If only I had the power of Air, like my sister,I thought. Fire and Earth were powerful weapons but would do little to dispel this impenetrable haze.
I growled lowly as I walked, my boots periodically slipping on the ash and dust.
My sister, benevolent dictator that she was, sent me here to confirm for ourselves the destruction of the mines. Her original plans included “liberating” the imprisoned before pressing them into our gradually growing army; Solace also intended to remove as many crystals as possible from the mines before collapsing the tunnels, rendering them inaccessible to my last descendant.
It seems someone has beaten you to it, sister.
To say Solace was unhappy about the rumor was an understatement. While I thoroughly disliked being sent places like her dutiful dog, I was more than happy to escape her misplaced wrath. Last time something went awry, she killed five soldiers just for standing too close.
Temperamental bitch.
Wet grass gave way to rocky ground as I finally approached the mine’s entrance. The magical residue was stronger here; I could practically taste it in the air.
The fog cleared in a small circle, barely wide enough to encompass the collapsed cave’s mouth and the stone I stood upon. I slowly turned my head, begrudgingly impressed by the clever use of magic.
“I’m guessing the fog is not entirely natural,” I called loudly, trying to draw out whoever was lingering in this area.
“No, it’s not,” the simple retort sounded from just in front of me, and I watched as a man with nondescript brown hair and forgettable features appeared from thin air.
Inadvertently, my brows furrowed in thought.
That’s not possible; only I hold the power of teleportation.
“Just a handy trick I’ve developed over the years,” the man said with a shrug as if he read my mind. “I can conceal myself with the minuscule particles that float in even seemingly clear air. It’s quite handy for situations like this.”
I grunted before crossing my arms, the leather of my armor creaking with the movement. I was slightly unruffled by how at ease this man was in my godly presence. He hopped onto a fallen boulder before finding a second rock a bit higher up that he utilized as a chair. The movement put us at relative eye level, and I internally growled at the obvious power move.
“Why are you here, Kaos?” the man asked as he cocked his head to the side, his brown eyes shining with intelligence.
His movements and cadence of speech reminded me of my father—but this couldn’t be him. He was stuck on Meru—a little secret I’d discovered and hidden from my sister.
I stayed silent for a moment, wanting to see the little fucker squirm, but I only succeeded in drawing a mildly amused expression.
“Why I am here is none of your business, mortal,” I growled, and the man’s smile only grew wider.
“How about a little exchange of information, then? A truth for a truth, if you will.”
I crossed my arms tighter, enraged.
A bargain.
Only Fate dealt in bargains, and my hackles rose in suspicion.
“You dare to negotiate with a god?”
The man shrugged his shoulders, that infuriating smirk still plastered to his face.
“I feel like you’d have the advantage here. I”—he placed one average-sized hand on his chest—“cannot determine a lie from a truth. For all I know, you could tell me you’re here tocollect rocks. Or that there’s a great bird-watching spot up the mountain.”
Bird-watching? The man’s insane.
“I cannot tell a lie. Not to the great God of Truths especially,” he said sagely, dropping his arm back to his side. “So, what do you say? A little truth for truth?”
I stared unblinking at the enigma on the rock. His booted feet swung in an off-cadence rhythm from where they dangled over the edge of the boulder.
I could just kill him, I thought.But that magical signature . . .
“Fine,” I barked, and the man’s smile widened.
