Newly Broke Heroine! [Book One Complete, Cozy Fantasy Adventure]

Doug squinted at the statue, then at Fiona, then back to the statue. "I can see the resemblance…a little bit. But I am pretty sure your mother wasn't the goddess Feo'thari. The image also does resemble the woman you encountered from that place between worlds."

"The bird is lost," Lani sighed. "What are you two talking about?"

"I think I had a one-on-one sitdown with Feo'thari. She asked weird questions, I answered them, made some discoveries with the info I had…ya know." Fiona's speech became increasingly rapid, realizing how insane this probably sounded. "I mean, you can imagine my hesitation to even bring it up. Because it sounds loony."

This earned her a baleful glare from Lani. "I meant crazy, not like the waterfowl! Sometimes my puns are definitely not on purpose!"

"I've yet to see evidence otherwise," Doug said with a smirk. Then, his serious face returned. "What exactly did she say?"

"There's one thing she mentioned that I didn't know beforehand. That should have been my clue back then, she called the place between the aether. But yeah, the big reveal was from me, realizing Wingding is her kid, and she just needs to be…born?"

Doug and Lani expressed some shock at that one. But it was Doug who dared to speak first. "And how does one 'birth' a nascent goddess? Because last I checked…you weren't with child."

Lani's head swivelled toward Doug, her beak creaking audibly into a forced smile. The kind of smile Fiona herself might give to an enemy who deserved to be brutally dismembered for daring to take the last sweet roll on sale at the bakery. "And you would know this, how, Douglas?"

"U-um...uh...I mean..." he slowly backed away, looking to Fiona for support. "I mean, look at her. Does she look more...motherly? I'm gonna go with 'no' on this one."

Fiona's brain spun a wheel of possible responses and landed on 'maximum chaos'. A grin spread across her face. "Doug? Sweetie? The cravings for pickles and fried tubers are pretty new."

His pupils became tiny pinpricks, and she heard an attempt to get out a retort that started and ended as a high-pitched babble. He pointed an accusing claw at her while backing away. "Not funny, Fi. Waaaay not funny."

Lani gave him a raptor death glare, advancing one step for each one he took back. "You are taking responsibility for the fatherhood of that child, Douglas!" she roared, her wings spread like she was about to rain some doom on him.

"I-it's not like that!" he stammered, taking a step back while Lani advanced. "We haven't…uh, well, you know…" He clicked his index fingers together, as if to get a point across.

"H-hey, what happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom!" Fiona's smug expression evaporated, and she decided to grant him a bit of mercy because Lani looked like she would turn Doug into a cautionary tale. "Also, thank you, everyone, but I'm not physically pregnant. I know this because the world hasn't come to a cataclysmic halt. Yet. This is more of a metaphorical pregnancy."

That statement relaxed Doug and Lani…a little. Lani glanced at her skeptically before throwing up her wings in resignation. "Okay, fine, I will not pry into your private lives. Probably for the best, given you two are my employers."

"That didn't make this sound any less messed up," Doug sighed. "We also know Wingding can communicate with us. Fiona has an old Earth-based code. We haven't been able to come up with anything better, so far."

"You better not name your future goddess daughter Wingding, Doug!" Lani seethed.

[OMG. Too much drama, mom.]

Fiona immediately regretted starting this discussion. "You know what, forget I brought it up. We're still no closer to understanding how this room relates! Maybe it doesn't! Maybe it's supposed to have some other meaning that is totally not related to me! Which, at this point, would be preferable!" She pointed at the flickering flames of Feo'thari's brazier and Gaia's. "Doug, are there any other gods that are dead, but still lit?"

He took a look around, then shook his head. "No. And mind you, the death of an actual god or goddess has only been confirmed when they've taken physical avatars. And they may not do so constantly. We don't know where else they subsist on–though this 'Aether' might be one place, outside of the realms of normal people."

"I would disagree with that. I broke on through to the other side with my teleportation. I'm also pretty sure that I wasn't supposed to survive it, either." She was puzzled by the strange comment from Feo'thari. "She also said other people have broken through to the aether. I feel like it's important, but…I don't know why."

