Soon after I became the Warrior King, or the Destroyer, I fled back into our realm with Alis.

Even sitting on our comfy sofas, in front of the roaring fire, deep in the privacy of our realm, I felt the clammy, worshipping feelings swirl around inside of me. Alis sat next to me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

The longer she held me, the more of that clammy swirl within eased until it became barely noticeable. Then finally, I managed to relax.

The comforting pine smell, and the open plan log interior with the rustic touches of bare stone and simple wooden surfaces, eased my weary soul. How Celameth managed to cope in a world of grandeur and majesty, I had no idea. To me, simple really was best.

There was one change in our cabin, though. A walk-in cupboard replaced the door where Aggard’s room had once been. Or maybe library would be a better term as on both sides of the cupboard were shelves lined with leather-bound books.

At the far end of the cupboard was a special table, upon which was an ornate, bejeweled stand which held a much smaller, though no less ornate, book.

To block this cupboard off from the rest of the room was a thick crimson velvet curtain. That curtain was open right now.

‘Klarric, darling, Aggard gave me one last gift for me to give to you. She told me I would know if, or when, I was to give it to you. For some reason, I feel that this is the perfect time to give it to you.’

Alis held out her empty, hardworking, calloused palm to me. As I watched, a ring, made from a simple band of gold, rose out of her skin. It looked much like a simple gold wedding ring.

I went to take it off her hand, but she snatched her palm closed. She took my left hand and carefully slid the ring onto my ring finger like a bride putting a ring on her groom. The ring fitted perfectly. From deep within the ring, I felt a small spark of divinity.

‘She told me that this is what married couples did to show that they promised to spend their lives together back in your old world. Is that true?’

‘It is.’ I rubbed my wedding ring. It fit perfectly. ‘But are you sure you’re happy to be with me forever? We’re a god and goddess now. Forever is different for us than for humans.’

‘Maybe that’s true, Klarric, darling.’ She looked at her ring, then looked up at me. ‘Maybe we’ll be deeply in love until the day we somehow die. Maybe we’ll split up. Maybe we’ll take breaks from each other, but always come back to each other. Maybe we’ll take lovers, and other partners. Or, maybe, we’ll come to hate each other and fight amongst us.

‘But what I do know is right now, we’re together and we love each other. And I want to live with you and have a real and meaningful relationship.’

What she was saying was right. Even so, doubts still crowded within. Was this really the right thing to do?

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I hung my head.

Even though I always knew, or emphasised with, how Aggard felt right now, I finally fully realised just how much the pressures of ruling weighed heavy upon the crown which I was now forced to wear.

‘Alis, can you send a message to Klarric to come to Netherfane Fort, umm, two months from today. I’ll get the rest of the deities to send word to their followers to send the most suitable to Netherfane on the same day. Tell them all to bring their finest warriors, for it will be on that day that we will start the grand crusade to clear the Isles of Dunkeltal from the darkness, which threatens to destroy our world.’

Alis nodded and stood up gracefully. I went to stand up, but she put a hand on my shoulder. ‘There is a gift within the ring, accept it.’ She kissed the top of my head and stroked my cheek. ‘I’ll be back for you in a few hours.’

With that, she disappeared, leaving me alone in the home which Aggard, rightly, believed would make me feel comfortable. It was a shame that I was unable to make more memories with her in this house she made for me.

I opened myself to the blessings within the ring. A presence which could only belong to Aggard appeared sitting on the sofa next to me.

It was a solid presence. I could feel her against my arm, smell her slightly sweet scent, and could almost taste her.

‘My beloved Klarric, there is much that can be done with divinity.’ Her voice spoke to me, full of caring and love. ‘The power of it is so unlike mana. Even so, this is just a recording. I am not with you at the moment. To stop you torturing yourself, I’ll make this gift a single use, for I know how I acted when given a gift like this from my first husband.

‘Though we never formally married, Klarric, my beloved, I do consider you as dear to me as my previous husband. In fact, I wish we could have married. But I am gone, and you, unlike me, have someone you can rely upon. Someone to love and trust.

‘It was my honest wish you could live a simple life with Alis. But if you have received this ring, then my wish for you has not come true. Instead, I feel, in my weakness, I have pulled you into trouble.’

I heard her sigh. Her presence faded slightly from my side as the sofa shifted, as if someone had slumped backwards.

‘Beloved Klarric, there is much I need to teach you about your use of divinity and about the role of the Warrior King which, if you have not already gained, should get soon. Oh, how I wish I could be there for you. I wish I could sit alongside you as one of your queen’s.

‘As I create this, I am laying next to you watching you sleep soundly. Already I can feel my divine self being drained away from you. Yet I am holding on to record this message for you. And to remind myself to not be scared as I prepare to go through what comes next.

‘You need to listen to this, Klarric.’ Her voice changed from the soft, caring voice it had been to a hard voice. ‘The truth is that it is I who am behind the blight. That horrendous blight which is consuming the Isles of Dunkeltal, and if spreads will destroy this world. It is something I mindlessly brought forth during the depths of my grieving.

‘Now that I’ve spent time with you, I’ve come to realise that I have been wrong these past few centuries. I should not have been holding back that blight. Instead, I should have done what I set out to do: protect this world and as many humans as I could.

‘Yes. I should have been aiding the blight, growing it, for once it is satiated, it will leave a new world behind. That is the end of this message, My Klarric. I love you, and I wish I could kiss you once more, yet I am unable.

‘Now, please, rest. For now, I shall impart knowledge unto you. Knowledge which I hope will convince you to help me in breaking this endangered and fragile world.’