Theo fell into one of the many uncomfortable chairs in the lab. He sagged as he chugged a mana potion, wiping sweat from his brow. Creating suffuse-bound potions was annoying, especially at scale. The vents above the lab sucked wisps of smoke, clearing the foggy air. Salire waved her hand in front of her face, trying to clear away what fumes lingered.

“We need to experiment,” Theo said. The sense of emptiness left in his chest from low mana lingered. Even after chugging several potions. “To find out if this is worth it.”

“Are you good?”

“Well enough to continue.”

The plan was to create large barrels of the new [Hallow the Soil] potions. After they were ready to stew, the alchemist could take them to Tero’gal. Since every suffuse potion needed time to sort itself out, that was the only way to deliver large quantities of the new potion. Theo and his assistant worked on stuffing as much stewing essence as they could in distinct barrels. The mixing potion emitted the scent of tilled earth and grave dust. It was a heady mixture that had them both reeling on their feet.

“Let’s get some air,” Theo said, waving for Salire to join him.

The pair found their way out onto the streets and into the heat of the Season of Fire. Covered in a sheen of sweat, they wandered across the street to the manor. Upon entering, they were blasted by a wave of cold air. Sarisa and Rowan kept the place chilly. Sinking into soft armchairs, Theo and Salire let out a joint sigh of relief.

“That might have been the largest run I’ve ever done. And I still need to take them to Tero’gal.”

“Oh!” Salire brightened considerably. “Maybe I could come with you!”

Mortals shouldn’t tread in the mortal Dreamrealm. But Theo and Tresk had ignored that fact several times already. “Why not?”

If only it was as easy as saying it, though. Theo and Salire relaxed for an hour before finding the energy to stand. They returned to the lab, stuffing the barrels of mixing essences into the alchemist’s inventory. They waited for Tresk to respond, which took her longer than it should have. She was with the teams weakening the [Hills Dungeon] and the [Mountain Dungeon]. Once she gave the go-ahead, he felt her will flood through his body.

“Ready?” Theo asked, grasping Salire’s arm.

“Ready!”

The lab fell away around them. Salire shouted in fear as they fell over the Bridge of shadows. Theo groaned as he felt the master of this realm beckoning him forth. Since Uz’Xulven had been on friendlier terms lately, he obliged.

“Quick stop.”

Salire screamed as they angled toward the bridge, floating down to land on the semi-solid surface of the Bridge.

“Busy body!” Uz’Xulven shouted from the shadows.

“Hey, Uz. What’s up?” Theo asked. Salire’s eyes darted around, taking in every detail of the realm. It wasn’t a friendly place. Almost every surface was a mixture of shadow and semi-realized stone. The entire place was muted in color, almost monochromatic. The Queen of the Bridge of Shadows did not show herself.

“Thought you ought to know. Fenian is doing better.”

“Is he still in Hoi’ch?”

“Yes. Still trapped in Balkor’s damned realm. Ah, who is this scrumptious little mortal you’ve brought?”

Salire squeaked, tensing up.

“My apprentice.”

Uz’Xulven stepped out of the shadows, gliding across the bridge. She kept herself cloaked in shadows, as was normal. Only the faintest outline of her form was revealed. “I like her.”

“She has a knack for alchemy. Hard to ask for more than that in a student.”

“Agreed. So, why are you here?” Uz’Xulven asked, tilting her head to one side.

“I thought you summoned me.”

“Ah. See, you were drawn here without knowing why you wanted to be drawn here. That happens sometimes.”

Intent often mattered in this world. Perhaps there was a layer that ran deeper than that. A need to see something through, even if Theo didn’t know what it was he needed to do. It only took a few moments of thought before he realized what he wanted to ask.

“Can I use the bridge to reach the High Heavens?”

Uz’Xulven laughed. “Oh, my. You are ambitious, aren’t you? Where are you planning to go?”

“The Realm of Healing.”

Uz’Xulven blew raspberries. “That stuffy realm? Why? Oh! The upstarts on the moon. Right, I heard whispers of your plan.”

“Can we do it?”

“Hmmm.”

There was a long pause. The longer Uz’Xulven remained motionless, the more worried Theo got. There was a gap of power between the realm. While he had been breaking the rules for the realms, this was something that seemed one step too far.

“Alright! Sure. Why not? Let me just knock…”

Another long pause. The realm shivered in response.

“Oh!” Uz’Xulven said, jumping on the spot. “He responded quickly. That’s surprising. A door will appear on the other side. Take it to return to my realm, then you can head off to do whatever weird alchemy stuff you had planned.”

An archway appeared on the bridge. Right in the center. It was an ornate wooden door, trimmed on all sides with gold inlays. A single red gem sat at the top of the frame. As the door cracked open, Theo felt a different kind of power rush through. Each patron had a different flavor to them. Uz’Xulven was always shady, giving the power in her realm a feeling of deception. This was an original power altogether. The alchemist felt a sense of comfort and love fill his soul.

“Are we…” Salire asked, trailing off.

