The goddess calmly walked along the pathway of the temples, her feet touched the small pool of water and created ripples that, no matter what, would never go overboard and pour out. She was a bit frustrated that once again she seemed to have mismanaged her efforts and got herself tired before she could advance her objectives. Planning was never her strong point, she knew how to prepare and she knew it well, but actual outlining of objectives, that was a bit beyond.

Yet it had been a good idea to construct the temple in such a blessed land, for this time despite the weakness of her body she did not feel tired or in pain, the mountain air and the flow of Ley resonance helped to mitigate any fatigue.

While she rested, she felt a little ring to her ears, a disturbance in the area. Locus Amoenus was not a large sprawling area, most of it was perfectly within the goddess' range.

"Brother" she whispered, sighing almost, there were beings that thought absence was enough to be sneaky, but that was not how it worked, a person that lacks a shadow, a completely muted forest, an odorless flower, a reflectionless mirror, all those stood out, so did Césure.

She rubbed her chin, what could death be planning? She, from the start, suspected the god, who seemed to always avoid the presence of others and to hide the intent of his creations. Unfortunately, she had little time to pay attention to that matter now, and to hope her siblings would understand the issue at hand was hopeless, Larwen was able to get away with openly declaring war to the pantheon, it seemed that until they jumped at someone's neck, all lions and tigers would be indistinguishable from helpless kitten.

Siblings. "Not really." though the term would fit and it would fit well, compared to what Kap Gam once called siblings. But what was long ago, and she really did not hold bitter feelings over that, neither did she hold bitter feelings now, she just worried about the souls and the mortals.

Speaking of which, the acts of her sister Seihdhara had not escaped her, two courts of "fae" spread across the land, none had made as far as the tall retreat of Locus Amoenus, which was thankful, Kap Gam would have no patience for their intrigues up in her own land.

Sullied and Unsullied, she didn't hold either in high regards at the moment, to battle your siblings like that, just because of some perceived destiny, was the opposite of what Fae should be, they were the free souls, they should not hate each other based on clans and names. Worse were the Perfected Fae her sprites told her about, mindless servants of the God of Twisted Views, their great flaw not laying in the distortion and perversion natural to Larwen, but on the fact they followed it without question. So far, at least.

She needed a better weapon than the Hydra, not more powerful, but less cruel. The bites of the serpent were no way to deal with anything but the most corrupted things, she could never use it on beings that while deserving of some punishment, still were souls worthy of a new chance. She also needed more types of Fae to make her company, and to bring the Marta, her knights, to this world, and to create more measures that would stop the Ley from overflowing in a century or so... She sighed, she felt tired already.

After his encounter with Larwen and Aella, Gremju returned to the Plains of Madness where he sat,leaning on one of the Grem crystals feeding a crystal root tree, he spent some time their pondering on the issue that had become present to him during his meeting. Compared to many of his siblings he was defenseless. If war was coming then he should prepare himself and his own creations for the challenges ahead...and to aid in challenges of his own design,of course. With that thought in mind the Challenger stood and broke off a small chunk of the nearby Grem crystal. Next he moved to a random point in the Plains of Madness, far from the Crystal Glades and began to channel his power into the dead sand around him. The sand shuddered and began to move towards Gremju,condensing around the small piece of crystal,more of the sand pressed in on the crystal until Gremju deemed it enough at which point a blast of purple fire consumed the condensed sand and the crystal. The result was a ring of blackened glass with a purple gem in the center that unceremoniously dropped into one of the pits that now dotted the area around the God. After picking up the ring, Gremju began channeling power into the ring, more than he had ever committed to..well,anything before. Frankly he wasn't sure if the item would survive the process but he continued regardless. The gem of the ring began to glow as chaotic power filled,it began leaking out into the glass giving the entire ring a strange purple hue. Then the flow of power faded,but a faint glow remained around the ring as he slipped it onto his finger. He could feel the power inside it waiting to be unleashed....perhaps he could give it to a mortal at some point. He cackled at the thought before shaking off the thought. He wasn't done yet.

In a burst of purple energy Gremju reappeared at the Crystal Glades before he began to weave his magic yet again. This time he reached for the souls of his imps and the Grem Crystals that inhabited the Crystal Root Trees and bound them together. The intended effect was to give his imps a power supply to draw energy from, their souls were already highly attuned to chaotic energy so linking them to a power source was all he really needed to do. Now he also recognized that it would also send the souls back to whatever Grem crystal the particular Grem crystal it was bound to on death. This didn't particularly do much of note as the souls did not house the memories of the imps but Gremju supposed it would be neat for himself to recognize old imps in new bodies, even if only he was aware of that fact....he could do something with that later though.

After completing the two rather tiring tasks, Gremju was content to watch his imps feed and live for some time longer and observe as they realized their new powers. Until he was ready to act again he fully intended to sit back and take a not really well earned break.

---

When the Centaur spoke of its quest and asked if Promus could be of assistance, the god answered with a warm smile. There was a glow in his eyes that said 'yes' yet offered nothing so tangible as a promise forged from words.

"I will be watching you," the Sage finally told the Centaur, but then the god shimmered and was gone.

---

As time passed, Promus was quickly made aware of the movements of the three that worried him most; true to their moniker, his three Watchers saw what they were meant to see. Though it was only Halazael who had reported with urgency and regularity, eventually all three had found the time to whisper a few quiet words upon the wind that they would reach their master's ear.

So it was that Promus came to understand that Gremju was amassing a horde of some creatures called 'imps', and that Larwen had already created a bastion from which his unholy war was already beginning. Some other gods had offered resistance, but it was of little reassurance. They had done the world no favors in acting preemptively; now through the aggravations of Lasis and Regulus, Larwen felt under the pressure to move even quicker. Alarming the demon had only served to expedite the war and drive him into deeper concentration.

Though he had not hoped to begin grim preparations so soon, it was clear that he would need to amass forces of his own, for he intended to be well prepared to strike with a sudden and overwhelming force in the very moment that any of the demons appeared vulnerable; it was his moral imperative, for one surgical and merciless assault upon the harbingers of chaos, however brutal and distasteful, could spare untold millions of mortals.

A fourth Lord of Civilization seemed a good start, however; there was only Makaizael to teach mortals of earth and nature, Halazael the stars and sky, and Azazael of divinity and power. He saw need for yet another, one to teach them of flame and all the benevolent gifts that it could bring.

So to create a being with knowledge of fire, Promus sought out a great source of heat. Though he flew near and far across the land, in the end the hottest flames were those that he found beneath the cool waves of the ocean. In the volcanic depths of a deep ravine carved into the sea's floor, Promus shaped a flow of magma into a hulking yet vaguely humanoid form. Into the body he also imbibed a the capacity for a great deal of intelligence and he gave the being the spark of a mind with which to use that potential; the only thing left was to give a name: Pyredes.

Pyredes came alive with a shudder and pried free from the volcanic vent, but then the rush of frigid seawater came into contact with searing flesh. With a burst of steam, a skin of stone began to harden around his molten innards but it went too fast. As he writhed in an icy pain, his body twisted and contorted such that the stone was formed in all the wrong ways. With a panicked start, Promus dragged his creation from the sea and onto a rocky beach.



Promus forced himself to watch his son's struggle and felt a guilt that burned hotter than any lava flow. He had made a mistake, but now he feared that there was little that could be done to correct it. Pyredes would never be beautiful or as dexterous as the Watchers were, but he at least would be strong of body and mind.

When the cyclops' agonized torpor began to wane, Promus gave him his birthright. "Listen, beloved Pyredes; take these words for your own. Claim this language of the gods, that you may know any mortal tongue and be likewise understood by their baser minds."

"Hmmghrmrglhm."

Promus looked at Pyredes expectantly, waiting for the cyclops to find its tongue and speak, but his disciple looked down and would only grunt and grumble. He kept staring at Pyredes, nigh incredulous at the thought that perhaps his failure had been so absolute as to also render this Lord of Civilization with a deformed mind as well as body. But then the cyclops seemed to shift uncomfortably under his father's unending gaze, and that shyness turned to anger. With what resembled a roar, he threw a rock at Promus and then fell upon his back to wail and pout. Tears of liquid fire dripped from his one eye; Promus carefully wiped them off the cyclops' face before they dried to form a crust of sand. It seemed as though Pyredes might be merely a 'child' of sorts and that he would have to mature and grow, not unlike the mortals. In trying to make one cleverer and wiser than his three Watchers or even himself, Promus had made yet another mistake.

But this error was not so bad; for that day, it was enough to demand that Promus take his mind off of Larwen or any of the other worries that already burdened him, and for that the god would later be grateful. In that moment, though, he had only thought to give Pyredes the company of friends...siblings. He would not be able to watch Pyrades constantly over the years to come, so it was best that he would have others for company and for safety in numbers. Though not quite so powerful or large as he, these fellow cyclopes shared his likeness. Promus did not repeat his mistake, and in their making he took care to not render them crippled as Pyredes had been. Even so, they were not particularly agile or quick, but even with their cumbersome bodies and clumsy gaits they betrayed the signs of a great intelligence and strength.

Grimloq stood from his mountain peak with cold eyes that stared out to the ocean and it's horizon. With Bahamut watching over the eggs of the next generation of dragons, the cold-blooded god had little else to do. His thoughts fell upon his siblings, and what schemes or creations they were brewing from the land and sea beyond his gaze. Curious, and seeking more inspiration for his own kingdom, Grimloq left his mountain throne and drifted across the sea. What caught his attention was the existence of another great beast of creation. The God found himself observing a great beast the size of an island drifting atop the ocean, it's back could have easily been mistaken for land had he not noticed the turtle's head. Intrigued, he descended upon the turtle's back to where he found another deity, who he presumed was this monster's creator.

"You have crafted a magnificient beast." A monstrous and firey voice slurred an attempt of a respectful tone from the monstrous god's inhuman maw.

Regulus was cautious of this new diety, though he did not sense darkness from him. No, it was something different that was both new to him, and very familiar, fire. Such a dangerous, but useful thing. He was not accustomed to be praised. He paused for a moment, he was not sure how much he trusted this new god, but the corruptor posed a very clear and present danger, nessicity might require him to make strange allies. "Yes, she is my second-creation, my sentinel of the sea."

The cold-blooded god nodded once, briefly examining the ground at his feet that is a part of this great beast. "You seem troubled, brother."

