《The Gray God》


 001

    "Look at how quiet and brooding he is, you should go talk to him."


    Cyrus sighed at the words he heard from across the room, which prompted one of the other women to comment on how he must be depressed. They were speculating over whether or not he just found himself single. The restaurant was a strange one, especially as they requested his identification at the door to verify he was of legal age to use its services.


    At nineteen, he was sometimes mistaken for being younger, but not that much younger. The youngest he had ever been mistaken for in recent months was sixteen, and he was always able to dispel the mistaken notion quickly. The age to drink alcohol at a restaurant in that region was thirteen. All in all, he looked as any other person his age did, even if his platinum-blond hair made him stand out a little more than others.


    He looked at the empty glass in front of him, then the half-eaten basket of burger and fires, before looking at the bartender.


    "Just keep them coming," he told the employee, a fit man two years his senior and dressed in black slacks and polo, shirt tucked in and buttoned except for the top. "I promise I won''t become a violent drunk."


    "What kind of drunk do you become?" The bartender asked as he grabbed a fresh glass and filled with an amber liquid from the tap. "If you aren''t a violent one, that is. Loud?"


    "Innate affinity for healing magics," Cyrus handed him a few bills, then accepted the glass. "Can''t get drunk."


    Which, in his opinion, was one of the most irritating things about being him. He wished he could drink away his worries, but instead drank for the flavor. His current choice was a hard apple cider, which tasted better to him than normal apple ciders. If he could drink to get drunk and forget his worries, even temporarily, Cyrus knew he would likely be a permanent drunk, and would have been starting when he was five.


    His brothers and father drove him to that point.


    "A Jewel, huh?" The bartender asked, and Cyrus eyed the necklace around the man''s neck. A simple silver chain with a plain band ring hanging from it, though the ring itself was concealed under the polo, the chain itself only visible slightly against his neck. "Don''t see too many of those around here."


    "I''m just here to meet someone."


    "Most are," the bartender responded.


    Cyrus nearly tapped into the man''s mind to find out what that meant, but decided against it. It was a restaurant with a bar, and it didn''t take a genius to figure out the meaning. What did strike him odd was that from time to time, two or three people would head up stairs at the back of the restaurant. Customers. He guessed there was probably some sort of gaming room up there. That, or there were more shops, as the place was a six-story building.


    "Hey," a woman came forward and put a hand on Cyrus''s arm. "Here alone?"


    "Yes," Cyrus drained his glass, then set another few bills on the counter, the bartender snorting as he grabbed another glass.


    "Do you want to be?" She asked.


    "I''d rather not be touched by some random woman," he grabbed her hand and moved it off his arm.


    "Are you gay?"


    "Does a guy need to be to not want to be touched by some random woman wearing too much makeup and perfume?" He asked. "You are the sixth woman to come up to me since I arrived trying to chat me up, and every one of you has touched me. Is there some social etiquette I don''t know about that says it''s fair game to get physical when you''re at a bar?"


    She stared at him in obvious shock, then stomped off, and the bartender laughed from where he was serveing another customer, having already set Cyrus''s glass down.


    "No one''s ever rejected her before," the bartender told him.


    "Not even you?"


    "She hasn''t tried me," the bartender chuckled. "She''s too scared of what will happen if she does."


    "She should be a bit more scared for her own safety," Cyrus muttered, then resumed eating, tossing a few more bills forward for another drink.


    A few more minutes passed before another woman approached him. Her sandy blond hair cascaded down her shoulders and back in waves, her green eyes looking at him in light amusement. She wore a red dress with silver accents, a slight shimmer to it. Cyrus had noticed her when she arrived, and while she looked at him from time to time, he had noted that she was more interested in the man whose lap she had practically been sitting in.


    "If you''re here for the same reason as the other women," Cyrus told her. "Not interested. At least you didn''t touch me right away. I guess your boyfriend wouldn''t have liked that."


    "Boyfriend?" She asked, then laughed. "We aren''t dating, just regulars at this place. The more difficult someone seems, the more tempting a bite they appear."


    "I''m not interesting in finding a woman who only wants me for the looks," he said.


    "I get the feeling," she signaled to the bartender, who served her up a drink. "That you don''t even know what this place is."


    "It''s a restaurant," he answered, provoking a laugh out of her. "What?"


    "You''re in Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant, and don''t know where you are?" She asked.


    "Exactly where I am," he answered.


    "This is a place," she said. "Where singles or couples go looking to spice up their life a little. Find someone, rent a room upstairs for the night, and have sex."


    Cyrus paused for a moment, then tapped into his empathy and telepathy, before sighing as he realized she was right. There were eighteen different groups having sex in the upper floors, and nearly everyone there had thoughts of who they wanted to sleep with.


    "That explains a lot," he muttered as he shut off those senses. "I''m not looking for a hookup."


    "I figured," she smiled, taking a sip of her drink. "Your obliviousness to the nature of this place didn''t flag to me as acting, and I''ve gotten good at identifying acts."


    "Even though you''re only nineteen?" He asked. "You''d think you''d be good enough to catch someone out at acting, even without having mind magics?"


    She gave him an interested, though stunned, look.


    "You''re wondering how I knew your age," he said. "I''m a god. Such things are easy for me to find."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Cyrus had a tendency of being able to accurately know the age of anyone around him, at least in approximation. His younger brothers, on the other hand, would know it exactly, even down to the minute.


    "You certainly have the look of a god," she gave him a look with a touch of lust added in. "Do you work out?"


    "Only slightly," he told her. "If you don''t mind, I''m not interested in a hookup, and I''m just waiting for someone to meet me here."


    He made a mental note to inform the man to never arrange to meet in a place like that again.


    "A meetup?" She asked. "A special friend?"


    "No," he answered. "They''re possibly selling something to me. Legal something, not illegal. He picked the place, and I thought I said I wasn''t interested?"


    "Not even in small talk?" She asked. "Just to pass the time until he arrives?"


    "I''m not a social person."


    "I see," she said. "What do you do for a living?"


    "Gods have no need for work."


    When he glanced at her as he took another bite of his burger, he noticed she was raising an eyebrow at him. He chewed slowly and set the burger down.


    "I have various things I do," Cyrus said after swallowing. "I don''t need money, though. It''s one thing I have enough of."


    "A rich boy, huh?" She asked.


    "A god," he drained his glass.


    "What do you think of them?" She asked him. "The gods, I mean. Rynovar, Selar, and Kylnar."


    Cyrus set the glass down and tapped on the rim of it several times.


    "Around three centuries ago," he said. "They ended the Fourth Age of Magic and claimed this world as theirs. Rynovar is the king of them, while Selar is his wife and Kylnar is his right-hand deity. They''ve allowed no gods from other worlds into their pantheon, though a couple have visited this world in the times since. Not much is publicly known about Selar or Kylnar, but Rynovar¡­"


    Cyrus shook his head.


    "He''s whimsical," he said. "And a touch insane. He rules us from his floating continent and will allow any mortal to visit him if they can complete a quest. Obtain a special token from the bottom of a magic dungeon, speak with the Silver Oracle, and other such things. They may request one thing of him, ask him one question, and unless it is too extreme, he will grant or answer it. So far, no one has succeeded in his quest, even after two and a half centuries from when he issued it. Mostly because only an insane person would try it."


    "You don''t seem to have any fear of him," she commented. "Openly criticizing his quest."


    "I fear little, if anything," Cyrus shrugged, setting a few more bills down for another drink. "Rynovar doesn''t scare me. My guy is here."


    A man sat on Cyrus''s other side, setting a small metal briefcase on the table between them. Cyrus wiped off his hands on a napkin, then inspected them for a moment before simply generating water to wipe them clean, using fire magics to raise the temperature of the air in order to speed-dry his hands.


    With his hands clean and dry, Cyrus opened the case without saying a word to the man. Inside were eight stacks of circular objects made of some sort of strange plastic, uniform in diameter and material. Each one had a hole in the exact center of it, and Cyrus could tell the lady next to him was curious about what they were.


    Ignoring her, he pulled out a stack of them and inspected both sides of each item, then did the same to the next stack. In the seventh stack, he paused on one of them.


    "I''ve been looking for this one."


    "What are they?" The lady finally asked, and Cyrus gave her an amused look.


    "Movies."


    "Those aren''t recospheres."


    "They''re discs," he said. "DVD''s specifically. Some are shows, some are music albums. They predate the Great Collapse."


    They were more than five centuries in age, making Cyrus impressed at their good condition and the high number of them the finder had managed to gather.


    "So they use outdated technology," she said. "Collectors'' items, then?"


    "My brothers can copy their data into a recosphere," he said as he resumed inspecting the discs. "They''re the only people in the world who can. But yes, they''re collectors'' items. The style of humor and interest is much different than in today''s media, and much of their ''effects'' were done with digital editing, not through actual magic. So I contact collectors, hunters, and scavengers, hoping to find these things."


    "For your brothers?"


    "Their hobbies I help them with prevent them from much worse hobbies."


    "Like?"


    "The Skelyna Tower Incident."


    He felt her incredulous gaze upon him as he continued inspecting the stacks.


    "How many brothers do you have?"


    "The ones I was talking about are triplets," he paused for a moment. "They''re the only ones I''ve ever considered brothers. The rest are half-siblings. Being gods, with godly parents, it''s to be expected."


    "They wrapped an entire building in wrapping paper."


    "Yeah."


    "Just the three of them."


    "Yeah," he closed the case.


    "It was seventy stories tall."


    "Yeah."


    "They did it without anyone noticing."


    "Chronomancy," he said. "They slipped out of time."


    "That''s what everyone was thinking," she sighed. "Isn''t staying slipped out of time difficult to do for more than twenty or thirty minutes? There isn''t much information on time magics."


    "They''re gods, too."


    "Uuuuh-huh," she said. "Okay, then. Your brothers seriously did that out of boredom?"


    "Which is why I try to indulge in their less harmful hobbies."


    He handed the finder a stack of money with a band around their middle.


    "As we agreed," Cyrus told him. "The goods are as claimed."


    "Thank you," the finder said, then left, and the lady looked around.


    "Where did the case go?" She asked.


    "I put it away," Cyrus answered, then dunked his last fry in ketchup and ate it.


    He noticed her looking at his food and knew she was likely wondering when he resumed eating it.


    "You said one of those," she decided to return to the movies. "You had been looking for?"


    "An eight-movie series adapted from a book series with seven books," he said. "The seventh book split into two for the movie in order to not cut vital things in the adaptation. It''s a fantasy series about a boy who learns he''s a wizard, then ends up facing off against the Dark Lord. That was the fourth one. I''ve been delaying watching the movies because I was hoping to find it. I''d rather not have a gap between events in that which I watch, even if I know what will happen because of the books."


    "You have copies of the ancient books?" She asked.


    "There are a few collectors who have them," he nodded. "Passed down from ancestors in protected storage to preserve them. I have copies of them."


    "You read ancient literature?" She asked. "And have copies of them."


    "It''s interesting," he said. "What they thought magic might be like, before the Great Collapse. And a little entertaining. Another series I enjoy, though the books were sadly lost to time it seems, even if the movies remain, was about a boy soldier who discovered he wasn''t an orphan, but had been kidnapped at his birth, the midwife faking his death to steal him from his parents for her master. Only her master grabbed her son by mistake rather than him. He was the target because he was the seventh son of a seventh son, which in some ancient stories meant greater magical power and talent. He ended up finding out he was their kid and meeting them, and apprenticing to the kingdom''s head witch. Their magic was largely used through objects rather than simply creating it themselves."


    "That is the most I have heard you talk," she said. "Since you arrived. You seem more like the quieter type."


    "It needs to be something I''m interested in."


    Cyrus set a few bills down as a tip to the bartender, then stood to leave.


    "I know you said," the lady said. "That you weren''t looking for sex, but if you were interested¡­"


    "I''m not interested in prostitutes."


    "I never suggested money," she told him. "Just a night of pleasure."


    "The other four ladies I''ve noticed wearing dresses of that design have all offered it for money," he said. "Prostitutes."


    She frowned, and he knew she was wondering how he noticed that, as the other ladies of the night had managed their targets on other ends of the room.


    "I''m a god," he told her. "Knowing such things is quite easy for me."


    It wasn''t any of her business that he had increased hearing capabilities by listening to the vibrations in the air. If he pushed his limits, he could hear up to nearly one thousand feet away with perfect clarity. His normal range stretched around one hundred feet away, and he found it difficult to shut that off.


    "I don''t always sleep for money," she told him, then hesitated before admitting it. "Though when I put on this dress, it is a sign I''m on-duty for the restaurant. We''re allowed one free night a month, though, and I haven''t used mine up yet."


    "No, thanks."


    "You seem like you could use some stress relief," she told him. "You seem the type of guy who takes things far too seriously, and if what you told me about your brothers is true, I can understand why. It''ll make it hard to find ''that one'' if you''re constantly having to take care of younger brothers and keep them from wrapping up seventy-story buildings with metallic green wrapping paper. Are you sure you don''t want to let loose for just one night? Release that built-up frustration you likely have?"

 002

    "I know what you''re trying to do," Cyrus said.


    "What is that?" The lady of the night asked innocently.


    "You''re hoping," he said. "That if I accept the offer, I become inclined to come here and visit again, thus generating more income for the restaurant. It''s a rather cheap tactic. It can easily backfire as well. I already said I''m not interested. What if I were the type of person who''d become furious because of you pushing after that? What would happen if I complained to your manager about that?"


    He saw the hesitation in her eyes. It was clear to him that she had considered that possibility and assumed she could handle whatever her boss did in response to it.


    "Anyone who comes here," she responded. "Is assumed to be willing, even if they say they aren''t. That is why we employees are encouraged to push a little. We have a limit to the number of no''s we''re supposed to take before accepting it because of that. You only need to reject me one more time to hit that limit. Once you do, I''ll move on to my next target."


    Cyrus opened his mouth to reject her again, then hesitated. She was right, and he knew that. He lacked a care for any actual relationship because he had to constantly deal with his brothers'' antics and hobbies. If she knew what they had done just the week before, she would understand even more why he avoided connections.


    Because of that, he knew that he would be unlikely to ever have a meaningful relationship ever again. Especially since his brothers would just steal his lover, just like they had the first and only one, back in high school. They dated for six months, then Cyrus introduced them to his brothers. He was single ten minutes later.


    "I have no experience with sex," Cyrus told her. "Unfortunately, I wouldn''t be able to meet your satisfaction as a result, even if I did accept. You''re no doubt someone who''s dealt with regulars quite often, especially considering that you are quite beautiful."


    He could see in her eyes and expression that she was trying to determine if that was a rejection or not.


    "Actually," she said. "I prefer the guys with no experience over the guys with some. They might be amateurs in bed, but not being expertly treated has its perks. I rarely sleep with a guy who''s slept with someone more than twice."


    "So your experience is with people who finish fast," he snorted. "I doubt they have much stamina, either. It''s unlikely I''ll ever be here again, which means you''d be using up your free night on someone who likely won''t bring another Note to this place ever again. I only came to town to buy these dics, and only came here because it''s where he wanted to meet up. I guess he was planning on getting with someone, since he quickly moved to hooking up after he left us."


    "Well," she said. "If you''re not going to be here ever again, then there''s no connection, no commitment. Right?"


    "Are you sure you can handle a god?" He asked.


    "I''m sure I can handle you," she smiled.


    Cyrus decided to give in to his sexual desires. He doubted the restaurant would employ someone with something, but even if they did, he was immune. A perk of being him.


    "Lead the way, then."


    He followed her upstairs and past several doors with screens beside them, each bordered with red light. When they reached a room with a green border around the screen, the lady swiped a card along its side, then tapped in a few things.


    "There we go," she said as the light turned orange. "Go ahead and enter. I''ve already told it you''re sleeping free."


    Cyrus entered the room, and she followed him inside. It was small, with only walking space between the queen-sized bed and the walls. Red light barely illuminated the room from strips fixed to the ceiling, though they turned to a soft orange after a moment. He looked at the lady to find her messing with their controls, the lights shifting from orange to yellow, before paling to a normal light''s coloration. Then, the lights dimmed again, granting just enough light to see by.


    "There we go," the lady told him. "We can make it brighter if you want."


    "No," he pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean, defined build devoid of hair. "This is fine."


    "Are we undressing ourselves, then?" She asked as he began undoing his belt.


    Cyrus gave her a confused look, before realizing she was meaning to ask if they weren''t going to undress each other. He''d forgotten that people did that in the movies he watched, as well as in a few of the stories.


    "I don''t like being touched," he told her. "If we make too much contact before actually having sex, there''s a good chance I''ll decide against it and leave. As it is, there''s a good chance I won''t do much and still end it, even while we''re in the middle."


    "You don''t like being touched?" She asked as he dropped his belt to the floor, then sat on the edge of the bed. "At all?"


    "Ever," he answered.


    "Were you¡­ beaten a child?" She asked, and he gave her a curious look. "I mean, I know there are the occasional Autistic folks out there, but they aren''t as common as they were before the Great Collapse. Most of the people I''ve met who didn''t like being touched had been abused pretty bad. Your parents didn''t-"


    "No," he interrupted as he began to remove his boots.


    "Your brothers?"


    "I didn''t get beaten as a child," he snorted. "I''ve just never liked being touched. It''s pretty unlike my brothers, they love physical contact. Their first time having sex was as soon as they were legally old enough, and I think they''ve had a lover in their bed every night since."


    "So you just don''t like it?" She asked as he unbuttoned his pants, then began to push them down. "There''s not something wrong with your brain or some beating or something?"


    "Yeah," he answered. "Some people enjoy things others don''t, and some people dislike things others don''t."


    He kicked off his pants, remaining in just his dark blue boxer-briefs as he thought over his dislike of physical contact.


    "There''s nothing I can think of," he shrugged. "So I suppose that it''s just a quirk of mine."


    He lifted his hips up as he removed his underwear, then kicked them off once they dropped down to his feet, and he appraised her as she observed the hairless body before her.


    "I''ve never slept with a straight guy as bald as you," she said, and Cyrus ran his fingers through hair, confusion clear on his face. She laughed in response to that. "I meant down low, Cyrus. Usually, only the gay or bisexual men shave or wax it all off."


    "Oh," he said. "I don''t. Downside of being a god, we don''t have body hair. Or facial. I don''t really care, though my brothers say they wish they at least had a bush, since it''s a turn-off to some for a guy to be hairless around the crotch."Stolen novel; please report.


    "Well," she removed her own underwear as Cyrus assessed his crotch. "It doesn''t bother me either way, it just surprised me. I inherited good genes like yours. Some of the other ladies complain about shaving down there, while I''ve never had to, yet there''s not a hair to be seen."


    Cyrus turned his gaze to her, then nodded. She was as smooth as he was. He felt like he was supposed to compliment her, since she was naked before him. From what he remembered of the books and movies he had seen, that was normal to do.


    "You have a nice body."


    "Thanks," she smiled. "I noticed you didn''t comment about my boobs. Most guys usually mention them specifically."


    "They''re around average," he said. "Not extraordinary. Should I have complimented them?"


    He realized only at her shocked expression that he had likely just insulted her, but he didn''t care too much. At the moment, he was starting to feel anxiety over the prospect of having not just slight physical contact with someone, but full-on intimate physical contact.


    "Just me commenting another difference between you and other guys I''ve been with," she said. "You should be a little more confident when it comes to sex, by the way. That''s definitely a pleasure tool down there."


    "Can we just get started?" He asked. "And stop this chatter?"


    "Sure," she climbed onto the bed. "How do you want this?"


    "I know positions," he said. "What do you want?"


    She lay on her back, and Cyrus climbed on top of her, pushing into her. He gasped at the unexpected feeling of pleasure and tightness around his erection, noticing her gasping at the same time. As he began to just do the basics and fuck, Cyrus stared into her green eyes, breathing heavily quickly from the feelings, his inexperienced body unable to fully handle it.


    Cyrus quickly reached his climax, though he didn''t stop, continuing until his second. Only then did he pull out and lay on the bed beside the lady, keeping a small distance between them as he thought over it. It wasn''t as good as he''d been led to expect through books and movies, but still felt nice to him. He was tense, though, and knew he had been throughout the act.


    Physical contact really wasn''t his thing.


    After a few minutes, Cyrus asked something he knew she had probably heard many times before. Despite that, he couldn''t resist asking the question.


    "How do I compare?"


    "Most amateurs," she said. "Either try to emulate what they''ve seen in porn or read in erotica, which results in my own amusement at their stupidity, or they go with the basics. You did the latter, and in comparison to others who do, I was impressed that you kept going. Most guys stop immediately."


    "I was still horny," and he still was, but he was done with contact for the night, possibly the year.


    "I figured," she turned onto her side and noticed his eyes drifting closed. "Sleepy?"


    "It''s almost two in the morning," he responded, his voice barely a mutter. "And I haven''t slept in two days."


    "Well, we have the room for the night," she told him. "And don''t have to vacate it until one."


    By the time she finished speaking, Cyrus had already fell asleep, and he slept until nearly noon without stirring once. Feeling refreshed, he looked at the lady of the night, who was awake and had been watching him sleep, a slight smile on her face.


    "That expression always on your face," she told him. "Didn''t leave as you slept. Most people, their expressions relax while sleeping, or they turn happy or fearful. Yours remained the same."


    "I don''t change much, even when sleeping."


    "I figured," she told him as he sat up. "Do you want to go for another round?"


    "No," he answered as he climbed off the bed, then began to dress. Once was enough for him, even if he was horny. "I''m leaving town. Thank you, for at least convincing me to give it a try."


    "You''re welcome," she sat up, not bothering to use the blanket to cover her chest like she would most guys who rejected her after waking up. "Can I ask you a question?"


    "Asking is free in most cases."


    "If you could meet Rynovar," she said. "What would you do?"


    "You''re talking about the quest?" He asked.


    "Yes," she answered. "You''d mentioned it last night, when we were at the bar."


    "I have a question for him," he answered. "One I''ve had since I was little."


    "Does it relate to your father?" She asked, and he raised an eyebrow. "You mentioned last night that you were in an orphanage. I figured there''s a story there, and you might want answers about it from the god who oversees all."


    "Maybe I do," he answered. "The question is for me to know."


    "So are your parents dead?" She asked.


    "My parents are gods," he scoffed. "They''re quite alive."


    "They left you at an orphanage, then?" She asked. "You must have feelings about that, especially with the anger I heard in that scoff. Have you ever met them?"


    "If I ever meet my father," he growled as he yanked his shirt on, then walked to the door. "I''m going to punch him in the face."


    "That sounds like a lot of hate," she said.


    "He deserves it."


    "And your mother?"


    "She contacts me regularly," he reached for the knob, then looked at her. "It''s only fair to answer the same question."


    "About the quest?" She asked. "I''m hoping I can save up enough money to perform the quest. My request would be to grant me more magical power. I''m a Tier One Circle. I can barely manipulate a candle''s flame, and that''s the extent of my magical talent. I''m better than I was when I awakened two years ago, but I''m sure it would take me a full fifty years just to progress to Tier Four, and that''s my potential, after all. I actually doubt I''d hit Tier Two in my life."


    "You want to meet Rynovar," he said. "And ask for increased power?"


    "Yes," she answered. "And more affinities. I know no one knows if that''s actually within his power, but he is the god who rules the world. If anyone could do it, he could. He carved out an island from the land and raised it into the sky, keeping it sustained in the sky through unknown means. His powers go far beyond what we mortals can do. I want to have more affinities and be stronger because it would open up more possibilities for me. Careers I would actually like to be in long-term."


    "It was actually Kylnar who lifted the island," Cyrus told her. "Through a feat of enchantments that surpass current mortal ability on nearly every world with intelligent life. It''s powered through an enchanted orb which generates mana regularly."


    As he spoke, he tapped his fingers on the handle to the door, thinking at the same time.


    "Rynovar might be able to grant that request," Cyrus told her. "At least for elemental affinities. I doubt he''d turn someone into a Jewel. It''s definitely not something a mortal could do, though."


    He frowned.


    "How do you plan on doing the quest?" He asked. "Your magic is quite insufficient for it to do it alone, and you''re working as a prostitute for a brothel restaurant."


    "I make a decent cut," she told him. "Though I''ll admit it might take me awhile to properly save up enough to hire a party to delve into one of the deeper dungeons and retrieve the token, and finding the Silver Oracle won''t be easy, either. The other parts of it would be just as difficult."


    "Even if you made a hundred a night," he told her. "Every night, and for thirty years, you''d still not have enough to match what some have spent on trying to accomplish the quest. None have ever succeeded."


    "No one even knows where to find the Silver Oracle," she said. "It''s rumored to be a way for him to tell people it''s possible while it''s really impossible. That she doesn''t actually exist at all, but is said to just to give people hope of a wish being granted by our godking."


    "She exists," Cyrus said. "I''ve met her before."


    The lady stared at him, eyes wide with shock, and he shrugged.


    "If you know what to look for and who to ask," he said. "The clues to her location exist."


    "You''re doing the quest?" She asked him.


    "No," he answered. "I got curious when I was ten because of the theory that she didn''t actually exist. So I decided to look into it and found her."


    "When you were ten?"


    "I''m a god," he shrugged. "It wasn''t that advanced for me. Most ten-year-old mortals probably wouldn''t manage finding her."


    "What do you think the odds are of me finding her?" She asked.


    "Nonexistent," he answered, fingers tapping on the handle again. "At least, not without a massive hint. Not just any mortal could convince me to have sex. What''s your name?"


    "Lyda," she answered.


    "Lyda," he fixed his gaze on hers. "If you''re able to leave here, I would be more than willing to take you to meet her. There''s something special about you. That''s the only explanation for how you were able to convince me to sleep with you. Trust me, far more skilled silvertongues have tried."


    He had a partially selfish reason for his decision to take her to the Silver Oracle. The Silver Oracle would likely be able to explain how she succeeded when all others failed. He''d had those thoughts before, yet never gave in to them. Why would she be different?


    "Take me to her?" Lyda asked. "You are offering to take me to the Silver Oracle?"


