"OW!"

"Please don't move too much, I can't apply the medicine properly otherwise."

"But it's pretty painful still. Don't you have any anesthetics that you can use?"

"Anesthetics? What a strange word. You say the most interesting things sometimes."

Svanvhit moves closer to relieve the recurring pain, using the specially brewed medicine on the bruises and sore spots, some of which stings ironically.

"I thought medicine was supposed to make the afflicted feel better, but all I can feel is the stinging numbness all over my body."

"Like I've said, the most interesting things."

After having fed ourselves at the feast, I spent more time than I wanted talking with Bellona, which wasn't that terrible.

Gastor had to carry both of us back to the settlement despite being in a worse shape than us.

The battle between Wukong and I didn't really escalate into a large scale one, rather, it was about who can defeat whom the fastest, or something along those lines.

But still, there's something bothering my mind up until now about our battle, I just can't seem to find out what that is.

Moving on, we arrived at the settlement, greeting the drowsy headed Svanvhit with smiles and more problems on her part.

As I was propped up on a bed beside hers, my mind went blank almost immediately, and my eyelids become heavy.

I sleep with a strange comfort from having been triumphant at something, and that something is about me being alive still.

It's quite the miracle now that you think about it.

The next morning, Svanvhit woke up early, coming back with a bundle of fresh medicine, leaves and other medical supplies.

Needless to say that my face was heavily bruised and my body damaged.

Being a god does not exempt you from pain, and much more if you're half mortal.

Nothing wrong about being one after all.

It reminds me that I'm still flawed despite being a god.

A good philosophy, but an ironic one at best.

Then it brings us to now, where I am undergoing treatment.

"Hello? Are you there, Kaellum?"

"Uh, oh, I spaced out, sorry."

"Yet another odd word. I wonder where it comes from."

"I'm just full of surprises aren't I- Ow!"

"How stubborn, please bear the pain no matter what, or else the medicine won't be able to work."

sighing in surrender, I grit my teeth as she closes in on my back, placing a strange liquid on a bandage that's supposed to go around my body, covering up the torso.

"Where did you get these injuries from? I don't think I've seen a case such as yours."

"I can't really remember. Even I'm a man of mystery to myself, ha ha."

"It's amazing that you can stay optimistic despite having these horrendous bruises. You seem to have fractured your rib cage."

"Ow, ow! Don't touch it, I get it already. How do you know so much about these things? Are you a doctor?"

"I know as much as a mother would. I should know, I learned from mine."

There's a certain sadness in her voice that trembles as she says the word of 'mother', piquing my interest as I debate whether to ask about her parents, which I denied myself days ago.

With my back facing hers, I begin mustering up my courage to ask her about something sensitive from what I've observed from her.

"S-Svanvhit, I want to ask you about something."

"What is it? It doesn't seem like you to lose that optimism suddenly."

"Well, it's about you and your parents, will you allow me to ask? I know it's insensitive, but it feels like there's something bothering you, and I don't like it when you look like that... it's just-"

"Don't worry, it's nothing. If it's about my parents, they have long been gone, living in the sky now, where the gods are said to revel in welcoming their sons and daughters."

A faint smile appears on her face, it's not one that I could call genuine, but it's one more thing to worry about.

"Thank you for worrying about me anyway."

That faint smile becomes genuine as she says that, looking rather upbeat after the awkward atmosphere that I've created.

I look to my side, noticing the beam of light from the sun entering the open window, telling me that the morning has truly begun.

I face Svanvhit, wanting to at least remove that sadness in her, one that I blame myself for reminding her of.

To my surprise, my face closely meets hers, our noses touching as we stare blankly into each other's eyes.

She makes an expression that I've never seen from her before, and one that I never expected a level-headed person like her would make.

Her cheeks turn beet red, yet she does not move back, rather our stares feels like they're bringing us closes for some reason.

I myself could not find it in me to back away from this, as if I want this to happen.

The room is filled with silence, no other sound other than the usual bustling sound of people going here and there, yet it is faint, masked by the silence taking over this room where only two people are alone.

I move in closer, hoping that things would turn for the better.