Regulus paused, "There is a reason why I require a sentinel. I have just had an encounter with a demon, most foul. His corruption has already spread to the ocean. and yet the ocean is something that is foreign to me."

Grimloq paused. His words caused him to think, considering certain options. It was not his place to get involved in the politics of others, only his own problems should matter to him, but there was no malice in this fellow god of his. He certainly respected this mighty sentinel he created.

"I acknowledge your plight, brother, and I respect the power you demonstrated with this very beast we stand upon. I seek little business with my siblings, but I will make an exception for you."

Regulus once again paused, he felt as though there may be a hidden motive behind Grimloq's actions. Though, mutual self-interst is the root of cooperation. "Speak plainly. What is your gift, and why do you wish to give it?"

As if on que the divine dragon Bahamut had arrived from the sky above, in it's shimmering form of light it's maw dropped several eggs that were once part of a brood of dragons. They descended without ruin between the two gods. "I am not one of deception brother. I am a deity of fire and rage. Though my wrath is reserved for my own affairs, I see that there may be some honor in giving you some assistance in your retribution against this demon." The avatar above fled back to the island just as soon as it appeared, flying away in a flash of burning light.

Grimloq kneeled down to the 3 eggs before him. He lifted a claw to his own mouth, and ripped out one of his fangs without much of a flinch. "As a warrior and one who admires such powerful creations, you've given me inspiration for my next craft. And as a gift I will grant you warriors to aid in your quest against this corruption, beasts that carry the form and heritage of your sentinel augumented with the souls of dragons. " While he spoke with his unnaturally brutish voice, he held the root of his broken tooth downward to slowly drip his divine blood onto each of the eggs. Afterwards, he rose and raised his hand over them, which glowed vaguely in response.

A thought crossed Regulus mind as the dragon god did his work. He had given a name to his feelings towards the demon, rage. Was it that very rage that summoned Grimloq. He put that thought aside, he did get the sense that he was speaking the truth. Fire is dangerous, but powerful. He needed to harness this flame to burn away the corruption. "I accept your gift. On one further conditions, the children of my sentinel should be wise and noble of spirit." He said, raising his spear and it to glowed, as he used the last reserves of his divine energy to consecrate the eggs.

"So be it then." Grimloq rose from his position. "They need some time to hatch, and more time to grow and procreate. Once so however, they will cleanse the corruption of that demon you speak of with not mere fire but jets of boiling water. They will pursue through the depths of the ocean below with stone-crushing peaks, but most will never stray too far from your sentinel. They are designed to only lay their eggs atop the very shell we stand on. This reliance of your creation for their survival puts them at your control, brother, use them and your rage wisely."

He gave a nod towards his brother of a respectful farewell. "I am off to nurture my own realm now."

Regulus listened to the fire gods words carefully. "I will. Though for now, I will need time to think. The Island Turtle shall follow you close to land, and then submerge. I will leave a number of griffins to guard her and her eggs. They will be my eyes if anyone is foolish enough to attack the precious eggs." he said, before throwing his spear back towards the beach he first arrived at. Half of the griffins on the turtle's back took flight and followed it, and other griffins followed it as it past them. After a few moments, he disappeared.

---

Aella stretched out, lying on the couch but stopped when she felt her wing hit the ceiling and heard the wood creaking under the force. She yawned and sat up. The cabin was rather small, she realized. She couldn't stretch out fully without her wings knocking someone over of punching a hole through a window. Why was she even spending her time inside the small building? She'd built it for mortals, not for herself.

She sighed and willed herself out of the cabin, suddenly finding herself standing in front of it.

"So you've failed to prevent war and are now lazing around all day long... This isn't how I imagined you'd spend your days, Aella." She said to herself, "What to do..." She muttered as she started floating and drifting away from the cabin. For a moment, she looked toward Pervanon.

"No, not yet... Maybe Gremju's place?" In a split second she found herself looking at the Plains of Madness, with its strange plantlife and growing crystals and dirty-looking water. She saw an imp throw a rock at another and cackle when the other escaped, leaving the spore he was eating behind for the attacker to steal. "Maybe later." She said and flew off.

Some time passed, and she eventually found herself in the middle of a vast expanse of barren land. Nothing in sight for as far as the mortal eye could see. Maybe she could build something here, she thought. She was far enough from Larwen's land that she wouldn't be much of a bother and she certainly was far from the other Gods.

"This'll do."

She knelt on the ground and pressed her hands to the dirt. The earth rumbled and the dirt turned into sand. First beneath her hands, then it spread to cover a large amount of land. The sand eventually formed into dunes, but still Aella kept her position, expanding the Desert around her.

An untold amount of time passed, and when she stood once more, she found herself in the middle of what she'd call The Frontier, A desert so vast that merely walking through it would take years, months if you were speedy. As it was, though, it was a death sentence to attempt to cross it. So she flew and created small and large oasis over the desert, making sure that whoever ventured into the Desert would be likely to find them and restock on supplies to continue their journey. There were four large oasis big enough to sustain entire cities and many more smaller ones to sustain anything from the occassional traveler to small settlements.

When it was all done and the Frontier was ready, Aella found herself regarding the vast expanse of land. She'd aligned the large oasis to the four cardinal points, with one to the North, East, South and West. She already knew who she wanted to see settling in the Oasis to the West, so with a happy sigh and a roll of her eyes, she set off toward Pervanon.

As she flew, a thought crept into her mind. ... Wasn't the point of me getting out of the cabin to create a bigger home for myself? She groaned and made a mental note to focus more in the future.

---

She couldn't say it was to her tastes, what with all the blackened earth and sinister-like things. It also smelled weird. But Larwen liked it, so who was she to say anything about it? He had received enough abuse lately, and the last thing he needed was as her saying that he should freshen the air around Pervanon a little bit.

She landed with a powerful flap of her wings near the mouth of a cave leading deeper into Pervanon, startling one strange creature that seemed to be guarding it. It looked at her with wide eyes set upon its malformed face. Its entire head looked like a huge nose, for Ipeyr's sake.

Aella stared at the being and the being stared back.

"You're a Zalsarix, is that right?" Aella asked after a few moments.

There was conflict evident in the Zalsarix's face. It seemed disgusted by her by the way it clenched its large rocky fists, but was also fighting its hesitant steps toward her. Aella chuckled and flapped her wings, sending a gust of wind toward it. Could the creature even speak?

"Larwen asked me to build something for him in Pervanon, do you have any idea where the best spot would be for such a task?"

No reply. Instead, the Zalsarix grunted and started walking, away from the mount itself. After a while of walking they had reached the foot of Pervanon and had entered into a small forest composed of twisted trees. They broke into a clearing which contained a neat pile of bones in the center.

Aella looked at the pile curiously and barely noticed as the Zalsarix left. A closer look at the bones revealed them to be rather clean bones of "unperfected" animals. Some even had what seemed to be carvings of depictions of Larwen and other Zalsarix on them.

'Larwen, your Zalsarix are making little carvings of you in animal bones, have you seen them?' She tried to reach Larwen as she looked for more carvings. She found some about other Gods, depicted more loosely and with more aggressive strokes. She couldn't discern each of the other Gods, but she had a good idea of who they were.

Larwen emerged behind Aella, having done little since their last encounter but wait and reflect upon things. Planning for the future, overseeing the Forge, and watching as the Fae war raged on. Larwen had been waiting for her to arrive all the while, almost looking forward, but dreading what would come of such cooperation. The Zaslarix and their bones had not gone unnoticed by Larwen, they were dull creatures but served a beautiful purpose for him, so he allowed this behavior to go on.

That he was such an object of fascination to them, pleased Larwen greatly. The other gods, not so much, but they hated them just as he did. Eventually, after watching Aella for a moment, he let his presence be known by talking.

"They speak in their own way, describe thoughts and images with the bones of their prey, they are my children and I, their father. It is only right." Larwen spoke with a soft voice and his tone full of gloom. "I thank you for not striking it down. Welcome to Pervanon, sister. I take it you have come as per my request?"

"Thank you for the welcome, brother. I come for the request and for one other thing, but that thing can wait until after we're done with the request." She looked at Larwen over her shoulder and smiled before carefully setting down the bones in her hands. "Did you have any idea to start with, something you want? Or am I allowed to go wild?" She chuckled and turned to face him.

She smiled, and thoughts of their previous encounter flooded back to Larwen with force. For a moment he said nothing, then the tall god shifted and spoke, "I am intrigued, but as you wish sister. I... Well, I am unsure of what you should create. My nature, it can be hard to..." His voice dropped, trying to cope with the fact that he was allowing what she deemed appropriate, but he had agreed, no, he had asked for this. The rest of them might see him as evil, a rudimentary term for those who did not understand, but Aella, she was an enigma. She saw him differently, and had even given him a gift to show it. Kindness, it was powerful and he should hate it, try to destroy it, but instead Larwen craved it. And that feeling terrified him but, there she was, waiting. Larwen spoke at last, "Do as you please. I have a spot inside the mountain, if you would follow me."

Seeing how his voice dropped in volume and he seemed to grow silent made Aella feel uncomfortable. She liked interacting with him, but did he feel the same, or was he just being kind to her and letting her be happy? "I understand, and of course." She said and quickly went to his side and wrapped her arm around his forearm, "I'm ready, take us there whenever you wish."

He grew tense as she approached, once again fearing what she would do, but visibly relaxed once she held onto him. He would take her to the spot he had crafted from the rock, high up in Pervanon, away from what lay in the depths. "Very well." He said after a moment, and they dissipated from the small clearing with the bones, in a cloudy mist. An instant later they were in a large dark chamber, near the peak of the mountain. "It is dark, I know. Can you see? We are near the top of the mountain, in a large room only accessible by a very long staircase. Does this please you? If it does not I can always try another spot."

"Oh, it's perfect! There's a lot of space, that's for sure, and don't worry about it being dark-" She stretched an open palm toward the center of the chamber and watched as a ball of pure light materialized where she willed it. It looked like a star, but emitted no heat and its light was tame enough to lighten up the chamber without being blinding. "So, truth be told I'm not too creative, but I'm going to try my hardest for you, Larwen. I already have some ideas and I think you're going to like them." She let go of him and used both hands to move the ball of light closer to the roof of the chamber, then bit her lower lip as she focused. She set it to move in an orbit over the chamber simulating the star above Galbar itself. It'd lighten up the chamber for half the day and leave it dark for the other half.

