Pantheon Book 2: The Way of the Tao

The Next Stop

       Melody wakes up slowly the next morning, surprised by the silence. There's no music or cheering. No clapping hands or stomping feet. She prepares quickly, conjuring a pair of white shorts and a long, blue, ruffled dress. She slides a thin green jacket over it and throws her handbag over her shoulder before dashing out.

The common area is crowded with people. Emelia sits in one corner, with Oliver sitting on the floor next to her. Next to them is Ra, munching happily on a slice of toast with an egg on top. Across the table sits Julien and Akari, feeding each other lovingly. Koji sits next to his sister, and Melody can't tell if he's glaring at Julien or intentionally looking away from their cutesiness. Marcus sits on the back of the couch, as far away from Emelia and Oliver as possible.

"What's going on?" Melody says, gripping the strap of her bag anxiously. "Is the party over?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ra says with a nod of greeting. "Akari made the announcement this morning."

"I've ignored my duties for too long," Akari confirms. "I may be retiring, but that doesn't mean I can keep pushing it off on everyone else. So, I told everyone I was looking for an apprentice and had them get back to work." She holds a glob of rice out to Julien, and he happily accepts.

"Oh, okay," Melody says, relaxing. She walks over to join the group, sitting down next to Marcus. She gives him a stern look, glancing at Emelia so he knows what she's referring to. Marcus rolls his eyes, nodding dismissively.

"So, once you find an apprentice, are you going to train them?" Marcus says, staring at the mound of peanut butter on his toast. "Or just hand your title over with your relic?" Akari hums, her shoulders dropping. Melody prepares to elbow Marcus until she brightens again.

"I suppose I should train them properly, shouldn't I? It wouldn't be fair to just dump everything into their lap and leave," she says. Julien nods, wrapping an arm around her affectionately.

"Speaking of leaving, I will be today," Ra interjects, clearing his throat. "As pleasant as this has been, I'm afraid I must return to the Ennead."

"I'm staying until tomorrow, to make sure things go smoothly," Julien adds. Melody nods, glancing around the room. Emelia is listening intently, and Melody wonders if she'll be returning with Ra. Koji's eyes are downcast; he clearly has something on his mind. She makes a mental note to ask him about it when she gets the chance.

"So, you're back to work," Marcus says, waving his toast at Akari. "I assume Fujin and Raijin are keeping their word, or we wouldn't have spent the last two days celebrating. Which means we should probably start talking about Tsukuyomi." Eyes sink all around the table, plates being pushed back. Melody glares at Marcus, but he either doesn't notice or ignores her. "Anyone have any ideas what we're going to do about that?"

"Akimoto has always been stubborn," Akari says wistfully, folding her hands in her lap. "I doubt there's anything we can do to change his mind."

"Nothing at all?" Emelia says, sitting up straighter. "Couldn't we at least talk to him first?"

"He won't listen. He's made his decision, and all we can do is live with it," Akari sighs, hanging her head like she's got weights attached to her forehead. "I'm afraid nobody can save Tsukuyomi's godhood now." Everybody goes quiet, the weight of her words hanging over them. Ra finishes his toast, wiping his mouth with a napkin before clearing his throat loudly.

"Actually, I know of a way we can save it," he says, raising his chin. All heads snap to him, eyes wide. "There aren't many who know this, so I'd ask all of you to keep it a secret. I'm not sure how the gods would react if they knew."