    "Yes," he answered. "Would you like to accept the offer? I''ll cover the cost of the trip there and back for you, but it would require you to be able to make the trip."


    "I just need to tell Madam Mara I''m going on a trip," she told him. "And I''ll be fine. They employ me, but they don''t own me."


    "Okay," he said. "Is that a ''yes'', then?"

 003

    "That''s a yes," Lyda told Cyrus.


    "Okay," he gave a mental sigh of relief.


    He really wanted to talk to the Silver Oracle and find out why Lyda succeeded where others had failed before.


    "Meet me at the bar," Lyda told him. "I''ll inform Madam Mara about the trip."


    Cyrus nodded, then made his way downstairs and sat at the bar. A different bartender from the night before stood behind it, a woman in her early twenties with dark brown hair and eyes the color of milk chocolate. To Cyrus, the shade reminded him of the specific brand and type his brothers loved the most. He made a mental note to buy some for them within the next few weeks, as it would help placate them a little.


    "I''m waiting for someone," Cyrus told the bartender. "Before I leave. Me sitting here isn''t an issue, is it?"


    "No," she answered with a smile. "You must be the hottie who went with Lyda last night. My boyfriend mentioned you."


    "Yeah," he set his tablet on the bar and started checking things.


    It only took him a moment to find something, and he sighed. His brothers had gotten up to no good while he slept. He was gone not even a day, and they were up to their antics. A record, even for them. Cyrus pulled up his messaging system and told them that they better be at home, behaving, when he returned, then opened up a message he had received during the night. The user was recorded as SnK, and he had given them a profile of a pair of jewels, one blue and one green.


    I thought you would live to be a thousand before you ever had sex. S


    Cyrus snorted at his mother''s message. He wasn''t sure how she knew he had sex, but also knew that she had probably watched the entire thing just to see how he did.


    It was an effort.


    As he sent the message, he became aware of Lyda standing beside him, wearing the dress she had worn that night. He raised an eyebrow at seeing the dress.


    "I don''t score every night," she told him. "And the rooms have to be free for paying customers. I live elsewhere. Hey, Sabbie, I''m going on a trip with him."


    "A trip?" Sabbie asked. "Have you talked to Madam Mara?"


    "Yeah," Lyda answered. "She showed up a few moments after he left. She wanted to know how it was. He offered to take me to the Silver Oracle for the quest."


    "That is an impressive advancement," Sabbie said. "And also an impossible one. Do you trust him when he says he can take you?"


    "I trust what I''ve learned so far," Lyda answered. "See you around, Sabbie."


    "Come on," Cyrus stood and began to leave.


    "Where did your tablet go?" Lyda asked.


    "I put it away."


    Cyrus left the restaurant, and Lyda followed, then led him to her apartment a block down the street. They went up to her apartment, a studio apartment with a mattress on the floor and a couch, along with a chest of drawers.


    As Cyrus waited, Lyda took a shower, then dressed in plain clothes, before packing a bag.


    "I saw your screen, before you finished," Lyda told Cyrus. "Who''s S-n-K? You didn''t seem the type to talk about your sexual exploits, and your expression was the same as usual, no hint of pride or bragging."


    "Sink is two people," he answered. "I told you my mother contacts us."


    "That was your mother?" She asked.


    "Yeah."


    "You told her you had sex?"


    "No."


    "Then how did she know?"


    "A goddess has her ways," he answered. "Are you ready?"


    "Yes," she answered. "Where are we going?"


    "The airport," he answered. "My flight leaves in an hour and a half."


    "Do you think they''d have an extra seat for me?"


    "I book first-class," he said. "And always two adjacent seats."


    To avoid risk of someone touching him. He also sat on the widow seat, to avoid risk of someone walking down the aisle bumping or brushing him as they passed. If there weren''t two adjacent seats available but two seats available, he would book both, then offer the person sitting beside him the other seat. If they wouldn''t move at that, he''d pay them to move. That always convinced them. In the event that there weren''t two seats available in first-class at all, then he booked a different flight.


    Lyda pulled on her bag, then they left, boarding the bus stopping a few yards down the street. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the airport and made their way in. Cyrus checked in with Lyda''s bag as a carry-on, then they went through security.


    "You don''t have a wallet?" Lyda asked after they completed the checks. "Wait, where do you keep your money?"


    "Several places," he answered. "You''re sitting on the aisle."


    "Okay," she said.


    They moved to their gate to wait for boarding, and Cyrus began using his tablet to pass the time again. Several people claimed to have ancient artifacts, though only half of them used pictures as proof. Cyrus ran a check on the images through a database to find if the images could be found anywhere on the net.


    For the ones which he found other images of but as part of a collection or something owned by someone, he researched to see if the supposed finder or seller had any connection to the owner. If he could find no relation, then he eliminated them. That resulted in half of the results being eliminated. Two more, he eliminated because he already knew they were shady.


    By the time he finished filtering through the results, Cyrus had two sellers and a finder who had contacted him he was willing to check up on. Pulling on his magic, he focused on their information and the supposed objects they had. After verifying their authenticity, he sent them each a message saying he would negotiate.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He could have used his magic to divine their location and truth from the start, but he hated using it repeatedly when results might show up empty. His brothers didn''t care about that and would check everyone anyway, but Cyrus had his own preferences.


    As he finished sending the messages, a regular finder sent him a message.


    I found a katana from Japan, it''s more than a thousand years old according to the information that came with it. I had it appraised and it came up authentic. Do you still look for swords? I''ll be in Mierar for the next week, and will be traveling to Brital the week after that to look at a new item.


    Cyrus decided to make arrangements with him, as his plane was already on his way to an airport near Mierar. The Silver Oracle didn''t live there, but the easiest way to her was there.


    "A new seller?" Lyda asked as he finished making arrangement, and he looked at her. "Sorry, I just saw you suddenly typing a lot and got curious."


    "Old seller," he explained. "A finder who hunts rare items for people. He sometimes comes across things while looking for other things that he thinks I or my brothers might be interested in. Reliable."


    "Ah," she said. "We''re going to Mierar? I thought our plane was taking us to Henmis? Wait, you said you were taking me to the Silver Oracle, but you already had tickets?"


    "I live in Henmis," he told her. "Mierar is a three hours'' drive on the interstate. We''ll be heading to the islands, specifically."


    "The Silver Oracle lives on the islands?" She asked.


    "No," he answered. "But going through them is the easiest way to get to her."


    He returned to using his tablet for the rest of the flight, only putting it away once they landed. They exited the plane and made their way to the airport''s lot, and Cyrus walked straight to a plain, green car and entered through the driver''s door.


    "This is not as fancy," Lyda commented as she entered through the passenger''s door. "As I would have expected from someone with a lot of money who buys up ancient artifacts."


    "And rare items," he added. "Not all of those are ancient."


    "You collect recent things, too?" She asked.


    "If they''re rare," he answered. "And my brothers do it more than me."


    "What''s something you collected that''s rare and recent?" She asked as he turned on the car and pulled out.


    "Silver and gold Manakao figurines."


    Lyda stared at Cyrus, who ignored the stare. They were children''s toys that came in cereal boxes, their run lasting for a full decade, ending only two years ago. The majority of the figurines were varied in color to look like people, but the company also made ones in pure silver or gold colors.


    The chances of finding one of the silver ones were one in ten thousand, while the chances of finding a gold one was one in one hundred thousand. Cyrus had all of the silver ones and was missing one of the gold ones.


    "I was not expecting that," Lyda said. "I suppose the car fits you more than a fancy car. I can''t picture you in one."


    "I drive those, too."


    "You do?"


    "My brothers and I have over one thousand cars," he stated. "I just prefer this one. That was a four-hour flight, and their snacks weren''t appetizing. We haven''t had breakfast or lunch. I''m stopping at a fast food place."


    "We''re not going to your home?"


    "The agreement," he said. "Was that I take you to the Silver Oracle, then back your home and work. Nothing about my home."


    He wouldn''t have minded taking her by his house so that he could reprimand his brothers, but Cyrus really wanted to talk with the Silver Oracle about Lyda. His brothers could wait, anyway. There was some point in her saying he needed a break from them and to let loose. When he finished dealing with Lyda, he could handle the fallout of whatever his brothers did in his absence.


    Though he wondered if maybe he should stop by their home and discard all of the cotton balls they had bought. Deciding against it, he drove to a fast food restaurant and ordered. After paying and receiving their food, Cyrus drove to the interstate.


    "Thank you," Lyda said after they ate.


    "Everyone needs to eat."


    "I mean for taking me."


    "There''s always the chance I''m a kidnapper or here to sell you into the sex trade."


    "I doubt it," she told him. "You seem-"


    "Do you mind shutting up?" He asked. "I prefer it when it''s quiet."


    She gave him a strange look, but Cyrus dismissed it, she had done that a lot. The rest of the drive to Mierar was made with complete silence between them, Lyda napping lightly on the way. When they arrived, Cyrus pulled up to a parking garage and paid the fare, then parked his car on the fourth level before he woke Lyda with a snap by her ear.


    "We''ll meet the finder first," he told her. "Then head to the Silver Oracle."


    "Okay," she yawned. "Do you mind if we eat again before we head to her?"


    "We will."


    They exited the car and Cyrus led her out of the parking garage and down the street. After a few minutes, they arrived at some docks. He walked up to a noodles shop open to the street at sat beside a man nearly twice his age, who had a long box leaning against the stall between them.


    "Noodles?" Lyda asked as she sat on Cyrus''s other side. "Fast food and noodles. Not the kind of thing I''d imagine someone who does what you do to eat."


    "Got yourself a girlfriend?" The older man asked as the chef began preparing two bowls.


    "No," Cyrus answered. "I''m taking her to meet someone. Is that it?"


    "Yes," the man answered, and Cyrus grabbed the box and set it on the counter, the man quickly moving his bowl to avoid it being knocked off. "Watch the food, Cy."


    "Don''t call me that," Cyrus muttered as he opened the box, examining the sword.


    He lifted it out the case and examined both sides of the blade and the hilt.


    "It''s a Masamune, as you said," Cyrus noted. "One of his earlier swords, too."


    He lowered the sword back into the box, then accepted the bowl of noodles as Lyda tried to figure out where the box disappeared to when she took her eyes off of it to look at the food. Cyrus handed the finder a stack of bills with a band around their middle, then began eating his dinner.


    After they ate, Cyrus led Lyda to a nearby boat, where they were greeted by a woman in her early thirties dressed in simple, yet expensive clothes.


    "It has been awhile since you came here, Cyrus," she greeted him with a hug. "Are you here to delve into the dungeon again?"


    "No," Cyrus answered as he shoved her away from him.


    "The Mierar islands have a dungeon?" Lyda asked as she tried not to laugh at the interaction.


    "A deep one," Cyrus answered. "It goes a thousand feet down, and the last three hundred are flooded from the ocean. There''s a secondary entrance at the top of the water that leads in from the ocean. Or out, if you go that way. As with all dungeons, the monsters native don''t leave."


    "You go dungeon-diving, too?" She asked.


    "I''ve gone a few times," he shrugged.


    "A few times?" The woman laughed as she led them onto a boat. "Cyrus here has obtained tokens from more than twenty dungeons, including ours. And it wasn''t by buying them ¨C he claimed them himself, traveling in alone. He''s a bit crazy to do that, but he has the talent to succeed."


    "He''s claimed them from more than twenty dungeons?" Lyda asked. "How often does he do yours?"


    "Depends on his mood," the woman answered. "He''s done ours maybe fifty times? Though I think he''s only pulled one token out, even if they do replenish."


    "Rynovar ensures that they replenish," Cyrus said. "I was doing yours to practice the Veneli Dungeon, it''s four times as deep and only the first five hundred feet aren''t submerged."


    "You beat the Veneli one after only twenty practices here."


    "Yours also has resources my brothers can use."


    "You''ve done dungeons more than seventy times," Lyda said in disbelief as the boat began moving, taking them towards the islands. "Did you awaken right at sixteen or something?"


    "I was born awakened," he answered. "I did my first dungeon when I was eight."


    "His first permitted dungeon!" The woman laughed. "He was spotted coming out of one when he was five. When asked why he risked his life like that, all Cyrus said was ''I''m a god, so it''s not like I would die''."


    "So he''s been awakened since he was little," Lyda said. "And is a magical genius?"


    "Indeed," the woman said. "My name is Gina, by the way."


    "Nice meet you, Gina," Lyda said. "Is it normal for Cyrus to say so little when he''s talking?"


    "Yes," Gina answered. "Cyrus is¡­ special. He''s socially inept in some ways, and indifferent to most people."


    "Except his brothers," Lyda said.


    "Cyrus!" Gina pointed at him, her tone suddenly angry. "Those brothers of yours set five hundred chickens loose on the docks last night! We spent all day catching and evicting them! They''re still cleaning up the droppings and feathers!"


    "So that''s why they came down here," Cyrus muttered, then sent them another message on his tablet telling them off for the chickens. "I''ll punish them when I get home, Gina."


    "Thanks!" She took a deep breath, then smiled at Lyda. "So how did you meet Cyrus?"

 004

    As Lyda told Gina about how she met Cyrus, the man in question used his tablet again to kill time before they arrived at the island. The moment the boat stopped, Cyrus stood and made his way off it, Lyda following close behind.


    "We need a set of diving gear," Cyrus informed Gina. "And a boat to Nienack Island."


    "Just one set?" Lyda asked. "Wait, we''re not stopping for the night?"


    "No," Cyrus answered. "And yes, just one set. I can use magic to handle things for myself."


    Gina arranged for a diving set to be brought to them, then led them to the other end of the island to take a smaller, wooden boat to the indicated island.


    "You''re taking us yourself?" Cyrus asked.


    "It''s been awhile since I visited Nienack Island," Gina told him. "I''ll do a little camping there tonight, it''s quite relaxing."


    "Okay," Cyrus said, then jumped as Lyda screamed, her voice filled with terror. "What the hell, lady? Are you trying to give Gina and me heart attacks?"


    "Th-th-that!" Lyda exclaimed, pointing at a floating mass of water shifting in orbs and streams that had come up behind them.


    "What?" Cyrus asked. "You scared the hell out of us over a water elemental sneaking up on us? Are you kidding me?"


    "Cyrus," Gina said. "She''s not one of your brothers, she''s likely never seen an elemental before."


    "Whatever," Cyrus muttered as twelve orbs of water appeared around him, then rapidly shifted, flowing around him as they did. "She made me think someone was trying to kill her."


    "It''s right in front of us!" Lyda gasped. "That''s an elemental? Why is to close?"


    "He wants to eat my magic," Cyrus told her, then began speaking to it, using the water he had manifested to communicate with it rather than his words. "Night Ocean, if you ever scare someone I''m with to the point they startle me ever again, I am going to turn you into steam."


    "Steam would be lovely," Night Ocean responded.


    "Go away," Cyrus said, and the elemental began floating away.


    Cyrus threw his water at it, the elemental absorbing them into itself as it continued to float away, and the young man sighed, then looked at Gina.


    "He does that on purpose."


    "Of course he does," she smiled. "You know the elementals like to entertain themselves. You''re able to talk with them, after all."


    "Talk with them?" Lyda asked. "Is that what you were doing with the water? I thought the elemental was doing something to you."


    "That was me," Cyrus told her. "Yes, I can talk to the elementals that way. They communicate through the elements. Come on, we don''t have all night."


    They boarded the rowboat, which Gina steered using a mix of water and air magics, taking them to one of the islands at the other edge of the chain, a trip which took them more than half of an hour. When they arrived, she bid them a good night and then left to set up her camp. Once Gina was gone, Cyrus led Lyda across the island.


    "We''re diving?" Lyda asked when he handed her the diving gear. "Not taking a boat to the Silver Oracle?"


    "She lives underwater," Cyrus told her as he dragged a wooden boat out from under the brush it had been concealed beneath. "We still have a ways to go. Change now."


    He stripped off his clothes, pulling on a pair of blue and green board shorts, then helped Lyda into the diving gear, handing her the mouthpiece and goggles to put on later.


    "You''re not wearing more than that?" She asked.


    "I don''t need my eyes to see," he told her. "It''s an old trick that takes something special to do. Only a god could really learn it. As for breathing, I can create a water filter over my mouth and nose and combine the elements of water and air to draw out the oxygen. A trick which can only be performed by someone in the Ultimate Tiers. As for the temperature, I can regulate mine by heating the water in contact with my body, and the pressure doesn''t bother me."


    He had her board the boat as she tried to figure out where her pack had disappeared to, figuring he likely hid it where the boat was when she wasn''t looking. Cyrus climbed onto the boat, then began using his magic to guide it out to sea, moving it much more quickly than Gina had guided her boat.


    "I take it," Lyda told Cyrus. "Those are tricks you developed to handle underwater dungeons?"


    "Some," he answered. "Others were out of boredom or adapted from other spells."


    "How long did it take you to do that?" She asked. "I can''t imagine most people I know being able to do that in ten to twenty years, and you''re only nineteen."


    "I''m a god," he said. "Magic is in my blood. Learning spells is relatively easy. All in all, I put probably fifteen hours into them, at most."


    "Each?" She asked, the surprise in her voice quite obvious.


    "Combined," he answered.


    They fell silent as the boat continued sailing over the ocean, cutting through its waves. Lyda rested some, not sure if she could manage whatever dive he had planned as she attempted to figure out how someone could live under the ocean. She also watched Cyrus, admiring the way the moonlight caused his gently-tanned skin nearly glow, giving him an otherworldly beauty.


    Cyrus, on the other hand, read a book, water magic effective at keeping the ocean spray from hitting it. After nearly two hours of sailing the boat, he put the book away and told Lyda to pull on her mouthpiece and goggles.


    After checking to make sure she had them on securely, Cyrus had her jump into the ocean first, then he jumped in after her.


    "Follow me," he told her, then sank under the surface and began swimming downwards.


    Lyda followed him down, and he realized only as they swam that he never checked to see if she could swim. Her skills weren''t great, so he knew she likely rarely swam, especially not going downward.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Cyrus ignored the fish that swam away from them or up to them on his way down, observing Lyda jerking a few times and needing to fix her mouthpiece on two separate occasions. When they reached the bottom, Cyrus allowed his feet to touch the sediment at the bottom, feeling its grainy texture between his toes.


    He made a face, then walked to the entrance of an underwater cave, Lyda following behind him, though still swimming.


    When he stepped through the entrance, he found himself in an empty, dry chamber. Or rather, a chamber that was dry until he entered it, water dripping off of him. Lyda fell onto the ground, having swum through the entrance without expecting the change.


    "Ow," she groaned as she picked herself up, pulling the mouthpiece out. "I''ve never heard of a barrier spell like that before."


    Her voice echoed softly in the stone tunnel, and Cyrus gave the barrier a brief glance before turning his gaze to her.


    "There are several spells there," he told her. "One of them keeps the ocean from rushing in and another makes it invisible to marine life. They don''t notice it at all. Just after passing through it, you pass through a gate into a reality marble, which we''re inside of now."


    "We''re in a reality marble?" She asked.


    "Yes," he answered. "The Silver Oracle is an expert at creating them, and she has lived here for more than four hundred years, I think. She''s quite old, and even predates Rynovar''s arrival."


    "I''ve not heard of any mages that old," Lyda told him. "Except maybe the Seven Siblings."


    "Chronomancers," he nodded. "The seven of them are demigods ¨C children of Rynovar and mortals. Only a few of them are that old, the ones who are were born before Rynovar made his presence here public. The Silver Oracle is a chronomancer as well."


    "What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.


    "Chronomancers don''t age after the first time they use time magics," he answered. "With the exception of any who use it as children. In cases like us, the aging stops the first time we use chronomancy at or after the normal awakening age. Come on."


    Cyrus began walking, and Lyda pulled her goggles off and let them hang around her neck with the mouthpiece as they walked through the cave, eventually coming to a large open space illuminated by glowing crystals in the path and the waters surrounding it.


    The sky itself was dark, though whether through a quirk of reality marbles or from it being night was a mystery to those who did not know how it worked. Cyrus walked along the sandy path as the one who did not know how reality marbles worked gazed upwards, then turned her gaze to their surroundings.


    The roar of several waterfalls could be heard in the distance, while the ponds lining the path barely rippled in the light of the crystals. Fish swam through the water, sometimes under the path, and various things grew in the water, from coral to seaweed, to things Lyda could not identify and Cyrus did not care to, even if he could.


    "That''s a dolphin!" Lyda gasped as one swam beneath the path.


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "She keeps a few of them."


    They reached a house of dark blue stone resting on a sandy island with tropical trees and several tropical plants growing on it, their vibrant colors muted by the soft glow of the green, blue, red, and violet crystals lighting the space.


    "Here we are," Cyrus said as they walked up to the door.


    Without Cyrus even raising his hand to knock, the door was answered by a woman who appeared to be no older than he did, her blond hair brushed neatly, a pink and orange flower resting in it, pinning it back above her left ear. Her dark blue eyes rivaled Cyrus''s for depth, and she possessed the same inhuman beauty he did.


    "Welcome back, Cyrus," she pulled him into a hug, causing Cyrus to stiffen. "It''s been a long time since my favorite relative came to visit."


    "I''ve been busy with the triplets."


    "I know!" She laughed and pulled away, the young man only slightly relaxing. "After they filled a train with bouncy balls with an enchantment to make them slippery to the touch, you''ve been keeping a closer check on them. Come in, come in. I know why you''ve come."


    Cyrus followed her inside, Lyda following after only a moment''s hesitation. The inside of the house was lit as a normal house, with wicker furniture rather than wooden, the tables made of glass.


    "You must be exhausted," she told Lyda. "You''ll have to forgive Cyrus for bringing you here immediately, he doesn''t work on the same level of stamina and energy as us normal folks."


    "Normal?" Lyda asked.


    "Yes, normal," the Silver Oracle answered. "Cyrus tends to ignore his exhaustion until he is ready to sleep. Then he allows it to strike him all at once. As a result, he tends to forget that normal people cannot function as well as he does as long as he does. I am sure you are sore and tired from your dive. Would you like a hot tea first? Or to go straight to bed? With how much you are shivering, a warm bed is no doubt a must."


    "I don''t think I can stay awake much longer," Lyda admitted to her.


    "Come," the Silver Oracle said. "Right this way, Lyda."


    "You know my name?" Lyda asked.


    "I am known for my powers of notice," the Silver Oracle smiled. "Though the famous stories that have survived say I know the future, I also know the present and the past. I peer through time, that is my main time spell, though the triplets are even more talented at it than me."


    "The triplets?" Lyda asked as the Silver Oracle led her up the stairs at the back of the room.


    Cyrus pulled out his tablet and began using it again as he waited for the Silver Oracle to return downstairs. Ten minutes passed, then he looked up, watching as the lady of the home descended the stairs.


    "I don''t even need my powers to know you were on that before I was at the top of the stairs," she told him.


    "I''m a busy person," he told her. "You finally gave your reality marble internet. You didn''t have that the last time I was here."


    "I did it just for you," she told him. "More than four centuries without it, then I finally get it just for one person. I take it you already figured out the password?"


    "It wasn''t hard," he told her as he put his tablet away.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Debating on if I want to swim for a bit or go to bed."


    "I mean," she went to the kitchen and began preparing tea. "With Lyda, Cyrus. I''ve never seen you take an interest in someone else before, yet you decided to bring her to me for her quest."


    "I wanted to ask you about her," he said, then explained his situation.


    "Cyrus," the Silver Oracle sighed. "Sometimes, I forget how dense or oblivious you can be."


    "What does that mean?" He asked.


    "I mean," she pulled two glasses down from a cabinet, then looked at him. "That you are depressed, Cyrus. I''ve seen the signs for awhile now, that''s why I contacted your mother. You had a ''fuck it'' moment with Lyda, where you just didn''t care any more, even if it meant physical contact with someone else. She asked me about the hug, and why you didn''t pull away."


    "You always hug me," he muttered. "It''s annoying."


    "Yet you allow me anyway," she returned to the family room and set one glass in front of him, then sat across and took a sip of her own tea. "Cyrus, there is nothing remarkable about Lyda. You care about people very little, you have no real interest in them, but you are also starting to lose care about yourself. That''s all it is."


    Cyrus picked up his glass and stared into the steaming amber liquid as he thought over what she said. After some thought, he admitted to himself that he was starting to care very little about anything at all. He was tired, and containing his brothers had worn him down. His mind drifted, and another question came to the front of his mind.


    "She came with me, even though I could have been a kidnapper."


    "I asked her about that," the Silver Oracle informed him. "She said that she knew you might have been acting the entire time, well enough to fool her."


    "Yet she came anyway."


    "She is similar to you," the Silver Oracle told him. "She doesn''t care about what happens to her. She is weak, and there isn''t much she can do. It takes nearly all of her income to pay for her apartment and bills. She was surprised upon arriving to find that you actually did know how to find me and that you were not, in fact, a kidnapper. I told her we can discuss her quest in the morning, then set her to take a shower before going to bed."


    "So there is nothing special about her, then?" He asked.


    "There is not," the Silver Oracle answered. "Her quest is done for selfish reasons. As a more powerful mage with more affinities, she could do more. Did you know that she has been blacklisted from nearly every employment place in town? It seems she refused to sleep with a very powerful man, before she worked for Madam Mara, and he made her life hell. She can''t afford to move, so she lives where she does and works with Madam Mara, one of the only people he couldn''t influence. With more power, she could try to earn more money, even if it took her a few years of training. Then, she could buy a ticket, move far away, and never look back."


    "Rynovar would grant her that wish," Cyrus continued to stare into his tea. "I have seen her honest desire for it."


    "He would," the Silver Oracle nodded. "And you lied to her."

 005

    "Everyone lies," Cyrus said in response to the Silver Oracle''s accusation.


    "Yes," the Silver Oracle said. "But you told Lyda that Rynovar cannot grant affinity for high magics. You know he has."


    "Once," Cyrus said. "And it''s doubtful he''d ever do it again, even if he''ll grant the elemental affinities. The one he granted it to was a special case, and he made them effectively immortal as well. Akin to a god, but not one."


