Kolupati stayed seated and watched the other Gods, knowing she’d just ruin their fun. She watched as Kaninan, the Goddess of Harvest, whispered something into the ear of Arangwa and he grinned at her. Anuk Buwan scowled at them and Kolupati nudged his shoulder.
“Go out there. You might as well have fun too.”
“I’d rather go blind in my one good eye,” Anuk Buwan said without hesitation. “At least now I can bother you about letting Libum go. I don’t know how he managed to be at the receiving end of one of your tantrums without being killed.” His hand snaked his way over to a nearby Spirit Wine bottle and poured shots without asking Kolupati if she wanted one. “His attitude is still nasty, but I can’t put all the blame on him. Look who he has for a mother!”
“I’ve gone many years without using my fists to talk to you,” Kolupati declined the shot and took the bottle from him, taking a swig. “But I could really hurt you without a sliver of remorse right now.” She refused to pour Anuk Buwan any, saying, “I’m not his mother, anyway. He’d already be dead if I tried to play his ina.”
“Scary.” Anuk Buwan’s eye widened and Kolupati could feel a burst of heat. Arangwa had provided flame and Kaninan held two lit candles, one in each hand and one balanced on top of her head. "A wonderful display of sipsip, Kolupati. Well done."
Anisad, the ever loyal acolyte despite being a God herself moved to Anuk Buwan’s side. When she saw Kolupati, a smile graced her face. “Hello, Kolupati.” She placed one hand on Anuk Buwan’s. “May I borrow the Son?”
Anuk Buwan bristled, asking for help with his face, but Kolupati took care not to notice. Anisad was the most devoted to her Moon no matter what form she took. She often brought Anuk Buwan to the land of salt, where she purified water and cleaned his wound, which he dreaded.
Kolupati turned her attention back to the Harvest Goddess.
She began to dance, curving the lit flame around her head and in front of her with her hands. The Gods all watched in sheer amazement as she rested on the ground, still holding both glasses. This dance lasted for hours, Kaninan gracefully adding another lit glass that wobbled but never toppled over to her head with each new dance sequence. Even Kolupati couldn’t hide her delight at the sight of the Gods coming together and Kaninan illuminated by candle light. As the Harvest Goddess slowed to a few steps, the music came to a graceful halt. A feeling of goosebumps rose on her arms, and she thought she was being watched. Her eyes glanced to the other Gods, but it soon disappeared.
“Let us all travel to the altar,” their Lord Maker announced. “How about we turn it into a competition? Whoever reaches the very top of the mountain first and drinks from the coconut husk will be able to come to me and plead that I bless someone of their choosing to ascend.”
Anuk Buwan, who Kolupati noticed had been considerably bored throughout the entirety of this event, suddenly perked up in interest. He looked like he was conserving his energy, waiting for the right moment to use it. His eyes dashed between Kolupati and Arangwa, and he appeared to be weighing his options. Batala had not guaranteed that whoever was picked would become a God with uttermost certainty, but it was so like the Gods to trust Batala in complete blindness.
All the Gods lined up, ready to race, before Batala said, “A race seems too simple, no? It’s an insult to my creations’ ability. I want it to be a game of serba.” The group of ten scrambled to pair up, between taggers and those being tagged, Anuk Buwan grabbed Arangwa before anyone thought to snatch him.
“It’ll feel good to beat you, God of the Sun.” Anuk Buwan taunted. “Try not to lose to me too quickly, now, Kuya Arangwa.”
Kolupati, to her surprise, was left with Thala as a partner. The God of the Stars did not seem too pleased to have her. “Take mercy on me and be the one to try and tag me, Lady Kolupati?”
“May the taggers lose,” Kolupati murmured. “Just make sure that damn bastard—” Thala was taken aback at that. Kolupati realized her mistake too late and apologized—Anuk Buwan had been the one to choose Thala to ascend. Before that, their relationship was that of a god and a devotee. “I didn’t mean that. You know how we are when we’re put together. It’s not enough space no matter how big the room is.” Thala stared at her. She cleared her throat. “Do the best you can. I’m sure you have a wonderful candidate.”
The ones opposite the taggers were given a head start, and a gong from the ensemble triggered the beginning of the game. Thala sped up against the others. The Death Goddess lined up against the taggers, and examined her target trying to reach for the husk first. She’s too excited, Kolupati thought. She’ll burn out before she reaches the top. Her mind did not register the second ring of the gong until the others had cleared out, and she began running to reach Thala, who was coming in close behind Galitbyan at third. The sharp cold of the mountain air proved hard on her body, and she bit her teeth hard against the wind.
