As the light rainy drizzle continued, the ‘in-between’ remained eerily serene. The faint sound of raindrops hitting the wheat stalks filled the silence until Reyneld looked at Jason with a concerned expression and said hurriedly, “We need to know if your body has died. I fear the worst, but there is a chance and even the smallest chance is better than none.”

“How do you find out?” Jason asked.

Reyneld shook his head and sighed sheepishly, “That… I do not know. But don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”

He thought for a while, then reluctantly said, “So… it’s not the best option, but it’s the only thing I can think of…”

Reyneld took a deep breath and said, “Curse out the gods. Curse them to the Ether and Abyss and beyond.”

Jason’s head snapped up and he protested, “But that’s blasphemous! Anyone with a brain knows not to badmouth the gods!”

Reyneld replied, “I am aware… but it is my hope that it may direct the anger of the gods to your mortal body. You’ll be able to feel something, I’m sure. If your body lives, that is.”

Jason frowned, but then shrugged, “I haven’t got anything to lose, have I?”

“Pelos, you lazy excuse for a god! Your priests are corrupt and your temples are ugly!” Jason yelled, despite every fibre of his being communicating how wrong his actions were, “Gialan, you’re a good for nothing pompous ass! And uh, Aeliyas, you’re ugly and your breath probably stinks!”

Reyneld sighed, “Creative, but not exactly what I had in mind…”

<--<< >>-->

The viewing pool was crowded with amused gods. Gialan, who’d just watched the events unfold, chuckled.

“I always liked that gold guardian—Reyneld… he was a smart one,” He said with a grin.

Aeliyas peered at her brother, then asked, “Well, should we indulge that mortal? The body has been possessed anyways…”

Gialan laughed and nodded, “Well, he called you ugly and we can’t stand for that now can we? Besides, I think it’d be fun to see what happens.”

“Aest,” He called, and the youth’s head perked up from where he was sitting on the other side of the pond.

He quickly stood up and scuttled to his uncle’s side when Gialan gestured for him to come over.

Gialan said to him, gesturing to Jason through the pond, “Aest, I want you to send over a storm to Anhua and strike that mortal with lightning.”

Aest frowned and protested, “But… uncle, that will kill the mortal!”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

He thought for a moment and continued, “Wouldn’t it be better to just give them a sign some other way?”

Gialan frowned, but nodded and reluctantly said, “Well, I suppose that would be for the best… we can’t really kill that mortal, can we?”

In an even tone, he said loudly, “Pelos! The mortals need you!”

There was a burst of violet light and Pelos appeared out of thin air right in front of Gialan. He peered around, then looked at Gialan impatiently.

When Gialan said nothing, Pelos snapped, “Well? What did you call me over for?!”

Gialan snickered, but pointed at the viewing pond and answered, “Send a sign to that mortal in the ‘in-between’. Switch up the mana currents or something—I don’t really care how you do it…”

Pelos raised an eyebrow and muttered, “I thought we agreed not to meddle with the affairs of the mortals more than strictly necessary?”

Gialan scowled, “Well, it’s all been messed up now since that damned Garyth is upsetting the balance! Something small like this should suffice until we can eliminate the source of our troubles.”

“Fair enough…” Pelos agreed, “You know I’ve never been against it.”

Pelos stuck his hand out and though nothing was visible to the naked eye, Gialan felt the mana currents shifting as Pelos twisted the currents of magic.

He was not the only one who felt it.

<--<< >>-->

“I feel something!” Jason yelped, as a deeply unsettling feeling like he’d just been turned inside out reverberated throughout him.

Reyneld let out a deep sigh and sank down on his knees.

“Thank Pelos there’s hope!” He cried.

Jason said, “That means I can get out of here, right?”

Reyneld nodded and rose to his feet again, the crushed wheat stalks rustling as he moved.

“The good thing is that your mortal body is not dead, but possessed. The bad thing is that some creature has taken over your body in your moment of weakness and it will likely not relinquish it without a fight.”

Reyneld opened his mouth to speak again when he was interrupted by a green flash of light as a being appeared right in front of his face.

There was a burst of wind from tattered wings that were quickly hidden away.

The being was dressed in soft black and verdant robes and adorned in silver jewellery. He had sunken and ashen skin, long dark hair and green eyes. His ears were pointed and he had them pierced with a long chain and a small ruby teardrop.

“WHICH OF YOU UTTER FOOLS DARED TO DISRESPECT THE GODS IN MY DOMAIN?!” The enraged being yelled, “Have you lost your wits as well as your life?! Why, I ought to-”

“N-Naag?” Reyneld whispered, rooted on the spot.

Naghren stopped his tirade and stared at Reyneld, then at Jason with an unreadable expression.

Finally, he said, “Reyneld… you look older than I remember. And you never told me you had a twin.”

Reyneld gave a sad smile and said softly, “Yeah. It’s been so long. This is my son, Jason.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. It had been so long that both were at a loss for words.

There were so many words that needed saying, but Reyneld began with an apology.

“Naag, I’m sorry I broke my promise to you. I’m sorry I never came back to see you, like I said I would.”

“You were here all along… you didn’t come back because… you couldn’t,” Naghren muttered, his eyes brimming with emotion.