Reihekiu Had lived a long time. Even for an elf, her years were many, and certainly the span of several human generations. And for the last hundred years- or maybe more- she had lived in this rather dark and fantastical forest. It had once been called something different, back when it had a land god of it's own, but the monsters who occupy these lands now simply call it the Dark. No one ever accused monsters to be highly imaginative when it came to much of anything, much less naming things.

Still, her retirement here had been an interesting one, in its own right. It had made her perversely happy to sneak in under the old dragon's nose, despite his ban on humans and Demi-humans. Though sneaking was putting it rather strong. The old lizard had stopped paying any mind to his lands decades before, after all, and the monster's themselves mostly avoided the Dark, unless it was already their home.

She missed many things about her old life. She missed her work- taken from her too soon my the illness that took away the majority of her magic- and she slightly missed her old friends and what was left of her family. But living amongst the elves without magic was too difficult, and the dwarves, even harder. To be near so much creativity whilst her own gifts were hampered was far to demoralizing...

But here, in the Dark, she had made at least a small, moderate life for herself.

Never in a million years had she of thought that the old god, Aeros, would up and leave. The Lizard loved power too much to just give it up... But, then again, he had been even older than Reihekiu, and if she was finding the day to day dull, no doubt he had as well. But when she had first laid eyes on what was supposed to be the new land god, she had been amused, but unimpressed.

How could such a small, dimly lit creature possibly hope to hold on to the vast lands once held by the dragon? It suddenly became clear how the Specter had been aloud to grow so strongly, here where the shadows grow thick.

She had been surprised that her friend, the cool and collected fox Guardian- Kishi- had pledged herself to such a meek being. True, the fox had a soft spot for those weak and in need, but to pledge herself? It had been unexpected.

And then, when the moronic hobgoblin had professed that the entire nation of goblins- one that this itty bitty human had supposedly evolved!- would drop all aspirations in order to defend and avenge their new god... well, Reihekiu did not know what to make of that. The goblin had not seemed to be lying. Goblins had never been overly intelligent and creative enough to be good liars.

But all of that had been before this very moment. Now, as the half-elf-half-dwarf woman lay on a dark and desolate patch of dirt, drained and wounded, with Kishi standing over her, protecting her old and tired life, she believed all the odd things they had said.

The Specter had all ready felled Reihekiu, her body broken and her indominable spirit nearly so... This was never how she though her life would end. Not like this. But surely it was the end? At leas that was the thought as her unfocused eyes watched the hobgoblin- brave but a fool- smash through minions, big and small, with his bare hands. She knew why he fought with such fever. His mistress, the sweet and pretty little human girl with the silver hair, was held off the ground, he feet dangling limply, in the shadowed hands of their enemy.

The Specter, despite being unable to be hit by their group, had made himself solid enough to strangle the life out of the girl. At least, that was what it seemed like at first. Reihekiu was not sure if it was seconds or minutes later, when every thing changed.

"Mistress!" Howled Kishi, about to loose yet another charge, yet unable to abandon the halfling she had been ordered to protect.

And it was, as that howl faded into the nether, that light began to flood this dark land. It was a flash at first, so bright Reihekiu thought that she had finally died. But that faded to a more manageable glow, faintly lavender in color and she heard the Specter shout.

"What is this?!" it snarled, and Reihekiu saw the creature stumble back, hunched and holding its ghostly hands, as if they were burnt.

Then, from the light, stepped Enna. But this was no longer the little human child Reihekiu had encountered, dirty and disheveled, in the forest. What stepped forward now could only be described as terrible and beautiful. Awe-inspiring.

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Her hair had turned the silver of cold hard steel and if flowed about her as if in water and her skin was pale with a ghostly glow, ethereal without any of the wounds she had had but moments before. And her eyes! where once the lavender color was soft and gentle, now they burned with rage and indignation, locked on her victim with terrible certainty. And on her head grew what Reihekiu thought were either a crown of copper branches, or even some kind of antler, tangled with a growth of what looked like Maubry apple blossoms, a strange but interesting contrast.

