The Greatest Sin

Arascus turned and looked back to the people, he made sure to maintain his face cool. Not hard, not but not cheery either. The ship sat on the dock, battered by the weather, with seawater still pouring out of it. It was heavier than he had expected.

Or maybe he was just weaker.

The cameras took their pictures, and he lifted off into the air to return to Olephia. She was also working on something for people of Igos apparently.

Iniri pulled Kassandora’s hand as the woman sipped more of the wine. She was glad Kass was enjoying it, it was a good bottle, one of Iniri’s favourites, and it made the smile on her Iniri’s face shine brighter that she could give it to her. “I knew you’d like it.” And, most importantly, it had wiped away that sadistic glare in Kassandora’s eyes that reminded her of the time Kassandora had been their archenemy in the Great War. That was a terrifying glare, it burned with a pride one could have only when their army razed a city to the ground.

“It is good.” Kassandora said. “I’m not one for wine, but it is good.” She smiled again and handed the bottle to Iniri. “Do you want some?”

“From the same bottle?” Kassandora laughed.

“Why not?” Kassandora pushed the bottle to her. A third was gone already. Iniri took it and couldn’t answer that question in her head. She drank and passed it back to Kassandora.

“Thank you Kass, really.” A bottle was a small price to pay for being saved, far too small of a price. It didn’t even make a dent in the debt Iniri had accrued to Kassandora. The taller woman sighed.

“Don’t thank me.” Kassandora said. “Really, thank Fer and Kavaa. I did the least.” Iniri stopped, and made Kassandora stop with her. This rejection was getting annoying. Kassandora was a genius, Iniri had nothing but respect for the woman, even in the Great War, her name wasn’t hated, it was feared. But now, this was… it was simply childish. It wasn’t the sort of grandiose behaviour she expected from mortals, Allasaria would reject thanks out of feeling too good for them. Maisara and Fortia likewise, Elassa would scoff at them. Kassandora was simply rejecting them… why? Because she didn’t do a lot? She only organised the entire damn expedition to save her? And that didn’t deserve credit? What was she even talking about?!

“No Kass.” Iniri looked up into Kassandora’s crimson eyes. “I am thanking you. Do not reject me again. Thank you Kassandora, for saving me.” She reached up and gave the woman a hug. Kassandora hugged her back and squeezed tight. Iniri squeezed back just as tightly. When they finally let go of each other, it was a new Kassandora entirely.

Almost a timid one, her cheeks blushed and she cleared her throat, then shook the blush off in a momentous shake of her head, bright red hair waving side to side. “Are you alright?” Iniri asked.

“I am.” Kassandora said. She obviously wasn’t, she didn’t move, Iniri had to take the first step before Kassandora would follow along.

“You’re not.”

“I am.” Kassandora growled this time, adamantly. Iniri dropped the issue. Sometimes, she thought she could work Kassandora out, and sometimes the woman went and pulled a move like this. This was Kassandora? She was acting like Helenna of all people! Kass took another drink of the wine. “It’s good.” She said.

“That’s why I got it for you.” Iniri replied. The bottle was empty by the time they made it to the edge of Kavaa’s camp, where Kavaa was holding her celebrations. The men were singing cheery songs and roasting local game over campfires. The Arikan tribesmen had over come over too, and even some KIAB officials were here. Those were easily noticed for how overdressed they were for the scorching Sun overhead. Tables had been hastily brought out, carpets and blankets, and everything in between for people to sit on as the mass of men turned.

“Neneria is here.” Kassandora said quietly as the closest people started to fall quiet now that a gloomy Kassandora had gotten into view.

“She’s at the main table, with Kavaa and Fer.”

“I feel her watching me.” The music started to quiet down as more and more people turned there heads. Kassandora could straightened her back as Iniri beamed with a bright smile. A man stood up, a cup in his hand.

“To the Jungle Stalkers!” And then, the crowd exploded with cheer and applause. They chanted Kassandora’s and Fer’s and Kavaa’s name. Kassandora stood there and waved back as Iniri watched her from the corner of her eye.

“Thank you!” She shouted back. “Thank you! Thank you!” Fer had tried to cool the crowd before, and it took her a minute, Kavaa only managed to do it as an order. Kassandora moved her arms rhythmically as she took a step into the crowd, yelled out her thanks, started telling them to return to their meals and partying, and that today was a good day, and she did it in less than ten seconds. Iniri followed along, stunned. She hoped she could work crowds like that one day. It wasn’t any single word, it was simply the way the woman carried herself. You simply wanted to listen to her. Even her voice, deep yet feminine, strong but caring, it wasn’t an annoying teacher or a scolding mother. It was…

Well. It was exactly how a general should be.