The next thing she did was smooth out the roof and walls and will forth a moderate bed of dirt into the chamber. Grass grew on the dirt and a small mound formed in the center of the chamber. With a wave of her hand, red and orange flowers began growing aross the chamber as well, dying it the color of autumn.

In the center, she placed a sapling and whispered words of comfort and love to it, so it grew into a tall, strong tree with bark that glowed an angelic white. As the flowers grew and the tree settled its thick roots, Aella looked at Larwen from under the shade of the tree and tilted her head, "Is it too much? I can tone it down before continuing, if so. You don't seem too happy."

Larwen felt relieved that Aella did not have a problem with the space he provided. He watched her in silence as she worked, molding the chamber to her image and growing it with life.The starlight, the tree, the flowers, the grass, the dirt- it was all unnatural, imperfect and alien to Larwen. Yet, it was of her and he found himself both wanting to perfect it, and leave it as it should be. This conflict gnawed at his very soul, but Aella let the tree stay, and Larwen would let this stay as well. He would have to learn to let it be, and study it all the same.

He stood motionless as she turned towards him from under the tree, tilting her head in a way that displayed innocence. He spoke then in a tone he knew not, "Aella.." Larwen whispered, "My very nature screams that I should perfect this, and you. To change you to be more like me. But watching you work with a smile, and your gift previously. It has awoken emotions and feelings I did not I was aware of. I feel torn, and terribly conflicted between what I am and what you want me to be." His voice once again dropped and he looked away from Aella and the tree.

Aella was speechless. She had no idea that she'd affected him so deeply and thoroughly, so when he fell silent once more, so did she. After what felt like an eternity, she walked over to Larwen. What was she supposed to do? Talk to him, pretend she knew what he was going through? The mere thought of pretending sickened her, so when she was in front of Larwen, she held Larwen's hands for a while. Then she started walking backwards, leading him towards the tree. "I need you to do something for me..." She whispered, looking up into his eyes. When the tree's shade obscured them, she released one of his hands and faced the tree.

With gentle, deliberate movements, she led Larwen's hand towards the bark of the tree and pressed his palm against it. "Larwen... I want you to put your mark in this tree, to make it yours as it is mine," She muttered, releasing his hand and embracing him, resting her head against his cold body and wrapping him in her large, soft wings. "I want you to be yourself, to feel that it is okay to be as you are or as you wish to be. No matter what, I am here." Her words were barely audible as she closed her eyes. Her armour dissolved and in its place was a long, white silk dress. She didn't need the protection of armor in this world, did she? For now, she was okay.

The silence was deafening in the room, only escalated by Larwen's mind, which was ablaze in thoughts. But when Aella crept up to him, grabbing onto his hands with her soft touch, only then did Larwen look upon her again. It was a look of sadness, but he did not resist her pull as they walked towards the tree. Her whisper made him pause, but again he did not resist her. He could not resist her. When she asked him to put his mark on the tree Larwen looked at her with horror, "Aella... no.. the mere thought felt wrong to him. However, when Aella embraced him, and he felt the same sensation of comfort, and warmth as he did when she first hugged him, Larwen yielded. What she said next, truly shocked him. He looked down at her, seeing her very armor dissolve into a dress. Her protection, her first line of defense against attack, against him- gone just like that. The revelation that she trusted him enough to let go of her armor, that she felt safe with him, made Larwen's heart jump.

She had accepted him for what he truly was without pause, a feat he thought no one would have been able to do without first being Perfected. He wrapped his free arm around her wings, returning the embrace that warmed his heart. He then looked up at the tree, and poured his influence into it, letting it mingle with Aella's, not overtaking it. The tree shifted, absorbing the new power and grew. When it stopped, the bark glowed a pale gray, exuding a soothing warmth that enveloped that which it touched like the warmth of a fire, a mother's embrace, or a lover's touch. The pale green leaves now whispered what was wanted to be heard, whether true or not, but never cruel, always kind. The small seeds of the tree, acorn shaped and also gray, would hum softly to those that listened. The sap of the tree, if consumed, would give a mortal the taste of perfection, a reminder not to harm that which gives kindness.

Larwen shut his eyes, lifting his hand from the tree. He talked softly, "Thank you Aella. You know not how much you have put me to ease." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes to look down at her, "The tree Aella, it needs a name."

Aella sighed happily as he put his arm around her. The whole world felt better, she felt free without her armour weighing her down, and she felt safe in Larwen's embrace. Who'd have thought that the one who greeted her not long ago with the threat of violence would end up embracing her in the shade of a beautiful tree?

"The Pale One, Life Perfected..." She said without even opening her eyes, feeling the tree's appearance through its strong essence. "We've made something of great beauty today..."

Larwen listened to her speak, her voice soothing. The name sounded just right, The Pale One, Life Perfected. It would spread through out Galbar, a part of him, and a part Aella. He looked up at the tree once more, "Yes... I quite like that. A part of me, and a part of you. Perfection and Kindness, together." He said proudly. Then Larwen looked down at Aella again, content with holding her, and murmured softly, "Yes, a great beauty..."

Mater Lei had gone through eight dresses in the five minutes since the Pumpkin Man had left, and had settled back in her pot of soup, hands tapping-tapping on her elbows as her head fizzed.

...Do I need an entourage? she thought. Well, she didn't need one, really, in any sense of the word- she intended to gatecrash the feast alone, as she always did. She didn't need an entourage. It was just a nice thing to have.

Hmmm.

Well, that was enough for her. Lei hopped out of her bath, startling some nearby sprites that had been floating in the steam. Her cane was leaning on the cauldron and she picked it up as her ninth dress dried itself, touching its tip to an airborne sprite, which fell to the ground, paralysed. With a sweep of her cane, Lei sent out a short pulse that stunned and gravitated the rest. She hovered them in rows in front of her.

Bits of bug and bitter-seed composed their limbs, but at their heart they were dust, all of them. Not Haze, just dust. When it came to flashing royalty, the Haze Men wouldn't do- they'd been made for a certain aesthetic and Lei was tired of working on them for now. But, she thought as she gathered the fae and began to add to their forms, there were many types of Haze. And hers was the magic of dust.

Replacing the glittery particles that had composed the little sprites' bodies was easy enough. The Mater's Haze was already magically charged, albeit of a different flavour of arcana. What came next came naturally, albeit with some... jitter. Haze had its own will, Lei's will, and the figures jerked as the soul and body accommodated one another. As soul was warped to match the new demands of the dust, the dust conformed once more to the faceless organic shapes of a Sprite. Organic, still, but natural? Not so much.

Heavy glitch tailed the new fae, pixels of photonic matter scattered by the interference of their own magic. They looked something like they did, still, only grainier, with no recognisable components like sticks and leaves. Some existed in greyscale. Most had oversaturated flares of colour. Lei walked along the forest, and the glitchenfae followed her, holding up the train of her tenth dress. Excellent.

Now what are the others likely to bring?

Lei opened a small portal as she often did, holding it down with her fingertips. Kap Gam, busy with the Locus Amoenus, not likely to bother much with fashion right now. Grimloq was the same, warring and feeding his avatars to one another. The rest of them... Where were they, exactly? She panned south and found no sign of Gremju at his plain. Whatever it was probably had something to do with what was behind that enormous desert Aella had skepped. Lei panned westwards to the Anathema Heights. They couldn't have gotten up to all that much.

...

Piss.

Lei snapped the portal shut with a vague gesture to the heavens and dragged her rolling eyes to the citadel. If they wanted to swamp Larwen, so be it. She would be getting up to something useful.

With a snap and a spark she conjured a staircase down through a derelict part of the citadel, with an iron railing, and set two Haze Men to guard it. As she moved her dust scoured the place, ate the darkness and left behind a cold room, barren and vast, utterly lonely. It was lit by cruel light, white and pale and utterly unlike the sun or the moon, shining from bars that fizzed in the ceiling. She conjured tables and machiners of steel. She started a generator. It would be her place, her quiet echosome place, of making. Lei clicked her mask from her face and set to work.

And shut the door.

The woods were spreading, up through the mountains from where Ipeyr once sowed them, and a new creature had of late been appearing. Yuu recognised it as a touch of home. Fitting, he thought, nocking an arrow to his bow.

The nearest sika was a male, maned and spotted, bearing a perfect set of antlers, but it wasn't him the hunter was aiming for. With barely a twang, the wooden bow snapped and sent its arrow through the neck of the doe, felling it with a kick. Yuu let out a long breath. It was a nice shot, though he'd been aiming for a shoulder. He checked around for any gods that might have guided his unlucky arrow, and saw none.

Well, at least he could still hit something.

The other deer had not realised their loss, having yet to learn the fear of humans. Yuu carried his hit away on his back, where a simple drying rack waited. He'd been harvesting sea salt for some weeks now. The sika would last.

As Yuu sat by a fire several hours later and rested his tired, bloodied hands, another animal moved through the same woods. In a few moments he'd strung his bow once more- he had no use for more meat, but Yuu was not above killing for curiousity. Was it a horse? No, a horse didn't come this far.

He lowered the sacred bow. A horse who was man. That was not familiar.

---

The Centaur had passed from the Godly Promus many hours before, the boon of speechcraft being little demand after its placement upon the creature for none that he passed knew the impressions behind the sounds he exhaled. Perhaps that was to change though, for no sooner had the creature slowed its pace the trees began to shake with little wind, the birds began to tweet without pause... the blessing of his father took effect and all too quickly the centaur understood that it was a warning - meant for him.

The creature tensed its muscles, turning swiftly from one direction to the next trying to discern whatever could be worthy of nature's warning.

"Easy, friend," said a voice, as though talking to a beast, "easy."

Yuu made no attempt to remain hidden, and would have failed it in any case. He was heard before he was seen, a russ of leaf and litter.

"What are you, being that walks in the skin of my father and his kind?" demanded the Centaur. Regardless of the being's passive attitude, this was no time for games. The wilderness gave a warning - something occured and now a being had revealed itself, speaking in the tongue that Elder Promus has gifted to the Centaur.

The quadrupedal mammal raised it's shoulders and puffed out it's chest, turning towards the revealing person with its heightened stature. Yuu was a small thing, slight of frame, but did not cower.

