"Okay," I told Aiko.

Angelica nudged me with her foot.

I pulled a chair out of my inventory and set it at arm's length. "Would you like to sit down?"

Aiko considered that. She wasn't quite pacing yet but she clearly had a lot of nervous energy. Honestly that speaks to the depths of her agitation more than anything. I could read her mood. That was not normal in my dealing with her until now. Unless this is a double bluff. I looked to Brand.

He gave me a meaningful look. It said, "I know this seems over the top. I have my doubts as well. However, this seems to be sincere anxiety. I cautiously believe Miss Sato is earnest in her actions." It was a very expressive look.

Face attribute stuff is bullshit.

Finally AIko said, "Yes I will sit." She perched herself in the chair and proceeded to watch me carefully.

I continued to sit in the snow.

Angelica kicked me. It wasn't an earnest attempt to hurt me, but it did get me to take the initiative.

"You mentioned talking about Grond," I prompted.

Aiko clasped her hands in front of her. To prevent any further fidgeting, "And Goddess Adora."

I nodded and waited for her to continue. I kept waiting. Angelica kicked me again. This time it kinda hurt.

I turned to her, "Would you like to say something?"

"No you and Aiko are talking," Angelica said, stepping back, "Kinda. Not really."

I turned back to Aiko, "Would you feel more comfortable having this discussion in private?" Away from kicking legs.

"Hey-" Angelica started but stopped.

"I don't think that will matter much." Aiko answered. She steeled her resolve and continued, "I apologize. My concern is that in regard to your and Grond's fighting Goddess Adora may not be acting in good faith."

I was quiet for a moment. Too long of a moment if I am being honest. The issue I had was there was too many responses. The other problem is a lot of them were sarcastic dickheaded things. While they would certainly be cathartic to say they wouldn't help me now. Aiko seemed to be trying to help me, and insulting her was likely to get her to clam up fast. There was also the extremely morally gray reality of needing her to play bait. If she withdrew her consent for that I didn't know what I was going to do. Logistically it may not change much, but to me it would change everything. So in the end I simply said, "...go on."

"Please bear with me, a lot of this is likely to sound shocking if not not down right heretical," She gacedat Brand. When she saw no argument from him she continued, "The Goddess is a fount of fulfillment and joy to her followers. Through her wisdom and guidance the majority of the worlds sapient beings find connection and love. However we all understand the gap. Those who are not Goddess Adora's followers are often left without her gentle hand leading them to their true loves. Most explain this through the limited nature of the goddess. Others point to her respect for free will, preventing her reach from encompassing all."

I had to hold my tongue there. It was not Adora's respect for others' autonomy holding her back.

Aiko paused and tried to read my mood. She also spared a quick glance to the others, "In recent weeks I have begun to fear, the reason is less complicated." Aiko paused again. " I fear the goddess simply does not care for those who do not follow her."

That was no great revelation to me. Hell, I would go one step further and say Adora did not care about the people that did follow her. I had two battered and mishandled followers standing in my presence now. That's the hard part though. For whatever reason abusers are borderline wizards at controlling the emotions of their targets. Brand realizing the problem on his own was impressive. Him finding ways to survive and claim his own identity from a 'god' was worthy of respect. Aiko beginning the first steps was equally amazing.

I -the titan- spent years, hell decades thinking that somehow what happened with his biological parents was somehow his fault. Even as a grown man, in the dark hours of sleepless nights, the idea would sometimes gnaw at him. I felt the nail on my pinky finger. I am not the titan.

I nodded for her to continue.

"There are reasons of course," Aiko added. "While gods are of course powerful, none are all powerful. The divine game is ruthless. I am not surprised that Goddess Adora had to withdraw her affections from Grond once he crossed the threshold of Apotheosis. I even understand how that absence of her love could embitter someone. But I believe Goddess Adora is simply making a move in the divine game."

"That makes sense," I agreed.

"So you understand she is trying to counter you?" Aiko asked. She leaned forward slightly.

