Chapter 73 – The House of Chaos

"If I see you eat another berry, I'm going to run you through!" Petra said as the three friends walked across the heavy wooden drawbridge, chaperoned by the large group of creatures. To their collective surprise, the beasts hadn't killed them on sight; in fact, they hadn't even attempted to start any kind of fight with them. Instead, they just surrounded the group, let them realise that there was no good in fighting it, and then kind of led them towards the castle.

"I still have to eat," Jordan complained. "Besides, it's not doing you any harm, is it?"

Titus tuned out his friends' arguing. It had become far more frequent since they'd been under the stress of searching for Henderson, and he hoped that if he just ignored it then it would eventually go away. With these new developments though, he kind of just hoped they wouldn't all be killed. Or eaten. Or worse somehow. He'd never even thought that the creatures of Chaos would capture them alive, and he'd thought even less about what would happen thereafter.

But that was the situation they were in: the creatures that called this place their home – whatever or whoever they were – had decided not to simply kill them on sight, even though that was exactly what Titus and his friends had done to any monsters they'd come across thus far.

The group were led across the heavy bridge, and as they walked, the ogres retook their position at the apparatus that controlled it. But there were still too many to fight off, and Titus didn't have much of his Mana back yet either.

"Do you think they're going to make us slaves?" Petra asked finally as the group passed into the castle. It was illuminated by burning torches all around, and the main foyer was large and quiet.

Titus shrugged. "It could be worse, couldn't it?"

"They could want us for sex slaves," Jordan said.

Titus and Petra both stopped in their tracks and looked at Jordan with a disgusted expression on their faces. Then they were nudged in the back and were forced to keep walking.

"What's wrong with you?" Petra asked. "There are just things that you shouldn't say, you know?"

"What? You asked," Jordan said with a shrug.

"So, I guess it could be worse," Titus said, pushing that thought firmly from his mind. "I just hope they make it quick…"

But Titus trailed off because the moment they walked through the next set of large double doors, the group found themselves within a grand chamber with windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Columns created a definite pathway, leading up a handful of stairs to a very obvious wooden throne. And on that throne, with his eyes closed, sat none other than Henderson.

"What have they done to him?" Jordan whispered, but he didn't need to wait for a response because Henderson then opened his eyes and sat bolt upright.

"Hello Contestants," Henderson said as the creatures of Chaos filtered away, though they remained close – presumably in case anyone was about to try to escape.

"Henderson…" Titus said slowly. "Are you OK? Have they been treating you well? Do you know what they want with us?"

Henderson smiled. "Of course," he said. "My friends here have been very accommodating. Though I don't know what possessed you to try to follow me here. Actually, that's quite ironic, isn't it?"

"What is?" Petra asked. "And what do you mean 'your friends'? Are you saying that you're here by choice?"

"Of course I'm here by choice!" Henderson replied, standing up from the throne and spreading his arms. "Don't you see? All of this is mine. Everything you see here! The forest, the barren deadlands, this very castle! I was destined to be the king of this place, and now I have taken my rightful place as ruler!"

"Let me stop you just there for one moment," a female voice interrupted Henderson's delusions of grandeur. "I think you may have got the wrong end of the stick, but I do thank you for keeping my seat warm," the voice said.

Henderson looked all around himself for the source of the voice and eventually a woman faded into existence not two feet behind him.

She was a young woman, though older than the rest of the humans in the throne room for sure, and she had bright red hair and striking green eyes. The woman also wore a shining gold breastplate and a bright red skirt.

"I think that it is time I introduced myself to your kind," the woman said. "My name is Athena, and I am the God of Chaos."

"Yeah," Henderson scoffed. "And I'm the God of cheese and wine."

Athena nodded deeply and added: "It is a pleasure to meet you. But before we continue, I must do one thing."

Athena stared at the three friends, and after a second, a notification filled Titus' vision.

The Curse: The Deadlands Blight has been removed.

You have been blessed by the God of Chaos. All stats reduced by this curse have been returned to normal.

All damage sustained by creatures of Chaos returned to normal.

This curse will reset once per 3 days.

Titus' jaw dropped, along with Jordan and Petra's. This woman was without question the God of Chaos, and Henderson was insulting her.

"What?" Henderson said, not having been subjected to the curse. "Did she say something to you?"

"That…" Petra said, raising her hand to point at Athena. "She… she's the God of Chaos."

Henderson smiled like what Petra had said was a joke, but her face was sincere, and his smile dropped somewhat.