But just then, the door bursts open, revealing two silhouettes blocking the sun that enters the room.

One is of a large build, while the other is of a childish one, smaller than him without question.

"Rise and shine my friend, today is a great day! -"

"I can't believe that you're this weak, still lying in bed-"

Their voices stop as we back away from each other, seconds after they have come inside, Svanvhit becoming redder by the second.

Their eyes open wide in surpirse, Cuiv covers his, looking awkwardly at me.

"I think we came at a terrible time; we shall see ourselves out then."

Gastor closes the door, shifting his head away from us as he leaves.

Then the silence returns, this time becoming unbearable.

I look down, avoiding Svanvhit's gaze.

A recovery from that would be shameless of me, but I wonder what I should do.

"W-well, I think I am finished mending your wounds. Try not to move too much as it might react once more."

She begins packing her supplies, avoiding eye contact, yet her cheeks are still showing a faint red sign.

I try reaching out to her as her back moves further and further away from me, shrinking along with my chances of patching this bad memory up.

"S-Svanvhit, wait!"

As soon as I muster up the courage to ask her, she quickens her pace, slamming the door shut as she runs away from her own house.

*Sigh* "I truly never am lucky, am I?"

A knock then is heard through the same door she left from.

Filled with hope that she has returned for some reason, I stand upright, taking deep breaths as I wait for the door to open.

It creaks slightly, then opening wide to my dismay, the very people who seem to have ruined my chances enter, looking genuinely apologetic.

Their first words do not surprise me, rather, I selfishly expected it.

"Sorry, it seems that your chance had flown out of the window at our coming. It wasn't our intention, believe me."

Gastor speaks, coming in along with Cuiv, who munches at a fruit that looks like an apple.

"Well, it was kind of Gastor's fault for planning to come here anyway."

With a one glance, Cuiv's color turns to a pale white one as Gastor shifts his eyes to his side, amassing a bloodthirsty aura that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, jeez, beings these days can't take a joke."

Ignoring Cuiv, I look to Gastor, curious as to why he'd come here in the first place, and with news from the looks of it.

"Nothing in particular. I just happen to be in high spirits today, even I don't know of the reason, which is rather strange."

"Maybe Wukong knocked too much sense in him to be able to comprehend anything anymore."

Cuiv retorts, puffing his chest as he speaks with confidence.

"You'll be glad that you're still alive when the sun goes down, do you understand?"

Gastor responds with a clear threat, surrounding the area with dread.

Before the situation could get out of hand, I think of a way to settle this dispute with a change of focus.

"Ah, what do we have planned for today? There's not supposed to be a feast planned after one, right?"

"Yes, the gods are free to do what they like: feast, spend their leisure, whatever gods do."

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"Well, since you two have already ruined my plans, I guess the next place to be is the temple, making allies and friends."

"If that's what you want to do, then we will come with you, but I suggest using the rest of the time you have left afterwards to try and persuade another deity to follow you. There are still two of them left, each one stubborner than the other."

"But it feels like I'm forgetting something important, it's bothering me greatly."

"It'll soon come to you. All you need is time."

"You're right, Gastor, maybe all it takes is a bit of time."

I move carefully to the door as to not induce any pain from my recent injuries, making Svanvhit's medicine in vain.

"Are you sure that you'll be alright moving like that? I suggest resting here for a while."

"Nothing will get done if one procrastinates too much."

I smile brightly despite the bandage wrapped around my body.

Opening to the door, I am again greeted by the sight I’m most familiar with, the bustling of people with smiles as they go by, carrying with them foodstuffs and other necessities.

Some take glances at me, but rather than being awkward about it like always, I wave back with a smile, looking to have people change what they seem to think of me.

What catches my attention are two gossiping wives, talking about something that I might have an answer to.

"Hey, have you heard of what happened to that small province near Gaestulia?"

"That small town where most of the farms are located? Do you mean Camarie? What of it?"

"A blizzard suddenly wiped out any chance of them growing crops, crippling the economy. No one knows how it happened, but it might be because of an angry god."

