When Melly was a little girl, she heard many tales about the benevolence and magnificence of the gods. The inhabitants of Lobee village revered them and prayed to them every day. The gods were the reason rain watered crops, why the sun came up in the morning and even why the ground they stood on existed.

The free peoples of Fanswald had proclaimed that the gods were powerful, and the gods were great!

She was having a tough time believing that now. Dylan, the homeless man, had just proclaimed that he was one of those divine gods. He was either lying or her vision of the gods was about to be shattered.

“Nice to meet you Dylan,” Clemiticus said then shook the god's hand, ignoring the muck that covered the bearded deity.

“I know what you two are thinking,” Dylan said.

I doubt that! Thought Melly.

“You’re thinking that you can’t trust me because I’m a god and the fire guy wants to release the other gods,” Dylan answered.

Melly shook her head and was surprised when Clemiticus mirrored her. No matter the situation, god or not she didn’t trust the stranger. The divine intervention's timing was far too suspicious.

Clemiticus coughed, then said, “Not to worry, good sir! I trust you!”

Melly sighed. I should have known he’d say something stupid, she thought, feeling mentally defeated.

“Good! Ready thy self!” Dylan shouted. “For the fray of flames comes forthwith!”

Clemiticus smiled at the gods' little quip, then his expression fell as a sudden realisation dawned on him.

“Damn,” Clemiticus said. “I can’t really fight as a bard. I can buff us all but, ah!” he shouted in frustration. “If only I could switch back to swashbuckler!”

“Ah yes!” The god said, feigning comprehension.

Fairy chose that moment to swoop down to land on to Clemiticuses’ shoulder. It then looked at the god and smiled.

“To toggle the swashbuckling class, you will need to travel to the ocean,” Fairy said, reminding the bard. “You then will be able to equip your pirate items and gain the skills and stats of the swashbuckling class!”

“I know, I know!” he said frustrated. “I need the sea!”

The god laughed.

The others stared at the shabby deity. It sounded as if the odd fellow had gone mad.

“Boy! You require the sea?” Dylan said through his outburst of mirth. “Boy! I AM THE SEA!”

Before they could respond, Dylan took a step back. His skin turned translucent and his body swelled in size. Schools of fish swam within his limbs as waved crashed on the surface of his skin. Within a split second, his oceanic body stood taller than the Queen’s castle.

“Well, I guess that proves he’s a god,” Melly said, slack jawed.

“Dylan’s a biggin!” Dog said proudly. “My friend will help us!”

The god's massive hand swept down and plucked the bard off his feet and stood him atop its watery head. Melly squinted, spotting the sodden yet cheerful Clemiticus. He was standing on what looked like a giant sea turtle that swam on the tip of the god’s crown.

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Bing!

“Clemiticus has toggled on the profession Swashbuckler!” Fairy announced.

The swashbuckling bard Clemiticus then shouted a whole string of excited gibberish. He was too far away to be heard over the crashing waves. However, she could make out one word.

“Yarrr!”

The god took one crashing footstep north, then another. Somehow, the ground he stepped over remained completely dry. Suddenly, the god looked down, noticing movement in the castle’s moat. Bending down, he plucked a wriggling form from within the murky water.

Melly gasped as she watched a giant eel wriggled from the gods' grasp then swim through his watery limbs. With a few more soggy strides, he marched over the walls and outside the magical barrier of Ashenstone City, sweeping along Clemiticus with him.

Turning, she found she was now alone with Dog. Derrick and the Queen had rushed to protect the walls. Remaining defenders, half broken statues and the Queen’s personal knights raced to the north following their monarch.

That meant it was her turn. It was time to mount up!

Looking over towards her giant floating companion, she saw Dog patiently waiting with a brilliant smile.

“You ready to go slap some sense into my mother?” she asked him.

Dog looked up into the orange sky. “Will it be fun?”

She thought for a moment, then said, “Sure!”

Melly slung her bow then counted her arrows. There were an even two dozen.

It would have to do for now, she thought as she hopped onto the magic whale's back. The warm blue light that protected Dog pooled around her, encasing them both within a magical protection.

“Up we go!” Dog shouted.

The whale slapped his tail on the floor and wriggled his four flippers, sending them skywards. The wind parted as it hit the magical barrier, like a knife through butter. As they sliced their way through the sky, Melly felt a giddy rush. She let herself revel in the moment as they swiftly rose far higher than the others.

It was then she could see the full extent of the enemy force.

In the distance, a mirror image of Dylan marched towards the city. Unlike the god of the sea, this one was made from pure lava. Behind the massive figure rose a pillar of heavy smoke as the grass plains to the north had been engulfed by a sea of flames. Melly then understood why the sky had turned orange. The destructive power of the fire pervaded the air, yet Dog’s magical barrier saved them from inhaling any smoke or feeling the intense heat.

Ahead of the fire god was an army of dark, restless creatures. They looked bestial, like a massive pack of dogs, only these creatures looked to be made from molten rock. They walked in formation in front of the god, waiting for the order to attack.

“Stinky army!” Dog said.

Melly nodded. Even through Dog’s barrier, she could smell the stench of sulphur. It was if their foe was a volcano.

“Daughter!” shouted a shrill voice.

Melly flexed her muscles instinctively. She then looked up and glowered at her mother astride her dragon. Tanwen was looking down at her daughter both figuratively and literally. Her expression somehow both snide and indifferent.

“Mother!” she shouted back.

“I told you! You shouldn’t have sided with the players!” Tanwen shouted back. Her tone as patronising as ever.

Melly looked down at the defences her father and new ally the Queen were amassing below them. Then her eyes lingered on the spec that was Clemiticus who was still surfing a sea turtle on Dylan’s head.

“We got a god on our side too you know!” she shouted back.

Melly let herself enjoy the strained look her mother gave her as Tanwen eyed the sea god. Her mother’s jaw worked as she fell victim to rage.

“Players are a blight on this land!” Tanwen shouted, pointing towards Ashenstone City. “They defy the divinity of the true masters of this realm!”

Melly’s thoughts drifted over the many misadventures she had with Clemiticus. Yes, the idiot had left a trail of destruction in his wake, yet it was always to the betterment of regular people. The greedy were punished while the needy helped.

Did the gods help her when she was about to be eaten by a wolf? No, it was Clemiticus.

Did the gods punish corrupt officials when they caused suffering to innocent people? No, again, it was Clemiticus.

No matter what’s happened so far, the idiot’s so-called blight benefited the innocent. Was his sudden appearance an intervention from a higher power? Melly decided that bit of information was something she would have to find out for herself later.

For now, she had to knock some sense into her mother.

“Look!” Melly shouted. “Does it look like your buddy down there is helping the land? Last time I checked burning everything to a crisp wasn’t a nice thing to do!”

Her mother laughed. “Idiot daughter! He is purging the land from the corruption of your player friends. Once we remove them, the other gods will join us as we remake this world into paradise!”

Melly couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mother’s mouth. She had fully fallen for the words of the god below.

“Can’t you hear yourself talk?” Melly shouted. “How can you trust that thing?” she pointed to the lava monster below.

Tanwen smiled as she revered the creature then glowered towards her daughter. Gone was the facade of indifference as her expression turned enraged.

“Don’t you dare say a word about my lover!”