Following behind the man, I carried Alice while Xia carried Olivia who was still sleeping. All three had refused to stay at home, instead coming with me. I understood why they were simply worried about me and the fact this person had just shown up at home and said my mothers name and mentioned Crater Hell had been unexpected. We didn’t think it was a trap, but all things considered we weren’t taking chances. As for how we’d escape if it became a trap, well we had already sorted that out. We weren’t going to the Church of Darkness, instead we were heading to the Guild.

I had told the man we were not going to the Church and he offered the Guild as an option, saying that the Archbishop was aware of my distrust towards Churches and since they only wanted to speak with me they did not mind making arrangements. I had wondered if that meant the Archbishop was an adventurer, but it turns out that wasn’t the case. The Guild just allowed one to rent a meeting room to meet others regardless of if they were an adventurer or not.

Looking at the night sky, I smiled slightly as I took it in. The stars still continued to respond to me, and now some more did so. While most had responded before, a small part never did. Now, a few more seemed to resonate with me. Oddly enough even the moon did, which left me a bit confused because I had thought both the stars and moon wouldn’t respond to me anymore since they would fall under Celestia’s dominion.

As we entered the Guild, I asked an attendant for a private room, and after sorting out a high security room where none could hear us, I asked the attendant to inform Alexander. The attendant had been rather confused, and I couldn’t blame him since no one recognized me, but after showing him the bracelet I wore that signified my standing as his disciple the attendant went to inform him.

Entering the rather fancy meeting room, which consisted of a large round table, I sat down with Alice on my lap, Xia to my right and a sleepy Olivia to my left. The man had burnt a piece of parchment and informed me that it would inform the Archbishop of our location. Alexander soon entered the room, and following him was a hooded figure, female in appearance and by the sense of their strength they were beyond the Crossroads.

She looked towards me before seating herself opposite of me. Alexander stood between us while sitting and spoke. “As this meeting is taking place in the Guild, I will remind both parties that this is neutral ground, and if any conflict arises the aggressor will be killed without remorse. This is according to the laws of this city and the rules of the Guild. I will act as mediator if required during this meeting.”

“Thank you, Branch Master Alexander of the Corrosive Dragon. Rest assured, I only wish to speak with your disciple for a short time and will not hold her up.” As she spoke, the hooded Archbishop removed her hood to reveal a beautiful face that held a pair of jade green eyes and purple hair. She looked at me with a gentleness that left me feeling safe, oddly.

“Child of Melody, I finally get to meet you.”

“Who are you?” Keeping my guard up, I watched her carefully.

“Sindora. I knew your mother, Melody and I’ve known of you since you first arrived in Vale.”

“You’re not here to convince me to follow your God are you?”

Sindora smiled softly while shaking her head. “No. After what you have gone through, I wouldn't dream of it. Of course, our doors are open to you at any time, but we will never try and convince or hoodwink you into following our Goddess, Nyx.”

“The Primordial Goddess, Nyx?” Alexander spoke up while looking at her. “You’re from that Church?”

“It’s an honour for you to know of us. Yes, we worship Her and I am one of Her Blessed. Early today I had received a revelation that it would be safe to meet with the Child of Melody. We had been warned that doing so before may have led to the Sisterhood of the Moon Goddess destroying our Church, or war erupting within Vale. Though we might be one of the larger Churches in Vale, our followers have not been strong since the war many years ago.”

“War?” I ask this while stroking Alice’s hair.

“Short lived but we lost many. That is when I met with your mother. It happened hundreds of years ago, a clash between two Gods, the Goddess of Lust and the Goddess of Purity. When two Gods come to blows, their worshippers will also declare war on each other. Initially the war seemed to be like usual, the same clash that has occurred between those two Goddesses had occurred many times. This time, a Demigod from the Purity side made a mistake. They massacred the Church of Fear, a Church allied with Lust and a part of the Darkness. This caused the war to escalate, pulling in the Church of Darkness eventually.

