Hostilities were imminent. Plutus had only five Ancient Gods, in addition to himself, to wage his war. He judged this number sufficient, relying on his ability to easily manipulate them, especially given the tight deadline for gathering the gods. Time was pressing, forcing him to make do, although he knew others would inevitably be informed of the war.
Mammon, on the other hand, knew he could not act alone. Aware of his military shortcomings, he embarked on a quest for allies to defeat Plutus. Accompanied by Roxane, he decided to travel to Libya to solicit the aid of the ancient goddess Tanit. Even though their relationship had only lasted a single night, he relied on his past influence. He then planned to visit Mali to meet Faro, a deity closely linked to the Niger River—an essential source of life and a symbol of fertility and abundance in that region of West Africa.
Mammon desperately needed a God of War. Ogun, one of the most powerful gods in Africa, was notoriously difficult to persuade, and failure in such an attempt could cost him his life. Yet, a persistent arrogance reassured him: he was certain Plutus would never possess the necessary strength to defeat him. When he learned that Era had joined Plutus, his anger flared. He needed a brilliant strategist. Fortunately, he maintained a spy within Plutus's council who provided him with crucial information.
"I feel lonely," Roxane confided. "I miss my family and..."
"I am here, Roxane," Mammon interrupted. "I will give you all the money you want."
"That's true, but..."
"During our mission, I am going to show you the world. We will even leave Africa, my dear. Don't worry, you can see your family whenever you want and return to your normal life once we have defeated that old fool!"
"Oh really? We'll go to Morocco? Algeria? Brazil?"
"Yes, we will!" Mammon exclaimed. "I adore you, Roxane, why didn't I think of it? After our planned itinerary, we will go to Brazil. I have a good acquaintance there who can help us."
"Yessss! Cool, so cool!"
Their quest for an extraordinary goddess led them to Libya. Mammon, using his power, changed Roxane's wardrobe, providing her with every luxury item she desired. Next, she needed travel documents. Mammon rubbed his two palms together, and upon opening his hands, he brandished an ID card, a passport, a driver's license, and all the necessary papers, along with two plane tickets to Libya. In a fraction of a second, as Roxane blinked, she found herself in the middle of a whirlwind of banknotes. She gasped, "Woooow!" When the bills vanished, they were both standing in the check-in line at an international airport. Their luggage and all her shopping were being weighed and loaded onto the plane.
"Ma'am, your ticket?" the clerk asked.
"Excuse her, we are together," an elegant man behind her intervened, handing over the documents. Mammon had changed his look to blend in, but his aura, charged with invisible wealth, was so powerful that all the girls, and even some men, could not help but stare at him. The clerk's jaw dropped when he saw the "smooth criminal."
Mammon took Roxane's hand, who was still in shock, and passed the employee, ascending the plane stairs. Roxane still struggled to believe what was happening to her.
"Wait! I'm at the airport? I'm getting on a plane?" she gasped. "Dengri, I'm shocked!"
"You wanted to... And I told you that you would visit the wooooorld," Mammon reminded her.
Roxane was speechless and gave her new friend a big hug. Mammon smiled back, thinking: "You will return the favor when the time comes."
While they were on the plane, Mammon questioned Roxane: would she ever betray him for another god? Roxane immediately replied that she never would and would be his avatar until the end of her days. Mammon sighed, satisfied, and smiled.
"Here we are in Libya! Wait for me, my beloved, I am coming to you."
From the window, they could see the clouds, the sunset with its marvelous streaks, and birds in flight. As he fixed his gaze on the scenery, Mammon's brow furrowed. In the wake of the setting sun, he saw Apollo's chariot. The god of light stared at him for a moment, then turned his head to continue his journey at lightning speed. It was barely 5:30 p.m., but night suddenly fell.
"Oh, is it just me, or did it get dark at 5 p.m., oh my?" Roxane asked.
"No, it's not just you," Mammon replied in a low, calm voice, his demeanor suddenly serious.
"Uh, you're acting weird, huh, or did you see something?" Roxane retorted.
"Do you think so?" He forced a small, cold smile, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "No. Put on your mask. Tomorrow, we have a goddess to greet."
The young woman decided not to press the issue. She focused on her phone, the latest iPhone 17, taking pictures and videos, and trying to write to her best friend to announce her social ascension. Mammon, however, wondered if this celestial intervention was a sign of bad or good omen. Intrigued, the god waited for Roxane to fall asleep. He then left the plane in spirit to intercept Apollo, seeking to understand the role of the solar god who, always hovering above the clouds, was aware of everything that happened on Earth.
"Tell me, Apollo, may I set foot on your chariot, now that the Sun's flames have subsided?" Mammon asked.
"You invite yourself, you intrude on my chariot, and you float in my sky. So don't be more hypocritical than you already are!" the Greek god thundered. "What permission? What permission are you talking about? You have one minute to explain yourself, or I will make you vanish like the clouds that evaporate under the ultimate charge of my fiery wheels! You have fifty-nine seconds left!"
"Ahem, ahem! I just want to know why you are in Africa at this precise moment..."
"Are you stupid or are you doing it on purpose? I am the Sun, I light the whole Earth! Because of you and your stupidity, do you want me to skip Africa? Tss. Vanish!" cried the god Apollo.
The spot where Mammon stood began to burn. He immediately disappeared, his clothes bearing traces of flames on his left shoulder.
"That old fool almost made me crispy," he thought. "Old scoundrel."
He reappeared in the plane with a smell of smoke. With a snap of his fingers, he instantly regained his supreme elegance. Mammon understood and was reassured: Apollo would remain neutral, as always. He began to smile.
"I will take my mind off things with my beloved, old fool," he added.
Mammon continued his quest for gods to support the cause he deemed noble. Would Apollo remain neutral, as he hoped, or would he intervene? Plutus, on his side, was soon to begin his council, unaware of the surprise he had not anticipated.
See you in the next chapter.