The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building] Chapter 678 – Fer-Style Celebration

When I t her, Fer could not write or read. It was enraging to so extent that a Divine could not perform one of the basic things required for a complete life. I did not approach her as a test of rehabilitation nor one of integration with the world at large. Even now, she is still difficult to manage so I cannot even say on whether her education was at all successful or not.

But I can say that I gave to Fer everything I had almost without a plan. Her lessons simply ca about naturally and willingly. And now, when I look at her, I can see a Goddess amongst Divinity, who effortlessly embodies everything we should be. I may be the Patriarch of the family, but it would have never held together had Fer not existed. Her indecency is so innocent that it galvanized the rest of them to stay together. If not for each other, then so that they could spend more ti around Fer.

I am proud of all my daughters. But of Fer, I am especially proud.

- Excerpt from the private writings of God Arascus, of Pride.

Maisara could not believe it. Not when Fer led them through the trench line. There, she talked to monologue about what sort of animals she liked and forcefully pulled both Fortia and Maisara into the conversation. Statents never uttered before had been dragged out of Maisara, about why she liked horses. Similar to Fortia, who had to explain what exactly was so great about whales. Fer treated the discussion as a sales pitch for bears, even though Maisara had no intention of ever owning a bear.

And Maisara could not believe as they crossed into Apoli. The front of the city had been hit by the storm. One of the n who was cleaning up blades that had been flung as far as here actually approached to ask what to do with the blades. Fer had the sort of answer that would never fly in the White Pantheon: ‘Treat them as souvenirs before the clean-up crew gets here. This is not my field good man, but I saw nothing, heard nothing and will not get asked anyway about what happened to the weapons.’ Maisara and Fortia shared another utterly befuddled look at hearing Fer say, but they weren’t part of the clean-up either. If there was one thing that Arascus did well, it was making sure everyone knew their roles.

And Maisara could still not believe it when Fer led them down the centre of a street. Cars and trucks stopped and moved out of their way, driving to the sides of the road. The occupants waved, saluted and finally allowed themselves a cheer as the city slowly began to catch up to the fact that victory had, in fact, been secured. Fer led them to the city centre and stopped before an expensive liquor shop. The city was slowly coming back to life, the population that had been evacuated to the northern section were walking past with nothing but smiles on their face. Rilian and Imperial flags were being put up, soone started a song, a choir joined in. The locals cheered to Fer, Maisara and Fortia.

When was the last ti that Maisara had actually seen cheers like that? The Great War and it was rare back then. She had been a frontline Goddess, and so she always stayed at the front. Fer looked up at the huge glass windows, stocked with bottles, her tail snaking from side to side and the ears on top of her head moving. In the centre, the shops had ceilings for minor Divinity. There wasn’t a place here into which Maisara could fit comfortably, but at least the places weren’t inaccessible. Fer practically jumped on the spot, her finger suddenly aid at Maisara and Fortia.

“What do you like to drink by the way?” Insanity. Being asked what she liked to drink. Divinity imposed their own tastes onto others. If they were in Elassa’s or Allasaria’s office, then it was wine, it would be beer with Theosius, it would be tea with Zerus and Sceo. The only ti that Maisara’s preference was taken into view was if the other party needed to butter her up.

Fortia answered first. “Whiskey.”

“That makes sense.” Fer replied. That answer was another stunning blow to their minds.

“Does it?”

“You’re both bronze and you’re both strong.” Fortia just blinked at the sheer ridiculous of the statent, Fer’s finger pointed up and down at Fortia as Maisara tried to process the logic of the statent. What did the strength of a drink have to do with their own physical strength? Even worse was the colour being similar. “Dad likes whiskey too.” Fer said and Fortia raised an eyebrow.

“Alright?” The statent was a question, and Fortia asked it as if she wasn’t believing what she was saying.

Fer chuckled. “I was just seeing if you were going to blush because you have a similarity with him.”

