The evening after the attack
Once again my gaze met Diona’s, searching for something, anything that would allow me to stay in my realm and just hide for days and weeks – at least for this evening. I had left my past behind for millennia, had learned to speak and behave like a human, and had perfected all of this with my mother’s help, but right now, the part of me that wanted to hide in a deep, dark den was far, far stronger.
It was just a few hours ago that it happened. Following a morning I was already getting used to, with dozens of heartfelt prayers reaching me from Kiomi’s dungeon alone, there was a lull of silence, before one more visitor came to visit the shrine. It was a woman I remembered, one that had met her end during the exploration raid and had been revived by the combined effort of the dungeon and me. Not only had I healed her wounds and improved several conditions hidden inside her body, but I had also given her new clothes and made her part of my family. This woman, however, had never appreciated these gifts. From the very moment, she had woken up and realized her lover was gone, she had despised me, insulted me, and had left the dungeon to never return – until now.
I could understand her. I, too, have lost my fated one, though contrary to her, I had spent a long time at his side, only forcefully being separated as his age caught up to him. The weeks and months that followed were horrible. I was barely functioning. I wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t let myself be seen, always hiding and waiting for the pain to lessen. Zaleria did a lot for me back then. She cared for me, soothed my tears, over and over again, and told me about how he would soon find a new life. He would start anew, once again finding happiness and a path for him to follow. She told me I should be happy for him and happy for the time we shared, though it still took me what felt like an eternity to come to terms with the fact that he had left my own life for good.
These two had spent four short years together, though their love for each other was pure and intense, as she prayed for nothing but a happy future at his side, and health for them both. Sadly, her lover didn’t choose his words like she did. While his feelings were true, I knew that much, he wished for wealth and influence instead. This wasn’t rare, as many mortals searched for this, especially after having lived a life of hardships and trials, but this man didn’t strive for his own fortune but rather wanted to use all of this to bring down his own family, for the mere fact that his parents didn’t accept the woman at his side. While one strived for pure love and a happy future, the other one was deeply set on a path of revenge, with his love, while true and honest, being second to these urges. While it didn’t help that he felt unsure whether or not I truly existed, the fact alone that he asked for a deity’s help just to gain revenge after already having won the life he wished for was reason enough not to accept his prayer as genuine. As such, I denied the blessing for this man, just as I denied giving the same blessing to others who openly revealed their nefarious desires like this. I gave him the chance to rethink his path and his words, but his wish stayed the same, even after repeating the prayer several times. As such, the Blessing of the Second Spring didn’t take hold of him, and he became the sole true victim of the exploration raid within the hour.
Sadly, this woman knew nothing of this, or she couldn’t accept the truth for what it was. So, after reaching the Prayer Hall, all that left her lips were insults and curses, all of them becoming more vile with each passing moment. Her words were not only targeted at my past, portraying me as a mere animal that was both stupid, wild, and driven by urges, she also portrayed me as a whore among other things, suggesting I was offering myself to my own family. She then went to carve all of this into any surface that was remotely flat and big enough. First, it was only the pedestal, and she switched my titles with insulting ones, and then she began working on the statue of me instead. It was now that my past returned, hitting me with force.
When I lost my kin, it had started just like this. They had attacked the temples before anything else, knowing that doing so would cut away my sight and any chance for me to help my people during their darkest hour. I was blinded and could only hope, while those beasts went and cut short the lives of every being I held dear, just overrunning them with sheer numbers and strength, as I had been told when it had been long too late. They had begun with the capital, which many of my loved ones called their home, but their blind hatred knew no bounds, only stopping when there was no longer anything to destroy, defile or kill.
I had buried those memories deep within myself. I’d spent millennia trying to either forget or come to terms with what had happened. But this woman, with a single dagger and within a span of mere minutes, cut deep into my heart, bringing all of it back to the surface. And I just sat there, watching it happen, tears running down my face and unable to even act as she continued her gruesome work.
It was only when her anger turned to the hand that was caressing Kiomi that something changed. She destroyed them one by one, using a hammer and the full force of her anger, her wrath coming closer and closer to the image of my daughter. I acted before even thinking, forcing a curse at the woman at just that moment, the strongest I still had access to.
Within a second, all of the colors of the world changed in front of her eyes. The light of the sun turned wicked and dark, blue turned to yellow, white to black, brown to green. This stopped her, just for a moment, before she screamed in anger, her fury only further fueled by my curse.
The next thing I knew, her rage had found a different outlet, one that was much, much more receptible to her insults and threats. Unbeknownst to me, Kiomi had appeared in the Prayer Hall, likely having realized that someone was actively vandalizing the place. And that woman jumped at the chance, attacked her, forced her onto the ground, and threatened to cut her up.
If it hadn’t been for Myra, who knows what would have happened in the following moments? I had seen horrible things, the most horrendous images one could think of, and just the thought of any of that happening to her was destroying me.
When Kiomi then prayed to me, she was no longer the same. Tears ran down her face as she begged for my help, for my forgiveness, and for me to allow her at my side. The very next moment, we were already in each other's arms, trying to calm each other down. After realizing how shaken I was, she tried everything she could to try to free me from those memories, despite being in a horrible state herself. She even turned herself into a fox, a mere pet, to try to force my attention onto her and away from all the memories that came haunting me. And, after hours of all of this, she just fell asleep, deeply exhausted by all that had happened. I continued petting her, trying to think of nothing but her soft fur and warm body, of all the good things that awaited us in our future together. And though all of this calmed me down, I was by no means ready to forget it all and smile at the faces of my family, who were waiting to meet me after millennia of failing to show my face.
It was then that Diona appeared in my realm, just checking on what was taking me so long. And I… I went crying again, telling her about everything that had happened between the tears I couldn’t fight back. My sister just listened, her face changing from fear, to pity to pure anger and back as she took everything in. She then calmed me down once again, promising me that history wouldn’t repeat itself and that everything that had happened today was just the action of a single woman who couldn’t accept the reality of dungeons being places of challenge, that exploring them came with the risk of death to those underestimating the danger they represented. She told me it was not my fault, and that I had done everything right.
Somehow, between all of her words, she managed to give me some of her courage and strength, enough for me to meet my family after all of this time. I lifted Kiomi into my arms regardless, not wanting to part with her just yet, and followed Diona out of the pavilion that was acting as my home. She reached out for me, putting her hand on my head and petting me. Diona felt so much like an older sister at this moment, despite being so much younger than me. But I needed this. I needed this so much…
“I will be waiting for you,” she said, before turning around.
