“Oh, gods!” Passion half-panted-half-squeaked in a voice several octaves too high. She was currently squatting, hands covering her face. As if standing were too much for her swooning self to bear. “Have you ever seen such a heartfelt confession?”

The high rankers stood a respectable distance away during all of this, showing no indication of interfering. I had to admire their poker faces. Stone-cold, those delvers. No, we were on our own.

Before anyone could answer that question, she teleported over to Aerion, holding her hands.

“My dear, you must accept. You can’t let a man’s heartfelt feelings go unanswered! You mustn’t!”

If the goddess didn’t literally have tears in her eyes, I’d have thought she was fucking with Aerion. I genuinely couldn’t decide which was more terrifying.

Aerion, for her part, stood as still as a statue, eyes as big as saucers, her mouth opening and closing, but making no sound.

“That’s quite enough of this,” Richard said, physically pulling the two apart. Or more like Passion let him. “You’ve had your fill, yeah? You’ve already traumatized my friend.”

“Traumatize! Why, I would never—”

“Sorry about that,” Richard said to Aerion, cutting off his patron deity. “I’ll try to get her away before she can do any more damage.”

“Damage! Damage!? My Ritchie? Saying something so mean? I… I can’t… Do you know how hard it is for a goddess? Do you know how long I’ve wished for such a beautiful proposal?”

The tears were streaming freely down the goddess’ face, and even I might’ve been fooled if I hadn’t seen what Cosmo and Dominion were like. I wasn’t about to take any god at face value. Let alone someone so unhinged.

“You get no end of proposals,” Richard said flatly. “You can scarcely spend ten seconds on your territory without receiving a love letter of some kind!”

Passion scrunched her nose. “It’s not the same! I’m a goddess, Richie. Only another god will do.”

“Uh, there’s one right there,” I said, thumbing to Eskil and Dominion, walking off into the distance.

“That brute?” Passion spat. “Please! Not my type.” The goddess began rattling off names, extending her fingers one by one. “Wisdom’s got that innocent, irresistible charm, but she’s never shown an interest in the same sex. Tragic, really. We’d make a great couple. Cunning and I have had our flings, but there’s no spark there, you know?” Passion brought her hands to her chest and sighed, but it came out closer to a moan of pleasure. “If only Grace would propose. Now there’s a man after my heart.”

So, Grace was a guy, and Wisdom a woman. The verdict was still out on Cunning, but that was… interesting. While I’m sure all of this was common knowledge to an Axian, it was still news to me.

“There’s no rule saying it ought to be the man doing the proposing, y’know?” Richard said. “In fact, my wife was the one who expressed her feelings for me, first.”

“Is that so?” Passion said. “You never mentioned that! The next time we meet, you’re telling me all about you two lovebirds.”

I had to wonder how this conversation became a counseling session for a goddess. I supposed chaos was the name of the game when it came to gods.

Even the god of Order, apparently, I thought, smirking.

That thought gave me an idea. A terrible idea. And before my brain had the chance to run it through my mental filters, my mouth was already open.

“What about Order?” I asked.

I knew I’d fucked up big time when Passion froze.

“What did you just say?” she asked, staring at me like a hawk eyeing its prey.

“Oh, well, you mentioned the others… What about Order?”

“That’s… Order, ha ha! Well, you see…”

Deer in the headlights couldn’t have been more apt to describe the goddess. Or a teen talking about her secret crush. She looked downright stricken.

“He and I, we, er…” she stammered, eyes darting every which way. “I have to go!”

Before any of us could react, she’d already poofed out of existence, leaving us alone. Alone and dumbfounded.

“Someone mind telling me what that was about?” I said, looking at Aerion and Richard, who returned blank stares.

Boy did I have some gossip to ask Cosmo about…

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

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

With all the commotion of the gods, I’d almost forgotten about the others. Many others, in fact.

We hadn’t been the only delvers to enter the dungeon, and we certainly hadn’t been the only ones alive when we’d caused the core to collapse.

Around fifty others were spread around the rubble of the landing castle, and the ones who’d been too far to spot Dominion and Passion had been making their way to the forest, bound for who-knew-where. They must not have made it farther in, since we hadn’t come across a single other delver.

I didn’t spot any corpses, though. Whoever died in the dungeon stayed in the dungeon.

And, I supposed, some even became part of it, forever cursed to live as slaves to the dungeon, like Cyrus and his people.

A few of the delvers cheered, but most looked tired and dejected. I couldn’t blame them. Sure, annihilating a dungeon was good for the world, but there wasn’t a single delver who wasn’t also gunning for the rewards.

And then there was the entourage of high rankers, who’d been kneeling some distance away this whole time.

Kneeling… and glaring daggers at us. Well, me, in particular. Those glares turned even more savage when we neared, and they offered their congratulations to Richard, congratulating Aerion only after Richard said he couldn’t have done it without our help. I could feel their auras bristling, getting under my skin.

“And who might you be?” a woman asked, giving me a look of such pure disgust that I wondered if I’d wronged her in a past life or something. That, when combined with her aura, almost made me step back.