    "Indeed," the Silver Oracle responded.


    They fell silent, and Cyrus began drinking his tea, draining it despite the heat. He set the glass down.


    "Will he grant her wish?" He asked. "I know you shouldn''t answer in advance of her asking, but-"


    "He will," she answered. "I will do my part for her quest. What will you do, Cyrus?"


    "Bring her back to Madam Mara''s Restaurant, as promised," he answered. "Then reprimand my brothers again for their antics causing issue for others. Once I drop off the music and video discs, they''ll get busy again, so that should take care of them for awhile."


    "Cyrus," the Silver Oracle said. "I recommend you guide her on the quest. You are, perhaps, one of four people who aren''t guardians of the quest who know the full details of it. How to find each token."


    Him and his brothers.


    "Why?" He asked. "My brothers-"


    "The world can survive without you controlling them," she said. "Have you ever thought that maybe their antics are because they find your reactions amusing and fun? You might not be a masochist, but your brothers? They do have some aspects of it to them."


    Cyrus sighed. He knew that his brothers did what they did partly because it annoyed him, but also that they never meant any harm by it. What annoyed him about it was how much trouble it caused for other people.


    "Also," she hesitated on the next part. "Have you considered that they might be doing it in an attempt to gain your father''s attention?"


    "Our mother''s told me the same thing," Cyrus admitted. "She said he''s intentionally ignoring them because they''re doing it out of a desire for fun. They''re gods of fun as much as they''re gods of time. And if our father does decide to talk to them about it, he better do it when I''m present so I can get him a present."


    His tone rose as he spoke, an inevitability when speaking about his father.


    "You''re still angry at him," the Silver Oracle smiled. "He left you a present."


    She reached under her chair and pulled out a book titled How to Pleasure a Partner of Either Sex (Male Edition) and held it out to him. Cyrus''s temper flared at his father coming to the Silver Oracle to leave him such a present and the book burst into flames, turning to ash in two seconds.


    The Silver Oracle looked at the remains of the book, then reached underneath her seat one more time and pulled out a second copy of the book.


    "He left two, just in case you did that," she told Cyrus, who groaned. "I didn''t even need to warn him that might happen."


    "He''s getting more than a punch to the face!" Cyrus angrily took the book from her. "How long ago was he here?"


    "He arrived around an hour after you fell asleep after sex with Lyda," she answered. "Proud of how you ''finally grew up and gave in to primal desires''."


    "I''m giving the book to the triplets," Cyrus growled. "They probably haven''t figured out everything in it yet."


    "Maybe not!" She laughed, then turned serious. "I meant it, Cyrus. When it comes to Lyda, I recommend taking her on her quest. Rynovar will not have an issue with it."


    Cyrus took a deep breath, then exhaled as he ran his fingers through his hair.


    "It would be a break from your brothers as well," the Silver Oracle told him.


    "I''m going to get some sleep," Cyrus stood and walked towards the stairs. "Goodbye."


    Cyrus made his way upstairs and entered the bathroom to take a shower. After he dried himself off using his magic, he entered the empty spare room and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep immediately. When he woke eight hours later, he sat up and stretched, then pulled on a fresh pair of board shorts before making his way downstairs.


    Lyda and the Silver Oracle were eating a breakfast of eggs, rice, and fish with slices of pineapple and mango. Cyrus sat down and joined them for breakfast, speaking none but thinking plenty. If the Silver Oracle suggested that Cyrus accompany Lyda on her quest and guide her on it, then it meant that Rynovar likely wanted to see him.


    He noticed that Lyda wore a two-piece swimsuit, blue with silver marks. The Silver Oracle had no doubt given it to her for while she was down there, as wearing the diving gear would be annoying. A wetsuit wasn''t the most comfortable of outfits, in Cyrus''s opinion, and the belt which helped protect against the pressure and cold of the ocean annoyed him. It was why he taught himself the necessary spells to be able to simply swim down.


    "Now then," the Silver Oracle said as she and Lyda moved to the family room, Cyrus moving the dishes to the sink. "You are here for Rynovar''s quest, Lyda."


    "I am," Lyda responded.


    "What would you ask of him," the Silver Oracle asked. "Were you to complete it?"


    "To grant me greater power," Lyda answered. "And more affinities."


    "Be careful with your wording," the Silver Oracle warned her. "Ask for high affinities and greater magical strength if that is what you want, not greater power. The god who governs us is whimsical, and may twist the request if it''s too ambiguous, just for his own amusement."


    "Thank you for the advice," Lyda said. "Is that why I am here? To know what to ask?"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "No," the Silver Oracle answered as Cyrus joined them, sitting on an armchair. "But advice is what I grant to those who visit me."


    "You receive visitors?" Lyda asked, her surprise obvious on her face. "I''m sorry, I mean, I know Cyrus visits you, but he''s strange in the first place ¨C no offense, Cyrus."


    "Humans are strange."


    "And there''s my point," Lyda muttered, before returning to speaking to the Silver Oracle. "But your location¡­ no wonder no one''s ever figured out how to find it. Everyone thinks you''re a myth."


    "The clues are there," the Silver Oracle answered. "And I have been found before. Finding me twice, however, is an uncertain thing. Outside of Cyrus, his father, and Kylnar, I rarely ever receive repeat visitors."


    "Lord Kylnar visits?" Lyda asked in shock as Cyrus looked up from his tablet, curious.


    "He comes by once every year or two," the Silver Oracle nodded. "To see how I am doing. He came to me before Rynovar found out I was alive, wanting advice on his own reality marble projects. Ever since, he comes to visit just to give me company. I might have plenty in the sea life down here, but there is value in connections with people, even if those people are gods.


    "Let us return to the topic of your quest, now," the Silver Oracle said. "Do you know the full details of it?"


    "No," Lyda answered. "I know the six requirements, though. Acquire a token found at the bottom of a deep dungeon, speak with the Silver Oracle, complete a challenge issued by a Blessed One, journey into the heart of a sacred forest, impress an elemental, and complete a mystery."


    Cyrus laughed at the last challenge, and Lyda''s face reddened.


    "Okay," she said. "Nothing I found really explained how that''s supposed to be done, but I guess there''s a way to do it, as some people have supposedly completed it."


    "Each of the six challenges," the Silver Oracle explained. "Grant you a token for completing. Before you leave here, I will give you the Silver Token. As long as you have a Token of Rynovar in your possession, you have the possibility of acquiring the Mystery Token. You won''t know when it will appear, only that there''s is the chance for it. A mystery as to how long you might need to wait. It''s possible to acquire it in a day with only one, or fifty years with the other five, but also vice versa."


    "Which is why it''s a mystery," Cyrus stated.


    "Indeed," the Silver Oracle nodded. "It and the Dungeon Token are the most common ones, while the Forest Token is also relatively common."


    "No one has ever managed," Lyda said. "To receive a quest from the Blessed Ones, impress an elemental, or find you. They''re called the Impossible Trinity."


    "Elementals aren''t easy to impress by normal people," the Silver Oracle said. "But it''s not impossible. As for the Blessed Ones, much like the Mystery Token, the Blessed Token has a prerequisite."


    "A prerequisite?" Lyda asked. "And no one''s figured it out in over three centuries?"


    "Correct," the Silver Oracle smiled.


    "It requires," Cyrus said. "Speaking with the Silver Oracle first. She acts as a screening process. She has the ability to see whether or not Rynovar will grant a request or answer a question. If the only thing someone wants is something Rynovar will decline, he''d see it as a waste of his time to let them in. Because of that, he asked Aunt Lena to screen potentials."


    "Aunt Lena?" Lyda looked at him in confusion for a moment, then looked at the Silver Oracle. "Your name is Lena?"


    "It is," she nodded. "And no, I am not Cyrus''s aunt, that is just what he calls me."


    "It''s easier than saying ''Miss Silver Oracle''," Cyrus commented.


    "And the Blessed Ones," the Silver Oracle resumed their conversation. "Will not issue a challenge without approval from me. They will see my letter of recommendation as proof Rynovar will grant your request or answer your question. Once you are ready to leave, I will give you the letter and token."


    "I''m ready now," Lyda answered. "Though I doubt I''d be able to make use of them. Not for a long time, anyway. I was only able to come here because Cyrus offered to take me and cover the expenses himself."


    "She meant once you''re back in your diving gear," Cyrus clarified. "I''ll hold onto them until you''re putting your normal clothes back on."


    "Where are you keeping things?" Lyda asked, realizing he was on his tablet again. "How did you bring the tablet down here?"


    "A god has his ways," he answered. "As for the quest, I''ve decided to take you where you need to go."


    "So you have taken my advice, then?" The Silver Oracle asked.


    "You suggested he help me?" Lyda asked.


    "I did," the Silver Oracle answered. "But while I can suggest, I can do no more than that, especially when it comes to Cyrus. I am a guide, and nothing more."


    "We are ready to leave," Cyrus said. "All she needs to do is change."


    "He wishes," the Silver Oracle told Lyda. "To get it over with so that he can return to managing his brothers'' antics."


    "I want to give them the movies."


    He also wanted to prevent them from doing whatever they needed twenty million cotton balls for, which required checking on them to learn.


    "Let me go changed, then," Lyda said, then returned upstairs.


    Cyrus continued using his tablet until she returned, dressed in her diving suit.


    "Here is your token," the Silver Oracle handed Lyda a silver token an inch and a quarter in diameter and an eighth of an inch thick. An hourglass design was raised on both sides of it, but was otherwise plain. "And your letter of recommendation."


    She handed Lyda an envelope sealed with a dark, blue-green wax. The young woman examined both items, then hand them to Cyrus before turning back to the Silver Oracle.


    "Thank you," she said. "And I suppose I should thank you for convincing Cyrus to assist me. I''m not sure how I could pay him back, though."


    "I didn''t convince him," the Silver Oracle smiled, and Lyda looked at Cyrus, who was stretching, her token and letter gone from sight, as was his tablet. "I merely suggested it. He chose to guide you on his own. And don''t worry about payment, Cyrus wouldn''t care about such things even if they mattered. To him, he''ll consider the journey the price."


    "I''m standing right here," Cyrus muttered.


    "Of course you are," the Silver Oracle smiled. "You best be off now, if you''re planning on leaving in the next few hours. And don''t take so long to return next time. I was starting to wonder if you''d decided not to visit me as often."


    "I was busy," Cyrus told her. "Goodbye, Aunt Lena."


    He turned and left, Lyda following him out. The reality marble was illuminated by a light at the ceiling of it, imitating the sun. Six waterfalls could be seen pouring out of the black, round walls of the reality marble, cascading down into the water below.


    There were a total of seven islands in the reality marble, with one at the center and six surrounding it, spaced equally apart and connected by paths of sand, creating a hexagon. The water itself was clear enough that Cyrus knew Lyda likely could not accurately judge the depth. To most, it would appear to be quite shallow, but other than right off the islands, it reached depths of up to fifty feet.


    "It''s beautiful," Lyda said as they walked from the house to the same island they had entered on.


    "She spent hundreds of years working on it," Cyrus said. "Even now, she makes some tweaks to adjust the feel of it."


    "I suppose that''s her hobby, being as old as she is and interacting with others as rarely as she does."


    Cyrus shrugged, leading Lyda through the cave to the gate leading back into the ocean. After she pulled on her mouthpiece and goggles, Cyrus checked them to make sure they were secure, then stepped through the gate and began swimming. Lyda followed him, the pair swimming towards the surface of the ocean.


    They broke through beside the boat, which Lyda gave a confused look to.


    "It''s still here," she said as she removed her mouthpiece and goggles. "But it''s been half a day or so! Shouldn''t the waves have taken it away?"


    "A normal boat, maybe," Cyrus climbed into the boat, then helped Lyda into it.


    He began guiding it back to the island, refusing to speak again as Lyda attempted to find out why the boat remained there. When they reached the island, Cyrus hid the boat and led Lyda to Gina. The trio then made their way to Gina''s boat and boarded it, the older woman taking them back to the main island.


    "You can shower in there," she gestured to a building as they approached it. "Leave the diving suit there, we''ll collect it later. I hope your meeting with whoever they were went well."


    "It did, thank you," Lyda said.


    Gina nodded, then left, and Lyda looked at Cyrus.


    "She doesn''t know?"

 006

    "Gina knows who I visit when I do this," Cyrus told Lyda. "She won''t say it aloud, though. A way of saying that if it''s not said aloud, it doesn''t matter."


    "Oh," Lyda responded as they entered the building, which turned out to be a shower house.


    "Here''s your bag," Cyrus handed her the pack she had brought with them.


    As soon as she took it, Cyrus walked into a shower stall and stripped off his board shorts, then turned on the shower. He scrubbed himself clean and shut off the shower, then dried himself off and dressed.


    Cyrus sat on a bench and pulled out his tablet to wait for Lyda, who finished a few minutes later, stepping out of the stall in jeans and a tee. She sat on the bench and began drying her feet with the towel she had taken from a rack before beginning her shower, and Cyrus felt her gaze upon him after a few moments.


    "What?" He looked at her.


    "You''re dry."


    "I used a spell which heats the air touching my body," he told her. "It dries me much more quickly than than a towel does."


    Without waiting for her response to that, Cyrus turned his gaze back to his tablet as he used the spell on her, drying her instantly, though leaving her hair partially wet.


    "If I completely dried your hair," he explained. "It would be messy as a result."


    "Th-thanks," she said. "Where did you learn such a spell?"


    "Rynovar came up with it, back when he was young," Cyrus answered. "He created the spell I used to see underwater as well."


    "You''ve met him?" She asked.


    "Once, a long time ago," he answered. "The spells were learned from a book he sent my brothers. We are gods, after all. He wanted to ensure that we knew how to use our magic, since we were awakened from birth."


    "He seems like a pretty nice guy," she pulled on her socks, then began to pull on her shoes. "So he noticed four brothers who awakened when they were little, and gave them a book on magic to help them?"


    "He''s a nice guy," Cyrus stood. "And he gave four gods books on magic to help guide them in learning how to use it without causing too much chaos for him to handle. There''s a difference between intentional chaos and accidental chaos, and he''d rather not deal with the latter. Let''s go."


    Cyrus left, and Lyda hurriedly followed him out. They made their way to the boat which took them to the islands, and Gina greeted them on it. Once they were boarded and seated, the boat began sailing towards the mainland.


    After they arrived, Cyrus took Lyda to his car, then began the drive home.


    "Where are we going now?" She asked. "To visit a Blessed One?"


    "Home," he answered. "I need to talk to my brothers and drop off the discs."


    He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.


    "I''ll grab a Dungeon Token while we''re there, too," he said. "So that you don''t have to risk your life in a Dungeon. It wouldn''t matter with me present, but it doesn''t matter."


    "Aren''t those insanely expensive to buy?" She asked. "They''re the most common part of the quest that''s completed, but even still, getting them takes entire parties of people."


    "Or one god," he said. "Would you rather have to travel down into a dungeon just to get one?"


    He could tell she was hesitant over that.


    "I have twenty of them," he said. "They''re literally sitting in a box at home, doing nothing else. The challenge is meant to be a test. Ordinarily, to obtain a Dungeon Token, you would need to go down with a party. It risks your life, and there''s a chance of betrayal. Will you continue to seek it, even knowing that you may have to try several times just to obtain it because someone in your party stole it or abandoned you? They may even kill you to ensure you can''t come back for them. For the people who fund obtaining them, they have to invest a lot of money into it, and there''s no guarantee of success. It''s meant to show perseverance and dedication."


    "That doesn''t support the idea of you just giving me one," Lyda told Cyrus.


    "It''s also meant to show," he continued. "Who knows the right people. The Silver Oracle will only give a token to someone she knows will pursue the quest. If she finds that someone will just hand it off to someone else, she will withhold it. You''re the first to receive it from her, even if not the first to find their way to her. Rynovar created several ways of completing the quest. You know the right person, someone who is willing to simply give you a Dungeon Token to save you the task which will take you most of your lifetime to attain. Chances are, you''d never acquire one otherwise."


    Lyda fell silent, and the rest of the drive to Hemis was made in silence. When they arrived, Lyda watched as the city''s buildings streets passed by, until they came to a street of shops only one or two stories in height, even if the majority of the buildings around it stretched six or more stories in height.


    Cyrus parked in front of a shop with a green sign above the door, blue letters declaring it The Gods'' Collection. The windows at the front allowed them to see inside to the seemingly disorganized store full of knickknacks, collectibles, devices, and various other goods on tables and shelves.


    "Here we are," he stepped out of the car, and Lyda followed him to the front door of the shop.


    "What is this?" She asked.


    "Hell," he answered, opening the door and entering as a tone sounded out.


    Lyda looked around at the shop''s items as Cyrus walked straight to the front counter, another tone sounding out as the door closed, though slightly different from the first.


    Cyrus walked behind the counter and punched a few keys on the register, the cash drawer shooting out a moment later.


    "Are you robbing this place?" Lyda looked at him in shock.


    "I''m worth more than the shop," he snorted. "As if I''d resort to something like that."


    He pulled out the tray from the drawer and inspected a paper underneath, then returned the tray and closed the door. Cyrus walked back around the counter and to a shelf, inspecting a figurine standing on it.


    "Cyrus!" A voice exclaimed, and Lyda turned in time to see someone charging Cyrus, wrapping him in a hug as the other teen stiffened.


    The teen looked similar to Cyrus, with the same platinum-blond hair and dark blue eyes as him, his features only slightly different. The teen wore only a pair of dark blue briefs with black trim, revealing a body as fit as Cyrus''s.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Cyrus!" Another teen exclaimed, appearing from behind the counter, then charging and adding his hug to the group.


    The second teen was identical to the first, except he wore a pair of red shorts with green designs on the bottom.


    "Cyrus!" A third teen came out from the backroom, then charged Cyrus and hugged him.


    The third teen was identical to the first two, except he wore a pair of khakis and a green sleeveless with dark blue designs on it.


    To Lyda, it appeared like Cyrus wanted to kill them, and she assumed they were his brothers based on their similarities to him.


    "You three knew I was coming," Cyrus''s voice was low. "Owen, Max, go get dressed. Luke¡­ let go of me, or I''ll break your hand again."


    The triplets released their older brother, the two who weren''t dressed returning to the back as the third moved to inspect Lyda, a light smile on his lips.


    "We aren''t an item," Cyrus said. "So stop giving her that look. She''s performing Rynovar''s quest, and I''m helping her. Get me one of my Dungeon Tokens."


    "Yes, Father," Luke rolled his eyes.


    The next thing Lyda knew, Luke was halfway across the store, shelves toppled over and items scattered about, many of which were damaged as if a fight had broken out.


    "What happened here?" Lyda exclaimed, jumping back.


    "Clean this up," Cyrus pointed at the mess angrily, glaring at Luke. "Now!"


    "Yes, sir!" Luke exclaimed, not a trace of mocking or mischief in his voice, then placed his hands in front of him, fingertips touching.


    A green glow enveloped him as Lyda realized the triplet was covered in various injuries, his clothes half-destroyed. As she attempted to figure out what happened, all of the items thrown about by the event began to glow with green light, then returned to their previous positions, mending at the same time. Even Luke''s clothes began to restore, bits of fabric or ash flowing back to it, the ash and charred parts returning to cloth.


    "He''s rewinding time!" Lyda exclaimed.


    "Yeah," Cyrus said. "My brothers are good at time magics. He''s targeting only the objects damaged by me beating him."


    "You attacked him?" She asked. "I didn''t see any thing happen! One moment-"


    "They slipped out of time for it," Max returned, wearing an outfit identical to Luke''s. "It was fun to watch. Cyrus hates it when we say that."


    "Why does he hate your father so much?" She asked as Cyrus continued to glare at Luke, who walked to the back, the shop restored.


    "It''s not hate," Max answered as Cyrus followed Luke to the back. "But more of an extreme anger. We all hold anger towards him, though Cyrus has the most. Being gods born to gods, we were awakened from birth, and didn''t hold the standards of mortals for our progress. We aged like normal, but our minds were more advanced. My first memory is from when we woke up the first time after arriving at the orphanage, Cyrus looking down at us. I remember being curious, and him manifesting several orbs of light and water to entertain us. He wasn''t even a year old yet. To us, we''re happy to have our big brother around to care for us and watch out for us. He''d learn something, then turn around and teach it to us. To Cyrus, however¡­ our father put a burden on him that wasn''t necessary. No mortal could truly hope to raise us. We left the orphanage when we were seven. Cyrus bundled us up in coats one winter night, loaded us into a wagon, then covered us in a blanket. We slept through the whole thing, waking up several hours later, when we were already long-gone."


    "You guys, too?" She asked.


    "Hm?" He gave her an inquisitive look.


    "Cyrus claims you four are gods," she said. "I can understanding claiming it because of how powerful and talented you seem to be, combined with your looks, but-"


    "No!" Owen laughed as he rejoined them, dressed identically to his brothers. "We actually are gods. Max, Luke, and I are gods of time. That''s why the Silver Oracle mentioned us last night, saying we could peer through it better than her. I can see the past better than my brothers."


    "I can see the present better than them," Max said.


    "And I can see the future better than them," Luke returned without Cyrus.


    "Though we all knew that Cyrus was getting ready to have sex with you," they said in unison.


    "He''s been depressed lately," Owen told Lyda. "And as soon as you started hitting on him, Max told us and we tuned in. We realized fast that he was going to give in, so we watched the whole thing."


    Lyda stared at them in shock at finding out they had been watched, and they started laughing.


    "Where''s Cyrus?" She asked.


    "Burning the cotton balls we bought," Luke answered. "It seems he''s in a rather bad mood. It''s not like we''d severely inconvenience the mortals."


    "I thought Rynovar didn''t allow gods on this world?" Lyda asked.


    "He doesn''t allow them to try to stake out claims for themselves," Owen shook his head. "But they can stay here temporarily if they want, as long as they don''t cause hassles for the mortals."


    "Is there any way to prove you''re gods?" She asked.


    "We''re effectively immortal on this world," Max answered. "Since we''re part of Rynovar''s pantheon. Only a god can have a natural healing rate as powerful as we do. If you cut off our head, we''d literally regrow a new one."


    "They''ve done that before, too," Cyrus returned from the back. "Severed their heads, then cast a time-stop spell on them so they wouldn''t rot. Then, they lined them on the counter of the apartment upstairs."


    "He then burned them into nothingness," the triplets said in unison. "When he came back that afternoon."


    "So you," Lyda pointed at each of them in turn. "Actually are gods?"


    "Yes," Cyrus answered as she began to realize that he hadn''t just been making a claim. "I told you before they were gods of time, didn''t I?"


    "I''m finding it hard to believe you''re gods," she said. "What are your parents gods of?"


    "Our father," Max said as Cyrus set the briefcase with discs in it on the counter. "Is a god of order and chaos, life and death, light and darkness. He''s one of the five most powerful gods in the universe. Our mother is a god of war and peace, and is another one of the five most powerful gods in the universe. Our father''s only other godly harem member is a god of scholars and students, research and studies."


    "Your father has a harem?" She asked.


    "Several mortals, two gods," Cyrus nodded as he opened the case and began pulling the discs out one at a time, placing each one into its own plastic CD case from a series of stacks of them that appeared when Lyda wasn''t looking.


    The cases had clear fronts and translucent, colored backs. He used green for movies, red for shows, and blue for music.


    "Oh, cool!" Luke exclaimed.


    "You got more of them!" Max added.


    "And an unaging human or two," Cyrus finished saying his father''s harem''s contents. "He does his own thing, and decided to just abandon us here. He''s going to get a fist to the face when we meet."


    "Supposedly," Owen said.


    "We inherited power," Max said.


    "From the other god in the harem," Luke finished.


    "As if transferred via the soul," the three said at once.


    "That''s¡­ interesting," Lyda said, then looked at Cyrus again. "So what are you the god of, if you guys really are gods? Magic?"


    "That falls into our uncle''s domain," Cyrus shook his head. "The god of research is also the god of magic."


    "So what are you a god of, then?" She asked.


    "Cyrus?" The triplets asked, then laughed. "He''s the god of reality and fantasy. Only our father and the two gods in his harem are more powerful than us."


    "Uh," Lyda said. "Wait, did you say that the other god in his harem is male?"


    "Gods are bisexual by nature," Owen said.


    "Yep," Max nodded. "In fact, Cyrus''s one and only relationship was with a guy."


    "And it ended when the three of us met the guy," Luke said.


    "The day he turned legally old enough for sex," Owen continued.


    "When we stole him away from our brother," Max said.


    "And taught him what it''s like to have sex with a trio of gods."


    "They seduced him within ten minutes of being introduced," Cyrus said. "And that''s part of the reason I''m not interested in a relationship. Even if I didn''t have to keep a lid on their antics, they''d just steal away anyone I get into a relationship with."


    Lyda appraised the triplets, who were grinning at her, as Cyrus continued sorting the discs.


    "Yes, they slept with him together," Cyrus answered her unasked question. "With them, they''re a package deal. They get a new lover every month, mostly because that''s the longest anyone is willing to go with three guys like them. It''s also not an exclusive deal, meaning they can get with others during it, too. There''s no shortage of hot young guys or women willing to give them a try, and they don''t hurt anyone, so I let it go."


    "The most I''ve ever done was a threesome," Lyda admitted. "And I get the feeling that you''re meaning triple penetration, even in guys."


    "Even in one hole!" The triplets confirmed.


    "They know," Cyrus said. "That if they do something bad with a lover, it''ll be the end of their sexual fun, so they''re keeping it within what the partner enjoys, male or female."


    He paused for a moment, then pulled out the guide his father left for him and set it on the counter.


    "Father left that for me at Aunt Lena''s," he said. "You three can have it, I''m sure there are a few things you don''t know in there."


    The triplets crowded around the counter as Lyda tried to wrap her mind around it. She couldn''t imagine taking three guys at once in different holes, much less the same one, but supposed everyone had their preferences.


    "If you''re really a god," she decided to ask Cyrus what else was on her mind. "And you''re a god of reality and fantasy, what does that mean?"