"Me?" I had figured I was being used to kill Grond. Was it possible the situation was opposite? Gond did make a timely arrival when we were in the dungeon. That was clearly planned, but… was it Adora's plan?

Adora did tell me Grond was distracted. She entered his domain to do it.

Aiko nodded, "Yes, you are the second Titan Spawn to step down into the divine game. Not since the All-Death has one of your kind made moves, at least openly. Many agree the Stormking uses proxies. The Soul Drinker was fenced out of the divine game by all."

"So, you think Adora is trying to stop me from participating in divine politics," I asked. I remember hearing Aella was caged in the desert. Allegedly because no one wanted her talking to anyone. That didn't stop her from talking to me.

"Most likely delay," Aiko corrected, gently. She hesitated for a moment, "Traditionally the gods have protected the world from the worst consequences of the Titan Spawns' tempers."

That tends to be how that works. Things can be profoundly terrible and people stay in line so long as a worse option is made apparent. "Did the same thing happen to Cole and Adam?"

"The Dragonsworn never stepped into the divine game. He has instead thrown in with the Dragons, and their inscrutable machinations. The youngest -second youngest- Titan Spawn, Adam as you named him, is basically unknown. I have never heard any concrete information about him. You are the first person I have heard state his name. Some theorized the fifth spawn was a myth. Other's blame them for any evil that could not be attributed to the elder spawn." Aiko went quiet.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

That was concerning. "So where does that leave you and me?"

Aiko went very still, "I believe you are trying to do good. I want to help you, but I thought you should know Goddess Adora may not have your best interest at heart. In the divine game you two are competitors."

Philip appeared, "Warlord, they are coming."

That wasn't good, "Who?" I asked.

"Titan Spawn!" a deep animalistic voice bellowed.

I looked toward the source of the noise. We had stayed close to the melted wreck of the abandoned town. That had left us in a relative low spot. While that was helpful in avoiding the worst of the wind it did limit line of sight. They appeared over the ridge.

"An army of bigfeet," I said standing.

"Bigfoots," Angelica corrected.

"Philip, what would you call them, you can't say Sasquatch," I said.

"In that case, Dead Mobs," the goblin said.

I ignored Angelica's smug smile, "I'll go talk to them." I turned to Aiko, "I think you should stay close."

She nodded and stepped closer to me.

"I shall go with you as well," Brand said. He pulled the assault rifle out of his inventory

"Bring Priestess!" The voice rumbled.

"You want us to come with you buddy?" Brunhilda asked. Dusting snow off of herself.

"Hang back. I am guessing this is gonna get messy," I said looking around. The goblins were getting ready for a fight there was a lot of folks running in every direction. I saw Spine giving orders to a bunch of teen goblins. They were going to get the under kids loaded up in vehicles.

"Now!" the voice commanded.

You have activated Voice of the Titan

"In a minute!" I boomed back. "Calm down!"

Intimidation Check… Partially Successful

Quite a few of the Bigfeet stumble back. One, the biggest one no less, didn't budge. That was probably the leader and the one yelling at me. Next to him stood a relatively slender figure. It was Grond. This time he was clad in a dark brown pelt of a bigfoot.

I turned Voice of the Titan off. "If things go sideways feel free to step in, but give me a chance to talk to them." I made my way toward the mobs. Aiko and Brand followed me. Aiko fell into step behind me. Brand walked with me shoulder to shoulder, seemingly not a care in the world.

I had my worries.

Pact Offered

Nameth Brand: Provides

Good faith effort to Protect Aiko Sato.Good faith effort to assist in possible battle against army of Bigfeet.

Titan Spawn: Provides

Titanic Speed (Lessened, Demigod Scale minimum)Titanic Regeneration (Lessened, Demigod Scale minimum)Base attribute improvements

Pending Acceptance…

Nameth Brand Accept terms.

The pact is sealed.

I should have done that for Aiko as well. Time was a factor though.

