Goats bleating, cows lowing, the sounds of a farm filled my ears. My face was resting against a soft feathered pillow. The smell of cooking meat and baking bread filled the room.

Somewhere muffled, a voice was singing. I thought I may have recognized the tune. It seems familiar.

I blinked. My eyes hurt. I kept them shut regretting blinking. I heard a movement beside me.

"Bellator?" My voice barely a whisper.

"No. Hush. Move slowly." A woman told me as I felt her fingers run across my forehead.

That voice. A voice that I knew deep in my heart.

"Mother?" I asked not to dare to open my eyes, in case this was a dream.

"Yes, my daughter." She replied to me.

I opened my eyes looking for her. She was there. My mother, Astra. She was wearing a blue dress, a leather chest cover over top that laced in the back. Her long blond hair hung over her shoulder in front of her as she leaned over me. Her eyes. My mothers beautiful, kind, wise hazel eyes were looking into my own.

I couldn't stop the tears from coming. I had missed my mother more than words could describe, and she was exactly who I needed.

I tried to sit up slowly, holding her hand, as she steadied me with her other hand on my shoulder.

"Slowly, your body has become an idol" She told me.

Wearing only a sleeping gown, I moved my legs in front of me, slowly, then dropped my feet to the ground, feeling the familiar stone from my childhood under them. I was finally able to take the room into focus. The same window that had been there always, facing the east allowing the morning light to flood the room. wooden walls. The small fireplace in the corner, I could feel the heat warming my skin.

I was home, but how?

"Mother, how did I get here?"

Just as I asked this, my sister quietly swept into the room, humming the tune I heard earlier. Upon seeing me sitting on the edge of my bed, she dropped the water bowl she was carrying.

"Kaida!" She cried out and ran over to me, not taking any care of my sore body, jumping into me with a hug.

I hugged her back with a pained groan. I was glad to see her face again.

After a long hug, and many tears between Aimee, my mother and I, a bustling sound in the other room was heard, and Sigurd came into my room. Not at all who I thought I would see next.

"GLORY! Glory, glory!" He clapped his hands and was hopping on the spot. "You have finally woken up!" He said with excitement.

Finally woke up? I had to think hard. My mind was cloudy. I felt like I had too much to drink the night before, and my chest felt sore, and heavy.

What did Sigurd mean?

I looked at my mother silently with a questioned look on my face. "What does Sigurd mean?"

"He means, you have been sleeping for weeks." She told me cautiously as she held both my hands in hers.

"Yes, you have been asleep for days, and days, and days, and days. I was starting to wonder if Aadi's gift was too much for your body." Sigurd said.

That's right. I was fighting Loa. I forgot. Remembering that she had pushed Aadi's heart into my own chest, I reached up gingerly touching my chest where my heart was. Then I examined the elbow that Loa had broken. Nothing. No bandages, no wooden brace. Not even a gouging hole in my chest with a shiny yellow gem. I was fine.

I looked up at Sigurd for an answer this time.

"No scars!" Sigurd said with a grin. "More surprises! Praise Aadi! Praise Ota!"

I needed to stand. I put my hand on my mothers shoulder, doing so caused Sigurd to rush over to grab my free hand. Both of them helped me to my feet. It was easier than I thought it was going to be.

I took the room in again. It was nice to be home.

"Sigurd, how did we get here?" I asked him

"Loa. She sent us here. After she pressed Aadi into your chest, the room filled with the most beautiful warming light, and then we were all standing at the edge of this farm. Well not you, you were laying in a heap, in the mud." He took a deep breath.

"Your body was... Well it's better now, and you healed wonderfully!" He nodded. "Yes, you did, even if it did take a long time, and we all thought you were going to die." He stopped and made a wide, stretched mouthed expression towards me, shrugging one shoulder.

"Oh yes!" He left the room remembering something.

Aimee looked at me, busting with questions. "They said you had to fight a god, Kaida. Is it true? Did you meet a god?". Then lowering her voice to a whisper she asked "Did you win?" followed by a smile.