 007

    "It''s complicated," Cyrus told Lyda. "But essentially, I''m able to manipulate aether on a greater level than most gods."


    "Aether?" She asked.


    "The mythical substance which makes up all of existence, known and unknown," he answered, then thought for a few moments, pausing in his transfer of the dics, one in his hand. "You know the beastkin, beastman, beastfolk, demihumans, and so on that are found in stories, shows, and anime?"


    "Yes," she nodded.


    "They don''t exist," he told her. "Not in reality. They''re a purely fantasy creature. However, some gods who are experts at shaping, transmutation, and healing magics can turn someone into one. Despite that, it''s not something which can last for long, and nor are they able to reproduce and create more ¨C the children would still be human or whatever they were, and the actual subjects will end up dying directly because of it, even if they manage to live a few years past the change."


    His ears melded into his head, hair growing in their place as if it came in naturally like that, and a pair of triangular, black wolf''s ears grew out of the top of his heads, situated off to the sides, right at where the top met the sides. At the same time, his irises turned golden and a black wolf''s tail grew out of his back just above his ass, his natural hair turning black.


    "By manipulating aether," he said. "I can turn fantasy into reality. I didn''t just change my physical body, but also my genetic makeup. I did it seamlessly and in a living being. If I were to sleep with a human, they would be half-human and half-demihuman while still being a demigod. I could turn a woman into a demihuman, sleep with her, and produce a demihuman demigod. Or I could turn a man and a woman both into them, and their children, if they slept with each other, would be demihumans."


    "He''s powerful," Owen told Lyda.


    "Just as we are," Max added.


    "But we each have our own domains," Luke told her.


    "Though Cyrus can still manipulate time rather well," the triplets said in unison.


    "How do they do that?" Lyda looked at Cyrus, who had returned to sorting the discs.


    "They''re linked mentally," he answered as he returned to his natural appearance and genetics. "It''s not telepathy, but something even more intimate and powerful.


    "Plus," he fixed his dark blue eyes on her. "They''re gods of time. It wouldn''t be an issue for them to slip out of time, discuss what to say, then slip back in without the shenanigan being noticed."


    "That''s true," Owen said.


    "Except for one thing," Max nodded.


    "Cyrus is unaffected by our time magics yet somehow linked to them at the same time," Luke stated.


    "So when we do that, he slips out of time as well," the triplets said in unison.


    "Feel free to look around the shop," Cyrus told Lyda. "We''ll be staying in the apartment upstairs for the night. I''ll make lunch after I finish this."


    "You cook?" She asked.


    "I had to learn," Cyrus answered. "To feed us. These idiots prefer ordering pizza, and I had to clean up the boxes from their orders."


    "If we didn''t already have a lover right now," Owen said. "We''d offer to let you experience what it''s like to sleep with three guys at once, since Cyrus hasn''t claimed you as his girl."


    "We''d offer anyway," Max added with a wink. "You felt how inexperienced he was, and noticed how much he hates touching."


    "You know," Luke grinned. "I bet you could''ve gotten the Elemental Token while on the islands."


    "Why?" Lyda asked, and Cyrus could tell the sudden change in topic confused her.


    "Because," Cyrus said. "They''d probably have been impressed by your ability to convince me to have sex with you even once. At least one likely would have offered up an Elemental Token for that. We''ll come across elementals again, we can check to verify if you want."


    "I get the feeling that''s not the normal way to impress them and earn their token."


    "It''s not," Cyrus told her. "You have to impress them with a feat of elemental magic of their own element, usually. No one really understands that, and the few who think it does have to do with wielding their element¡­ fail to impress them."


    "They''re living bodies of the elements," Luke told her. "So it would take quite a lot to impress them. You know, we aren''t actually in a committed relationship, and she knows it''s just for the sex and that we might get with others. We know she''s sleeping with, like, three other guys right now, too. Want to try some of this stuff with us? I never thought to use extremely tiny electric zaps as an arousal thing."


    Cyrus ignored them as Lyda agreed to give it a try, then his brothers and Lyda made their way to the back. Finally having some peace, Cyrus continued to sort the discs. When he finished, he closed the briefcase and began taking the stacks of discs to the back room.


    After moving all of the discs, he sat at one of the many desks covered in various gadgets, computers, books, and random other things and opened up one of the CD cases, pulling out the fourth movie in the series that they were missing.


    He placed it into a tray and pushed it into the appropriate machine, before opening up a box with two dozen clear orbs inside of it. Cyrus pulled one out and stuck it in a holder attached to the same machine, then pressed a button. The recosphere slot withdrew and the light beside it turned green, then he began to work converting the ancient movie into a readable format.


    The tone for the shop sounded as Cyrus waited for the conversion to run, so he made his way to the front, where a man wearing plain clothes, with sandy-blond hair and brown eyes waited. He was scrawny, but Cyrus could feel the immense magical power within him. A power which meant his scrawny frame meant nothing in a fight.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Kylnar," Cyrus gave him a surprised look. "It isn''t often you come down to the surface, much less to our shop."


    "I know," the god smiled as he approached the counter. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Lena told me that you decided to help the woman you slept with on her quest to reach the island."


    "I''m second-guessing my decision," Cyrus admitted. "If I leave my brothers alone for that long¡­"


    "The world will be fine," Kylnar smiled. "You could probably leave them along for a few months before intervention would actually be necessary."


    "They''d cause a lot of problems before then," Cyrus muttered.


    "Perhaps," Kylnar shrugged. "But we are gods. Sometimes, the mortals need to have things shaken up to make the world more interesting for us."


    Cyrus began walking back to the office, and Kylnar followed, sitting beside him when the younger god sat. The younger god knew the older one had some business there, and it likely involved the devices in the back. The timing was oddly coincidental with Cyrus having just returned, but it was possible that Kylnar was intending to speak with the triplets instead.


    "I wanted to put in a request," Kylnar handed Cyrus a paper with twenty titles on it. "Movies and shows you just purchased. Could you make an extra copy of these and send them up?"


    The list told Cyrus that Kylnar had been waiting for Cyrus to return, and had no doubt watched the events in the shop, entering only once the others had gone upstairs. Cyrus accepted the list, then sorted through the stacks of discs to find the titles.


    "I have a second list," Kylnar set it beside the first. "Of movies and shows you and the triplets already converted that I wish to give a try."


    "I''ll make sure they know to have it done," Cyrus told Kylnar. "Since I''ll be leaving again for the trip."


    "Thank you," Kylnar said. "You aren''t giving her all of the tokens she needs? She''d only need the Blessed Token after that."


    "It wouldn''t be much of a quest," Cyrus said. "If she didn''t go after the tokens. I''ll give her the Dungeon Token because of how difficult it would be and how pointless it would be for me to do all of the work on the way down and up. She earned the Silver Token speaking with Aunt Lena, and will probably find the Mystery Token at some point. The Forest Token won''t be an issue to obtain, I just need to take her to one of the ''ruins'' Rynovar made in a forest. If she''s determined, she''ll pass the trial of the Blessed Ones. The Elemental Token might cause some issue, but I''m sure she''ll manage it."


    Kylnar nodded, and Cyrus realized that part of the reason the god had come down was to ask him about that.


    "Rynovar wanted to make sure I don''t just cheat her through," Cyrus said.


    "He figured you wouldn''t," Kylnar told him. "But decided to have me check, just in case you decided to."


    "I take it," Cyrus muttered. "He had some sort of bribe planned in case I was going to cheat her to only needing the Blessed Token after the Silver Oracle''s visit?"


    "He has a Golden Josh Manakao Figurine still in the original box," Kylnar nodded. "It''s yours if you don''t. He doesn''t care if you take her to the places, since she still ends up going on a journey."


    "And the quest is partly about the journey."


    "Yes," Kylnar said. "And he''s also hoping the journey helps you."


    "Helps me?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow at the god.


    "Yes," Kylnar told him. "Help you. You''re going to be traveling with a young woman you had sex with. He''s hoping it helps you learn to loosen up and relax a little, maybe to come to deal with your issues over physical contact, even if it''s only for one person."


    Cyrus groaned, allowing his head to slam into the desk, and Kylnar laughed.


    "Also," the older god added. "You looked quite adorable as a wolfboy."


    Cyrus groaned again.


    "You didn''t tell her that you could grant her affinities," Kylnar said once the younger god lifted his head up. "Why?"


    "I didn''t feel Rynovar would be happy with me doing it to a mortal."


    "He doesn''t care," Kylnar told him. "He gives you free reign to do as you please, you know. As long as you don''t violate the Rules of the Divine, he doesn''t mind anything you do."


    "I''ve never created mana veins," Cyrus shook his head. "That''s a feat of aether magic I''m nervous to try. I''d rather not find out how many people Rynovar experimented on just to manage it for that one person."


    He could adjust them a little, but not create them entirely, and granting an elemental affinity would require creating entirely new mana veins in the subject.


    "The god of aether," Kylnar chuckled. "Nervous to do something with aether."


    "We all have our limits," Cyrus stood and walked to the kitchen behind them, Kylnar following. "On what it is we will and won''t do. There are magics even you won''t perform, despite them being so easy for you."


    Such as blood magics and soul magics. From what Cyrus knew, only twenty gods in the entire universe even possessed the ability to affect souls, and seven of them were on Earth. Not a single one of the Earthen gods would perform soul magics, however. Push things too far, or attempt to twist the souls rather than anything attached to them, and the soul would slip away, often with severe backlash against the mage performing it.


    With blood magics, Cyrus knew that Kylnar was simply uncomfortable with performing them.


    "You have a point," Kylnar chuckled as Cyrus fixed them snacks. "I''ve always wondered, but why do you have a mini kitchen down here when the apartment has a full one?"


    "Makes it easier to respond to the front for whoever''s watching the shop," Cyrus answered, then paused for a moment. That wasn''t actually an issue for the four gods who lived there. "And the triplets put it in one day while I was picking up an item."


    They took their snacks back to the back room and sat down, Cyrus pulling up a program on another computer, beginning to play chess against someone else.


    "You could always play chess against me," Kylnar told him.


    "Your genius is beyond me," Cyrus said. "I''ll lose every time."


    "It was worth a try," Kylnar laughed. "Finding a good chess opponent is hard once I restricted myself to this world. Only phoenixes could really compare to me, and those are beings who''ve lived many lives."


    They fell silent for several minutes as Cyrus played, Kylnar watching without giving any hints or advice. Eventually, Cyrus glanced at the older god.


    "If we''re sending the recospheres up," he said. "There''s no reason for you to stay here."


    "I can''t hang out with my favorite young god?" Kylnar asked. "Your brothers might have invented most of the tech in here, Cyrus, but you''re still a genius in your own way. It''s fun having conversations about magic research with you. I know you''ve created at least one or two new spells and items since we last talked."


    Cyrus paused, then sighed.


    "I was hoping you wouldn''t have found out about that."


    He could have attempted to pull a mortal act and pretend to not know what Kylnar was talking about and simply bring up one or two of his projects, but he wasn''t that sort of person. He might pull it with most beings, but not Kylnar. If the god mentioned something as vague as that, then he knew something as specific as what Cyrus had created.


    "A temporal prison is an interesting thing," Kylnar said. "I know you created it to trap your brothers should they do something extreme, but still. It''s impressive."


    "I just hope I never have to use it," Cyrus muttered, cramming the last of his snack into his mouth.


    "You care about them more than you''ll admit," Kylnar said. "You wouldn''t have looked out for them all this time if you didn''t. You could have left them up to getting into trouble with Rynovar over their antics, yet keep them from crossing the line even though there''s no reason to. I doubt you''d ever use the temporal prison, even if they did something which would warrant it."


    Cyrus paused in his chewing at that, then shook his head and finished, swallowing. Kylnar was right ¨C he''d probably never use the temporal prison on his brothers, even though they were who he created it for.


    It was a powerful piece of time magic that would be nigh unbreakable, even for a trio of gods of time. Even for the three most powerful gods of time in the entire universe.


    "I suppose I should leave," Kylnar told Cyrus. "But before I go, would you mind doing something for me?"


    "Do something?" Cyrus asked. "What?"

 008

    "Can you give me some animal traits?" Kylnar asked. "Fox, specifically. I''d do it myself, except I''m not as talented at aether magics as you are, and if I tried it, my body would end up tearing itself apart because the genetics don''t match the body. That''s a rather painful death I''d like to avoid going through again."


    "You''ve tried?" Cyrus asked, and Kylnar nodded. "Fox ears and tail?"


    "Yes, please."


    "I can do some fangs as well, for your canines," Cyrus told him. "And adjust your physical attributes to enhance your senses and strength."


    "Go ahead," Kylnar told him, then paused. "Cyrus, how come you never adjust your own body''s senses? Your godly senses are more sensitive than most, and I know it bothers you. It''s possibly why you''re so averse to touch, you know."


    "It itches, not having my natural state," Cyrus shook his head. "Even if my genetics change, I can feel the adjustments. It takes time for the aetherial residue to fade. The longest I managed was about a week before I gave up and reverted things."


    Reverting things was much easier, and while it left aetherial residue, it wasn''t attached to his makeup. That made it much more tolerable than the residue attached to his makeup from changing himself.


    "Ah," Kylnar said. "Well, I''m not sensitive to it like you are. Go ahead and make the changes, please."


    "Remove your shirt."


    Kylnar obeyed, and Cyrus had him sit sideways on the chair so that his back was exposed to the younger god. Cyrus placed his hands on Kylnar''s back and began to channel his magic through aether, adjusting Kylnar''s makeup and genetics.


    The older god''s ears melded into his head, hair growing in its place as if it had always grown like that, and a pair of triangular, white fox ears grew atop his head. The god''s hair turned white, and a thick, bushy fox''s tail began to grow out of his back just above his crack, pushing down on the top of his pants. Kylnar was made a little bit faster and stronger physically, his senses adjusted to have a more fox-like proportion. His canines grew out a little, turning sharper and deadlier.


    "Done," Cyrus pulled his hands off the older god. "I didn''t change that scrawny frame of yours. If you want muscle, go work out."


    "Rynovar tells me the same thing!" Kylnar laughed as he pulled his shirt back on while sitting on the chair properly. "I don''t mind not having much muscle. Thank you, Cyrus."


    Cyrus nodded, then pulled out his tablet and began looking at his messages.


    "Do you mind if I use the connection to leave, rather than out the front door?" Kylnar asked. "This form is mostly to screw with Rynovar, and it''s probably best if it''s not seen by the mortals."


    "Suit yourself," Cyrus answered as he shot off another message.


    "Have a good day," Kylnar made his way into the kitchen, then vanished.


    The world was covered in pathways which could be used by gods and other greater beings to travel between locations quickly, and Cyrus''s shop wasn''t located in its spot by chance. Several pathways met together in the kitchen in the back, which made it quite easy to travel across the world in a flash.


    The only time Cyrus used the pathways was when he needed to quickly travel to his brothers due to whatever they were doing at the time or when he needed to get somewhere else because of them, such as the warehouse where they had stored the cotton balls. Otherwise, he used cars and planes for nearly all travel methods.


    Thinking about planes, Cyrus remembered that he needed to book a flight north so that they could visit the Blessed Peak. After booking the necessary tickets, he continued his work. At dinnertime, he put his tablet away, changed the disc and recospheres for new ones, then closed the shop and made his way upstairs to begin cooking dinner.


    Only once the smell of the seasoning on the chicken filled the air did his brothers and Lyda come out of the triplets'' bedroom. The quartet were fully dressed, and Lyda moved awkwardly, as if in pain.


    "That was fun," Lyda told Cyrus. "But I don''t think I''ll ever do that again."


    "I figured," he answered, then looked at the triplet which had approached and was sniffing him. "If you guys had enough time to take a shower and relax, then one of you could have gone downstairs and covered the shop, Owen."


    Owen sniffed by Cyrus''s hand, and the older brother raised an eyebrow.


    "I smell the libarus flower," Owen stepped back and stood up straight. "Kylnar came by?"


    "He did?" Max asked.


    "Why didn''t you let us know?" Luke asked.


    "That''s what you get for having sex rather than watching the shop," Cyrus commented. "Now shoo."


    "The libarus flower?" Lyda asked. "Kylnar? As in Lord Kilnar, the god?"


    "Yeah," Luke answered. "He comes by every now and then, usually to order something or drop something off. Sometimes, just to chat. The libarus flower is a flower that only grows on Rynovar''s island. It has a subtle scent, but lingers even after you scrub a few dozen times. Kylnar uses extract from it in his shampoo and body wash."


    "Which makes it strange that the smell is on your hands," Owen said. "Did you touch him?"


    "His back," Cyrus answered.


    "Oh?" His brothers asked in unison. "Giving him a massage? Are you going to finally respond to his advances?"


    "I was manipulating his genetic makeup," Cyrus answered. "I need physical contact for that."


    "You mean like what you did earlier?" Lyda asked.


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "It''s not the first time he''s asked me to change something''s makeup, though it is the first he asked me to change his own."


    Cyrus felt sure that part of the reason Kylnar wanted him to change the older god''s makeup was to study the spell itself. He didn''t ask, though, so he couldn''t say for sure ¨C for all he knew, Kylnar really did want it solely to mess with Rynovar. As the god was a god of research and studies, however, Cyrus wasn''t ruling out that Kylnar wanted to witness the spell in action.


    "What did he want you to do?" Owen asked.


    "Give him some fox traits," Cyrus answered. "He also has an order for copies of recospheres. I have the lists downstairs, by the machine. Make sure to fulfill them in a timely manner."


    "Will do, sir!" The triplets responded in unison, pounding their left fists to their chests at the same time.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Cyrus sighed as he continued cooking dinner. It finished a few minutes later, then everyone sat down and ate. When they finished, Cyrus set the triplets to deal with the dishes, then walked over to their TV and opened up their recosphere storage. He opened up the player and set eight recospheres into it, then moved to the couch and picked up the remote.


    "What did you put in?" The triplets asked.


    "One of the ones he had was the fourth movie, I already converted it."


    The triplets laughed, and Lyda decided to join Cyrus on the couch, though she made sure to not sit too close. They spent the rest of the day watching the movies, the triplets retiring around midnight, Lyda having long-since fallen asleep before then.


    When morning came, everyone awoke to Cyrus cooking breakfast, having continued to watch the movies through the night.


    "Did you sleep at all?" Lyda asked as they sat down to eat.


    "Probably not," the triplets answered in unison.


    "Cyrus can go for a few days without sleep," Luke told her. "Then he''ll allow his exhaustion to catch up to him and pass out for ten or twelve hours."


    "His longest streak is sixteen hours," the triplets said in unison.


    "Actually, it''s thirty-one," Cyrus muttered, causing the triplets to laugh.


    They finished eating breakfast, then the triplets got to work taking care of the dishes.


    "Come on," Cyrus told Lyda after she changed outfits. "It''s time to go."


    "Go?" She asked. "To the Blessed Ones?"


    "No," he answered. "Back to Madam Mara''s Restaurant."


    "I thought you were going to accompany me?" She asked. "Did you change your mind?"


    "No," he answered. "You should probably tell your boss you''re going to be gone longer than you expected, though."


    "Right," she realized.


    Cyrus led Lyda back to his car, then drove to the airport. They went through the check-in procedures, then waited for their flight, which went smoothly and silently, with Lyda in a seat a few rows back, Cyrus on the window seat of the pair he had reserved for himself.


    He knew that Lyda was amused for some reason, but decided against asking her why. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him. There was always the option of tapping into her head to find out the source of the amusement, but he decided against that.


    They landed at the airport and hailed a cab to the restaurant. When they entered, the male bartender from the night Cyrus had been there to meet up with the finder greeted them from behind the counter.


    "Welcome back, Lyda," he said. "Did you do what you''d gone for?"


    "Yes," she answered as they approached the bar. "Is Madam Mara in?"


    "Not at the moment," he answered. "She stepped out for a few minutes, but she''ll be back soon. Did you really?"


    "Yeah, why?" She asked as Cyrus sat down and grabbed a nearby menu.


    "Madam Mara said," the bartender told her. "That you were leaving with him to go seek the Silver Oracle. If you completed that¡­"


    "We did," Lyda sat on the seat beside Cyrus. "Much to my shock. I had worried a little that he might sell me to the sex trade, or lock me in a basement and just keep me for himself."


    "I''d not do that," Cyrus looked at the bartender. "Chicken and fries, a cheeseburger and fries, mozzarella sticks with marinara, onion rings, and nachos with cheese, no other toppings. If she needs to pay for her order, add it to mine."


    "Just a cheeseburger and fries, please," Lyda told the bartender.


    The bartender left, returning after a couple of minutes, then took their drink orders and filled them.


    "Are you pulling my leg?" He asked Lyda. "The Silver Oracle is a myth."


    "She''s actually rather beautiful," Lyda told him. "She lives in a reality marble. I don''t think I''d have ever found her if Cyrus hadn''t taken me there, even if I had all the money in the world."


    "The signs of how to find her exist," Cyrus muttered. "If you find the right thing, you even get the exact geographical coordinates to the entrance we used."


    "So are you doing the quest as well?" The bartender asked him.


    "The quest is for mortals," Cyrus took a drip of his hard cider. "Not for gods. If I wanted to go up to the island, I could."


    It was a simple matter of stepping into a pathway and using it to travel up there. Only gods could do that under normal circumstances.


    "Uh-huh," the bartender said disbelievingly. "And how would you do that? Airships can''t draw close to it ¨C Rynovar shielded the island against aerial approaches. Anything which draws too close has a tendency to be repelled. Birds can make it, but there are records of air wizards attempting to fly there and finding their flight magics failing once they hit a certain point. One nearly died because he didn''t manage to recast it quickly."


    "Their fault for trying to cheat," Cyrus said. "As a god, I have other means available to me."


    "He really likes to play the god card, doesn''t he?" The bartender looked at Lyda. "You had to put up with that for a day and a half. Anything else about him that''s a bit off in the head?"


    "I''m right here."


    "I know," the bartender glanced at him.


    "Actually," Lyda said. "His brothers are even more insane than he is. According to Cyrus, his brothers are quite fond of putting wrapping paper on buildings."


    "That was your brothers?" The bartender asked. "Did they use a time spell, or-"


    "They slipped out of time," Cyrus said. "And I punished them quite thoroughly for that antic."


    He paused for a moment, then shook his head.


    "I need to punish them for the chickens," he muttered, then pulled out his tablet and started typing on it.


    "He is a bit off in the head, isn''t he?" The bartender whispered to Lyda.


    "He''s a lot more powerful than you''d expect," she told him, deciding not to mention that one of the three gods ruling the world apparently paid Cyrus casual visits.


    The bartender shrugged, then made his way to the back to collect their food. When he returned, Cyrus was still engrossed in using his tablet, but began eating the moment the food was placed down, not taking his eyes off his tablet for a single moment.


    "You''ve seen how powerful he is?" The bartender asked.


    "Considering his brothers fear him," she said. "And they''re powerful time wizards who can reverse time on hundreds of objects at once? I''d say he''s quite powerful."


    "They don''t fear me," Cyrus muttered.


    "After I discovered what a foursome with three guys is like," she looked at him. "We were talking about you, Cyrus. They admitted that the only reason they haven''t done some of the things they want to is out of fear of you.


    "They didn''t say," she said when he gave her a confused look. "That they were scared of your anger. Just that they were frightened of your punishments for causing too much chaos or too many problems for people. They were going to dump the cotton balls in a bunch of pools, but said they really wanted to dump them into the river that flowed beside your city.


    "Actually," she paused for a moment. "They were pretty insistent that you rarely ever got genuinely angry, just frustrated and annoyed. I''d asked them several times about your anger, and they said that they don''t know what would happen if someone truly pissed you off."


    "They''re really scared of me?" He asked.


    "Yeah."


    "Good!" He returned to using his tablet. "Maybe that''ll keep them behaving as much as they are."


    "Cotton balls?" The bartender asked.


    "They apparently had a few million of them," she told him.


    "So they convinced you they were time mages?" He asked.


    "No," she answered. "I saw their time magics myself. One of them said something which set off Cyrus, and the two of them slipped out of time while he beat the daylights out of his brother. Then they returned, and Cyrus made him restore the shop. Watching everything return to their places and mend, damage undoing itself, was quite the surreal experience."


    "What about Aunt Lena''s place?"


    "That," she gave Cyrus an amused look. "Was a different type of surreal."


    "Aunt Lena?" The bartender asked.


    "It''s what he calls the Silver Oracle," she said. "They apparently met years ago, though he never told me how he figured out where she lived."


    "It depends on who you ask," Cyrus muttered.


    "So," the bartender says. "Let me try to sort this straight, Lyda, okay? His brothers are time mages, he''s more powerful than them to the point they''re actually a little scared of him, he knows the Silver Oracle well enough to be on a first-name basis with her, and took you to meet her?"


    "Yeah," Lyda answered, then hesitated for a moment.


    "Yes, you can say what you''re thinking."


    "We''re going to Blessed Ones next," Lyda told the bartender. "Apparently, the reason they''ve never issued a challenge for the quest before is because you have to receive a letter from the Silver Oracle first and present it to them."


    "It''s tailored specifically to the person she gave it to," Cyrus said. "Only they can receive the challenge from the Blessed Ones from it. To anyone else, it''s worthless."


    He thought over it for a moment.


    "I suppose it could count as a collector''s item," he muttered. "But what sort of value would that be? An item that could only be used by a specific person, and useless to others?"


    "You certainly seem a collector," the bartender muttered.


    "A very handsome, helpful one," Lyda told him. "Cyrus agreed to accompany me and pay for the trip, out of the kindness of his heart."


    "Aunt Lena told me to."


    "She suggested it, not ordered it."


    "Close enough."


    "Lyda Marris!" A deep, male voice exclaimed, startling Lyda and the bartender.

 009

    Everyone turned to face the newcomer, a tall, large man in his forties with salt-and-pepper hair and dark brown eyes. He was accompanied by two men in suits and sunglasses, both of whom Cyrus could easily tell had a decent amount of magical power at their command.


