The walk back to my lair is uneventful, but I’ve kept my Will Detection running the whole way just in case. After all, I’m getting tired of being surprised by knives in the back, even if they don’t actually do meaningful damage.

As we travel we pass through a marketplace kind of area. It’s something I typically don’t pay attention to, but I’m curious about a few things considering our most recent changes. More specifically, Izahne’s changes. I’ve noticed that she enjoys sweet things, so this should be easy.

I stop by a stand advertising a dessert made from frozen animal extract and choose a flavor and serving type I see most of the humans in front of me choose, pay the stand operator, and promptly offer the confection to my death knight, who takes it with a small smile.

Unlike the speed with which she consumes most of her meals, she takes her time with this thing and has barely finished it by the time we’ve returned to the lair. A few times she offered it to me, but I turned her down. Now that she’s finished it I can see that she has residue from it on her hand still, so I release her hand and move to her other side, taking her soiled appendage in mine. Then I partially dematerialize it and press my ash into a coating over her hand tightly enough to stick to the residue, and then pull it free. I notice that she’s blushing again as I pull apart from her and drop the soiled material from my body, then return to her other side and take her hand again.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she mutters, but I can tell it’s not because she was trying not to be heard.

(She’s just being shy again,) Nyx idly comments.

Yeah, human things, I know.

“Was it good? Did you enjoy it?” I ask.

Izahne tilts her head one way and then the other in thought before answering. “It tasted different somehow, not like it usually would. I’m not sure if it was just different ice cream flavors at that stand or if...”

She’s trailing off so I finish for her. “Or if it’s related to your race or Class. Most likely it’s related to your race. I was curious if it would impact your senses, or if it would render you unable to eat at all. I’m pretty sure some vampiric races can’t eat human food... why do I know that?”

(Maybe it’s because of all the tinkering the rabbit and your stray patron god did in your soul? It’s clear that a lot of your current knowledge is from bits and pieces lodged in your Anima or Akashic Self... it wouldn’t be out of the realm of reason to think all of that would rattle other knowledge loose.)

Interesting. Hmmm... I wonder what other kinds of things I know at this point...

(Your vocabulary got a lot stronger too. Have you been listening to yourself? You sound halfway educated, and you haven’t blatantly dismissed important things in a while,) my assistant says.

Oh great. I’m still me though, right?

Nyx shrugs. (As far as I can tell, yes. You just seem a little bit less impulsive.)

Guess I’ll have to keep that in mind.

“Anyway, tell me if that upsets your stomach, it would be useful to know. I have a feeling it won’t. After all, Astraea’s chosen mortals grew crops.”

(Woah hold up, stop right there!) Nyx shrieks, meanwhile my death knight stops suddenly and stares at me.

I blink.

What just happened?

Nyx stares at me in disbelief. Maybe I should be counting these too?

(I guess I was right? There’s no way in all the hells you’d know that, but you clearly do. So here’s an important question then: who are Astraea’s chosen mortals, and who the hells is Astraea?)

I take a deep breath and focus my thoughts on, whatever that was.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Okay so, Nyx is asking me questions about what I just said, so I’m going to answer out loud for both of you. Alright?” I ask, looking Izahne in the eyes. She nods lightly, still looking dumbstruck and a little afraid.

I take a breath. “She already suggested that master and my patron rummaging around in my soul could have knocked loose other things hanging around, since my soul apparently doesn’t get properly cleansed when I reincarnate. We’re both hypothesizing that this is what I’m currently experiencing. So, important things. Her most recent questions are ‘who is Astraea’ and ‘who are Astraea’s chosen mortals’.”

We’re in the upper floor of my lair at this point, so I think it’s safe enough to talk about weird things like this without attracting attention from the humans outside. I lean against one of the walls and comfortably spread some of my ash across the surface.

“So, the first question. Astraea is a god of night... and stars? I’m pretty sure she ate uhhh Ser... Ser... something. Serina maybe?”

“Do you mean Selune?” Izahne nervously asks.

I snap my fingers. “Yeah, her!”

(Why haven’t I heard of Astraea then?)