“The war resulted in a short two month all out war. Your mother and I met during that time. She, the Chosen of Nyx, was a powerhouse. Even as a peak Epsilon-class she killed Demigods with a ruthlessness that I have since never seen. Her mastery over Primordial Darkness and Stellar Radiance left her untouchable during the night time. Even during the day she could pull her opponents into a Dimension of pure darkness and fight on even ground.

“She had saved me back then, and many others. I had been rather nervous to meet her, the so-called ‘Melody of Death’, but I quickly found she was very kind. Fierce towards her opponents, and those who betrayed her or hurt her friends would end up dead. I remember seeing her angry once, it’s like the night sky itself had joined in her anger as she vented it against a Demigod who had betrayed and killed a friend of hers.

“Even with her at our sides, we eventually lost the war and became scattered. We had become weakened, needing to rebuild ourselves, and though it’s been nearly three hundred years since then we are nowhere near what we once were. The Alliance of Darkness had put so much into that war and we still ended up like that. After the war ended, I had become fast friends with Melody, in fact I had fallen in love with her, but she had no interest in romance. Even then, we continued to be good friends even after we parted ways.

“She had wanted to seek out her own Divinity and step into the realm of Demigod. A terrifying thought to most. If she, as an Epsilon-class could lay waste to Demigods, just how strong would she be as a Demigod? She hadn’t even reached Omega-class let alone Demigod while I knew her yet she wanted to get through Omega-class as quickly as possible.

“That was the last I heard from her. Sixteen, nearly seventeen, years ago I learnt she had come to blows with another Goddess. She had reached the realm of Demigod at that point. That Goddess is exactly who you think it is. Celestia. For what reason she came to blows with Her we do not know, all we know is the fight had occurred in the Divine Realm and that Melody had vanished that day. No one knew where she had gone, not until nearly 2 years ago, when you awoke your inner monster, that of a Demonic Fox.

“However, we were powerless to help you. You were in Crater Hell and we were scattered, the distance too great. At that time we did not know that you were Melody’s child, but a revelation given to us by Nyx told us you were. A Church three years from Crater Hell started to move, but before they could even leave their city, you evolved and we were given a warning. Do not approach you, under any circumstances. You had been ensnared by the Moon Goddess and become Her Chosen.

“After that, you soon arrived in Vale, which at the time left us confused, since it is impossible. After some time of you being here, you started displaying the same talent in doing nearly impossible tasks as Melody had done. We had wanted to assist you as well in your fight against the Church of the Moon Goddess, something that we had become further confused about. Why would a Chosen of a Goddess be attacked by Her own Church?

“We found the reason out. Firstly, you have taken after your mother and have your monster traits. Celestia is very anti-monster, I’m sure you’ve noticed this now. There are no evolved monsters in the religion of the Moon Goddess and they will not hesitate to kill them. But your case was interesting. You were constantly set upon with weaker members that matched your level, with the only exception being two assassins who attacked you at the Lily Pond Inn, but they were easily defeated and given to you to kill.

“We came up with a theory, the only reasoning we could believe. They were using themselves to help you grow stronger. The ambushes, the straight up attacks and the fear you held towards them. They could have very easily dealt with you the day you arrived. Yet they didn’t and only attacked you at certain moments, accumulating in you leading an assault on the Church itself. We didn’t know why the Moon Goddess did this, we have never really dealt with Her or Her worshippers before, but it left us speechless.

“Then things around you became peaceful within Vale. We could only watch and don’t know what happened after the attack on the Church, but yesterday we felt a powerful eruption of Delta-level Primordial Darkness and at the same time we received a revelation that it was okay to meet you. We investigated what happened and according to those that live near you they heard a voice that declared that they would no longer be the Chosen of Celestia. I decided to wait some time before I sent a Bishop to pass you a message, and here we are.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

As she finished talking, a silence fell upon the room as I realised I had become engrossed in her words. I wasn’t the only one. Xia had been on the edge of her seat, Olivia had become wide awake, Alexander had a deep, thoughtful look to him and Alice…had fallen asleep. Letting everything sink in, I sat there while thinking, not realising the full depth to who my mother was.