    "Friend of yours?" Cyrus asked.


    "No," Lyda responded, fear radiating out of her as she looked at the approaching man. "Sebastian."


    "I heard you went on a little trip," the newcomer, Sebastian, grabbed her arm and began to squeeze. "Did I say you could leave the city?"


    "Considering you don''t own her," Cyrus said without taking his eyes off of his tablet. "She isn''t a criminal, and you aren''t of the proper authority, you don''t have the ability to make such a statement."


    "Listen here, boy," the man glanced at him. "I own this town. I say she doesn''t leave, she doesn''t leave. And until she does what I want, she does exactly what I want."


    "That''s not how it works," Cyrus said. "You don''t own her. Now, take your hand off of her, before you find yourself in deep trouble."


    "Oh, really?" Sebastian asked. "Even the cops in this town are too afraid of me to arrest me. What do you think you could do? Who are you? Some little punk who wants to knock her up?"


    "Cyrus Nosarvi," Cyrus calmly answered, and both Lyda and the bartender watched as Sebastian''s eyes widened in slight fear, releasing Lyda''s arm and stumbling back. "And it sounds to me like I need to bring in a higher authority, if you have intimidated the police into not reporting such a criminal activity as what you do."


    Cyrus finally looked away from his tablet.


    "Already done, by the way," he said. "I shot off an emergency message stating you''ve corrupted the police and are attempting to control people like they''re slaves. Considering Rynovar has forbidden such things, I thought it prudent to inform the Divine Enforcers directly."


    The Divine Enforcers were the highest tier of enforcement in the world, and everyone knew they were incorruptible. If any member of it began to corrupt, they were immediately terminated, creating a force that would absolutely and always obey and enforce the god''s laws.


    Being hired by them was considered to be the highest honor for any law enforcement, as they were extremely selective about who they allowed into their ranks, everyone within it was powerful and talented, possessing at least two Tier Six or higher affinities, and their authority was nigh absolute.


    If Cyrus had actually contacted them, then it meant Sebastian''s reign of terror was over.


    "I''m assuming," Cyrus said. "You''re the man who wanted Lyda to sleep with him whom she refused to, then ended up getting blacklisted from nearly every place of employment in the city."


    "Is that the lie she fed you?" Sebastian laughed. "Boy, let me tell you the truth, especially since you seem to think I''d believe your own lie about who you are and that you managed to contact the Divine Enforcers so quickly. You may have startled me by throwing out that name, but the second claim? That told me you were lying."


    "Lying?" Cyrus tilted his head to the side, just a little. "I wasn''t lying, Sebastian. I really did contact the Divine Enforcers. Time works differently for you and me. And Cyrus Nosarvi is my actual name. And considering I''m a god, it''s relatively easy for me to discern truth from lie. Lyda was truthful when she told me about you."


    "I heard you were delusional," Sebastian chuckled. "But this is something else entirely."


    Cyrus checked his watch, then looked at Sebastian.


    "Thankfully, they weren''t too far away," Cyrus said as the door to the restaurant opened once more. "Enforcers are here. And all it took was talking just a little bit more than I wanted to."


    "What?" Sebastian asked, then glanced behind him.


    Entering the restaurant were men and women of various ages and ethnicities, all dressed in black, brown, and blue outfits with a silver dragon crest, the emblem of the Divine Enforcers. A total of twenty-one entered the restaurant, led by a man of nineteen with golden-brown hair and bright green eyes.


    "Hello, Cody," Cyrus dipped his head to the man.


    "Hello, Cyrus," Cody responded. "I take it these three men are the ones you informed me of?"


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "I sent you the full list of every company he owns and every person I was able to find that he had screwed over the lives of, much like Lyda."


    "I got it," Cody responded, turning his gaze to Sebastian. "As you have no doubt noticed, we are the Divine Enforcers. Surrender peacefully, or we will use force to restrain you. Lethal force is not forbidden for us."


    "Can I have another drink?" Cyrus turned his attention to the bartender, handing him a few notes.


    "Sure," the bartender responded.


    Cyrus ignored the Divine Enforcers as they took Sebastian and his two goons into custody, choosing instead to focus on his food, using magic to warm it back up.


    "Some of the stuff you''ve been doing on your tablet," Lyda told Cyrus after about a minute. "It was looking him up and looking up others he had destroyed the lives of, wasn''t it?"


    "It was," Cyrus answered. "What you said was that he performed an illegal act. So I sought to investigate him. Then when he showed up here, I sent the list to Cody with a message stating that he was currently in Madam Mara''s Restaurant."


    "Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant," Cody approached and sat beside Cyrus. "We would have been here about ten seconds sooner if you hadn''t left that part out."


    "I forgot about it," Cyrus crammed a mozzarella stick into his mouth.


    "You seem a bit young," Lyda looked at Cody as the rest of his unit left the restaurant. "To be someone who''d do the talking for the Divine Enforcers. Everyone seemed to defer to you."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "He''s a squad captain," Cyrus told her. "The youngest in their record. He''s an Immortal Specialist."


    Immortal was the common term for anyone ranked at Tier Eleven in an affinity, the second-highest affinity Tier a mortal could have. For that to be the Tier of his affinity for high magics meant that all six of his affinities for elements were either there or Tier Twelve, known as Divine.


    "He awakened when he was fifteen, too," Cyrus crammed another mozzarella stick in his mouth.


    "I was hired as soon as I turned eighteen," Cody told Lyda once it became clear Cyrus was done explaining things. "And promoted about six months later when my own squad captain retired. Having gotten some training by Cyrus and his brothers when it came to magic, I was ahead of the others, magically speaking. It didn''t hurt to be an Immortal and Divine in every affinity, since higher affinities make it easier to learn magic, not just a mark of having a lot of power in that type."


    "From Cyrus and his brothers?" Lyda asked, her eyes widening. "Wait, are you the ex-boyfriend of his that his brothers stole from him?"


    "Yeah," Cody''s face flushed slightly. "Which is why I was surprised when Cyrus messaged me a few minutes ago, informing me of a situation that he felt should use Divine Enforcers rather than regional. He hasn''t spoken to me since in over a year."


    "I don''t blame him," Lyda snorted. "I''d probably be pissed that someone I was dating for half a year just abandoned me for my brothers, if I were him."


    "And Cyrus can hold a grudge," Cody said as the man in question obtained another drink from the bartender. "Do you mind if I ask your relation to him? I know he doesn''t want a relationship again after what happened with me and the triplets, but he seems to have some interest in protecting you."


    "He''s taking me on Rynovar''s quest," Lyda answered.


    "He is?" Cody looked at Cyrus in surprise. "What brought that on?"


    "Aunt Lena told me to."


    "She suggested you do," Lyda corrected, then shook her head. "Stop saying she told you to."


    "Suggested, told, same thing when it comes to her."


    "If he''s helping you," Cody told Lyda. "It''s possible you might actually complete it. I wish you luck on that. I should get going, I have a report to file."


    "Good luck," Lyda told him, then Cody left. "Cyrus, why did Sebastian react so strongly to your name? I''ve never seen him look panicked for a moment."


    "Nosarvi," a woman approached them. "Or more accurately, Nosarvi Corporation, is the company which produces some of the magitech used by the Divine Enforcers, including three different things which, until the appearance of the company four years ago, was only allowed to be created by Lord Kylnar."


    Cyrus and Lyda turned their attention to the woman, who looked to be in her early thirties and possessed an hourglass figure. She wore a silver and gold dress that showed off her curves, her auburn hair falling against her shoulders in waves. Her green eyes gazed at Lyda with a gentle warmth as she spoke.


    "It is owned," she continued. "By one Cyrus Nosarvi, its nineteen-year-old founder and magitech genius, in addition to his triplet brothers, Owen, Max, and Luke Nosarvi, who create most of the more advanced and limited goods. All four brothers are ranked at Divine Specialist, making them the highest quality of Jewels in the world."


    "Madam Mara," Lyda said, her voice full of respect. "You did research into Cyrus?"


    "No, dear," Madam Mara smiled warmly as she took the seat beside Lyda. "I already knew who Cyrus was. Two years ago, we updated our security system to one produced by his company. I always do a full research into the background of any company we perform dealings with or use items of. When I saw his name on the register for those who had come here, I was quite surprised. His face matched with the picture I had managed to find of him."


    "Oh," Cyrus said. "Mara Kolenna."


    "You know me?" Madam Mara asked.


    "I know of everyone who researches me," Cyrus answered. "You wouldn''t have gotten that picture if I hadn''t let you. I didn''t think it would hurt, since he told me you were just looking to make sure the company wasn''t shady before purchasing our goods. You picked what was the newest security system model at the time, the Nosarvi-7 security program. One hundred and seventeen cameras, plus fifty-two sensors. I assume you have security in the basement levels and probably the warehouse out back."


    "I do," Madam Mara confirmed with a slight nod. "It is nice to meet you in person, Mr. Nosarvi."


    "I go by my first name," Cyrus crammed some fries into his mouth.


    "You and your company," Madam Mara told him. "Work to assist the Divine Enforcers, who deal with corrupt officials and terrorists. As such, Cyrus, I would like to extend an offer to you, should you ever wish to come here again. You may eat here and use our rooms for free. And if you wish to sleep with one of my ladies here, it won''t cost you a thing, but also not use up any of their monthly free night allowance."


    "Thank you," Cyrus responded. "I likely won''t take you up on that. I''m only here because Lyda wanted to speak with you."


    "Yes," Lyda nodded. "Madam Mara, Cyrus has offered to take me on the quest, free of charge. He wasn''t joking when he said he could take me to the Silver Oracle, and she suggested he take me to the other locations. Guide me, not do everything for me."


    "So you are going on a longer journey, then," Madam Mara nodded. "I wish you luck, Lyda. And remember, should you fail at it, you always have a home here, with us. I''ll take over the payments for your apartment until your return. If you choose not to return to it once you finish or fail, just let me know."


    "Yes, ma''am," Lyda told her. "Thank you."


    "You are one of my best girls," Madam Mara smiled. "Despite what happened to you in the past. I know you seek higher things, and I wish you luck on your journey."


    "Thank you."


    "And Cyrus," Madam Mara looked at the young man, who was ignoring them while finishing off his food. "I trust you will treat her with decency on the journey, regardless of your status or your contacts."


    "I will treat her as I have," Cyrus stated. "If you are thinking I would take advantage of her because she is a prostitute, that is false. My brothers are the sort to do that, not me."


    "I''ll be fine, Madam Mara," Lyda told the other woman after giving Cyrus an amused look. "He''s¡­ well, he''s Cyrus, and that''s the best way of explaining it."


    "Alright," Madam Mara smiled. "Well, good luck, Lyda. I hope you succeed, no matter how long it takes you."


    "Speaking of how long things are," Cyrus looked at Lyda, draining the last of his beer, his food finished. "We need to head to the airport for our flight in no more than ten minutes. It was the only one within three days where I could book three seats."


    "Alright," Lyda chuckled, then finished her food as Madam Mara left them alone.


    Once they were done, the pair made their way back to the airport and checked in, boarding their plane soon after. Lyda''s seat was behind Cyrus''s, and once they were in the air, she looked over his seat and saw him on his tablet.


    "Cyrus?"


    "Yes?"


    "How do you make that stuff disappear and reappear?"


    "What stuff?" He looked at her.


    "Everything," she answered. "You didn''t have your tablet before, and there''s not really a spot to hide it."


    "Teleportation magics," he answered. "I can''t move living things with the spell, but I can teleport inanimate objects. I have a warehouse set up specifically to store all of my things, and just teleport in and out what I need."


    "That¡­ sounds like something which took a lot of practice."


    "And a lot of wrong teleports," Cyrus confirmed. "I''m using an empty set of shelves to store your things."


    "Do your brothers ever mess with the stuff inside of it?" She asked.


    "They can''t enter it," he answered. "I had it warded against them."


    "That''s possible?"


    "With the help of a certain friend of mine."


    Cyrus didn''t need to say who for Lyda to know he was referring to Kylnar. She sat back in her seat and napped for the rest of the flight, Cyrus continuing to use his tablet. When they landed, the pair left the airport, catching a private cab which had been waiting for them.


    "Where are we?" Lyda asked as she looked at the large mountain they were on.


    "The Appalish Mountains," Cyrus answered. "There are some Blessed Ones living here, and a nice little resort for me to stay at while you''re doing your thing with them."


    "You''re not coming with me?" She asked in shock and confusion.

 010

    "Of course I''m not coming with you," Cyrus told Lyda. "The challenge is for you, not me. I can''t help you with it. It would be pointless to join you at their home."


    There was also the matter of the Blessed Ones not liking his brothers in the slightest, and Cyrus wasn''t sure if they would allow him in their home. So he decided to not bother finding out and just book a room at the resort for himself, a two-bedroom suite with a kitchen and hot tub. The hot tub was the only reason he booked such a large room, even though Cyrus knew the facility''s pool had a hot tub as well.


    He wanted to relax, not be surrounded by rambunctious children and inconsiderate adults.


    "Where are they located?" Lyda asked.


    "They''re further up the mountain," Cyrus answered. "But I sent them a message letting them know you had an introduction from the Silver Oracle, so they''ll probably meet us at the lodge."


    "Okay," Lyda said. "You can just casually send them a message?"


    "I''ve had to apologize to them for my brothers'' actions before."


    "Ah."


    "Yeah."


    The rest of the ride to the lodge was silent, then Cyrus paid the driver before they stepped out. The lodge itself was a three-story building built into the side of a hill. The front of the building was fully exposed, but the back of the building was blocked by part of the hill, only the third floor facing outside. The sides of the building were partially covered as well, giving the building the appearance of having grown out of the hill. Upon entering, guests would learn that the first floor of it extended under the hill as well, including several additional amenities, the pool being among them.


    Several trees with pink and purple flowers grew around the property, a layer of snow on the ground, even though winter had yet to hit. That high in the mountains in that particular region, snow wasn''t an uncommon sight anytime in the year.


    Lyda gave the trees a confused look, before looking at Cyrus.


    "I thought only trees like evergreens grew in regions like this," she said.


    "Depends on where you go," he told her. "Some trees are adapted through magic to live in places like this. Some trees are forcibly changed with magic, while others, like these ones here, did so over time, naturally. This variety came as a result of the Great Collapse. Don''t panic, but there''s a flame elemental coming up behind us."


    Lyda turned, then jumped when she saw the entity of fire approaching, streams, orbs, and spots of fire swirling around. It approached her, then an item shot out of it before it took off. Lyda fumbled in an attempt at catching the item, Cyrus groaning.


    When she managed to grab the item, she took a look at it. It was a crimson token the same size as the Silver Token, with a flame pattern etched onto it in yellow and orange.


    "Did it just give me-"


    "It asked me if the rumor of you sleeping with me was true," Cyrus said. "I answered ''yes'', and it did that. Rather annoyingly. I suppose that counts as impressing them, though. Here, I''ll put it with the other."


    Lyda handed Cyrus the token, then they entered the lodge. Cyrus approached the desk and checked them in, then led Lyda up to the third floor to their suite. He handed her the bag she had packed, then went to one of the rooms to claim it for his own.


    After waiting for Lyda to enter her room, Cyrus stripped off his clothes and went to the hot tub, turning it on, then he climbed into it, letting the hot water fill up with him inside. Ten minutes after Cyrus entered the hot tub Lyda joined him in it, though Cyrus paid her no mind, continuing to use his tablet.


    Deciding he was done a few minutes later, Cyrus left the hot tub and took a shower. As he dried himself off, there was a knock at the door to the suite. He pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie, then left the bathroom.


    "The Blessed Ones are here," Cyrus poked his head into the room with the hot tub. "You might want to take a shower to rinse off the chemicals."


    "The chemicals?" She asked.


    "From the hot tub," Cyrus indicated it. "There are a few chemicals added so that it doesn''t dehydrate you as fast and for your skin."


    "Oh," she rose out of the hot tub.


    As she went to the bathroom for a shower, Cyrus answered the door, greeting the pair of Blessed Ones outside. They were twins, one male and one female, who looked to be around eighteen, much like most who could use chronomancy. The siblings had platinum-blond hair and royal blue eyes, and were dressed lightly.


    "Come on," Cyrus said.


    "Hello, Cyrus," the male Blessed One said.


    "I''d like to thank you," the female Blessed One said. "For asking Selar to break her curse on me."


    "You''re welcome," Cyrus nodded. "She said she''d forgotten she''d placed it on you."


    "I don''t blame her," the woman smiled. "Being a god isn''t necessarily an easy ordeal, and she did leave Earth for more than two centuries."


    "Have a seat," Cyrus gestured to the couch. "Do you want something to drink?"


    "No, thank you," the twins answered.


    "Is that her in the shower?" The brother asked.


    "Yes," Cyrus answered, pulling out the introduction letter from the Silver Oracle. "I was holding onto it for her, but this is Aunt Lena''s letter."


    "You should let her give it to us," the sister told him.


    "Okay," Cyrus set the letter on the coffee table and took a seat. "Sorry about my brothers'' latest prank. I had gone to pick up a statue, and they decided to do that while I was gone."


    "I don''t even want to ask how they figured out how to trap a flame elemental like that," the brother told Cyrus. "Nor why they thought to pour as much fire magic into it as possible before setting it loose on us."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I don''t, either," Cyrus told him. "I still apologize for that."


    They fell silent, and Cyrus pulled out a tin of sugar cookies, offering them to the Blessed Ones as they waited for Lyda to finish her shower and joined them.


    "It''s nice to meet you," Lyda said as she sat down, picking up the letter when Cyrus pushed it towards her. "I''m Lyda Marris."


    "I''m Colin," the brother introduced himself. "And this is my sister, Emily."


    "You," Lyda looked at Emily. "Look remarkably like the Silver Oracle."


    "My granddaughter," Colin nodded. "Or was it daughter? It''s been five centuries, so I can''t remember exactly which. Emily and I are twins, so it makes sense there would be a resemblance."


    "Oh," Lyda said. "I guess that explains it. And her being a chronomancer, too, if you two are."


    "Yes, she inherited that from me," Colin said. "You have an introduction from her?"


    "Yes," Lyda held out the letter, and Emily took it, opening the envelope and pulling out the letter.


    She read it, then handed it to her brother, who read it as well. He nodded, then returned the letter to the envelope and set it back on the table.


    "The letter is authentic," Colin told Lyda. "However, you do not possess the ability to complete our challenge."


    "But-"


    "That doesn''t mean," Emily interrupted her. "It''s impossible for you to complete it. You need to increase your magical ability first. Our challenge for someone with your request does require some magical ability beyond being able to create a small flame."


    "It''ll probably take me a decade or two to manage to reach Tier Two of the fire affinity," Lyda sighed in depression.


    "It doesn''t require you to be Tier Two," Colin shook his head. "If you train hard for a month or two in your fire magics, you''d probably be able to do our challenge. Cyrus, the Remarsian standard is what''s necessary."


    "Oh," Cyrus said. "I wish I''d known that before."


    "You''ve never had need to know it," Emily told him.


    "What''s the Remarsian standard?" Lyda asked.


    "A standard of magical ability used by a school to the northeast of here," Colin answered. "Well, former school, the place shut down a century ago. They had a good standard of measuring ability for affinities of lower Tiers, but it never caught on."


    "Cyrus knows about it because of his interest in historical things," Colin told Lyda.


    "We''ll be going now," Emily told them. "Cyrus, once she meets the minimum requirement for us, let us know and we''ll meet up with you again to take her to our home for the challenge."


    "Okay," Cyrus responded. "Enjoy the rest of your day."


    "You as well," the Blessed Ones responded, then left, and Cyrus frowned.


    "I really wish I''d known that," he said. "I could have taken you to obtain the Forest Token first. Though I suppose it''s better to get your skills up first."


    "Is it really possible to raise my abilities to the¡­ to that standard in just a month or two?" She asked.


    "It depends," Cyrus told her. "Everyone has their own innate ability to increase magical power. Then there''s also the factor of how easily you can learn to manipulate flames, which is partly dependent on you. You can also speed up increasing magical power at lower affinities if you''re willing to do a few things, too."


    "I''ve never heard of that before," Lyda told him. "I''ve looked into ways to increase magical power faster, and everything I found was a scam. It always came down to just training, which I try to do at least four or five times a week."


    Cyrus thought it over, then stood and moved so that he was sitting on the floor. He set down a metal tray, then placed a white votive candle on it, lighting the wick. Due to the longer wick than normally found on candles, the flame was taller than for a normal candle. He repeated this with two more candles as Lyda sat across from him.


    "Here," Cyrus held out a potion bottle filled with a crimson liquid, and Lyda stared at it, confused. "If you drink it, Lyda, you will find your sense for fire greater."


    "My sense for fire?" She asked.


    "Yes," he answered. "Everyone has a sense for their own magic. When you manipulate fire, you have a sense for the fire you''re manipulating. The greater this sense you have, the easier it becomes to manipulate that element.


    "Because of that," he said. "It becomes easier to reach your limits when it comes to that element. The more you reach that limit, the more it''ll grow."


    "Isn''t repeatedly going to your limit bad?" She asked.


    "Only if you do it wrong," Cyrus told her, then pulled out another potion bottle with crimson liquid, this one darker than the other. "This potion temporarily makes it more difficult to use fire magics. While under its effect, you have to struggle more in order to use your magic, pushing a lower limit than normal."


    He then pulled out a third potion with crimson liquid.


    "And this one," he said. "Makes your fire magics more powerful temporarily. While under its effects, the strength of your magic is boosted, but so is the mana cost. That makes you run out faster, and makes it easier to hit that limit of yours.


    "Using any one of these potions," Cyrus said. "Will cause you to more quickly increase your abilities. It''s not necessarily something that will happen with just one session, though. Some people won''t notice the improvement for a few days, even if they did drank one and trained three times a day.


    "As with all things, however," he said. "There''s a limit. Drink too many, train under them too much, and your mana veins will weaken, making it more difficult to use fire magics permanently. It''s also possible to make yourself violently ill if you drink too many in too short a time. Everyone has their own tolerance levels."


    "Okay," Lyda said, then examined the three bottles, before deciding to make sure she understood him correctly. "One potion enhances my ability to sense my magic, making it easier for me to manipulate fire on a finer scale. That one will result in me increasing my skill level with magic a little more easily, as even if my sense returns to normal, I''ll still have trained with fire and felt how to do it, so I''ll remember some of those things after it ends. The main effect will be helping me to know what my magic feels like, which will make it easier for me to sense it on my own."


    "Erm¡­ I guess?" Cyrus responded. "That''s one way to look at it."


    "One potion," she said. "Will make it more difficult to use magic, meaning I''m pushing my limits more while under it. Because of that, it''ll be easier to train the actual magical power of my spells. And finally, the third potion strengthens my magic and increases the mana cost, which means I''ll burn through my mana faster, which will help me with building up a mana pool and recovery."


    "Correct," Cyrus nodded. "Pick a potion to use. It''s best if you don''t drink more than one every six or seven hours. The effect itself will last for anywhere from forty minutes to an hour depending on your body."


    "Okay," Lyda said, then held up the potion he had initially given her. "I think I''ll use this one."


    Cyrus put the other potions away as she opened hers and drank it, then set the empty bottle beside her.


    "I know it''s a little late to ask this," she said. "But how expensive are these potions? I''ve never heard of them before."


    "Each one costs approximately three thousand notes."


    Lyda blanched at the cost of the potions, before remembering who she was dealing with. A wealthy man who didn''t seem to care about the expense of things. Despite that, she still felt wrong drinking one like it was nothing, after hearing the cost.


    "I don''t think I can just use these," Lyda told Cyrus. "Not at that cost. I-"


    "If you want to make it up to me," Cyrus said. "Then we can work something out later. But you can also start by not wasting the time. Potion effects begin within a minute of you drinking them, even if you haven''t actually started metabolizing the liquid yet. They''re magic."


    "Oh," Lyda said.


    "I''ll leave you to the training," Cyrus told her. "Though I''ll still be here if there''s an issue, you should just practice the basics for now."


    "Okay," she said.


    Cyrus moved onto the couch, stretching out and pulling out a book to read as Lyda began manipulating the candle flames, marveling at her ability to sense the fire magics she was using.


    She practiced moving all three of the flames, causing them to grow taller and shrink, splitting them as well. Due to her small mana reserves and low mana regeneration, Lyda had to stop after around a minute, then spend fifteen minutes to recover her meager mana pool. The potion lasted for almost fifty minutes, allowing her only four practices, so she continued practicing after the effect ended.


    She found that splitting the flames was more difficult after the effect faded, but as she had never succeeded in splitting a flame before, Lyda considered it to be progress.

 011

    After running out of mana for the second time after the potion wore off, Lyda sat and watched the three flames on the candles for several minutes, before remembering something Cyrus had mentioned during his explanations.


    "Cyrus," she looked at him. "What are mana veins? You mentioned that using too many potions too quickly could permanently weaken them, but I''ve never heard of them before in any explanation about magic."


    "Most mortals don''t know they exist," Cyrus shrugged. "So it''s only natural someone of your status wouldn''t have heard of them."


    "My status?"


    "Someone who," he looked away from his book to meet her annoyed gaze. "Is not very knowledge about the most advanced parts of magic. I would estimate the number of mortals who know about mana veins, including yourself, number twenty. And that''s including the seven Blessed Ones, the Silver Oracle, and a certain man."


    "Oh," she said. "So what are they?"


    "The source of mana," Cyrus answered. "Everything that has mana has them, even nonliving things. Their size determines how much mana you can store and their strength determines how quickly you regenerate mana. How attuned to the element they are determines how powerful your magic is.


    "There are seven types of them," he continued. "Which ones you have determines which elemental affinities you have. There is one type for each element, and another for high magics. Which high magics one''s high magic mana veins are attuned to determines which high magics they can use and how well their ability with it is. As a god, I have strong, large mana veins, and my mana veins for high magics are attuned to every single type of high magic.


