I took in the other god. His tentacles were just as neon-yellow as I remembered. Surprisingly, I noticed that I had missed a few details. Being a disembodied soul must have skewed my memories at the time.

When Eraztis shifted into the couch cushion, swirling lines that blended into his skin moved in patterns. When he adjusted his hands, the lines extended a few millimeters past his fingers.

And his eyes. There were sigils hidden in the void, like stars.

Definitely didn't notice them before.

"Well?" Eraztis asked. "I believe you have rejected my terms. What do you desire?"

I held up a finger and walked around the couch. I bent down, gently lifting Xena off the rubble and placing her atop a cushion.

Eraztis stared and then strangled Cal.

I watched the two topple the couch and roll around. Cal had a tail, but Eraztis had more face tentacles. And it looked like a divine slap fight mixed with soft-core B.D.S.M.

I blinked, and the two were back on the couch as if nothing happened. Cal straightened his tie, and Eraztis continued to stare.

"That was?" I asked.

"Annoyance," Eraztis answered as he snapped his fingers, and Xena disappeared. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Calstrax, try to hide something like that from me again, and I'll rip off your tail."

Cal stuck out his tongue and looked away.

"Why did she matter? Didn't you already know about her? Weren't you watching the fight or something?"

"I was not, and neither did I know that she was hiding along your person. Your passive is ridicuously annoying, but it makes sense considering who gave it to you."

"Can you tell me who?"

"No," he stated cooly. "I prefer living."

I looked at Cal. "Can you hear me?"

"I can, are you wanting to ask if its okay to mention that you bonded with the fairy?" Cal replied.

"Pretty much. Can't be worse than anything I've done so far."

"Which is a statement in of itself. Go ahead. Give me a second to prepare the camera."

Eraztis' face tentacles undulated. "You are communicating something."

"Maybe, but ignore that. So I got a question about the fairy. Where did you put her, and why does it matter if I knew about her? If I'm correct in my thinking."

"Because you shouldn't. It's a secret well-kept by all pantheons on Inoria. And since Cal would eat my tentacles before I messed with your mind, I can at least minimize the contact between the two of you. I understand that is hard, considering she was with you and we were sitting inside the core room of a dungeon. But I can try."

I nodded along and slowly smiled. Eraztis tentacles grew increasingly agitated.

"So, there's a problem with your assumption."

"And that'd be?"

"She wasn't with me."

Eraztis stopped and leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"Right, so... she wasn't with me."

"Explain," he demanded.

I tapped my chest. "For the fight, and because we were bonded, I used the dungeon mana to activate my Spirit Lord's Invocation and transformed. She wasn't hiding somewhere; she was inside me. I didn't create all the barriers and the bomb myself."

Click!

This time, I didn't even see it. One second, the pair was there, and Cal snapped a photo with a modern disposable camera you'd see back on Earth, and the next, the pair was gone.

I felt the explosions rather than seeing them. Even standing up, I could barely tell something was happening inside the massive dust cloud beyond the barrier that had appeared.

I settled in and picked up Áine's unspilled throne/drink device and helped her settle in.

"You think they're having fun?" I asked Áine as she slipped her hand into the juice.

"Yes," she replied.

We waited for nearly a dozen minutes before they appeared back on the couch. Cal's hair was half shaved off, and his tie was cut in half below the knot. Eraztis had singed robes and sported a few missing tentacles.

"Did you have fun?" I asked the both of them.

They both glared at each other, and Cal cleared his throat.

"We did. Don't worry about it."

And they call me weird.

Eraztis summoned a dirty notebook with a ghostly chain and lock. He tossed it over, and I caught it.

"That is a book that can only be opened by you once bound. It has infinite pages. Inside the first couple of pages are runes, both modern and ancient. I included the knowledge of how to learn the runic alphabet along with how to create and imbue your own runes. I locked it behind a tier wall, but I doubt that matters to you."

I stared at the journal with wide eyes. "Why are you giving me this? I haven't agreed to any deal yet."

"This is outside the deal. I want you to share your status with me. Your skill and the rules regarding the privacy of other gods chosen are in effect. If you share them with me, there'll be no problem."

It was an easy answer.