"Why is my goddess just…absent?" Lani asked, visibly shaken. "Why, when she's needed here so badly?"

"I don't think she's chosen to not come back. I think it's because she can't come back." Fiona kept pondering this strange set of circumstances. "Doug? Who really killed Feo'thari? Or came close enough to leave her floating between worlds, hiding, waiting for a chance for someone like me to come across?"

She glanced around the room. "Your mother was the shepherd of the fallen. You said it yourself. I think there's an answer in this room. And I am all but certain Vanael was the fall guy. Still haven't figured out why Bianca–"

She stopped short. Having to explain Bianca to Lani right now was probably a bad idea. Lani looked at her expectantly. "Never mind. Doug, walk me through the Cepalunean pantheon."

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Well, I suppose I can. It's not my strongest area, but I was paying attention to my mother." He waved his hands to the room, tapping one hand against a horn, and folding his wings tight, deep in thought. He pointed to Feo'thari. "I'll cover the most prominent ones–well, formerly. Feo'thari isn't as well remembered now, given how long she's been gone, and her presence hasn't been observed."

"Do the gods need worship to survive?" Fiona asked.

Doug put a finger up, sounding surprised. "Actually, I'm no longer sure that they do. Though the gods of the pantheon didn't explicitly dissuade the process, either…churches and temples popped up over time from those who held faith in them. Especially after the War of Liberation, seven thousand years ago."

He pointed to Feo'thari. "You know her. No introduction needed. Beside her, the goddess most prominently known was Gaia, up until she left Cepalune and appeared on Earth. I'm not sure if she originated here or there. I tend to think the latter. As far as I know, marks don't exist on Earth. Only here on Cepalune. Her true form is that of a silver dragoness, similar to her sister goddess, the Gilded Empress. She…doesn't have a real name, strangely."

Doug glared at the second statue. "Those two didn't get along."

"I'm getting that vibe. And I say that as an only child," Fiona said flatly. "Apart from the others you mentioned, who else would have had motivation to take Feo'thari out of the picture?"

Doug counted through them. "Lunadei, Galahein, Druidess of the Shifting Wilds–strangely she never got a name, either–Thormir, Lindvari…I don't know, Fi. That's the problem. No one's ever put forth any other theories except Vanael, some spurned lover kind of thing." Then, Doug had an odd look on his face. "You don't think that…"

She thought of it before he finished. "I look like Feo'thari. And Bianca, when she's in her super psycho mode, looks like Vanael. But, I thought you were the one who said that particular god had an everyman look. You saw him as the sum of those around you. Nah, we're not reborn gods. Pretty sure about that one. It still doesn't explain Wingding."

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"Who's Bianca?" Lani asked, hands up in confusion.

"The Ex-something," Fiona answered flatly. "My ancient lizard brain says to avoid thinking about this one for any length of time." Inwardly, a thought had been stewing.

If Doug was right? It would align with her desire to have a kid. Even through a surrogate in some weird, twisted monkey paw wish. This still doesn't make sense.

But there was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind: Doug's first words when the question of who Varith was remained open-ended. His reminder that the truth was not always buried under secrets. It could be an uncomfortable truth that you didn't want to see, plain as day, right in front of you.

She let out a soft sigh as she discarded the thought. "Given how this is going, is it too late to give my presumptive goddess daughter a proper name? Do they have baby books in Cepalune?"

"Let's stay focused and not let this get too deranged," Doug grumbled. He went back to the statues. "The problem is, I don't think any of the original twelve would have done it. They went through so much together, keeping this world in one piece. The gods may have incredible powers, but minds like ours. I don't think they're universe-encompassing. Just powerful individuals who went past mortality."

"So, this room tells us nothing." At least, she couldn't form a reasonable conclusion, other than there was possible proof that two goddesses were alive who had been prematurely marked for the deific dustbin of history. "I'm out of ideas right now. Why did your mother hide this place?"