“See you in a second, Uz,” Theo said, grabbing Salire by the hand and pressing on. They passed through the door without issue, although the alchemist’s stomach turned slightly. He was blinded white light that seemed to come from everywhere.

Once his eyes adjusted, Theo looked upon Glantheir’s realm. They stood at a marble footbridge outside of a massive silver city. Elves were gathered near a river, playing harps and eating berries. They looked up for only a moment before returning to their leisure. Salire stammered, her head raising slowly as her eyes traced a path over the central spire of the city.

“Come.” A command issued from everywhere and nowhere at once. Theo and Salire were sent hurtling through Glantheir’s realm, stumbling to stand in an open-air room. Elves gathered here and there, pouring over books and writing things down. Standing at the head of the plain room was a man clad in equally mundane garb. He spun on the spot, revealing his visage.

Glantheir was the plainest-looking elf Theo had ever seen. A shirt and slacks that had seen wear over the years, barefoot, and long blonde hair. He had similar features to that of Fenian, too sharp and angular. But there was a kindness behind his green eyes, a fact made more clear when he smiled. Creases formed in the corners of his eyes as he held his arms wide.

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“Welcome. Yes.”

“Huh?” Theo asked. He cleared his throat, straightening up. Salire’s eyes were darting everywhere and she was stammering. The alchemist kicked her in the shin. She stood up straight, eyes locked forward. “Excuse me, lord. ‘Yes’ to what?”

Glantheir laughed, the creases near his eyes doubling. “Please, don’t do that. Don’t call me ‘lord,’ Theo.”

“What should I call you?”

“Glantheir. The Holy Storm. John. Whatever works for you,” Glantheir winked.

“Okay. Now, the ‘yes.’”

“I’ll grant cores to those fanatics as long as they accept my terms. Come, have a seat. I’ve cultivated an Earth-like grape here in my realm.”

The furniture in the realm was simple. Wooden things that were roughly carved. Salire was sweating. When she sat down near the patron, she was shaking. Glantheir smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. In a moment, she relaxed.

“You’re not the first person to travel through the realms. When I joined the Prime Pantheon, mortals came and went over the Bridge of Shadows regularly. These realms were more like amusement parks. The mortal realm was a playground.”

“Until Balkor ruined it?”

“No. It was ruined long before Balkor pulled his little stunt.”

An attendant came, holding a bowl of purple grapes. She placed it on the table, bowed, then left the room. Glantheir plucked one grape, popping it into his mouth. Theo tried one, finding them similar enough to Earth grapes. Not that he had anything but grape-flavored stuff.

“Did you die at the end?” Glantheir asked. “The end of Earth.”

“Yeah. When the sun swallowed us.”

“That’s good. Others were taken before us. They have met… interesting ends.”

Theo leaned in, his mind spinning. The picture of what happened after Earth was destroyed was confusing. He was sent far into the future, compared to the founding members of this planet. Sixty-thousand years, to be exact.

“You’re from Earth,” Theo said. He wanted to hear himself say it.

Glantheir smiled again. “I was. I fled Berlin.”

Theo’s stomach twisted itself into a knot. The taste of the grape on his tongue had soured in an instant. The only thing he could think about was getting out of Glantheir’s realm. Running as far away from it as possible. But the Elven God of Healing’s soft smile spread a radiant comfort throughout the room. He pressed two fingers into the alchemist’s forehead. In an instant, the sense of guilt was gone. Just gone.

“I forgive you.”

Those three words resonated through Theo’s soul. Somewhere and sometime distant, he felt both Tresk and Tero’gal rumble with recognition. Sheets of guilt fell away. The patina of the past was scoured clean, leaving only the brightness of the alchemist’s soul.

Glantheir stood, swiping his hand through the air. Every other elf in the room vanished. “About Uharis and Sulvan. I have one rule. Infinite forgiveness. If I couldn’t follow that rule, how could I hope to make my followers do the same?”

“You… you…” Salire stammered. “Healed the continent. Didn’t you?”

Glantheir turned, nodding to her. “I healed it. I blessed it. I allowed life to flourish. Until the others in the Prime Pantheon put a collar around my neck.”

“Why would they do that?” Theo asked, finding his voice once again. It came with more confidence this time, as though it no longer filtered through a layer of the past.

“They like to control things. They thought the system was fine the way it was. No reason to change something that challenged their power. But Yuri has done more for us than any other god. Then Fenian risked his life to save Balkor. Balance is restoring.”

There were too many questions to ask and not enough time. Theo found it hard to tangle with the new emotions that spread through his body and mind. He just got magical trauma therapy from a god. How did someone move forward from that? Reflexively, he wanted to apologize for what he did to Berlin. But there was no need. It had been forgiven absolutely. It was as though it never happened at all.

“So, we can count on you?” Theo asked. “To help us, going forward?”

“You’re positioned to do more than anyone else can. Yuri took the Throne of the Arbiter to leave that gap. A gap in the rules of the monitor system. Look. You can even drag mortals through the realms. Curious!”

