The Dawn Will Come

The forge clanged as Vslyena swung her hammer. Two swords kept the blade in place, while two lifted the hammer above her head. Two more rested on her hips, one coming up to wipe the golden sweat off of her brow. Distantly, she could hear somebody walking into the heated room. "Is it ready?"

Vslyena looked at her guest, the small goddess, Qres. She had been the daughter of the last death deity, a lesson on why Death can't get too close to her servants. Blood had paved the way to Qres's godhood, but she was still small, and didn't have a respectable amount of augments yet. "Almost," the forge mistress croaked. "You know these things take time, godling."

"I do." Vslyena had watched Qres grow up, all of the gods had. For such a tiny godling, she had a big voice, a big impact. A big knife, too. Vslyena liked knives. So easy to make. Qres had good taste. The jagged edge had proved a challenge for the forge mistress to repair, and overlay with qeslite, the gold and silver streaked metal proving to be the only thing to kill a god. But she could repair anything, could *make* anything, and so it was done. 

"Have you heard about the new queen?" Qres asked, stepping closer. Vslyena stopped, the hammer in midair. 

"It's a shame, really," was the answer. "The crown has already sunk its talons into her." The forge mistress set the hammer down, gently. Four arms crossed, and two rested on her hips. "They want *you* to handle the upcoming war. And there will be a war. She was too good for there not to be."

"Wouldn't this be better suited for Qhoana? War is more to her tastes." Qres gently ran her fingers over the hilt of her blade. 

"Have you forgotten where you came from, godling? War is suited to your palate just as much as hers, and there cannot be War, without Death at its helm." Vslyena picked the hammer up again, shooing her guest away. "I will supply your army."

The godling looked up in alarm. "Army? Who said anything about an army?"

"You'll need one to make a stand against Divina. Qhoana has already decided her champion is the queen. Pick yours. Fill the valleys with blood again. Prove you know how to make the right decisions as a deity."

. . .

Joanna hummed, picking up an envelope and passing it to her sister. "A letter came in for you today," she began. "Not sure how the sender knew where to go, but for once, there's mail for you."

Lisbeth took the envelope, and flipped it over and over in her hands. "You opened this, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. You should know that by now." Joanna turned quickly. "Is it that obvious?"

"You need to work on resealing it. You'll get caught snooping through letters soon enough." Lisbeth broke the small seal, unfolding the letter within. "It's a summons," she said, bored. "Probably another job."

"Worth going to," Joanna explained, shrugging. "Get the details of the job, and I'll do as much research as I can on the mark. We both know how this works."

. . .

Her employer was apparently blind, clouded eyes staring through any and everyone who passed him by. He leaned heavily on his staff, and cloaked himself in the colors of Death. Lisbeth approached him, quietly, intending to sneak up on him. Appear, and disappear. That was her way.

"Lisbeth Rhasse," he announced. "You've come." She stopped short, looking around.

"The senses really are sharp, when you're blind." Lisbeth whistled low, coming up beside the employer. "You some kind of priest?"

"A prophet," he answered, hollowly. "The Lady Qres has an offer to make you, and she's sent me."

"Didn't know she had any prophets, yet."

"Hm." The prophet went quiet for a second, as if listening. "She's building an army," he finally declared. "She's asking you to be one of her champions, in an upcoming war."

"A champion? Me?" The idea was tempting, Lisbeth would admit. But she knew what her answer was, almost immediately. "I'm not champion material. I like the shadows too much."

"Don't be so edgy," he interrupted. "You loved the spotlight as a child, much more than your sister ever did. That poor child, he never did get his nose straightened out. Up, correct? To kill a man?"

Lisbeth froze. "The gods forgot me and my sister. I did what I had to."

"But you can't deny it felt…delicious. Think about it. You'll know where to find me when you make up your mind."