Apostles of Doom

Phaestus and Sekhmekt both started laughing loudly, and slapping their knees. The others all stared at the two.

“I am sure they did look at you oddly.” Phaestus wiped a tear of laughter from his cheek.

“You probably gave them a bigger shock than they’ve had in a long time,” Sekhmekt said with a grin.

“Do you know them?” Boggy asked.

“You could say that. They are both long-time loyal worshippers of the Nyjyr Ennead, who have been through many reincarnations with us.”

“In fact, her name means ‘beloved of pêTah,’—me!” Phaestus grinned.

Sekhmekt gave her husband a mock stern stare. “A very platonic love, yes?”

“Of course, dear.” Phaestus gave his wife a grin and then stood to give her a kiss. He had to stretch to reach her cheek, even though she was seated. She was still in a rather tall form.

“Actually, she is favored by us both,” Sekhmekt said. “She is, or often is, a great healer, which is one of my patronages.”

Phaestus struck his forehead with his palm. “How stupid of me!” He shook his head. “It all makes sense now. Usiris told me that he was working with Merit-Ptah on a reincarnation project using an incubus she had summoned. There aren’t that many recent incubus arrivals — I should have realized it was you!”

“So you know about her plans to pimp me out to lonely friends of hers who want to have dream sex?” Reggie asked.

Sekhmekt burst out laughing.

“Is that what she said?” Phaestus laughed, shaking his head.

“No, no. She wants to load you up with souls from the Wheel of Life and have you impregnate half of Natoor so we can sneak our reincarnated followers back into Astlan!” Sekhmekt grinned.

Reggie stared at the goddess in shock.

There was a clunk as Talarius, who had been tipping back drunkenly on his chair’s rear legs, leaned forward, setting the chair firmly on four legs. The knight shook his head, trying to be sure he had heard correctly. “Wait — are you telling me that you two are heathen deities?”

Phaestus turned to the knight and chuckled with amusement.

Djinnistan

“I believe this to be unprecedented,” Tamarin expressed to Le Senara al Vistra. “I have been unable to locate memories of a similar occurrence.”

Le Senara al Vistra flashed an emotion of amazed agreement. “Certainly, within my shared experiences and those of my mentor, I am unware of this information.”

Ser Sayat Tel Bastios expressed agreement. “This is incredibly valuable information. That the Knights of Chaos should be vulnerable in this manner is quite unexpected.”

“Yet, completely logical, if not obvious, if one considers thermodynamics,” Te Narthos al Biyam expressed.

Le Senara al Vistra emitted shame. “That we did not so much as think of such a thing should lead us to question our inference process.”

Ser Sayat Tel Bastios flashed a “harrumph” and expressed, “One thing that is not hard to infer is that the Lords of Chaos are not going to take this revelation of their weakness well.”

“Who will they move against first? He who revealed this information, or the individual who put them in a position where it could be revealed?” Tamarin questioned.

“Assuming that this information makes it back to Lilith, or that they believe it did, then both,” Te Narthos al Biyam expressed.

Er Tanaya Tel Barthos suddenly emoted concern, hir first expression in this exchange. “Tamarins DarNathos, is there any possibility that the Knights in the Maelstrom detected your observance of their weakness?”

“If they believed we knew of this weakness, Djinnistan could quickly become a target,” Ser Sayat Tel Bastios expressed, flashing alarm.

Mount Doom

Sekhmekt and Phaestus laughed again as Talarius stared at them tipsily. “Yes, you didn’t know?” Sekhmekt asked.

“I do not normally have to ask people that,” Talarius retorted.

Sekhmekt shook her head. “Given your great prowess, I assumed you fought alongside Tiernon.”

“I am a mortal.”