And as she walked across this decayed land, new growth sprouted beneath her bare feet: green grass, purple flowers... each step she advanced on the specter- slow and deliberate- breathed new life into the world. This was no longer a meek and innocent child playing god behind her toy servants. Reihekiu lay before a true land god and felt both relief and fear. Afterall, she was but a mere mortal, who was she to bare witness to this?

"Enna?" Gawped the moronic hobgoblin, his bluish grey skin streaked in red blood. The minions he had been fighting fled before the true land god's light, disintegrating when they could not escape fast enough.

Next to Reihekiu's prone form, Kishi stood, her tails dancing much as the goddess's hair. She kept her protective vigil, but had eyes only for her mistress.

"Why won't you die?" Snarled the Specter, but fear could be heard in his voice now. "What is this power?"

"You," Said Enna and even that one word, delivered with not inflection or emotion, made Reihekiu tense up, as power and fear washed over her. Even the woman's voice shook with power. "-are no longer welcome to do as you please in my lands." only on the word 'my' was the god's anger apparent, as her voice was calm.

"You- you have no lands! All of this is mine, left to me by Ae-"

"Do not speak to me of that lizard." Stated Enna, not breaking her slow and deliberate stride. Every step she took brought new life to the forest, and drove the Specter back. Soon the shadowy being had passed by their beaten group, and the god herself came to a stop next to them.

Reihekiu's breath caught as Enna took her eyes of the enemy and instead laid them upon her. She watched as on of those pale, glowing hand moved her way, and she flinched- actually flinched!- her eyes squeezed shut. But, as warmth flowed over her bruised and broken body, she opened her eyes once again. Reihekiu was bathed in a golden light that contrasted with the cool, purple-ish brightness of Enna's own light. Her pain faded and suddenly she could breathe easier.

Then, without a word, she turned back to the Specter. "You, nor the dragon, have any claim here. This is my land, and you have poisoned it enough."

"You have no right!" Snarled the Specter, a fist swinging but Enna didn't even twitch. In fact, she looked on as if the Specter was a naughty child, and she was waiting for his fit to subside.

"You are not a god." She sated, when the creature realized that she could not reach or touch the being that stood before him. "You take, and break, and destroy. A land god's core purpose is to protect and nourish the land... look at this place! You are greedy and care nothing for what you claim to rule over. You kill and steel with thoughts of making yourself stronger. All die before your supposed greatness. How is that the actions of a god?"

"And what do you know of being a god?" Snarled the specter, head panning side to side as he looked for a way to escape. he needed to retreat, regroup, and come back stronger.

"Not much." Agreed Enna, but her eyes lost none of their icy intensity. "But enough to be getting by, I think." She added with a small, mocking smile, holding out her arms and showing the Specter the full majesty of her godly powers, even if she wore a torn and tattered garment.

Seeing no way out and breathing heavily, the Specter spat his words at Enna. "Fine! I will leave then..."

At that Enna actually broke out in a laugh that sounded like bells and summer, like the tears of lost love and what warm chocolate smelt like. It was all sensations that Reihekiu could not begin to comprehend. Did that peel of light laughter contain the light of life itself?

"Leave?" She said, voice dangerous and the rage still apparent in her eyes. "I don't think so. You think I can just let you go after poisoning my lands, killing my people, and proclaiming yourself the master?"

Feeling much better after what ever it had been that the God had done to her, Reihekiu gingerly lifted herself to her elbows and saw that the Specter was looking highly uncomfortable now. Lagdon was at its back, but She rather thought that he would provide no real barrier to the Specter. No, it was Enna's power and presence that was holding the vile beast to his spot. The hobgoblin may have had noble intentions, but the god was doing fine all on her own.

"You need to be punished." She said thoughtfully, and the greenery continued to spread. Now the lush grass had reached Kishi's paws and Lagdon's feet, a circle of life in this land of death, now the size of a small house.

"Punished?" Sneered the Specter, a last attempt at hiding his nervousness. If he could have fought or fled he would have done so already. "Are you going to consume me now, little goddess?"

A sly smile crossed her ethereal face, and if Reihekiu had been him, she would have been afraid. "Yes." She said, and the Spector snarled, its shadow stuff flaring before it immediately retreated from the goddess's unforgiving light.