Chapter 419 - Roadkill

BANG! 

The earthen ceiling exploded as Ivan's elementals bored their way out onto the surface. The Kres Emperor didn't need to be concerned with the soldiers and the others as he trusted Fredek and the made gods to be able to bring everyone back to safety. Also, he was able to feel Stribog's energy earlier before the energy of the legion vanished. It meant that they were able to leave. 

"Ali, hang in there. We will be out soon," he told the young woman who sat quietly in front of him. 

After the Black God's inner lair completely collapsed, Czernobog sent them a message with his voice echoing in their minds. She had long since been silent with a defeated look on her face. 

"Your task is over now, child. Live freely…"

Perun's seal continued to wreak havoc, causing the place to collapse completely. If they were not as powerful as they were right now, they'd have long been buried underneath. 

"Father…"Ali's eyes stared at the intermittent seals going wild everywhere. "Father's in danger."

Alinea's words made Ivan clamp his mouth shut. Normally, it was something very impossible to do. Perun was at the pinnacle of power and no one could easily get close to do him harm. Yet, the seals running amok wouldn't lie. Something bad had happened. 

"Ali, when we get out, don't do anything rash. We have to find your uncle first," Ivan said and Alinea nodded. 

"I know. I kind of already guessed what's going on. After repeating what Czernobog said over and over again in my head, I finally somewhat understood what happened. The only reason my father could be hurt is my mother, right?" 

Ivan stiffened but didn't answer her question. There wasn't a need to in the first place. Alinea might have asked a question, but she was only confirming what she already believed in her heart. In fact, he had made the same conclusion as her that's why he told her not to act rashly and find Gin first.

Soon, fiery red light burst followed by sunlight as they finally reached the surface. But as soon as Aurel flew out with them on his back, Ivan placed his hand on Alinea's eyes, covering them. Ali's reaction was of course to remove it, but Ivan warned her. 

"Don't. We'll find your uncle first," he told her and she stopped struggling. 

Ivan then glanced at Kresnik and saw him nod before he urged Aurel to land near the camp. Without taking the hand covering her eyes, Ivan got Ali off the crow's back as Fredek ran towards them. 

"Your Imperial Majesty, Lord Stribog asks for you to go to him immediately," he reported in great speed and Ivan nodded. 

"We know," the emperor said as he guided Alinea towards the tent. 

As soon as they entered, Ivan's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the king's unconscious body on the makeshift bed. With him were two deities Gin and… Dolya? 

What was the Goddess of Fate doing there? 

Gin signaled for Fredek to close the flap of the tent which he hurriedly did. 

"Can't you remove your hand yet?"Alinea asked and Ivan, after glancing at Gin who nodded did. 

She inhaled sharply upon seeing the pale form of Perun on the bed. She rushed to go to his side, her eyes wild and disbelieving seeing his poor state. 

But she didn't ask who did it. She already knew. 

"Ali is already here," Gin said as he stared frostily at Dolya. 

Dolya looked apologetic again as she looked worriedly at Alinea as if gauging her feelings. Ali understood there and then that they had a traitor in their midst. 

Or not…

"Speak!" Gin commanded and Ali almost flinched. She'd never heard her uncle use that tone to anyone. It just proved how livid he was. 

Dolya fell on the earthen floor and kowtowed, her forehead touched the ground. Still she remained unspeaking. 

"Why are you still not talking? Do you want me to help you?" Gin waved his hand a small tornado appeared picking up Dolya from the ground. The wind then started to compress, slowly suffocating her, her face turning red. "Why don't you tell us how you made us go in circles for millennia?" 

But without waiting for an answer, Gin moved his hand to the side and the deity was thrown back onto the floor, unconscious. 

"Uncle, why…" 

"Relax, we're just trying to make someone come out," Gin said and when Alinea looked confused, he sighed. "Do you remember what kind of God Dolya is?"

"The Goddess of Fate?" Alinea answered blandly. 

"And do you think the deity that controls fate is a good one?" 

Of course… not— at least not all the time. Alinea's eyes widened. When she first saw Dolya, she had already wondered what she was doing in the mortal plane when she's not even a Returner to Ancestry. "But uncle, I thought you were the one who asked her to stay in the mortal plane to help you?"

"Because she can be an unknowing spy," Gin answered and then it dawned on the others what he meant. 

"How long are you going to pretend that you're hurt?" Gin asked Dolya who remained sprawled on the ground. 

Dolya then started to move and she chuckled. "Stribog, you're still so mean," she complained in a singsong voice, and the hair on Alinea's body rose. 

Dolya was still Dolya, but the way she spoke and the aura surrounding her was no longer the pure and kind one that she had on earlier. Alinea narrowed her eyes on the young woman and really looked at her properly for the first time. 

Black hair and silver-gray eyes. 

Alinea sighed. After everything that happened so far, she shouldn't really have been surprised anymore with this development. 

"There's no need to speak. I finally understand,"Alinea said. "Czernobog and Perun are originally brothers— you're not really twins— you're triplets." She didn't even have the strength to glare at Stribog who stiffened. "But because of the way Perun was totally restricted, Czernobog, the closest to Perun begged Rod to set him free— and the God Creator agreed but in the condition that the Black God would offer his life and if he's able to successfully embed miasma in his heart, sullying his purity."

That's right. The rebellion, the banishment, the Immortal War, the curse, Fanya, and her, Alencica, the cursed child— they were all red herrings so that Perun wouldn't guess what was going on. 

"We were just roadkill— little sacrificial lambs for that goal," she Ali said as her eyes narrowed on the woman in front of her. "Am I right, Goddess of Fate— or should I say grandmother, Goddess of Avarice and Fortune?"