"My name is Yuu," he said. "I wander here. In all my wanderings I still have never met anyone like you." He bowed.

"And I take it that is a complement?" muses the Centaur. The being was indeed one of intellect, though it's nature was yet to be spoken for. "There is no need for such customs," he continues, signaling away the bow and whatever honey-laced wordplay the creature may bring to the discussion.

"Oh," said Yuu. The hybrid was being obtuse. "I see. Well, in that case, who are you? It's good to know with whom one shares the woods."

At this the Centaur's brow scrunched, he was what he is - the creature knew that. "You address yourself like my father and his kind... tell me, that is that which you speak of?" he asks.

The words caught Yuu and made him trip. "I... address myself like anyone would," he said, "With a name." Seeing that the being gave no sign of being condescended to, Yuu went on. "There are many words we use to say what we are. Tall, brave, old, wise, a... a haberdasher. But each of us has only one word to say who we are. It encompasses all of them, though it might not have any meaning at all. It is our word. It means us, whoever we are, or have been. Like Lei, or Regulus, or Elizer. It means me, or, it means... Yuu." The double meaning wasn't intended, but it worked.

The centaur paused, several thoughts shot through its mind as it contemplated this new information. "Certainly it would be to carry a name, in that case I shall be known by one such name. Names are a person's embodiment you say? Then I shall be known as Nomad!" The centaur kicked its hind leg into the air as it spoke, standing still carried its own difficulties.

Now there was progress.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nomad." Yuu resisted the habit of bowing again. "And who sent you wandering? Do they, too, have no name?"

"Of couse, though that pleasure is truly all mine - from you I have learnt of naming." Nomad had begun to settle within the conversation that had developed. Yuu was a strange being filled with strict customs, it seemed, though it wasn't something which seemed to hold ill intention.

"My father? He is known, rather felt, by me as 'Faliir'."

"Ah. The... Horse-maker. Of course." Yuu nodded. "I'm fond of his work. I have a home nearby," he said, "so come, rest a while. Please. I'd be honoured."

"A home?" questioned the Centaur - this time aware of the meaning of such a term. "Out here within the dense forestry? How long have you been resting within the confines of this woodland? I would be a fool not to accept your offer in these circumstances anyhow."

Yuu laughed. "Come!" he said, again. "All places are home, when one knows them well." And he led Nomad into the woods.

Regulus had returned to the beach of the gods, but he was not entirely sure why. Unanswered questions weighed heavily on his mind. He looked out into the sea, and once again saw the souls resting the ocean itself, dormant, sleeping. There was also souls in the ground itself, and in his griffins. Grasping his spear, an implement that bonded him to the souls of his griffins, it felt right, but he had no idea what a soul is.

He walked over to some strange fungus, ley he divined. It was the source of the souls, clearly marked by another god who came to this world. Though, if it was created by a god and not inherent to the universe, did that mean there was some universes without souls. He picked up some of the ley, and took it with him.

He was also curious about the souls of the sea. They had no form, no ability to move or think. It was almost sad, as if the souls were lost. He took his horn, and dipped it into the water, using his divine power to collect a single ocean spirit into the horn.

He wanted to examine the ley and ocean water more carefully, but the beach did not seem like a very appropriate place. He walked into the nearby grove with his griffins, and found a cave that been separated from the rest of the underground by a cave-in. It was a good place, and said, calling his griffins inside.

He took the ley and placed it down at the far back in the cave, on a rock that had fell down in roughly the center of the tunnel. He then nudged the rock over to be more properly aligned. He took his spear and stuck it into the ground a few paces in front of the moss and to the right. On the opposite side of the room, he placed his war horn carefully on the ground.

He was not entirely sure what to do at this point, but sat down in the middle of the three objects and simply began to tune his divine senses on the three objects, still careful to keep a connection to his griffins in case someone attacked one of his creations.

She was the first Unsullied Fae taken by Larwen. The first to be perfected in the great Forge, and now nameless with desire. She wandered alone in the deep dark of Pervanon for what felt as a lifetime. Reflection upon her past bore no comfort in such a place. Her memories like sharp rocks battering her skull repeatedly, reminding of only her once flawed self. Instead, she chose to dwell upon the God of Perfection’s words, which still echoed in her mind.



“I was born anew.” She said aloud, “Pure. Rowan is the past.” Rowan. Her old name, the remaining tie between who she had been, and who she would become. It no longer felt right to call herself Rowan. It did not define her any longer. It would not define her any longer. She stumbled into a new section of cave, tired and alone. The cave itself was small, with bunches of fallen rock on the left side and more importantly, it was a dead end. The Fae knew not what to do any longer. Her journey had come to an abrupt halt, and she knew not the strength, or the gull to return without finding what she had hoped the deep would provide.

Without realizing, she next found herself sat upon a rock, cradling her brow within her hands. Try as she might, she could still not shake the memories associated with her name, her past life. Her old court, the Anathema’s, Tingalina. They haunted her still.

Tingalina. She missed her, and she did not. For Tingalina was not like her, not given Larwen’s enlightenment. Yet, she wanted her. Oh, how she craved to show her Perfection. To change her, to show her the truth so that they could be as one of the same. Then perhaps her old memories would no longer chain her to the past, for they could live in a brighter future. One without restraint, one where Tingalina was as perfect as she. She would be able to tempt her, for she had a voice of honey. Sweet and full of youthful mirth, enhanced now by the sheer beauty of Purity. Before, when they would get into trouble, it had been Rowan to talk their way out of it, Rowan to tempt her with adventure. Rowan to- She was not Rowan any longer. No, she was more.

It dawned upon her at last. The nameless Fae who sat upon that rock within the depths of the world, she had found her name. One that flowed from her mouth first, as Larwen had prophesized. It gave her purpose, a sense of being alive in an existence she had never dreamed of.

“I am born anew.” She said proudly, standing up on the rock, “Pure. Rowan is the past, I am Maeve.” And like a soft, cool breeze, Larwen whispered to her,

”Come.”

And Maeve listened.

---

"Kap Gam has good taste..." Aella muttered to herself after swooping down and landing at the beginning of the path leading up to the temples she'd created. The alpine mountain range had a beautiful view and clean air, something that she certainly wasn't used to. She rolled her eyes and smiled at the thought of Larwen, but quickly shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "Focus, Aella."

She let her fingertips graze one of the smooth marble pillar as she started to make her way through the pathway. The first temple of a series was right in front of her. The light color scheme, the airy design of the place and the use of flowers had her fully extending her wings in excitement as she regarded everything with wide eyes.

A sprite eventually found its way to her and seemed to cling to her, following as she walked. A cloud shaped like a wingless bird passed overhead. In the distance, a drac dipped itself into a cyan stream of water.

She passed the entrance to the first temple and shivered, a few glowing feathers falling from her wings and onto the impeccable floor. Looking around, she saw nothing but sprites and the occasional drac but she could feel her sister around.

"A-hem," She cleared her throat, "Hello, sister! It's me, Aella, I love this place, you really have a passion for construction and décor, don't you?" She said with a bright smile.

"S-sister..." it felt odd to refer to them lack that, but Kap Gam had more pressing issues. "Your feet... you are stepping on my arm." the goddess was not around her, but under her, laying on the cold marble floor, where she was resting before being suddenly stepped on.

"Ah!" In a flash of light, Aella jumped off of Kap Gam, "W-What are y..." She sighed and ran a hand over her face, leaning her head back.

After a moment, she let out a chuckle and sat down besides Kap Gam. With gentle movements, she tried to 'clean' the spot on her arm that she'd stepped on, which Aella realized quickly was a ludicrous thing to do, considering no dirt seemed to ever cling to herself, so why should it to Kap Gam?

"Sorry about stepping on you, I must have been too enthralled by the beauty of the architecture to, uh... Notice you were there." She smiled sheepishly and rubbed her neck awkwardly.

The other goddess shook her head. "Not an issue, I am not hurt. It is understandable, my cloak conceals my presence, typically good, but everything has its flaws." she took a deep breath and, with a struggle, sat on the floor, so she would be face to face with Aella. "Thank you for the kind words. I felt other siblings visiting this land, you are the first to stop and enjoy its peacefulness and charm." even as she said those words, her expression was still the same neutral one.

Then, suddenly, upon closer inspection, she noticed where Aella had been until her visit. "You met with Larwen?" she questioned.

The smile was gone, and Aella felt the colour drain from her face a little when Kap Gam mentioned Larwen. She hadn't expected her, or anyone, to be able to tell where she'd been. It wasn't that she was ashamed of having visited Larwen, but... Having the others know that she was on friendly terms with him so quickly was probably not good, considering how many of her siblings wanted him dead or imprisoned. She bit her lip and looked away, then responded slowly, "I... Have. I have met with him. He's not so bad, you know? Just has some issues to work out..." She trailed off and her voice dropped into silence, not resuming eye contact with her sister.

"I do not know. Each time I observed him he was antagonizing to all." she told, coldly as ways, turning her head slightly to still face the sister who tried to avoid eye contact before continuing "But, there must be good reason for you to say this. It would be better to have one less god to worry about. Though I take offence at any form of mind bending, my worries with Larwen were based on his promises."

Aella looked down at her hands and took in a deep breath. She couldn't tell her sister to not worry, either. For all the good Aella had seen in Larwen, he was clearly himself, and the promises he'd made, while made in the heat of the moment no doubt, were a perfect reflection of his feelings and desires. She'd grown to understand him and accept him, but would the others be willing to open their hearts like she'd done? She shook her head and looked at Kap Gam, who was staring at her with her neutral, tired expression.

"He and I created something beautiful, Kap Gam. For once, he didn't seek to overpower and corrupt that which wasn't from him. Instead, he let his influence, his essence, mix with mine... Granted, the result was a very kind tree, not too useful, but... You get the idea, sister." Aella sighed and lied down on the floor, "Now it is me that feels like resting on the floor."

The floor was cold yet comfortable, went very well with the humidity the garden and fountains provided to the whole area. The dome roof of the temple was open on its center, allowing for stargazing as the sun had set as Aella arrived. Kap Gam took the opportunity to lay on the floor again. "It is hard to follow some of what you say, but it seems you did something good." she said. "I had little hope for anything but conflict, so I am glad to hear I was wrong."

