Musa had developed a hobby of studying the Pāttiram and their creations.

He and I spent a few months gathering as many Pāttiram vehicles as we could whether they were functioning or not.

We then placed them on a spot in my northern pole which would become Musa’s own place apart from the Temple of Tablets.

I had built him a temple which looked very similar to the one on our Island only this one was much smaller.

It sat in the centre of a sea of recovered Pāttiram vehicles and other structures.

One thing that was hidden from sight was the several Pāttiram bodies, tablets and other artefacts we found.

We kept them in caskets and sealed containers in his basement where they were to remain mostly untouched.

Musa said that he would examine them once his base knowledge was satisfactory.

Tal, on the other hand, had made a best friend in the chief Caretaker of the Island of Tablet’s daughter, Cheche.

The two were inseparable and while Tal was quiet and often unresponsive, Cheche was a firecracker. An explosion of life and energy but it was never so much to scare Tal away.

I sat atop the final and vacant pedestal in the central atrium of the Temple of Tablets and sighed.

My children were doing well and my denizens were making progress but what about me?

What was I to do for myself?

I had contemplated using all of the Moon’s Glass to create myself an artificial body but I didn’t have a way of gauging how much Glass it had, not to mention how much of my own Glass I’d be using in the process.

I weighed billions and trillions of tons.

That wasn’t an amount that could easily be moved.

Or easily be saved.

I stumbled onto my feet and exited my temple only to be struck by a gust of fresh air. Just as I had been all those years ago.

I then flew to Temple Kupumzika and landed next to it only to find a certain Fire Breaker standing by the entrance.

“Oh- good morning, Pazia.” I greeted and the visibly nervous man bowed.

“Good morning, My Lady. M-may I have a brief audience with you?” He asked and I simply nodded, inviting him into what many considered one of the four holiest places on my surface.

I sat on my throne and watched Pazia bring himself to his knees.

“You are free to speak.” My voice echoed in the dim space.

Pazia nodded before looking at me directly.

“I… why… Pardon my rudeness but-“ Pazia struggled but I didn’t react.

He eventually pulled himself together and spoke clearly.

“Why did you kill Ua?”

“I… am just like any organism. Countless other tiny things may live on my surface but, just as you would kill a tic after it sucks some of your blood, I killed her as she began cutting large swathes of my surface.” I explained and this made Pazia bite his teeth.

“B-but she said she was chosen… she said that you chose her to usher in a new age… surely she deserved a better end as reward for all her hard work, no?” He asked and it's here that the rarest of things happened.

A Fire Breaker began to cry.

I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh that was just as deep.

“Yes, she was chosen and yes, she ushered in a new age but does that give her any excuse to threaten my existence in any way?” I asked flatly and this sent fear deep into Pazia whose lips began to tremble.

“One thing is clear, dear Pazia. Death is inevitable for all things but I refuse to die at the hands of my own children.” I said with slightly narrowed eyes.

Pazia’s arms fell as tears continued to fall from his eyes.

I let out another sigh.

“But do not let the decision I made fog the truth. I… loved Ua just as I love every organism that calls me home and so long as your spear points at everything other than me, I will continue to love you.” I smiled but this made Pazia’s eyes dart back and forth.

I could tell a lot was on his mind and so I spread my arms.

“Come here.”

His eyes widened in hesitation but my arms remained open.

He eventually stood up and slowly walked up to me.

I then wrapped my arms around him.

“We are all fragments of the First Will and you are all fragments that I wish to hold and keep aflame. So tell me, child, putting everything else aside, what do you want to do with your shard?” I asked while gently rubbing Pazia’s back.

“I… don’t know.”

“And that’s completely fine. As a Fire Breaker, you may be a bit short on time but you are free to do with that time whatever you wish. So think about it very carefully, alright?” I asked as I raised the Fire Breaker's head.

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Good. Now, off you go.”

Pazia nodded before slowly making his way out of the Temple.

I sighed yet again before closing my eyes and turning my attention south.

My interest was in a certain hot-blooded young man who was in his office in the barracks just north of Kimbilio.

He was doing some paperwork and his warriors were so disciplined that not a single voice could be heard throughout the entire building as he worked.

He eventually finished going over the day’s reports and signed off a few things before stretching his arms and getting up.

He left his office and made his way to the first of the building’s two floors.

It was the largest of fifteen buildings and was both office and home to several of Akili’s most senior officers.

The young man’s destination was the building’s eastern wing, which was tightly guarded to most people.

He entered the space which resembled a common house only a little bigger.

Stolen novel; please report.

Within in, were two women who tended to five children. These were two of the Shangazi who once partook in Kuhani’s blood orgies and the children were the very same who Akili had saved from them during their days of rampant infanticide.