Kassandora walked through the crowd to where the main party was. Where the Divines sat. Fer was sitting, her ears low, her head down. Neneria sat unhappy, her arms crossed. Kavaa and Helenna were both holding laughs in. “So the lady of the hour has arrived.” Neneria said crossly. Fer wrapped the dark cloak Helenna had given her tighter across herself, her head and golden mane retreated into the cover of the cloak. Kavaa had changed from her damaged armour into a loose shirt, fit for the Arikan sun and a skirt. Helenna looked stunning, although she always did, in a majestic purple dress.

And then Neneria. In that raven-feather cloak, fit for a winter rather than this weather, and a dark dress underneath that. Helenna had said the woman was usually quiet, Iniri struggled to somehow believe it. Kassandora sat with a sigh opposite Neneria and uncorked a bottle of clear spirits, and poured herself a cup-full. “Well Neneria, go on, lay it out on me.” She said.

“So you do know you did something wrong.” Kassandora made a show of drinking from the cup as she waved for Neneria to continue. “And now you’re acting like a little girl Kass. You did a mistake, you went unprepared, you got yourself lost, you should have retreated and come back with reinforcements.” Iniri sat close to Kavaa and leaned in. Neneria had been scolding Fer when she had left.

“She’s still angry?” Kavaa nodded in reply to Iniri’s question. “How bad is it?” Iniri asked.

“It’s like children.” Kavaa replied quietly. Fer’s ears quivered and she stuck her tongue out at them. Neneria kept on droning on as Kassandora downed the cup.

“You not only put yourself in danger, you put Fer and you put Kavaa in danger. Now I know I can’t stop you from danger, but Fer? Really Kass, you should know better.” Iniri sat there and wondered what the woman was hoping to achieve? Did she take pleasure from this? Everyone at the table looked as if they had blanked out.

Kassandora slamming her cup down to a chorus of cheers and other glasses clinking against the table behind her finally awoke Iniri from the daze brought on by Neneria. “You’re right. I made a mistake.” Kassandora said. “Do you feel better now?”

“I don’t.” Neneria leaned back, arms crossed and smiled. “I don’t, you didn’t even put up a fight.” She repeated.

“Because I know you’re right, so how can I argue against right-ness?” Kassandora said, Fer slid out of her cloak, half-smiling.

“I’m not right.”

“But you’re always right Neneria.” Kassandora cooed.

“When I’m wrong, I admit it.” Neneria said.

“But you’re never wrong.” Kassandora said.

“I’m never wrong.” Neneria replied. Iniri blinked, what were they even talking about?

“So you’re right.”

“Yes, but not here.” Neneria reaffirmed her wrongness, even though she just proclaimed she was always right. Iniri blinked as Kavaa looked to her in confusion. Fer merely gave them a thumbs up from the table.

“Now you’re just being argumentative for no reason.” Kassandora said.

“I’m not argumentative.” Neneria said, Kassandora raised an eyebrow and the Goddess of Death pulled her violet eyes away as she looked down. “I am.”

“I was wrong, but you know I wouldn’t put us in danger if I didn’t need to.” Kassandora said.

“I do.” Neneria admitted as Kassandora extended her arm over the table and Neneria shook it.

“Done?” The Goddess of War asked.

“Done.” Of Death replied.

“There we go.” Kassandora poured herself another cup, and one for Neneria. Then for Fer. For Kaava, Iniri and Helenna. Two bottles went just like that. Iniri should have brought more alcohol as she looked at Kavaa and Helenna. Both of them were staring at the vodkas before them with the same expression.

“You all drink this?” Kavaa asked.

“Are you not a Divine, Kavaa? This is basically one shot for mortals.” Kassandora replied.

“Weak.” Neneria quietly commented.

“Very disappointing Kavaa, I expected better from you.” Fer cooed from the other side of Neneria. Kassandora stood up and held the cup above her head.

“EVERYONE!” She shouted. Music died down, dances stopped, and heads turned as a blanket of silence was rolled out over the crowd. She took a step back, stepped onto her chair, then onto the table. “Today, I, Kassandora, Goddess of War, Fer, Goddess of Beasthood and Kavaa, Goddess of Health, have rescued Iniri from the Jungle!” She got a series of cheers for that. “We trekked for four weeks before we found her! And then we ripped her from the Jungle’s stomach!” Another series of cheers, louder this time. “Now we look to the future! We ventured into the Jungle!” Kassandora looked down and gestured to herself with her free hand. “Am I still here?”