    "Mana veins," he continued his explanation, not pausing to let Lyda speak, not caring if she had a question. "Are intangible. They''re purely magical, but they still affect you and your abilities. You have fire mana veins, and that''s it. There also aren''t many of them, they are small, and they are weak. With training, you can increase their size, strength, and how many of them you have. That last one is especially important, as it also affects how much mana you can store and how quickly you can regenerate it, but it also affects how easily you can wield it.


    "That''s the best explanation I can give," he told her. "If you keep at a three-times-a-day training program for the next two months, using a potion during each session and using up any mana you regenerate during the sessions, you can likely double how long and large your mana veins are, and possibly increase how many of them you have by half to how much you have now. As for how strong they are, you could potentially triple that. The only reason you''d have so much progress is because of how weak you currently are and the potions."


    "And I take it," Lyda said. "Doing that kind of training would be the only reason I manage to meet the standard the Blessed Ones require for their challenge to be completed in two months?"


    "Yes," Cyrus nodded.


    "That''s between a hundred and a hundred and eighty or so potions," Lyda sighed. "Which would be three hundred thousand to¡­ almost six hundred thousand notes. I don''t think I''d ever be able to pay you back, and I don''t think it''s good for me to abuse your generosity like that, Cyrus."


    Cyrus turned his attention back to his book, and Lyda turned her attention back to the candles, watching as they continued to burn. Though he knew Lyda thought he was reading, Cyrus was thinking about her words. He hadn''t considered that she wouldn''t feel right simply accepting the potions from him.


    The expense didn''t matter to him. For the young god, the experience of helping someone on the quest made up for the cost. The potions were easy for him to make, since he could delve into the Dungeons where the ingredients were and harvest them himself. He also made them in batches of ten at a time, and it took less than an hour of his own time. If he really tried, he could make two batches in an hour and a half.


    Because of that, there was almost no real cost to the potions in his eyes, and the three thousand notes was simply the market value of them.


    But he knew how mortals were, and that decent ones would have an issue accepting such expensive gifts. So he tried to come up with something that she could do to pay him back that he would at least feel right about.


    A different man might have thought to abuse her status as a prostitute and make her sleep with him whenever he wanted as payment, but the thought of sex didn''t even cross Cyrus''s mind as he contemplated what to propose for payment, and not just because of his aversion to being touched. He was simply not the type of person to think of that when coming up with payments.


    Eventually, he came to a decision, and turned his attention back to Lyda.


    "There are several things," Cyrus told her. "Which you could do to pay me back, if you wish to do so."


    "What are they?" Lyda looked at him, and Cyrus realized that it had been long enough her mana was back to full, as she was playing with the flames again.


    "First," he said. "You can help me make the potions. They have a two-week shelf life, and I had put the latest batches up for sale. You''ll probably screw up at first, but once you can make them, you''ll be fine.


    "Second," he continued. "You can help me harvest the ingredients for them. That can come once you have a little more talent with magic, and a little more mana. So in a month or so. I''ll have my brothers collect the ingredients until then."


    And hope that they didn''t try to prank him with them. He made a mental note to warn them against that. Then made a mental note to consider simply purchasing the ingredients from the markets to avoid said pranks entirely.


    "Third," Cyrus continued. "You can help me try to overcome my aversion to touch."


    Cyrus felt that one was important enough to count as a payment. If she could help him overcome his aversion to touch, then it would be a major help in his immortal life, as he knew there was a chance he would eventually want a relationship with someone. If he waited until then to try to overcome his aversion to touch, it could potentially hinder his chances.


    Preparation for the future was his desire there, as he had no interest in having a relationship in the present and wasn''t certain how long it would take for his life to relax enough and his brothers to behave mature enough for him to want to enter into one.


    "Overcome it how?" Lyda asked. "I get the feeling you don''t mean by having sex."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "No," he answered. "Just¡­ touching. With me trying not to pull away or blast you into nothing."


    "Do you actually do that?" She asked in shock.


    "I was in a foul mood," he muttered. "And she hugged me from behind. I didn''t even know her."


    Lyda chose to not think about that as she thought over his offer.


    "I don''t have any experience with making potions," she told him. "So if we did that, it would probably be best to have me in a role that wouldn''t, ah, hinder you."


    "We can start you off with simpler potions," he told her. "Easier ones to make. As long as you pay attention and follow the directions, you should be fine after a couple of weeks of practice. But you''re right, you won''t be handling the finer points of the creation, those take a lot more skill than you''d gain in two weeks. It took me three years to be able to make these potions without screwing up nine times out of ten."


    "Okay," Lyda said. "That sounds fair. All three of them do, though I''m not sure how good I''d be at helping you harvest ingredients for such an expensive potion."


    "Don''t worry about that," Cyrus told her. "You''ll manage."


    "Okay," she said. "Thank you for the help, Cyrus."


    "You''re welcome," he turned his gaze back to the book. "Also, I know you were really only ''on the job'' at Madam Mara''s Restaurant, but if you decide to try to earn some money here by servicing men and women, please don''t bring them back here. The only reason I didn''t book you a room of your own was because I didn''t expect the Blessed Ones to not take you for the challenge immediately. Otherwise, I would have booked you your own room."


    "I can respect that," Lyda told him. "Does this place have a pool?"


    "Yes," he answered. "You didn''t pack swim gear with your things, probably because you didn''t expect to go swimming. There''s a shop on the first floor that sells swim gear."


    "Alright," she put out the candles, then moved the tray onto the coffee table. "I''m going to go for a swim, Cyrus. I''ll probably eat while I''m done there."


    "Okay," he said.


    Lyda left, then Cyrus finished reading the chapter he was on. Upon finishing, he replaced his bookmark, then sent it and the tray of candles back to the warehouse before entering the kitchen. There, he pulled out a variety of supplies, including beakers, a scale, vials, mortars and pestles, knives, and other items used in alchemy.


    After staring at them for a bit, Cyrus frowned as he thought about what he was doing. A few minutes passed in silence, before he set a stuffed teddy bear on the other side of the counter, setting it so that it was sitting and facing him.


    "There we go," he said.


    The bear in place, Cyrus removed his hoodie, leaving his chest bare, then pulled on a green apron with black trim, a silver "MASTER CYRUS" embroidered on at his chest. The apron had been something his brothers gave him as a joke, but it was a high-quality apron that helped to protect his clothes from any splashes he didn''t want to deflect with magic. He wore it mostly to protect his pants, as while he didn''t mind going shirtless while making potions, he did have an issue with being naked while making potions.


    His apron on, Cyrus then summoned several reagents from his warehouse, including several crystals, roots, berries, herbs, mushrooms, mosses, and jars containing various beast parts. The god looked at the ingredients with a slight frown, then sent several back.


    "Those aren''t part of this potion," he shook his head. "Why do I keep trying to make that one?"


    Cyrus pulled on a pair of disposable gloves, then looked at the stuffed animal.


    "I''m going to be making a potion which temporarily enhances the sight of the imbiber," he told it, then sighed and shook his head. "This is weird."


    He pulled out a camera, turned it on, and set it on the bear''s lap.


    "There we go," he nodded, then looked at the bear once more. "I''m going to be making a potion which temporarily enhances the sight of the imbiber. The imbiber is the person who drinks it. It is a more basic potion, and the simpler version, which I''m going to teach you how to make, lasts for around ten minutes.


    "First," he pulled out some herbs. "You want to take some rumikk leaves. Fresh ones work better, but dried ones will do as well. Put two or three in the mortar, then start grinding it with the pestle, like so."


    Cyrus began grinding the herbs.


    "You want to turn them into a fine paste," he informed the bear. "Or if they''re dried, a fine powder. Since we''re using dried ones, we''re going for a fine powder. A lot of recipes and potion makers recommend measuring everything by weight. I dislike that because it''s not actually as accurate when it comes to potions, strangely. We''ll want to repeat grinding the rumikk leaves until we have two even teaspoons of it, plus a pinch. The pinch isn''t a big one, just a gentle one."


    Cyrus continued grinding herbs, scooping them out and setting them on a small paper so that he could grind more. He continued explaining to the bear and camera how to make the potion, doing his best to state every step.


    When he finished thirty minutes later, he examined the light yellow liquid that he had poured into the bottle and nodded, satisfied with his work. He capped it, then sent it to the warehouse to cool and wait for sale.


    "Now," Cyrus told the bear. "We have to clean all instruments we used thoroughly. I didn''t before I began using them, which could have affected the outcome of the creation."


    Cyrus then used water magic to quickly clean everything, sending the dirty water into the sink as he sanitized the tools with fire magics. He stopped the camera and set up a small TV on one side of the counter, before hooking the camera up to it.


    After pulling out more ingredients for the sight-enhancement potion, Cyrus turned on the recording of him making it, and began following the directions he had given the bear. The resulting potion was opaque and thick, and the god shook his head, looking at the bear.


    "This is why I wanted to practice," he told the bear. "She''ll probably ask some questions, but there might be something I missed. For instance, I forgot to tell you to add a small bit of water to the rumikk powder to turn it into a paste before adding it to the pot. What if she missed me doing that when I was teaching her? Her potion would fail."


    He was glad he''d decided to record himself teaching someone how to make a potion, as it let him see where his flaws in it lay. Once he finished the second teaching session, Cyrus pulled out his cell phone, checking the text he had received from Max.


    Seamus went missing and my scry spell can''t locate him! Help!


    Cyrus closed the text and pocketed the phone, then looked at the bear.


    "You''re in safer hands," he told it, then set everything up for his session following his second teaching session''s instructions.


    He continued to practice, and was on his third ''learning'' session when Lyda returned, carrying two boxes of pizza, a reusable store bag hanging from one hand, and a fluffy white towel across her shoulders, which was the only thing she wore other than the red bikini she had bought in the shop.


    "They had a surprising amount of people at the pool," she told Cyrus without registering what he was doing. "For a ski resort on a mountain."


    "It''s indoors and heated, and children love swimming," he said as she approached. "That makes it rather noisy and crowded, even in the dead of winter."


    "Yeah, I realized that," she stopped walking and stared. "Is that a teddy bear?"


    "His name is Seamus," Cyrus nodded. "I''m teaching him how to make potions."


    "Is he living?" She asked.


    "No, I bought him at some cheap store for Max when we were three."


    "Why are you teaching him how to make a potion?" She set the boxes down on the dining room table, then hunt the bag on the back of one of them.


    "So that I can better teach you."


    "Ah," she said. "How''s it going?"


    "I think I''m good with this one," he told her. "But we can eat after this. How was the swim session?"


    "It was good, thanks," she answered. "I ordered some pizza because I figured you''d probably forget to eat, with what I know about you."


    "I did," he nodded as he poured the last ingredient into the pot. "There''s no fruit on the pizza, is there?"


    "There isn''t," she answered. "Why?"


    "I don''t like fruit on my pizza," he said, then shook his head. "Unless it''s a fruit pizza, but that''s different. And a dessert."


    "Yeah," she said. "After dinner, are you going to teach me how to make a potion? Or are you going to wait until you''re more comfortable with your, ah, teaching abilities?"

 012

    "I would rather not," Cyrus told Lyda. "You''re exhausted from the day, and being exhausted or tired increases odds of mistakes during alchemy. We can do it tomorrow, after your first magic training session, when you''ll be more alert."


    "Okay," she said. "Come on, you should eat while it''s still hot. Reheating with magic probably does the same thing as popping it in a microwave."


    "Sometimes," Cyrus muttered, then shook his head. "I need to finish this, first."


    Cyrus finished making the potion, then cleaned and dried his equipment and sent everything back before joining Lyda at the table to eat. After dinner, Cyrus returned to reading while Lyda relaxed in her room before bed.


    Deciding to let himself sleep, Cyrus went to his room and stripped off his pants before collapsing onto the bed, falling asleep immediately. He slept straight through the night, then woke up and pulled on sweats and a hoodie before heading to the main room to prepare breakfast.


    Lyda came out as he cooked and watched him, then the two ate breakfast together. Cyrus cleaned the dishes, then asked Lyda which potion she wanted to use during her training.


    "The same as yesterday," she told Cyrus. "I want to focus on getting a feel for fire magic. Once I can sense it decently without the potion, I''ll probably switch to a different one."


    "Okay," he handed her the appropriate potion, as well as a tray, three candles, and a box of matches. "Here you go."


    "Thank you," Lyda sat down and lit the candles so she could begin practicing, and Cyrus sat on the couch and began using his tablet.


    For the next hour, neither bothered the other, but when the effects of the potion ended, Lyda asked Cyrus to teach her how to make a potion. He set up two sets of equipment and pulled out enough reagents for both of them to prepare a potion for enhancing sight, then began teaching her how to create it, doing his best to answer any and all questions she had in a way that made sense to her.


    The two of them fell into a routine for several days, where Lyda would train her magic before or immediately after breakfast, a couple of hours after lunch, and shortly before bed. Cyrus would teach her potions making before lunch, Lyda would help him deal with his aversion to touch by sitting right beside him, their arms and legs touching after lunch, then she would go and do her own thing while Cyrus either exercised, practiced martial arts, or worked on something.


    It worked for them, and neither sought to change the routine until a week and a half in, when Lyda noticed Cyrus wearing sneakers rather than going around the suite barefoot while she was practicing her magic after breakfast. Had she been able to see it, she would have also noticed Cyrus wearing underwear, something he hadn''t been wearing because he didn''t see a point to it when just lounging around the suite.


    "Cyrus," Lyda said as he put the training equipment away. "Are you going somewhere?"


    "We''re at a ski resort," Cyrus told her. "I''m going skiing."


    "I''ve never been before," she told him.


    "Dress warmly," he told her. "I''ve got an extra set of equipment that will fit you."


    Lyda hurried to her room and changed into warmer clothes, then rejoined Cyrus. They left the lodge and made their way up the mountain in a cable car, which dropped them off at a facility at the top of one of the defined ski paths.


    Cyrus helped Lyda into her equipment, then gave her several tips and instructions on how to use her skis, before he set off down the hill. Like most talented water mages, Cyrus used his magic to help guide the skis to ensure a smoother, safer run.


    While he enjoyed skiing, Cyrus knew it had been a few years since the last time he had managed to go. His brothers had begun taking up more and more of his time, resulting in him having less and less time to enjoy activities he found fun. There were a few times he had to tie them down just so he could go into a Dungeon that would take him two or three days to complete.


    When he reached the bottom of the hill, Cyrus stopped and contemplated switching to a snowboard, which he found even more fun than skis. Deciding against it, he took off his skis and waited for Lyda to arrive. When she showed up several minutes later, she had snow on her clothes and was accompanied by a man.


    "Are you okay?" Cyrus asked her, using his magic to remove the snow from her clothes, dumping it on the ground in front of the man. "What happened?"


    "I fell a couple of times," she told him. "Jared here helped me the rest of the way down. You probably should have stayed with me."


    "Oh," Cyrus said. "Sorry."


    "It''s okay," Lyda laughed. "I''m sure you thought your explanation was enough."


    "Let''s head inside," Jared told them. "Unless you two wanted to head back up?"


    "No," Lyda answered. "Maybe another day, but I''ve fallen enough times for today."


    "Give me the skis," Cyrus told Lyda, who handed him his gear for him to put away. He then gave Jared a suspicious look. "What''s your interest in her?"


    "Why do you think he has an interest in me?" Lyda asked. "He just helped me down the mountain after seeing me fall."


    "Because he''s thought about what you look like without the heavy gear on while you were taking off my gear," Cyrus answered. "And has wondered twice what our relationship is."


    "Mind-reading is considered rude," Jared told Cyrus.


    "That''s¡­ something that''s normal to wonder," Lyda told Cyrus. "You know what my job was, you don''t do well in a job like that without being attractive and drawing attention and curiosity. And Jared," she looked at him. "Cyrus is covering my trip to a few places and teaching me a few things, in exchange for me helping him out with some issues of his own. It''s nothing sexual, if that''s what you''re wondering."


    What Jared thought next made Cyrus realize the full extent of the other man''s interest in her.


    "Lyda," Cyrus said. "He''s a painter looking for a model for a painting for a private gallery."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Reading minds is rude," Jared told him again, then looked at Lyda. "There are certain, ah, requirements for beauty necessary before I can take someone on. I wasn''t going to say anything unless you met the standard. As he said, it''s for a private gallery, and taking pictures of the paintings aren''t allowed. There are two styles I do, one shows everything, the other doesn''t. How much I pay depends on which you choose for me to do."


    Lyda gave Cyrus a look before agreeing to at least let him decide, so the trio made their way into the ski center''s building, where Lyda took off her heavier coat, gloves, hat, and earmuffs. Jared appraised her for a few moments, then nodded.


    "You do meet it," he told her. "As long as there aren''t any flaws underneath the clothes, I''d be willing to offer you money for a painting session. Five hundred notes if it doesn''t show anything, double that for showing your stuff."


    "I prefer not to have my front shown in images," Lyda told Jared. "So the lesser deal works for me, if you wanted."


    "Okay," he smiled. "When would you like to do it? I''m free anytime over the next few days with a limited schedule for the few days after that."


    "How about right now?" She asked. "Or after lunch?"


    "We can do right now," Jared told her.


    "Then let''s do now," she told him.


    "Where at?" Cyrus asked, feeling strangely protective of Lyda.


    "At the lodge down the road," Jared told him. "I''m renting one of the suites while here on vacation. Room three-oh-seven, and I''ll do the painting in there."


    "We''re three-oh-eight," Lyda told Jared. "You''re right across the hall from us."


    "Okay," Cyrus said.


    "And sorry," Jared told Cyrus. "But I''d rather be alone with her during the painting."


    "She''s a woman," Cyrus said. "If she wants to do it, it''s up to her. I''m just traveling with her."


    "I see," Jared said, and Cyrus detected a strange note in his voice and slight amusement in Lyda''s mind.


    He had stopped reading Jared''s thoughts, and was tempted to do so again to find out what that strange tone was about. In the end, he decided against it and suggested they head back to the lodge, so the three walked down the path to the lodge.


    At the lodge, Lyda and Jared split off and went into Jared''s suite while Cyrus entered his own, changing back into just his lounge sweats and hoodie. The young god attempted to read as he waited for Lyda to return, but found himself strangely anxious over her being alone with Jared.


    Having scanned the man''s mind, Cyrus knew there was no ill intent there, just a young, rich man who wanted to add another portrait of a beautiful woman to his private collection. Despite that, he was restless over the situation.


    After nearly an hour of struggling with himself, Cyrus expanded his senses, allowing him to watch Lyda across the hall. She was posed on a bed, her back to Jared, who was painting on a canvas. A few minutes later, Jared called for a break, and Lyda turned to face him.


    "So," Jared said, Cyrus allowing himself to hear everything. "If you don''t mind me asking, what is Cyrus''s situation? He''s a lot more intense than you told me he was."


    "It''s his first real vacation," Lyda told him. "He''s had to raise his brothers because of their parents abandoning them, and his brothers tend to get up to no good. So he''s a lot more serious than someone our age should be. Though he might seem like a typical guy our age if you see him most of the time, as he''s using a tablet, he''s probably doing some sort of work."


    "Work?" Jared asked.


    "He deals in antique goods," Lyda answered as Cyrus sighed, wishing they wouldn''t talk about him. "And is usually looking for or arranging to buy some, though his brothers told me that he also sells some, too."


    The pair went silent for a few moments, and Cyrus was about to retract his senses when Jared spoke again, asking a question that made him pause.


    "He''s not forcing you into something, is he?" Jared asked. "He seemed rather annoyed at my interest in you, and bothered by you being alone with me."


    "No, he''s not," Lyda told him. "I''m with him willingly. As he said, he''s helping me with something. He''s covering the cost of my trip, and I''m helping him get away from his brothers and learn to loosen up and relax."


    "Are his brothers really that bothersome?"


    "They gift-wrapped a skyscraper."


    Cyrus snorted as Jared''s stunned reaction, then decided to pull out. He had some questions he wanted answered, and it would be difficult to focus on them while eavesdropping on Lyda and Jared. Jared had brought up a point that was already bothering the god.


    Why was he so bothered by her being alone with him for a nude painting? It wasn''t as if she actually mattered to him, so his emotions confused him. Why did he feel so protective of her?


    He set his book on his chest and pulled out his tablet, loaded up the chat with SnK, and sent a message asking his mother those things, explaining everything that happened. Then, he swapped the tablet for his book and resumed reading until she responded twenty minutes later.


    I''m going to let you figure that out on your own, Cy. As that will probably take some time, and you have plenty on your hands as she trains up and does her quest, I''ve decided to gift you something. I''ve arranged for you to enjoy the resort''s spa tomorrow. I booked for two guests, so that you can take Lyda as well. - S


    Cyrus growled under his breath, then sent his mother a message back reminding her that the spa package would include a massage, which he wouldn''t be able to handle. She responded immediately, and he knew she had been anticipating his complaint.


    Cy, you''re working on dealing with that. Just think of the massage as one long training session. While undergoing it, think about the things you like. Fruit parfaits, collectible antiques, ancient swords, reading, alchemy, and so on. - S


    He growled again, then shot her off a message saying that if it was that easy, he''d have dealt with his issue years before. She responded a few seconds later.


    The difference now, Cy, is that you''re wanting to deal with it with an actual purpose beyond ''I want to deal with it''. The spa appointment is at two, and you have a reservation in the lodge''s restaurant for five-thirty, both tomorrow. - S


    Deciding not to deal with his mother further, Cyrus put his tablet away and began reading again. While his mother usually did her best to support him whenever he was struggling with something, she had never done something like that before. She had never set him up for something she knew he wouldn''t enjoy.


    He wasn''t one to waste his mother''s efforts, even if being a god meant she had no reason to care about the cost of things. Money was unlimited to the gods due to various reasons. Even Cyrus himself didn''t actually need to care about owning a company to buy what he needed ¨C he could simply transmute anything he wanted into something precious and sell that.


    But Cyrus loved his mother and accepted every gift she gave him, even if he was reluctant for them. So he decided to take Lyda to the spa the next day and do his best to put up with the massage session he knew was part of the package.


    After deciding that, Cyrus returned to reading, and when Lyda returned from the painting session, they returned to their routine as usual. During it, Cyrus did his best not to pester her about how the session went, if Jared did anything inappropriate, and so on. Though it bothered him not knowing what happened when she was alone in a room with an unknown man, Cyrus knew she was an adult and could make her own decisions, especially since as far as he could tell, they weren''t much more than strangers on a trip together.


    She also didn''t belong to him, and he didn''t own her, so he had no right to ask her any of that stuff, even if he did feel protective of her. He wasn''t sure why his mother wouldn''t tell him what was going on with him, and as he went through the motions leading up to the spa appointment, the young god became even more baffled by it.


    "Lyda," Cyrus said twenty minutes before his time booked for the spa. "My mother booked me two spots at the spa downstairs, and she suggested I take you."


    "Isn''t the spa expensive?" Lyda asked. "I''d have to do¡­ well, it would take me more than a couple of sessions to afford a two-hour block."


    Cyrus did his best not to frown at the mention of her ''sessions''. He knew she meant having sex for money, and that, too, bothered him for some reason. Even if he knew she was doing it with guests at the lodge, as long as it wasn''t talked about, he was able to forget about it.


    He really wanted to know what was going on with him, but as progress wasn''t coming, he decided to push that to the back of his mind and respond to her.


    "We''re gods."


    "Right," Lyda said. "And wealthy. If you want me to go to the spa, then I''ll join you."


    "Okay," Cyrus said. "Let''s go."

 013

    Cyrus and Lyda made their way downstairs and into the section of the lodge hidden under the hill, where the spa was located. After checking in, they made their way into the showers just past the reception for the spa, where they each took a shower, as required by the business.


    After the shower, they pulled on the provided bath robes, which Cyrus noted were soft and fluffy. From what his brothers had told them, most of the spas they had been to used robes and towels that had been laundered so many times, they were rough and scratchy. Chances were, they simply didn''t care for their laundry, as there were detergents which allowed them to retain their fluffiness.


    As Cyrus marveled at the fluffiness of the bath robes, they made their way to the massage room, the next stage of the place. He opted not to have a mask put on, while Lyda agreed to it, the masseuse putting a red face mask made up of a thick gunk on Lyda.


    Seeing that, Cyrus was glad he didn''t accept it, even if it was said to refresh the skin. Being a god, he had no need for such things anyway.


    The two of them shed their robes to lie on the massage tables, where they received their massages. They each were served by a masseuse of the opposite sex from them, and Cyrus noticed as he tried not to push his away with his magic that her hands were firm and strong.


    The young god closed his eyes and tried to do what his mother told him, thinking about fruit parfaits and focusing his thoughts on them. Doing that reminded him that it had been several months since he had last taken the time to sit down and enjoy them, and he began wondering if Lyda would care to enjoy one with him.


    Initially, he thought about separate parfaits, but for reasons unknown to him, his mind kept wandering to sharing a single parfait with him. As Cyrus wasn''t one for sharing his food, that confused him even further, so he decided to put that out of his mind as he thought over his issues with her prostituting herself for money while on their trip.


    Even though he knew she did what she wanted, he found himself wishing she didn''t use sex to get money. He had no issue with prostitutes in and of themselves, which led to him being confused as to why he cared about how she earned her money.


    His thoughts wandered to curiosity regarding how much she made. If she was as popular as she had been made out to be, either she was cheap or she was very good at what she did. Thinking back to their night together, Cyrus admitted to himself that she seemed to know what she was doing, even if not much happened.


    The thought of their night together led to Cyrus wondering what it would be like if she gave him a massage rather than the masseuse, and like that, his attempt at focusing on other things broke, just in time to hear the masseuse say something as she worked his back.


    "Your muscles are really knotted," she said. "And you are extremely tense. Are you stressed out a lot?"


    "Am I really that bad?" He asked.


    "The worst I''ve ever seen," she told him. "It''s almost like trying to massage a statue. We might have to use up most of your session just loosen everything up again."


    "It''s that bad?" He asked.


    "Yes," she answered. "If you''re that stressed all the time, I''d recommend getting a massage every few months, to help you wind down."


    That didn''t sound appealing to him.


    "I''ll think about it."