“What is this?” Fortia asked. “You know I don’t…” She trailed off. “I an, why? I don’t…” She couldn’t even say the words. “Not on him Fer.” Fer chuckled to herself, an all-knowing chuckle as if there was a joke that both Maisara and Fortia were missing.

“Of course.” She said. “You don’t, and the sun doesn’t shine.” Fortia didn’t blush, nor react, the finger turned to Maisara as Fortia just froze. “You like clear vodka.” It was a statent, and it was completely correct.

“Who told you?” Maisara asked.

“It’s the closest thing to silver and it’s also strong.” Fer said with nothing but sheer satisfaction in her tone. “Wait here girls, I know a good drink when I see one.” She turned around and ducked through the door to enter the shop.

Maisara was finally left alone with Fortia, the two stood there in silence for a mont as the crowd walking south filtered past them. “What just happened?” Maisara asked.

“We’re getting taken out for drinks.” Fortia replied slowly, staring in awe through the glass windows. Fer’s golden hair and ears could be tracked through the shop even when her body disappeared behind the cabinets. “Can you believe it?”

“I am struggling to.” Maisara admitted honestly.

“I know.” Fortia said. “What a creature.”

“You have that right.” Maisara said. “When…” She struggled to even find the words. “When was the last ti you had a drink like this? With soone but ?”

“More than a thousand years ago.” Fortia said. Maisara nodded, it was the exact sa for her. Divinity did not, or was not supposed to, make friends. They just had jobs, and they did those jobs, and then they got to do more work. The Pantheon operated on that rule. “They can’t all be like this.”

“What do you an?”

“I an, this is Fer, right? It’s not…” Fortia trailed off. “I an, it’s because it’s Fer, not… It can’t be done this way? With everyone?”

“I hope it’s not.” Maisara said. It had to be just Fer, because if it turned out that all of them were like this, then… What a waste the Pantheon had been. What a damn waste. “I an, I’ve t Malam not in that eting and she’s terrible.”

“But annoying or just...” Fortia casually waved a hand towards the shop. Fer’s ears were bouncing and ducking as she was by cabinet which housed hard spirits. “Like her?” Maisara honestly had to think on it. Malam was her own character, Fer was far easier to get along with but… Well, Malam had not even attempted to hint that she thought she could best Maisara in a duel. The crass jokes were crass but… But that was all they were. The mockery was the sort that children did to themselves. Was it an-spirited? Definitely. Was it really hurtful though?

“Fer is easier to get along with.” Maisara wouldn’t give Malam any credit. “Malam is… Well, I don’t hate her.” Fortia smiled and nodded.

“It’s like Irinika.” Fortia said. “Annoying, but difficult to hate.” There was nothing more to say, the two Goddesses fell silent as they waited for the third to leave the shop. “What do you think she likes to drink?” Fortia asked. And even now, Maisara could not believe she was actually responding to this question.

“Beer? Or cider maybe?” Maisara asked.

“I was thinking sothing like that.” Fortia replied. “Or maybe sweet liquor, the cream stuff?” Fortia asked. Maisara nodded, that would make sense. Eventually, they watched Fer go to the counter, order more bottles from behind it, then ask for a pen and paper. She wrote sothing to the man, slid the note over, took a photo with him, and left. Two large backs of bottles hung on her tail, it had curled into a loop to hold them and she ca out with a clap.

“I put it on Dad’s tab!” She said it like a victory. Maisara and Fortia didn’t know what to say as Fer burst out in laughter. “Co on, this way, this way.” Maisara just followed along, well, Divines did usually pay for themselves. Most mortals would give things away for free, but it was more about upholding the image of Divinity.

“You put it on Arascus’ tab?”

“I gave him a signed letter and sent him the photo to give to Internal Affairs.” Fer said, looking back at them. “What? Do you pay?” Maisara patted her armour, on the inside was a small pocket, her wallet was kept there.

“I do?” Was she not supposed to?

