A few hours later In the basement.

“I like what we have with this plan.” Syl said looking down at her notes.

“I’m so confused.” Isabella said as she brushed her hand through her bouncy red hair. She looked around twenty with pale skin and freckles and wore a mixture of clothing from both worlds. A loose ruffled low cut top, jeans and what Syl could only guess was combat gear from somewhere on Werthe. She could have been a vampire slayer in a sitcom.

“Me too, it really is mind boggling.” Elijah said his face scrunched as he looked at her notes. The male chosen had brown hair with blonde highlights and could have been in his twenties if she didn’t know better. His clothing was more setting appropriate though it still had a fashionable flair to it and was high quality.

“What has you guys stumped maybe I can help?” Syl said as she looked at them feeling some concern. The two chosen, sat across from her at the game table and to their side Luna was laid out on the couch holding the baby dryad in her arms. The other chosen where out expanding Mist Vale.

“Why do you have notes?” Isabella said.

“Yeah that was what confused me too.” Elijah said.

“You don’t like visual aids?” Syl said as she looked over her papers and her multicolored diagrams.

“No we do my lady… just more wondering why you made paper and multicolored pencils instead of just creating what you wanted to show us.” Isabella said with her hands out in a gesture that somehow implied Syl had created everything in the room.

“Oh.. embracing the process.” Syl said a little embarrassed.

The two shared a look and a shrug then nodded. About that time a loud snort came from the couch, “I think you should go back to Werthe and make more Dryads already, I will give you a good title for it. How about “Mother of Dryads”… or maybe “Seedling Mistress”. You’ve missed some of my birthdays Lady Syl this baby is a good present.” Luna said while laying on the couch still playing with the baby dryad.

Isabella and Elijah both looked at Syl.

“How could I possibly make more Dryads when you haven’t named that little cutie yet.” Syl said watching Luna over her notes.

“Me?!” Luna said and she turned with the baby to face the table more.

Syl smirked back at her. “Maybe you should be the ‘Mother of Dryads’ Luna.”

“But you made her.” Luna said.

“Hmm, so you would prefer I take care of the cute little dryad babies?” Syl said while giving Luna a sly look.

“No.” Luna said and her abrupt manner of speech reminded Syl how she spoke as System.

“I had an idea on how to help Ril, would you like to make the rest of the Dryads? And please keep them close to Ril for now, and there are a few things I would like you to teach them.” Syl said looking back at her notes.

“My lady, do you favor Ril?” Isabella asked, all of the chosen paused and looked at her waiting for an answer. Syl thought for a moment considering her answer carefully.

“I have grown fond of the people there especially Julie and Stan, though I am conflicted.” Syl said.

“Why?” This time is was Luna that spoke she was now looking across the table with an intense expression.

“They are all mine. Even the ones that have captured my sister goddess.” Syl said.

“You are much different than her.” Elijah said.

“How so?” Syl said.

“You should consider leaving her in prison my lady.” Isabella said with what might have been concern in her voice. The others nodded but didn’t add anything sitting there quietly.

“You all agree?” Syl said.

“She is very smart.” Luna said.

“Thats a terrible reason.” Syl said.

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“Could a prison hold you?” Luna said.

“Im not sure, probably no.” Syl said.

“She is very smart.” Luna said.

Syl looked back at her diagrams and notes considering.

“She wants something from me.” Syl said.

Elijah and Isabella nodded, Luna had her head tilted to the side and seemed to be considering Syl. She must have decided something because she nodded to herself after a moment.

“We hid from her in the beginning, we wanted you, but she found us… she is terrifying.” Luna said as mist began to swirl above the table. The mist changed into vision of a cavernous room with hanging cages with a variety of sleeping people in them and in the center of the room there was a woman wrapped in chains lashed to two large pillars. The woman’s clothing was ragged and hung on an ancient and weathered form. Her skin was taunt like a mummified corpse and a mop of gray tangles of hair covered her face, she didn’t seem to breathe.

“Identify.” Luna said towards the image. The mop of gray hair twitched as the woman’s head moved slowly turning towards them.

—

Filou (Word) (Goddess: Word, Death, Prophecy)

—

“She is listed as the Mother and Creator in the Player’s Handbook.” Syl said her eyes wide as she looked at a very different ‘Sister Sun’ than she had imagined.

“That is one of her many titles my lady.” Elijah said.

“Holy calamity of cats she is looking at us!” Syl said with a jolt. In the vision a weathered face with two black orbs for eyes seemed to peer at them from behind gray tangles.

“Right enough of that… she probably knows we checked on her.” Luna said as she dismissed the vision.

“Filou… did she choose her name?” Syl asked no one in particular.

“Why my lady?” Elijah said.

“It doesn’t seem familiar to me. Her appearance isn’t ringing any bells either… I expected to recognize her or remember her from somewhere, though with that appearance she could have been almost anyone.”

“There might be a reasonable reason you don’t remember her, it was one of the other problems we mentioned before.” Isabella said. Syl looked over suddenly very interested and Isabella seeing she had her attention continued.

“The shards my lady. Imagine a large bubble” Isabella said and soon a large silver bubble floated above the table. Syl couldn’t help but clutch her notes as she looked.

“Now imagine that the bubble splits… notice how the pieces form new bubbles but each is now less than the first bubble.” Isabella said as she moved her hand and smaller bubbles split off from the main bubble yet still attached.