    They returned to their respective tasks, the masseuse massaging him, Cyrus doing his best to keep his mind off of the physical contact. He could sense Lyda on the other table, detect the pleasure she felt at the massage, both platonic and sexual.


    After paying attention to her feelings, watching her massage through his senses for several moments, Cyrus realized that doing so made it easier to keep his mind off the hands working his back. Deciding to focus on her for the rest of his massage, he did just that, not even noticing until after he had been flipped over so his front could be loosened up that his own masseuse had begun using touches of fire and water magic to assist her.


    Even that barely held his attention for a moment as he quickly returned to watching Lyda''s massage and the way her masseuse expertly kneaded her muscles. He noted that there was no magic involved in her massage, just the light application of massage oils standard for the spa.


    Her massage ended before his, so she pulled on her robe and left, leaving Cyrus to his massage. When that happened, he found himself struggling to deal with the touch of the masseuse once more. He began trying to think of anything and everything he could to take his mind off of it, and when he found something that seemed to work for the most part, he kept focusing on that.


    The end of his massage couldn''t come any sooner, and when it finally finished, Cyrus pulled on the robe and left, making his way to the pool of hot water intended for soaking and relaxing as well. There were a few others in the pool already, including Lyda, who had washed off the face mask after leaving the massage.


    He shed the robe, dropping it into the bin intended for them, then stepped into the pool, sitting close to Lyda, but not close enough they would touch by accident. Closing his eyes, he pulled in his senses as he relaxed.


    Conversations were spoken with soft voices, the sound of waterfalls and birds filling the air from the speaker system, enabling a more relaxing atmosphere. With the gentle noises, the heat of the water soaking into him, and the general calm feeling of the air, Cyrus found himself relaxing.


    Though they had the option of taking advantage of other amenities the spa offered, Lyda and Cyrus chose to remain in the hot pool for the rest of their booked session.


    When their session ended, Cyrus and Lyda stepped out of the pool and jumped into the pool of cold water, then stepped out and dried off, took a shower on their way out, and pulled their clothes back on before finally leaving the spa.


    "Thanks for the spa," Lyda told Cyrus. "I know your mother was the one who booked it, but you didn''t have to take me."


    "It would have gone to waste if I didn''t," he told her. "She also booked us reservations at the restaurant. Do you want to come with me? I''m paying."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Cyrus-" she began to protest.


    "I offered to cover your trip," Cyrus told her. "I don''t want you using whore money just to eat."


    Lyda stared at him, and he could sense that she was offended by something. He wasn''t sure what he''d said to upset her, though, even though he knew it was something he had said.


    "Cyrus," she said. "This isn''t ''just to eat''. It''s an expensive restaurant. And I''d rather pay for stuff with money I worked for myself than let some rich god constantly pay for everything."


    "I invited you to the restaurant," he shook his head. "It''s only fair I pay for the food."


    "Alright," Lyda decided not to push the matter of who paid. "When is the reservation for?"


    "In a few minutes," he answered. "We should be going if we''re to make it."


    They walked to the restaurant, Cyrus checking in at the hostess station, then the pair were led to a table in a corner of the restaurant. Their meal was eaten in silence as each thought over different things, and when it came time to pay, Cyrus covered the bill and the tip. He didn''t protest when Lyda put down a few notes for a tip, either, though he wasn''t happy about it. While he understood wanting to tip good service, he had told her he would cover the meal.


    Their meal finished and paid for, Cyrus and Lyda returned to the suite, where Cyrus handed her a potion, then stepped out of his shoes and lay on the couch to read some more. Lyda, meanwhile, began practicing, using the tray of candles which had been left out from her previous session.


    Splitting his focus, Cyrus watched as Lyda trained. She had shown improvement over her ability to use fire magics over the past two weeks, and he knew she had begun to sense her fire magics even without the potion.


    As she hadn''t asked to switch potions yet, he would continue to supply her with them, though he did need to make more before her next training session. He''d purchased a few to last until his next batch was made, as his supply was used up already, but they weren''t as potent as the ones he made himself.


    "Lyda," Cyrus closed his book and sat up once her training session ended. "I''m making the next batch of the potions if you want to help me."


    "Sure," she moved the tray back onto the table, then followed Cyrus into the kitchen, pulling on the apron he handed her as he pulled on his own. "What am I doing?"


    Due to her inexperience with potions making, Lyda wouldn''t be able to do any of the finer things, but she did develop some useful skills for it over the past two weeks of practice. Cyrus set her to grinding herbs, nuts, and berries, while he dealt with everything else.


    "What are those the hearts of?" Lyda asked when Cyrus opened the glass jar and began pulling out small hearts using air magic.


    Each was crimson, bloody, and little larger than a shooter marble. Lyda wasn''t comfortable seeing the blood, but did her best not to let it affect her as she continued to grind her reagents to dust.


    "Fire salamanders," Cyrus answered after pulling out the tenth and final heart, setting it on the metal tray with the others. "Young ones, not full-grown ones. I could use an older salamander''s heart, but the effect isn''t as strong. The normal recipe calls for a smaller one as well."


    "A smaller one?" Lyda asked. "How many are we making?"


    "Ten potions, one batch," Cyrus answered. "We can do up to thirteen safely, but I prefer to do an even ten, just in case. I''ll probably do a second batch after this one so that we have about a week''s worth."


    "You have¡­ more hearts?" She asked.


    "Yes," he answered. "I bought them from a seller this morning so that I could make more."


    Cyrus began chopping the hearts, then added them to the mixing pot, resuming his work and speaking only when it was necessary to give Lyda the next instruction or make a correction. They spent a little more than an hour to prepare and finish the potions, which Cyrus then began pouring into ten clear potion bottles using a drinks ladle.


    After finishing, he used water magic to quickly scour everything they used to prepare the potions clean, then sent the dirty water into the sink to drain. An application of heat through fire magic later, and everything was dry and sterilized.


    "Second batch," Cyrus told Lyda as he began pulling ingredients out.


    "Okay," she said.


    Their second round of making the potions passed with even less speech than their first. When all of the potions were finished, Cyrus put them away and cleaned everything used, before putting those away as well.


    "There we go," Cyrus nodded, then pulled off his apron and sent it back to the warehouse as well.


    "And that will last us a week?" Lyda asked.


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "If they''re the potion you use for each and continue doing three per day, then we have the next twenty sessions'' worth of them, so we''ll be one shy of an exact week''s worth. But we can always make more before then."


    "Okay," she said. "And you said you''ll take me to go into a Dungeon with you to harvest more ingredients. Are you just buying them instead?"


    "Only for this batch and the next," he told her. "In two weeks, I''m heading into the Dungeon. You don''t actually need combat spells, and you''d be largely useless as a fighter considering you have to use any fire present to actually attack. I just didn''t want to take you into a Dungeon when you''re still so green when it comes to magic, because you might need to use it."


    "I can understand that," she told him. "Why not just buy the stuff yourself?"


    "It''s more expensive than collecting it myself," he explained. "And I don''t mind spending a day or two in a Dungeon to collect ingredients. It''s time well-spent, in my opinion."


    "Another question," she told Cyrus, who moved to the couch and pulled out his book. She joined him on the couch. "Were those fire crystals you were crushing into dust?"


    "Yes," he answered. "They''re a necessary component for the potions. I''ll only use ones I harvest myself, it''s hard to find a seller who has good ones."


    "Aren''t they almost impossible to damage?" She asked. "I know manalirate allows you to cut magic crystals, but you were crushing them like they were nothing!"


    "That was because of the pestle I used," he told her. "It''s made of a special type of stone which can only be found in the deepest Dungeons. You have to go at least two thousand feet down to find them. When using them, magic crystals are rather easy to crush."


    He thought over the idea of crushing magic crystals, then shrugged.


    "Though I probably don''t need it," he told her. "Everything will break under enough pressure, and I''m able to exert the amount necessary by enhancing my strength with magic. As I''m a god, my body can handle the extreme force without issue. But that''s bothersome, so I just use the pestle."


    "Okay," Lyda decided not to think about just how much force breaking a magic crystal would take without a special tool. "One more question regarding the potions, Cyrus."


    "Go ahead."


    "Where is the Dungeon we''ll be traveling to, and how long will we be in that area?" She asked. "I guess that''s two questions."


    "What do you mean?" He asked.


    "We''ll have to travel to it," she said. "I doubt we''d fly out to wherever it is just for a day or two for the trip. Then again, from what I know of you, you would do that."


    "There''s one a thirty-minute drive away from here."


    "I didn''t know there was a Dungeon nearby," she said. "But isn''t that going to be a water, ice, or earth Dungeon? It''s on a freezing mountain."


    "It''s earth and fire," he told her. "With some magma, though there are no toxic fumes due to the magical nature of the stuff there. If you want to go to an ice Dungeon, that''s about an hour and a half away."


    "Oh," she said. "Why is there a fire-based Dungeon on a freezing mountain?"


    "There are fire elementals here, too," he shrugged. "It''s just the way things are. Do you have any other questions? I was wanting to read a bit before bed."


    "One more," she told him. "What''s that book about?"


    Cyrus looked at the book, then back at Lyda. He was never good at describing books to people, and ended up staring at her as he tried to figure out how to explain it without simply telling her the whole story.


    As he attempted to figure that out, Cyrus felt a strange impulse rising up in him, acting on it before even realizing it, surprising both Lyda and himself.


    He kissed her.

 014

    The moment his lips met Lyda''s, Cyrus jerked back, slamming into the arm of the couch as he began stammering out an apology.


    "I''m sorry," he said. "I don''t know why-I don''t know what-it just-I don''t understand why I-I''m sorry, Lyda, I-"


    "Cyrus," she spoke calmly, and his stammering ceased. He detected a trace of amusement and sadness in both her mind and voice, and that worried him. "You''ve locked a part of yourself away, haven''t you?"


    "What?" He asked in confusion.


    "Nothing," she answered. "You were trying to say that you don''t know why you did that, you don''t know what overcame you, and you''re sorry for kissing me. Is that correct?"


    "Yes," he answered. "I was just trying to figure out how to answer your question and explain the book without just telling you the whole plot. And as I looked into your eyes, my body just¡­ moved. I''m-I''m sorry, Lyda. I think I''m going to go to bed."


    Cyrus stood and hastily made to his room, undressed, and lay on the bed as he tried to sort through what had happened. The last time he did something like that was back in his old relationship, but he wasn''t dating again. Lyda was just someone he was accompanying and helping, and that was it.


    Eventually, he decided to just sleep, and so that was exactly what he did, straight through the night. When morning came, he returned to his routine as usual, grateful Lyda chose not to bring up the kiss.


    The next two weeks passed without another incident, Lyda assisting in making more potions when it was time to do so. Cyrus thought over why he was feeling the way he did about Lyda, but couldn''t come up with an explanation. He began to observe her more, hoping that would solve the mystery.


    Finally, the day of the trip to the Dungeon came, and after making sure Lyda had lighter clothes to wear once they entered, Cyrus drove them to the Dungeon. The half-hour drive was made in silence, and when they arrived, Cyrus pulled into the parking lot at the Dungeon, smiling a little at the shock and awe radiating out of Lyda at the sight.


    The Dungeon, like all of them, took the form of a hole in the ground. The Srentas Dungeon stretched one thousand feet in width as a perfect circle, though not all of that was the Dungeon itself.


    "The ten feet of width," Cyrus explained to Lyda as the stepped onto the stairs and began to descend. "You see for the stairs? That was carved out by the earth mages excavating this when it expanded about two hundred years ago, though it formed about fifty years before then. The stairs are outside of the Dungeon because it''s safer ¨C nothing spawns on them since they aren''t a part of it. Also, you''ll be grateful for those boots. Once we get inside, the ground is warm."


    "Thanks," Lyda looked down at the boots, made of dark red salamander leather. "How did you get boots my size? Don''t these have to be made on order?"


    "Yeah," he answered. "So I ordered them. I''ve seen your shoes and your feet, I know your size. Anyway, there are two things to keep in mind here. The moss absorbs the toxic fumes from the magma, making the air breathable, and several of the mushrooms absorb the fumes from fires, also keeping the air breathable."


    "Okay," Lyda said. "Anything else I should know?"


    "If something attacks," he nodded. "Ignore it. I''ll kill it without you needing to worry. Only harvest what I tell you to. You never know if a mushroom might suddenly attack because you thought it was safe."


    "That¡­ would be unpleasant," she said. "How often do people come here?"


    "There''s a regular operation," he answered. "Which comes down once a month and stays for five days. Otherwise, there might be one group every day or two. The regular option clears out anything dangerous which might have spawned in the upper levels, where most normal groups work. They also harvest goods for sale from the upper levels and some of the middle ones."


    "Okay," she said.


    They descended past the solid stone first level, which nothing grew on nor wandered upon, and down to the second level. There, the tunnels were illuminated by flaming moss and glowing yellow crystals.


    Cyrus ignored the entrance into the second level and continued walking. They descended past the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth level, then Cyrus pulled out the shorts and tank they had sent into the warehouse before leaving.


    Lyda changed into them and Cyrus sent her other clothes back into the warehouse. The temperature had steadily risen as they descended, making wearing winter clothes unbearable. Cyrus himself wore a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, though he bore no signs of sweating, much to Lyda''s interest.


    "Do you not sweat?" She asked, checking the sheen of sweat on her arms before looking at him again.


    "I''m able to regulate my body temperature with magic," he told her. "Sweating is your body''s attempt at cooling you down, and since I''m able to keep my body at the safe level, there''s no need to cool it down. Therefore, no sweat."


    "That sounds extremely handy," she said.


    "Anyone at Tier Seven or above can manage the spell," he told her. "Though only those in the Ultimate Tiers really bother to take the time to learn it, since they have an easier time learning new and complicated spells. If Rynovar grants your wish, you might be able to learn it, too."


    "That sounds cool," she told him, then laughed. "And would literally let me be cool, too."


    "Yeah," Cyrus shrugged. "Come on, we''re going a few more levels down before we''ll get to what I want."


    "Is it going to continue to get hotter?" She asked.


    "No," he answered. "The temperature remains steady starting with the fifth level, but it''s about five degrees hotter once we''re actually into them. The cool air from outside is still cooling us here, even if you don''t feel it anymore."


    "Okay," she said. "Let''s resume the journey, then."


    Cyrus nodded, then led Lyda down to the eleventh level before entering the Dungeon itself. The tunnel immediately turned and seemed to follow the edge of the Dungeon for twenty yards, before coming across a river of magma bordered by flaming moss.


    They followed the river of magma for several yards, Lyda looking at the mushrooms, moss, and crystals, until Cyrus stopped.


    "Here we are," he announced. "The first thing we need."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The god produced three jars as Lyda examined the bushes of crimson berries with crimson leaves growing in the middle of the wide path. He knelt in front of the bushes and set the jars down.


    "There''s no danger," Cyrus informed Lyda. "As long as you don''t remove the leaves. They''ll turn to flames if you do, so remove only the berries."


    "They''ll turn to flames if I pull off a leaf?" She asked.


    Cyrus plucked a leaf from the bush, and the removed leaf immediately burst into flames between his fingers. He let it burn to ash, the flames not affecting his skin at all.


    "Like that," he told her. "You said you wanted to start using the potion that makes it harder to use fire magics, right?"


    "Yes," she told him. "To push me harder when casting spells."


    "Okay," he counted the jars, then pulled out a fourth one. "I need four jars full for two batches. If a berry is singed, don''t put it in there. Same with any you squish by accident. I need them whole and undamaged, they''ll last longer that way. Otherwise, they''ll probably rot before we return."


    He opened up a jar and began plucking berries, and Lyda followed suit. She pulled each berry off with her fingers. Cyrus, on the other hand, used a careful application of wind magic to remove the berries and drop them into the jars.


    When they finished, Cyrus made sure the lids were screwed on tightly, then sent the jars back to his warehouse before pulling out a wooden box. The ground under one of the bushes shifted and pulled out, and Lyda jumped back.


    "I need the roots as well," Cyrus told her as he used wind magic to cut roots and move them into the box.


    After filling the box with roots from each bush, Cyrus used his earth magics to move the dirt back into place. He sent the box back to the warehouse as he noticed Lyda''s confusion.


    "The roots will regrow in a few days," he explained. "As long as we rebury them. Effects of the Dungeon and the high levels of ambient mana within it."


    "There are high levels of mana here?" She asked. "I knew this was a magical place, but I''ve never heard of that before."


    "All Dungeons have high concentrations of it," he told her. "Though the concentration levels don''t necessarily relate to the size of them. There are smaller ones than this with greater concentrations, larger ones than this with lighter, and vice versa."


    "Ah."


    "Come on," Cyrus told her. "There are salamanders up ahead. We can use the bigger ones for this potion. In fact, it''s better."


    They made their way into a cavern twenty feet in height and roughly forty on one side and fifty along the other, the river of magma falling down into a pond below, before trailing off into another tunnel. As their tunnel ended at the top of the cavern, Cyrus and Lyda descended the stairs to face off against the flame salamanders, each of which stood two feet in height and over ten in length. Flames ran along their backs in burst, and Lyda counted eight of them.


    "Perfect!" Cyrus said. "I need eight for two batches, so this saves us some trouble!"


    Before Lyda could ask how he planned on killing them, all eight salamanders ceased moving, the flames on them fading away. Cyrus walked up to each and placed on a hand on it, then the beast disappeared.


    "Cyrus," she said. "How did you do that?"


    "Do what?" He asked.


    "Kill them," she answered.


    "Remember how I said I can sense the elements around me?" He asked.


    "Yeah," she answered. "Something Rynovar taught, right?"


    "Something like that," he answered. "If you can sense the element, you can affect it. Since I can sense everything, I can affect it, manipulate it, generate the element there, and so on. I simply cut them in a vital spot, killing them instantly. I''ll go somewhere other than the suite to butcher them, so don''t worry about that."


    "That''s frightening," she told him. "Did you come up with that?"


    "It''s in one of Rynovar''s books on magic," he told her. "Come on, let''s keep hunting. Not everything will be as close together as those."


    They walked around the chamber, Cyrus examining several things and harvesting a few fire crystals. He used what appeared to be a thin wire of a bluish-white coloration to do so, informing Lyda it was manalirate stretched until it was thin. The crystals were not fully removed, instead harvested a little above their base.


    "That," Cyrus explained when Lyda inquired about it. "Is to allow the crystals to regrow in that spot a little faster. The quality isn''t as good on crystals that regrow like that, but if they''re left alone for awhile, they''ll purify back up to a good quality. The older the crystal is, the higher its quality is likely to be."


    "I didn''t know that," Lyda admitted. "It wasn''t in anything I found in Dungeon manuals."


    "Because it''s not in them," Cyrus shook his head. "For whatever damn reason, they never stick that information in them, instead sticking them in the manuals for magic crystals. One day, I''m going to sit down and write some proper Dungeon manuals. Once my brothers start behaving themselves."


    "Good luck with that," she told him, and Cyrus snorted.


    They continued their search, exploring the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth floors, moving between them several times. Occasionally, Cyrus would harvest fire crystals, or have Lyda assist in harvesting special moss, mushrooms, and other reagents. He made certain to let her know when they were dangerous and how to harvest them properly. On the truly dangerous plants, he let watch, but not touch, as he harvested them himself.


    It took them the rest of the day to clear out both of the two floors of the resources Cyrus needed, but it wasn''t enough for the potion, confirming they needed to spend another day hunting.


    "Are we heading back up?" Lyda asked once Cyrus told her that.


    "No," he answered, not pausing in his step as he continued walking down the tunnel, beside a river of magma on the thirteenth floor. "It''ll take forty-five minutes or more to get back to the surface, then at least twenty minutes to the nearest hotel, or we could take another ten on that to get to the lodge."


    "Are you keeping watch all night, then?" She asked. "I''ve heard that camping in a Dungeon isn''t exactly safe."


    "You''ve probably talked to people who only went to smaller ones," he told her. "Or who didn''t want to reveal the truth. Any proper Dungeon guide tells you about these, so it''s not exactly a secret."


    Cyrus indicated the rune-etched metal door set into the wall they had come across, no window allowing a view into it. He grabbed the handle and pulled it open, then let Lyda enter.


    Upon entering, they both felt cooler air immediately greeting them, and Cyrus pulled the door closed to avoid the warmer air of the tunnel from heating the room too much. Pale blue crystals were set into the walls and a line of runes wrapped around the walls beneath the ceiling.


    "The way those are set," Lyda looked at the crystals. "People put those in the walls. This room doesn''t have anything manifesting in it?"


    "Nope," Cyrus indicated the crystals. "Those are magic crystals. Normal ones. Notice how the runes connect to them? They draw on the magic crystals constantly, at the same rate the magic crystals are drawing in the ambient mana from the room. It provides both light and the cool air we feel, plus keeps the air fresh. It''s a potent enchantment, and Kylnar put them in any Dungeon large enough people might stay in overnight, on every floor starting with the twelfth. Further down, there will be more rows of runes and more magic crystals to draw in the heavier concentrations. It keeps it low enough that nothing can spawn in here."


    "That''s¡­ rather kind of him," Lyda said.


    "It is, indeed," Cyrus nodded. "And he adds them in to Dungeons that grow deeper or new ones which form, too. It''s not an old thing. And in Dungeons that have submerged levels but are otherwise large? The rooms have a barrier similar to what''s at the Silver Oracle''s reality marble."


    "The safe rooms are dry?" She asked. "In submerged Dungeons?"


    "Correct," Cyrus nodded as he pulled out two bedrolls and pillows. "Get some sleep. We have another day of hunting."


    "Can we have dinner first?" She asked. "Lunch was about eight hours ago."


    "Oh, right," he said. "And if you have to go to the bathroom, just head outside and dig a hole like you did before."


    Lyda made a face at that instruction, but knew that even though her body hadn''t wanted to go, she''d probably have to at some point. Cyrus put a small shovel by the door, and assured her that nothing dangerous roamed the area near the safe zone they were in, but if she needed to go and wanted the protection of someone who could fight it off, to wake him up.


    After Lyda went to bed, Cyrus pulled out his tablet and checked to see if there was connection. He smiled upon seeing that Kylnar had done whatever it was necessary to add connection in the Dungeon, and hoped that meant the others had it, too. Cyrus had been asking the god to do that for years with no success.


    He worked for a little while, before finding that watching Lyda as she slept kept distracting him. Frowning, he shook his head, then began to focus on his work again, only to find himself distracted. After half an hour of that, Cyrus froze, then pulled up the contact with SnK and sent them a message.


    Am I falling in love with Lyda?

 015

    Cyrus set his tablet down, then tried to get some sleep. Half an hour passed before he checked his tablet again, finding a message from SnK.


    Do you think about her a lot? Do you want to be with her a lot? Do you want to have sex with her not just for your own pleasure, but hers as well? Would you rather she stopped having sex with others and became exclusive with you? Do you want to see her happy? Make her smile and laugh? See her succeed? Would you rather be snuggling with her right now rather than sleeping on your own? Do you find yourself admiring even the small things about her? - K


    Cyrus read through all of that, and realized that his answer to all of those were ''yes'', so he told his uncle that.


    There''s your answer, Cy. - K


    I''m pretty sure she''d be happy to have sex with you again, too. Just ask her. She''s awake, so you can even do it now. - S


    The young god looked at Lyda, frowning as he realized her mind wasn''t in the same state it normally went into when she was asleep. Rather than slightly relaxed, there was tension there. He had initially dismissed it as her just sleeping uncomfortably because of the location, but realized there might be more to it than that.


    "Are you awake?"


    "I''m finding it hard to sleep while in a Dungeon," she turned onto her side and looked at Cyrus. "Especially since I could feel you staring at me."


    "Sorry," he muttered. "Just trying to figure some stuff out."


    "So you were staring at me?" She asked curiously.


    "I think I fell in love with you," he admitted. "I''m not sure how, though. I just asked my mother and uncle, and they told me-"


    "That it was about damn time you noticed?" She asked, and Cyrus frowned. "I figured it out with your reaction to Jared, and the kiss confirmed it. I also realized you''d locked away that part of yourself because it wasn''t ''rational'' to you to fall in love after realizing your brothers would go after anyone you dated."


    He remembered her words after he kissed her, and concluded that was what she had meant.


    "Yeah," he nodded. "I suppose I did. This is confusing. I''m only helping you with your quest. Why would I fall in love with you?"


    "You don''t choose who you fall in love with," she told him. "You simply¡­ fall in love. I fell in love with you, despite telling myself that this was ending after I finished the quest."


    "You''re in love with me?" He asked. "Are you sure it''s not lust and desire from me being both rich and a god? I know how mortals can be, and-"


    "I''m positive," she interrupted him. "I see the cute side of you, Cyrus. The way you''re oblivious to some things while intelligent about others. The way you lay with one hand under your head on the couch as you read. How you get awkward on some occasions, yet confident at others. You''re attractive, you''re intelligent, you''re kind ¨C those are all desirable traits in a partner. And I''ve spent time with you."


    "So you fell in love," Cyrus nodded. "Even though our companionship is meant to end as soon as you complete the quest."


    "Yeah," she told him. "Though I wouldn''t mind getting with you while we do this quest, Cyrus. I''ll accept that it''ll end in a couple of months, the two of us going our separate ways."


    "Mortals tend to form attachments," Cyrus shook his head. "It is doubtful that would be a good idea for you."


    "I''m willing to risk it," she told him. "Though if you''d rather not¡­ I''m still willing to sleep with you anyway."


    Cyrus thought over that for a few minutes. He didn''t want her to form an unhealthy attachment to him, as he was a god, but knew that if she had fallen in love, then it was already a little too late for that. If he did anything further with her, it might deepen those feelings in her. However, he also knew that mortals would do anything for their own temporary pleasure, even if they knew it might hurt or upset them in the end.


    He could sense that she was genuine as well, without a trace of deception in her thoughts. Letting out a sigh, Cyrus nodded.


    "I would not mind sharing a bed with you," he told her. "While we travel together. As long as you understand this is a temporary arrangement, and not one built on romance."


