They all sat down as the chairs rested themselves upon the ground next to the table. The elven goddess sat at the opposite side of the table to Jacob. Hethara sat on his right holding his hand under the table, while Carthus sat to the right of the Elven goddess. The rest of the party chose their seats around the table from those remaining.

“My name is Koranum. I am the Goddess of the Harvest, and the Cycle of life. What you have proposed, despite its merits, is intolerable.” The elven goddess said while pressing he index finger into the wooden table.

Jacob countered, “How many people go hungry in this world Koranum? You of all the gods should know.” The face of the beautiful elven goddess darkened. “Do…not…pursue this question.” Jacob was unphased by her change in expression and demeanor.

Jacob turned to Carthus, “How much for that information?” Koranum turned starring daggers at Carthus. Carthus straightened his back and declared, “I will tell you for a single gold coin.” Koranum looked genuinely shocked. Before she could speak Carthus continued, “Now Koranum, as one of the good gods I will remind you that any attempt to punish me will harm you, and those who worship you worse.”

The look upon Koranum’s face was one of uncertainty mixed with pure anger. Carthus turned back to Jacob only to reflexively catch the gold coin that he had flicked at him. “The population of this world is 300 million people. Roughly 500 thousand people die every day. Of those, 300,000 die from preventable issues like, malnutrition, dehydration and such.”

Jacob slowly turned his head back to the so called good elven goddess. “Are you the goddess of pride?” The question threw the goddess for a short loop, “No that would be…” She stopped as she realized what he was implying, and it filled her with rage and questions. “You are implying that I would hold my pride above the lives of those hundreds of thousands of mortal lives?”

“I am.” Two words, which is all it took to break a goddess. Jacob switched up his strategy, “Tell me is there slavery in this world? Hethara you were most helpful in learning about this world, but I think you might have left out some details.”

Carthus perked up, “I didn’t take you as that kind of man, Jacob.” “I’m not you’ll understand in a moment. Am I to assume that means there is slavery?” Hethara chimed in, “Yes there is many blacksmiths find slaves to be their apprentices when they run low on other kinds of people to teach.” Carthus joining in, “Blacksmith slaves sell for upwards of 3 large gold coins.” Jacob turned to Koranum, “Yes many slaves tend to fields all over the world, what of it?”

Jacob began to grow angry, “On my world there was no slavery, none that was tolerated anyway. It was abolished hundreds of years ago.” Koranum brought her fist down upon the table, “Listen here you little shit! Do not take the moral high ground with me. From what I have been told your world was one where machines did everything. We do not have that here!”

“So, you would prefer men, women and children being beaten and forced to work to death. Living like animal under the heels of tyrants!” Koranum was stunned into silence by the man’s questions, but he did not miss a beat. “As far as I can tell Carthus is complacent with slavery.” Carthus merely shrugged his shoulders in a response of, “Meh.”

Jacob turned to Hethara and asked in a low calm voice, “Am I to assume your opinions are the same as Koranum’s?” Instead of answering his question directly, she asked one of her own. “May I read your mind?” Jacob pondered this question for a moment before he raised up his hands and placed them upon her cheeks. “I am an open book, for you.”

Jacob felt as she began to read his mind much like one would read a book. Jacob laid everything about himself bare for her. Jacob was by no means perfect, but this was a problem he could not solve by hiding things from her. So it was that the goddess of love read every page in the story of his life.

Hethara reexamined what she knew, all the love stories she had written in this world between slaves and those who were free. Upon all she saw in his memories, what he had shared with her, and her own life experience, she had no choice but to change.

Hethara closed her eyes and all her faithful heard, “I decree that all slaves are to be set free. None can claim to love while they hold a slave.’ With these words the gods seated on the other side of the table looked upon her with absolute shock. With her decree, she had shaken the pillars of the world.

Hethara raised her own hands and placed them upon Jacob’s cheeks. She leaned forward and so did he, they met in the middle for a short but passionate kiss. Hethara opened her eyes, “I support you 100%.”

Jacob turned to Koranum while still holding Hethara’s hands, “So, Koranum, care to think about my offer again?”