“Wouldn’t she be Zeta-Class if she could kill Demigods?” Alexander looked up at Sindora as he spoke. She shook her head.

“We had thought the same. Her Pathway showed her as Peak Epsilon-Class though, just like you’d expect to see when looking at a dungeon. It had always been that way, she said, starting from Delta-Class onwards. She never really shared what her Pathway was or what she received from it, well no one really shares that information, I only knew that it was a Pathway to Divinity.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to everything she had told us, after all I hadn’t known my mother at all. But to hear that she had been so powerful made me realise why she would’ve been hunted by the Moon Goddess. I knew what I wanted to say though.

“I’m not becoming the Chosen of Nyx, so if that’s why you’re here, forget it.”

Sindora shook her head lightly while still smiling. “We don’t expect you to. Nor do we expect you to repay us. Nyx helped you this one time because of your mother. She will only ensure the Blood God doesn’t interfere with you, otherwise you’re on your own. The Church of Darkness is open to you anytime you wish to either visit or if you simply want to come and hear stories about Melody. I will however assist you, not because of Nyx, but to repay Melody for saving me that day.”

Sindora turns to Alexander. “Where are you planning to take her when she steps onto her path?”

“I had planned on taking her to Mount Silverlight since it has powerful Lunar energy, but now…”

“Ah, that would be the best option. I can offer the corpse of an ancient primordial darkness dragon and our sacred treasure, its heart.”

Alexander snapped his head towards Sindora, looking absolutely shocked, a face I had never seen before from him. “Are you sure? It’s the sacred treasure of your Church!”

“Yes, I have already gotten permission. I believe with both of those and Mount Silverlight it will give her more than enough to step onto her Path while further empowering her magics.”

“I will let you know when we are ready. She needs to return to Crater first before she can even see the Crossroads, then she’ll need to complete her Conditions.”

“I see. Well, please let me know when the time has arrived and I’ll begin immediately. I’ll also bring four others who have passed the Crossroads to assist.”

Sindora looks back at me and smiles. “I hope you can find her. Don’t worry about other Gods interfering with you, just focus on getting stronger.”

“Thank you for telling me about my mother. I’d like to tell you what happened to her, but…”

“I know. Come by the Church sometime, I’ll have a pot of tea ready and some stories.” She stands while giving me a serious look. “A warning for you before I leave. Your mother’s body has been tampered with by the Moon Goddess. It won’t cause you any harm, so don’t worry. I do not know what has been tampered with, my guess is that they have placed false evidence to convince you she worshipped the Moon Goddess.”

“Thank you. It was nice to hear about her.”

“Any time. Take care of yourself, and I hope your visit to Crater is fruitful.” Sindora bows slightly with her hand on her heart, same with the man behind her before they both disappeared, with only black smoke left behind that quickly faded.

“I must go too, there are still preparations for tonight. Alisha, come find me before nightfall.” Alexander left through the door while I leaned back in the chair, deep in thought.

“Xia?”

“Yes, Alisha?”

“Can you please purchase high-grade meats and ingredients? Enough to fill the storage and extra. I’m planning to make some snacks and meals for those in Crater. Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Certainly.”

Xia stood and was about to bow, but stopped herself before leaving the room. She was attempting to get rid of the habits of being a Guardian which made me happy. I lost myself in my thoughts for a while before turning to Olivia.

“Want to go and buy something for Sally and Grey?”

“Sure!”

We stood and moved out of the room, heading towards the equipment shops along the street to find items that we believed could help our two friends in Crater.

***

Standing in the kitchen admiring my work, I felt slightly exhausted with how much I had worked. It was approaching nightfall and with the help of Olivia, who now was hiding in her room, and Xia, I had managed to finish making a lot of different sorts of snack food and some stat increasing food for Sally and Grey.

“Nervous?” I looked at Elise, who had come around to visit. She would be looking after Alice while I was away. It had taken some time to convince her and I had to promise I would play with her a lot when I got back. When I asked her what she meant by a lot, she simply giggled and said ‘LOTS!’ She had also demanded ‘Lots Yummy!’ making Xia giggle.

