Dan opened his eyes, he was once again in a familiar place.

“Hello Dan,” a voice said, as he once again found himself in the middle of a gazebo of some sort, with exquisite tapestries and carpeting all over gave it a lavished feel, like the get away retreat of a princess or someone of important note.

In that water casually dipping her toes was that  woman, her skin was an unearthly golden brown to perfect to be anything conceived on earth. And her form was fittingly sophisticated, even when she was clothed in only light coverings that hid next to nothing.

“How are you Dan?” she asked, arching her shoulders ever so slightly  and looking back over them at Dan.  Her eyes were gold, with not one but four pupils in each eye.  They were disconcerting and unbelievably pretty at the same time.

“Well, I think I just died, so not too well.” he said, she made a patting motion next to her and Dan having no reason to refuse walked over and sat down.

“Do you know how hard it was to keep enough of your soul out of the flame to even have this conversation?”  she asked, leaning her head slightly to the side and using his shoulder as a pillow.

“Can't say that I do.”

“Really really hard, I haven't worked that hard in the last millennium, I was only able to save part of your soul unfortunately, around 75 percent I would say.” she said closing those golden eyes of hers.

“Well I guess 75 percent is a passing grade, so good?”  he joked, looking out over the grass covered hill, a rolling sea of green.

“The soul is a really complex thing, you see, when it is broken it can be repaired, but when it is ripped up and burned like yours...”  she sighed “There is no going back Dan, your soul can't take anymore.”  she looked over at him, “Any regrets?”

“I was hoping to raise a family, make Abyzou and Amani happy, and honestly, yes there are a lot of regrets.”  he sighed. “There is no way back to them?”  he asked, he had to ask.

“Well, if you can get someone to prolong the end like I am doing now you might be able to live for the next 1,000 or so years, but there is only so much that can be done, and prolonging the shattering of your soul like this… it is hard.”

He smiled, “So what would it take for me to get you to prolong my untimely demise?”

“You want me to do it?” she asked, a smirk playing across her lips. “You don't even know my name, yet you want to make a deal with me? Didn't your parents ever teach you about trusting strangers?”

“I may not know your name but I can guess who and what you are.”

“Oh? Humor me, who and what am I?”

“You are Amani’s mother.”

“Djinn have no parents, they are forces of nature that have gained consciousness.”  she said with a small laugh. “So if they are forces of nature without mothers or fathers how then would I be her mother?”

“You are right, she is a force of nature, which would make you mother nature correct?”

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She smiled, her lips parting to reveal perfect white teeth. “I refuse to answer that,”  she chuckled. “You can call me Asherah however.”

“Asherah huh?”

“I have gone by many names, Ashratum, Ashratu, Asherdu,  Ashertu, Aṯirat yammi, I have been called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the world goes dim and cold.” she kicked her feet in the water softly, creating ripples on the surface, breaking the mirrored sheen. “Still, tell me why would I do that for you?”

“Because you are bored.”

“Bored? How so, if I want it it is there.”  she said, raising her hand and two glasses appeared in them, she offered one to Dan and took a sip of the other.

“That is exactly why you are bored,”  he said, she looked over at him, glass still drawn to her lips.  “Having everything and having nothing are in all honestly the same thing.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“It is.”

“And how do you plan on fixing my boredom?”  she asked.

“I already have.”  she looked at him quizzically. “You said it last time I was here.”  she thought back to all of what she said to him, but nothing in particular stood out to her.

“What did I say?”

“You said I was interesting.”  she paused in her motions, she had said that hadn't she? “So I propose this, you send me back, maintain my failing soul, and I promise to continue being interesting.”

“This deal is a little one sided isnt it?”

“Would you rather be bored?”

She paused again, before starting to chuckle, it soon turned into a full laugh, as she doubled over and held her side as her mirth spilled out.  Sitting back up she wiped away a tear.

”Interesting , truly interesting, I accept your deal with two concessions.”

“And those are?”

“The first is you call me Ashy or Asherah.”

“Done, Ashy.” she smiled brightly.

“And the second is I am allowed to drop by whenever I want.”  Dan nodded, and reached out to shake her hand, she paused, before offering her own. As they shook hands a strange tattoo came to be in his arm.

  לנצח שלי

“What is that? “

“It is a seal, my seal.”

“What about Richardson? If you were able to save my soul...”

“I was only able to save yours because you had become a Demigod, it had strengthened your soul, his was corrupted and weakened by magic.”

Dan sighed. “It's just hard to think about all the good versions of him that died.”

“It's true, you killed a loving father of four, a small town school teacher, a charity worker, a priest, and many many more.” Dan hung his head. “But you also killed a Mass murderer, a rapist, a mugger, a psychopath, in this world nothing is black and white, good and bad. You will just have to live with it.”

“I suppose I will.”

“Though perhaps you will also have to deal with him, he really dislikes it when the natural order is changed or corrupted.” she said with a smile.

“Who?”

“You will see soon enough.”  she said. “Now go back before those poor girl cry their eyes out anymore than they already have.”  she laughed, before pushing Dan into the pool of water.

[Abandon shack]

Amani had al but melted into a pool of sorrow, tears and snot ran down her face and she didn't care to wipe any of it away.  

Nothing mattered now.

Nothing would ever matter again.

He was gone, the entire reason for her existence, the man she lived for, he was never coming back.

He would never hold her again.

He would never kiss her again.

Ever.

Abyzou was in a likewise state, as the two of them hugged together holding on to one another for desperate life.

Even Bastet who had only known this man for a day shed a tear for him.

Sara sat alone in a corner, staring at the statue that used to be the man she loved.

He had sacrificed everything for her.

Even when she had been so unkind to him.

A sound broke through the wailing and weeping. It was a clear a precise sound.

A crack.

Soon spider thin lines spread over the statue of Dan, each crack filled with a golden light.  The stone fell away, revealing the man underneath.  He fell to his side, breathing heavily.

“Dan?” Amani called out, before untangling herself and throwing herself onto him.” Dan! Oh god I thought you were gone, and my life lost all meaning and- and-”  she broke down into tears again, and Dan pulled her close. Holding her on his chest.

Looking up he found Abyzou standing there, looking guilty. “What is wrong Abby?”  he asked.

“I thought you were dead, and it was all my fault, I couldn't fight him, I am truly worthless aren't I ?” tears started to run down her face, and Dan reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his embrace along with Amani.

“I love you,”  he whispered to the two sobbing women in his arms. “And I will never leave you, never.”