Diona took a long look at all of the souls surrounding us now, each of them aimlessly wandering over the flowery meadow that was my realm. She seemed to think of something, but then shook her head, before disappearing into a flash of white light. I followed right after her, teleporting myself into my Father's realm with as much as a single thought. The very next moment, I was already there, the calming weight of Kiomi’s small, furry body still in my arms.
A familiar sight greeted me. I had appeared right in the middle of a small place decorated with tiles of white marble. A garden surrounded us to all sides, dozens of trees with golden leaves to be seen everywhere around us. Giant rocks were standing in their shadows, fully overgrown with moss and tiny flowers that greeted me with fragrant white blossoms.
As I watched the scenery, fond memories filled my mind, gently pushing away all of the nightmares that had assailed me today. I had visited my Father's realm so many times, for banquets with my family, but also just to meet him. But that had been thousands of years ago. Yet, it still looked the same as back then, as if he had made sure all of this was still just like I remembered it.
“Are you ready?” Diona asked me after a few long moments.
I nodded, a faint smile on my lips. “Yes.”
Seeing my improved mood, Diona’s whole demeanor changed. She almost immediately went back to her carefree self, her steps now much lighter than before and the tip of her tail seemingly dancing in glee as she led the way.
Father’s home was already visible in the distance. It was a set of buildings shaped with white marble carrying roofs of reddish–brown tiles, all of them connected by sheltered pathways. There was a library, a bathhouse, a temple that had statues with all of the members of our family, and rooms dedicated to art and creativity and much more, but today, we would make our way to the biggest of the buildings, a banquet hall that was set apart from the rest.
There was still a vast garden separating us from our destination. Within there were pavilions, ponds, and tea houses, among other things, spread throughout the place. The largest of the ponds was actually along our path and was one of my Father’s most prized possessions, as its surface acted as a magical mirror, allowing him to see everything that was happening in Redonia, even scenes hidden within a dungeon. There was a wooden bridge leading over this pond, with a pavilion ready for him and his visitors to rest as they together discussed what they were seeing.
It took us several minutes to reach the bridge and pond in question, and some more moments to get to the pavilion, where you could see the image most clearly. Colorful carp were slowly swimming through the pond, though none of their movements seemed to disturb the water itself. Instead, its surface was perfectly smooth, and, once you looked directly at it, hiding all of the carp behind a layer of color, an image that portrayed a small town built right next to a mountainside could be seen. The settlement wasn’t big, nor was it really developed, as there wasn’t yet a single house constructed with proper materials, but dozens of workers were trying to change just that.
Moments passed as I tried to find anything interesting in this town, anything that would make my Father want to watch this place over anything else there was to see on Redonia. As the creator of this magical pond, only he could use it, and he seemingly was very invested in the development of this settlement.
It was only when I discovered a group of armored men that it clicked. I recognized some of the faces, no, all of them! One of them was Aspen, and though I couldn’t hear his words – only my Father could do so – he seemed to be very angry, as he was reprimanding some of his men, likely for not having protected the dungeon that only appeared as an unassuming hole in the mountain side from this perspective.
“I should really help her do something about that…”
The woman who had vandalized the shrine was likely hidden in one of the small buildings created with earth magic, as one of these primitive homes had four men standing guard at its entrance, all of them with their swords at the ready. The rest of the settlers, adventurers, and paladins were all going about, doing countless different tasks as the whole town seemed to be in uproar. I could see a priestess making her way toward the dungeon, followed by some of the men who were carrying offerings in crates and boxes. They had already thoroughly cleaned the scene in the past hours; I had seen them do it, but apparently, they were trying their best to make sure I wasn’t angry at them for letting it happen – not that I was. For all I knew, she had tricked them all, and with how things were looking, there was little chance of this incident happening ever again.
“See? Everything is fine,” Diona came to the same conclusion. “They caught that wench.”
I nodded, before letting the image go and letting the carp shine once again. Diona, upon realizing I was ready to go, took a few skipping steps forward, before turning on her heels and meeting me with a smile.
“Hurry up! The sun is almost setting!”
She was right. There was only a finger’s width left between the horizon and the slowly descending sun. A few minutes more, maybe ten or even fifteen, and it would color the sky red, marking the start of the banquet.
I hurried after my sister, her catlike agility hard to follow with Kiomi still in my arms, but luckily, she seemed to be sleeping deeply, not once turning or complaining even when I walked a little faster.
Despite there being many more things to see and explore in the garden, such as a majestic tree that would grow any fruit you could dream of within seconds, or a portal crafted out of orichalcum that would allow one to visit the mortal realm; we didn’t stop once, not wanting to miss Father’s toast and speech. He usually kept it very short, just thanking us for coming and being part of his family, but after all of these years, I couldn’t wait to hear those words.
When we finally reached the banquet hall, I took a deep breath, before following Diona up the flight of stairs leading up to our final destination. Giant pillars soon surrounded us, collectively carrying the immense weight of the building’s red–tiled roof. They were about ten meters apart from each other, matching the width of the path that led us here – for good reason, as some of my family members had a truly breathtaking stature.
The doorway that now was right in front of us was another hint at those parts of my family, as it was easily sizable enough to let three horse drawn carriages drive through it side by side. Right now both of the doors were open, but once they were closed, even the strongest of us would have trouble getting inside; they were that heavy. Crafted with precious metals and depicting the heads of all of the family members, this double door was just one of many treasures Father had accumulated, though it was one he deeply cherished.
I couldn’t help but stare at their faces, recognizing almost all of them immediately. Several of them were new, I hadn’t met them yet, meaning my family had grown without my knowledge. My eyes then wandered to the right door, which, on the left side, once depicted the recognizable face of my uncle Tow, but what greeted me instead was the face of a woman, one that was entirely foreign to me. Did I misremember the position?
The other door didn’t have him either. For one moment I thought I had found him, but it was just Uncle Odtar, at his usual place, next to his two friends.
A few more moments went by, but there was nothing. Tow was gone and in his place was this stranger...
Diona, noticing my stares, couldn’t help but comment on the goddess. “Her name is Clovelia”, she explained. “Father has given her the domain of Change. Similar to Chaos, only… less unpredictable.”
“What about Chaos,” I couldn’t help but ask. “What about uncle Tow?”
Diona shook her head. “That… it’s better if I tell you later…”
After saying as much, Diona once again led the way, as if nothing had happened. She almost looked as if she was on a leisurely stroll through the forest rather than in Father’s divine realm. But I couldn’t pay much attention to her antics, as I felt myself growing more and more restless with every step I took to follow her. I couldn’t help but hug Kiomi closer as I braced myself for meeting my family again after all these years, my mind racing as I tried to find excuses or explanations for why I hadn’t shown myself, and even thinking of ways to reimburse them for their worries.