I turn to face Gastor and Cuiv, dismissing what I've just heard, wishing them sorry in my mind, feeling genuinely terrible for it.

"Why don't we visit Elisha and Parsha? They might have some of that brewed berry juice."

"Brewed berry juice? Sounds sketchy, are you sure you're alright?"

Cuiv looks suspicious.

"Just come with me and you'll know. Gastor hasn’t tried it, but you'll come to love it, it's really something else."

We head on our way after much arguing with the doubtful, passing through the oddly dense populated area.

From what I remember, there were only a few of them in the settlement, now it's looking like a whole town with this may people roaming about.

Upon finally reaching the hilltop where the elder's house is perched on top of, we come to the sight of Parsha looking to be planting some crops beside her house.

Elisha comes along tottering with a basket over her head, whistling with a smile on her face.

She takes notice of me, pointing with one hand and alerting Parhsa.

"Grandma, it's the Pegasus big brother!"

"Oho, will you look at that, more company than the last."

She smiles with comfort as she sees us, stopping what she was doing, wiping her hands, and coming towards us.

After the exchange of pleasantries, she ushers us inside, carrying Elisha on my shoulders as she asked.

Parsha enters the room carrying a tray filled with cups of tea as she says.

"It is quite refreshing for you to come here, these past few days have been a stressful one for me."

She catches her breath as she sits on her rocking chair, looking exhausted and pale as a ghost.

Surely enough my conscience tells me the same thing I want to hear, ask her about it.

"What's wrong? Did something bad happen?"

I place Elisha from my shoulders to my lap, then looking at me with downcast expression.

"Some bad people came and were yelling loudly at big sis Svan."

My eyes narrow and my attention focuses solely on her words.

"Please tell me what happened, Parsha, Elisha."

I look to the elder for an explanation, something to ease this worry that's slowly building up in my mind.

"A general, bringing with him an army, from the capital had come here to recruit my granddaughter after having heard of her great skill in fighting."

"What did she do?"

I find myself being awfully oblivious after not sensing that from her, not that it would be easy, but still.

I didn't notice at all, but, what's the main problem? I don't think being recruited is a bad thing especially from her, but there has to be something else missing.

"Naturally, as always, she declines the offer, enraging the general, who took a large fraction of his men who were defending this settlement in return."

She cast her eyes down, looking to console Elisha with faint smile, seemingly having an opposite effect on her.

"The general said that she should defend the settlement instead, seeing as she has to prowess to do so. But she won't be able to do it, not unless she exhausts herself to the point that she might pass in the future."

I clench in fists in aggravation, looking to point my rage towards that general, whoever he is.

"Where is she now? I need to talk to her, if I can."

"Dearie, sometimes you must leave a girl to her own personal time if she is to know how to stand by herself."

I sigh, thinking that her words are correct.

I can't force myself into her matters, especially if it's one that she does not want to tell me.

But Parsha continues.

"But, she does not have to be by herself necessarily. An important part of growing up is having someone to lean on when you are facing a tough time."

She looks at me, as if granting permission to see her granddaughter.

I take one more sip of the tea that Parsha has brewed for us, feeling that the sun entering the window from behind me is quite hotter than usual, nearly to a burning temperature.

Suddenly, a sound echoed throughout the surrounding area, or the whole world from how I hear it.

A loud crash of lightning, a rage filled roar from the thunder gods.

Then, the fury of the sun, growing fiercer by the seconds, burning the lush green forests under it.

Instinctively, I take Elisha, backing her away from safety as she cowers from the sudden explosion of sound.

I look out the window, along with Gastor and Cuiv who jump in surprise.

From the horizon, a bright crash of thunder blasts down the earth, creating an explosion of great proportions, then a wave of wind blows over the forest near the settlement, threatening the people inside as their cries for help can be heard from inside the house.

The sky turns red, rumbling along with the waltz of lightning that continues to destroy the ground around it.

I look to Gastor and Cuiv, not needing any words, we dash into action, thinking that this anomaly isn't because of a mystic power, but one of a godly strength.

"Parhsa, please gather all the populace and keep them safe somewhere, we'll do something about this."

