At that moment, the goddess allowed a faint smile to form on her face.

  “My only regret is dying at the hands of someone as weak as you, Al-Qaum,” Epona said as her energy began to rise and she slowly lifted off the ground.

  Then the horse goddess shouted:

  “Iccona Loiminna!”

  Epona was suddenly enveloped in a radiant white light, transforming into a magnificent anthropomorphic mare with a flowing white mane.

  “What… what an unfathomable power!” Al-Qaum shouted in disbelief.

  “In another time, you would’ve defeated me easily. But I’ve surpassed my limits—

  and now I will destroy you.

  I don’t care if I turn to stone—I will defeat you!” Epona roared as white energy surged across her entire body.

  “W-wait! Stop!” Al-Qaum cried out, but it was far too late.

  Epona launched herself like a meteor straight through the sand monster’s torso—

  and through Al-Qaum himself.

  The creature of sand disintegrated instantly, and the Nabataean god crashed to the ground, gravely wounded.

  “I haven’t killed you yet… but if you don’t return my friends to normal, I’ll crush every bone in your body before I become stone,” Epona warned, still in her anthropomorphic mare form as patches of petrification crept across her arms.

  “I told you—it can’t be undone!” Al-Qaum shouted helplessly.

  “Really? Fine,” Epona said calmly—

  and stomped her feet directly onto his face.

  “Stop! Please! D-don’t kill me!” he screamed, begging for mercy, but Epona continued punishing him.

  “Fine! FINE! I’ll do it! Just spare me!” Al-Qaum screamed.

  Immediately, Epona halted her assault. Even in her equine form, she seemed to smile at him.

  “See? You could do it. Now get to it,” she said.

  The Nabataean god raised his right hand and murmured:

  “Nadarat al-rabie (—Freshness of spring— in Arabic.).”

  A pleasant, rose-colored mist filled the air.

  The petrified parts of Epona’s body healed, and in the distance she saw Mitras, Sol, and the surviving malakim slowly recovering as well, confused about what had happened.

  “Take some of this fragrance. Use it to restore the malakim turned to stone by the basilisks,” Al-Qaum said.

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  Epona returned to her original form and sat beside the fallen god.

  “See? You’re a good boy,” she said with a warm smile.

  “How did you know I could cure them?” Al-Qaum asked.

  “I saw it in your eyes.

  Even though they look tired and depressed… I saw purity there.

  Sorry for being rough with you—I couldn’t think of another way,” Epona said, standing back up.

  “What happened, Epona?” Mitras asked as he approached.

  “Did… did you re… rescue us?” Sol asked softly.

  “I merely recruited a new member for Orniskem. Isn’t that right?” Epona said, smiling at the defeated god.

  “I suppose I have nowhere else to go.

  Just let me sleep for now… I feel completely exhausted,” Al-Qaum muttered.

  “This girl is unbelievable… She defeated a Keres without anyone’s help.

  Even weakened, he’s far stronger than the energy signature that vanished with Maahes and Montu.

  These kids are prodigies…” Mitras thought, stunned.

  “And if it’s not too much trouble,” Epona added,

  “I need ambrosia right now or my face will stay disfigured!”

  “Ah—yes, of course,” Mitras said, handing her a small vial with only a few drops of ambrosia inside.

  Epona drank it and watched her wounds heal—though the scar given to her by her brothers could no longer be erased. Too much time had passed.

  Epona gathered a bit of the rosy fragrance into the vial and handed it to Mitras.

  “Give this to a malakim and send him to the ones turned to stone—they’ll return to normal,” she said.

  “Right away, Epona,” Mitras replied.

  The Persian god gave the vial to a malak, who bowed and flew off toward the site of the petrified soldiers. Meanwhile, Mitras turned to Al-Qaum, who was already trying to fall asleep again.

  “So tell us, Al-Qaum, was it? Where is Areópago?

  You said it was nearby, didn’t you?” Mitras asked.

  “You’re really going to make me betray my comrades…?” the Nabataean god muttered.

  “You don’t have many options left.

  Surely Ares will execute you for helping his enemies,” Mitras replied.

  “…Fine. I’ll tell you.

  But let me sleep afterward,” he said.

  The god sat on the ground and pointed toward the mountain range.

  “If you keep flying straight, you’ll reach the mountain in about an hour,” he explained.

  “C-can we… trust him?” Sol asked.

  “At this point, we have no choice.

  Besides, it’ll help us judge whether he’s worthy of joining our group,” Mitras replied.

  “I trust him,” Epona interjected.

  “One warning,” Al-Qaum said lazily.

  “I was one of the weakest Keres.

  Those ranked six and above are exceptionally strong—especially numbers one and two.

  They’re on par with katteres.”

  “We’ll have to rely on our strength,” Mitras said.

  “I’m not trying to discourage you… but if all of you lost to me while I wasn’t even using my totema… you won’t stand a chance,” the god added.

  Mitras swallowed hard.

  He had joined this mission to prove to Athena that he wasn’t weak.

  He’d been worshipped widely—across Persia, across Rome—and yet he could never awaken his true power. Something inside him was blocked.

  He had not been expelled from Garo Demanae—the realm of the Persian gods.

  He had fled, ashamed of his feeble strength.

  He had hoped joining Athena would help him grow stronger.

  But that had not happened.

  Inside, he felt envy toward Epona.

  “I must keep going… I must prove my worth,” he thought.

  “Thank you for the warning, but I have no intention of giving up,” Mitras said firmly.

  “And I’ll show you that I’m far stronger than you think!” he shouted—

  —but Al-Qaum had already fallen asleep, not hearing a single word, which only deepened Mitras’s frustration.

  “Wh-what are we going to do now, Mi… Mitras?” Sol asked.

  “We leave the malakim here and continue the three of us alone.

  From here on out, the difficulty of our battles will increase,” Mitras replied.

  “Are you sure?” Epona asked.

  “I know I disappointed you, Epona…

  That the one who gave you a short training didn’t meet your expectations.

  But I swear I will be useful on this mission,” the Persian god answered.

  Epona nodded, and the three gods departed in the direction Al-Qaum had indicated.

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