Aella turned her head to look at her shorter sister, laying on the floor next to her. She giggled after she heard her words, "Sister, you'd be surprised what doors a little kindness can open. Anyhow, before this great view of Axnas' domain shreds the last my focus..." Aella turned to lie on her side so she could comfortably look at Kap Gam as she spoke, "I visited because I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to let me fill one of your temples with things for you? I want to make a beautiful piece of my domain around here for your enjoyment. I've already done something similar in Larwen's mount, Pervanon." She explained as she stretched a wing and covered Kap Gam with it like a extra-fluffy blanket.

Kap Gam took a moment to answer, not out of doubt, but out of surprise. Taking a moment to appreciate the kind presence of her sister. "You are asking me if I would accept a gift?" she questioned, but not seriously, the small hint of a smile on the corner of her mouth made it clear. "There are many empty rooms in the temples built along this site, I tried filling them, but I am not nearly as good as my knights when it comes to having ideas, and since so far I have not summoned any... Still, that means there are many rooms free for you to use as you please." The goddess wondered what her sister could possibly want to build, thinking over many possibilities. Though her enthusiasm did not show, her fixed eyes gave a hint of her curiosity.

Aella grinned, "Thank you! I think you'll like what I have in mind, but don't think for a second that I didn't notice that small smile you gave just now." She said giddily, bringing her hand up to caress Kap Gam's cheek, "You have a lovely smile, sister, you really should show it off more often."

She waited a moment, feeling the caress on her unchanged face. "I would smile if I could." was all she said, looking slightly to the side, Aella's words making her few melancholic.

Aella pursed her lips, "Well, I will remember that smile, just so you know." She said and lightly poked Kap Gam's nose before she stretched her limbs, yawned and stood up. "Well, it's time to begin with my gift. Want to lead me to any specific room, or?"

The goddess of souls blinked when her nose was poked, once again making an effort to stand up. "You can choose a room fit to the needs of your creation, some are open, some are closed, some have fountains of flowing water."

"I will take one with a fountain, then." She said with a chuckle as she wrapped one of her wings around Kap Gam and used it to gently push her sister along and get her to keep up as she began walking.

They spent minutes going from temple to temple, walking the pathways and looking for the famed 'fountain room'. When they finally found it, the sky was now purple and dark blue with stars shining and twinkling brightly. Why Kap Gam hadn't found the motivation or energy to tell Aella where the room was since the beginning, she'd never know. But now she had arrived, and she could truly begin her work. She pulled her wing away from Kap Gam and smiled sheepishly at her, noticing the numerous feathers stuck between the various pieces of her coat.

"Sorry about that, sister, my feathers tend to get caught easily." She said before taking in the room. It was spacious, but nothing like the chamber Larwen had allowed to use; what it truly excelled at was the openness of it and of course, the fountain in the center of the room. With the roof open to the sky above it and with cyan-colored water flowing freely and unendingly in it, the fountain took up an impressive diameter. Some may even mistake it for some kind of exotic bathing room at first.

Of course, like everything else, it was made out of smooth marble. There was nothing wrong with that, but Aella had started to feel as if these Temples needed a bit of... Flavor to them.

So after taking everything in, she stretched both of her arms towards the open part of the roof over the fountain and closed her eyes. Nothing happened. When she opened her eyes and checked, she huffed and closed them again.

She grit her teeth and felt her essence shine and evaporate from her fingertips. Meanwhile, the open roof was beginning to show signs of change. One could still see the beautiful night sky, but it was as if one was seeing it through a whirlpool. Not one made of water, but one made of pure white light. Subtle currents moved the light in a clockwise fashion, and droplets of water couldn't help but be pulled up into the anomaly with tiny ripples.

Aella let out a grunt and relaxed, letting her hands drop to her sides. "That was... More difficult than I expected." She bit the tip of her tongue and watched the drops of water go into the light and disappear, "That doesn't lead anywhere yet. Where do you think that water's going?" Aella turned to ask Kap Gam, her wings pressed tightly together.

Kap Gam had been resting her hand against a wall and looking down, trying to catch her breath, from the very moment she arrived, after being dragged around by the goddess of kindness through many temples, trying her best to tell her where the fountain temple was, but her whisper-like voice clearly not making it past the other deity's excitement.

She looked up when prompted, looking up at first towards the goddess and then up towards the odd rippling portal over the gateway. "Typically I should be able to perceive such things." she told, having finally regained her voice after the forced march. She squinted slightly. "But something is blocking me from seeing it." she added, looking a the little droplets of the thermal cyan water going up and then vanishing.

Calmly, she lifted from the ground and floated towards the area, looking closer, before outright, yet slowly, diving past it. Immediately, her cloak was broken into bits and vanished as she went past, thankfully not all of her clothes neither any of her devices, that would have been a major issue for the goddess. She looked back into it, and then floated back towards the kind goddess. "It leads nowhere, but also everywhere. It broke my cloak..."

Aella clasped her hands and looked down, bowing her head slightly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for part of my gift to damage you in any way-" She lifted her gaze to check Kap Gam over, making sure she had no actual injuries. "Are you hurt? I can heal you if that's the case."

"No." was all she said initially, the goddess not noticing the awkward silence the blunt answer made at first. "I feel fine. My cloak grows back too. No harm done."

"Oh, okay, I understand. My armor grows back as well, when I've had enough time to recover after battle-" Aella shut her mouth so quickly that her teeth nearly tore reality itself open, "Uh, if I were to battle, that is. Perks of being a God." She shrugged and walked to the fountain. She sat on the low wall(???) of the fountain and closed her eyes again, picturing how she wanted the new wall to look.

To Kap Gam it would look as if light materialized and pulled itself into solid shaped on the wall, leaving behind glowing form and silhouettes. The octagonal fountain was slowly subjected to the transformation, and by the end of it, it was as much a source of refreshing water as it was an invaluable piece of art. Depictions of the Pantheon were abundant, with every God and Goddess having their own spot and with Aella and Kap Gam being depicted bigger than all the others, with Aella looking lovingly down at a Kap Gam that was sleeping on her lap.

After a moment and once all the light vanished, leaving behind perfectly carved marble, Aella opened her eyes to look at Kap Gam. "Like it?" She grinned, "I even added an entire part to Larwen, because he's always on his own in Pervanon." She said, still sitting at the fountain.

It took a good while to take in all that there was to see in that fountain. The first thing she noticed, was obviously the main duo, the goddess found it initially curious, a bit odd, she always disliked to see herself sleeping, though the natural warmth of the creation, the comfort Aella's aura was imbued with, was enough for her to overlook it and see it for its beauty. "You stepping on my arm would be also a fair depiction of this encounter, but it would give a different tone to the fountain." she jested but did not smile. She then looked closer, observing each carving. "You are great at noticing the details, everyone looks lifelike, from Larwen in his forge to Seihdhara in her typical lack of an attire... I wonder if she will ever grow an outfit like us."

"Our sister loves her freedom. I doubt any kind of attire can hold her down for longer than a second." Aella said, "Besides, I can understand her. I get tired of wearing this heavy armour all the time. The one difference is that I only take it off in private..."

"Ah..." The goddess sighed, a rare event, but all this talk of baths and nudity made her nostalgic for long lost times. "There was a time in which I could do so, but now it is a huge chore, it is hard to maneuver out of my clothes without upsetting the relics. As such, I tend to bath while dressed... In truth for a god it is not necessary, if our nature is to be clean, we will be clean... But the feeling of refreshment is an universal one, felt by mortals and immortals alike..." she looked to her side for a moment. "I am just glad Martha Constance is not with me yet, she would surely make terrible wordplay if she saw the animal that hides in Seihdhara's aura."

Aella couldn't help but crack a smirk, but was still somewhat confused. Who was this Martha Constance? "Heh, excuse my ignorance, sister. Who is this Martha Constance? I'd love to hear her wordplay."

"Knight Constance is one of my loyal flutterlings, elite fairies who belong to clans many universes old. She is very pretty, and she has a... well, burgundy armor, but Burgundy is the name of another flutterling clan, so we say its pink-purple. I have not summoned her yet though, it takes a lot from me and I simply lack the energy now." she explained "I have many other Martha who aid me, but Constance... well, the name tells it."

Aella nodded, "I understand. Having friends you can count on is important, I'm glad you have someone like that. Please give her a hug from me when you see her again, alright?"

"With Constance it is not much of an option... She is... the opposite of me, at least right now." she then looked at Aella and wondered, noticing her aura. "You are not a young god either, are you? There is a tangible difference between the first born and the arrivals... Ascended mortals make it harder to judge, but I find myself noticing the behavior patterns and the way the souls resonates in different tones."

Aella looked to the side and let her hair obscure her face. "I- It's no-" her voice cracked and she lifted a hand to her obscured face- Being asked that all of a sudden, there was no way to prepare for the swift stab to her barely put together heart. "It's not... Something I like to think about. That life was one led by the blind and those who thirsted for blood," Her voice became a whisper as she rubbed at her eyes, "It was such a blindness that overtook me that I escaped its grip only moments before I came here. An entire world's weight is on my shoulders..."

The kind goddess would suddenly feel the ephemeral one's hand touching her opposite shoulder, in a half-hug and a sign of support. "It is fine now. I am sorry." she really was, if she knew the situation, she would have done her best to not bring such feelings up. "You have already done so much to avoid conflict, this universe can only thank you for your noble quest." she was far from the best with such words, her warmth having escaped her back when she was a first born, yet she felt she compelled to give back after receiving so much from Aella.

Aella half-turned to look at her sister with misty eyes, before pulling her into an embrace and shaking her head, "Do not worry, this is my burden to carry, but it is good to know that you're here, Kap Gam." Aella chuckled half-heartedly and sniffled, "Us sisters have to stick together."

A moment passed with the sisters embracing one another, but soon it was time for Aella to stand and smile once again. "Anyway, I realize the room looks somewhat bare right now, sis, but the true meat of it, the gateway and the fountain are done. I will come back in the future and quietly add more things, if you'd like, but there's one last thing I want to do before leaving." She snapped her fingers and on the far end of the room a moderately sized, shiny marble bench appeared.

She snapped her fingers again and a white cushion appeared on top of it. "There we go, a bench for you to rest at when you get tired, so that when I come to visit you, I don't step on you again." Aella laughed and gave Kap Gam another quick hug. "I have to leave now, sis, but I'll make sure to visit often." She said before flapping her wings and flying away.