"You mean, why was she sitting on possible proof that two gods are alive when they were declared dead? I think that would certainly shake a lot of people's perspectives." Doug frowned when he thought about it. "But, going back to why, bothers me. How did my mother put this together? This place...I think this was here, before the mine."

He pointed to the staircase, then back up to the residence, far out of sight. "Take a look. The rock in this chamber doesn't match the surrounding area. It's almost as if it were placed here. And the mine here? Maybe, someone excavated it because they knew what to look for."

"And she discovered it, set up shop, and kept it maintained? Plausible." She couldn't help but feel this chamber had another purpose. One, they weren't seeing right now. "Doug, I think we'll need more than just us examining this. Maybe we should talk to Jake, see if he knows people who can help us figure this out."

"But proof alone of Feo'thari? I mean, assuming the braziers mean what they do? She can return," Lani spoke slowly. She turned to Fiona, looking at her with awe. "If you were living proof that a goddess survives...would you keep it a secret?"

"I..." she trailed off. "Lani, it's not that simple. If the people of Vale believe the goddess is alive, that might be reason enough alone for them to rebel against the contracts, and the slaver houses. And when there's no strength to back up their bravery, what happens then?"

She hated herself for having to say that. Lani was young, idealistic, brave...

...and underestimated the cruelty of those who did not want to relinquish their control over others.

"So you'd hide it?" Lani looked devastated.

Fiona shook her head. "No. I'd find her and bring back proof that couldn't be denied. Because if the slaver houses and the people that run Vale knew that a goddess had truly returned? One who laid waste to intradimensional invaders without effort? And got wind that an entire nation was existing under duress from slavers and evil lawyers? They would burn every contract and run to every corner of Cepalune faster than you can say 'hammer time.'"

This appeared to satisfy Lani, who gave a small tilt of her beak, but her expression remained sullen. "Why are simple decisions so complicated?"

"Because the world is complicated, Lani. Here and elsewhere." Fiona cast a glance at Wingding, currently doing figure eights on her wrist. "There's someone else here who has a say. So, what's this say about you, little one? Why is this place held under such secrecy?"

[It's like you say. Decisions don't easily break down to right and wrong.]

Fiona frowned. That was a surprisingly mature thing to say. "Yeah. Even Wingding doesn't have a good answer. I say we call it a day. I mean, this place isn't going anywhere."

"I agree. I think more research is required." Doug rubbed at the scales on his arm. "I hate not having answers, Fi. I feel like I'm missing something here."

Lani also sighed, but wore a faint smile, nonetheless. "Still, there is one thing we got out of this. Proof that the fortunes of Cepalune didn't die out. It's good to know your mother knew the worth of this place."

"That, she did."

The trip back into the city was uneventful. After dropping off the automaton at the lease center, they made their way back home to the apartment. Fiona flopped onto the couch, letting out a groan. "This suuuucks. I was expecting some Eureka moment. We just ended up with more questions."

Doug handed her a coffee, along with one to Lani. He looked strangely…satisfied. "Not everything is an instant answer. You'll find that people have gone years without a good understanding of many historical events. Not every bit of evidence is concrete, nor is every journal or logbook accurate or reliable. Sometimes we have to fill in the gaps with deductive reasoning. Pieces of a puzzle, when not all the pieces are there. And they may never be there."

"That was way too chill a reaction after finding your mother's secret grotto," Fiona grumbled and took a deep sip of coffee to claw her way out of this funk. "We locked up behind us, right?"

"Yes. Though the fact that we'll have to talk to my father about that estate at some point is frustrating," he ran his fingers through the feather mane on his head. "Not looking forward to that."

"And we still can't help the people of Vale with this." Lani had remained somewhat silent since they got back. "Lani…sorry that we didn't–"

She gave a wave of a feathered hand, looking content. "The fact that the flame of Feo'thari still burns is enough for me. Proof that there is still good fortune in this world. It just might be harder to find and make for ourselves than I believed."

"The best fortunes, you don't build for yourself," Fiona mused.