I knew they wouldn’t ask for any of that. None of my aunts, uncles, or cousins would hold my behavior against me. They were warm and loving, even though their characters were about as different from each other as their bodies.
Before I knew it, Diona had escaped from my view, having taken the last turn before we reached the banquet hall itself. I hurried after her, not wanting to be left alone, but when I then reached the venue, she was already greeting our aunts and uncles with a wide smile.
I stood at the entrance, looking at all the familiar faces and taking them in one by one. Tears gathered in my eyes as I found Cohold nearby, who was so busy inspecting one of Father’s wine chalices that he didn’t even realize I had arrived at first. It was pretty much tradition for him to become absorbed by this treasure, as there were few occasions for them to be used. As for why Father had decided today was a good time to use the Divinite chalices, I couldn’t say, as I’d only ever seen them being used to celebrate a new member joining our tight–knit family.
Zaleria was the first one to find me in the doorframe and immediately rushed over. As she pushed her way through my family, more and more of them realized I was here and before I knew it, I was already in the center of all of their attention, with even Cohold putting Father’s creation aside to stand up and greet me. But before he had the chance to do so, Mother was already at my side. She was about to go for a hug, but found herself unable to, as I still had Kiomi in my care, who seemed to get a little restless due to all of the voices now surrounding us. She didn’t wake up, she was far too exhausted for that, but her tiny paws were now kneading my arms as if she was dreaming of running over a flowery meadow. It was way too cute…
Mother hugged me from the side, doing her best to avoid disturbing Kiomi’s sleep. “You really came.”
“Sorry for being late…”
“Don’t worry about the little things. We haven’t even started yet.”
She was right. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t make out Father, so there was still some time left, even though the sun was close to setting, as a single glance at the balcony revealed. Was he hiding among these new faces?
“He isn’t here yet,” Mother answered my unspoken question, having somehow realized what I was thinking about. She then ushered me to follow her. “Come, I saved you a seat next to mine.”
Even though she’d said that, it would take us a while to get to the table, as quite a few of my aunts and uncles were already gathering to greet me. The first of them was Gaona, who was only a few years older than myself. Just like me, she had a human body, although she looked younger. She also wore the ears and tail of a white rabbit, the former being long and floppy, the latter looking like a big ball of fur of the same color.
I first met Gaona back when I was being welcomed into the family, and we quickly bonded after she learned about Nakano, the man who had me wanting to become human all those years ago. Gaona loved to talk about love stories of all kinds and seemed to be more experienced than her appearance suggests, though some of that could possibly be explained by the fact that she knew how to get one to talk. If anything, she seemed to understand my feelings for Nakano even more than even my mother who actually gave me the magic to pursue him. It was likely Father had had a hand in this, as Gaona was perfect for the domains he had chosen for her – Love, Luck, and, as if to cement her role even further, the Two Moons, whom mortals also knew as The Lovers.
A smile grew on the Rabbitkin goddess’ face as she was about to greet me, her red eyes openly showing her glee at meeting me again. That was until she discovered the little fox in my care and something in her gaze changed almost immediately. She nodded satisfied, before giving me a thumbs up.
“You have to tell me all about this,” she declared.
Blood rushed to my face almost immediately, and a protest left my lips before I could even think better of it. “It– it isn’t like that! There is no father!”
“Oh…” She answered before her eyes widened in surprise. “Ohh!”
She seemed even more interested now, having likely come to the worst possible conclusion all by herself. Gaona took a close look at Kiomi, who was somehow sleeping through all of this noise, halfway, at least, as her feet were still massaging my arm even now. After greeting her with a few whispered words, Gaona placed her hand on my shoulder, a wide smile on her face. But before I found a way to explain, she turned around and skipped away, giving the others a chance to greet me. Though she had made her escape, it was very likely Gaona would be poking me for more information later into the night – not that there was much to tell.
Before the Rabbitkin girl left my view, there was already another one of my aunts demanding my attention. It was Nias, who had helped me a lot back when I was at my lowest. Just like back then, she was wearing a robe tinted in purples and pinks, with countless white dots spread throughout, mimicking the night sky. With her blood–red skin and curled goat–like horns, she looked almost monstrous, but that first impression couldn’t be further from the truth as Nias was very gentle and caring. Thanks to our Father offering her the domains of Fate, Prophecy, and, most importantly, Dreams, it was easy for her to save me from the nightmares that had been haunting me ever since the war broke out.
Sadly, it was also due to her help that I lost myself somewhat, as I spent the next millennia sleeping, the happy memories I was now seeing being much more welcoming than the harsh, cold reality that awaited me in my waking hours.
Nias knew this very well, so, after greeting me like the niece I was, she soon asked a question I had feared for thousands of years. “Are you ready?”
It was just these three words, but they meant far more than that. If I accepted, the past could very well come haunting me again. I would fear the night and fight from day to day, trying to somehow keep my mind off the fact that new wounds would be torn open each time I would fall asleep. But losing myself in dreams again, possibly for days, weeks, and even years? Who would be watching over Kiomi in my stead? And what about Myra? She was still waiting for her, no, for our family to come back! I couldn’t let them wait!
Knowing all of this, I could only shake my head. “It is time.”
Nias nodded, before placing her hand on my cheek. Next thing I knew, her purple eyes were already glowing, and a mist of purple and golden magic wandered up her arm, towards my face. There was no sound, no feeling of faintness or pain, it just ‘clicked’. From one second to the next, I felt as if Nias had placed a missing piece in the mosaic that was myself – as if she had patched up a wound that I hadn’t realized was there.
When she let go, I felt a shiver rush over my skin, though I wasn’t afraid, just… restless. Would I be able to fight off those nightmares? Would they even reappear or would they be gone for good? Even Nias herself would have trouble answering. But at least I knew, no matter what would happen, I now had something to fight for. And I wouldn’t leave behind my loved ones ever again…
Satisfied with her work, Nias reached out to Kiomi instead. “A nightmare…” She mused to herself, before gently touching her, just light enough so she could use her magic once again.
And just like that, with a faint glow in her eyes and magic running down her arm, she put Kiomi to a restful sleep. My daughter relaxed within seconds, her paws no longer trying to run away from whatever danger she saw in her dreams. Knowing what had happened, I had a good guess just who it was that tormented her…
I couldn’t help but feel like I failed as a mother. Instead of realizing that she was haunted by what happened to her just today, I thought she was having a fun dream, chasing mice or rabbits or such. But how could that be true? That fiend had threatened to hurt her!
