A portal opened up, the great tidal wave of electrified water sloughing off the excess to form the archway. Reality split down the middle and peeled back, revealing a familiar manor with a black-iron gate.

Ysanna pulled us closer with a flex of her finger, drawing the platform toward the portal. We stopped just before it, the goddess and her companion bearing down from overhead.

Cal had already left, off to visit someplace far to the west. So my familiars were packed inside my soul and the others ready while clutching onto generous helpings of the food that was left behind.

"You really like lasagna, huh?" I prodded, poking the rogue in the belly.

Isaac hissed, but kept quiet as he withered under the goddesses' gaze.

"Is there an issue?"

Ysanna glided closer, fixing me with an unreadable expression. "The others may step through. Be warned, that three days have passed while inside my realm. Adjust yourselves accordingly."

The others piqued in curiosity but they bowed low and pushed through the portal. Their forms blurred once they reached the other side, the images of their bodies stretching like taffy.

Now that I was alone with the goddess, the pair dropped their overbearing postures and slumped forward. Even Zolnja looked exhausted as she crashed into the waves, and stayed there.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to host you mortals in my realm, including a fledgling divinity, a full divinity, and while keeping you hidden? Not to mention putting your companions to sleep!" Ysanna groaned.

"So that's why they slept so long. What's up with that?"

"It was necessary. Their mana channels were misaligned due to the transfer, and the constant pressure–even reduced from being around us was enough to induce mana sickness."

"Mana sickness? You mean fatigue?"

Ysanna collapsed, her throne rising from below before she sat down. "It's not well known as its rare for it to happen in the low realms. But constant exposure to divine ether would slowly poison your soul. Nasty for a mortal. Calstrax helped them with the food he prepared."

I glared at the empty dishes on the table. "Is that why some of the pasta tasted like soap?"

"The white noodle dish with the sauce?"

"That one."

"It's a rare herb from the northern regions. I'm surprised he had so much of it. Even I would have to go through some hoops to acquire some."

"Reminds me of cilantro," I grumbled. I blew a raspberry and cleared my head. "So what did you want to talk about?"

She raised her hand and a bubble appeared. It flattened and became silvery, turning into a mirror that rippled with rivulets of electrified water.

The mirror cleared and showed a beach, one I recognized. And that wasn't the only thing; a small boy had on a heavy sack filled with training weights as he ran along the coast. He followed a contingent of guards in heavy plate doing the same thing, led by Ventus.

"Oh, is that Teldren? He's gained some meat on his bones."

"He's been working hard since the day you left the island. Non-stop training. He managed to convince Ventus to let him follow along whenever he's hosting training exercises on the beach."

I pursed my lips. The promise from back then seemed so small and irrelevant, yet here the boy was, training his heart out instead of doing what a kid should be doing best: playing.

"Uhm."

"Don't think I wasn't watching you. Making such a careless promise to a boy. One who views you as the greatest hero he'll ever meet. More than even my chosen."

There was admonishment in her voice.

And a hint of jealousy?

"I'm sorry?"

She sat up, and pointed a finger my way. "I underestimated what you were. Severely underestimated. I wanted you to know that you will have to decide what that means for him and his family."

I bowed. "I understand."

"Hmmph. Good. See that you don't forget it." She snapped her fingers and the mirror shifted images, revealing the islands but from an aerial view. "I've kept your name hidden, and those who know of your involvement are loyal to only me. But that hasn't stopped it from spreading in its entirety."

The village, and it could hardly be called that anymore, was a sprawling city. The walls were expanded and the buildings gained several stories along with being rebuilt. More monster bones were used in the construction, the bodies of great serpent skeletons melded with stone and wood to accommodate grand structures.

It was bustling, with newer boats joining the waters in refurbished docks.

It brought a smile to my face. The people were happy, and despite the sudden setback from taking in an extended population of rift-born, the city thrived.

"They've done a good job, haven't they?" Zolnja asked, nearly scaring me as her snout jutted from the waves.

"They have. It's pretty. Though I have to ask… The skeletons. Are they your doing? The others mentioned other serpents fighting next to the avatars."

"Foolish runts! They may redeem themselves by offering my people shelter."

Electricity punctuated her words by sending off bolts that skipped along the waves. It was mesmerizing but Ysanna brought me back.

"I've kept my promise and I plan on doing so," she said. "But do know that your name will eventually spread. There is no stopping it. One merchant had to be thoroughly coerced into letting go of a potential new product line."

"I sense annoyance. Was it that bad?"

"He infiltrated the guard's quarters in an attempt to hear enough details to create a glass replica of you. Who does he think he is?!"

My eyes narrowed. That last bit seemed less about me and about something else entirely.

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"Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully, I won't stir up trouble for Cal in the next few months."

The divinities laughed, a rumbling thing that shook the realm with peals of thunder.