Without waiting for a reply, we run outside, meeting the terrified people, running here and there, to their homes, to the open nearby establishments that are accommodating the cowering populace.

Filled with a strange adrenaline and thoughts about a certain someone, I run a bit faster than the well-built Gastor and the agile Cuiv.

Knowing that she can handle herself even in a state of panic puts my heart at ease, but this isn't quite the panic I was wishing for.

"Where are we going anyway?"

Cuiv asks, running along with us frantically.

"Our suspect would be at the temple."

Gastor replies, briefly and with few words as to focus on running.

"Do we really need to go there anyway? It might have nothing to do with us. We can help the people here for now, then go there after all this dies down even for a little while."

I come to an abrubt stop, thinking seriously about Cuiv's suggestion, making sense as it should.

"Gastor, Cuiv, please help me evacuate these people to safety."

Having made up my mind in a split second, I order them to help with the effort.

We split up, taking a district to ourselves.

From the skies come meteors, falling down as they trail a red flare of fire, making the current situation more out of hand than it already is.

"Damn, now we're in real trouble. Where's Svanvhit?"

I look around, seeing fleeing people instead of the one I seek.

I call their attentions yelling on the top of my lungs, yet no one seems to notice.

From behind me, someone yells, "Everyone, your attentions! Calm and follow me!"

Carrying a long stick with a banner hanging on top of it, a girl yells, effectively rallying the people to her.

The atmosphere around them comes to a calm, forming a scattered line as they sprint to the one holding the banner.

"Follow me and you will be safe!"

Looking through the crowd, I see the person of my worry, Svanvhit, leading the relief effort.

My gaze is disturbed by the first meteor impacting the ground, causing a massive scale tremor that shook even the settlement's foundation, miles and miles away from us.

The people fall to their knees, unable to catch their footing as they become disoriented by the magnitude.

I myself was unable to control my balance, falling to the ground as well, but rather than staring down I quickly get up to my feet, approaching Svanvhit with gust behind me.

"Svanvhit, I'm glad you're safe."

I take her hand, lifting her up from the ground.

"Kaellum, do you know what is happening here?"

"I do not, none of us do. But we'll have to worry about that later, we need to get these people to safety. I've already asked Parsha and Elisa to seek shelter along with the populace, somewhere safe. I've also had Gastor and Cuiv help out."

"Alright, I will continue guiding them to safety, but where are you going? You seem like you're in a hurry."

I think quickly and desperately as I try to make it sound as inconspicuous as possible.

"Just leave this to me. I'll do everything I can to stop this."

"But how? What are talking about, you need to seek shelter as well."

"Trust me, it'll be better this way. I'll come find you when I'm done, I promise! Then we can fix things between us after that... Thing."

I run back, trying to find Gastor and Cuiv, ready to leave as to find out why all this is happening. There wasn't supposed to be a feast today, this is something else entirely.

"Gastor! Cuiv! Where are you!?"

Yelling from district to district, finding no sign of them, or any other settler in the area.

"That must mean that they've evacuated the people. This is a good start."

I murmur to myself, running towards the entrance of the settlement, hoping that they can catch on and find my flow of energy instead without needing to waste my energy which I might need.

I was again proven wrong.

As I reach the entrance, my two companions stand by the gate, waiting for me.

"Hurry up, Kael! you're too slow!"

"Come, we must hurry at once!"

They both wave to me, causing me the run faster and faster until I reach them.

"Everyone's safe, Svanvhit had rallied them, there's nothing to worry about on my end. What about you two?"

"I've done my part, getting all the people in my vicinity and leading them to Parsha."

"I'm good too. Being a kid is really tough, no one listens to you, but I managed somehow."

Without any other worries, I nod to them and start running once more, towards the forest, heading to the temple of Aether.

As we swat away the leaves and branches decorating the overgrowth, the sound of explosions and other godly powers being used becomes louder, near deafening in fact.

The forest is not as I recognized it, rather, the ground is destroyed, the area far from us are ravaged by small meteors that have struck the ground.

Some parts of the forest are even on fire, spreading slowly, but surely becoming a widespread forest fire if left alone.