Dunno. Do you want me to answer the other question or this one?

Ooh, trademark Nyx sigh.

I have a funny feeling about what they’re going to say, but I ask anyway. “Do we have an Astrea or Selune right now?”

My death knight answer promptly. “No, neither. Nobody knows where they went, it’s the reason why the sky is always empty.”

Eh? “Why would the sky be empty if a couple gods are missing?”

I’m halfway through a quick ponder on that thought when another hits me.

“Wait. Why have people heard of Selune, but not Astraea?”

Nyx shrugs. (No idea.)

Alright, fair enough. Everyone has something they know nothing about.

(Wait... who exactly are you?)

I’m... not sure I follow.

(No jabs? No sarcasm? A serious and understanding response?) Nyx asks cautiously.

Well, it’s already clear something happened to me. We’re both watching, if it becomes a problem I’m sure we can figure something out.

I repeat the same to Izahne, so we’re on the same page.

After pushing off the wall, I take her hand again and begin heading toward the elevator when she lightly tugs me back.

“Hey... don’t tell Pearl about this, alright? I have a bad feeling about it, and if you’re somehow related to this Astraea who ate another god, Lady Epione might make a move against us. Her Domain is growth and regrowth, and the light pantheon isn’t as kind and forgiving as their priests tout.”

I give her a sideways look. “You think Pearl would be a threat to us?”

I can feel something rising within me, something far less than friendly.

My death knight blanches and quickly says, “No, wait! Not her. She wouldn’t, we’re friends. But her patron could hear through her, and Lady Epione has a lot of strong people in her cult. It's not worth making us a target. Alright? Hey, promise me.” She locks eyes with me. “Please don’t attack her, alright?”

“I won’t promise that.”

She almost looks a little heartbroken.

I sigh. “What I will promise however, is that unless she makes a move against us, I will leave her be.”

Relief floods our bond. “Thank you,” she quietly says.

“If that’s all then, let’s be on our way.”

“Why are you talking like that?” she asks.

I hesitate. This is going to take some getting used to.

***

When we arrive in the living area, we find Abaris and Pearl having some kind of academic discussion, while Omorth has already retired to his room for the night, unsurprisingly accompanied by His Highness of the furry feet. I don’t see a reason to necessarily interrupt their discourse, so I simply offer a half wave and sit down on an unoccupied chair. Izahne begins toward another, but I instinctively give her a nudge through our bond and indicate the space to my left. She pauses for a moment in confusion before she obeys.

Nyx gawks as per her usual. (Did you just order her to sit there?)

Yes.

(Why?)

Not sure. It just feels like she’s supposed to sit on my left.

(Hmmm... could it be the titles? Or something else?)

No idea, not really important.

She huffs. (Alright, yeah, that sounds more like the old you.)

It’s about then that I notice the mage and healer’s conversation has trailed off, appearing to align with our arrival.

“I suppose this is as good a time as any,” I say to fill the newfound silence. “What do you know of Domains, Mantles, and a god’s use of them to impact natural phenomena?”

They both appear startled.

“Yes, I know. I’m much more articulate than before. The questions, though, if you please?”

Surprisingly, Pearl is the one to answer. I thought she was just the lazy one who only worked or paid attention when she absolutely had to.

“I don’t know much about Mantles, but I know a god in control of their Domain influences the mortal planes just by existing,” she says, “and not only by making their pantheon stronger. It’s usually little things, like how Lady Epione makes plants grow faster and healing a little more effective.”

“I see. And if I’m a returned god or something tangential to one, what do you think my impact will be?”

Abaris shakes his head. “There’s no way for us to know that. We’ve had gods of envy and night before, but I’m not sure we’ve had one of hunger. I don’t expect it will be a net good for mortalkind, though, considering how your Domains are unquestionably dark aligned.”

I nod thoughtfully and offer an ‘I see’ for good measure. Izahne for her part is sitting still and silently to my side, and somehow this feels like the best and most correct place for her.

“This may be important then, though somewhat unrelated.” I lean toward them for emphasis. “I believe I may be able to restore the night sky.”