“A bit. It’s a shame only I can go, I would’ve loved to take everyone.”

“Well, perhaps next time. Don’t worry, Alice and Olivia will be fine. Olivia will be meeting with Roman tomorrow and I’ll make sure to take Alice to the storage so she can gain experience.”

“Thank you, Elise.”

“Don’t mention it, I told you. It’s what I’ll do for any of the adventurers under me. I’ve looked after children many times. What is the plan when you get there?”

“Well, I’ll likely conquer Cerberus’s Domain first, then find my mother. If I have time, see Teacher Lee since I made a promise with him to share my stories, but spending time with Sally and Grey takes priority.”

“Busy busy busy. Well, with Xia, Summer, Xeon and Elizabeth going into a dungeon to level and Olivia more determined to catch up, everyone will be busy for some time. Aubrey too will be levelling, though her unique way of fighting with magic tools and needing lifeforce for experience doesn’t suit a party, so she is going at it slowly. Poor girl, only if there were magics she could use.” Elise sighed while taking a sip of coffee that I had prepared.

“Well, I hope that we all can pass the Crossroads together. I’d wait for everyone, but with the one year time limit…” I sighed as I picked up my cup.

“Well, one step at a time. One you’re through you can wait for everyone. It’s also been determined that Tails will be your new advisor once you become Platinum Grade. She’ll take over from me so from now on I’m really just your advisor in name until you pass the Crossroads.”

“Well, to being friends?” Holding my cup up, I smile at Elise.

“Of course. I’ll annoy you to death with advice anytime.” Elise clinks my cup with hers as we laugh.

***

Entering Alexander’s office, I see him waiting for me.

“All set?”

“Yes, I’ve gotten everything I want to bring.” I had a house sized dimension bag with me, filled with an assortment of food, clothing and gifts for Sally and Grey.

“Good. There has been a slight change to the duration that you’ll be going for. With Getsuna’s help we’ve increased the time limit to fourteen days, giving you ample time to get everything done.”

Feeling rather surprised, Alexander simply nodded. “I’ve informed Elise and she’ll let everyone know. I did want to inform you earlier but we weren’t even sure if the magic circle would work, but after some help we’ve got it operational. Before it would’ve been a rather complex magic for you to use, but with this it’ll keep the tunnel open for longer. Remember, once the limit has run out, you’ll be dragged back here, regardless of what you’re doing.”

Rather surprised and thankful that I had more time, I thanked Alexander.

“Don’t mention it. I had thought four days would be plenty, but the fact you have to conquer a dungeon as well means the time limit may have not been long enough. Even if it’s only level 16, anything can happen. Right, come with me.”

Alexander and I left the Guild and started to walk through the air. It’s usually not allowed in the city, but if you have the permission of the Branch Master, Royal Family or Royal Guard you can for a short amount of time. We quickly arrived at a large warehouse building and entering I saw a massive magic circle with Getsuna there. Alexander had me stand in the middle of the magic circle while Getsuna and Alexander stood to the side of me, some distance away.

“Alright. Alisha, focus on the image of the location of the Blessed Orb of Salus. I’ve given you a replacement since it will break the one that is placed. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Closing my eyes and breathing out, I think of the small plateau we had set up the orb, that little campfire we made next to it. Smiling lightly at the image, I spoke.

“I’m ready, Master.”

“Good. We’re starting. Once we give you the signal, open your eyes. You’ll see a door, archway, crack or hole. Enter it and you’ll Travel there. Good luck, disciple.”

I felt an overwhelming amount of mana underneath my feet, the magic circle shining so bright that I could make out the light even with my eyes closed.

“Now!”

Opening my eyes, I saw an image in front of my eyes, one that held the night sky surrounded by pure darkness the size of an archway. Taking a breath, I walked through it, excited and nervous as I once again returned to Crater.

Objective complete: Return to Crater.