It sounded right in her head as she took another sip of her drink. "Well, Lani, I still want you at the shop. At the very least, it'll give you something to do while we try to shore up Fiefdala, and maybe figure out a long-term solution for Vale. I don't want to leave that hanging. Though I have my own challenge coming up."

"Which one?" Lani asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Tomorrow. Bianca is being released from prison with some strings attached. I didn't spell this out…but…"

She hated saying these words. But Lani deserved to know. "Bianca's the one who took a wrecking ball to Vale. She became Varith for a while, unable to control–or worse, unwilling to control her mark. She has some serious issues. The kind that I probably am going to regret taking on."

Lani nearly dropped her coffee on the floor. "Seriously? You're telling me that now? You two both landed on Cepalune at the same time?!"

She took a sip of her drink to try and steady her nerves. It didn't work. "Yeah. I still don't know who brought her here, though. That's the other mystery of the year. We thought it was Glados. Now...we're not so sure"

Lani frowned, and set her coffee down. "My goddess, Fiona! Two summons at once, at the same time?! Are you sure Feo'thari didn't bring you both?"

"Pretty sure she'd have given me the heads up if she did." She still didn't like that gaping hole in the puzzle, either. "All I know is that this feels like some giant chessboard, and we're pawns on it. She got yanked for a reason: to destroy something beautiful. Which is pretty damn cryptic."

The avian tapped the side of her beak for a moment. "Maybe the gods are somewhat aware of what the others are doing? And the second Feo'thari broke her cover–bringing you to Cepalune–someone else picked up on it?"

The grumble from the kobold bordered on frustration. "But who?"

Fiona kept giving that thought a good, long think. "Wanna hear my theory? The same god or goddess that tried to put a pin for Feo'thari's death on Vanael, like they knew Feo'thari wasn't dead, and just hiding really well. Someone who benefits from the chaos of the gods. But, why wouldn't she tell me who was after her?"

"Maybe she doesn't know, either?" Doug proposed. "Maybe it doesn't matter."

"It does, if someone tries to clip Wingding's wings," Fiona snapped. "Look, maybe you're not worried, but I am a ferocious momma dragon who will rain ruin on anyone who tries to go after Wingding. I don't suppose there are any gods good at tricking other gods, are there?"

"Vanael was the deception master. Well, there's also the Druidess of the Shifting Wilds. She could mimic almost any living being she came into contact with. And the Outsiders, too." Doug tilted his head and rubbed one horn as he said that. "Unfortunately, the experience left her a little…unstable, after the War of Liberation. She's not commonly worshipped here, but the Bar'dathi tribes do, down south and east of the country. Aegortin too, strangely, and the northern isles along the coast."

Something clicked in her head. "Anything and anyone?"

"Yes, why?"

Her coffee cup dropped to the carpet, fortunately empty, and Doug wore a dumbfounded expression. "Fi? You're starting to scare me a bit."

It couldn't be possible. "Doug? How would someone know if a god or goddess took a physical avatar? Do they just materialize one? Or do they just kinda...you know. Take the reins of someone on Cepalune?"

Doug squinted at her. "I think you're not making sense."

"Doug? What if this whole thing were just a giant chess game? Feo'thari is hiding from another goddess who could be anyone, and she'd never know the difference. What if that person didn't know they were a goddess and lived a perfectly normal life, doing their thing, until the right moment? When their diefic other half pops out and screams 'candygram!'"

"I think I need to switch you to decaffeinated," he replied drolly. "Look, as far as I know? The gods don't just hijack people's bodies to take them out for a joyflight."

He glanced at Wingding, frowning. "Unless...Unless it works with the willingness of the individual? The records aren't clear on this. Where were you going with this, anyway?" he asked, head tilted in curiosity.

"I...nowhere. Maybe I'm reading into it too deeply," she sighed.

Inwardly, she was worried she had the answer to who. But not why.

Is Glados the Druidess of the Shifting Wilds? Has she been playing the fool to pull off an even greater genius move?

And if I'm right, what is her grudge with Feo'thari?