I looked at her and laughed. She had grown since I left. Her brown hair was longer and she kept it up in the same braided style as I did. She was wearing a matching dress , to the dress my mother wore, in a deep red. Instead of the smaller leather vest my mother wore, she had my old leather armor over top. It was sleeveless and tied up on either side. It was thick and weaved, my father pressed ruins into it so my magic would have a chance to be enhanced. The only change I could see was the two dagger spots had been added to, and now had enough slots for four daggers, and were currently filled with four small daggers. She had a belt that had a small skirt clip on it. Smart girl. I was impressed by her.

I made a note to myself to test those skills when I was better.

I took a deep breath. "Yes. And as for winning, I don't think that was the end goal." I paused. "And I have made friends." I didn't want to talk about the fight with Loa. Not yet. I changed the subject by bringing up my new friends. I was awkward growing up, and being an awakened whos magics were weak, other awakened girls and boys my age didn't want much to do with me. Until I proved myself through combat, I never even had a man show interest in me. Then fighting side by side changed their opinions. All of them. Men and women. They gained respect for me. They saw how hard I trained. More than any of the other villagers of Duskenhills anyways, and they respected me for pushing past my disability. In the end, before receiving my mysterious mark, I had actually started to fit in, as short lived it was.

Aimee laughed. "Yeah, a crazy guy with a fox named Willow, and a warrior that barely speaks." She just finished the last word before she rushed to the next thing. "And I just love Willow, she's got the softest fur, and the sweetest nose. I want to catch a fox pup for my own, but mother won't let me." She giggled to herself leaning into my ear, "I'm going to get one anyways."

My mother shook her head laughing, "Not happening, Aimee."

I smiled, so Willow had also been saved from her fate of being snake food. Good. Sigurd would have been less of himself if Willow wasn't saved. Thank you Loa.

I stood up and started for the door, my mother and Aimee holding my arms worried I might fall like a child learning to walk. It only took a few steps before my legs remembered their job in life, and I was able to continue on my own.

I left my room, and went to our common space. The main room of our home. Three windows, one facing east, one south beside the entryway to my door, and one west beside the room my parents slept in, so we would have light fill the room all day. There was our family's long wooden table, complete with the benches and two candles melted to the top of them on either side. The firepit used for cooking and baking sat inside the far north wall. Beside that was the entryway to Aimee's room, her wooden door had runes burned into it. They were random, I supposed it was Aimee practicing her skills. There were potted plants beside the fireplace, and herb jars on the mantle above it. The roof even had fresh hay and wood. My family must have been readying the house for winter. I knew it wasn't far off.

I pointed to the outside door, "I need the privy." My mother laughing at me took my arm and helped out outside to the privy.

The air was cold, and the ground was covered in thin snow. I breathed in deeply, the cold air helping me feel more like myself.

After returning to the house, I sat at the table reaching for the water bucket kept there. My Mother walked over and picked up a horned cup from the dish storage and placed it in front of me. Aimee sitting beside me happily.

As I was pouring some water the house door opened. My father, followed by Bellator and Sigurd, who was holding his little companion Willow, stomping off the freshly fallen snow from their boots.

My father, Treydon, was tall with long brown hair with white flowing through it, shaved down on the sides, the rest braided back. His beard and mustache thick and long, covering most of his mouth and then braided below his chin. His eyes were green and wise. His shoulders were wide, and he was strong. He is not a small man. My mother calls him 'Bull' When he gets angry. He had three marks on each arm, 6 runes that represented truth, honor, loyalty, strength, protection, and wisdom. One the size of a cherry in the center of his forehead that looked like the outline of the head of a stag. And a giant mark of the eagle on his back.

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"Thank the gods." My father breathed out as he walked the length of the room in only a few steps. He sat beside me and pulled me into a tight hug. After a few seconds he let me go.

"How do you feel?" He asked me.

"Like a pile of waste." I told him and took a long drink. It was well needed.

