As Gi's clan ravaged the Brain Goblin's clan, Danna watched with Noctua Dominus through a shimmering display of light that he kept up. The two of them stood in Noctua's cave like they had the first time they'd met. She felt like she could feel every bolt of light that struck the followers of Noctua Dominus, each one chipping away at his life.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Despite his scaled skin and lizardlike appearance, Noctua looked as he always had - weary. "Have you never wished for peace? Never wanted to be able to put your burdens down?"

Frankly, she had. When her body rebelled and Richard lay in a coma, she wanted it to end. Guilt had kept her alive. When hope had been rekindled by Richard squeezing her hand and then ripped to shreds as no more signs of life were present, she wanted it to end.

When the Father had taken her son away from her and then had her arrested, she had ended it. At the time, anything seemed better than continuing to live. When she turned to look at Noctua again, he saw his own feelings mirrored in her eyes. "You understand."

Neither of them wanted to delve further into that topic. Though Danna was curious what his impetus was. Could it just be the weight of eternity dragging him down? Or was it something else?

"You should go," Noctua said. "Your followers will be coming to you soon."

She nodded. "Let's talk again soon."

She stepped through the Truth, that river of light that contained all, and arrived back in her heaven. The otters that had died during the Dungeon or the few after that were already there.

As her heaven, she brought contentment and peace to this realm, giving each of them exactly what Noctua lacked.

Contentment.

Some of them lay sunning themselves while floating belly up in the river while others took naps on the rocks or chased after their fellows in a friendly game of tag. In the world below, they were monsters, but here? They were her people.

Shimmers of light spread out from the grassy plain that lay next to the river. Otters began to appear in twos and threes beside the colorful tulips she'd planted along the river's shores.

All of them seemed shocked and confused as they went from their battle to here, but Danna's contentment spread over them and they started to look around in wonder. When Danna herself stepped up to them, their mouths dropped in awe and each of them bowed in the Sign of the Mother.

She smiled, seeing it. The fist to womb had been from a book that she and Gi had read when they were in college about a race of warrior women. It was the first fantasy book that they'd read together and it held a special place in her heart.

"Welcome, my friends," Danna said, stepping closer to the nearest otter and lifting her chin. "You're home. You don't need to bow to anyone anymore."

The one whose chin she lifted slammed into her, giving her a tight hug as she nuzzled into Danna's forest green dress. The others walked forward tentatively and followed suit. Danna wrapped all of them in her arms and spread her light through them so they could experience her joy.

"I love you, goddess."

"I love you too. All of you."

The otters who'd already been there leapt up from their naps or from their games and rushed over to see their brothers and sisters who'd crossed to the other side. A couple had known the rest during their time in the Child Stage together, but many of them were new.

Her people welcomed them all. Danna stepped out of the limelight, letting them relish the joy of each other without her presence to distract them. She smiled as she watched them, but that smile dimmed as she remembered Gi.

His actions had been... dark lately. His obsession with being strong like the Father reminded him of the weight that Richard had put on that man's words early in their relationship. Gi's old memories had gotten clearer since acquiring his Heart of the Crossroads as well. She needed to send him a mess-

Lighting struck down into the valley, startling her otters and sending them running back towards the river. The bolt that had struck her plains lit a fire in the middle of it, but the bolt itself did not vanish. It flickered and each moment it seemed to be frozen in a different position.

Similar to how Noctua's presence felt in her realm, this was the presence of another god... a hostile god.

The bolt of light split forming a jagged diamond in the air that only held a deep and troubled darkness through it. When she saw it, she knew that it was Truth much as her river of light except... it was different. It was shadow.

Humans started to pour through, each of them in the same state as her otters - dead and awaiting reincarnation. Where they should be in their god's heaven, instead they charged into hers ready for war. Soldiers wielded swords high and the elements danced around the fingers of robed mages, but all of them shouted the same thing.

"GLORY TO THE FATHER!"

-----

Prince Rellington leaned over a map. The sounds of the war camp outside made their way through the thick canvas, but other than the soft clinking of steel against steel as the troops managed their equipment, there was little in the way of conversation.