“Don’t worry,” Nias tried to lift my mood again. “She won’t remember a thing about that vile nightmare of hers. I promise you she will have a nice dream. A very nice one~”
“That would be nice…”
Having said her part, Nias reached for her necklace, which was nothing more than a golden string with a handful of small, glass–like crystals attached to it. Each of them was almost perfectly transparent, allowing one to easily view the magic stored inside. It had the same gold and purple Nias used whenever she changed your dream or told your future and looked perfectly round, like living, breathing marbles that were just trapped by the crystal itself.
Nias pulled one of these crystals off of her necklace, and then reached out for my neck. Before I knew it, I felt a string wandering around it, attaching itself to the crystal and keeping it safe.
“This should last you a while,” she said, before reaching for her necklace once again.
This time, she didn’t just grab any crystal, but she felt for all of them, before finally choosing the one that was easily the biggest. Its store of magic was several times larger than what she had given me, but this didn’t seem to be a mistake, as she soon placed it against my neck, once again creating a golden string out of thin air. It was only when she had finished her task that she nodded satisfied, before giving me an explanation.
“This should help her…” She decided. “Just push your mana into the crystal and it will help her sleep, her body forever unchanging as she reexperiences her fondest memories. You can wake her up by doing the same. As for yours, you know how it works…”
“Forever? Why would she need to– did– did you see something?”
Nias shook her head. “I saw a shadow riding a black dragon, its mighty wings darkening the sun and its roar silencing the beasts. They fight… something… something cold and dark… I saw rage and hatred… destruction and death…”
An icy cold ran through my body. “Wha– what about Kiomi?!”
Nias thought for a bit, but no words slipped her lips. Instead, her eyes began glowing in a purple light, as she seemed to watch Kiomi’s every breath. It was only after a few moments of this that she found her answer, but it wasn’t one I could be satisfied with.
“She feels different…” Nias revealed. “There is a future, her string isn’t cut, but I cannot see its weaves. It is as if something prevents me from seeing them; as if she…”
“What,” I pressured her.
She shook her head. “That is all I see…”
I knew Nias had seen more than that, that she had a very good reason to gift Kiomi this artifact, but I couldn’t force her to spill the beans, especially since I knew the limits of her prophecies. Despite being able to see many years into the future, she was unable to predict the war, and even if she knew what lay ahead of my daughter, every action we would take could change that outcome forever. It was a likely outcome, the most likely one in fact, but it was by no means set in stone.
Knowing this, I thanked Nias for all she had done, but my aunt made her escape after a few more words, both of our smiles now gone. This was the sad truth of her ability – she was doomed to see even the most horrific outcomes, and they would weigh down on her heart even when they failed to manifest thanks to her many warnings. Luckily, she would be her usual self after a good night’s sleep. She has always been…
A harrumph forced my attention onto the man who had caused it. It was Uncle Cohold, one of the few of my family members who openly revealed his true age, appearing as an old, wise man, with whitened hair covering his head. He never wore armor like the kings and warriors of his kin, the Dwarves, but appeared in white and black robes instead, with accessories of gold and jewels showing how much he valued wealth – as long as it was earned in an honorable way. While he could often get lost in his hobby of collecting treasures, he was a caring man. The fact that he had just accepted his dungeon being stolen away as long as it benefited me was just one of many occasions of him proving how much family meant to him.
“You’re finally here,” he said, before patting my shoulder like I was an old drinking buddy. “Though you seem to be in an ill mood? Did something happen? Is the dungeon fine? Did it serve you well?”
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Hearing his questions, I felt the corners of my lips rise a little, though there was also sadness clouding my mood. Despite him being easy to distract sometimes, Cohold had a certain ability to see through a forced smile my aunts lacked – or he was far more direct than them.
“I… I just had a little scare,” I explained, my arms unwillingly clinging closer to my sleeping daughter. “Someone demolished a statue of mine… It felt the same as back then…”
Cohold’s reaction was immediate. He let go of me, only to ball his fists, anger clearly visible on his face.
“Was it another one of mine?”
I shook my head. “It was a human. She lost her lover in the dungeon and… didn’t take it well…”
“Love…” His answer came after a moment of thinking. “I can’t step into that one. It was different for that fool who tried to enslave the girl for his own greed, he will never forget that mistake of his, but love?” He shook his head. “I can’t get involved in that.”
“It is fine… they caught her, and she will never do it again, that is all that counts.”
Cohold nodded after a moment of thinking, having likely decided not to further discuss the matter. I didn’t hold that against him, as it was my own duty to defend Kiomi and the dungeon, and I certainly had made my anger known. He wasn’t even allowed to step in, to begin with, now that the place had long since fallen under my control and the woman wasn’t driven by greed either, so he couldn’t even claim her actions fell under his domain of Wealth.
“Still, about that dungeon of yours…” said Cohold. “It used to be a pet project of mine, just a test of what could be done, so it’s precious to me. Still, as you were already told, I gladly gifted it to you and your daughter, as I know you need it more than old me. Just make sure to treat it well. It was the first of its kind, even though most of it is gone now due to those… heathens…”
“I will… I promise. Thank you, Uncle Cohold.”
Hearing my promise, Cohold nodded, satisfied with my words. He then excused himself to make his way over to Zyzza and Honos instead, who were resting in their usual spot at the end of the hall. The two dragons both had their own chalices placed in front of them, though theirs were obviously much, much larger and thus were somewhat of a main attraction to the ritual following the banquet.
Honos was the younger of the two. He had once been a proud dragon with shiny obsidian scales and rather big for his age, but lost his mind and reason when his magic overpowered him, thus he became one of the strongest fallen dragons to ever terrorize Redonia. But other than the poor souls that shared his fate, he regained his senses, a feat deemed impossible to this day. Father rewarded him handsomely for his miraculous recovery, by granting him the domain of Trials and making him oversee all monsters that roam the lands and seas, his experience now guiding Honos in preventing another catastrophe. His now black, chalk–like scales echo his past struggles to this day, as shiny scales are restricted solely to those dragons who managed to prove their mental strength every single time it was challenged.
Zyzza had arguably the most beautiful scales of them all, all of them looking as if they had been shaped out of giant, polished emeralds. Created by Father himself as one of the Primordial Gods, she is older than most of our family, and it was she who brought the dragonkin into the world, each of them born with the potential to become one of the strongest beings to exist – should they prevail against the strength of their own blood. This strength comes with a steep increase in size, which led to adult and ancient dragons especially being much larger than their ancestor, who never evolved like they did. After creating her, Father granted Zyzza the domains of Fire, Alchemy, and Brewing, but most importantly Potential, the promise for greatness she imbued into her own kin in so many ways.