"Thank you again for visiting, Aella. Know you are always welcomed here." the goddess told, before sitting on the newly created bench.

Malkut folded his records and slowly stood. His desk was soon swept of its load by the sprites that attended him, and with a gentle gesture of the hand he lowered the edifice back into the floor as the little host filed his documents.

He returned with his lenses to the as-yet-unwritten library, selecting a new book, this time a large, thin pad for sketching. It was empty, like all the other books. Maybe some day.

The sprites brought him charcoal, and he extended one of the hovering lenses into a wide circle, through which shone the Frontier. He crossed his legs and hovered, sketching. It was important to record the vision of the river before it was settled. One day, someone might have an interest in looking back. One day.

A wet thud echoed through the temple.

"Welcome back."

Alto looked at him, pawing the heap of bog-trees and sand he'd dumped on Malkut's floor.

This was how Malkut received specimens for his growing museum of Galbar's history. The selection process was very random, but he was grateful for his brother's contribution, and tolerated the mess. He set about labelling the various branches and soils before they died. Alto stared at him with his big unblinking eyes. You got used to that.

"Is Mother well?"

"Last I saw, she was bathing in a pot of soup," said Alto.

Malkut looked at him.

Alto looked back.

"...Was it pumpkin soup?"

"No," said Alto. "It was cream of leek."

A long pause reigned.

"Oh," said Malkut, returning to his science. "I see."

Regulus sat in his cave, pondering the three times. His focus caused him to lose his perception of time, he was unsure if minutes, hours, days, years, or decades had past while he sat in thought. What did it truly matter to a god. His focus was constantly pulled towards the fungus, and the question of whether he had a soul, and if he did, where did it come from.

In his mediation, he had felt his power return to him. Perhaps he could use his godly power to illuminate the answer. He took Anhur in his right hand, and Stormcaller in his left hand. Holding Anhur over the ley, a piece of wood grew from it and dropped on top of it. He then carefully poured some of the water from his horn on top of the ley, careful to keep the water spirit from splash out. He then imbued it with his divine essence, and demanded of it, “Show me my soul.”

A golden, crystalline leave sprouted from the ley. It was then followed by a emerald leaf, then a ruby leaf, and then a sapphire leaf. The moss then began to burst with emerald, ruby and sapphire leaves. The branch grew and contorted, growing branches that bound to the leaves, and grow root that buried themselves into the ground. The leaves organized themselves by color, the emerald leaves bunched up aligned with the trunk of the tree, to their right was the ruby leaves, and to their left was the emerald leaves. The tree hummed to life, it did not use words, but its message was clear, “I awaken Master Regulus.”

Regulus recognized the tree as his avatar. He felt a deep connection to the tree, far greater than even his connection to his griffins. But this was no place for his avatar, there was no room for it to grow, and the world was dangerous. As in response to his thoughts, it hummed, “You do not need to worry for me. There is a clear solution.”

The god nodded, “Yes, that will work. But I need more preparation.” He looked to the soul still in his horn. “I can’t very well leave you there can I.” to which to the tree hummed with an idea, “Yes, that can work.” he said, using his powers to mold the stone up around the base of the tree into a well and pouring the water into the basin, filling it beyond what water was actually in the horn. He then waved his spear over it and blessed it. “Water Spirit, I imbue your dormant form with purpose. You will grant those who gaze into the pools visions of distant areas, and be able to send messages to distant listeners.”

He looked up at his avatar, “You need a name, I name you Yggdrasil.”, to which the avatar hummed approvally.

_{Time: Takes place SEVEN MONTHS after the Day the Gods Came}

Now that Seihdhara considered it, creating an entire sub-species to hunt down another sub-species she had accidentally created might not have been the most efficient way of going about things. But it was done, and now she had to find where that sullied had taken poor Dwynen.

With golden dust floating about her and her crimson curls trailing behind, she sped across the heavens in search of the little faery and eventually found herself once more near Aella's cabin. But Aella was not there. Things were different now though - there was a huge tree with alluring red fruit. The goddess plucked one fruit and inspected it. Was it just her or was there... a voice? A squiggle settled on the fruit and buried its mandibles in. Seihdhara laughed and stroked the little thing's delicate wings. But it quickly became apparent that something was amiss, for the squiggle quickly blackened and turned on the goddess, biting her finger. Squealing in surprise, Seihdahra released the red fruit and pulled her hand away from the creature. Before she knew it a host of little fae - who had been hiding between the tree's red leaves - were upon her, pulling at her hair and pelting her with pieces of fruit.

'Why you!' The goddess cried angrily, immediately inspiring fear in Kap Gam's corrupted creations and causing them to flee. And now she could hear the tree's whispers more clearly and could see the poor creatures that had been lured in, corrupted, and now could not break away from the alluring voice of the tree. Had Larwen made this? She was about to approach the tree's trunk for inspection when head snapped to the side and she felt it. In the distance: war.

The goddess drew deeper into Larwen's territories and soon came upon a small host of unsullied, with little makeshift spears in their hands, struggling with one of Larwen's monstrosities. 'Tingalina! From the side!' One was shouting.
'Its eye! Get its eye!' But even with their weapons, they were clearly outmatched and soon the hundred or so unsullied made to escape. But one was caught by the Zalsarix and shouted and struggled.
'Tingalina is caught!' Came the cry, but Seihdhara had already descended and, gripping the Zalsarix's arm and twisting it in such a manner as to force it to release the faery, freed the distressed fae. The Zalsarix croaked something illegible and shrunk back, and Seihdhara let it go and watched it flee.

Cheering, the unsullied host surrounded the goddess and, all of them carrying her, took her back to Elabeen and Fylmira. The Lord and Lady immediately recognised the goddess and told her of their plight, and how even with the aid of mighty Brentylwith they suffered at the hands of the Morig.
'And where is Brentylwith?' The goddess asked.
'He ventured forth at dawn and we have not seen him since. He will surely return soon.' But Seihdhara, though she pitied the faeries their plight, had to find her Dwynen.
'To defend yourselves successfully, you must understand the ways and laws of war,' the goddess declared, 'Brentylwith has taught you to hunt your foes with weapons, but that is not enough - one must know how to use that weapon, war requires warriors. But the skills of a warrior are not enough, for warriors must organise themselves well to succeed and attain victory in the fray.' And the goddess approached Elabeen and Fylmira and taught them these things, and she taught them to many others too.

Then Seihdhara left and continued her search for Dwynen.

Regulus set to work on his final piece of preparation. He was going to create a castle, and castles require attendants. A part of Regulus want to create his children once he was in the safety of the castle, but Yggdrasil convinced him his children should be of the world should they ever wish to return to it.

One by one, he formed his children. He took wood from Yggdrasil, and molded it in his hands like clay. He took the slightly bit of dirt and sprinkled it on the wooden figurine. Taking a piece of cloth from his own clothing, he then took the scrap and placed it against the figurine back. Finally, he would take one of the leaves of Yggdrasil and press it into the figurine, and once he did, the statue began to glow, then grow, and shift.

He named his children the Sylvan. They were tall, lithe human-like creatures made of flesh and blood. One could easily mistake them for humans if not for colored markings that ran across there torso, arms and face. He created a breeding pair for each color of Yggdrasil leaves, creating them in order : Green female, Green male, Red male, Red female, Blue female, Blue male. Each Sylvan had a hair-color and eye-color of the same color as their lines, which the exception of the Green who had brown hair.

As he finished the blue male, Yggdrasil hummed to, “I have one more color of leaf. But I only have one of them.” she said, and the single gold leaf dropped from her branch, and so he created a golden male in the same way he had created the others.

As he created his children, they were drawn to Yggdrasil, and Yggdrasil granted them their name. Except his youngest child, who attempted to escape the safety of the cave before being stopped a griffin and Regulus lead him back to the tree to be named.

He looked around the cave and made sure that all of his Sylvan, and the griffins that followed him into the cave were still around. Once he completed the head-count, he took his spear and gently tapped it against Yggdrasil, creating a portal that opened in a bright flash of light, engulfed everything in the cave, and then closed in on itself.

Once Regulus had returned to regular space, he was in a large spacious castle, the roots of Yggdrasil running through it. He opened his divine sense, and it appeared nothing was lost in the journey. His Sylvan had made it, his griffins had made it, his reflection well had made it, and obviously his Yggdrasil made it. He named his realm, Menagerie Castle.

He would later resolve to make a food supply for his children and griffins in this castle, but for now, Yggdrasil could support the small population using its magic to sustain them.
He gathered up his children in the center room of the castle, a large corridor-like room that housed Yggdrasil at the far end of the hall. The room itself appeared more like a garden than anything you would expect instead a castle. He then assigned each of his children a role. He assigned the two Greens the task of maintaining the castle, and supporting Yggdrasil. He assigned the two Reds the task of defending the castle, and maintaining the Griffins. He assigned the two Blues the task of using the Reflection pool, and keeping an eye on the planet that they had just left. When he got to the his one golden children, he had nothing, and merely said, “I will assign your task later.” to which he appeared disappointed. But for now, he had alone all of his children to rest and play. They were just born, they should not immediately be put to work.

---

Regulus had looked into his reflection well, and had observed what had been occurring in the world while he mediated in the cave. There he found a very dreadful thing, a tree of temptation. He could hear the whispers from through the well, but it had no effect on the god, and the spirit he saw the world through had no mind of its own to be inflicted. This was different from Larwen's other creations. He inspected it, and found that it was the creation of the mad god, and someone else. He could understand the mad god working with Larwen, but he did not feel the same darkness in this other god. He had a brief talk with Yggdrasil as to what he should do with this other god, and he accepted the tree's council. He went to back to the reflection well, and spoke into it, "Send my summons to this other god or goddess. We need to speak. Immediately."

A few moments passed before a flash of light covered the area and the Winged Goddess, Aella, stepped into the private plane. She looked around the room, noticing the large Yggdrasil and the abundant vegetation. Finally, she looked at Regulus and smiled, "Brother, it is good to see you. This is quite an interesting place, it's the first time I see such a design." She said, walking towards Yggdrasil and putting her palm on it while closing her eyes, "So, this is the being that called me here, is that right?"

Regulus paused, this new god did not immediately seem dangerous, but she was conspiring with Larwen and Gremju. "No. Yggdrasil's soul is bound to this castle. I had another means of contacting you. However, I did not summon you here to speak about my creations. Tell me, why do aid Larwen."

