The next couple hours passed comfortably and without issue. I didn't know if monsters were just so used to change and upheaval that me- a random human woman with no experience or understand- becoming their new land god needed only a few minutes of worried discussion before they all just... accepted it. Back on earth that would not have flown at all. Best case scenario I would have been run out of town I think. Instead I was surrounded by small, foxlike people, eating simple yet tasty food, and listening to them make marry.

I suppose i could see why this would be a big moment for them. Their last land god was borderline neglectful- no matter how he insisted that it wasn't his job to ensure peoples comfort and stability- and now they had a fresh slate to work with. And I was very much a blank page in all of this. I wasn't stupid, I knew there was a strong chance that at least some of these people just wanted to be on the right side of a new power in their lives. After all, they just spent the last two thousand years on a god's bad side and it did not turn out very well for them. But, stupid or not, I was in a strange world with zero support. I may hold the name of land god but as far as I could see so far it was in name only. I needed allies and the Foxkin seemed like the only viable place to find it at the moment.

At least they were not outwardly aggressive as the goblin's were reported to be. Mind you, I had yet to see or meet a goblin yet to judge that myself, so who really knew.

Brixie reached over, smiling, and handed me a small cake like item. I took it from her and she winked before taking another off a passing tray and taking a big bite of it herself. I sniffed the item first and noted that it smelt sweet. Looking at the other foxkin and seeing that they all looked very excited about the pastries, I assumed that they were a rare treat for them. Not wanting to be rude while hoping at the back of my paranoid mind that the sweet was not drugged or poisoned, I took a bite. I am sure my eyes had widen in surprise and delight given Brixie's amused laughter as she watched me chew. It was really good! Cake like with a honey filling, sticky and sweet.

As I finished the last bite of the cake there was a tap on my elbow. I looked over and saw Brax standing at my side. "Would you care for a tour of our village, Lady Enna?" He asked over the hub-bub. there was no longer a seating arrangement and people were coming and going from the hut as they pleased. It really had become quite a festive atmosphere

"Alright," I said. It would be nice to get a lay of the land. I was supposed to be the god of it now, after all. "Is it okay?"

Brax laughed. "Of course! And I am sure the villagers would like to see you as well."

I felt my heart sink a little then. Not that i was above meeting people, but because i was worried that they would be expecting things from me that I had no clue if I could even provide them, let alone weather or not I would.

"I will come too." Offered Brixie and I felt more at ease. I didn't know why, but I felt comfortable around the foxkin female. Maybe it was just that she felt so motherly? "You don't have to worry at all Lady Enna. You won't have to do anything at all."

"Alright..." I said and Brax and Brixie lead me out into the sun.

there was a cheer when i emerged out of the hut and I saw that there were several dozen foxkin out there, eating and drinks, and generally making merry. Many of them waved at me and several bowed and mumbled "Lady Enna' as the two foxkin lead me past. it was an awkward but not unpleasant experience.

Leaving the Elder's home, the crowd began to thin and soon were were only passing another person every now and again. I saw that all the huts in town were smaller than the elders but made pretty well the same. Many had little gardens out front and washing bins. I watched as a woman with pale orange fur and three, unbearably, cute children dashed farther down the dirt road, clearly heading for the celebration.

"I hope we did not make you feel too uncomfortable and over whelmed." Stated Brax as he guided me around a patch of loamy earth. It, honestly, wasn't till just then that I realized that I didn't have shoes. As someone who had no need of them for twenty years, I guess it wasn't surprising that it hadn't crossed my mind. What was odd was that it did not bug me at all. The foxkin did not wear shoes, but they had those sturdy little toe beans, while i had soft human feet. But i felt no discomfort at all. "our people have had little reason to celebrate and It helps to have something to take their minds off out current struggles for a time."

"No, I don't mind." I said calmly. "I am overwhelmed, but I am pretty sure that it has little to do with the foxkin exactly..."

"You must have questions, yes?" Said Brixie, waving to another foxkin in the distance. "I can't say that we will have all the answer's you seek, but, as people from this world, I am sure we have more information about things than you do."

"I am not really sure where to even begin." I said, watching my bare feet move through the grass. "I guess... what is it you all expect from me? I am not saying I'm not willing to help, if I can. So far you all have been more accepting of all this madness than anyone where I come from would be... But I don't really know what being a land god even really means beyond 'being a conduit between the energies and the land'" I sighed.