"Sure, here," I said as I willed my status screen to the god.

I felt pressure along my skin and looked up to see Cal whistling away while Eraztis glared at him with 'I'm going to choke you' hands grasping an imaginary neck.

"Cyrus," Cal coughed. "Maybe you should look at your new perk. Apparently, bonding with Xena left a more permanent mark."

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I frowned and pulled it up.

STATUS

Name: Cyrus

Race: Reborn (Felkin)

Age: ??

Tier: 0

Active Skills:

* (T:0 R:9) Summon Familiar: Verdant Healer: (Áine )

* (T:0 R:9) Summon Familiar: Resplendent Inferno: (Zharia)

* (T:0 R:9) Racial Skill: Dimensional Storage: (Chomperz)

* (T:0 R:9) Spirit Lord's Invocation

* (T:0 R:9) Summon Familiar: The Dead Will Provide (Erebus)

* (T:0 R:9) Summon Familiar: Reflective Coat of the Mirror Beast (Magnus)

* (T:0 R:9) Summon Familiar: Storm King's Tempest (Sturmrorex)

Passive Skills:

* (T:0 R:9) Etherious Blood

* (T:0 R:9) Sovereign-Threaded Soul

* (T:0 R:9) Chaotic Resonance

* (T:0 R:4) Spirit's Lord's Echo

Perks:

Legacy of the Obsidian Crown

Scion of Calstrax

Demonic Blood

Child of Mana

Dread Guardian's Apology

Crystal Synthesis

Devourer of the Deep

Whisper of the Tempest

False Dungeon Core

False Dungeon Core: Your soul has adapted to the complex energy and immense pressure of being a temporary dungeon core.

* Dungeons are home, and you may learn to take more than what is given to others.

* Effects unknown.

* Discover your limits

I closed my eyes, and relaxed against the soft cushions.

As far as names went, it was alright. Devourer of the Deep sounded like I was the next doomsday apocalypse.

"You should probably open your eyes. Eraztis is serious here," came Cal's polite voice.

"Is it bad?"

"I don't think so. But for the record, neither he nor I have ever seen that perk. I'm sure the Grand Weave has assigned it to someone somewhere in the universe, but not to our knowledge."

When I opened my eyes, Eraztis stood still, like an unmoving statue, as he sank into the cushions. Cal shrugged, and I caved first.

"Would you like to see my memories? Can I do that?"

Cal frowned, but he nodded.

"If you give permission, Eraztis can. But Eraztis. You dig deeper than you're supposed to, and we'll fight for real."

"I won't betray the trust given," he stated.

Eraztis stretched his arm, the tentacle appendage extending across the table, with the still unconscious and crispy mindeater lying on top.

As his tentacle touched my head, he pulled it back and covered his face with his claws.

"Why? I knew I should have denied your request when you barged into the rebirth process. Give the being of chaos to the chaos god. Utterly foolish." Eraztis huffed and sat up. "I implore you not to explore the limits of your new perk, but I can't really ask you that. I trust that Calstrax has warned you not to divulge this information, so I'll punish him if something happens."

I blinked. "Okay?"

He pointed to the almost-corpse. "State your terms, I want to return to my void."

"First," I said, holding up a finger. "Can you extract the divine fragment? Will that hurt me?"

"Your body is merely holding it, not assimilating its power. And there will be mild discomfort, nothing more."

"Huh."

"And furthermore. You say that giving up the fragment is worth a lot. While true, you can't absorb it in your current state. Doing so would tear your soul apart, let alone your skill."

I lost the politeness I had been showing to the god.

"My skill has a name. Use it."

"Chomperz then. He won't be able to take in another. And you have no means of carrying it around without worry."

"Why do you want it? Why shouldn't I give it to Cal?"

Cal smiled, but he kept silent as Eraztis grumbled.

"I want it because whoever this god was, he has knowledge of my species. I believe Calstrax has explained some. What you didn't know was that this divine fragment is not from here. True to our nature, it invaded and slipped through. It appeared in a dungeon and tried to jump into another portal which brought this dungeon to Helio."

"So, I give up the fragment because it'll be easier and you're interested enough. Got it. Next question. The favour. Make it two favors for Cal. I wouldn't know what to do with one. And he can probably use it better than I can."

