Almost All Truths

How to answer that question? Islana had a feeling that showing Shalia had any sympathy towards a foreigner, even one who was gifted with magik, might come across as weakness.

There was a certain amount of loyalty, that the young woman had gained towards Shalia. While she was still questioning a lot of things regarding the winter witch, the woman had helped her.

"That story is quite long." Islana replied. "The shortened form is I was betrayed, sold to an Odonine village. Shalia bought me from the village."

That comment brought up thoughts of Hunter, and that ever present guilt about what had happened to the man. Still, it didn't seem to make sense to include him nor would it change anything.

"A slave? With powers? Just like Shalia Nix once if our information is correct." The woman pondered the meaning of this.

"When were you last in Ostiarium?" She asked.

That information about Shalia came as news to Islana though she wasn't particularly surprised. That the woman had managed to get to her position from being a slave was interesting though.

Islana wondered how did one prove themselves that much in the clan. The magik helped but there had to be more to it, likely a great deal more.

A lifetime ago. The redhead wanted to say to the woman's question. It certainly felt that way.

"A few weeks." Was the answer that came instead.

"How come you were in Fang travelling during the conflict in the Plains?" She asked wondering if the girl was part of the military.

"I was part of a group hired to help explore some of the ancient ruins."

That was a very brief synopsis. Probably too brief, the young hunteress didn't want to have to explain that there was a bounty hunter after her.

"The group had to split up and I ran into some .... problems."

The woman raised an eyebrow at that. Travelling all the way from the City of Stone to the edges of the Great Desert of Skulls. Not a journey for the faint hearted.

"Don't we all?" She asked with another grin. "Run into trouble that is..." She paused. Knowing she was one of the Chosen what been surprising.

"Tell me of your false gods child. Who do you worship?"

Islana seemed unfazed hearing the religion she was raised on, false. She certainly understood not everyone worshipped the same or thought the same on such matters. Not even in Ostiarium.

"We have basically five central gods that we worship that are collectively known as the Pillars.

Cambena is the Goddess of the Seas. Vastad, the God of War. Hoi, the Goddess of Fertility. Kupen, the God of the Sky. And Zinheim, the God of Death."

"And you do you call your God?" She pushed.

Now, that was a question not a single person had ever asked Islana before. Not even her family, who tended to all mostly worship Kupen. They just assumed the redhead did the same.

It seemed as a child, and even now that she should be worshipping one related to the animals, which didn't exist, or not subscribe mostly to just one. So, the young woman, despite knowing that wasn't the way it was supposed to be done, tended to mostly to do the latter.

"Kupen, the God of the Sky and Sun.".

Sure, go with that. It was the one her in knowledge was the best in and there was the bird aspect. It was really a cautious lie though.