Life as a New Hire Ch. 45

"Shoot ... wait, probably not the best terminology in this crowd. Ask away," I replied.

"Have you faced a House challenge yet?"

"Yes. Just last night in fact. We free-climbed the north-face of Havenstone. I beat the next closest contender by three floors. I also had Princess Aya on the roof dropping bricks on anyone who attempted to get past me."

"That means he isn't going to answer you," Beyoncé interpreted for my audience.

"Can't you ever take these meetings seriously?" Febe Mielikki glowered.

"La ... Febe, in the past few minutes I have watched the person I love most in the world get her life shat on," I shook my head.

"The only thing worse than seeing this happen to Aya is knowing this is her sole opportunity to not lose her soul ... so I'm sucking up my heart's pain and putting forward a jester's persona so I don't put any more pressure on her than she's already been subjected to. Like me, she doesn't want the distinction of being a Person of Note."

"Like me, she knows she must sacrifice her dreams for the sake of our People -- the Amazon Host. Trust me, you would rather have 'me - the jester' than 'me - the Amazon' furious with the destiny that has foisted this pain on her'. Do any of you take responsibility for forcing the events of this morning?" I growled. If they wanted to see the other side of the Janus, so be it.

"Had you chosen a Regency in the FUCKING weeks you've been bickering, Kwenhamai could have been dealt with privately. The fate of the Royal House could have been put off a few years. Had you not all been so dead-set on being heroines of the Host, three of you would have sacrificed your bloodlust, your birthright and the future accolades you could recite on your final night (before taking themselves to the cliff) ... but none of you did."

"Instead, you set the stage for dumping all of your indecisiveness on the slender shoulders of a nine year old girl most of you had written off as too fractured and frail to survive her 12th year only three months ago. So Febe how do you like the honest 'me'?" I finished off furiously.

It was not lost on anyone in the chamber I was an Amazon raging against the cruelty of fate. Every other bitch in the room knew they had discarded MY DAUGHTER's life as trivial and I was prepared to unleash violence on the next one to show an ounce of disrespect over Aya's surrendering of her destiny and my grief at failing to find a way to stop this from coming to pass. St Marie had just reminded them that I was 'reliably" successful despite my handicaps. Not an enemy anyone in the room wanted any part of. Saku would have been proud.

[A FINAL NOTE]

I have been remiss in informing my readers of the names of the 53 Houses, even though I created it some time ago. I have made a few alterations to the original version as I've had to rethink certain parts of this tale, but here is the list I now use.

LIST OF GODDESSES

The First Twenty Houses in no particular order :

1) Ishara -- Oaths, Medicine and War (to North America) (died out 450 CE; Reborn in 2014)

2) * (Deceased) Anat -- Goddess of War, Fury and Blood Sacrifice (died out 6th cent. BCE) ~ possibly resurrected by Sakunyias

3) Anahit -- water, wisdom and war (to North America)

4) Arinniti -- Sun Goddess (to North America)

5) Hanwasuit -- Sovereign Goddess

6) Illuyankamunus -- Dragon God (to North America) [Special Case]

7) Inara -- the Hunter Goddess

8) Šauška -- fertility, War, healing

9) Kamrusepa -- Healing medicine magic (to Africa)

10) Lelwani -- Goddess of the Underworld (to Africa)

11) Hapantali -- Pastoral Goddess.

12) Hatepuna -- Sea Goddess (to India)

13) Hannahannah -- Mother Goddess

14) Moirai -- Fate

15) Selardi -- Lunar Goddess (to Africa)

16) Nammu -- Primordial Sea, sailing, sailors (to India) (to Indonesia)

17) Uttu -- Goddess of plants (to Africa)

18) Lahar -- Cattle Goddess (to Africa)

19) Ereshkigal -- Queen of the underworld (to India)

20) Istustaya and Papaya -- Twin Goddesses of Destiny (to North America)

[ADDITIONAL HOUSES FOUNDED IN EUROPE]

(Code: Sc = Scythian; T = Thracian, P -- Phrygian, C = Celtic, R = Roman, Sl = Slavic)

21) (Sc) Marda -- the One-Eyed Goddess/Vengeance {fantasy creation}

22) (Sc) Farānak -- A Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress (Dora)

23) (Sc) Stolgos -- Monstrous Slayer of Greeks (known to the Greeks as the Gorgon Stheno) {semi-historical}

24) (T) Cotyttia -- Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter (to North America)

25) (T) Bendis -- Thracian Goddess of the Moon and Hunting.