"Cyrus, you don't ha-" Cal started.

"No. That's a requirement. Is that acceptable?"

"Against every sane fiber in my being, yes."

Cal backed off and beamed at me. He looked positively glowing and more than proud.

"Cal brought up a choice, and you mentioned the safety of the city. How, why?"

Eraztis pointed to the mindeater. "Without the god, he is their sole influence. I will take him away, and the other mindeaters around the city. The cleansers are coming, but once this one wakes up or dies, those hidden inside Helio will go berserk. Some will die in the clash, and others will be lost before the cleansers arrive. I am doing you a kindness."

In response, I summoned the athame into my hand. Without hesitation, I stabbed it downward, but the blade met a solid force that pushed me aside.

"Surprising," Eraztis murmured. You struck me as someone who cares for people. Was I wrong?"

I spun the dagger around and glared. "You're not. But I try not to be responsible for people. I did my part, done my duty. I refuse to be beholden to others. I'm nobody's hero."

"You speak only half-truth. Very well. Point made. What do you want as compensation?"

"A perk. If Ysanna and Zolnja can grant one, I figured you can as well."

"I will not make you a chosen."

I shrugged. "I'm already Cal's scion. I'm good on that front. If all you give me is some form of mental resistance, then I'm happy."

Eraztis was silent for a while. I waited patiently. I knew it wasn't easy for a god to give up power. And from what I know of Cal and the storm princess' experience, it cost something, no matter how small the perk.

"Should I be worried?" I asked Cal.

"No, I think you're fine. He doesn't want to show it, but he is interested in you. Even if he has issues with me and my brand of divinity, he's smart enough to know what you represent and what has already happened. Don't be surprised if the perk is more than something minor," he responded.

Eventually, Eraztis summoned a floating box. It looked ancient and alien. The runes enchanted throughout the metal material brought pain to my eyes. I looked away out of politeness, even though I wanted to study the patterns hidden within the engraved tentacles.

"I will give you two skillstones. One will be a suitable replacement for what you would have gotten if you looted the mindeater. The second is my choice and one you will trust me on. By my honor as a god and my friendship with Calstrax, I swear it will be to your benefit." Eraztis said solemnly. "But you will not leave this place without absorbing both. These skillstones are for you and you alone."

"If he did sabotage you, I'd find something fun to chew on," Cal growled.

Eraztis ignored him and opened the chest. Inside rested a swirling vortex with glittering stars. He reached in, and his hand shrank as it dipped into the cosmic milk inside. He pulled his hand out and presented two skillstones.

They were incredibly clear. One looked like a swirling vortex of pink stars. Twinkling purple lights flashed in and out and shifted as Eraztis spun the crystal around.

The second stone was clear, completely clear. There weren't even specks or a hint of color. The entirely transparent stone disappeared in the air, and I only caught the distortion when the glass caught the light at odd angles.

"I'm granting you two favors, skillstones, and the single perk in exchange for the mindeater's life and the divine fragment. Do we have a deal, Cyrus?" Eraztis asked.

I stared at the skillstones and paused. The choice was made long before Eraztis came here. I was always going to play nice unless his intentions were to hurt me or mine.

But there was somethings I had to know.

"The dungeon. What will happen to it? And Xena, and Wedra?"

"The dungeon will stay; a new section will open inside the temple. In more mortal terms, it would be considered prime real estate. The pair will quickly regrow their ether reserves and continue to expand. I do ask that you avoid the dungeon in the future, for obvious reasons and others."

I paused for a time. Testing the words on my tongue as I mulled over my final requirement. The gods waited; neither moved to rush me.

"There's one last request." I said.

Eraztis' face tentacles slapped the air as he stared.

"I want information on Sam. If she's alive, I want to know. If she isn't... I still want to know. Do that, and we have a deal."

Cal frowned, but it wasn't anger and more of an expression of sadness that I decided to ignore as I kept my focus trained on the other god.

"It could take awhile. Divination is not my domain."

"I don't care how long it takes."

"Then yes. I can perform such a task."

"Alright then," I said. I held out my hand and grinned, showing my fangs. "We have a deal."