Marinus sneered, "They all share an apostle. We have worshipers, you still have no reason to be here Willa."
Haris stepped forward, "I am her apostle, and I am here."
"Nothing more than a pet." Marinus sneered with a dismissive gaze. "You don't want to be on the wrong side of this war earth goddess. One on one we may be weaker, but unlike the rest of you, our comradery is our strength." Marinus had to wave his trident to block a bolt of lightning. Unfortunately, the after shock still caused them minor damage. Looking around he realized all of them on the young Jiao Long had sustained minor injuries, the Jiao Long's horns had blackened!
Haris stared at Lady Beloved… in fact, all of them were staring at her.
Beloved couldn't help it! Honest! Pouting her lips, she crossed her arms. "They said together they were strong, insinuated alone we were wrong… that lightning was barely worth Ashton's thumb."
Haris turned his face away to cough into his sleeve. Yes, that wasn't even a fraction of Nix's power… but Nix was as strong as a high tiered god. But for two facts, Nix would be a god. First, Nix lacked worshipers, second he had not chosen to dedicate himself to quintessence.
Haris had attempted to earn a godhead, but for all his power, all his research, for all his students… he was not worshiped. Nix… had followers who would worship him given the chance… if Nix opened his core.
Haven chuckled, "All of you together could not defeat two of the monarchs in these lands. The third, most would still die. If there is war, I like our chances."
Willa glared at Haven, "War is not what we want." If this had been a month ago, war would have made no difference. She may have even relished the thought… but now, with so many of her young… she would rather keep this tentative peace.
Haris clenched his staff. Just because they didn't want war, didn't mean they wouldn't fight.
Beloved sighed as she leapt through a rift, landing on her pretty snake's head. "They will return, away we will stay. Only to assist, when apostles do pray." Glancing over her shoulder she let the darkness fill her eyes, "If you do not relent, if you choose to stay, forget the apostles, you'll be my prey." Beloved smiled at the ugly scaled god. She did like fish.
Marinus glared, wretched creation could pull on two of the strongest gods power. Whether she could be considered a god… was still up for debate.
Beloved rolled until she was facing the sky, "All the sun sees, all the wind touches, all of it mine, my merciful clutches." Beloved teased as pillars of light turned into deadly rays, and the columns of wind turned into tornadoes. Beloved rolled, propping her face in her hands as her darkened eyes fell on the baby gods.
Marinus stared into the pupilless black eyes of the creation. She was in name… a goddess, but not definably so. If she ate them… it may not break the treaty. Especially since they would fight back, that would be enough for Ru and the wind god to kill them without retaliation.
Marinus gritted his teeth… Nix planned this. Skirting the very edge of the treaty to give Ru all the justification he could possibly need to start his sick games again. Ru still had more than a hundred gods trapped… if they just knew where… six were higher tiered gods of water.
Willa watched as the water gods glared, but eventually retreated. Turning her gaze on Haven and the creation… on Beloved. Nix had surely planned this. Knowing that with the birth of her young she would not chance war.
Not to mention, this Beloved… not only created from the pieces of gods Ru had captured… but an eater of gods. Her appearance so deceptive that even after two gods had gone missing, more had still tried to kill her. Willa glanced over Ru who had taken the blame for the deaths of half a dozen gods in the last four hundred years. The water gods were all fools being led by the nose.
Haris didn't flinch as Beloved waved to the fleeing gods. She hadn't even revealed her true appearance yet she was stronger than most of them. He could not forget that it wasn't Nix who held their bonds… Beloved was the reason their abilities were now shared…
Beloved huffed when only Ru and Haven remained. "They are so rude! They are so sly! Daring to covet what I claim as mine!" Rolling over her big snake's face she grinned. "I am aggrieved, I am upset… I think its time instill a fear they won't soon forget."
Ru smirked. Nix really had put a lot of effort into their third. Ru ignored Haven's side eye as Beloved revealed her true form. No longer the delicate snow white pheasant with long tail feathers. She was now as large as himself. Her wings draping along Haven's face as she stretched her talons sharp enough to pierce a god's armor. Strong enough to crush even his bones if she could catch him. The scales along her legs were dragon sturdy, and just as resistant to foreign mana.
A white spiraled horn peaking out of her human hair. What her hair didn't hide was the inhumanly wide smile that reached her ears. Even with her human face tucked between wings large enough for five large men to lay out on, her gleaming serrated teeth made a mockery of even the kindest smile.
"It's time I stretched my wings, time I took flight. Time to reveal deceptions, time apostles are shown the truth behind their god's light." Beloved crooned giving her wings experimental flaps.
Haven's lips curled back into what could barely pass for a smile. "We will follow where you lead."
Ru ruffled his feathers as he rolled his eyes. "I think you two are more than enough to hunt fish in a barrel." Ru wasn't surprised when Beloved was suddenly in his face, scowling.
"Your words sound so mean, sound lacking in faith! Can't you just say you won't interrupt our date?" Beloved complained as she rubbed her head under his eagle chin.
Ru softened his expression as he rubbed his beak along her human head. "Go on and play, I'll watch over Nix."
Beloved huffed, hopping back over to Haven's crest feathers. "He says not what he means, he pretends to be hard hearted, don't be fooled my love, with you he is unguarded."
Haven had a harder time hearing Ru's song, but there were undertones of disgruntled acceptance. Haven smiled to himself. Birds… birds bringing a snake into their nest. Soon a new generation of snakes. He continued to gain at Ru's expense.
Ru snorted as he flapped his wings to hover over the giant snake taking up half his sky. "Go spread your mischief, remember, don't kill any of them." Ru smirked as Beloved's wing's drooped. "Doesn't mean you can't take a couple of pieces. Just enough to… even the playing field."
Beloved perked up. "Oh! That is interesting! A scene it would cause! Turning apostles against their own gods! Come now big snake, with me you should fly, watch how for sea gods I turn the tide!"
Ru snorted in amusement as Beloved darted toward the unsuspecting sea gods. Turnabout was fair play was it not? Circling back toward the cursed dragon lands to ensure Nix's plans kept to schedule.
Ru silently sighed as he thought about the baby dragon Nix wanted them to bless… Nix needed to stop adopting every wretched babe just because he felt bad for them. At least this dragon could be considered smart… sigh. Ru disliked dragons almost as much as he hated snakes.