"Morning Grond," I tried to start things light.

"Give me Aiko," Grond demanded.

The massive bigfoot next to him rumbled as it growled, "Now!"

I looked at the thing. It was bigger than me, head and shoulders taller. It was also considerably more muscular. The thing's arms were bigger around than my legs. It was built like a mountain. Its fur was silver except the parts of it covered in green patterns that blazed with power. The weathered skin on its face was an earthy red like cedar.

Grond held up a hand. The massive creature stopped midstep. Grond kept his eyes, locked on me, "Not yet, Humbaba."

That didn't feel like a coincidence. Richard was going by Enkidu. Now Humbaba was here. Is this sign posting that Richard was going to die? Did the Narrators understand the story well enough to use it?

I needed to focus on the here and now, "Aiko, do you want to go with Grond."

"No," She said stepping out from behind me.

"What has he done to you?" Grond demanded.

"Nothing," Aiko said gently. She then continued, "You hurt me."

"I was upset," Grond argued. "You betrayed me. I-" he took a step forward and stopped talking when Aiko immediately stepped back. For some reason this caused him to glare at me.

"Before we go down the obvious path, you do understand that we are being manipulated into fighting right?" I asked him.

Grond glared at me for a long time, "Adora told me you took Aiko. Then you turned on her. Something to do with your scheme with that bitch Lola."

"And there it is, Adora left Aiko with me saying you attacked her," I explained.

"Bullshit," Grond snapped.

"It's true," Aiko spoke up. "That is what Goddess Adora said." Despite the cold she was sweating.

"I am not saying we need to be friends, but we don't have to fight," I offered.

Grond looked between me and Aiko. He looked onto me, "It was just you all along then."

Humbaba bore his teeth as he growled like a diesel engine.

"What?" I asked. I knew this wasn't good, but understand what he was getting at.

"Everything that happened. Two of my dungeons cleared. Two priestesses dead. One avatar taken, and my purview in challenge. Here you are now with an army, heading toward the demon's tower. I'll bet they will throw the gates wide open for you." Grond pointed at me to punctuate his accusation.

From the outside looking in I very well may have looked a lot smarter than I was. There was also the possibility that I had been set up like a chess piece on the board. No, that absolutely happened. The question was whether I moved to Wilson or the Titan's wishes.

"You're close, someone is setting things events in motion, but not me. Both of us are players on someone else's stage." I explained.

Grond's eyes widened in realization, "You can't be serious."

"I sure as hell am not joking," I told him. "We gain nothing from fighting, Grond."

I don't think I was reaching him, "You're soft. You never would have survived the things I had to endure. I was fighting mobs as a child. I earned Adora's favor. I killed the worst of the worst from all around this world. Vampires, demons, even a dragon and that was before I became a god. I climbed the ladder of apotheosis twice. And you think you can talk to me like we are equals."

That was almost certainly him telling me this fight was happening. That wasn't surprising. One thing he said dig bug me though. "Let me ask you something, Grond, how old were you when you met Adora?"

Grond frowned for a moment, then settled back into swagger, "I earned the attention of a goddess when I was fourteen winters old. By seventeen winters I had bedded her."

Fuck me. I pity any child that Adora had her hooks in. Hell given the brute force nature of face attributes I feel bad for any adult without Mental Resistance dealing with her. This poor son of a bitch never had a chance. Adora was from the world that was. Even ignoring the system and Scale, what happened between them was deeply wrong.

"I am sorry to hear that," I told him. I was too.

Grond scoffed, "Jealous?" he glared at me, "I will be taking Aiko, and I am going to slaughter your goblins."

"There is nothing I can say to change your mind?" I asked. I was pretty sure I knew where this was going, but I wanted to be certain.

"Nothing," Grond taunted.

"It's unfair Grond. You never had a chance," I told him. I pulled the knife out of my inventory.

"What?" Grond asked. He stalled out in confusion.

"I am going to kill you," I declared, "Today is the day you die."

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