The woman named Petra noticed my hesitation and shot me a friendly look.
"Oh, I should have probably mentioned this straight away. I'm one of Lasandra's demigods. When the goddess is away, I tend to spend some time in her domain and look after it."
Her personality was incredibly bubbly, and I found it hard to believe that she was a demigod.
Deciding to trust her, I closed the tent curtains and took a seat opposite her. It was becoming night outside, marking the end of my first night in Arnos.
Once I sat by the pot, the aroma of the tea was enticing. Even though as a god I no longer felt hunger or thirst, it seemed I was still able to enjoy food and drinks if I wished.
She poured some of the tea into a cup and passed it to me. It was delicious and flavorful, definitely a mixture of many strong herbs, though none that I seemed to be familiar with.
Petra seemed fine with sitting in silence and enjoying the tea, but I wanted to use the opportunity to learn more about the world.
Being new to this world, I realized that I literally knew nothing about the humans, and for some reason, I didn't have much desire to.
As a god who is constantly in danger from other deities, it felt beneath me to worry about such things, but I realized that if I wanted to have worshipers and potentially demigods, it would be necessary for me to figure some things out.
"How old is Arnos?"
Petra swallowed a mouthful of tea before answering. "We are in year 1100."
Incredible. I wonder if that is 1100 years since the world was created, or something similar to Earth, with BC and AD.
"And who is the current king? Or ruler?"
"There is no ruler. With there being so many gods, it's only natural that the world is split into many different groups. However, the most powerful ruler is known to be Adam, a follower of the first god."
So the most powerful human just so happens to also be a follower of the first god. Is the first god the strongest of us all? Or is he just egotistical because he arrived first.
"Do you know the name of the first god?" I asked, wanting to learn more about my potential enemies. But after asking the question, Petra seemed to grow nervous.
She hesitated before answering, taking another mouthful of her tea. I waited for her to speak.
"I dare not say his name, but you may ask Lasandra. I'm sure she will tell you."
Even I couldn't help but feel a slight fear at her reaction.
The humans find him so powerful that they will not even speak his name?!
I decided to change the topic to ease her mind.
"Do you have any family?" It was a personal question, aimed at making her feel comfortable. From the smile that reappeared on her face, it seemed to work.
"Yes, my mother and father live in a village named Heartfield, all followers of Lasandra. I did have a sister, but she went missing years ago."
Instantly, I was drawn back to my life on Earth. I too had a brother who went missing, an older one. My parents never got over the loss, and it made them weak.
Part of me was happy to have been free from the depression of my old home, but the other part of me felt guilt.
We continued small talk for a while until we began to hear footsteps outside the tent.
I rose to my feet with speed and prepared myself for battle, but Petra waved a hand, telling me to calm down and use my senses.
I did and felt the strong presence of another god walking towards us.
I can't believe I left myself completely unguarded and distracted.
"Don't worry, it is only my goddess, Lasandra."
And she was right. The woman I had met before entered the tent. Her huge white sword was strapped to her back, and she still wore hardly any clothing.
"So you made it back," she said, coming over and taking a cup of tea for herself. "That's good. The demigod is dead, I assume?"
I nodded, trying not to show my pride.
"And the matters that you had to attend to? Is everything well?"
Lasandra drank the tea before speaking while Petra and I waited for her response.
"Well, I paid Diogen a visit."
Instantly, my eyes lit up at the news.
"So he lives?"
Despite the good news, Lasandra seemed to be bothered by something, and I couldn't help but share her worry.
"He does live; however, there are many that hope to change that. Diogen successfully fended off Zir, and the fourth god retreated. However, there is news that Zir plans to rally a small group of gods to attack Diogen and kill him. They know that this will stop the newcomers from having protection from him, and it seems some of the other gods are in agreement that his death will be convenient for them."
Anger brewed in me after hearing the words.
"They are cowards. They don't wish to fight him in a one-on-one battle!"
Lasandra nodded, agreeing with me.
"But we are going to change that. If you and I join forces with Diogen, his chances of survival will increase drastically. Well, I will certainly be joining him, but it is up to you whether you wish to risk your life for him or not."
I thought of the selflessness of Diogen, the Seventh God, and how he helped me even when it put himself in danger.
Not only that, but he helped me with my first blessing. And it seemed that he helped others, too.
"Of course, I will help him. Are there not others who will rally with us? What about the other gods he has helped?"
"No, not everybody is like you, Fate. It's only you and I that seem to truly appreciate what Diogen has done for us."
That fact annoyed me, but I did not care.
Even if it's just me and Lasandra, we will protect him
"We will need to leave as soon as possible. We do not know when Zir wishes to strike, but we can assume it will be soon. But before that, you will need to learn to fly."
Learn to fly? She says it like it is an easy thing to do.
"Petra, look after my domain while I am gone. Fate, come outside with me. We have a job to do."