My uncle was already greeting Zyzza, the two of them not only family but also close friends if only for the fact that Dwarves loved the dragonkin tradition of brewing and alchemy and especially a certain result that came about when both of these fields were combined – Draconic Mouthwater, the beverage that was served even at Father’s banquets.
Speaking of our Father, he still hadn’t shown himself, though a glance over to the balcony revealed he had all the time in the world, as the sun hadn’t moved a single bit since the last time I looked. He had likely stopped time itself, just for the occasion, and me being able to properly greet my family could very well be the reason for him using his power. He had always been like that…
The next to greet me were my uncles Odtar, Rathar, and Fuku, who were tightly–knit friends despite their kin being as different as could be. Odtar is the Father of all Otterkin, who reign over the seas, Rathar created the Ratkin in his image, their homes being deep in the mountains, and Fuku brought the Tanuki into existence, who somehow connected those two unlikely allies, simply by trading all kinds of goods from the shores to the roofs of the world. Contrary to the rest of my family, the three of them looked rather unassuming, a few mere trinkets and features marking them as special.
Odtar had silver fur, which, while rare, wasn’t unheard of for members of his kin. His choice of weapon, an unassuming Trident, wasn’t too special either, but the big golden clam attached to his necklace was enough for all Otterkin to pray to him, this single artifact was the embodiment of his rule over both Water and the Seas.
Rathar was even more unassuming. He was just a bit bigger than his kin; his grey fur hiding a muscular body which he could use to shape even mountains. It was only the golden skin of his long tail that affirmed him as the god of all Ratkin, his domains being the Earth and the Mountains they call their homes.
Fuku, at least, was comparatively easy to tell apart from other Tanuki. He had a stout body and golden markings in his white fur, a steep contrast to the browns, whites, and blacks one would know his kin for. Just like his friend Odtar, he, too, wore a necklace, which had a coin the size of a small dish attached to it – the first ever minted coin, as he would proudly tell anyone willing to listen. True to the chosen profession of most of his descendants, Fuku oversaw the domain of Commerce, though he was also known for Trickery, which made him popular among some of the less righteous people. Luckily, he played it fair when it came to family.
My three uncles greeted me one after another, the smiles on their animal–like faces clearly showing their relief and happiness at seeing me. But we sadly didn’t get the chance to get to talking, as Diona was already approaching me, bringing an unfamiliar face with her. It was a white–haired woman who looked like her entire body had been crafted by a famous artist rather than being born to a mortal mother. She wasn’t covered by clothes at all, only the lack of certain details in her design allowing for some modesty. As for her skin, for lack of a better word, it had the appearance of fine porcelain, though there was a multi–colored shine to it, revealing it to be Divinite instead, the metal only Father could force into existence. The azure–blue decorations that accented her shapely figure on the other hand were made from a material or alloy I had never seen before, and were giving her an even more foreign beauty in my eyes. This stranger was clearly of artificial origin, and was surely the first of her kind, as I had never seen anything like her.
As if meeting one new family member wasn’t enough, Diona hastily dashed away, her sudden burst of speed catapulting her toward a nearby wall. She jumped up, using her agility and strength to propel herself to one of the pillars and back to the wall, each jump carrying her further up to the, for me, entirely unreachable ceiling. Her last jump came accompanied by something of a joyful shout, followed by a surprised scream as she collided with a dark silhouette I hadn’t realized was watching us. Within seconds, Diona had hugged the stranger and was now forcing her out of her unexpected hiding spot, by corralling her into gently letting her body sink to the ground, a thick strand of silk covering her descent.
Before the stranger had even recovered from landing on her way–too–many feet, Diona was already dragging her over, the woman’s far taller body bending down to allow for the Catkin seemingly kidnapping her. It was only when they had found themselves before me and the unnatural beauty, that the other goddess got a chance to collect herself, only now giving me the chance to really look her up and down.
Safe to say, she looked even more foreign to me than the other woman, even when taking into account all the colors and shapes the members of our large family came in. I had never seen anything quite like her. While she, too, had white, long hair like the other stranger, her red eyes were rather uncommon, especially as they lacked the whites and blacks you would find in regular ones. Her elongated ears and fair skin easily made her recognizable as one of Mother’s kin, that was until you looked further down her body, where her Elven torso had fused with the body of a giant, black spider, all of its legs thick and strong, marking it as that of an active hunter. The half–spider woman wore a skin–tight, dark gray dress with long sleeves and even gloves seemingly made from the same material, thus covering her entire Elven body save for her face. She looked like a widow going through a period of bereavement, or someone who was trying to hide her Elven half for some reason. Whatever she was, the woman looked nothing like a monstrosity to me, especially with the slight hint of distress in her eyes and her many legs restlessly tapping the marble tiles that decorated the hall. I couldn’t help but think she looked adorable like this.
Diona took the moment of silence that followed the chaotic entry of the two of them to introduce us to each other. The woman to my left, the one with the artwork–like body, was called Veritas and, according to her, she’d been created by the combined effort of a world–renowned golemancer and his god, my uncle Belvart, who finished the masterpiece of the man by giving it a soul. After describing what was essentially her birth, Diona then went on to explain Veritas has served as a leader of the Gnomes for almost a thousand years and told me about all the great changes and progress she had single–handedly brought; her voice almost mimicking that of a proud mother as she went into great detail.
The poor spider lady listened to all of this while growing increasingly restless, but it was soon her turn, with Diona finishing Veritas’ story by explaining how our Father had helped Uncle Belvart give her the body I was currently seeing, every part of it crafted to perfection and ready to last an eternity.
Diona introduced the shy woman as Clovelia, who, true to her Elven half, had been born as a regular Elven girl, who found herself changing history for the worse and causing all my misery when she brought a cursed amulet all the way to Hikarizawa, the Foxkin capital, to present it to the queen, claiming it would help them prevent the war.
Arius meanwhile was approached by his aides, who told him that he had been the elf’s victim for several months by that point. They had tried to help him, tried to free him, but had ultimately failed as he wouldn’t even recognize them – until now. With the cursed artifact leaving his side, their voice finally reached him, and he was furious. The next morning, my uncle already marched the Beastkin Alliance against the city, thinking my people were part of the plot against him. It was this decision that ignited the all–consuming fire which was the War of the Great Forest.