"Hmmm. How to explain?" Brixie said quietly as the pair led me toward a small stream where a small, arched bridge led from one side to the other. "What we are given to understand, is that all life has energy. Some races have different words for it like magic, or mana, essence... well, that energy is constantly built up in people and plants, sometimes even inanimate objects. That energy can be used naturally for many things."

"Yes." Agreed Brax. "All beings use some of it for their own lives, to create more life. And some who are gifted use it to fuel powers, weather they be skills or magic. but there are vast stores of it that most people can not even access. Now, this energy will, eventually be expelled when the beings die. But it can also be given freely."

"To each other?" I asked, thinking that those who don't need the extra energy were probably giving it to people who use magic. I did not even bother getting panicked about that fact. I was talking to people who were walking foxes. magic was a small thing at this point.

"No. Well, I am sure that some can do that... But what most do is offer prayers to the gods. their will and wishes take the energies to the gods and the gods naturally dispel the energy back into the land. The land uses that energy to grow the trees and clean the water, dispel the miasmas that tend to spread and any number of other things that are required for good, fertile, lands to prosper."

"Oh." I said. I still wasn't sure how I was supposed to do this but i could, objectively, accept the process. I suppose that is why Aeros said that I had no reason to do anything for the people here and I could just sit around if I wanted. It was all a natural process of sorts that would happen just from a god being present. I wasn't entirely sure how this all would work with my Erath frame of knowledge that revolves around science not magic. "Is that all that a land god does?"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Brixie and Brax shared a look before Brixie sighed. "It is all a land god needs to do."

"But?" I prodded.

"But it is not all a land god can do. In this, I am afraid, we are not able to explain to you the specifics. I do not know of a god that ever felt the need to explain it to us at least. But the god can direct the energies, guide them to change their lands, and their worshipers, how they see fit. Some don't do this at all, while other gods do it a great deal."

"And Aeros was more of a hands off type." I concluded.

Brax nodded. "For the most part, at least. But sometimes his worshipers were given gifts, or changed. Some times this was to their benefit, other times... not so much."

"Okay... I don't understand. Change them how?"

"In many different ways to be honest. but it is not something that can happen without the one being changed first giving consent." Brax added hurriedly, probably seeing the panic on my face. "Only when a person devotes their energies to a land god, can that land god then effect them, deliberately or not."

"Still... what you are saying is that I have the potential to change peoples lives, for better or worse... And that I may not even have a conscious say in the matter." It was a terrifying thought. What if i was feeling particularly annoyed at someone one day and they just woke up with warts all over their face or something? For no reason other than i was in a slightly bad mood that day.

"Is that not what it is to be a god?" Asked Brixie, gently, a paw on my arm in an attempt to calm me. "And is that not the risk we take, putting our hearts and souls into the care of our god?"

I could see her logic, but it didn't do much to ease my anxiety.

Brixie let out a small, humorless, chuckle. "Lady Enna, I do not think it is anything you need to worry about. It will all work out how it should."

"My daughter is correct." Agreed Brax, patting my knee. "From what little you have told us of your last life, so far it is much improved, yes?"

"Well... yes." And that was very true. I may have a weighty responsibility thrust upon me, but I could not deny that I was in a much better way than before I arrived here. I could walk, I could eat, I could live for goodness sake.

Brax nodded, his large ears twitching as a dogs would. "Then why not enjoy it? It is a festival after all!" He said, beaming.

I chuckled. I don't know if it counted as a festival, really. But it was a celebration, and one in my honor no less. It would be terribly ungrateful to be seen moping about when they went out of their way. It was clear that the foxkin were enjoying themselves, at the very least.

"Alright." I said, letting out a sigh and just allowing myself to relax. They were right: what will happen, will happen. I had no understanding of this world, and without adequate information I could not make any plans or decisions. Today was meant to be a fun day, and I would enjoy it as I could. "How about that tour then?"

Brixie smiled kindly and pulled me to my feet. "Good idea."

We spent the next fifteen minutes wandering around the tiny village. It wasn't much of a tour, so much as Brax and Brixie pointing at huts and naming the foxkin that lived there. But it was pleasant, and no doubt accomplished exactly what the two older foxkin wanted it to: to calm me down. Should a land god be so easily manipulated by her subjects? Who knew, but I was grateful all the same.

As we approached the gated fence I was led into the day before I eyed the poor construction work. Not that I was any sort of expert mind you. I couldn't eve say I ever held a hammer myself. But it looked rickety and easily toppled in my opinion. Its only saving grace being the many spikes and thorny vines all over it. It would put the hurt on who-ever tried to force past or over it.

