About a week after Barra has defeated Utiog, Alexis is waiting for Gus as he returns from his morning shit.
“And what a fine day this has started out to be. Before I go back to my studies, I was hoping you might tell me a little something about your new ‘magics’. We have been talking about the gods a lot recently, and I would be curious to know where your ‘magics’ come from.”
“Before you try and bullshit me, play dumb, and stonewall me, I have a reason for my question: if Earyka targets your ‘god’, I want to know it; it’s important.”
Alexis stands in front of Gus awaiting his answer.
Gus looks at Alexis with weariness.
“Earyka has no chance of hurting the source of my complements. This whole god destruction sounds like an old wives tale like when my Nana told me she could take my nose with her fingers. ‘Look Gus, no more gods! Your god is gone! Just kidding here is your god back.'”
Gus doubles over and laughs and laughs.
“Are you worried about your god?”
“Gus.”
“What is a god?”
Gus stops laughing and turns serious.
“I understand I made light of your question. I apologize for that.”
…
“But I hope you can avoid looking down on me with a question like what a god is.”
…
“I understand that gods are beings and not just light and magic. I understand it is possible for them to be destroyed. My source will not be destroyed. Although if it is, It was too weak to pray to anyways.”
“If I tell you my source, I fear I will lose or lessen my connection with my source.”
“My question was not looking down on you.”
“If Earyka kills your god, or spirit, or manifestation, or greater power, or whatever. We will all suffer.”
“And I’m starting to truly believe that all gods can be killed. Even gods with no names, and no faces.”
“My source has a name and face. They are powerful. Extremely powerful. If Earyka could not kill Barra, I have no worries.”
“Earyka is very new to power, but gaining it quickly. Judging what she’s capable of by what happened here is a grave mistake.”
“Why do you think Barra ignored all of us, except her? And even then he wasn’t able to end her.”
“Barra most wanted to kill Utiog and spent most of his effort on her. What would you like me to judge Earyka’s power on? What am I missing that makes you think she is fully capable of eventually taking on the highest of gods?”
“Earyka comes from a mysterious land. Possibly one that no longer exists. She has very powerful weapons, and has started undermining the power of the Dark Hand for her own goals. You might discount those things, but I do not.”
“I’m no master of battle, but there were a couple key moments where things might have gone… less well for Barra.”
“If we’d won, which was conceivable, this would be a very different conversation.”
“If she controls all of the Dark Hand in a year, and has more items of power, are you saying you still don’t think she could have killed either of those beings? What about with the element of surprise, like Barra had?” Alexis nods to where the battle took place.