"Are you not hungry, hun?"

A plate of food sat in front of Taka. His hands were drooped by his sides. He stared at the meal: coconut chicken curry. He could smell the coconut, his mouth watering.

"Taka?"

He looked up. Across the table was a figure, but blurry, as if her face had been etched out and smudged.

"It's getting cold," she said softly.

Taka blinked. The blurriness remained. Taka looked down at his food; it was calling out to him. He reached out his hand, grabbed his spoon, and then put it in his mouth. He teared up at the flavor, all of the seasonings...

Something clicked and everything turned white. No more food, or the blurry woman. Taka looked down and could still see himself, but he felt weightless, as if gravity didn't exist.

"Taka," a feminine voice called from nowhere. "Or do you prefer Filo now?"

Taka scowled. He was tired of being thrown around, "what do you want?"

The sound of his voice surprised him. Taka looked at himself again, examining his body as the realization that he was back in human form made his brain ache.

"You almost died. If you transfuse that much of your mana and leave yourself with none, you might not wake up. Magia and life force are one and the same, you're playing quite the dangerous game."

"Are you the one who blessed me?" Taka asked.

Silence filled the empty space, making Taka feel small, a small blip in a vast ocean of nothingness.

"I am," the voice said reluctantly.

"Thank you. You saved me."

"I may be a god, but I'm not a saint, Filo," the voice warned. "My blessing has a cost."

"What is it?" Taka asked warily.

"I will tell you when the time is right. But be prepared to follow through, as that is your only option."

That was concerning. Taka had enough on his plate with all the craziness that had just happened in Kronkswell, and to have a god expecting something from him on top of everything else... it was a lot.

"May I ask your name?" Taka queried.

The voice chuckled, "you may ask, but I may not tell."

The silence echoed throughout the space. Taka wondered where he was, if he was anywhere.

"You may call me Beja," the voice said at last. "Do not tell others of this name. Understood?"

"Yes, whatever you wish," Taka replied.

Beja, he thought to himself. Maybe they'll be willing to tell me...

"Beja, are you the one who made me a High Worm?"

Beja laughed, "technically not. I simply came in after and filled a hole."

"So, why am I a High Worm?"

"Because you made someone very angry, angry enough to cause that someone to make a mistake," Beja explained.

"And that someone... are you, aligned, with them?" Taka tested.

Beja grunted, "no, but I refuse to get seriously involved in those antics. Honestly, I'm surprised you've lasted this long."

Taka couldn't help himself, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because it's entertaining," Beja answered simply. "You provide me with amusement."

Taka felt rage boil within him. Amusement? This hell I've been going through, getting reincarnated as a fucking worm, is just for entertainment? He took a moment to calm his mind. I need them, whatever they are, no matter what they say, to be on my side. I need answers.

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"Can you tell me anything about Vanz'goran's power? Or Syla--"

"No, and your time is almost up," Beja said as if she was getting bored of the conversation.

"How would I kill Val--"

"DO NOT SAY THAT NAME," Beja commanded as Taka's mouth shut involuntarily. "You're far too weak to ask questions like that. Not nearly strong enough for... hm. How about this: you get stronger, much stronger, at least as capable of taking down a creature such as that old lizard you saved, and we'll talk again. Oh, and you'll have to wait here until your body is strong enough to stay conscious again, which could be a while. And don't forget, I'll be watching!"

"What do you mean 'strong enough,' and I'm stuck here?"

No answer.

"Hello!?"

Silence. Moments turned into seconds, seconds into minutes, minutes into hours... Taka lost track of time as he waited for something. He felt strange, floating in the nothingness, his human body feeling like a shirt that no longer fit right. He had grown accustomed to being small, and although there was nothing to compare his size to in the blank space, he still felt large.

Taka thought of his old life, his friends, his family, everything he missed and would likely never see again. I wish I could say goodbye... no. It doesn't matter. Taka pushed his feelings away, I need to focus on what I can do when I wake up. Taka thought through his list of questions, getting rid of those that he had already answered. He needed to get stronger, and he thought of the attack on Kronkswell.

Questions:

-How do I get stronger, fast?

-Who ordered the attack on Kronkswell, and why?

-How did Vanz'goran gain the power that made him Demon Lord?

-What is Deon hiding? What is Bick hiding?

-Which god blessed me? What is Beja planning to make me do?

- What was happening in that dream? How do I make sure that doesn't happen?

- Why am I a High Worm and not just a normal worm? / did some god bless me?

-What about being a High Worm can help me?

-How do I find Syla's mother?

-How do I free the souls trapped within Syla's body?

- Is the god who summoned me going to try to kill me? -How do I kill Valish, the god of creation?

----------------------------------------

The world was bright. Taka opened his eyes and saw Deon beside him on a bed, the old lizard man covered in bandages, sharpening a dagger. They were in Deon's study, Syla at the foot of the bed, and the fox girl, Maeve, posted at the door. Taka used his TELEPATHY skill on Deon, who turned toward Taka as the link was established.

You're awake, Deon said.

Yes, Taka replied. What happened?

Thanks to you, we're still here. I'd probably be dead if you hadn't helped. I brought back almost all of the evacuees, but a few are missing.

Evacuees? Taka asked as he slithered up into a sitting position.

Deon grinned back, As soon as the first bird came through, I used my Divine Art to send everyone I could in the castle away. Over half made it out.

A weight lifted off Taka's shoulders. They're not all dead, Taka thought to himself. They're still here.

Deon's face twitched as sadness seemed to wash over him, not everyone, though. Rhoz is missing.

Taka's heart sank. Rhoz, the lizard folk who had stayed up with him all night to flip pages for him before he could move around. My friend, Taka thought as his eyes began to well with tears.

She saved Syla, a horde of those birds went after them -- Maeve caught me up to speed -- but Rhoz didn't get away. She's disappeared with the rest of them. Now you still for a moment.

Taka resumed his prone sleeping position, trying his best to process everything that was going on.

"Syla," Deon said aloud. "I believe Sir Filo will be waking up soon. Will you go let His Majesty know?"

Syla looked at Deon as if she was about to say something, but instead nodded and opened the door, revealing another lizard man guarding the room from outside. Deon nodded to Maeve, and she followed Syla out of the room.

Why'd you send her away? Taka asked.

"Because I needed a moment alone with you before what's about to happen. Syla's been checking on you every few minutes, and that fox girl is quite perceptive."

What's about to happen?

"You're about to have an audience with the Demon Lord and explain everything that happened. You're going to lie about being able to use raw magic. It's too dangerous. You're also going to have to figure out how to explain whatever you did to block Daldrus's attack and save me -- because if it involves any gods, lie about that too. Vanz'goran cares a lot about his people, and if he thinks you might be a threat to them, even if you've done nothing but try to help so far..." Deon's voice trailed off.

That stung Taka deep. He'd begun to think of Kronkswell as his home, but if Deon was telling the truth, he had to make sure he stayed on guard.

Alright, Taka sent. But why now? Doesn't Van-- His Majesty, have more important things to do right now?

Deon chuckled, then winced in pain. "Filo, you managed to beat one of the birds that forced almost everyone else in the castle to either run away or... and then you saved me and Vanz'goran from a fae. You are the reason their plan didn't work, and we are all grateful, but you're also still an unknown. So be careful."

Taka nodded at the battered lizard man as the door swung open, Vanz'goran stepping into the room followed by Syla, Maeve, and 2 lizard folk guards escorting another lizard man in chains... Zirko. Taka got the feeling that he may have just jumped right out of the frying pan into the fire.