For a few minutes I just stand there as memories replay and my emotions go haywire. I had really hoped to never have to come back here, but a promise is a promise. After a few deep breaths I manage to calm down and start looking for the grave.

Other than the bone pile that I burned, everything else is exactly as I remember it. So it is not hard for me to pick the right passage to return to the collapsed area. Once past the collapse I find the grave of the girls exactly as I left it.

There aren't even any traces of the giant rats that used to inhabit the pit. Seeing that I kneel down before the grave and take the time to clean up the area. I didn't have the time to spare originally, so now I want to do what I can to make up for it.

Once the area is as neat as possible I take a headstone out of my pouch. While it isn't anything fancy, it is better than just placing a couple of sticks to mark the grave. Now that I know their names I carefully use a claw to carve those names into the headstone.

After I am done carving their names I place the headstone over the grave. Then I follow Seronia's instructions and perform the ritual to consecrate the grave. Even though it is supposed to only be a ritual, I put a bit of divine and sacred power into it.

Unfortunately, I didn't think about how the two powers interact, I was only thinking about paying my respects to the girls. So before my disbelieving eyes both the grave and the headstone are covered by golden fire. It is only when I see the fire that I remember what happened last time and realize that I am in trouble.

"Um, Seronia?"

Seronia says "Yes, Ash?"

"Oops!"

Seronia says "Oops? What oops? Ash, what have you done now?!"

"I consecrated the grave of the girls."

Seronia says "Alright, wasn't that the plan? What went wrong?"

"I may have gotten overly emotional and done something I promised not to."

Seronia says "Ash! What have you done?!"

"Well, I was doing the consecration ritual that you taught me."

Seronia says "And?!"

"I may have accidentally added some power to it."

Seronia says "WHAT POWER DID YOU ADD?!?!"

"It was only a very tiny amount, hardly anything at all..."

With a boom of thunder a presence suddenly appears behind me and I can feel an immense pressure. It is Seronia, and she is here in her full physical form, which tells me I am in serious trouble. She takes one look at the gravesite and then without any warning she slaps me across the face.

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It turns out that a slap from a goddess is a very serious thing, even with all my strength and power. The slap knocks me across the passageway and slams me into the wall hard enough to crack all of the stone bricks. The handprint on my face immediately swells up and turns purple, it hurts even more than my dislocated shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Seronia, I truly didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking about anything but how powerless I was back then."

Seronia says "You idiot!! Do you even realize what you have done?!"

"No, I have no clue. Honestly, I didn't mean to break my promise!"

Seronia sighs and says "I know how seriously you take your promises, Ash. The problem is, this is not something I can undo."

"What do you mean?"

Seronia says "While I have the power to remove this, doing so would destroy the grave. Without a grave or bodies, these girls will be stuck forever."

"No! That can't happen! Not because of me!"

Seronia says "That is why I haven't done anything."

"Can't we just leave it as it is? It isn't hurting anything is it?"

Seronia says "It will make this place a true holy site. While that doesn't matter much down here, it will also affect the area above here."

"Aren't we still under the palace?"

Seronia says "Yes."

"Wouldn't this be a good thing for the palace?"

Seronia says "Holy power needs to be controlled and channeled, if left alone who knows what it might do."

"Hm, can you tell exactly where it would come up?"

Seronia says "Of course, why?"

"Well, if you can tell me where it is I will get Mercy to reorganize things so that spot becomes the chapel."

Seronia says "This kingdom has never had a chapel in the palace."

"Trust me, Mercy won't say no. In fact, Leyla can be in charge of it. Keeping her close will help Mericel."

Seronia says "That would work, if you can manage it. As for Leyla I already planned for her to become a high priestess. The fact that she is friends with the royal family is just a bonus."

"Will this help make up for my mistake?"

Seronia says "Yes, as long as we can take care of the side effects then I will forgive you."

"What about the girls?"

Seronia says "While you go handle this, I will return and take care of them."

"Alright, please tell them how sorry I am."

Seronia says "As you wish."

"Oh, also can you make the area up top glow or something?"

Seronia says "Sure."

With that she disappears and I run back to the center of the pit, jump up, and start climbing out of the well. Unfortunately, it is too narrow for me to use my wings to fly so I have to climb out the hard way. When I reach the top I find Mercy and Zamart standing and staring out the window.

"Ah, just the people I needed to talk to!"

Mercy says "Is this your doing?"

"Is what my doing?"

Zamart says "The ground outside is glowing gold."

"Ah, yeah, actually. That is what I need to talk to you about."

Mercy says "What did you do now?"

"Remember the girls I told you about?"

Mercy says "Of course."

"Well, when I consecrated their grave I accidentally turned it into a true holy site."

Zamart says "Is that what got you slapped?"

"Yes, Seronia is upset with me."

Mercy says "I thought you had impressive healing powers? Why is your face still bruised?"

"Probably because Seronia doesn't want it to heal yet. She is a goddess after all."

Mercy says "So, what does this have to do with the ground glowing?"

"That is to mark the spot directly above the grave. Apparently, what I did will affect the land above it. So I have a favor to ask."

Mercy says "Whatever it is, the answer is yes."

"Don't you want to hear what it is before you agree?"

Mercy says "With as much as I owe you, I am not going to say no to anything. Besides, I trust you not to ask for anything ridiculous."

"Well, where the ground is glowing will need to be the palace's new chapel. Otherwise the holy power will just run rampant and do whatever it wants."

Mercy says "Okay, no problem."

Zamart says "The palace has never had a chapel before, don't you want to think this through?"

Mercy says "Even if it wasn't Ash asking, don't you think the goddesses have more than earned it?"

Zamart says "Well, that is true."

"Thank you, Mercy."