26) (T) Semele/Rajah -- Thracian Goddess of the Earth and Birth (to India)

27) (T) Hylonome -- Centaur Goddess

28) (P) Cybele -- Phrygians Earth Goddess on Lion's throne (to the Amazon)

29) (C) Andraste -- War Goddess; also Goddess of the Moon and Divination; 'the Rabbit Goddess'

30) (C) Epona -- Horses (to North America)

31) (C) Cyhiraeth -- Goddess of springs whose war cry precedes death (to Africa)

32) (C) Maeve -- War Goddess, the Enslaver of Men

33) * (Deceased) (C) Nantosuelta -- Earth, Fire and Fertility (died out 1st cent. BCE)

34) (C) Artio -- the Bear Goddess (to North America)

35) (C) Nemain -- Goddess of War and Panic

36) (R) Minerva -- Roman Goddess of War & Strategy

37) * (Deceased) (R) Diana -- Hunting and Archery (died out in India 16th cent. CE)

38) (Sl) Živa -- Love and Fertility

49) (Sl) Morė - Goddess of harvest, witchcraft, winter and death (to North America)

40) (Sl) Zorja -- The twin Guardians (Evening/Morning Stars)

41) * (Sl) Oźwiena -- fame and glory (died out in 1944)

42) * (Sl) Koliada -- Sky Goddess and deity of sunrises/dawn (died out 17th cent CE)

43) (F) Mielikki -- Goddess of the Hunt

44) (N) Skaði -- giantess, Goddess of bow-hunting, skiing, winter, and mountains

[ADDITIONAL HOUSES FOUNDED IN INDIA]

45) (I) Mookambika -- Demon Slayers

46) (I) Bhadra -- Goddess of the Hunt (to Indonesia)

47) (I) Meenakshi -- The Liberator [Rhada and Madi's House]

48) (I) Durga (Dark Mother) (to Indonesia)

49) (I) Chandala Bhikshuki -- Queen of Night -- Death, Destruction and Rebirth

50) (I) Jaya (Goddess of Victory)

51) * (I) Chelamma -- the Scorpion Queen (died out 16th cent.)

[ADDITIONAL HOUSES FOUNDED IN AFRICA]

52) (A) Oshun -- (Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits)

53) (A) Yemonja -- Mother of Rivers (to the Amazon)

54) (A) Oba -- Goddess of Betrayal and Exile

55) (A) Oxóssi -- Goddess of Hunting, Forests, Animals and Wealth

56) (A) Jengu -- Goddess of Jungles and Water Spirits

[ADDITIONAL HOUSES FOUNDED IN NORTH AMERICA]

[NA = Native American]

57) (NA) Uusheenhiton [noo'uusooo' heeninouhuusei hitoniho'] (Arapaho) -- Storm Horse Sister {fantasy creation}

58) (NA) Gahe -- Apache (supernatural spirits who live in the mountains)

[PROSPECTIVE HOUSE]

59) New -- (Hittite) SzélAnya -- the Dragon's Daughter

[CURRENT NUMBER OF HOUSES' CENTRAL LOCATION]

12 in North America (9+Ishara from Europe and 2 native)

10 in Africa (6 from Europe and 5 native)

3 in Amazonia (1 from Africa and 2 from Europe)

8 in India (3 from Europe and 7 native)

3 in Indonesia (2 from India and 1 from Europe)

17 in Europe

6 Deceased