Gods Know where, Day 50 A.F

It was well into the night by the time we emerged from the musty tunnel Tybira had found leading out of Amire's laboratory. I didn't know how she found it, but I was grateful she had. Tybira didn't know either. She also didn't know how she knew that Chesed had escaped Amire's safe house, claiming that she suddenly saw a vision of him breaking through the walls and rampaging away. I hadn't bothered to question it.

We hadn't spoken much, only frantically running, even once we escaped the tunnel. Neither of us recognized the barren, Flood ravaged terrain and we weren't slowing until we were confident neither Chesed nor Shiva could reach us.

I assumed Chesed wasn't intelligent enough to end his mindless rampage to track us, but Shiva? The demoness was clearly calculating. Amire had been intelligent as well, but over confident. His confidence had helped to cause his death. The Hermit, or whatever Shiva had called him, had been so sure of himself he hadn't considered our escape until it was too late.

Somehow I doubted Shiva could be so easily fooled.

As pale tints of orange peaked out through the clouds, ebbing the darkness, Tybira and I made camp, selecting a small strip of trees that could provide us some shelter. It was odd to look at the sky. Every part of the Earth seemed to be altered by the Flood, but the sky above was exactly the same. The sun and clouds watched unfazed as the Earth had been attacked.

"So..." I mumbled, shifting my position on the ground. As we ran, I'd allowed myself to cry for Lalita. Sobs had racked my body and I'd blindly allowed Tybira to lead me. Once I'd cried until my eyes were dry, I was again able to function without relying solely on instinct. A whispering voice in the back of my mind that seemed to belong mostly to me, had roared for blood, only quieting  once I regained my composure. My hair and nails had returned to normal, and the glyphs along my arms and neck had stilled, yet remained visible.

Tybira still looked at me skeptically. I couldn't blame her. She was stuck with a woman who had only recently been very close to killing her.

"So..." Tybira echoed. "Do you know... anything...?"

Her voice trailed off, but I understood. There were too many questions, too many to ask, too many to answer.

"I wish I did," I said. "My sister, Lalita, knew something." My voice cracked at Lita's name. If I had listened to her warnings about Amire, would she still be alive?

Tybira nodded. Mercifully, she avoided asking more about my sister. I wondered if she'd lost someone as well. Probably. I assumed everyone had lost someone to the Flood.

"Do you ever... hear... voices..?" Her voice was hesitant, as if she worried I'd think she was crazy and leave her.

"All the time," I admitted, relieved I wasn't the only one. "Do you think they're real people?"

"I do." Tybira tilted her head in consideration. "I've heard voices that sounded like you, Shiva, The Hermit, Dancia... Even The Devil."

Noticing that she used the titles Shiva had given Amire and Chesed, that whispering voice wondered if Tybira had learned more from the demoness than she was letting on. I repressed the worry. I'd need to trust Tybira if I wanted to survive. Staying with someone whose words I doubted seemed more comforting than trying to navigate the world alone.

"And why?" I asked. "If they're all other people, do they have powers. Are they like us?"

Although Tybira's abilities seemed less than impressive, especially when compared to Shiva's wings and acid, I'd decided that she and I likely had more similarities than differences. We both heard voices, we both had some sort of inexplicable power.

"I don't know. The voices don't say anything useful. They only repeat the same phrases."

I'd been about to ask if she'd ever been visited by Matthew, but she'd answered my question. Matthew didn't repeat the same phrase, so she obviously hadn't heard him.

-Don't look at this hand, look at that one.-

We both stiffened. The new voice was a male, his tone reminding me of someone struggling to keep from laughing at his own joke.

Tybira's eyes brightened with interest. "You heard that too? Who do you think that was?"

"I don't know," I replied, thankful that this voice seemed slightly less threatening, "but let's not find out."

Tybira chewed her lip, nodding reluctantly.

I couldn't fathom why she'd want to meet one of the voices in our heads. I believed I'd met four of them, and only one hadn't tried to kill me. Yet. I wasn't completely confident with Tybira's loyalty.

"Um..." Tybira glanced at the pink and purple sky, trying to estimate the time of day. "If you want to get some sleep, I can keep watch?"

I nodded my agreement. Not knowing who or what had survived the Flood, it was smarter that one of us was always on guard. Although I was hesitant to fall asleep, trusting my safety to Tybira, crying, running, and fear left me exhausted. I laid on the hard ground, bundling my hair under my head as a pillow as my eyes slid shut.