"No, that can't be," Henderson said. "I am the king… I was sent here to be the…"

"There are a few things that need explaining," Athena said, sitting down on the wooden throne. "And they actually involve all of you. So if you would all indulge me and gather round, I do so enjoy telling stories to children."

Henderson didn't argue again. It looked to Titus like the boy was very embarrassed and maybe even a little scared, like something wasn't quite adding up, and the very thought made him worry.

Titus, on the other hand, was ready to deal with the God of Chaos. He knew that she was the opposing force to the God that every Contestant worshipped: the God of Balance, and therefore he had no doubt that the plan was for her to kill them all, enemies as they were. The only thing he didn't understand was why she wanted to sit around and talk to them.

"The thing is," Athena said, "is that I have no doubt that all of you have been raised to fear me, and to give your complete faith to the God of Balance. Did you know his name is actually Julius, by the way?"

Jordan was the first to understand what that meant.

"Julius the Balanced," he almost whispered.

Athena smiled. "Yes, that's the one," she said.

"I'm sorry," Henderson interrupted. "But what exactly is happening here?"

"I know this might seem like a lot to take in and all," Athena said. "And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you've been lied to for your entire lives."

Titus looked at his friends for a moment before Athena continued in her monologue.

"Of course, this one has a slightly different story than the rest of you," she nodded towards Henderson. "This one I've taken a rather special interest in. He is correct in saying that he was destined for greatness; he just isn't quite there yet. I'm not going to give away all of his secrets, but he has been granted, let's say, special powers by me, through one of my children. I have no doubt that one day he will be a king, but perhaps not on his first day out in the wilderness."

Titus stared at Henderson now. "What did you do?" He asked in an accusatory tone. "Is this something you've been planning all along? Lure us here and.."

"I didn't even know you were following me," Henderson replied condescendingly. "You really should listen to the God in the room: I'm the main character in this story; you three have really just been brought along for the ride."

"Actually, just him," Athena corrected, pointing at Titus. "The God of Balance has paid particular interest to him, but the other two are just your average run-of-the-mill humans."

"Him?" Henderson asked with a sneer. "I could snap him in two."

"That's something I wouldn't mind watching," Athena said. "But your fight isn't fated to happen on this day. The day will come eventually, but only once you have both gained some real strength."

"And we're just going to have to believe everything you're saying?" Titus asked. "We're supposed to put our trust in a God who revels in Chaos?"

"Oh come now," Athena said. "Those names aren't exactly binding. Even the God of Balance skirts the rules sometimes, and sometimes I am more than fair and balanced in my approach to a given situation."

"What does that even mean?" Petra asked, finding her voice. "Why are you even here?"

"You don't have to believe anything I am saying," Athena said to Titus, addressing him first. "And why am I here? To give you an alternate version of events, to open your eyes to the truth, and to make you an offer."

Athena paused for a moment to let her words sink in before she continued.

"Am I right in presuming that this is the very first time that any of you have ventured beyond your City walls?"

The three friends nodded slowly, but Henderson remained still.

"And have you noticed anything different since you've been here? Perhaps something to do with what you see that others cannot?"

Titus immediately understood that she was talking about the notifications they saw and spoke up.

"We got cursed," he said. "We had to pray to you to get rid of it or we'd eventually die."

Athena gave a half-smile at that. "Ah yes. Not exactly what I was referring to, though this is simply a defensive measure that I have set up. If someone is out here that shouldn't be, then they must enter one of my castles to remove that status. But is there anything else?" She was met with blank faces. "Have you not gained more experience points than ever before? Have you not experienced loot drops and a fair distribution of points from your kills? You have killed children of Chaos, have you not?"

"We're sorry if…" Jordan started to say but a raised hand stopped him.

Titus nodded in response to the God's question. "There has been more. And the loot drop – if that's what you're calling them – we didn't even know it was a thing… I mean, how does that even work? Is it what they're carrying when they die? Why would monsters need coins?"

"I do admit the system is rather archaic, but I kind of like it. It is from the first iteration of this world, where humans and monsters inhabited the same spaces. Yes, the rewards are sometimes what the creatures carry with them, but mostly it is an incentive for humans to try to fight them, and the greater the challenge, the greater the reward."

"An incentive? You want us to fight?" Petra asked. "Doesn't sound like a doting mother's angle to me."