Aella sighed and turned toward Regulus, no longer keeping her palm on Yggdrasil. "Because he's our brother, and he's suffering," She clasped her hands and looked away, "and when our family's suffering, the last thing we do is attack them..."

Regulus took a deep breath, "That monster is not my family. And when they threaten existence itself, I believe that is grounds to attack him. Tell me, when he spreads his filth across an entire continent, will you then see we need handle the problem. The world? The universe? The multiverse? Tell me how much life he must snuff out before it justified to take action against him."

Aella remained silent for a while, but eventually walked closer to Regulus with slow, deliberate steps. "Regulus, I've spoken to Larwen, I've created with him. He's just like us, but he suffers. His very self is damaged and twisted, but I've felt it! We can help him heal, we can do it! We only need to accept him and love him, no matter what." When she got close enough to Regulus, she grabbed one of his hands with both of hers and locked her eyes with his.

"Brother, I know what you're thinking, how you're feeling. It is okay to feel annoyance, hatred, but to desire the death of a fellow God..." She went silent and looked down at the ground.

Regulus allowed her to grab his hands, "I once again ask. How much death and misery must he spread. How much of his own sickness does he need to spread across the land. Will you choose Larwen, or would you choose the world."

"There is no choice to be made. I choose all." Aella frowned, "Have you even bothered to experience your brother's world? To try and see what he sees and feel what he feels? He felt so alone, Regulus. None of his family wishes to truly interact with him, none but me." She said and let go of his hand, disappointment clear on her face.

Regulus sighed and took another deep breath, "I will feel neither sympathy nor remorse for a monster that wages war for the sake of war. That has no respect for the sanctify of life or law. But, do you truly believe that it is possible for Larwen to coexist with the other gods."

"Yes, I do! He's allowed me in his home, asked me to create gifts for him and enjoyed my company. I believe he is more than capable of coexisting. Gremju and I tried to dissuade him from war, I'm sure you're aware." She spared a glance toward Yggdrasil, "He was very receptive, but told us that he couldn't consider peace, as everyone else was set on destroying him. He's not a beast, he's just made a lot of mistakes." Aella said, 'Like me.'

Regulus once again paused, before calling out to the room, "Spring, the map." he said. And as he did, a female Green Sylvan scurried across the room with a map in her hands. Regulus took the map, and then handed it to Aella.

Aella took the map with some hesitation and looked at it, noticing the circle drawn around Mount Pervanon. She looked at Regulus with an arched eyebrow, "What is this?"

Regulus looked at with a stern look, "An ultimatum, take it to Larwen and tell him that he keeps his corruption to that area, I will leave him be. Otherwise, I will mobilize my forces against him."

Aella looked between him and the map a few times, then spoke, "Could you add the westernmost Oasis in the Frontier to his territory, Regulus? I've already told him that I wanted him there, you see." She said somewhat awkwardly.

There was a pause, before Regulus waved his hand over the paper, and the circle stretched and contorted to include the mentioned Oasis. Just barely stretched beyond it by a few miles. He felt very guilty for what he did next, but he took Stormcaller and sounded it, dispersing the fog around Larwen's domain. "A token to show my serenity." he said.

Aella was speechless. She had never expected Regulus to cede any ground on the matter, much less give Larwen a chance. "... Thank you," Aella said and a moment later, embraced Regulus with arms as well as wings, "It means a lot to me that you're willing to give him a chance, Regulus."

Regulus grunted, "That is enough. And remember, this is the only chance I am giving him. I will always choose the world over him. And I will also choose the world over you." he said, in a harsh tone.

Aella broke the hug, looking like a lost puppy and nodded. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

A figure swept across the sea, leaving a rooster tail the size of an oak in white water. Tiny though she was, she was tailed by huge, black cubes, dragging them. It was Lei, wearing her working mask, speeding through the dawn. Hardly subtle in her passage, her presence did not go unheeded.

The silhouette of a four-winged being stood atop one of many great boulders upon the rocky shore. Though he was only half illuminated by the morning light and nearly a league away, the kindly voice of Promus greeted Lei as clear as if he were right beside her.

"Hail to you, O Breaker of Shackles and Opener of the Ways!"

She skidded, casting a plume of white mist over the sea as it followed. "Hail!" She waved, but didn't stay long; in a splash and a shock she was dragging the enormous cubes along with her to the shape of the Man from Above. "Do you know," she yelled, flying winglessly up to hover over the surf ahead of him, "How long it's been since I've properly created something?" Her arms clapped and swept out, casting spray. "It is glorious."

"So it is. I am sure that the eons have allowed you to craft a very careful and exacting plan; a careless avidity is the death of a steady hand and immaculate creation, as I have been made to learn."

Lei tumbled in midair, like a swimmer. "They certainly have!" she lied effortlessly. "Perhaps even a plan capable of surviving contact with eighteen young gods. Not that the eons didn't keep me busy. I came for you as soon as the universe was clean." She tumbled again, this time upside down. 'Wreak havoc' was a very resilient kind of plan. "Say, that isn't your magmatic brute splashing around in yon coast-waters, is it?"

The sage looked down to own of his cyclopes as it cooled its fiery, nascent body in the shallow seawater. "Appearances are oft deceptive. These beings are of my make, but they are far from...brutes."

"Ah, I see," said Lei. "Your magmatic magister."

"Magister comes closer to the truth. I call them the cyclopes; they have an intelligence that will one day surpass ours, as well as an affinity for crafting. With the burden of time their wisdom and mastery will grow, even as their flames die. Such is the way that I have ordered their lives."

"...Will they ever master fashion?" Lei hovered over to the cyclops, which had been steaming in a pool of gravel, cooling its sizzling joints. With a snap of her finger some glitchenfae manifested, their tinny song and false colour startling it somewhat, and began to dress the being. "I hope so. We can't let the little brutes saunter around naked. Look at it, it's got crags. Shave them," she instructed the pixel sprites, as the fiery creature squirmed. "We'll make civilisation out of you yet."

"Aesthetic must come after other essentials, but in due time it shall come. As of yet, despite my efforts, they lack even speech. Their minds, like their bodies, still glow from the forge of creation. They must be allowed time to develop."

"Pressure is the complement of every metamorphosis, azoic or otherwise," said the Mater. "I'd like to leave a good impression on them." With a wave, her glitchenfae manifested elsewhere, seeking out more cyclopes on which to take measurements. Maybe accessorise, even, though stone was the only material available to them. But she'd be back. "...Say, where are we? I've never visited this beach."

"On the surface, it is not extraordinary. But look closely to the jagged rocks that we stand upon." She did so.

The robed god of civilization stooped down to brush a hand against brine-coated basalt. There were other stones, too; here and there a shining shard of obsidian, but Promus tried not to look at those. The black glass brought back memories of a horrific prison that he would rather not relive in that moment. "They are forged by volcanic flames. And look to the ocean, do you see it below? A fire wells up, but its endless rage goes unseen, for it is trapped below the seawater. In my mind, I have denominated these volcanic plains as Phlegra. In my travels across this world, I could find no better place for beings of fire to take form."

She looked on, and found that it was so. Phlegra. "...Tell me, o Sage," she said, unaware that she had used the title, "How deep do you wish them to go?"

"I do not intend to shelter them below in these first years, nor to drive them to the despair that dwells in the darkest and most abyssal depths of the world. But if they desired of their own volition to venture below later in life, nothing would stop them."

Mater Lei finished her turn, and hovered bolt-upright with arms outswept, facing the ocean. Power crackled from her fingertips. "Then," said the god, "they will be in good company."

One by one the great cubes swept into the water, casting waves as they sank, and unfolded with hyperdimensional symmetry. Their planes expanded all over the beach, blackening stone and sand and cyclope alike, and new silhouettes joined them in the blackness. When the magic receded and the boxes disintegrated, it was like they had always been there.

Colour now shone on the shore of the Phlegra, deep colour that gleamed in jet and indigo. Things grew, huge flora that might have been there a hundred years, radiating threads of a red aura over the lapping cold of the waters, drinking heat from their roots far below. Among the anachronistic titans were smaller growths, young and spry, that dredged the shallow water for heat and dragged it to the surface as steam, forming hot springs and vents around which they clustered and bloomed. Beyond there swam life, trailing a blue aura as it darted, smooth plates of polymer skimming the surface of the waters as the waters washed the polymer flora in turn. Some sieved algae from the brine. Others hunted.

The whole reef covered maybe a square mile or two. Already it was growing.

"...Hope you don't mind."

The scene was scrutinized by He Who Stole the Wind for what felt as though it were an eternity. At last the pregnant pause was broken when Promus ended his silence. "Your designs...intrigue me. They are unlike anything that I had ever seen in the Old World, so your inspiration and creativity surely be great."

His gaze suddenly shifted from the strange creatures of the reef in order to fixate upon Lei. "I beg you enlighten me: what purpose do they serve? These humble eyes fail to see it," he admitted.

"There's another box," she explained, lowering herself to a kneel. The fifth box was small, barely the size of a single tree. Her cane was back in her hand again. "You'll see."

The top panel of the cube slid open, and inside was a sleeping creature. It was smooth and awkward of frame, with no eyes, only a box; and no lungs, and no heart, for its entire body was built as a sort of pump. Everything that moved about it was the work of pipe and piston, pressure threaded through vein and bone. And every component in its body could be found in the bizarre reef- from the heart of a shrimp to the frond of a cyath, it was the amalgamation of all of these living things, put together piece by piece like a delicate idol.

"A third golem, like the ones called Alto and Malkut? Is it meant to watch over this land of your making?"

"If Alto were a golem, he would be ten times as useful and half as hard to track down," quipped Lei immediately. Her hand stroked gently the shell of the colourless being. "Yes, these are automatons. But I could never restrict them to mere gardeners. Never, never. They're here to fill the earth, and subdue it, and hold dominion over all the fish in the sea." She pressed her magic into the being, and ley filled its transparent shell, and gave it colour. Slowly but slowly it came to life.

There was the utterance of one divine syllable, "Rise."

The inanimate shell slowly lifted to magically suspend itself in the air, and Promus examined this one even as the ley seeped in and it began to shudder. It was odd to think that Lei had built a breed of constructs with the explicit purpose of merely ruling some area, but did other gods not do the same with their beings life and flesh?

