Z woke up with a start. A feeling of pure euphoria clouded the back of his mind, though much less prominent than before. Z slowly propped himself up onto his elbows. He squinted his eyes, pushing himself up and forcing his legs to stand. They were still weak, but other than a couple of wobbles, he managed.

Z glanced around, trying to determine where he was. In front of him, a large fire radiated strong heat, immediately ebbing out the cold. The boy shivered as the chill seeped out of his body, stepping closer to the warmth.

Two figures were sitting next to the fire, one on a moist log and one on a smooth slab of stone. Stone that couldn’t possibly be naturally made, what with the glossy furnish and perfectly prism shape. The closer he got to the two figures, the foggier his mind became. Something about these two set off alarms in his head.

The taller one turned towards him, making Z step back with caution.

The figure seemed to be amused at his trepidation. He waved a hand at him, and all of a sudden Z’s head was clearer than ever before. Z frowned, watching the two figures carefully. The man on the log smiled at him, his hair reflecting the fire’s light like water, seeming to ripple with his every move. Something in Z’s mind clicked. They were Gods.

“You figured it out. Good job.” The bluish man spoke, his voice chiming across the walls of the cove. Z gulped. No one had ever encountered the Gods in person before. Or if anyone had, they didn’t live to tell the tale.

The man on the log seemed to be able to sense his distress. He chucked, “Fear not, little one. We won’t hurt you. We’re even suppressing our magic to allow you a clear mind.”

So their magic was the source of his grogginess. Z warily glanced up at the man, keeping his face tilted towards the ground.

“Who are you?”

The man chuckled, a soothing sound like the rapids in a river. His translucent blue eyes held a dangerous glint. “I’m Arion, the God of Water. This here is… ahm…” His voice trailed off.

“Sorrel.” Z helpfully supplied. He was all too familiar with the face that haunted his nightmares.

Sorrel, however, didn’t pay Z any mind. The boy watched, astonished, as the Great Fire Deity pouted at Arion. “You don’t even know my name? We’ve known each other for millennia!”

Arion cleared his throat. “It… slipped my mind. " Sorrel scowled, and the other man pursed his lips. Ignoring Sorrel, he turned back to Z, a coy smile on his face. “You intrigue me. A mere Fire elemental, and an Ash at that. Yet in the presence of Gods, you don’t seem to hold any sense of fear.”

Z didn’t respond. He avoided Arion’s gaze, staring intensely at the water lapping at his ankles. Arion hummed. He slowly lifted his hand, and Z could feel his mind grow numb as the God’s eyes glowed a bright blue.

Astonished, he watched as a bubble of water floated towards him. “Drink,” Arion commanded. Z glanced up at him prudently, cautiously bringing a hand up to cup the sphere of liquid.

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Arion smiled as he watched the boy analyze the bubble. “I can’t believe there’s a human that can withstand our divinity.” He shot a glare at Sorrel. “How in the world did you manage to snatch up such a diamond I’d looked over?” Sorrel’s face lit up, and Z could almost see an invisible tail wagging behind him.

Arion rolled his eyes. He spoke dismissively, “Forget it. You probably didn’t notice him either,” making Sorrel’s face fall back into a pout. Z felt an almost sadistic form of satisfaction from watching the very same man who smirked down at him all those years ago in a puddle of affection for this other God. Well, it was also a bit pathetic.

Sorrel’s eyes shot towards him, his face contorting into a sneer. “What the hell are you doing? Arion told you to drink! He’s been holding that bubble in the air for you, you ungrateful little sh-”

“Sorrel.” Arion cut him off. “Knock it off. It’s pointless to be jealous of a human.” Z’s jaw dropped open slightly as he watched Sorrel interact with Arion. A poorly masked look of disgust twisted itself onto his face as he wondered how someone so idiotic could be a God.

Still, he feverishly drank the water. It was the best water he’d ever had in his life. The minerals from the lake gave it the perfect tangy taste, yet it was still fresh and clear, like a winter morning.

Arion’s eyes dimmed, and Z could feel his thoughts clear again.

“Well,” Arion hummed.

Z looked up at the Water Deity, who chuckled at him, “I hear you have a competition to get to? The one for the Queen’s Guard?”

Z nodded in agreement, making Arion click his teeth. “I cannot fathom why someone like you would want to participate in that ridiculous dick-measuring contest… but I suppose you have your reasons.”

He looked up at the cove ceiling as if contemplating something. Finally, he stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in his dress. “I’ve made up my mind.” He strolled over to Z, declaring, “To make up for not catching a gem like you, I will provide you with two gifts.”

“The first…” Z felt a warm feeling wash over him as if he was sinking into a warm bath drawn up by his mother. A tear nearly ran down his face at the nostalgic feeling. “… is my support. If you, a mere Ash, succeed in achieving your goal, I will give you the greatest gift a human could ever wield. Should you fail…”

Arion slid his finger under Z’s chin, bringing his face up to meet his own. “You will be stripped of your magic. The already worthless title of Ash you wield? It will dissipate into nothing.” Z narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what that meant.

The title of Ash may seem like nothing, but it was the only thing saving him from descending into a life of utter despair. Because at least Ash meant he was still a citizen of Isela. If he were to lose his citizenship…

“The second gift is the first step towards making the Queen’s Guard. I’ll take you where you want to go.” He hummed, letting Z’s head drop.

Arion quietly stood up, his eyes glowing a calm blue once more. Again, Z’s senses were muffled, but they were accompanied now by an overwhelming pressure that shook not only his consciousness but the depth of his bones. The pressure left as quickly as it had come, and Arion’s eyes were clear once more. “Do you accept these terms?” Z gulped. “And if I don’t?”

A sickly sweet smile slithered onto the God’s face. “Nothing.”

Well.

It was better than what he had now. He looked up at Arion, a determined look in his eyes. “Alright. I’ll do as you say. I will succeed in making the Queen’s Guard.”

Arion giggled. “If you were given the chance, of course you would. With someone of your prowess, I would be more surprised if you didn’t make the Guard.” The man smiled. “No, to earn my gift, you must achieve a goal that proves you worthy.”

Z frowned. A goal that makes him worthy? Surely he didn’t mean… did he?

The Ash opened his mouth to ask, but before he could, something else the God said struck an alarm in his brain. “Wait, what? What do you mean given the chance— ARGH!”

Z didn’t have time to react before a searing pain soared through his abdomen and water filled all of his senses. He felt like he was drowning, but without the ecstasy to numb his brain like before, all he could feel was pain as water filled his nose, his ears, his mouth, his eyes.

A voice screamed, perhaps his, before the world went black once more.