“Hush now, my child, don’t lose your smile…” I mouthed the words of the song I heard on that fateful day.

Musa was playfully chasing Tal around in the main chamber while I cooked away in the kitchen.

I realized that the solution to my problem was in front of me all along.

So long as they had each other, they would be alright.

At least, that’s what I hoped-

“Ow!” Tal cried and I almost instantly teleported to her location because of how quickly I rushed out of the kitchen.

I entered the main atrium to find her on the ground with Musa trying his best to comfort her.

“What happened?” I asked with far more concern in my voice than I intended.

“She slipped and fell while we were playing,” Musa explained and I nodded begged tuning to Tal who’s lips were trembling.

This was slightly adorable because she was a Glass Entity and couldn’t feel pain.

This was something I was certain of and so she was probably sad simply because she had fallen.

“Aww, come here, my dear.” I beckoned while spreading my arms.

Tal weakly crawled onto her feet and walked into my arms allowing me to pick her up.

“Don’t be sad, alright?” I sang while rocking her slowly back and forth.

“Do we have to heal her?” Musa worried but I shook my head.

“It’s fine, really. Nothing’s is wrong with a few bumps and scratches every now and then.” I assured while returning to the kitchen where I sat Tal down on one of the chairs behind the counter.

Musa sat by her side and gently rubbed her back while I served them their dinner.

I had asked Musa about the hunger and tiredness he felt and he told me that he had felt it as soon as he was reborn.

I had tried feeding them various foods and although they enjoyed my cooking, they still felt a deep hunger.

This led to me thinking about that which drove all Glass-related things.

The primordial energy which coursed through everything on a level which I could not even begin to comprehend, try as I might.

I created two pills made of Hardened Conduit Tissue and filled them with Glass Energy.

I then instructed the children to take them along with a glass of water and this worked out marvellously.

After being broken down in their stomachs, the Glass Energy was absorbed by their bodies and I watched as their eyes periodically flashed white.

“How do you feel?” I asked with concerned eyes.

Musa eyed himself over before nodding once.

“I definitely feel more energized. Like how I feel after a good night’s sleep.”

I nodded in acknowledgement before turning to Tal-

Well… I tried but she was back in the Atrium running around with her arms raised.

Musa and I glanced at each other.

We then both broke out into a fit of laughter and I internally decided that I would give my children a pill every day in the morning.

“Go get her before she falls again.” I smiled making Musa rush out of the kitchen.

Tal’s nature meant that she could run nearly endlessly and this made Musa’s task quite herculean.

I savoured every giggle, taunt and cry they made while I washed the dishes.

Why was I washing dishes?

It was… calming.

It tethered me to the moment regardless of how tedious it may have seemed.

I eventually finished cleaning up and Musa eventually caught Tal who sat on his shoulders.

We made our way into the bedroom where we changed into our pyjamas and crashed into bed.

There wasn’t a strict schedule for where Musa spent his nights.

Sometimes it was with me and others it was with Mpole whenever he had work in Hatua.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Speaking of which, Modo still hadn’t backed down and this forced Saidia to send one thousand Fire Breakers to his camp.

They were led by Pazia who would try one last time to reason with the General.

My children rested their heads on my chest and I embraced them warmly.

Tal had just gotten a huge energy boost and so she spent a good chunk of the night playfully kicking Musa who tried kicking back but he was far bigger than Tal and I didn’t want her to get hurt so I lightly slapped him in the back of the head.

The two eventually fell asleep and since I couldn’t join them in sleep, I closed my eyes and turned to my other children.

Someone who had recently caught my attention was a man named Lahat.

Born in the Forest Afor, he was a Chofumah through and through.

He absolutely hated Ua when he was still in Hatua and he hated Emunah almost just as much.

This hatred led to him trying to kidnap Tal and had somehow led him to Kiynah.

Both he and the renowned Selenologer held a sermon discussing ways to reconcile my presence in the world with the fact that Aviyv hadn’t done anything about it.

“The Day will come, my brothers and sisters, when all the evils of the world are washed away along with all else! That is what the Day of Returnal promises! Goodbye to pain, to hunger… to suffering!” Kiynah yelled into a crowd of over one thousand people.

He had such a large crowd that they couldn’t possibly fit into the Temple the Cavern and so Kiynah gathered everyone in a clearing in the Elephantine Forest where he planned Ed to hold future sermons.

It was such a big event that Kiynah decided that it only be held once a month apart from the usual weekly sermons.

“They will come! These lesser gods and their minions! To taint, corrupt and abduct the children of Aviyv but if we remain resolute in our faith, we will live to see the promised day. If not us, then our children and it is they who will witness the Great Wave as it washes over all! And in that moment, we will all return to the one true creator of all things!” He yelled as sweat covered his brow even in the dark of night.

