would an alliance between cities work?” The concept was appealing in theory, but she struggled to imagine what support another city could realistically provide given the largely impassable wastes that separated the two.

“We would agree to protect one another if attacked and generally support the endeavours of the other. Now, of course, normally such aid would be largely impossible. But Adytum, the city which Nirinphage represents, offers us a unique opportunity. For you see, they have developed a way to travel overland without succumbing to the effects of corruption.”

“And how have they accomplished this miraculous feat?” Derzina asked. If what he said was true, then it may change the very nature of human existence. Perhaps they would no longer be prisoners in their own walls.

“After a great deal of effort and study, they have determined a way that humanity might be altered to resist this corruption.” He put his hand on Nirinphage’s arm. “Please remove your hat.”

Doing as she was bid, Nirinphage placed her hat on the table. Beneath was a pair of short grey horns, that protruded from the top of her head.

Derzina jumped up, drawing her blade as she did. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I understand why this may frighten you,” Xanathel said, “but I assure you that there is no cause for alarm. Nirinphage means no harm, not to us or to the people of Brtet.”

“She’s a demon,” Derzina spat.

“Not exactly. She’s a human that has received a carefully portioned dose of their essence. Well, it’s more complicated than that, but suffice to say she is still very much human. This change simply allows her to travel beyond the walls without fear. At least for a certain time, they’re still working to improve upon the process.”

“I don’t care what the supposed benefits are, tainting ourselves with the demon’s corruption is no solution at all. It’s better that we die.”

“I assure you,” Xanathel said, “it’s quite safe.”

Derzina shook her head, she’d heard enough of his excuses and explanations. “Inea was right, you really do mean to hand this city over to the demons.”

The smile disappeared from Xanathel’s face, rendering his features cold and barren in an instant. “I intend to do no such thing. This is merely an alliance, forged for the betterment of both cities.”

“I never should have listened to you, nor will I ever accept this appalling alliance of yours.” She got up and moved to leave, only for Xanathel to block her path.

“Where are you going?”

“To tell the people exactly what you plan to do with them. Now move aside.”

“I’m afraid I cannot. The people are not yet ready to know what I have revealed to you. I had thought you a reasonable woman with righteous intent, but I see that I was mistaken. In the end, you are little better than Inea was.”

Atasimon’s veil appeared around Derzina, as Xanathel’s darkness bore down on her. The goddess’ shadows held back the tide, but Xanathel’s darkness grew and grew until she was surrounded by it. From there, it took only a few moments before flowing death rushed inward. It dug channels in Derzina’s flesh and she reeled back, only for it to vanish.

She thought that perhaps Xanathel had decided to be merciful, but when his face was revealed he looked just as surprised as she was. It was only then that Derzina noticed the purple light emanating from her body. With a blinding flash, it covered Xanathel as he turned to flee. When the light faded, he was gone.

“What have you done?” Nirinphage whispered, horrified.

“I had no part in this,” Derzina said, standing there stunned. Blinking several times, she gathered wits. “But I don’t regret it. Better that he be destroyed than pollute this city with your taint.”

“I know that if you didn’t believe him, then there’s no way you’ll believe me, but we really are trying to do what he said.” With pain in her eyes, Nirinphage looked away. “I’m still human,” she pleaded, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself as much as Derzina, “just as much as you are.”

Derzina raised her blade, useless as it was against a god, it would serve well here. Every atrocity the demons had committed, from the destruction of her own city to the terrible stain they’d inflicted upon this world, compelled her to end the foul creature before her. Yet the torment that warred across their features gave her pause.

“What would have happened if I’d agreed to help the both of you with your wretched plan?”

“We would have prepared the city for the arrival of a contingent of my own people, who would help to prepare those who were willing to endure life beyond the walls.”

“You mean corrupt them as they did you,” Derzina said, sneering. “And will this contingent now no longer come?”

“They’re already preparing to leave,” Nirinphage said, “though it will take them a while before they’re ready. Probably no more than a few weeks.” She eyed Derzina’s sword. “Please, don’t do anything hasty. I swear that our intentions are noble.”

“We shall see,” Derzina said, sheathing her blade.

“Then you’re willing to admit them to the city? At least to hear what they have to say?”

“Far from it. Given the choice, I’d stop them getting anywhere near Brtet. But you will take me to Adytum, so that I can see your foul city for myself.”

Nirinphage nodded “If that is what it will take, then I will gladly make the journey.”

“So be it.”

They were leaving the building when Brtetsia stepped into existence before them.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Xanathel and Inea are dead,” Derzina said. “I’m leaving the city to investigate something that may be vital to its future.”

“The gods are dead? What is Brtet going to do without them? I thought they were responsible for protecting it.”

“They were, though they both seem to have lost sight of that.” Derzina stopped to think. In the heat of the moment, she’d all but forgotten about the city’s future now that its gods had fallen. “You and Gorthar shall have to protect it in their stead.” A risky proposition, yet it seemed the best of their options.

“Me?” the young goddess asked, blinking. “I don’t think I can do that.”

“I believe you have the power to protect Brtet, Gorthar will have to help you with the rest of it.”

“Why me? Can’t someone else protect the city?”

“No, there’s no one else. And this is your city now, just as much as everyone else who was born here.”

Brtetsia frowned, deep in thought, only to brighten as she made up her mind. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I can ask,” Derzina said. “Farewell.”