“How should I proceed with Sulvan and Uharis?”

“You and I have a connection, now,” Glantheir said, picking another grape. He popped it in his mouth. “Invite me to your realm if you need help with them. I’ll even give you a hint. You’re connected to both of them. If you reach out with the power of your realm, you can talk to them on the moon.”

“On the moon…” Salire said, trailing off. Her eyes were fixed on the middle-distance. This was too much for her, and Theo was getting worried.

Theo felt a strange sensation racing through his mind. This wasn’t the first time he had experienced it. Any time he interacted with Khahar, Fenian, or heavenly beings, a sense of being overwhelmed filled him. But the grace given by Glantheir had removed something from his mind. Any weight tied around his neck was just gone. Confusion was replaced by confidence.

“We’ll figure it out,” Theo said, reaching a hand out to shake.

Glantheir smiled, yet again, and shook his hand. “Glad you’re on board. You’re free to stay in the House of Healing. If you find that troubled mind coming back, stop by. Have some grapes. We have hacky sack tournaments weekly.”

Theo considered staying. But as he looked at Salire, who had begun pulling her limbs in to form a defensive ball, he decided to go. The alchemist nodded to his apprentice. “We should go. For now. But I’ll be back, John.”

Glantheir laughed, gesturing. The same fancy door appeared in the room’s center, and Theo dragged Salire through. The scene shifted the way it had before, and they were suddenly standing on the bridge. Uz’Xulven was there, waiting with her hands on her hips.

“He’s hot, right?” she asked.

“No comment,” Theo said, centering his focus on Tero’gal. “He was nice.”

“He was…” Salire trailed off for a few tense moments. “He was hot.”

“Right?” Uz’Xulven wiggled her eyebrows.

“We’re off,” Theo said. “Stop by the realm if you need to talk. I’ve got potions to age.”

Uz’Xulven nodded, dropping some of her bravado. Under that veil of shadows, there might have been a faint smile. Nothing to match the shining brilliance of Glantheir’s dazzling teeth, but still. Theo pushed through the void, dragging Salire along behind him. She didn’t make a sound as they tumbled through the realms. A moment later they landed in Tero’gal, welcomed by crowds of spirits. Belgar was among them, clapping a hand on his back.

“Welcome! You wouldn’t believe the time we’ve been having! Khahar has brought us the gift of football!”

And so he had. In one nearby field, the spirits had established goals, and a field painted with all the lines. Theo’s instinct was to cast aside his responsibilities and play a few rounds. The alchemist shook his head, focusing on the woman standing next to him. He took Salire by the arm and led her to the cottage. As expected, Benton’s archway sprung up. The bear followed close behind, sensing someone in need of some hot tea and sweet scones. Belgar seemed to understand what was happening, breaking off from the group to calm the rowdy spirits.

Theo explained what had happened. Apparently, mortals weren’t meant to gaze on the true form of prime gods that way. Even someone as pure as Glantheir was too much for her to handle.

“Just a bit of shock,” Benton said, draping a fur blanket over Salire’s shoulders. She was hunched over the table, visibly shaking. “Once we get something warm in her belly, she’ll brighten up.”

“I hope so,” Theo said, looking across the table at his apprentice. He realized now that he should have dropped her off in Tero’gal before heading into the Realm of Healing. “We got to meet Glantheir, though.”

“Oh, really?” Benton asked, raising a furry brow. “How was he?”

“He was…” Theo hesitated. What words could he use to describe someone so plain? “He was kind.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. A guy like that has no place in the Prime Pantheon. Amongst such snakes.”

“Agreed. Things really have calmed down in the heavens, haven’t they?”

“Yep. After the Arbiter standardized the time scale, things got more stable. Feels like everything flows better.”

Benton poured tea for everyone before removing sweets from his godly inventory. He set them down on the table, removing the thin cloth that covered them. Theo went for the lemon-flavored ones, the way he always did. Salire reached out a hand, a hand growing steadier by the minute, and grabbed a berry-filled one. She brought the mug of tea close to herself, allowing the steam to wash over her face.

“Getting better,” she said, although most of the color had drained from her face.

Benton laughed. His belly laugh was always a comfort. “No need to worry about me. Just a low-level god here. I don’t have the heights of power that Glantheir wields.”

“How powerful is he?” Theo asked. He really knew little about Glantheir.

“Strong enough that he could have taken the Throne of the Arbiter. But they say his vow is absolute. He refuses to kill, no matter what. Even when he purges the undead, he accepts their souls into his realm.”

Theo let the silence set in around the room. Only the sound of the crackling fire pushed through to his mind. There was a new stillness in his thoughts that he didn’t want to consider. If he had known the kindness of Glantheir from the start, maybe things would have played out differently. Even with everything that happened, he knew kindness didn’t defend towns.

After a long while of silence, Salire finally spoke. “I’d like to play that weird game.”

“Football?” Benton asked with a chuckle.

“Soccer,” Theo corrected.

“Khahar said it both ways.”