Having finished eating and now recovered, Rodrigo, after giving thanks for the meal, looked at Tania and asked her about their current location.

  “It’s a small village called Penacova. Many survivors have come here to take refuge; although others have fled, believing the Muslims might invade these surroundings as well.”

  “Well then, umm… how long was I asleep?”

  inquired Rodrigo, as he gathered his clothes, still wearing only the trousers he used as underwear.

  “Only three hours,” Tania replied. “Don’t worry, we can still make it in time for you to rescue the slaves. But remember—just that, understood?”

  “Yes, and also… to bury the bodies of my mother and my friends. Their souls cannot reach Heaven, nor can their bodies rise again on Judgment Day, if I do not give them a holy burial,” Rodrigo said firmly.

  Tania nodded in silence.

  They walked toward the inn’s door while the innkeeper begged them not to leave the village.

  “Don’t worry,” Tania replied, forcing a smile. “We’ll be fine.”

  Rodrigo noticed she wasn’t used to smiling at strangers.

  Beside the large inn stood a spacious stable with several horses tied up. Outside were two mounts—one black, the other chestnut. Tania pointed Rodrigo toward the chestnut, and together they departed swiftly toward the devastated city of Coimbra.

  The sun was setting, painting the green mountains of León’s central region across the wide steppe of endless grasslands. Ahead of the village flowed the calm, crystalline waters of the Munda River, which Tania and Rodrigo crossed to head west. Many people were still arriving at Penacova, some on horseback, others on foot. The terror in their eyes was heartbreaking. Even so, the air felt fresh, far removed—at least for now—from the attack on Coimbra.

  (Image created with Gemini AI for illustrative purposes only.)

  Their journey lasted nearly two hours at full gallop. Tania rode in silence, making it clear to Rodrigo that she was rather asocial. He couldn’t help thinking that if he had run himself, he might have reached Coimbra in less than an hour—but he wouldn’t go against the will of his new companion.

  “You don’t talk much, do you?” Rodrigo asked the red-haired girl.

  “No, I’m sorry. I don’t have much to tell,” Tania answered indifferently.

  “But if you’re truly a goddess, as Ana said, you must have lived many adventures, experiences, and all that,” Rodrigo remarked in surprise. “Tell me, if it isn’t too indiscreet, may I know your age?”

  “I’m sorry, that’s confidential. If we manage to build more trust, perhaps I’ll tell you,”

  the Berber goddess replied, her tone unchanged.

  “I see. Then tell me… are you Christian? Do you know Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Mother Mary? Have you ever been to Heaven?” Rodrigo pressed, still unsettled by the story of gods who seemed pagan.

  A faint smirk curved Tania’s lips.

  “I think you’ll end up hating me even more if I tell you,” she said.

  “I’ll have to explain everything to you, Rodrigo, but later. I think Ana can explain it better than I can—I’m far too blunt,” she added.

  The sky darkened, taking on a somber purple hue. Night fell quickly, yet the heat lingered—it was one of those dry Iberian days. For some reason, Rodrigo thought Tania’s eyes glimmered beneath the waning moonlight across the plain.

  “We’re close to Coimbra,” Rodrigo said, pulling his horse to a halt. “We’ll have to find out where they’re keeping the slaves so we can free them.”

  From afar, they spotted a caravan of soldiers, the sound of their revelry reaching them on the wind.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Leave this to me,” Tania said as she dismounted.

  “But wait—I thought you weren’t allowed to intervene?” Rodrigo looked at her in surprise from atop his chestnut horse.

  “I can intervene as a human, in the same way you would,” she answered, forcing another smile. Rodrigo noticed, once again, how unnatural it was for her.

  Tania covered her face with a veil and approached a group of guards on duty.

  “Good evening, may Allah be with you,” she said in Arabic, as the soldiers eyed her suspiciously. “I heard you have an excellent haul of slaves, and I would like to buy some.”

  “Slaves? Yes, we have plenty here. But I doubt we’d sell them to a filthy Berber,” one guard sneered.

  He reached out and caressed her face, while Tania frowned.

  “Although, of course,” the soldier added mockingly, “I’d love to make you my wife—even if you’re a dirty Berber. You have beautiful eyes.”

  Tania pulled her face away.

  “I have money to buy several. If you tell me where they are, we can do business,” she said, producing several medium-sized leather bags seemingly filled with gold coins.

  The guards closed in on her.

  “Look at this beauty—she has money!” one of them jeered.

  “Ha! She must have stolen it. All Berbers are thieves,” another scoffed.

  Tania stood unmoved, silent, as they taunted her.

  At that moment, Rodrigo, who had been watching from horseback, suddenly leapt down and cut off the hand of a guard reaching for Tania.

  “He’s armed!” the soldiers shouted. Rodrigo, struggling to restrain himself, struck down another with his crimson-stained sword.

  But the alarm had already been raised. Tania turned to him angrily. “Let’s go!” she hissed.

  Both mounted their horses and fled, while the guards spread out to hunt them.

  “You fool!” the goddess snapped as they hid behind a hill. “There was no way those men could harm me, and now you’ve stirred up the whole camp!”

  “I’m sorry—it was a reflex. Whether you’re an angel or a human, I can’t allow those degenerates to touch you,” Rodrigo said, locking eyes with her.

  “I’ve always wanted to be a knight, and protecting ladies is a noble duty—even at the cost of one’s life.”

  “Human customs are so strange,” Tania muttered, puzzled.

  The two approached a mound of stones where they could discreetly hide. From there, they saw the guards, alert, searching everywhere for them.

  “It’s clear we can’t approach the camp now,” Rodrigo said, glancing at the searching guards.

  “Which means we’ll have to fight.”

  “Wait—you can’t,” Tania warned. “Killing humans is forbidden among us. I’ll allow you to fight and defend yourself, but you must not kill anyone.”

  “No one will die tonight—I swear it,” Rodrigo replied.

  “With only your human powers? Impossible,” the goddess said disdainfully.

  “That will be enough. Watch and learn,” Rodrigo said, winking.

  Using the cover of night, he leapt behind a mounted guard, dragged him down, covered his mouth, and knocked him unconscious with a blow to the neck. The guards, lit only by their campfires, soon noticed one of their men was missing. Rodrigo continued, striking down one after another the same way.

  Five men lay unconscious by the time he was done.

  Tania emerged from her hiding place, impressed.

  “Incredible—and you didn’t use a single drop of your divine power.”

  “I trained hard to conceal it. My mother wanted it that way. I trained and trained to be the best without relying on my powers,” Rodrigo explained.

  “That’s why I could never sense your presence until now,” the red-haired goddess thought, watching him in surprise.

  “Now I’ll sneak in and free the slaves, all right?” Rodrigo asked, glancing toward the camp.

  “All right, but be careful,” Tania replied.