Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 893: A Goddess’s Last Letter

Hmm...I never thought I would be one to link words to such a blade. The blade of my chosen, the heralds of war, and the champions of blood. Such defacing of a sacred relic disgusts me to my furnace of my heart. Yet Murdok’s prophecies have been wrong. He peered beyond the veils further than any of us. His emerald gaze pierced through the facade of time, and beyond that curtain, he saw a time with my body suspended from chains.

Trapped in some dark labyrinth, and bound by chains carved from the bones of the god of such prophecies. Murdok’s body shall hold me prisoner to the whims of a single mortal. The goddess of war, I, Bellona, being used as a siphon to fuel that same mortal’s kingdom. Tall walls he shall erect to keep me trapped and to keep those out who would even dream of usurping my strength from him.

A mortal playing god and using a god to expel the reign of the gods over his people. Does he not realize what foolishness that would be? Mortals are not meant to govern themselves; they are what we guide them to be. The lack of divine guidance will hollow their spines and turn them meek. Their vices will become their virtues, and the divine will be looked through the lens of absurd scrutiny.

Oh, how I loathe an unchained people. They are void of reason and swat away their guidance collar like a curse of some kind. Thine is the duty, Enyo, Bellona, your curse and your burden, the path for this mortal shall burn bright under your guiding furnace. Some might resist its warmth and must be burned to save them from their own ignorance. Such is the price of deviation for the mortals, and thus it shall forever be.

No matter. Unbound by the chains of an ally I must kill, I shall reshape the world to fall into my service. The mortals shall know warmth again, and under my blazing glory, we will drive away the accursed child in this world’s belly. Nexa Nuvia Nerva–was it not indignity to the Creator for me to curse that woman’s name? I would’ve rained a volley of a thousand curses upon her; however, bound by honor to our eternal master, I will not degrade his servant, as the mortals shall not degrade me either.

Heed my words, the mortal on whose hands this blade is meant to fall. Raven ’Phrodite, the dead lord, has recorded your name a thousand years before your birth. And I, Enyo–or as you might know me already, Bellona–extend a hand in a temporary alliance. Free me from my shackles, and I shall aid you in your fight against the lord of demons.

Doubt will swirl your mind upon receiving this message–Murdok has already made me aware of it. Why free me when I aim to reign over your world myself? Why not simply take over my body by replacing the man controlling the flow of my strength? I have but one answer. I am eternal, and you are not, neither will be that kingdom. If freed by you, I may listen to your words for a while, and though I doubt you could sway me from my conquest of this world, I shall offer you a chance–something you will only acquire while the holy war of your time still rages on.

This...primitive language is so, infuriating. Scardieaal! Marching on.

I do not know how or why I will be the one to kill Murdok; his duty prevents him from revealing it to me. And I dare not ask for nothing could be more dishonorable than to tempt another god to break their bonds of duty. Regardless, he shall fall by my hand, and I will be gravely injured. You presume me dead, don’t you? Murdok let that slip; perhaps it was intentional.

The goddess of war does not fall easily, mortal. Now earn my grace, the chance to stand under my furnace and let it scorch your soul with the desire for battle and conquest. Find ’at the end of the world’, whatever it may be by the time we’re done flaying the other gods. The mother of flames and passions–any and all–awaits you.

Goddess Bellona/Enyo

Done reading the message translated from the blade and writing on a piece of parchment, Raven turned his gaze to the blade of Enyo’s Chosen. The goddess had obviously held the blade in high regard, but since it was only meant to be given to a chosen of hers, the hero wasn’t sure why she didn’t use something else rather than such an important relic of hers.

’Is she offering me to become her chosen?’ Though that thought crossed Raven’s mind, it quickly passed, for too many things from the letter were of greater importance. The very first, someone else decided to mention.

”If Bellona is alive, we should leave her where she is. This message shouldn’t affect our plans; the last thing we want is to free that monstrous goddess.” Her hands folded, and with a determined look, Helga kept staring at the blade. ”And if someone has any doubts, let me remind you why the world after the previous holy war was caked with ash. If it isn’t already obvious, it was because of her. The whole fucking world, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t witness it myself, so you just have to trust my word.”

”I’m no less eager to find out if this goddess will actually help us either. The dead lord must’ve had a reason to warn her; he must’ve seen that she would write us this letter and that we can use her aid, but even then, if she killed him after writing this letter, who’s to say her offer still stands and she won’t kill us at a glance?” Heaving a heavy sigh, Erika squeezed her arms under her breasts. ”At the time of writing the letter, she did not know why she would kill the dead lord, and even though she knew that she would, her decision did not change despite being allies. What if we’re no longer allies either, but someone to get rid of as soon as she’s freed? Sounds too risky to me.”

Against Erika’s sound reasoning, the goddess’s words were far from convincing. Not that they were convincing in the first place, but what little attempt she’d made to make herself look favorable had fallen out of favor already. Even so, Bellona’s threat couldn’t be taken lightly. And thus, with a compromise coming to his head, Raven dropped his shoulders and voiced his decision.

”We ignore her for now, but if things get too desperate. We will keep that window open. In her own words, as long as the holy war is going on, we will have time to take her up on her deal.”

”Well, sound compromise, I guess.” Shrugging her shoulders, Helga was the first to leave. But the thought of what she’d learned from the message went along with her.

The rest were no less anxious, for so far they’d thought that Bellona was dead and yet somehow trying to hurt them from beyond the grave like Pathfinder of Nerva. Alas, with such doubts dispelled, another fleet of problems presented themselves.

A deal best left on the table without retreating one’s hand, and only the times and extent of desperation could tell whether the party would reach further and grab that scorching hunk of coal that might burn them as well.

’First things first...I need to deal with Tia and Robin and send them back.’ Unfortunately for Raven, however, his problems were only just beginning, and from the looks of it, with the aftermath of Viktor’s battle, the letter, and the presence of the princess and her friend onboard, his problems were only ever going to stack, one on top of the other.

But at least, the rest of the crew–him included–were getting treated for their first taste of a giant squid for the first time in their lives.