My heart pumped. Not from fear, but excitement. This was what I could aspire to. This gravitas… This presence. More than human. A demigod.

I had to wonder if that aura could be wielded in combat, somehow. If it could be somehow controlled and released at just the right time… I couldn’t wait to get there.

“Greg,” I said, reaching an arm out. “Aerion’s bodyguard and porter.”

My armshake was not reciprocated.

“A bodyguard,” she said, looking at me like a cockroach.

“Er, yes?” I replied, feeling that intangible aura of hers grow ever more violent.

“Greg here saved my life on numerous occasions,” Richard said, clapping my shoulder. “Wouldn’t have made it without him.”

Their open hostility cooled a few degrees, but not entirely.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Did I do something to offend you?”

The woman, seemingly unable to restrain herself any longer, finally spoke. “It’s a wonder you’re still alive,” she said.

“Uh, sorry?” I replied. “Not sure I follow.”

“You are neither a Champion nor a high ranker. Yet you fail to show deference before not just one, but two, deities. Have you no shame?”

“Oh.” I scratched my neck. I suppose that would be pretty odd. I just wasn’t used to kneeling in front of people. “My bad,” I said. “I was in such awe, I forgot myself.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “And yet you held a conversation with Passion as though she were a friend…”

“I guess my mouth just ran itself,” I said, shaking my head. “Really don’t know what I was thinking. You’re definitely right. I’m lucky the gods are so compassionate, ha ha.”

She clearly didn’t buy my story, but I apparently wasn’t worth the trouble, because after giving me another suspicious glance, turned to Richard.

I’d have to be more careful from now on. Acting this deferential simply wasn’t in my blood.

“Sir Richard,” she said. “It was an honor meeting you. I bid you success in this Cataclysm and I promise we will all do our utmost to aid you.”

“I would certainly appreciate that,” Richard said, nodding to the high rankers. “May the Archon’s reign be short and painless.”

The woman nodded, echoing his words, before bidding us farewell and bounding away at speeds that defied the mind. Far faster than Aerion or I could accomplish, even with our stats.

High rankers might have had a much more limited set of powers compared to Champions, but their stats were nothing to scoff at. They could cream us if they wanted to. At least, as we were. I didn’t doubt we’d eventually outstrip them, but until then, they were very much a threat.

Note to self. Don’t piss off high ranking Blessed and Boonworthy. Will not end well.

The others bid their farewells, and just moments later, it was Richard, Aerion, and me again, standing in the ruins of what used to be the dungeon.

Not a moment too soon, either. I felt like I couldn’t breathe right with those delvers around. Were they always like that? Or could they suppress that aura? Awfully inconvenient if they couldn’t.

Richard scanned the area, clearly looking for something.

“Your guards?” Aerion asked softly.

Richard’s shoulders fell, and he nodded once. “Afraid I don’t see ‘em. Not one.”

“Cataclysm dungeons are dangerous places,” Aerion said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Without you, they would have been hard-pressed.”

“It’s just… Two of them were Divergence, y’know?” Richard said, staring off into the distance. “Fine blokes, the lot of them. I thought they’d survive.”

“Any of them have cold resistance?” I asked.

“Not that I recall,” Richard replied.

“Then chances are good the cold got to them. Aerion and I lucked out being near a cabin, and you ended up near the enemy’s compound. If either of us were even a mile farther…”

“We’d be dead,” Richard finished, looking heartbroken. “So they all froze to death, then…”

“Seems likely,” I said, wondering why it was that Richard, Eskil, and I ended up in positions of relative safety. At least, I guessed Eskil had. It seemed a little convenient.

“Say, how did you and Aerion end up together?” Richard asked suddenly. “I searched for my guards for hours, but never found them, and the weather was quite decent when I arrived. Sounds like you two ran into a blizzard, yeah? You must’ve been pretty close.”

“Pretty close, yeah,” I said, locking eyes with Aerion.

“We were quite lucky,” she added.

“You got that right!” Richard said.

Both Aerion and I tensed. Was he about to call our bluff?

“Must’ve been that luck that carried us through the dungeon, eh?” he said, and just like that, the tension evaporated.

“Must be,” I replied, chuckling.

“Well then, I say we get a move on,” Richard said. “Already past midday, and I’d rather us build a good camp for the night. Where to?”

“Basecrest,” Aerion replied, stretching. “I long for a hot bath and a delicious meal. No more rations. I’ve had my fill of rations for a lifetime.”

“You and me, both,” Richard said, scanning the clearing. “A bit surprised at the lack of a welcoming party, though…”

I shrugged. “Sinclair’s forces are spread thin. He probably sent everyone he had here.”

“Fair enough,” Richard replied. “I wouldn’t suppose either of you know the way back, then?”

Aerion and I exchanged glances.

“As it so happens, we do,” she said, pointing in the direction we came. “That way.”

“Excellent!” Richard said jovially. “Now, before we head out….”

The warmth faded from his face, and he turned to me, staring—almost glaring at me.

“There is something of vital importance we must discuss, first.”