"Not our finest work." Brax said, seeing my look. "But we put it up swiftly, and foxkin are not exactly known for building things. We have always been best built for hunting."

"Could you all not learn to build better?" I asked. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything..." I added, pretty sure that was exactly what I was being. I guess Enna's were not made to be tactful... That's what I get for having no one to converse with for two decades besides the odd family visitor or a doctor now and again.

Brixie chuckled, he pretty eyes dancing with amusement. "I bet a human could do it. Humans are lacking in many things that monsters take for granted: strength, speed, longevity, and even magical abilities to just name a few. But the one thing they have in abundance is adaptability."

"Indeed." Laughed Brax, pulling a smoking pipe out of his baggy pants pocket, and a wad of something out of a smaller pocket in his brown vest. He put, what I assumed was tobacco, into the pipe and I watched, fascinated, as he lit the pipe with a tiny flame that appeared on his black clawed finger. He inhaled the smoke deeply, held it it, then blew it out in four perfect rings. he winked at me. "Human's can mold and bend to just about any environment and situation. Most monsters are not as flexible. We can build, yes, but learning to do it expertly is exceedingly difficult."

"Oh." I said, watching the rings float upward into the beautiful blue sky. "Well, I can neither hunt nor build, so you have one up on me either way."

Brax chuckled, smoke leaking out of his muzzle and the pipe. "Well said. But you are a god, and can do much many can not. And, as we all do what we can do, we live and grow together. Its how a community works, after all."

"Lady Enna!" I heard a familiar voice call. I dragged my eyes away from the sky and saw that It was Ozzie, waving a paw high as he could, smiling my way. He appeared to be working guard duty today and the two other foxkin standing guard eyed him in exasperation.

I laughed and led the way toward the young foxkin, happy to see another, familiar, furry face. "Good morning Ozzie." I smiled.

"Good morning Lady Enna." He said, and both he and the other guards bowed slightly to me. "Are you having fun?"

I chuckled. At least he looked in much better spirits today. "Oh yes. Everyone is very friendly." I saw the exasperated look on Brixie's face and resisted laughing again. Clearly she thought that Ozzie was not taking his current duty very seriously. "Is everything going well here?"

"No problems what so ever." assured one of the other guardsmen. Bother were clearly much older than Ozzie and wore serious but amused expressions.

"No signs of the goblins?" Brax asked.

The taller of the two older guards shook his head. "No sir. We haven't seen hide nor hair of them since Zaxel nearly ran into that raiding part nearly two weeks ago."

"Good. But don't get complacent." Stated Brax, staring down his pipe at his grandson who wisely avoided eye contact.

We said our good byes before my escorts lead me back toward the elder's hut and the party taking place there. I would say that most of the village had gathered now, the old and the young passing food around and chatting happily. I saw that someone had rolled out several barrels of something that i assumed was alcoholic in nature and the older foxkin were drinking it out of wooden mugs. Next to the barrels there were several tables set up where even more food had been placed out, the smell making my mouth water.

"Let us get you some, shall we?" Asked an amused Brixie, seeing me stare lustfully at the food no doubt.

"Sorry." I said, blushing. "I haven't eaten anything since I was a kid..." She blinked in confusion so I tried to hurry and explanation. "I was sick for a long time, I couldn't walk or move really at all. I had to be fed through a tube and... Well its kind of hard to explain."

She smiled kindly, but I could tell she didn't understand most of what I had been saying. No doubt these people had no concept of modern medicine. They looked to be at a developmental level where horses were the main mode of travel and home remedies were the ways of medicine. I couldn't say weather or not the humans of this world were at the same technological level as the foxkin, but I would imagine that they were all about the same in this regard.

"Well, feel free to have as much as you like now." She said.

I spent the rest of the day partying like a foxkin. Which wasn't all that exciting but it was a lot of fun. At one point Brax had to have three males and a female escorted back home when they got overly rowdy and nearly tossed the elder into the stream. I was alarmed at first, but apparently it was some kind of inside joke and the majority of the village laughed the group out of the party. They left like champions to a great deal of cheering and jeering from the others that made me smile.

It went long into the night and I do not think I ever ate or drank as much in my life. Not that I had many experiences to pull from. I did make me wonder where all the food and beer went given I did not need to go to the washroom even once. I also found out that alcohol had zero effect on me, given I was drinking pretty well and did not feel a thing. I guess being a god had to have some kind of downside. At least I wouldn't have to worry about a hang-over in the morning, unlike many of the foxkin.