Naturally, I had known of this, Father had told me what had truly happened to cause all of the suffering of my people, including the fact that the artifact indeed had the power to consume Arius’ mind, making him susceptible to everything this woman would tell him. But now that I stood right in front of her, I didn’t even know what to do. I wanted to scream at her, curse her out and even bite her before I tossed her out so she would never set foot again in Father’s realm. It was only the weight and warmth of Kiomi’s body that seemed to keep my emotions in check. Diona noticed this as well, but instead of interrupting the introduction and realizing I had every intention of never seeing this woman again, she pushed forward, seemingly thinking I would think better of her once I got the full story. But what could possibly make me forgive her? She had caused all of it!
Diona soon gave me an answer, by describing how our Father had punished this woman for attempting to control Arius mind, only to try to go back on his punishment many years later, when he realized Clovelia had tried to save her people and it had, in fact, been Tow’s own followers who had promised her she could stop the war by bringing the amulet to the Foxkin queen. According to Diona, the whole incident had been staged by those men, who also informed Arius to let him know what this Elven woman was supposedly trying to do to him, causing him to make his move.
All this time, this woman, Clovelia, had acted in good faith according to Diona’s words, especially since the Elves truly feared that an all–out war could break out any day. And this wasn’t even far from the truth, as I knew Arius was planning on uniting the entire Great Forest under his rule and making it a home to Beastkin alone.
My eyes widened when my sister continued on with her story, explaining that it was Tow himself who had brainwashed our uncle and made him do all of that, and that it had also happened long before Clovelia was even in the picture.
So the man I had both feared and tried to avoid with all my might? It was all Tow’s creation! But that wasn’t all, as Diona explained. Tow was done with his task with just that. He wanted the war to happen, he wanted the continent of Errul to be drowned in chaos, with all sapient races thriving for dominance. By prevailing through this time of bloodshed and uproar, he believed, they would come out stronger and more united than ever. He thought that by doing so the survivors would become the best forms of themselves. Tow wasn’t evil, he was… short–sighted and rash, traits he had been born with.
Diona wasn’t done yet, as she now went to explain what happened to Clovelia after being cursed. She lived as a spider, a mere monster, but her mind remained intact, the bloodshed she had caused weighing down on her heart every single day. So when Father found her, a shadow of herself, and tried to undo his punishment, now knowing she had been framed. Clovelia actually denied his offer, claiming the punishment was just and deserved. With the unspeakable horrors of the war still fresh in her mind, she argued against him, again and again, until he finally gave up. Instead, he gifted her an ageless life, so he could one day return and find her alive, and hopefully more willing to listen to his words.
Now living her life as a monstrous spider, Clovelia was driven by her wish to repent for what she had done. She prayed a lot, to both me and many other deities, but I had long lost myself by that time, unable to even hear her voice as I spent days, weeks, months and even years sleeping…
With the years no longer being a hindrance, Clovelia tried to make up for her mistake by reaching out a helping hand to anyone who needed it – mainly those who got lost, attacked or injured in the forest, as she was still a monster in the eyes of anyone who saw her. According to Diona, it was only after hundreds of years of this, when her name was long forgotten by the passage of time, that she forgave herself and, after praying to Omos for the first time since it had happened, asking him to give her back half of her Elven body, as she wished the other half to forever stay in its monstrous form so as to remind her of what she had done. Father seemingly thought this wasn’t enough, as she had never been to blame, so after waiting for another lifetime, enough for her to get used to her new body and lot in life, he welcomed her into our family.
Clovelia now filled the gap Tow had left after Father had stripped him of his divinity due to his actions, with Tow himself requesting this punishment according to Diona, before he left to find new meaning in the mortal realm. She was gifted the domain of Change, which was very close to what Tow once had, only limited enough to prevent it from being the cause of another, maybe even more devastating war.
As for Tow’s followers, the ones who had gone behind his back to frame the Elves and Foxkin? They had been driven by the most heinous motives one could think of, blind greed and a feeling of superiority over any beastkin race they deemed lesser. This included both Foxkin and Catkin, who, in their eyes, were abominations; descendants of a mere animals compared to them, whose patron deity had been brought to life by Omos himself and was thus deemed perfect. They didn’t like how we had naked skin, how we looked almost like humans, or how we would choose to be close to races other than fellow Beastkin. It was a spiral of hatred, one Tow unknowingly gave birth to…
I didn’t know how to feel about all of this. About Tow, about his followers, about Clovelia. This was entirely new to me. And while I trusted Diona and would put my life in her hands if need be, she had just destroyed everything I had believed all these years, just by introducing the supposed culprit to me. But… even if it was hard to do so, even if I no longer seemed to know how to tell left from right, Father had already made his decision long ago. He had forgiven her, multiple times even, and had even welcomed her into our family, and I wasn’t about to question his decision, though, honestly, it was hard to control my feelings right now.
In the end, it was Clovelia’s pitiful appearance that won me over. She looked utterly terrified by being put on the spot like this, especially after being told who I was. She even tried to beg for my forgiveness, but I simply shook my head, stopping her before she would put my heart in even more turmoil. It was fine…
“You tried to stop the war,” I heard myself explain. “And you tried to protect those you loved. I can’t blame you for trying your best… You couldn’t know…”
The sound of someone clearing their throat reached me from the side, pulling my attention away from my new sisters. For a moment I was happy, having escaped this situation, but that feeling quickly passed, as I immediately recognized the man who was now standing in front of me. Despite millennia having gone by, he looked almost unchanged, save for his pleading eyes and his almost disheveled appearance. He looked equally as pitiful as Clovelia. And just like her, he was just another victim of Tow’s scheme, though his case was even more horrible if Diona’s story held true…
Arius was the god and creator of the Lionkin and had always been a proud man, with every fiber of his being fitting his domains of Strength and War. Much like the strongest and most respected of his kind, he had a long, dark mane surrounding his cat–like head, though his was pitch black, making him even more remarkable of a man. Sadly, it was his pride and confidence that led him to make the most terrible mistake of his life – trusting Tow. Being told he was destined to become the king of all beastkin and controlled with a cursed artifact, he changed into the worst version of himself, tossing the entire continent of Errul into a bloody war that cut short the lives of everything and everyone that I had loved and raised. He never truly forgave himself for the crimes that he’d perpetrated back then, even though it had never been him. It wasn’t his fault, he was... different back then.
Nowadays, Arius wore no crown, no jewelry, no armor, and not even a weapon, choosing a simple, uncolored robe to cover his muscular body. His descendants still saw him as the king he once had been, looking up to him and striving to become the strongest version of themselves just like he once had, but he himself was different now. Strength, to him, was no longer limited to muscles but also the mind, and War was now more like a sacred ritual, following strict rules that had to be followed if you wanted to keep your honor and his goodwill.