“Well I don’t.” Fer said. “Helenna complains about it to .” And without giving them rest, she launched into another story. “Two, three months ago.” Every word was accompanied by a vigorous gesticulation of her arms. “I bought a new cara, did you know? And lenses, do you know how expensive those are?” It was a question with no ti to answer. “Very expensive, Helenna rang to ask why I’m being scamd but I wasn’t, I thought it was a good deal.”

“What did you buy?” Fortia tried to get a word in.

“I just bought every style of lens there was out there. Helenna told I may as well have bought a mansion and that I was running up the bill more than the next ten Imperial Divines put together.” Fer chuckled. “But I was rather happy with myself, she sent a pie chart from Divine Affairs to , I have a whole section to myself, did you know? A quarter of all personal purchases by Divines in the Empire are for . There’s a section of the budget that’s the Fer budget!” She sounded downright proud of herself. “Ooohhhh Helenna hates it. She got on my case for a whole week.”

How did the Empire operate exactly? Maisara and Fortia once again shared a look. “That’s when Helenna ordered my card blocked. I had one, but I don’t anymore so I just go in and write a check and sign and tell them to forward it to Internal Affairs.” Downright proud, like a child who was telling her friends she was too smart to get caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

“And does Internal Affairs pay?” Maisara asked.

“I don’t know.” Fer said, bursting out in laughter. “But I’m good business though! People want to drink what I drink and eat what I eat. There’s a group online, did you know? It’s called In Fer’s Footsteps. It’s this fan-group and they try to go to the all the places I’ve been.”

“So stalkers?” Maisara asked. That’s what it sounded like.

“Oh no. I help run it.” Fer said. Maisara closed her eyes for a mont as she tried to understand what she just heard. A Divine helping run their own fan-club? Who exactly was she talking to? Divines ran Holy Orders, not… Not this.

Fortia had always been better at people though, so Fortia sohow managed to say sothing that didn’t call out the sheer absurdity of the situation. “And do the rest of you have one?”

“Malam and Kass don’t I know.” Fer said. “Iri wants to build a theatre for herself and Olephia runs her art galleries, I’m sure you know of that though.”

“I do.” Fortia said and Maisara nodded in agreent. Olephia’s paintings were so lifelike and famous that they had been so of the best sources of the Great War. She had her hobby, and it was grand, and Arascus apparently enabled it in any way he could. “We heard of her galleries.”

“Oh yeah!” Fer said excitedly. “Did you see the Beasts of Arika show?” Fer asked. She launched excitedly into yet another tirade about that gallery, now that it was about animals, she had her own comnts to add. She had seen it too, and she had a comnt on every painting. From the fact that Olephia had noticed finer details of a lioness picking up a cub with its jaws and how she managed to convey the danger and warmth in the painting, to the rhinoceros and hippopotamus. Then, it practically beca a lesson in the various animals that Fer had seen in Kirinyaa. She talked of watering holes and migratory routes, of birds and reptiles, of feeding and how they hunted prey or grazed upon the vast prairies.

All the way, Maisara and Fortia just listened. After a while, the annoyance, the constant comparisons to the White Pantheon, the awe of having killed Pax began to fade away. The nagging suspicion that Fer was in fact buttering them up because they were about to be sent off on another mission gradually died down, only to be replaced by the sheer whimsy of listening to the Goddess of Beasthood once again steer herself back to the topic of bears and tigers and wolves, and why bears were far superior to the other two, even though she liked all the animals.

Eventually, Fer led them out of the city again, towards the countryside. The three Divines were huge, a walk that would have taken humans a couple of hours, if not more, took them no more than thirty minutes. Maisara did not even notice the ti pass by, or the change in landscape as she just listened to how bears could sll food twenty miles away and could run in short sprints for forty. Or what sort of holes they preferred for winter hibernations. “This is a good spot.” Fer said as she stopped next to a rocky outcropping which faced a field and the now dirty grey Eparika sea in the distance. The sun was only beginning to lower. Her tail gently lowered the pair of bottle bags onto a patch of grass. “We should have brought food.”

