In the realm steeped in Mercury, he sat at the table with the shards spread before him. "I believe the next shards lie in the frozen valleys of the north."

Aerolios strides in, his expression tense as he addresses Mercury. "Mercury, I have a report for you."

Mercury glances up with a smirk. "Ah, Aerolios. What is it? Have you dealt with the tiger?"

“No, he escaped his execution,” Aerolios replied. “I found him in a lush green field. He was with that gray-skinned boy. I engaged them both.”

Mercury raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Let me guess. You failed.”

“Not exactly,” Aerolios countered. “I was on the verge of finishing them off, but a cloud of smoke appeared out of nowhere. When it cleared, they were gone.”

Mercury rose from his seat and walked over to Aerolios, eyeing him critically. "What happened to your arm?"

Aerolios clenched his jaw, a flicker of shame crossing his face. "The gray-skinned boy… he cut it off."

"So, you're a god, and you couldn’t kill a mortal?” Mercury sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

Aerolios stammered, "I mean, they were tough to kill, th—"

Before he could finish, Mercury’s hand shot out, gripping Aerolios by the throat, lifting him off his feet. "I despise when my orders are ignored," Mercury growled. "I don’t care how 'tough' they are. Either kill them both, or find more shards. Do something useful."

He released Aerolios, who dropped to the ground, gasping and clutching his neck.

“Now, go,” Mercury commanded coldly.

Aerolios stormed out, fury smoldering in his eyes. As he marched down the hall, he passed Korizma, the Goddess of Frost, who regarded him with concern.

“Aerolios, are you alright?” she asked gently.

“Out of my way!” he snapped, brushing past her without a second glance.

She hurried after him, her voice soft and reassuring. “Aerolios, did Mercury scold you? If so, he didn’t mean it. He’s just disappointed, that’s all.”

Aerolios stopped and clenched his fists. “No, he was angry—furious. Damn bastard. I’m the god of weather! I deserve respect, not this… disdain. I’m a god!”

“I mean, you are the weakest out of all of us,” Vatrolius chimed smugly. “You’re ranked about seventh, right under Ritika.”

“Shut up!” Aerolios snapped. “Even if I am the weakest, I still deserve respect. He just hates me. Look at how he treats Kamaria, Gengnar, and Leonidrax.”

Vatrolius shrugged. “They’re just… really strong. Mercury treats them differently, sure, but that doesn’t mean he hates you. He just wants you to improve.”

“Whatever,” Aerolios muttered, turning away. “I’m leaving for a while anyway.”

"Where are you going?" Vatrolius asked, raising an eyebrow.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Aerolios glanced back, determination hardening his gaze. "To prove that I’m the better god."

How Aerolios intended to prove this was a mystery, shrouded in uncertainty…Korizma stepped into Mercury's chamber, her expression serious. “Lord Mercury, may I ask what you said to Aerolios?”

Mercury barely glanced at her, his focus elsewhere. “Korizma, how is it? Did you find any more shards for me?”

“I did, my lord,” she replied.

“Finally, someone is being useful today,” Mercury said, a smirk forming on his lips.

“But I came to ask what you said about Aerolios,” Korizma pressed, concern evident in her tone.

“Nothing meant,” Mercury replied dismissively. “I just told him he should do a better job.”

“But he was really upset. He left not long ago, saying you treat him differently because of his strength and power. He wants respect.”

“Respect? I’ve given him plenty of respect,” Mercury said, his voice rising with frustration. “I granted him his powers and blessed him with three layers of immortality. I provided him with a place to stay and a life far better than his old one. But still, he wants more.”

“Well, he just wants to be treated fairly among us all,” Korizma replied softly.

“Tell him he’s fine,” Mercury snapped. “All he has to do is get better at his job. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord, I do,” Korizma replied, bowing her head in acknowledgment.

“Good. Now give me the shards you have,” Mercury ordered.

Korizma carefully placed five shards on the table before him.

“Finally! That brings the total to 25 out of 50. We’re almost there,” Mercury exclaimed, a gleam of ambition in his eyes. “I can feel it.”

The sun blazed fiercely, casting its relentless heat across the land.

Zander and Leo pressed on through the vast desert, navigating the endless sea of sand and rolling dunes. The scorching sun beat down mercilessly, and sweat dripped from their brows.

“God, it’s so hot!” Zander exclaimed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Zander, where are we going? We’ve just been walking for hours,” Leo asked, exhaustion creeping into his voice.

“I don’t know, but I feel like we’re close to something,” Zander replied, squinting into the distance.

As they trudged onward, a sprawling village emerged on the horizon. “Look at that village, Leo!” Zander exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

“I see it,” Leo replied, a hint of hope in his tone.

“We're going there,” Zander declared.

“Hope they have water,” Leo said, his throat parched from the heat.

they ran into the village and were greeted by a throng of people dressed in white robes and headscarves. The bustling marketplace was alive with caramel-skinned locals, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Among them were various anthropomorphized animals, including fennec foxes, sand cats, hares, and meerkats, each moving about with their own unique charm.

“Look over there, Leo!” Zander exclaimed, spotting a bucket brimming with water. The two of them rushed toward it. As they began to drink, the meerkat shop owner turned to them, shouting, “Hey! Stop right there! That water isn’t for you! Halt! Stop!”

“Guards!” the meerkat shop owner shouted.

“You two, halt!” commanded one of the guards, brandishing his spear. “Stop drinking this man’s water!”

“Sorry, we were just really thirsty,” said Zander, wiping his mouth.

“Well, if you’re thirsty, head to the water carrier shop just down the street,” said one of the guards, pointing in the distance. Zander and Leo exchanged relieved glances and walked toward the shop.

“Sorry about your water, sir,” Zander called back, genuinely apologetic.

“Aren’t you going to arrest them?” the meerkat shop owner asked, bewildered.

“No, why? It’s just water. You can get more,” replied the guard with a shrug, rolling his eyes. “Besides, they seem harmless enough.”

The meerkat shop owner exclaimed, “One of them has a massive sword!”

“Oh, he does… But he’s not threatening anyone,” the guard reassured.

The meerkat shop owner let out a scream, his eyes wide with panic. “Not threatening? He could cleave a building in half with that thing!”

“Calm down!” the guard replied, trying to quell the rising tension. “He’s just a traveler, like any other. Besides, it’s not like he’s waving it around.”

Zander and Leo made their way to the water carrier shop.

“Helloooo! I am Barto, the famous water carrier of the city of the scorching wastelands!”