"Your friends have told us what happened. And who you have met." He stopped and looked me in the eyes knowing I now knew the truth about his past.

"Father, you are the rightful Magus." I wasn't asking. Aimee whispered a confused, "huh" beside me.

He nodded. "Some things are more important. Some things are fate, Kaida."

"What did the gods show you? Why did you leave?" I wanted to know everything.

"You didn't waste any time on your journey it seems. Must have ran into the right people, at the right time." He glanced back at Bellator. He sighed loudly.

"They showed me two visions. One where I was Magus. Kai, jealous and full of hate, thinking he would never be anything more besides the younger brother of the Magus, starts a war to take Magus from me. He turns to a banished god, we now know as Amaia, who gives him the power to destroy the awakened, and non awakened. To be more powerful than anyone else. In return he would give himself to her, and help destroy the gods that stood against her. being left to rule over all as she seen fit. Kai would only spare those who worshiped him, those who refused would be sacrificed for the god, raising her power. No one could stop Kai, or the god."

He braked and looked at my mother, sadness in his eyes.

"The other vision was you. Standing up and fighting for the awakened. For everyone. You were fighting a mighty battle against Kai, and Amaia...With that mark of yours, glowing." He looked into my eyes, "I knew you were my daughter in my heart, and I had a more important cause in my life. To prepare you for what you were born to do. I felt there was only one right decision, and you did it." He paused. " I tried to make you stay hoping it would stop you from being involved. That if you stayed here with us, you would never have to meet Kai, let alone have to stand against Amaia."

He reached for my mothers hand. "I trusted the gods. So, your mother and I left, and raised you, who could possibly stop Kai from bringing Amaia here... to possibly battle her"

He shook his head. "I know what Kai is doing now. That he is cruel, and wants power. It's a problem we all must endure until he can be stopped. And we must not allow him to bring her here."

Bellator interrupted. "If you knew what Kai was going to do 20 years ago, why didn't you kill him then?"

He asked a good question, so I kept my mouth closed waiting for my father to answer.

"He is my younger brother... How could I? He was not evil when we were young. He was self loving and jealous, but not evil. I hoped there was enough good in Kai, that he could maybe beat his fate." My father went quiet.

Of course he wouldn't have killed his own brother. It was simply not who he was in his soul. My father taught me that taking a life was not something we do lightly, and if we could avoid it, then that's what we did. Maybe my father hoped Kai was not going to force us to kill him. That the chance of a peaceful resolve still existed. That his own brother could not possibly be that evil. My father had a lot to bear on his shoulders.

Kai had already set things in motion to tear a door between realms, opening the way for Amaia. Who knows how long he has been preparing for. I don't think there was ever a chance of Kai not bringing Amaia here, and a small part of me agreed with Bellator. Regardless if I understood why my father couldn't have done it...

"I understand. The gods have tested you father." I was more or less talking out loud when I noticed Bellator was just standing against the door, not speaking after my fathers explanation.

"Are you okay?" I asked him nodding in his direction.

"Mmm" was all he said while nodding back at me.

I remembered about Vala. I wondered if he was still healing from her death, and was feeling angry that there may have been a chance to save her. A Lot of could haves, and what ifs come with fate."

"Even if your father killed Kai the moment he was born, another one awakened would have been selected by Amaia." Sigurd told us seriously. "Amaia was coming here regardless of who was opening the door for her. Kai, just happened to find her first." He looked at my father. "Be at peace in your heart, Terydon. The gods chose you and Astra, chose Kaida before her birth. You made the right choice." He patted my fathers hand smiling.

Sigurd, the half seer, Sigurd the wise, I thought.

"I am starving." I admitted

With that said, we all set to the task of making supper. Since it had been months that we had supped together, we decided to have fresh roasted beef, salted pork, some fire cooked tubers, and fresh orange roots.

It was good to sup with my family, and talk about something new. Well some of us talked, others, Bellator, just ate and watched.