They had grown to be toddlers and were doing quite well under Akili’s wing.

“Back so soon?” One of the women asked with a warm smile. She was almost twice as old as the warrior and this was the same for the other woman.

“Yeah, I’m not feeling too good,” Akili said even though his vitals looked great.

“Should we get someone?” The second woman asked but Akili dismissively waved his hand.

“No, it's fine. I’ll sleep it off.” Akili yawned while making his way to one of the space's two bedrooms.

This one had a single large bed while the other had five smaller ones.

Akili dropped himself onto his bed but at this point, I had seen what I wanted to see and so I turned to the far north as the sun sunk into the horizon.

A full moon would soon grace the sky and so many Aviyvists were getting ready to travel to the southern shore to fetch some of the ocean’s water and pray by the ocean’s side.

One of the groups heading south was that of Kiynah, his wife Chakh’mah and Lahat and although everyone seemed to be content, Lahat kept glancing at the many guards who were placed along the Southward Path.

“If you don’t pay attention to where you’re walking, you’re gonna fall.” Chakh’mah smiled but her words didn’t seem to reach Lahat who’s face only twisted.

“Lahat?” Kiynah called and this was enough to bring Lahat out of his daze.

“Mmm?” He sounded with a face that was still warped with what appeared to be fear.

“They have yet to infringe on our rights so maybe they really are a security measure.” Kiynah smiled but this just made Lahat wince.

“Do you really believe that?”

Kiynah’s eyes widened a little.

“Regardless of what I believe, watch where you’re going,” Kiynah said with a fake cough.

Lahat turned ahead and his expression remained weary until they reached the ocean.

It’s here that his face completely relaxed because at this point the sun had set, giving way to a bright full moon which bathed my surface in pale white light.

Kiynah and company joined the thousand other Aviyvists in kneeling and praying to the ocean.

They prayed silently, allowing the ocean’s sounds to fill the air.

They prayed for an hour straight and eventually stood up to return to their homes although a few remained to fill bowls and vases with ocean water.

“I see it too, you know,” Kiynah said while stretching as he, Chakh’mah and Lahat made their way back to the Cavern.

“Then why haven’t you done or said anything?” Lahat asked with brows that were once again furrowed.

“What am I to do? Confront the queen and question why she is placing our people under heavy surveillance. Demand that she give us the resources we would need to defend ourselves in the dire case that she actually did something?”

“Anything would be better than nothing, Kiynah!” Lahat snapped, frightening Chakh’mah a little.

It’s here that Kiynah’s brow furrowed.

“I’ll meet you at home, my dear.”

A worried Chakh’mah nodded before following everyone else on the path to the Cavern.

Kiynah stepped off the path prompting Lahat to follow.

“You have always overestimated just how much power I have as advisor but all I have ever done is nag the king and queen to remind them that their people need. I have no sway beyond that. That is my duty and the limit of my capacity as advisor.” Kiynah explained as he led Lahat deeper into the western parts of the Elephantine Forest. Parts which, although had been swept clean of any dangerous animals, were also unguarded.

“But you already knew all of that and yet now that I think about it, you’ve always asked me to do more.”

Lahat remained silent.

“Mmm… yes, it was always you. You wanted me to take the throne and even wanted me to become some sort of guiding figure for our fellow Aviyvists but, and I’m sorry to disappoint you, I am content with being as I am.” Kiynah said as he stopped by a small pond.

He turned to face Lahat whose eyes had fallen.

“I… I’m sorry. I just… wanted more for you. More for our people.”

Kiynah walked closer to Lahat and gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

“We Chofumah are a stubborn and resilient sort. We’ll be fine, circumstances be damned.”

Lahat nodded.

“Circumstances be damned, right?” Kiynah asked with a warm smile.

“Circumstances be damned.” Lahat weakly smiled.

“Good. Now, let’s go home and live the rest of our lives with our heart's content.” Kiynah said making Lahat’s eyes widen a little.

He then let out a sigh before nodding.

“Good. Now, come on. Let’s not make Chakh’mah worry too much, although I know you enjoy it.” Kiynah chuckled and while he walked back up the path which he had taken, Lahat paused for a moment.

His eyes rapidly darted back and forth and I could see that his heart was racing.

“Lahat?”

“Oh- coming!” He said before walking towards Kiynah although his eyes scanned the ground for something.

“Whew! I don’t know whether it’s age but I feel a lot sleepier a lot faster nowadays.” Kiynah yawned and it was here that Lahat grabbed a large rock.

He then proceeded to rush towards Kiynah and hit him in the back of the head with it, causing both of them to tumble forward.