"Oh that's rich," Ysanna chuckled as she swiped a tear from her cheek.

The laughter settled and Zolnja rose from the waves and opened her mouth. her tongue pushed through her fangs, a small box at the tip.

I caught it before it fell and she resumed towering over me, with lightning dancing in the backdrop.

"That is a gift for him. If you take him as your Brave, then give him the stone. If you do not, then return it to us. Is that understood?"

Thunder boomed and she lowered her snout to just above my head. I'm sure it was plenty menacing.

To someone else.

I reached for her nose and booped it. She froze, and Ysanna melted into her throne as she clamped a hand over her mouth. Laughter still escaped, the vibrations enough to push the storm clouds away.

"Duly noted," I said. "Now is that all?"

"One last thing," Ysanna said.

"Hmm?"

She snapped and the image changed again, revealing a destroyed room filled with people in cots. Some were bandaged, others were sitting upright but weary.

"The fuck happened here?"

"You. Broke. Our. Alchemists!"

I blinked, even side-eyeing Zolnja but she shook her head and returned to resting between the waves.

"Ooookay?"

She jabbed her finger at the mirror and I watched as a shark-skinned hand came into view. It slapped a neon-blue paste across the disgruntled elf's arm before slipping out of frame.

"Was that…"

"I'm sending him your way. He needs to be freed from tormenting the rest of our civilians."

"But why-"

"His master is no better. That Travis nearly caused a riot when he discovered an adventurer with a harvesting skill. Do you know what happened when they found out the skill can only be used twice a day?"

"Uhm not really su-"

"It took three days to stop the mayhem. Three whole days, Cyrus. Do you understand that? You spoiled them. And now I have nothing but constant prayers and requests from just about everyone who enters my temple about some damn harvesting skills!"

I waved at Zolnja and shuffled closer to the portal's edge. Ysanna was too busy ranting and shaking her fist at the sky to notice me so I cleared my throat and waited until she stopped long enough to notice.

"Thanks for the heads up! Byeeeee!"

"Cyrus!"

I dived into the portal and my breath hitched as I slingshotted through the dimension. Once the portal spat me onto clear ground I rolled the landing and sprang to my feet.

Weapons were swung my way, stopping just short of touching my skin.

On a second inspection I pushed the rubber mallet down and raised an eyebrow at the Lightcrests in full clown-coded armor.

Anastasia stowed her bread-roll sword and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Cyrus! You're alive!"

Nathan joined in, water flowing from his pants to create a spinning disc that slowly rotated us.

"H-hi. Whath goin onth?" I said.

She pulled back, smoothing down her extra-ruffly shirt before she spread her arms wide and smiled. "Oh nothing. We were simply about to launch a covert operation against my asshole of a brother."

"Right. And the outfits?"

"Well, he makes it so easy, we have to give him a handicap," Nathan explained.

"Gotcha. Well good luck with that."

They set me down and I watched them roll toward the nearest window before Walter appeared and redirected them to the door.

"Killer new horns by the way! And your eyes!" Anastasia shouted.

"And what a marvelous tail! Deliciously deadly!" Nathan added.

Before they dipped around the corner, Anastasia stuck out her head and flashed a smile. "Go to the kitchen, food is ready. And don't forget to tell us the story sometime! Buh-bye! Congrats on the evolution!"

Her voice faded and the door slammed with Walter marching back into the room.

"Dinner is ready, sir. This way, please."

I shrugged and followed him into the dining room. What greeted us was a floating bubble stuck between two enchanted plates of metal. The baked goods–including a giant cake in the shape of my head, floated inside.

Walter closed the door behind him, and I waved at everyone inside.

"Is everything okay?" Teddy asked.

"Maybe? Nothing too worrying."

"Are you sure?"

I patted him on the shoulder and sat down, staring at the rotating head-cake. "Were all your cakes like this?"

He grumbled. "Yes. Sometimes full-bodied."

"Why?"

"I'll never know," he said dejectedly.

Isaac pointed at my arms. "What's in the box?"

"This thing?" I asked, lifting the chest. "It's a gift for Teldren."

"Who?"

"The boy," Sereza answered. "The goddess gave you a gift for him?"

"If I take him on as a Brave. He's uh, really putting in the effort."

"Not surprising. A hero came and saved not only him but his family and an entire city."

I clenched my jaw but Teddy stood up and sliced a piece of my horns and plated it.

"It might be our second feast. But let's enjoy ourselves. To Cyrus and his ascendence!" he cheered.

A round of cheers and congratulations filled the room.

Isaac shoved a fork into my hand. "Well, go on. Eat yourself!"

I sighed and dug in, savoring the strange raspberry-flavored cake.

Like a gunshot to a race, the others clamored for their own slice and I enjoyed the spectacle.

Wait... Did he just dip a piece of my eye into some alfredo sauce?