As for his current, almost pitiful appearance, I had a far too good idea of what it was all about. Arius had naturally tried to make amends back then, visiting my realm over and over again to apologize for everything that had happened, and I had always forgiven him, though it was very hard to do so. But even back then I knew he wasn’t to blame, that it had never been him who had done it all, but rather a different version of himself, one free of all the traits we cherished as a family. It was Tow who had corrupted him, it was he who had caused it all, though knowing this didn’t help Arius forgive himself, especially after seeing me spend half an eternity chasing dreams of better times. He very likely blamed himself for me almost entirely disappearing from their lives, for me never visiting a banquet and refusing all invitations, regardless of who they came from. Every single time my seat was left empty, he would fault himself for my absence. And I couldn’t help but pity him for this belief of his…
“Good evening, little one…” He greeted me, his head lowered.
“Uncle Arius…”
“I am glad you came. About what happened back then–”
I shook my head, stopping him from apologizing. “It wasn’t your fault, Uncle Arius. It never has been…”
“I wasn’t in my right mind… I even tried to–”
“But you didn’t.”
It was only now that Arius dared to look me directly in the face, his amber eyes searching for any signs that supported his self–inflicted guilt, but there were none – not anymore. While it was true that his actions had caused a massive gap in our relationship, the first hits being his many attempts to pursue me, and the actions against my loved ones being the last nail in the coffin, it was eventually revealed that all of this wasn’t him. His mind had surrendered to Tow, his big heart sealed away until it was far too late.
“I saved them,” I told him once again. “And while I cannot give back to them the lives they once had, they will have another chance…”
Arius' heart grew visibly heavier due to my words, but I wasn’t about to let him drown in his baseless guilt.
“We already brought Myra back! She even seems very happy with her new life, and that’s all that counts. It would be better if she had her family and friends, but we will work something out. I am sure it won’t take long!”
My Uncle looked at me, yet again searching for a sign that I didn’t truly forgive him, but he’ll never find any such thing. He was innocent. Just like my loved ones, he was dragged into a deadly scheme he had no chance of predicting.
“Try to forgive yourself,” I begged him. “As I have, long ago…”
“I– I will do my best…”
Tears stood in Arius’ eyes as he made this promise, but he soon hugged me, finally, after all these years. It was a short moment of love and forgiveness, but with Kiomi still in my arms, it was the best we could hope for.
As if he had waited for just this moment, Father suddenly made his entrance. First, there was only a feeling of warmth spreading over me, with my gathered family surely feeling the same, then I could hear steps echoing along the stone pillars, faint but familiar.
Father appeared at the end of the hall, coming through a doorway that led to the other, much more private buildings. He looked just the same as he had when he last visited my divine realm, appearing as a muscular Foxkin man in his prime, though this time he had chosen to wear a traditional, summerly attire that was quite popular in Foxkin culture. It consisted of a loosely fitting, white robe with wide sleeves covering most of his arms, and equally loosely fitting azure blue trousers that were worn over it and secured with a cloth belt of the same color. While the upper part of the outfit was always white during joyous occasions, the lower part could be many colors, with blues, greens, and earthy colors strongly preferred due to their connection with nature.
The whole outfit was one of those worn by Foxkin men during summer festivals, joyous occasions that celebrated the gods, and the nature gifted by them. And while Father wore it a little bit too loosely, revealing parts of his muscular chest, I couldn’t fault him for that as that was just another thing young Foxkin men did to gain the attention of their future wives.
Naturally, him choosing to appear as both a Foxkin as well as wearing the traditional clothing of my descendants carried a certain message. It was both a way to show his support as well as to welcome me back into our family after all those years of my absence.
I followed the others to the table and sat down between Zaleria and Diona, who looked about as eager to hear Father’s words as I was. Omos himself waited for us all to be seated, save for Honos and Zyzza, who stood at their usual spots, both of them unable to take a shape that would suit the furniture.
Father cleared his throat and met our gazes, a smile growing on his face as he found me sitting among my loved ones. He began by thanking us for following his invitation despite it being on such short notice. Indeed, not even half of our big family had received his message, as many chose to live among their kin, hiding their true identity and powers as they led regular lives. Others simply did their duties, which caused them to leave their divine realms, sometimes for years at a time. Regardless of where they currently were, all of them were a cherished part of his family, a point Father made sure we all knew.
“I would also like to welcome Kiomi into our family,” he said while looking at us. “Although she may not be a goddess, her actions have surpassed all of ours combined. Kiomi healed wounds we thought only time could mend, gave my dear daughter a new future when she felt all was lost, and gave her the strength to return to us. For this, I am forever grateful. So, I ask you all to welcome Kiomi as Cilia’s daughter, as she has more than proven she belongs to our family.”
A single glance at the others revealed they were all feeling the same about the matter, smiles seen on their faces as they watched Father and the little fox in my care, whom they had identified as my daughter.
“This joyous occasion naturally calls for a gift,” Father continued, “one that will hopefully aid her on her journey, wherever it may lead.”
All attention was now on Kiomi, who was sleeping on my lap, having missed every word of what had been said. She looked peaceful, her soft breathing and the occasional hint of her soft tail attempting to wag; obvious signs of her having a beautiful little dream despite all the voices surrounding her.
Father couldn’t help but chuckle at the image, but he soon waved his hand, causing golden orbs of light to spring into existence, each of them hovering over the divinite chalices that were waiting on the table and in front of the two dragons. Within seconds, milky white liquid began pouring out of the lights, shimmering in all colors of the rainbow. I swallowed my saliva as I watched the chalices fill with what I knew as one of Zyzza’s creations, one I had yet to taste. The many products resulting from her hobbies and interests were popular to say the least, especially among the few mortals who were gifted some for completing various tasks important to her. Luckily, Zyzza loved the tradition of us coming together and enjoying her brews, so she eagerly gifted our Father the first barrels of each new creation, so he would share them at banquets. As for what the shiny, pearlescent drink was made from this time? Only Zyzza truly knew. One thing was guaranteed; it would be hard to forget its taste…
“Let us drink,” Father spoke into the silence his magic and the appearance of the brew had caused, “and toast to our Family, those of us who’ve gathered here, those who couldn’t make it, and those who are yet to join…”
After saying this much, he lifted his own chalice, urging us to do the same. He then met our gazes, one by one, his eyes finally coming to rest on me.
“Welcome home, Cilia.”