“Ow! Lahat, what do you think you are doing?” Kiynah cried while Lahat raised the rock again.

“You were supposed to be the one who freed us! Our saviour!” Lahat yelled but Kiynah, although in his fifties, was still a warrior who fought during the Shrimp War and so he quickly healed his head and punched Lahat in the face, breaking the man’s nose and knocking him away.

“Lahat! Calm down!” Kiynah pleaded but Lahat rushed to his feet and tried kicking Kiynah in the face only for the warrior to grab his leg and throw him to the side where he straddled a snarling Lahat.

“What’s wrong? Why are you doing this?” Kiynah asked as tears welled in his eyes but Lahat kept trying to claw at him.

Kiynah held his arms down and looked into his eyes.

“Lahat… my friend… my brother, please. Calm down and tell me what you want. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it but I would much rather try and fail than see you like this.” Kiynah whimpered and it seemed as though this was enough to calm a bloody-faced Lahat down.

“I…” Lahat hissed.

“Yes?” Kiynah cried as he lowered his head to Lahat’s.

“I WANT YOU TO BECOME A MARTYR!” Lahat screamed before biting off a piece of Kiynah’s cheek.

He then punched the pained warrior in the face and this was enough to knock him slightly to the side.

“YOU WILL DIE AND SPARK A WAR IN WHICH WE WILL BE THE REBELS FIGHTING AGAINST A SUPRESSIVE MONARCHY!” Lahat screamed but it seemed that at this point Kiynah was done holding back and so, as Lahat lashed out towards him again, his eyes flashed purple and just as he squeezed his right hand into a fist, the space around Lahat’s head collapsed, crushing the head within in an instant.

Lahat’s body fell as Kiynah healed himself once again.

He slowly fell to his knees and cradled the headless corpse as his widened eyes trembled.

He let out a few whimpers before shaking his head.

“Is that what you always wanted…” He sniffed.

“War?” He asked as Lahat’s blood covered his body.

“Well, I resisted your dark whispers so far and I will not let this change anything,” Kiynah said while gently putting Lahat’s corpse to the side.

He then stood up and looked around with eyes that flashed green.

He scanned his surroundings before nodding to himself.

“Although I’ll unfortunately have to use them as an excuse just once.” He whispered before making his way further west.

He eventually found a chasm which had access to the system of tunnels that were connected to the Cavern.

He carefully made his way down the chasm and dropped himself into the waters beneath.

Waters that came from the mountain beneath which the Cavern sat.

He used these waters to wash as much blood from himself as he could and began the long swim towards the Cavern.

He eventually arrived at the Cavern but he knew that most of the entrances were guarded so he opted to do something far more direct.

The tunnels were the only way to access the Cavern from below since no one could hold their breath long enough to swim all the way up the underground river.

Kiynah had a solution, however.

He warped the gravity around his head and created a barrier which followed him as he sunk into the waters of the underground river.

He then made his way upriver with a bubble of air around his head.

He successfully made it into the Cavern where he surfaced and sneakily made his way to the nearest Aviyvist temple, one which was at the Cavern’s southern end.

The people there quickly rushed to his side and wrapped him in warm blankets even though the warrior was physically fine.

“What happened?” They all asked as they helped him get seated.

“It was… an assassination attempt by the Queen’s guards. They attacked my dear friend Lahat and I as we made our way back home from Masa. I managed to scare them off but… not before they took my dear friend’s head.”

Gasps filled the air.

“Why would they do such a thing?”

“And to our headmost Selenologer of all people!”

“They wanted his head?”

“Those damned Sav’taists!”

The crowd around Kiynah grew larger and louder all while his eyes remained low.

The shocked cries of the crowd eventually turned to yells and barks of anger.

Eventually, a chant began to fill the air as hundreds of people gathered in that small temple.

A chant for blood.

A chant for revenge.

“Rosh Sh'viyl Rosh!”

“A Head for a Head!”

TO BE CONTINUED!

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AFTERWORD

Thank you all once again for reading “I Got Reincarnated as a World!”.

I cannot express my gratitude enough for how warmly you have received my story and its characters.

To see you all actively engage with it and discuss it in comments and reviews is more rewarding than I can describe with words alone.

Volume 2 ended up being a little shorter than 1 but that was primarily because of a few cuts that had to be made.

Regardless, I look forward to seeing you all in “Volume 3 – Damascene Scourge” which will mark the final volume of the story.

I know we would all like it to go on forever but I feel as though I have set up all the foundation I need to properly end the story and there’s no point dragging it on.

So, thank you again for reading and I will see you when “I Got Reincarnated as a World!” returns! (Expect an early 2024 return)