Wyrd: Book One of the Witch War Trilogy - WATTYS 2018 WINNER!

Chapter 21: Where Uror hosts a Reality Screening Party for the Gods

Uror was practically giddy with anticipation as she waited for her guests to arrive. Placing bets on mere mortals was tricky, but she had insider secrets and a knack for knowing their possible fates. It was like betting on your favourite horse; there was no sure thing. Who would be first through the gate? The pearly white gate, that is? And who would either save or damn the Twinverse?

There were a finite set of possibilities for the future, each with a percentage of probability to become; percentages that only she knew. Sometimes, Uror went with the house favourite. Other times, she trusted her witchy gut.

Either way, she usually won. She loved winning.

Lording her victory over fellow Gods and Goddesses — especially that know-it-all Odin — while stacking up on favors, I-owe-you's, and new-coveted toys was pretty much as good as it could get since the Proclamation. Once the meddlesome decree had been voted in, the Gods had diplomatically "agreed" not to intervene in sporting events outside of the purview of their Godly duties. If not for the Trojan war in Greece on Earth that had almost led to a cataclysmic war between Gods, a war of Titans, she might still have had free reign to do as she pleased. But eventually, it would have lead to disagreements between Gods, which would have led to the end of ... well ... likely everything. Perhaps even to Ragnorok, and the end of even them. Without Gods in the games, it was much easier to foresee outcomes, but it was more annoying not to be able to help achieve victory for your chosen team.

Uror was prepared for everyone to arrive. Her treehouse in Yggdrasil, The Norse Tree of the Worlds, was decorated with a sparkly Earth / Htrae World-Globe disco ball that bounced beams off the dappled wood walls and floors of the interior as it spun. She had streamers, banners, and balloons strewn from rafters of ash-wood, all in a hue corresponding to a designated hero or villain: purple for Rowan, green for Laina, blue for Will, and red for the Empress, Winona Epicury. Uror had baskets of laser-cut masks, each an eerily accurate simile of the faces of the players, so that the Gods could don the face of their favourites as they cheered them on.

The focal point in her living room was a massive white screen, like a home theatre, against one wooden wall. In front of it was a large coffee table made from the roots of a rowan tree, covered in snacks like crispy candied Corbelcub, Grifferky (which was Griffon meat jerky), Dwarfbites and pegasus wings. She also had a punch bowl of fermented water from Urdarbrunnr, the well of fate, that was bound to get even the hardiest Gods inebriated. Her throne-like cushioned chair was dead centre, the best seat in the house, two couches and a few other arm chairs arranged on each side of it as if Uror was holding court.

Uror was in an exquisite outfit. She wore a white gauzy dress spun from the webs of an Astral spider. Not only did the delicate weave shine bright like starlight, but it would be a nod to her Godly guest, Anansi, while simultaneously evoking a sense of the webs she, herself, weaved. It was a direct ode to the power she held. The perfect choice. She had smeared some blush on her cheeks and some lipstick on her old smackers for the occasion as well. The only jewelry she wore was a ring that looked more like armor for her pointer finger: long, silver, and jointed with a constellation of crystals twisting along the length.

She was ready.

Except that the technology was acting up...

"Cupid, what's taking so long?" she called out, her protest like a creaky door badly in need of WD-40.

Cupid had received an invite (and strict instructions to come early) because, though he was only a demi-god and had an irritable, predictable and boring habit of always rooting for love and happy endings, he was indispensable as her troubleshooting-tech guy. She found him grating, but his dabbling on Earth with websites and dating apps meant he was an expert with human technology. He could code, program, set up, fix and finagle machines almost as well as he could shoot an arrow. So he was currently behind the screen, playing around with cords to ensure the live stream was coming through in HD. He was in awe of her and so she used him, whenever she felt she could put up with his insufferable character, that is.