The question answered itself when the being began to move. Soon its limbs seemed not so bulky, its body not so stiff. It convulsed with a naive yet iron will, bending against his grasp as if instinct taught it to spring. From its infant throat it uttered a long and shredding gnash, pitched as metal sheets in a grinder. This being was not born to administrate but to rule.

He grimaced slightly at the noise as Lei silenced it with a finger on the forehead.

"Nasty little scream on it, don't you think? Of course, it will need to be taught how to make use of proper speech," she said. "It has the equipment. But if I may be so bold and you so kind, I've been meaning to ask a certain favour."

He offered one small bow and one equally quick answer, "Director of the World, you need only put it to words."

Lei let the creature go. This time it was quiet. Only a faint whirr echoed from its throat. "That when it speaks, others quiet," she said. Lei turned to him from the box. There were others like it, nested in cubes that hid in the black. "Can you do that? ...Please?"

It is an odd being, made my a similarly odd goddess, with an odd request. But I will not question the one that freed me, not her.

"In service I bloom, like a flower in the dawn," Promus answered with what seemed like not even the slightest trepidation, and with a rapidity that may have even suggested eagerness.

He looked to the still-hovering automaton.

"I bid you and your kind to Speak with a cadence like thunder, a voice that brushes aside the meek like so many leaves on the wind." The decree given, the strange being of plastic and magic spoke, no, screamed with a tone like that of metal gnashing against stone.

"UNBIND ME," it demanded of its overlords, "THAT I MAY FEEL THE WATERS."

Somewhat taken aback by its abrupt manner, Promus glanced toward Lei for a brief moment before he prepared to say the word that would release. But she intervened. "Manners, please," said Lei, and let it fall with a jab of her cane-tip to the center of its chest. It landed with a heavy splash in shallow brine and sand, and lay there on its knees, becoming aware.



Its muscles were strong. Its voice was strong. Its mind, not yet fed by contemplation and company, would be strong. Mater Lei looked upon it, and saw that it was good.

"Now we've given them the seeds of patience, and the responsibility of power over their fellows," she said. "I intend to stay here for a while, and make sure they're nurtured." She looked at Promus, and not even her mask could hide the huge smile on her face. "...Thank you."

"A pleasure, and only a small favor before what you have already given to me."

But the Sage's eyes then turned toward the being in the sea, and more words found their way out from behind the curls of Promus' black beard. "You need a name," he told the thing even as it hid below the waves, but not out of their sight, "Your kind, I shall name the Telchines. But you still need a name of your own..."

The Telchine gazed at its limbs, understanding without knowing. "I am... strong," it said, settling its voice now into something not earsplitting, but harsh. "I... am Able."

He was rewarded with a small nod of approval.

"Strong, yes. A good start. But what do you know? Could you lead? Teach?"

The being was silent. For a while. "Now, I cannot. Soon, I may."

"That humility and optimism will serve you well, Able. You have a wisdom beyond your short time, so I will show you the way. Look to me, listen to me, learn from me."

A godly whisper so soft that it was silent left the god's lips, and when it found its way to Able it taught him many things.

"I have given you the power and joy of uplifting your peers," he explained, "But with that power there does come a duty. The seas of this world and the path of water will become known to you well, so it falls to you share this knowledge with others, just as I have shared with you. Teach not only your fellow Telchines, but also the other mortals, those that can be deemed worthy."

"I will make it so," said the new Lord of Civilisation, taking a single knee.

As Able received his blessing, Mater Lei set about dissolving the remaining boxes and breathing the kiss of life into each Telchine. There were forty in all, each much like the last. But not exactly like. "Live," she said. "I will show you the way. Follow these edicts." Her voice quietened them, as their rasping quietened each other. "SURVIVE, against all adversity that could break you. LEARN, in doing so, the ways of your world and your fellow being. MULTIPLY, when it is time to pass on what you've gained. And I will teach you the rest. We," she said, glancing at Able and Promus, and this time addressing not only the telchines but the cyclopes also, "Will teach you the rest."

When some small time had passed and the Telchines had dispersed into the dusk under the watchful ear of Able, Lei straightened suddenly and withdrew the Book of Alto from her coat. "He can at least do that for me," she muttered, inscribing some words upon it and returning it. "If he watches the Citadel, I can spend more time here." She looked to Promus. "There are a great many depths beyond Phlegra, and not so much life in them. Would you care to wander with me?" Lei extended a hand.

Once more Promus found his hand in Lei's. "I saw what lies below, when I went to forge the bodies of the cyclopes in the aquatic fires. There are abyssal depths so deep and so black that to look down upon them is to gaze towards the darkest gaps in the sky, those eternally distant voids that dwell between the stars. I would not desire to dwell there, and nor can I imagine any other ever wanting to do so."

"I'm sure we can find someone," Lei replied, and led them into the night.

---

These were her brother's creations, made in his image. She stared at them sleeping, huddled together. They were in a clearing of the original forest, the one also created by her brother Ipeyr. He had good taste in creations, she thought with a smile as she saw their chests rising and falling with each breath they took.

Something was missing, however. They were all males. There was no way for them to reproduce like that, so Aella had to take it upon herself to fix their plight.

She smiled lovingly down at the sleeping men and after a moment of silence, standing in the cool breeze of the forest, she walked up to each one of them and kissed their foreheads, sending them into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Sleep peacefully, my sons." She whispered to the last one, brushing her hand through his long hair. Gently, she opened the man's mouth and put her hand inside, reaching for one of the man's wisdom teeth. When she felt said tooth, she gripped it tightly between her fingers and...

CRACK

The tooth came off, torn from the jaw. Aella's hand came out of the man's mouth covered in blood. Quickly, she make sure no debris or part of the tooth was left in the man's gums and healed the deep wound with a caress to his cheek. She placed the removed tooh next to the man's head, and went to the next. She did the same with all seven men. When finished, she washed her hands in nearby creek and went back to the first tooth she removed.

She got close to it, held the tips of her index fingers to its sides and closed her eyes. "You'll be so beautiful and gifted, my daughters..." She smiled as she muttered. Soon she felt the texture of the tooth change and she felt it grow. Eventually, it was no longer a tooth, but a head that she felt, completely with soft, long hair. She heard the breathing, she felt the heartbeat.

When she opened her eyes, she saw what could have been a reflection of her, but shorter and much more nude. Complete with blonde hair and fair skin and, she assumed, bright blue eyes. Aella kissed her forehead and immediately felt a strong bond to the woman. "You are Caritas, my daughter." She said to the sleeping woman and went to the next.

To the others she gave no name. Instead choosing to let them decide for themselves. She tried to deny it to herself, but it was clear that she had just now developed a clearly bigger love for the first she had created.

Just like that, she stood and watched the now fourteen men and women sleeping, cuddle up the each other. They were now paired up, man and woman. One last thing to do now. The men had been blessed with virility, so it made sense that the women would be able to keep up. With a single silent prayer, she gave the men and women healthy bodies, so that disease or injury would be minor walls in their objective.

She grinned when she finished, "Love each other as you love the earth beneath your feet and the sky over your heads, my children. Spread out and fill the world with your offspring, so that the land feels the warmth you harbor in your hearts." She said and observed as the men and women woke up and looked at each other. First with surprise, then with fear, and then with attraction and curiosity.

Finally, as some of them embraced, they looked at Aella, the Winged Goddess, smiling warmly down at them before vanishing in a flash of light.

After resting on the room built by Aella, Kap Gam felt reinvigorated, sitting back up, the goddess' responsibilities quickly flashed on her mind, quickly making it clear she needed help.

She moved to a room with only a fountain and many Ley growths on the wall and extended her hand. A strong shine quickly filled the room, the water floating towards the air and forming a bubble in the air, the water within spinning quickly. Suddenly, with a strong flash, it bursts and returns to the ground, a fairy where it once stood. For a few moments, she floated there, before slowly opening her eyes and flapping her wings.

"Yawn" she moved her hands about, an outfit quickly forming to cover her tattoo-covered body. She looked around idly, before suddenly noticing who was in front of her. "Ma'am!" she flew towards Kap Gam and hugged her tightly.

The goddess remained passive, looking to the side as her knight squeezed her. "It is good to see you again, Constance." she waited until she was let go.

"Did you find it?"

"Yup! I found it, master. I looked all around, and then I found Terpsichore, and then I had her look at the music box and she fixed it."

"Good, can you give it to me?" there was a clear hint of interest in the goddess face.

"Oh right, let me see." the fairy's hand moved, passing through her clothes and phasing into her body. "... Uhm... Hehe... I might have made a mistake."

"What?"

"Oh right, I think I know where it was, there was this mortal girl, and I saw her, and then she saw me, and I tried to run away, but I think while I did that I might have lost the box."

"What?" Kap Gam repeated, increasing distress showing up on her expressionless face.

"S-Sorry Ma'am, I will fix it. Just give me a moment..." the fairy started to look around for any transuniversal lane, but was stopped by the goddess's hand reaching into her shoulder.

"Do not. That can wait."

"Oh?"

"I need your help, there are some issues with this world and the flow of souls" the goddess told, looking around to see if she saw any fitting temple for what she wanted to do next. "Find a good deposit of quartz and make me a crystal ball with a radius the size of an arm."

"Okay! Will do it, ma'am." the little fairy left quite quickly, and a week later, she would return to the goddess carrying a crystal ball many times her size, effortlessly. "And done. Vapt Vupt."

The goddess just nodded, and allowed the fairy to take it to the central spot of the room, soon, the orb would fly up in the air and stabilize. All Ley growths on the room would reflect with a contained shine on it, soon, that shine would grow, making lines that extended all around the orb. It was mostly a pale purple shine, but there were areas with odd colors, red, bright purple, green. Once complete, the whole crystal ball emanated light to the room, it was mostly smooth, but there were glimpses of hard to understand imagery on it.

Kap Gam extended her hand and focused, a circular shape floating in front of her forehead appearing. She glimpsed into a few souls, going from region to region, seeing what they saw and learning what they learned. She stopped and pondered.

"Are these the leylines of this world? They look bad, really bad." the knight said. "Do you have any plan to fix this?"

"Many key points were under the sea, which is not good. Furthermore, this world has a strong resonance..." the goddess commented to her fairy before opening up her eyes. "But I have a plan, I just need the means."