They should have brought food, Maisara agreed. Fortia sat down next off to the side, Maisara completed the circle. “What did you get?” Fortia asked.

“Here.” Fer said. “For you.” She brought out a bottle of Gallenfid Whiskey and chucked it to Fortia with her tail. Fortia caught it and then waited, looking at Fer. “Well?” Of Beasthood said. “Go on. Try it.”

“Alright.” Fortia undid the top and took a large swig straight from the tap. “It’s good.” Maisara could sll the drink imdiately, it did taste good. And then Fer did sothing that neither of them were prepared for. She reached over, and extended her palm to show she wanted a drink.

“Well?” Fer said. “Co on, let try it.”

“From the bottle?”

“Will I catch sothing off you?”

“No!” Fortia shouted. “But…” Slowly, she passed the bottle over. Fer took her own swig, wiped her mouth and laughed with a hur-hur-hur of satisfaction.

“Here.” She passed the bottle to Maisara.

“You just drank from that!” Maisara said.

“And?” Fer asked. “You’re not going to catch anything off !” Well. Fortia had drank. Fer had drank. Maisara supposed it was her turn. When had she shared a bottle like this with soone? A millennium ago, easily. More than one. Divines always drank from glasses but… She wrapped her lips around the top and drank a good swig. It burned on the way down, but it burned warm. Like the sun behind her.

“It’s okay.” Maisara said, passing the bottle to Fortia again. Of Peace took another swig and leaned back, nursing the bottle between her crossed legs. Fer brought out a vodka: Yarinkov. Clear and top shelf, she gave it to Maisara to open and the honour of having the first taste. This was much better. The bottle went around in a circle.

For a mont, Maisara caught Fortia’s glance and knew exactly what of Peace was signalling when Fer’s tail reached in again. Of Beasthood chuckled again: hur-hur-hur. All the pride of a lion was in that chuckle. “Don’t think I didn’t catch that.” She said. “Curious? Are we?” The world outside the circle stopped mattering for now. The line of cars making their way to Apoli, the camp north of the city being torn down, that had been temporary storage for the troops and spare tents for the not-evacuees. The cattle that grazed in the distance and the tractor trying to plough a field. Over the hill, the city had started to play music.

“I’m very curious.” Maisara said it this ti. “I have no clue what you like to drink.”

“It’s beer or liquor.” Fortia said.

“Wrong and wrong.” Fer said, she brought out a bottle of Lubskan drink, flavoured vodka, this one made to taste of blackberries and in the sa dark colour as the produce that made it. “This is the good stuff.” She said, popping it open and drinking a hearty serving. And once again, the bottle went around to be shared out. Maisara had tasted these before out of sheer curiosity, they were too sweet back then, they were too sweet right now.

“It’s like juice.” Fortia comnted after her test, and then passed it back to Fer.

“It’s the best.” Fer said. “And no Malam or Kassie or you two or even Dad will tell that your shit is good.” She burst out in laughter. “That, you drink to get drunk! This, you drink for the taste!” Maisara stared at her clear vodka. Fer was so utterly wrong that there was nothing to even argue about, what she drank was just syrup watered down with vodka to try and…

“That.” Fortia said, pointing to Fer’s bottle. “Is what children and girls drink.” Fer burst out in laughter and leaned over to pat Fortia on the back.

“Well I am a child, and I am girl’s girl, so it is perfect for !” She leaned back and drank. The first set of bottles went down in almost silent. Maisara didn’t know who made it a race, but soone did. Maybe it was her, herself. Within a minute, Fer, Fortia and Maisara lined them up by a rock and got out another set. These ones were opened once again, Fortia did it this ti. And once again, every tasted everyone’s drink before settling into their own.

By the ti fifteen bottles were arranged in a line, five each, Fer was clutching her stomach and giggling to herself. Fortia had fallen back, her arms spread out, and smiling as she gazed up towards the sky. Maisara had collapsed onto her side as she listened to Fer’s giggles plucked at tiny pieces of grass. “And here I thought you two were big.” Fer said.

