"But it is the same with man as with the tree. The more he seeks to rise into the height and light, the more vigorously do his roots struggle earthward, downward, into the dark, the deep - into evil."
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"YOU USELESS, THIEVING WRETCH!"
Kalina's fists rained down on Cain's mirthful expression. The youthful human burst into laughter at the sight of her, his swift hand quickly wrapped about her tiny body.
"Kalina, is that you?" Cain held the goddess upside down, in front of his eyes. "Your a cute little baby now!"
"I'M DEAD, YOU JERK," Kalina's teeth found Cain's skin and the dark-haired man yelped. "NOW LET ME GO AND STAY AWAY FROM MY THINGS!"
"Calm down Kalina," Mara snatched the aggrieved fairy from Cain's grasp. "Grandmaster Ooulin wanted Cain to train Ven in the art of runes..."
"NO!" Kalina stamped her foot on Mara's palm. "This idiot always steals my things, first he took my little turtle away, FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, and now he wants my little fish!"
Wrath poured from Kalina's eyes, a visible aura that pulsed with ominous light. Small beads of water condensed in the air, rain that refused to fall.
"I never stole anything, tiny fairy," An amused chuckle escaped Cain's lips. "I'm just more fun to be around, that's why all you're friends prefer me!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
A hail of water bullets, compressed beyond measure, sliced through the air. The barrage closed on Cain, who kept his indifferent smile.
The flat of his worn, stone blade twitched. A motion that halted the beads in mid-air, turned into discs by an unseen force.
"Come now, Kalina," Cain tapped his blade. "We can deal with our differences once you've grown, right now you can't even ruffle my suit..."
"He's right, Kalina," Ven chimed in. "And besides, I'm interested in what he can teach me."
"IDIOT!"
Kalina squirmed free of Mara's grasp. A wave of water dumped onto Ven's head as the goddess darted away, tears in the corners of her eyes.
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"SEE IF I INVITE YOU TO ANYTHING, EVER AGAIN!"
"What's wrong with her..."
"Don't worry, she's always been crazy," Cain waved off Ven's concern. "When I trained Ooulin, she made it rain everywhere I went for forty years!"
"That's not a comfort..."
Ven enjoyed the little goddess' company, but she was a vengeful creature. Much like himself. His worries over her revenge were dashed aside as Cain finished his drink. The man stood with a flourish, a finger leveled in Ven's direction.
"Now it's time to begin your training!
A flash of light, cast by a spiral of runes almost too fast to see, wrapped Ven in a heavy blanket. The world spun and twisted, Ven's vision of the guild bar replaced by a gloomy twilight. A sunset over an ocean of grey sand.
"Welcome to my home!"
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"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I WANT THE ANTS TO STAY!"
Huan's voice echoed throughout the throne room, a harsh clash in the poor King's ears. He'd spent the last several hours in his best attempt to change his daughter's mind.
"NO!" Huan stomped her foot. "Husband said they can make magical things, and I want to be the first to have them!"
"But..."
"The technology of the ants is intriguing, Father," Jun raised his voice above his father's complaints. "The rebuilt sewage system is far more efficient."
"Now even you're interrupting me..." The King slumped into his throne, defeated. "What has that 'Master' of yours been teaching you?"
Jun paled at the mention of Ven, a white-green that spread over him like a wave. Huan lept into his lap, a bright smile on her face.
"Husband taught us how to survive in the wilds, with only our teeth and claws!" She speared an imaginary grub with her fingers. "But I had to feed poor Jun, he wasn't very good at hunting..."
"I... that's not the entire story, we..."
"I don't care anymore..." The king closed his eyes, his crown heavy on his head. "Let's not talk about it, how about we visit the gardens?"
The King scooped his daughter up and walked from the room, Jun forgotten beside the throne.
"Let's finish the rest of the day, without another mention of that... your 'future husband...'"
The title fell from the King's lips like a foul piece of meat. He would find the right moment and teach that scoundrel a lesson. Taking his daughter into the labyrinth was the work of a fool.
"Alright! We can play princess and the horse... now where is Jun?"
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"Well... now what?"
Mara looked around the room, both Cain and Ven were nowhere to be seen. Aangor rubbed his head, the tension in his body visibly evaporated with Cain's departure.
"Now, we continue as we have been, your training must not falter."
Mara's eyes rolled skyward, a dispirited cloud about her face. She'd done nothing but spar and train for weeks, even the aside with the ants had been a minor event.
"I think I should find Kalina, just to make sure she's ok!"
"Wait!"
Mara slipped out of the guild's tavern, a step ahead of the ape's complaints. The goddess' company was preferred over the ape's overdone training.
"It's fine, Aangor, I'll be back for tomorrow's training!"
The door closed behind her and Mara relaxed. This new lifestyle was a bigger change than she'd imagined. Most of her life had been on the road, endless skies, and open plains. Now she shifted between her quarters, the library, and the training grounds.
I'll get used to it eventually...
Mara picked up her pace, a jog that brought her into the open air. The smells and bustle of the city slid like a balm on her understimulated nerves. Each step came faster, soon she was in a full sprint.
Mara bolted up a wall, paws easy on the smoothed stone. She followed no trail, her paws allowed to pick their path. Time blurred, as did the scenery, until she found herself atop the labyrinth tower.
The sky above held an unsettled group of birds. They darted, confused, or lost. No single member came forward to lead the flock, so they circled without hope. Mara slashed a hand, a wave of wind that pushed the creatures into a settled path.
"This world is changing..."