“YES!” The crowd shouted.

“Did the Jungle take me?!” Kassandora shouted and Iniri leaned back and sipped her drink. She wished she could make up speeches as quickly as that.

“NO!”

“IT HAS NOT!” Kassandora echoed. “Today. We defeated the Jungle! For the time in history, we have shown that the Jungle is not some great deity! The Jungle is a just a forest!” Kassandora drank her cup. “This is what I think of the Jungle!” She turned and hurled her cup over the hill towards the where the Jungle lay, from the high arc, it had surely flown far enough to hurtle into the greenery. More cheers came from the crowd. “The Jungle will be cut down! The Jungle will be defeated! Kirinyaa will be free! I formally declare war on those plants behind me!” Kassandora shouted to more cheers. “Now enjoy your night gentlemen! We have a busy month ahead of us!” Kassandora sat down as the people were still cheering. “How did you like that?”

Fer harrumphed as her fists her the table. She gave two thumbs up. Neneria merely rolled her eyes. “As impressive as this.” A tiny ghostly fairy started dancing on the table.

“Ever hard to please.” Kassandora said, then looked into their cups. “You three haven’t drank.” She said to Iniri, Kavaa and Helenna. Iniri quickly downed hers. It burned on the way down. It was said Divines could not get drunk, but then, it was rare for Divines to ever drink too much. It was mainly for the prestige and status of drinking. Iniri herself simply appreciated the taste of wine. “There we go!” Kassandora said to Iniri, she was already pouring herself some more with a wide smile. “So, I wanted to talk about this, but you Helenna, I wanted to send to the Nanbasa.”

“To the capital?”

“To represent us, I’ll go with you at the start bu-“

“Kassie.” Fer leaned over the table and grabbed Kassandora’s hand.

“What?”

“Don’t talk about war plans now.” Kassandora sighed. Then downed her next cup, she shook her head, then wiped her lips with her wrist.

“Alright. Sorry.”

Iniri was glad her and Kavaa had convinced each other that dragging Kassandora here would be a good idea. Torches were brought out as the Sun set and darkness swept over the camp. Iniri had seen Kassandora laugh, but not like this, not when she talked with Fer and Neneria about their stupidities, sharing jokes Iniri missed out an entire war’s worth of context on. She didn’t mind though.

Kavaa and Helenna were here. They talked and gossiped and sang throughout the night. About tiny little unimportant trite that made them forget the fact the Jungle had stolen Iniri, that made them not worry about the future, even if just for a little while. Elassa and Allasaria could be planning something, but whatever it was, there no use not enjoying their time here.

Eventually, some of the Clerics got so drunk they had enough bravery to challenge Fer to an arm wrestle. The first man merely locked arms with Fer, and had his wrist crushed. Kavaa was on hand to heal the injury, and even then the fellow did not take it badly, he and his friends burst out with laughter. Kassandora at first refused the competition with another mortal, until she sighed, shook her head and took the man’s arm. She didn’t break his wrist, she merely slammed his hand down so quickly on the table his elbow shattered. Good thing Kavaa was on hand for that too.

Then Helenna started to show off her singing skills, and naturally, she was talented at them. She was the Goddess of Love after all. Kassandora leaned back as she listened to the woman singing, then looked over to Kavaa. “Neneria can do better.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh she can.” Kassandora said then looked back. “Nene, how much have you drank?”

“Ei…Eight big cups.” Iniri lucked over, Neneria had her face her in arms, her cheeks blushed, her back slouched, and she watched Helenna slowly turn on the table. Frankly, Iniri would have never expected Neneria to turn into such a caricature of a slob even when drunk. Even the crowd went silent as they listened in to the slow song Helenna was sing. Kassandora’s smile exposed her teeth.

“She only does this when she’s drunk.” She said to Kavaa and then turned back to Neneria. “There’s a singer.”

“I…” Neneria wailed. “I’m better!” She said.

“Are you sure she can sing like this?” Iniri leaned forwards and asked.

“Trust me, she gets better the more drink she has.” Neneria finished her glass, stood up, closed her eyes and flared. Ghostly dancers appeared on the table, Helenna turned, mid-stride, and fell silent. Neneria seized the opportunity immediately.

The Goddess of Death really could sing.

Iniri could not decide which was them was better.

Even though Kassandora had said it was a waste of time, Iniri was glad it happened. It was time she enjoyed wasting.