“I am big.” Fortia said. “Bigger than you.”

“No you’re not!” Fer cooed the words in a warm tone.

“The ears do not co-count.” Maisara said through a hiccup. It was to the top of her head.

“Hihihihihihi!” Fer burst out in laughter. “I ant you two drunks are collapsed already!” She giggled once again.

“I’m just resting.” Maisara said. She honestly was for once. Pax was dead and there was nothing to talk about. There was no need for endless pats on the back that they had gotten around. It was done. Maisara was done. And there was no reason to pretend otherwise.

“You’re handling it, worse than us, anyway.” Fortia said.

“Hihihihihihihi!” Fer burst out in laughter again. She was on a raspberry vodka now. The woman had been honest, and she had no played so joke on them. The bottles were all different brands, but it was all clear vodka for Maisara, all different whiskeys for Fortia, and all different flavours for Fer. “Hihihihihihi!” She giggled again. “Collapsed!”

Maisara didn’t even care. It just ran off her like water. “We should have made a fire.”

“Hihihihihihi!” Fer kept on snickering to herself. “How romantic!”

“The word is comfy.” Maisara corrected her quietly. What a drunk. She watched Fer settle down against her rock, chuckling to herself. What a drunk indeed, but it was the most harmless drunk she had ever seen. Even the giggles weren’t annoying, Fer was just enjoying herself.

“It’s cute though.” Fer said, smiling, her eyes closed. Everything was cute to her, Maisara had learned. Everything was cute and sweet and every other word that could be used to describe candy. She chuckled again. “I’ve not drank like this in months.”

“In centuries here.” Fortia said and Fer chuckled again.

“You two are good to drink with.” She said.

“I’m honoured, you think so.” Fortia replied, not even looking at them, but still staring up at the sky from where she was sprawled out in the armour still dented by swords. Maisara was starting to get annoyed with hers, but underneath, the shirt had been ripped up by the movents of her own body during the battle and no matter how amicable a personality Fer was, she wasn’t going to lie in scraps before her.

“Normally I drink people under the table.” Fer said, chuckling. “Dad can handle it though.”

“Malam?” Maisara asked.

“Mal is a steady drinker.” Fer said. Maisara closed her eyes and smiled. A steady drinker? Steady as in there was a constant stream of alcohol circulating through her? She supposed so.

“Is she?” Fortia asked. “Doesn’t she, drink, all the ti?”

“But not beat-for-beat like this hihihihihihi!” Fer descended into another round of chuckles.

“It’s the size difference.” Maisara said from her side. She shifted on the grass, kicked her feet and wiggled her toes. “We’re bigger than her.” She rolled onto her back, that was uncomfortable too, and then sat up. Fortia noticed the shadow falling onto her face, and sat back up. She looked at the pair of them, then totally diverted the gossip.

“We’ll do this again.” She said.

“Heh!” Fer exclaid, pointing to the bags. “We’re not even through the first one yet!”

“I know.” Fortia said. “But I an. After we finish this. We’ll do this again.” Maisara smiled to herself, the start-stop sentences of drunk Fortia were starting to grow on her, just as much as the endless laughter of Fer. She fell back down onto the ground.

“Yes.” She said quietly. “We will.”

Fer burst out into her giggles.

The day turned to evening, and the evening turned to night, and the night eventually turned to dawn. And dawn finally saw the cracking open of the final bottles. There was no way the three of them were getting back in the state they were in. Maisara fell back onto the grass once again. It was terrible. It was horribly undivine, and it was irresponsible too, but she did not care. It wasn’t even comfortable. They should have brought blankets and changes of clothes.

But that was the least of Maisara’s worries. In fact, she couldn’t think of a single worry in her mind right now. She was just here. With Fortia and with Fer, as the trio that were the apex predators on this world and the only two others she could conceive of calling her equals and she found herself smiling on a thought so innocent that it felt like it should be devilish and conniving, but it was just the truth: This was much better than the White Pantheon.

Maisara, Fortia & Fer slept through the day.