I had a lot to think about. What was going to happen to me now that the heart of a god was against my own heart? Aadi told me before that I would learn to use new magics. But who was going to help me learn them?

"I want some fresh air." I announced standing. Pulling a large fur over my shoulders and stepping into some leather slippers, I pushed open the door and walked out into the cold crisp air. The winter had come, and the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow. I walked over to the large livestock barn. It had a yard on the east side, keeping the livestock together for winter. A lonely cow was standing in the yard, the rest had retreated inside. Thinking about all the training my father and I had done in this yard, while being chased by a few feisty cows occasionally. Pulling wagons, and plowing extra plots to gain muscle. Casting defensive spells at scarecrows, failing more times then succeeding. The entire time knowing what he was preparing me for.

I shook my head. I know my father loves me. It must have been hard knowing that I could someday be murdered by his own brother, or worse, a god.

Bellator had come up beside me silently, and reached for my hand. Feeling him grab it, I turned to him wondering what he needed.

He didn't say a word, he only pulled me close to him and kissed me.

His lips were soft, and tasted like wine. After a moment that I didn't want to end, he pulled back and looked at me.

"I'm glad to see you back." He told me.

"Not fully, but I will be." I admitted to him, still taking in the fact that my silent soldier friend had just kissed me.

Looking down at my hands he said, "I will fight Kai with you. I will stand by your side." Looking in my eyes, he leaned down and kissed me again.

"What of Kai, Bellator? Won't he still be on the hunt for us? Does he know we are in Duskenhills?" I asked worriedly,

"I don't know. It's been almost two full moons that we have been here. It takes a long time to travel here by foot, and I can't see Kai skipping any chance to find you anywhere between here and Perifrey. Your parents told the farm help that Sigurd and I were simply your companions that were with you when you caught a sickness, and we brought you home. They do not know that we have come from Perfirey." He told me.

"That's good for now." I said quietly. "We must be prepared to face Kai. We will have to leave, I can't allow my family to be hurt."

"Your father has other plans. He ran once because he had to, he won't run again." Bellator told me. "Besides, while you were sleeping, we have been making changes to the farm. We will deal with that later. For now, let's get you back on your feet."

I agreed with him. Some things would have to wait. And I couldn't deny that a part of me wanted to stay here anyways.

We returned to the house together and joined back in eating food, drinking ale, and laughing. My heart weighed a little less by the time everyone was ready for sleep.

The night felt long to me. I was unable to sleep, probably because my body had been resting for as long as I had been. And I kept thinking about Loa. How she had been left between life and death, for who knows how long, waiting to fulfill her own duty, so she could finally die and wait for her love in her next life. It made me sad. Where did the gods go after their time ends? I always thought of the gods as living forever in a glorious castle in Nef. That was just not reality. They had their own hardships and wars to battle. It made it feel like they were just another group of mortals living in their own realm. They weren't though. They were blessed with immortality, only dying if another god takes their life. And powers that we could never hope to achieve. It sent a chill down my body.

I got out of my bed, walked over to the window and moved the fur to the side. Staring at the night sky, my thoughts kept escaping to Bellator, who I knew was sleeping in the common space, probably suffering with Sigurd's snores, and Willow's yipping. I was glad knowing he would be there when the time came. I went to the wooden door to my room. I pressed against it, opening it as quietly as I could. I found Bellator sitting near the fire reading a book from my family's collection. I guess I wasn't the only one with trouble sleeping.

"Can't sleep?" I asked. He smiled at me. I don't know why he didn't smile more often. He was always so serious.

"Me neither." I said as I walked over and pulled some jerky from a jar. Giving him a bit, I sat beside on the soft fur rug in front of the fireplace, warming myself.

We quietly ate our late night treat. Willow crept out from under Sigurd's arm, who was snoring noisily in the corner, and curled up beside me. I was sure she just wanted the meat, but I welcomed her company. I laid down on my side, giving her the rest of my meat. She ate it sleepily, while I stroked her soft fur, eventually falling asleep next to Bellator while he read.