Illuminating him and the crowd was light from the palms of several magicians who stood atop platforms that had been nailed onto several trees.

This was all so strange to me but I was also interested to see where this would go.

After all, they were merely exercising their freedoms as pieces of the First Will.

The sermon eventually ended and everyone was guided back into the Cavern under the watchful eye of guards which Emunah had placed in the forest.

“Another wonderful night, no?” Lahat grinned while walking alongside Kiynah and his wife.

“Y-yes, I suppose. It’s a little harder to reassure a thousand people though.” Kiynah coughed. It seemed as though talking for hours had taken its toll on his voice.

His wife gently rubbed his back while a Lahat shook his head.

“Well, while I suggest that you take it a little easier next time, I assure you that your words reach deep into the hearts of the fearful and doubtful. We will weather this storm, regardless of what it throws our way.”

Kiynah nodded and this made Chakh'mah smile.

“How do you do that?” She giggled but her question confused Lahat who tilted his head.

“Pardon?”

Chakh’mah wrapped her arms around Kiynah’s right arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You always seem to know just what to say to lift Kiynah’s spirits. You should see how broody he is when he leaves for sermons compared to how he is when he returns.” Chakh’mah smiled making Kiynah look away bashfully.

Lahat saw this and smiled as well.

“I… admittedly, don’t have much to offer. All I have is my heart and my words which I use to cheer our favourite Selenologer in these strange times.”

“Well, your words are very much appreciated- say, why don’t you join us for dinner?”

“Mmm? Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose-“

“Just… accept the offer.” Kiynah sighed while hiding his face behind his palm which rested on his forehead.

“Oh- well, I would like nothing more.” Lahat grinned.

The three made their way to Kiynah’s home where Chakh’mah prepared dinner.

“Huh…” Kiynah sounded while sitting opposite Lahat by the dinner table.

“Something on your mind?” Lahat asked with a concerned expression.

“No- it’s just… I realized that pretty much everyone has access to Glass here in Y’shuah. I didn’t notice during the first years because of those stupid shrimp but that miraculous thing that built an empire is available for anyone to use. I guess we didn’t take the time to celebrate the freedom we had fought so hard for. A freedom gifted to us by Prince Jua himself.”

Lahat bit his teeth as Kiynah mentioned Jua’s name.

“Err… yes. We truly are blessed but we must not forget that this, all of this, is as Aviyv willed. We shouldn’t allow anything or anyone to infringe our freedoms because they have no right to take away that which they did not bestow.” Lahat growled through.

Kiynah nodded before letting out a sigh.

“But we are at peace right now, so let us savour it.”

Lahat nodded and it wasn’t long after that Chakh’mah served up dinner.

The three ate all that she had cooked while thinking back to the war and Hatua.

While Kiynah was on the frontline in the Chofumah’s struggles for freedom and peace, Lahat only took up arms during the Shrimp War and even then, he only served to guard the Cavern.

He admitted that he felt powerless.

That, while all things were subject to the sway of the currents of fate, he felt as though there was no clear path for him to take.

That’s why he stood up and voiced his concerns against Emunah.

He had seen what a woman could do if she had enough power and so, to stop any future tragedies, he wanted a capable man to sit on the throne.

And the man he had his eye on was Kiynah.

Unfortunately for Lahat, Kiynah had no ambitions of leadership.

He was content with advising Emunah on the needs of the people and other matters.

Dinner eventually ended and Kiynah accompanied Lahat to his home in the southern parts of the Cavern.

“Rest well, Lahat,” Kiynah said with a wave and Lahat responded with a weak smile and nod.

The little scruffy man then entered his small wooden home and changed into more comfortable clothes.

He knelt in front of a small bowl which sat atop a wooden pedestal and pressed his hands together.

“Oh great and all-powerful Ocean wash over me and rid me of these doubts… and these fears. For the path I seek to walk requires that I be steadfast.” He prayed.

He eventually laid down to sleep and it’s here that I turned to a certain aged Chofumah.

Ayit – once chief of a tribe of Chofumah back in the Forest Afor, sat on the porch of his home in the Cavern and beheld its splendour.

However, it was not awe that filled his eyes but a narrow-eyed weariness.

“Mmm…” He growled while tapping his index finger on the armrest of his old wooden chair.

Azar – Pazia’s apprentice and Shrimp War veteran, exited the house with two cups of tea in his hands.

Ayit glanced at him and scoffed.

“Bring some of that wine the folks in the north sent down. It’s… it’s not bad.”

Azar smiled before turning around and returning to the house.

This allowed Ayit to return his gaze ahead although it looked like he was staring at something much further than the bounds of the cavern.

“Should the gods choose not to settle these turbulent waters, we will shake them in ourselves. Although still waters lie stagnant.”