How to Deal with War

Chapter Three: Book Three - Heather and That Stupid Statue

[AN: WARNING! Read this chapter only after finishing How to Be a God. Contains major spoilers!]

~Chapter Three: Book Three – Heather and That Stupid Statue~

Dear Heather Wilson,

Your request has caused me nothing but trouble. Though, I suspect some of that is my own fault, as I should not have put it off as long as I did. I am sure your brother – quite an interesting cat – will tell you everything. However, I feel it is my duty to tell you why I cannot finish your request to assist in ending the war.

While I was able to create a sort of alliance between the Fae and the demons, there are complications that I cannot be involved with. At least, not actively. Instead, I can only offer you advice and directions on how to follow it. Before I give you the advice, though, allow me to explain the complications.

It was recently discovered that I am not the only god participating in this war, as your enemy has allied themselves with a Slavic god, Veles. I write 'a' because there is only one. Over the past week, Ullr and I have discovered that Veles is working alone. This information has yet to be passed onto the demon captains, though, so I suggest you inform them posthaste following your release.

As it stands, it is possible to stop Veles and end his assistance of your enemy, which is where the advice comes in. Though I hate to supply you with the weakness of my old friend – and I trust you will keep this information to yourself – Veles has never once been able to defeat his pantheon's king god, Perun. If you can convince Perun to aid you, Veles will either surrender to him or fight and die. On the back of this letter, I shall supply you with directions on how to find Perun.

I truly regret having left you in the statue for such a long period of time and I hope that you find the actions I have taken to assist your demons to be satisfactory. Please take care of yourself and leave the more dangerous things to people better equipped to handle them. That is not to say you cannot handle them yourself, but from what I have heard, you were only just released from the hospital before freeing me. At the very least, take a break.

Sincerely,

Ainmire, god of magic, infamy, and trickery.

- - - - - - -

After having been 'missing' for many months, Heather's sudden appearance in the hotel lobby of the demon's HQ in California causes a great deal of uproar, despite how everyone should already be asleep. In fact, it was almost to the point of the hotel staff calling security when a very short-tempered Ullr took charge and made everyone go to a more private location. This location being a very-groggy Vepkoadur's room, where they were joined by Sidr.

While she is glad to see her friends safe and sound after all this time, neither her brother nor her future brother-in-law are there to greet her. Though she knows the fear is irrational, as he is probably back in Colorado while he finishes his degree or in Italy with Ryland's family, Heather still worries about the possibility of something having happened to him in her absence. He is probably fine, but the fear lingers in her mind.

"Where's my brother?" She asks as soon as she settles down on the couch.

Sidr is quick to assure her, "Cade is fine. He was on the way to the airport, but now he's coming straight back."

"Why was he going to the airport?" Heather asks, wondering if he was on his way to, or from, a mission. She had made Sidr promise not to recruit him, and though Vepkoadur was the one to do it, he seems to be spending a lot of time in the field for someone who is just supposed to work with information. But then, so is she.