With this, he took a single sip, us following his example. A feeling of warmth almost immediately spread in my mouth, despite everything telling me the drink had been chilled. I tasted fruity flavors, many of them reminiscent of the fruits growing in Mother’s divine realm, but there was also something familiar to me, something that sent a shiver over my skin. The drink was clearly alcoholic, but I had expected that, what surprised me was that I tasted a memory, one of my mother helping me wear a dress and weave my hair, her gentle words encouraging me as I prepared myself to meet Nakano again, having just gained the ability to turn myself into a human shape, albeit for a few hours at most. Tears gathered in my eyes as I remembered her telling me what to say, how to act, and what to do. And while she did all of this with a heavy heart, fearing she would lose me to this human man, she knew this was my path to happiness, so she did everything she could to help.
As I took in more and more of the drink, I remembered more and more of those precious hours. Of the slices of various fruits she had fed me, ones she claimed would help against stress and anxiety, others that would give me courage, and yet others that would make him fall more easily for me. Of course, those fruits had never had those abilities, I now knew that, but back then I happily clung onto those easy solutions; trusting them to help me overcome my most important trial. Without her little white lies, I would probably never even have dared to take the first step…
Sadly, I soon found myself staring into an empty chalice, the memory ending as I had long taken the last sip. I looked at my Mother, who was looking at her drink with tears in her eyes, and I could only guess as to what memory she was thinking of as she reached out for me, gently placing her hand on my arm and telling me she loved me. A smile grew on my face as I replied in kind, knowing I had the best mother in the world.
When all of the chalices were emptied, even Arius looked better, having likely seen memories of his past self, back when he was still the proud and strong man we all remembered him as. As for Father, he sadly showed no reaction to the drink, its magic likely failing to entice beautiful memories to come to his mind. Still, he didn’t seem to care, instead, he waited a few more moments for us to reminisce about the past, before making his way to the balcony, the divinite chalice in his hand.
Soon, all of us were following him, knowing what would come next. I myself stood up and, after gently placing Kiomi down on my chair, happily clung to Zaleria, who, given her smile, had been waiting for this very moment. With our chalices in our hands and even Honos and Zyzza carrying theirs in their giant maws, we made our way to the balcony. I couldn’t help but notice how gently everyone treated the chalices, likely still dazed by the memories the drink had brought with it.
When we were all lined up on the balcony, still reeling from our remembrance, we could see a giant landmass spreading out before our eyes, with distant clouds, oceans, and forests painting the continent with colors. There was a giant desert to the south, a mountain range with peaks that tore apart the clouds, and even spots that hinted at larger settlements. This was very obviously Errul, a giant, ancient forest in its very center, the first sign, and the remains of the wasteland to its west telling the rest. Kiomi’s dungeon was in the southern half of it, hidden inside a lonely mountain peak. I had seen it in Father’s pond before, but here, now that we were watching it from this far above, it seemed so little, so insignificant, and yet it meant so much.
Father was the first to toss his chalice high into the air and far into the distance, for it to rain down somewhere on the continent for mortals to find. The last thing I saw of it was a blue flash, as holy flames began melting it into an unrecognizable shape, allowing for those worthy to freely decide its new destiny. Naturally, working with Divinite needed that exact same flame, but Cohold was very willing to hand it out to those he deemed worthy, so it was only a question of time for these chalices to be reforged into something remarkable. I watched as more and more chalices followed, each of them sharing the fate of that thrown by our Father, before tossing my own, Clovelia being the last to follow the tradition.
With the chalices thrown, we soon mingled in groups, catching up with each other and trying to make up for lost time. I followed Diona around, who, during the following hours, tried her best to have me befriend both Clovelia and Veritas, even pushing me to give them a nickname each, Veli and Veri. Things were awkward at first, especially with Clovelia with whom I only warmed up to after a few drinks to lift my mood. Luckily, she was a nice person, even in the choice of her kin, as she gave the species of spiders she once was part of the chance to follow her example, becoming honest people when they had been mere monsters before. And, with a drink too much and her legs no longer listening to her demands, she was about as adorable as a newborn fawn, which certainly helped me accept her more…
As for Veri, befriending her was even quicker. Maybe it was due to Tow tearing this giant hole into our family just before her creation, maybe it was just by chance, but Father had gifted her a soul that was deeply caring and loving, which was just about what I wished for in a friend and sister. She was sometimes awkward in her behavior as she seemed to have two personas sharing the same body. One stern and matter–of–fact, while the other was warm and friendly. Diona, as her self–proclaimed mentor, would point out each instance of her using the wrong one without fail, doing her best to tutor the goddess as if the once golem were her daughter instead.
The rest of the evening went by as I expected, with the place becoming slightly rowdy as Father happily opened barrel after barrel; much to the chagrin of those of us, who were watching our brothers, uncles, and even Father making a fool of themselves. Nias found herself singing, as the men of our family were dancing along, which looked rather amusing, especially after Honos joined in, whose draconic body certainly lacked the finesse required to follow the moves the others were performing. As such, there was a lot of laughter, and stomping, while the rest of us were clapping along, encouraging the proud display of… whatever it was. It had been too long since I’d last had fun like this…
~ ~ ~
A panicked voice pulled me from my slumber, forcing my eyes open. I found myself at Clovelia’s and Diona’s side, all of us seemingly having fallen asleep on a fluffy fur I had no memory of ever having been here. Veri had seemingly guarded us, her hand gently stroking Kiomi’s fur, but she immediately stopped when a second shout reached us.
Cohold came running into the hall, his breath roughened because of his sudden sprint. He called us over and demanded that we follow him, as he led us into the garden. His shorter legs were trying their best to carry him back to the place he had just come from. Within a minute, we found ourselves at the bridge that led over Father’s magical pond, and he just stood there, staring at the image shown on the water’s mirror–like surface. Dead men could be seen lying there, surrounded by trees, bushes, and the corpses of their comrades. Each of them wore the armor of a paladin, and I even recognized some of the faces who were now staring into the underwood, their eyes open and lifeless.
As for Father, he stared into the distance, deeper into the forest, and, before I knew it, the image shifted, revealing a group of men that were forcing their way through the thick undergrowth, further and further away from the scene of the crime. A woman was by their side, one I was painfully familiar with.
Something in Father’s face changed. He looked angry. For the first time ever, I saw him angry. And, with a wave of his hand, golden light started shining from the woman’s body, who immediately stumbled to the ground. The whole group came to a sudden stop as more and more of the attackers followed her example, and although we couldn’t hear a single thing they were now shouting at each other, I knew Father had just cursed them all…
I was still staring at the scene when Father turned around to face me. He walked up to me and hugged me close, drying the tears I had failed to notice were running down my face.
“I am sorry…” was the only thing he said…