"Through combat and struggle, we can grow," Athena said simply. "And what better way to encourage combat than to have my children look like juicy bags of treasure? It is a shame that all of this has changed over the last few centuries. Julius… the God of Balance decided that, in his infinite wisdom, he should be the one to benefit from the demise of the creatures of Chaos. Because the Arena, as you call it, is his personal plaything."

Jordan scoffed at that, but he was the only one. It didn't sound like this woman was making things up; after all, what would be the benefit in that? Plus, what she'd said had made sense: inside the Arena, there hadn't been any loot bags, and experience had certainly been stunted when battles had been won, compared to out here beyond the walls.

Titus looked down at the blue armband wrapped around his bicep. Then he looked back at Athena who smiled and nodded.

"Out here, you do not need to wear such oppressive things," she said. "You understand now that this is what those things are? It is Julius' way of sapping the experience from you all as you earn it fairly for yourselves. You remain weak and beholden, and he reaps the rewards."

"Nope," Jordan interrupted. "I'm not having it. The monsters don't have loot because the Hunters take it when they catch the monsters. And we get less experience because we're safer inside the City walls. It's all been explained already and that's how it works."

"And now I am explaining the truth," Athena replied flatly. "But understand that I am telling you these things not to upset you, but to open your eyes to what has been happening to you for your entire lives."

"And we should just trust you?" Jordan asked. "We should just take your word that our God, the entity that has made us who we are, given us power, has actually been holding us back?"

"Exactly," Athena said. "But you could also ask your friend here how his power has changed since becoming my child," she waved her arm at Henderson, who suddenly looked very sheepish.

"Yes…" Henderson said slowly. "Things have changed, and I am much stronger now… I can do things…"

"As you should all be able to," Athena said. "If you can just for a moment believe that Chaos is not evil, and Balance is not good. We are simply two differing worlds that oppose one another."

"Fine," Henderson said. "So what do you want?"

"To tell you the truth, firstly. And I must say that you seem to put a lot of faith into these Hunters of yours. Tell me, have you ever met any of them?"

"I know one," Jordan growled. "Julius the Balanced."

"Of course," Athena replied sweetly. "And do you know of any others? Have you met any in your time outside of your walls? Did you see any fight in the battle that threatened to tear down those walls?" She paused for a second and then continued. "You do not need to answer," she said. "Because there are no Hunters. The myth of the Hunters was started by your God as a way to control you, to give you something to strive for and to make you feel safe. He sends you monsters, and you fight them and grow."

"But why?" Petra finally asked. "Why tell us all this? And why bring us here?"

Athena's gaze swept over them, a glimmer of something unreadable in her eyes. "Because," she began, her voice carrying an almost melodic tone, "the world is on the brink of a change, a shift in the very foundations of what you've been made to believe. The God of Balance, Julius, has kept you in the dark, feeding you half-truths and fabrications to maintain his control and it is time you saw the full picture."

"This game of Gods and mortals... it sounds like we're just playthings, like we mean nothing. Are we just supposed to play our roles in your plans?" Petra continued.

"You do play a part. All of you do on both sides of Balance and Chaos. But when I tell you, you aren't going to believe me right away. You see…"

BOOM

It was like a meteor had crashed through the roof, and it had left a metre-wide round hole right through the ceiling of the throne room. It went all the way up and out, and let bright sunlight spill into the room. At the bottom of the trail now stood an elderly man with a long white beard, wearing tattered old robes. He was holding a wooden broom, and he swept the floor as he began to speak.

"I am sorry that I have made a mess, but I will clear it up. Athena, I think you have said enough to my children, don't you?"

"You come to my house…" Athena started, doing her best to keep her voice low.

"As you came to mine," the man interrupted. "But I do think I've made rather less mess than you did. Wouldn't you agree?"

The God of Chaos looked like she was going to explode, but didn't reply.

"Now if you wouldn't mind coming with me, you three, I'd very much like to take you home." He gestured to Titus, Jordan, and Petra, but very obviously overlooked Henderson.

"We came to take him back," Titus said, pointing at Henderson. "He's from the City too."

"He is not of my family any longer," the old man said. "He has made his choice." Then he added: "Goodbye, Henderson, and goodbye, Athena, we will all no doubt meet again soon."

And with that, the entire world winked out of existence for a split second, and when it all came rushing back, Titus found himself standing in a strange house. It was clearly inside the City and was a small place containing an attached kitchenette, dining room, and sitting room.

"You have questions for me?" the old man said once everyone had acclimatised themselves to their new surroundings. "Actually before we begin, would any of you like a cup of tea?"