"I know what you're thinking, and it won't work. You'll need to merge with Cuiv to be able to quell this large fire."

I close my eyes, chanting the cold words of winter.

"Winter, come as the fall ends, come where the barren lands await to revel in your glory!"

"Hey, I don't remember giving you permission! -"

Cuiv and I merge with quickly, taking form of the iron clad knight wielding the spear as sharp as a the emperor penguin's beak.

Holding my palm out in front of me, the area is enveloped by a blizzard, but one of a shorter proximity since I don't want the settlement to face this cold spite.

Instead of a red, burning forest, I've replaced it with a quiet, tranquil, frozen forest.

We separate immediately, not because I wanted to, but because Cuiv separated himself from me.

"Don't think we're done, alright. I know you want to save everything here, but I won't allow it!"

"No time to become selfish, Cuiv. This is a matter that won't come to a close if we are stubborn. We must work together."

Dejected, Cuiv nods, but nevertheless following us as we run through the forest, nearing our destination.

After covering more ground, a faint sound of a crowd roaring in anger, like an army from the medieval ages forming up to take a fortress from the enemy, except this fortress is a great temple where the gods reside in.

Rather than running recklessly to something we don't even have a speck of knowledge, we hide behind the trees and bushes from a hilltop a few miles away from the temple that should not be a place where humans can go through, with me as an exception.

From far away, we stare in awe at a massive army assembled neatly, some are laid out on the ground, dead or unconscious, but most of the already impressive army is charging through the stairs, fighting gods with... godly powers?

"What's this!? A joke? How can humans have strength that would be enough to bend a god's knee?"

Cuiv rages silently, curious, but in awe for the most part.

"Yes, this is unheard of. Not unless they are in the same predicament as Kael here, it is not possible for them to have such powers."

Some of them bombard the temple with fire coming from thin air as they point their fingers and palms to the temple, destroying its magnificence.

The surrounding field burns, the sky possesses a shade of dark red.

One man can be seen from the very top of the sky, glowing a triumphant yellow glow, like the sun.

He speaks, the man's words seem to echo in everyone's ears.

"Now is the time that the gods will bow down to us. There will no longer be a tyranny upon us mortals who live their lives fairly and just. Follow me, your king, and we shall conquer them all!"

The man opens his arms in acceptance of the air, an air of seriousness surrounds him.

As he finishes his speech, the army yells in cheer, bolstering their ranks as their charge strengthens.

"Just what are the gods up there doing? Can't they just strike these hapless monkeys down?"

Cuiv rants on.

"I don't know why, but we must get inside the temple somehow without attracting the attention of the army here, otherwise we'd have to face their full wrath."

"What do you suggest then, Gastor? I don't have any ideas right now."

Suddenly, a flash of light sparks tension in the ranks including us as someone challenges the so called king.

The giant hammer can be seen from here, causing a shockwave to pulsate from their clash.

"Is that Thor?"

I focus my eyes, seeing the overconfident god flailing his hammer here and there, but failing to even budge the man who counters all his attacks with one swing of his blade.

The man warps to Thor's back in an instant, not even making a sound or a movement.

Without Thor's knowing, the man swings his blade from the left, sending Thor towards somewhere, opposite from where we're facing, behind us.

"Wait..."

As I open my mouth the speak, a large scale explosion ruptures the ground, creating a fissure larger than anything we've ever felt even from the feast.

We desperately cling to one of the trees as to not get sent forward due to the pulse of wind.

It quickly dies down, disorienting us, as I black out for a few seconds.

My body feels like it's being shook hard by someone.

"Kael, Kael! awaken! This is grave, I need for you to awaken!"

"W-What's wrong, Gastor?"

"The settlement... It's been hit, that's where the man sent Thor crashing."

Gastor's words awaken me... It's as if I've lost all understanding of the world.

I stare at the sky, still burning red, the roars of the soldiers become louder as the act happens.

It's like my life is draining out from me, nature taking back its energy.

"Svanvhit, please tell me you're okay, everyone too. Please... don't let it come to this."