                ~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~

A witch with flaming red hair watched a  young girl through apathetic emerald eyes. Leopards snarled at her side, but the witch showed no fear. Their master was her ally. They obeyed only the girl who stood behind her.

"What brings you here, World?" the witch crooned, a vine nuzzling her cheek.

"You betrayed your friends!" the girl in front of her spat. "You wear Raapollo's Icon!"

The witch turned her hand leisurely in front of her. Several Icons gleamed amongst the glyphs that swirled along the witch's arm. She narrowed her gaze on one, the image of a yellow sun. She'd claimed this one earlier that day. The World hadn't been pleased to find her lover was killed.

The witch looked back at the World. She was thin, flesh and bones. She'd clearly tried, unsuccessfully, to turn back time in order to save the Sun, but was unable to go far enough without killing herself in the process. Perfect. If she was too weak to wield the wooden staff she so desperately clung to, she'd be unable to astral project away.

"Me? Betray my friends?" the witch asked, amused. "Do I do such a thing, Fauna?"

She turned her attention to the small girl behind her. The leopards silenced as their master became the focus.

The girl bit her lip, glancing at the others in indecision before nodding to the witch. "Of course not, Lady Lotus."

"See?" Lady Lotus chuckled, absentmindedly stroking her vine with purple clawed fingers. "I don't betray my friends. The Sun was no friend of mine. He plotted against me. Against you as well, World."

The World's eyes widened in horror, unable to imagine that the man who had saved them all on multiple occasions could have plotted against them.

"You're lying!" she yelled, grief coloring her cheeks. "Raapollo loved me!"

"But that's the thing about love." Lady Lotus shrugged, allowing the vine to slither up her arm like a viper. "It fades. Alliances break when such a prize is offered."

"Like you?" The World snapped. "Do you plan to betray Haydee and Matthew after you've used them to eliminate the Lovers?"

"Not betray," Lady Lotus corrected. "Fauna knows her purpose. I provide food for her herbivores, who in turn support her leopards and bears. I'll give her three summers of my immortality so that she can assist her creatures to repopulate. As for The Fool, Matthew already knows what the future holds for him."

"Haydee!" The World rounded on the leopard tamer. "You saw what she did to Raapollo! Who's to say she won't do the same to Elymas? How can you trust her?"

The girl once again looked stricken, her loyalty to the witch wavering at the mention of her own lover. Lady Lotus growled in frustration. Perhaps she'd have to do away with Fauna sooner than she'd planned.

"Well..." After another glance at the witch and the thorn crown that adorned her crimson mane, the girl shook her head. "No. Lady Lotus won't betray Elymas and I."

"But you'll let her keep you alive for only a said amount of summers?" The World argued. "Some friend!"

"It's more time than we'd get if we didn't agree," she sighed. This was true. If Fauna and her Magician hadn't agreed to the witch's deal they'd both have been killed moons ago. Still, Fauna was clearly doubting the plan. It wouldn't be long before they wished for more than three extra summers.

"But..." The World sniffled, looking between Lady Lotus and Fauna. She'd finally realized that she had no more arguments, no more chances.

"Are we done here?" the witch drawled, raising her hand. Razor sharp thorns flew into the air at her summons, twirling rapidly in a deadly tornado. "You'll see your precious Sun shortly."

The World gave a whimper, but couldn't get any reaction from her staff. Finally, she ceased trying, meeting the Witch's gaze with defiance. "Raapollo and I will find each other in another Game. And you'll regret this."

"But you won't even remember." The witch smirked, watching with twisted glee as her deadly thorn tornado encircled the World, ripping the flesh clean from her bones.

Fauna refused to look, pulling her leopards closer to her flanks. Yet another sign she was doubting Lady Lotus. But she'd be dealt with soon. The witch smiled at her hand as the image of a globe appeared on her skin. One more Icon. One step closer to holding all the Cards.

She glanced at the Fool absently. As usual, Matthew remained out of the way during a physical conflict, allowing his allies to deal with the threat. He was dead weight at times, but the knowledge he offered made up for his inactivity.

The boy walked closer to the witch, smiling proudly. "Your Tarasova taught you well."

Yes, she did. The witch's Tarasova had also mentioned the Fool's moves in a previous Game. She could better anticipate him this time. The Fool would not fool her.

Lady Lotus fixed Matthew with the mesmerizing smile she'd used to lead the Hermit to his death not long before. "I wouldn't be able to do it without your guidance."

Matthew grinned. "But of course. I help you. Empress is my friend."

((This was a fun chapter to write! I don't know... I liked writing the Witch. Hope you liked it.))