The Dark Goddess

Chapter 28

“I’m sure you all know why you have been chosen” the god had said at the council hall, Ami later got to know he was called Aluc and like most gods he had a most specific trait to him and that was battle strategy and security.

He is from the Sumerian godly line, but Ami could not remember who his parents were, partly because its actually not common knowledge.

Aluc continued after a brief pause, “You five are the top ranking in power from each of the years and as fate would have it each of you is a different descendant type, a goddess from the first year, a demigod from the second year, a godling from the third year, a magician from the fourth year and a legacy from the fifth year” he said.

“This is not just the best combination for a mission but also the one with less risk, having the same type of descendants more than one or two may draw too much attention from specific enemy types, for instance, for the demigods monsters get more drawn to them in numbers, for legacies it’s the seekers, humans seeking the extraordinary for experiments or to kill, for magicians it’s the forces of darkness itself for a godling and a god or goddess it might be another godling, god or goddess or any of the aforementioned or something even more sinister” he kept on explaining.

Ami felt they were trying to lighten the risks involved in send a unit such as theirs out into the world as a group, left to her, she felt the risks were even greater, even more when putting them together in such mix than any other. She swallowed her argument though.

After Aluc’s explanations, the goddess Lyfie also spoke, she was a goddess of teaching, she had this ability that made people she taught things to understand her well and quickly too.

“You will move out via an ancient portal using Mariam’s connection to ancient artifacts of power, she will get you all as close to the site as possible, from there you will have a few blocks to walk till you get there” she stated.

“Once you’re there your main job begins, which is to investigate, acquire any left over necessary information and important materials and most importantly retrieve what was looted from those that did, that is if possible, if not you’re to report back here with your findings and let us know the best possible way to go after the looters so as to acquire back what was taken” she finished.

The plan seemed easy enough but from the expression on Alec and Mirabel’s faces, Ami could tell it wasn’t going to be all that simple.

Alec traced his fingers over the map in their front and stopped, “this is the easiest route to the site from this our supposed drop point, I think it’s a little too obvious” he said looking at Aluc and Lyfie then at all the others.

He looked back at the map and traced his fingers through another route, “here though, albeit a bit longer, would be more safer and unexpected” he finished.

“I don’t think we have the luxury of time to be picky about our route” Mariam chipped in “The longer we take before we get there, the faster the trail goes away and it gets even more difficult to trace or track and follow, magical trails itself dies off pretty fast so I think we should still take the proposed route” she finished.

“You are both right, but it’s true what Alec said, we shouldn’t think they might not be attentive enough to set up a trap for those coming in to rescue or even just to prevent anybody from following” Mirabel said, she looked around then heaved a sign before she continued.

“Alec, by year you are the senior here, and by experience on quests and missions as well, you senior the others, this automatically makes you qualified for the leadership position, so you’re taking point on this, you know what that means right? It means this is your first mission where you would be the one leading, do lead them well will you?” she finished on the note of that question.

Alec nodded sternly with a stern expression, Ami really felt he was the type that always knew what he was doing, Mariam too was a strong independent lady with her own view on things, it was definitely good enough for Ami that these two would be the leading part of the group.

Alec folded his arms across his chest as he reasoned out their strategy, “The four of us well versed in the art of battle should take point and form a kite, our magician would be at the center of the kite since she is the most important part of our group, without her we’d be stuck there also without a means of communication” he stated.

Ami was nodding at the strategy as Alec was laying it down, but from the expression on Mariam’s face, Ami could tell she was neither happy nor satisfied with the arrangement, ‘Does she really think she’ll be on the offensive as well with us’ Ami thought to herself, to her that is just plain reckless.

Alec continued anyways, “So if we’re being engaged, I’ll access the situation as quickly as I can so as to decide if we are fighting or withdrawing, if we are fighting our best plan would be to turn the offensive back on the attack rather than stay on the defensive” he explained.

“But if we are withdrawing though, we would be on full defensive so as to safely regroup and strategize anew, for the swapping into offensive and full on defense modes, Mariam is the key, so we’ll be counting on you for that” Alec pointed out.

“But then if we are to engage, then it has to be just us four fighters on the action, because we’ll be needing you for anything from a quick getaway to restraining and capturing, so we’ll need you to be at your fully charged self no need wasting your skills on the battle, we’ll handle that” Alec stated.

Ami was really feeling the strategy, it was smooth and easy enough at its most complex stage, she saw again that Mariam wasn’t really buying into the strategy though, Ami figured she is the type to always want more than a piece of the action.

Mirabel placed a hand on Alec’s shoulder and then she looked into all their eyes one after the other “From here on out, we can only wish you good luck, pray the fates smile om you and that the gods be with you” she said kindly.

“If that is all then you guys need to be on your way ASAP” Aluc said to them.

Then they all strapped on their backpacks which was so very unexpectedly light despite all that was lugged in it, Magic, Ami figured.

They moved out and headed towards the so called ancient artifact of power, it was at the very center of Haven where an actual but miniature Stonehenge replica was located.

Then they went to the one that was structured like a doorway, there Mariam casted her spell using words of power and seals with her hands and fingers.

Runes and hieroglyphs blazed to life about the structure, then the doorway started to show the part of the city that they were to drop in at.

Ami gulped at the sight, partly because she hadn’t used any portal before then and was getting a bit sweaty from anxiety, and mainly because the structure were they were to come out through was high off the ground at about five stories high.

She could see six gargoyles surrounding the top of the building at six points to form a hexagon, she the discovered the gargoyles were in fact the ancient artifact of power that was there and at that moment, bringing them out from Haven.

As the others started crossing, she looked back at Haven one more time, she was really going to miss Casey, but right now she was on a mission and can’t afford to be distracted, so she cleared her head and headed out of the Stonehenge doorway and jumped out and down to the gargoyle hexagon.

***

‘The strategy had really been good’ Ami was still thinking as she moved onwards with the guys to rescue Alec, this was their second turning through the alleyway.

‘So how had it all gone so wrong’ she thought through the fire of pain flaring through her body at that moment.