“This is similar to our realm though imagine the bubbles are jagged stones and they sometimes shatter.” Isabella said as the bubbles started to look more crystalline and jagged a few even burst as they watched.

“You probably can’t sense them because we believe you are the big piece both connected and disconnected from the smaller pieces. The little parts are still you but not connected. Some of the chosen have been trying to maintain some of the larger shards from breaking or damaging the greater realm, we are sometimes successful...” Isabella said.

“Oh… that might explain a few things and is a little disturbing. So if parts of me split off, then some of these shards might have more of my memory.” Syl said starting to get a handle on some of the weirder things she had learned in the past few days.

“We believe so my lady. Though there is another issue with the shards that is worth bringing to your attention and why we believe they are a serious threat to our existence. Now that you are awake, they are aware of you.” Isabella said while looking down at the table.

“Wait… that would mean...” Syl said.

“Yes, some deny you and see you as a threat.” Luna added.

“Does Filou have these ridiculous problems?!” Syl said her voice quivering. She closed her eyes and soon a warm arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her in for a half embrace.

“No, Filou isnt a mess like you.” Luna said softly and her blunt words were comforting as she hugged her. Syl realized she was crying and returned the hug.

“Okay I’m ready. Let’s get Filou out of there.” Syl said as she gently removed herself from the hug and stood up.

“My lady are you sure? We are almost positive she is manipulating this situation and wants something from you.” Elijah said as he stood.

“Im sure she does, though this situation isn’t right and I would hope something would be done for me, Let’s go tell the other chosen its time.” Syl said as she looked over the three of them.

“Yes my lady.” Elijah said and the other two women nodded in agreement.

The chosen left the room quickly and Syl gathered her notes, feeling a little silly about wanting them now and walked up and out of the basement after them. The small stone building at the top seemed out of place with all of the changes the chosen were doing to the vale. She would do something about it eventually but, now wasn’t the time. Just beyond her door Mistvale was undergoing a rapid transformation into a city. Everything was being sculpted and made in real time. A delicate stone pathway now connected her stone hut to a well worn road in the center of the valley that included wagon wheel ruts. The ruts did add a charm to the road though nothing in the vale could logically be described as time worn. The city growing around her looked both ancient and grand. It reflected the chosen and their passionate designs in a timeless way. The attention to detail was incredible, the tiered mountain city crawled up the valley’s cliffside with areas connected with delicate bridges and terraces. Waterfalls and serene pools also dotted the bounds of the valley. Syl couldn’t help but feel awe and appreciation for the chosen and their labors. Movement caught her attention and she found herself admiring a long legged bird casually cleaning itself in a nearby fountain and there were a few weeds and grasses here and there.

‘Was there a chosen dragging plants and animals here?’

A woman was nearby tending to her path and trail of grass seemed to grow in behind her as she walked. She was a smallish woman with black hair in overalls and shorts. In her hands of all things was a garden hoe.

“Hello Mistress, my name is Rue. Your chosen informed me that you had the talk about shards so Ive come to you.” The small woman said as she bobbed her head.

“It’s nice to meet you Rue. What brings you to Mist Vale?” Syl said

‘Identify’

—

Rue (Demi-Goddess: Woodlands, Gardening, Birds)

—

“Mist Vale, I like it, a fitting name for a pretty place. I would like to join you here and merge my shard with Mist Vale.” Rue said.

“I’m not totally sure how that would work.” Syl said as she studied the small woman.

“It’s already started… sorry. Thats why you might have noticed all of my plants and bird friends.” Rue said while managing to look like her hand was in a cookie jar.

“Better to ask forgiveness?” Syl said while analyzing the other woman.

“Ahh.. yeah sorry again. My shard was troubled… I am really glad you woke up. The outdoors are kind of my thing so my home became a woodland of tall aspen trees and cedars and fields of tall grasses filled with flights of happy birds. It would have been more but there wasn’t enough room. My shard was too small to thrive and my ecosystem suffered. You might be surprised how tough it is to get an ecosystem to work with a small area. Loving the body idea by the way.” Rue said as she happily waved her arms.

“Nice to have you here and this a welcome addition to at the magical realm. So this woodland area is out here somewhere now?” Syl said.

“Yes mistress, if you travel moonward my woodlands begin at the edge of the valley.” Rue said.

“How are there so many plants and things in the valley then?” Syl said.

“When my shard started merging with your realm it was almost bursting at the seams with life and… your magic is influencing the merger.” Rue said.

“Oh, right… not surprising now that you mention it. Is there anything else that I can expect now that your here?” Syl asked.

“I can do things for you and I can make a character for Werthe if you want.. oooh and we can play some games! Adding my realm to yours added my woodlands to your realm if you like hiking and going for scenic walks.” Rue said while leaning on her garden hoe.

“Thank you for introducing yourself and make yourself at home Rue.” Syl said as she smiled at Rue. The chosen were gathered now it was time. “We have something important to do, could you hold down the realm for a little while?”

“Sure!” Rue said cheerfully.

Syl opened herself up to the realm and rejoined the mist once more. Her Mist Vale body was now a tiny spec in an ocean of her conscious being. She could feel the connection she had with Werthe and felt herself was part of everything. Syl was a goddess and a divine force of existence.

“It’s time the world met Sister Moon.” Syl said.

A heavy mist formed around the bodies of the chosen and Syl and they all vanished from the Realm of Magic.