As we navigate the streets of Crete gathering information, I roll ideas over in my head over and over again. What could kill one of these beings? Greek Literature class in High School wasn’t exactly helpful with that. I ponder this, and get so lost in thought that I don’t notice the cloaked stranger walking up to me. Before I realize, they pull out a knife and try to stab me. My runic shielding, however, easily blocks the attack. I look up at the stranger, and before I can grab them they run away into an alley. I turn myself invisible using my armor and rush to the end of the alleyway to block their path. When they find me standing there inexplicably they panic and draw their knife again. With incredible speed I knock the knife out of their hand and drag them by the neck back to the group.

I pull the hood off of the stranger to reveal the would-be assassin; a young woman. "Winter, watch this woman and make sure she does not flee. Now then, how about we have a little talk?" The woman, however, is not interested in talking.

"Help!" She screams. "Help me!" This gathers the attention of the hundreds of people in the street. They all turn towards me. I overpower her media with my own and force her to stop screaming.

"Is there a problem here?" Asks a bystander.

"None at all," says the stranger as I control her mind. "Just playing a joke is all." The man narrows his eyes and leaves, prompting the crowd to lose interest as well. I release my hold on her media and she blinks rapidly, obviously disoriented.

"If you do that again, I’ll place you in a coma instead. How about that?" She gulps nervously. "Answer my question. Why did you try to kill me? Do not lie. If you don’t tell me, I can just read your mind."

"I am a priestess of Hermes. During prayer he commanded me to kill you and told me where to find you. You have offended the gods terribly and you must pay the price!" Oh, shit. How does he know I’m here?

"Tell me, woman, would you happen to be from another world by any chance?" Her eyelids open like sinkholes when I ask.

"Who are you? How did you know that?" She asks, perplexed. Unbelievable. How do I keep encountering these people by chance? Perhaps that blond vampire was right when he talked about gravity.

"Woman, you align yourself with the wrong ideals. Let me show you something." I place my hand on her forehead and channel all the knowledge I have about the universe and God into her media. When the process is complete, she gasps, now horrified.

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"What the hell is this? What did you show me!?" She asks.

"He showed you the truth," says Ican. "We’re all in the same boat as you, and we can’t do shit about it. But he can."

"Join me, and we can reach Heaven. All of us."

"Fine. Let’s do it." The woman responds. I reach out to shake her hand, and as she raises hers to meet mine, I scan her media and sense she plans to attack me again. I send a quick psychic message to Julius. When her hand meets mine, she will attack me. This is a good opportunity to test your training, and the new quicksilver limbs I gave you in the curative vat. Julius seems to understand.

When our hands touch to shake, she rapidly draws her knife and aims for my throat. Julius, however, intercepts her at superhuman speeds, crushing her wrist with her hand. Everyone is momentarily stunned. "I don’t understand, woman. Even after all I’ve told you, you still choose to serve false gods? Why?" The woman grimaces in pain, but then she starts to laugh.

"The gods have given me everything I could have wanted. Power, namely. Now I’m one of the strongest people in the world. Hermes specifically is my patron. Do you know what that means?" Uh oh. She smacks Julius in the face and darts away at nearly imperceptible speeds. She circles around us over and over again faster than we can keep us with, laughing at us. People in the street are drawn to the commotion again.

"It’s an oracle!" Shouts one person. "A mortal with divine authority!" Yells another. They cheer her on, presumably hoping for our downfall.

"Alright, Julius. See if your new quicksilver muscles allow you to keep up with her." She nods, eager to try out her strength. She kicks off on the ground and catches the stranger mid-run. They exchange flurries of blows at barely subsonic speeds. I see each of their faces get knocked back from a punch everyone once in a while. Julius’s attacks are far more potent, enough to shatter a block of concrete, but the stranger is slightly faster, able to turn with her punches and deflect her blows easier.

After a while of this flurry rush, Julius goes for a kick to the stranger’s knee. She blocks it with her hand, which leaves her face open. Julius does not waste the opportunity. She lands a clean hit, shattering most of the stranger’s cheekbone and skull. She falls to the ground and cries out in pain.

I laugh at another one of my triumphs. Even my companions have been made stronger than even some gods by my arcane might. Is there truly nothing that can oppose me?

I stand over the collapsed stranger. I use my casting gauntlet to heal her injury and hold her neck with my hand so she doesn’t escape. "Woman, there is no power that Thaumaturgy cannot replicate and improve upon, except the power of God himself. Even if you are from my world, it is necessary that you do not remain to hinder us. I won’t kill you, but I’m going to place a mental inhibitor on you that stops you from moving. I will return to figure out what to do with you later. Now then, companions, I believe our next stop will be to the temple of Hermes."