Eitina and Fader lounged on their stools, trying to get as comfortable as they could while still wearing their armor. General Fiori leaned over the table with him, while the Prince fiddled with the strange cross that was the Father's holy symbol.

"With the docks of Forthright burned and our ships raiding Duchess Gilgim's islands, they shouldn't be able to field their army to flank us as we march on the Church of Daylight. With any luck, they will surrender after our recent battles with them before it gets into a prolonged siege."

"Why haven't they surrendered yet?" The Prince asked.

"In my experience, nobles tend to be stubborn assholes," Fader added helpfully.

The General glared at him, but a rare smile appeared on the Prince's face. "That was rhetorical, but thank you."

Any more conversation of strategy was ended as Ellen Swamp herself entered the tent. The woman wore a rich brown robe with fine gold stitched perfectly along the hems.

"Any word from the scholars?"

Ellen shook her head. "It could be as long as a year or as short as a month."

"That's what they were saying at the start of this campaign."

"Time is by nature relative. That makes it an imprecise science at best."

"Father damn them...," the Prince muttered under his breath, but not quietly enough as Eitina shot him a glare. The woman had not been happy about his newfound faith nor how it had spread through their camps, but the Thousand Islands was a Kingdom of multiple gods and she wouldn't cause waves.

Ellen Marsh ignored the rest of them, but looked directly at the Prince. "What do we do?"

"We end this war and if hell hasn't broken loose by the time it's over, we delve the Dungeon one more time."

-----

Elizabeth kicked back in her office, the Encampment Crystal shining beside her. A handful of independent monsters had just left, one of which was a Troll that she might try to subvert for their strength.

Ry, her Subgenitor of sorts, ducked his head in. "Some goblins here to see you. Sounds like they're wanting us for a job."

Elizabeth smiled. Business was good when you had a clan at your back. It wasn't where she wanted yet, but the Drowned Ones had grown since her successful Dungeon venture. "Send them in. If they look important, bring us some snacks."

"Aye, Progenitor."

Elizabeth loved the sound of that. Progenitor. She'd been stuck at the peak of the Individual Stage for far too long. If it wasn't for Jalx and that otter, her opportunity might not even have come as soon as it did.

The door opened and three goblins stepped in, one of them larger than the rest, but all of them were a mottled black and white. Elizabeth leaned her head back and cackled.

Life was about to get interesting.

-----

Nori and her Squad stood amongst a mound of dead Demons. Each of them had fought hard, but there was a reason they lived so far from the capital. As they were all jobbies, they were nothing compared to Nori and her followers who'd all originally been Progenitors.

Many had joined her own clan, cutting off any hope that they might have one of their own one day, but many of them saw her as their savior. It was a strange role for the goblin who'd spent so long in the Child Stage before teaming up with that otter.

Nori looked over to the violet temple that they'd fought over. Dead Demons and goblins were strewn all the way up the steps of the strange pyramid that had served as these Demons' home base. Tama, her right hand, poked his head out of the main entrance.

"Progenitor!" He called, waving over to her. "The Encampment Crystal is just inside."

Nori nodded. Her abilities had only gotten stronger as she'd gained levels and having so many General Skills had made her versatile as well. She walked over to him, taking the steps two at a time before she came face to face with the crystal.

It hovered in a square room made of the same violet marble as the rest of the temple. Its blue glow lit up the interior, showing a relatively blank room. What caught her eye the most even more than the crystal itself was the black portal that was embedded in the wall behind it.

"A Dungeon portal...," Nori muttered.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that," Tama said. "That's the last thing now, isn't it?"

She grinned. "Those Demon bastards will have a harder time taking us down once we're in the next stage." Her mind had already turned to dreams of her clan pushing off the heavy yoke of the Demon clans. Thoughts of them brought her back to reality though.

"Tama, send some scouts out. Make sure we have as much notice as we can if any Demon clans make their way here. Gather the others as well. I'll need to make sure we've got a strong perimeter while I'm gone."

"While we're gone," Tama corrected.

Nori sighed, shaking her head. "Yes, yes. Just go."

He ran off to do as she asked while Nori turned herself back to the Encampment Crystal, placing a hand against it.

Would you like to claim this Encampment?