A God Flees

"Collect some of the blood," Alis whispered to one of her sisters, "and offer to paint Ol's skin with it. Try to seduce him."

The alev she whispered to was prompt in following Alis' orders. She poured some of the blood drawn from Afena's body into a wooden vessel, which she took to Ol, knelt in front of him, bowed, and spoke to him reverently with her face inches from the ground.

Alis observed keenly from afar, trying to lose herself in the small crowd of her sisters, and freezing her heart to Afena's sobs and pleas. The wretched Inarenta kept asking them to kill her. Alis would have happily complied, but she needed Afena to live and fulfill her cause.

Ol allowed for his skin to be painted. Whatever it was that stirred his twisted lust seemed to take effect. Before long, he'd asked the poor alev to start pleasing him while he still watched the torture going on.