    "That''s fine," she smiled at him. "You said ''share a bed'', does that include physical contact?"


    "Yes," he decided almost immediately. "If it is you, I am sure I can handle it. We can put our bedrolls together now, if you want."


    Lyda sat up and moved her bedroll beside Cyrus''s, and the young god placed his hands on both of them, moving them so their edges were touching. He flexed his magic, and the bedrolls merged into a single one, leaving no trace of where the two had merged together.


    "There," he told Lyda. "Now, they won''t separate while we sleep."


    She laughed at his simple statement, then lay back down on the bedroll. Cyrus put his tablet away and lay down as well. After a few minutes of staring up at the ceiling, Cyrus turned onto his side and placed a hand on Lyda''s stomach.


    Content with that, Cyrus closed his eyes and tried to sleep, though found it difficult to. With how close he was to her, and the contact he had made, plus the thought his mother had put in his head with her message, Cyrus found himself a little horny.


    Deciding not to approach Lyda about that until they were back at the lodge, he did his best to focus on Lyda beside him instead.


    "Oh, my goodness, Cyrus!" Lyda eventually exclaimed. "You keep moving your hand up, as if about to touch my breast, then pulling it back down!"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Sorry," Cyrus mumbled. "I didn''t realize I was doing that. I was trying to fall asleep."


    "What I''m complaining about," she told him. "Is that you''re basically teasing me, Cyrus."


    She sat up, and Cyrus pulled his hand back, confused. Then he watched as Lyda pulled off her shirt, then removed her bra, leaving her breasts exposed.


    "There," she told him with a smile as she lay back down. "Now just grope them like you want to do."


    Cyrus put his hand back on her stomach, feeling the softness of her skin for a few minutes before giving in to his temptation and fondling her breasts. Her breathing picked up a little, and Cyrus knew that he wasn''t going to fall asleep that night unless he got off, but he wasn''t sure if she was up for sex, even if she was letting him fondle her.


    As Cyrus admired the feel of her breasts, Lyda slipped a hand behind Cyrus and began rubbing his back. He noticed after a minute that she had begun subtly trying to pull his shirt up, so he sat up and pulled his shirt off, then returned to his position on his side as he fondled her more, feeling her rubbing his back.


    "Let''s get the rest of our clothes off," Lyda suggested to Cyrus, who paused for a moment, then nodded and stripped the rest of the way, Lyda sitting up to do the same.


    When she lay back down, Cyrus surprised himself by laying not just beside her, but against her, his erection rubbing her leg as he began kissing her as he continued fondling her breast. He felt her beginning to rub his boner.


    Deciding to see if she''d let him go all the way, Cyrus broke their kiss, which he had found himself enjoying.


    "Do you want to-"


    "If I ever don''t," she told him. "I''ll tell you when you try, Cyrus. So if I don''t tell you and am able to, assume I''m willing, because it means I am with you."


    He nodded, then climbed onto her and pushed inside as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He supported himself with his arms on the ground, focusing on pleasuring her as he fucked her. After they both reached their climaxes, Cyrus pulled out of Lyda, kissed her on the cheek, then spooned her again, quickly drifting off to sleep.


    When morning arrived, Cyrus woke to find himself in the same position, Lyda sleeping peacefully beside him. The fact that he managed to sleep while in contact with her surprised him, but he was even more surprised by his decision during the night to actually get with her.


    After pulling his clothes back on, Cyrus woke Lyda up and served them a breakfast of bagels and strawberries, then she dressed and Cyrus put the bedroll away. The two left the safe room and descended deeper into the Dungeon, spending the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon collecting various herbs, berries, leaves, roots, and mushrooms, in addition to crimson scarab beetles Cyrus called flame scarabs.


    Once Cyrus had collected everything he needed for not two but three batches, gathering a few extra things from the higher levels, he led Lyda back up to the surface, stopping at the fifth level to let her change back into her winter clothes before they finished returning to the surface.


    There, they drove back to the lodge and showered together, before ordering pizza for dinner. They ate dinner once it arrived, then Cyrus began making the potion for Lyda to train with, Lyda helping him prepare it.


    "About last night," Cyrus spoke as he bottled the first batch of the potion, leaving her wondering when and where he butchered the flame salamanders, as he had slipped out of time to do so.


    "It was nice," Lyda told him. "I mean, you''re no experienced lover, but you have your own charm, you know."


    "Thanks," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "That''s not what I was intending to discuss. When I mentioned sharing my bed, I meant it. But don''t expect sex every night."


    "I won''t," she laughed. "A month is enough for me to tell that you aren''t the kind of guy who''s horny twenty-four-seven, even if you''re only eighteen. However often you feel comfortable with it, I''m good with that."


    "Okay," he said, then hesitated as he thought over what else he wanted to ask. "Last night, you said that if I wanted sex, to just start it. That you''d tell me if you didn''t want it."


    "Yes," she told you. "I gave you explicit consent to have sex with me at any time, Cyrus. I just ask that if I tell you ''no'', you understand I''m not willing to at the moment. There will be times I won''t want to have sex, but for the most part I''m going to be willing with you."


    "I''m not a rapist," he shook his head. "And I''m not going to become one. I just¡­ I''ll probably still ask you before, okay?"


    "If that makes you comfortable," she told him.


    He nodded and capped the last bottle, then sent them all to the warehouse before cleaning and sanitizing his equipment to begin the second batch.


    "If you''re making thirty potions," Lyda said as she begin grinding berries into paste. "That''s ten day''s worth?"


    "Yeah," Cyrus told her. "They last around fourteen or so, so it''s fine. This is just so we only go every week and a half rather than every week, to save us some time. Normally, I''d spend two or three nights in a Dungeon, then all day making batches of the potion to sell."


    "Next time we go in," Lyda told him. "Could we use a blanket? The air was a bit chilly in that room, and while you''re pretty warm, you weren''t all around me."


    "Sorry," Cyrus told her. "I don''t actually need a blanket, so hadn''t thought about that. Yeah, I''ve got blankets in my warehouse I can pull, so we can use those. Also, you were warm, too. And comfy."


    "Thanks!" She laughed.


    They returned to working on the potion, talking little so they could focus on it and ensure they made as few mistakes as possible, if any. After finishing making all three batches, Cyrus cleaned and sanitized his equipment, then sent it back to the warehouse.


    He moved to the couch to read, and Lyda asked if she could practice her magic with one of the new potions.


    "Sure," Cyrus summoned a tray and trio of candles from the warehouse, along with a box of matches and one of their new potions. "Keep in mind that it''ll make your magic harder to use. When under its influence, don''t try to use the same level of magic as you''re used to. Instead, do something weaker, then work your way up to what your limit is under the effect of the potion, so that you can tell where the limit it and don''t risk injuring yourself."


    "Okay," she said. "Thanks."


    Lyda lit the candles, then drank the potion and began to manipulate the flames. Cyrus split his attention between the book and watching her practice. Over the past month, her mana pool had increased enough that she could practice for two minutes before running out. Under the effects of the new potion, however, Lyda struggled to make it forty seconds of continuous use of magic before she had to stop.


    That wasn''t from lack of mana, but rather, from her mental stamina when it came to magic. The more someone struggled with a spell, the more mental energy it took to use it. Because of that, the potion she was using had an additional effect Cyrus had forgotten to inform Lyda of.


    In addition to pushing her limit by making it lower, it also increased mental stamina. He estimated that if she used the potion three times a day for the next month, apart from when they were in the Dungeon, Lyda would find herself able to use magic constantly for two minutes while under the potion''s effects, or up to ten while not under its effects.


    As long as her mana pool increased enough to let her do that, he added to himself.


    The potion''s effects lasted for nearly an hour before they ran out, and Lyda played around with the fire until her mana ran out after the potion faded, then let Cyrus put the stuff back in the warehouse.


    "That was exhausting," she told him as she stood. "I''m getting some water. Want some, too?"


    "Sure," he told her. "I bought lemonade the other day, by the way. If you wanted to have some, I put it in the cabinet by the fridge. There are pitchers in the cabinet beside that."


    "I like lemonade," she told him. "I''ll make some. Do you want some?"


    "No, thanks," he told her, then began to stand. "If you''re exhausted, I can-"


    Someone knocked at the door, and Cyrus turned his attention to it.


    "You answer that," Lyda told him. "I''ll fix us our drinks."


    Cyrus nodded, then walked over to the door answered it. He froze up upon seeing the person on the other side, taking several seconds to speak. When he did, it was a single word.


    "Mother!"

 016

    The woman on the other side of the door smiled at Cyrus as Lyda turned her attention to her. With long, brown hair, dark green eyes, and fair, flawless skin, she was a beautiful woman. Something that confused Lyda but didn''t phase Cyrus was the fact that the god wore a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie, her hair tied into a braid that hung over her right shoulder.


    "Hello, Cyrus," his mother said. "Would allow me to enter?"


    "Um, oh, right," Cyrus stepped to the side. "What are you- why did you-you don''t normally-"


    "Visit, I know," she smiled at he closed the door. "But it''s been longer than normal between my visits to you, Cyrus, and I wanted to meet the woman you had fallen in love with. Hello, Lyda."


    "Hello," Lyda said. "Lady¡­ um-"


    "You may call me Sarah," the god told her. "It is my mortal name, the name I use among you mortals. And you may relax, I''m not as some of the tales say gods are. I lack the intense temper of some of them, such as Rynovar."


    "Mother is quite calm," Cyrus told Lyda. "Unless you wound or wrong one of her children. Mother, last night, the triplets-"


    "I know!" His mother laughed. "It took them long enough to start causing problems like that. I paid them a visit already. They''re currently dealing with my punishment."


    "Good," Cyrus nodded. "Thank you. I was going to use a pathway after Lyda went to bed, but if you took care of it, then it''s fine."


    "What did they do?" Lyda asked.


    "Destroyed a Dungeon," Cyrus and Sarah answered in unison, resulting in Lyda staring at them in shock.


    "That''s possible?" She asked.


    "Apparently," Sarah answered. "Rynovar asked me to talk with them about doing that. As I was in the area, I decided to pay my favorite son a visit."


    Lyda finished mixing the lemonade, then poured two glasses and offered Sarah some.


    "Thank you," Sarah nodded, accepting a glass from Lyda after the woman poured a third. "How does it feel, knowing you will get your wish?"


    "I''m still trying to process it, to be honest," Lyda answered as Cyrus sat down and began using his tablet once more. "To think I''ve already obtained two of the tokens ¨C two believed to be impossible ¨C and have the Dungeon Token, while soon receiving the Blessed Token¡­ it''s a lot to take in, and a month just hasn''t cut it."


    "Sometimes, a series of extraordinary events can cause extraordinary things," Sarah told her. "And sometimes, it takes a mother''s meddling."


    Cyrus gave his mother a confused look.


    "Your Aunt Lena didn''t tell you that, did she?" Sarah smirked at her son.


    "You put Lyda in my path?" Cyrus asked.


    "I put you in each other''s path," his mother corrected. "I was the one who nudged your contact into arranging the meet up at Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant. I was the one who nudged Lyda''s mind to decide to approach him ¨C don''t worry, all I did was whisper a suggestion to you, Lyda, no mind manipulation at all ¨C and I was the one who asked Lena to suggest accompanying her to you."


    Cyrus frowned as he tried to figure out why his mother would do that. In the meantime, Lyda sat beside him on the couch, and his mother sat on an armchair, sipping the lemonade as she waited for her son to respond.


    "Why would you do that?" Cyrus asked. "It''s not like you to care about whether or not the mortals succeed in their goals, and you ensured that she would succeed."


    "Actually," Sarah said. "Lyda just happened to be the best choice. I did many careful calculations on which mortals might help you change from the man you were into the man you should be. Who might help you change from constantly worrying about and dealing with the triplets to someone who doesn''t care what his brothers think and do and will pursue his own feelings and goals. His bigger ones."


    "Lyda is collateral damage?" Cyrus asked in confusion. "You did this because you wanted me to get laid?"


    "I did this," his mother said. "Because I care about you, and it hurt me seeing you close yourself off because of the triplets. That''s why I activated your time prison to trap those three after what they did. It might have been a minor Dungeon, but they need to know not to cause problems for you, as you are the one who deals with the aftermath. When looking into how to help you, I chose the option that would benefit a mortal as well, rather than the paths which would use them, but damage them or their lives. With this path, Lyda has already been freed from the blacklisting, and yet that is not even the best benefit she will reap. A reward from me, for interfering in her life."


    Cyrus sighed, then shook his head and turned his attention back to his tablet as he processed his mother''s words. Lyda was being used as a tool to help him escape the cycle his brothers placed him into, but at the same time, his mother ensured she would benefit from it as well. It was just like his mother to do something like that.


    That didn''t mean he wouldn''t still have to deal with the cleanup of the mess with the Dungeon being destroyed. It really was a minor one, and he desperately wanted to know why his brothers thought destroying it was a good idea.


    "What''s a time prison?" Lyda asked. "This is the second time I''ve heard it mentioned."


    "It is," Sarah said. "Perhaps the only way to truly trap a god. Every god has the ability to reset to a previous point in time. It erases everything which happened after it, but nothing which happened before. We can trigger it consciously, and if we are incapacitated in any way or killed, it triggers automatically.


    "Resetting time," she continued. "Allows us to train ourselves to become more powerful. Learn how certain actions change events. Manipulate events. I used a similar power to determine the best path to take to open Cyrus up and break him from the cycle his brothers put him it. That was four hundred years from now, and I reset back to now in order to ensure it happened, as this was the best time to do it."


    Cyrus sighed as he heard how long his mother waited to manipulate his fate to break him from his brothers'' cycle. Four hundred years. Four centuries of containing the triplets and preventing them from causing major problems.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was no wonder she felt it best to set things in motion when he was nineteen.


    "And yet a month in," Cyrus said. "They destroy a Dungeon."


    "I knew they would cause problems," Sarah stated. "I received permission from Rynovar to allow them to shake up the world a little. No one expected them to destroy a Dungeon."


    "I''m still confused about a time prison," Lyda said. "They''re what, trapped in time?"


    "Yes and no," Cyrus answered. "The time prison is a sort of reality marble perfectly overlapping a specific space of the real world. It''s designed specifically to prevent escape from inside of it through time magic by creating a time loop. Even if they try to reset, they''ll find themselves in just another part of the loop. Traveling through time doesn''t work in it. They can''t slip out of time, either. It can only be exited through an outside force. Specifically, an amulet I have."


    He gave his mother a look.


    "Though I suppose you have it, since it''s needed to activate the time prison."


    "I do," she touched her chest, indicating that the amulet was hidden beneath her hoodie. "Once I feel they have learned their lesson, I will release them from it. In the meantime, Rynovar has asked me to handle the situation with the Dungeon, so don''t worry about that, either, Cyrus."


    "Okay," Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief. "I''m not sure where I''d begin to deal with that."


    "It will take some time," Sarah admitted. "In all my years, I''ve never heard of someone destroying a Dungeon. I suppose if any god did it, it would be those three."


    Sarah finished her lemonade, then set the glass on the coffee table and stood, looking at Lyda.


    "One reason I wanted to meet you," she said. "Was because Cyrus won''t mention it himself, but he turns twenty tomorrow."


    "Mother!"


    "Speaking of your birthday," she held up a hand, and several wrapped presents appeared on the coffee table, wrapped in metallic wrapping paper. "Gifts from the other gods here, including your brothers. I made sure they were serious gifts, not their pranks. Your father''s is the one in the blue wrapping."


    The stated gift, which was separate from the others, immediately caught fire, turning to ash in seconds, not giving Lyda any time to see what it was.


    "Wha-"


    "Oh, look," Cyrus muttered. "Father''s gift randomly caught fire on its own. How horrible. Please inform him I''m not going to just punch him in the face. After I do that, I''m going to beat the daylights out of him!"


    His tone rose as he spoke the last sentence, Cyrus subconsciously clenching his fist as a look of pure rage filled his face.


    "Cyrus," his mother said. "Your father means well."


    "Those were sex toys!" Cyrus pointed at the ashes. "Father never takes anything seriously! Especially when it comes to me! And you know I hate my birthday, Mother! Why would you give me gifts? And make the triplets give me some? And tell Lyda? I don''t celebrate it! I never have!"


    "Just accept them," his mother said, and Cyrus sighed, leaning back on the couch. "And your brothers'' gifts was partly as an apology for the hassles they''ve put you through. Also, Ty sent something as well."


    "Ty did?" Cyrus instantly turned calm as he began looking at the gifts with his senses, attempting to figure out which item within was from Ty. "Which one is his?"


    "The one shaped like a cylinder."


    "Who''s Ty?" Lyda asked.


    "An old friend," Cyrus answered. "I haven''t talked to him since I was little, though. He helped me out a bit when I first ran away from that orphanage my father dumped me at. He''s perhaps one of four people in all the world I view with great respect."


    "I should get going," Sarah told them. "My spell containing the effects of the destruction won''t last too much longer, so I need to refresh it, then begin working on fixing the issues caused."


    "Goodbye," Cyrus stood, then approached his mother and hugged her. "Thank you for the gifts, Mother. And for the help, too."


    "Anything for you," his mother hugged him back, then looked at Lyda. "Goodbye, Lyda. And good luck with your training."


    The god left after that, leaving Cyrus and Lyda alone in the room. Cyrus gestured with his hands, and the presents, ash included. Only the cylinder remained behind, flying into his hand as the rest departed.


    "You''re not going to open them?" Lyda asked as Cyrus tore off the paper from the cylinder. "Also, is it okay if I ask why your mother let your father dump you at the-"


    "It''s complicated," Cyrus said. "But my father''s, well, himself. He does stuff on his own, and no one stops him."


    "Except Rynovar, I''m sure."


    Cyrus simply scoffed as he opened up the tin, sniffing the contents.


    "It''s a tea," Cyrus observed. "Blueberry vanilla with a hint of something I can''t identify. Probably something from Rynovar''s island."


    "Ty is a god?" She asked.


    "No, he''s human," Cyrus shook his head. "One of the few humans allowed to travel between the island and the surface."


    "There are humans allowed to?" Lyda asked in shock.


    "Hm?" Cyrus asked as he continued to inspect the tin. "Oh, yeah, there are. Not many. I think there are six or seven? I could be wrong and thinking of more than there are. I''m making tea."


    Cyrus went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water, then heated it using his magic before preparing his tea. He returned to the couch and set the glass on the coffee table, letting the tea steep.


    "Okay," Lyda said. "Now, this time prison. I can''t imagine Lord Rynovar liking something like that, yet your mother seemed to talk about it casually."


    "Only I know how to make it," Cyrus told her. "Only I can make it, actually. So he doesn''t worry about others developing it and using it on him. It uses aether in its creation, on a level only I can use it."


    "And he doesn''t fear you using it on him?" She asked.


    "No," Cyrus shrugged. "I mean, there''s always the possibility I would, but it would require convincing him to enter the shop, and he won''t enter it if he has the slightest suspicion I would. Plus, he can actually break out of it."


    "Even though it''s inescapable?" She asked.


    "I''d have to trap him in one on another world for him to not be able to," Cyrus nodded. "The pathways don''t travel through the time prison ¨C it''s a reality marble ¨C but Rynovar doesn''t need them to exit it. All gods on Earth have their powers suppressed to a tiny fraction of their true strength ¨C only ten percent of it. Rynovar gleans that power while he''s on Earth. It''s part of why he''s so powerful, and every additional god on Earth only makes him stronger.


    "He has enough power at the moment," Cyrus continued. "To simply snap the boundaries of the reality marble. It would cause a temporary void to form, but otherwise, he''d be fine. So trapping him isn''t feasible as long as he''s here on Earth."


    "What if all the other gods left?" She asked.


    "The time prison," he said. "Actively drains the mana of the god who activated it. If they leave the planet, it loses that power. Only a god has enough mana and mana regeneration to actually activate and maintain it. In addition, Rynovar is among the most powerful gods in all the universe. By that, I mean that he is the most powerful god in the universe. And that''s before the boost he gains from having some of the other most powerful gods here on Earth. At his base, without the boost, Rynovar is approximately eighty times as powerful as I am."


    Lyda just stared into her lemonade as she thought over Cyrus''s words. He knew it was a lot to take in. Cyrus knew that there were once gods even more powerful than Rynovar, but they had long-since died.


    There was, of course, also the possibility that there would be future gods more powerful than Rynovar. By the forces outside, there were still beings more powerful than Rynovar. Phoenixes, as one example. Ancient beings that truly could not be permanently killed, they would live until the universe ended, no exceptions.


    But as far as beings which could actually die went, Rynovar currently sat as the most powerful. That was part of why the godking feared little and felt confident in his ability to escape a time prison.


    "Cyrus," Lyda said after several minutes of silence. "If you didn''t feel obligated to perform damage control for your brothers, if you could do your own thing without worry, what would you do?"


    Cyrus picked up his glass of tea, pulled out the steeping leaves, set the steeper on a small dish that he summoned from his warehouse. He inspected his tea for a moment, then took a drink.


    "This is delicious," he muttered, then sighed and looked at Lyda. "I would leave Earth, find a world without gods, and claim it for my own, establishing myself as godking of my own world."

 017

    "You''d leave Earth?" Lyda asked. "And start your own pantheon?"


    "Not necessarily a pantheon," Cyrus said. "But yes, I would leave Earth. I''d probably be a little more strict than Rynovar is for who can be on it. It would save me some hassles. Maybe, one day, I would take a god as a lover, but I''d have to trust them to stay with me for a long time. I''m not like Rynovar and Selar, who are soulmates. I don''t have one of those."


    "Soulmates are real?" Lyda asked. "But only some have them?"


    "Very few," Cyrus shrugged. "I don''t quite know the full details, just that Selar was informed by a phoenix before Rynovar was even born that he was her soulmate. I''ve no idea how rare soul mates are, but they''re the only ones I know of."


    Lyda went silent for a few seconds, and Cyrus took another drink of his tea.


    "Why would you leave?" She asked. "Establish yourself as godking?"


    "I would be able to live in relative peace," he answered. "Establish a life for myself. We gods don''t possess a divine presence or anything of the sort, so no one would really notice who I was. I''d just do my own thing, and if another god showed up, tell them to leave. They''d have no choice."


    "Why not?" She asked. "What if they-"


    "A godking or godqueen can permanently kill any god on their world," Cyrus stated. "If a god traveled to another world and was personally told by a godking to leave, pushing it could end them. For good. The reset spell won''t activate if a godking kills on their own world."


    Cyrus could take things a step further and severely damage or alter the mana veins of a god. It was even possible that he could turn them mortal, but he had no plans on testing that theory of his.


    "You prefer a simpler, more peaceful life," Lyda remembered. "You only deal with your brothers because they cause problems for others."


    "Yeah," Cyrus nodded, then sighed as he stared into his tea once more. "Four hundred years. For four centuries, Mother waited before looking through the paths of time to see what the best route would be to break me free of this hold I put myself in."


    "Look through the paths of time?" Lyda asked. "There are multiple timelines? When you-"


    "There''s exactly one timeline," Cyrus shook his head. "Mother''s special among chronomancers in that she can see how the past would have been, had a different set of actions been taken. If a single action was altered. It''s similar to resetting, but without actually doing so. As a god of war and peace, it''s somewhat necessary to know how to alter things to achieve the result of war or peace."


    "Oh," Lyda said. "Resetting doesn''t create a new timeline?"


    "Correct," Cyrus answered. "Resetting erases everything which happened after the reset point."


    He tapped his glass as he thought over an explanation.


    "When a god resets," he told her. "They are actually performing two types of magic woven into a single spell. Chronomancy and soul magic ¨C the latter is something only gods can perform. We all have the reset spell innate to us, but otherwise, almost no god can perform soul magic. Rynovar can, but only mildly.


    "A soul," Cyrus continued. "Is a blank slate. There''s nothing there. At all."


    "What?" Lyda asked in confusion. "That''s not possible. Souls are what-"


    "Make people unique?" He asked. "That''s what the common belief is. In reality, the soul itself is a storage thing produced by something outside of the universe. Souls are blank, and nearly everyone has an identical soul. Mortals, gods, ants, dragons ¨C everything with a soul, the soul is the same."


    "But then why do they exist?" She asked. "If it''s not what common knowledge says it is, what is it?"


    "A storage device, as I said," he told her. "It holds your knowledge, your memories, your experience, your mana ¨C all of that."


    "Mana?" She asked.


    "Mana veins, specifically," he nodded. "They''re attached to the soul, even if they''re inside your body. Manipulating them requires a mixture of aether and soul magic."


    "Which is why Rynovar can do it," she said. "Because he can use both."


    "Correct," Cyrus drained his glass, then set it down and took a deep breath. "When a god resets time, they copy all of that information stored in the soul, move it through time, overwrite the previous data, compare it to the reset activation, ensure they match, then erase everything that occurred after the reset point. So they keep their memories, their knowledge, their training, and stuff from a time that technically never happened.


    "One interesting quirk of it," he held up a finger for a moment, then indicated up. "Is something Rynovar took advantage of when he was a little younger than me, if you go by his body''s age and not his full age with the resets.


    "If you travel through time," Cyrus told her. "Which involves actually going into the past, rather than simply moving your soul information to a previous point in time, do stuff, then return to your own time, then reset to before when you cast the time travel spell, the stuff you did in the past remained.


    "This," Cyrus said. "Is because the actions you performed in the past occurred before the reset point, even if the actual act of going to the past occurred after. Rynovar traveled more than a century and a half to the past, then returned to his own time, then immediately reset the past decade. The stuff he did in the past remained as having occurred."


    "That doesn''t make sense," Lyda said. "If he reset to before he traveled, then wouldn''t what he did when he traveled reset?"


    "No," Cyrus said. "As I said, the actions in the past occurred before the reset point. The reset spell only erases what happened after. So even though he never traveled to the past, he was in the past. Kylnar believes this is to ensure continuity within time. There''s a law of static past when it comes to time."


    "Static past?" She asked. "What does that mean?"


    "It means," he explained. "That what happened in the past had always happened. If someone travels to the past, they are not performing new actions. Rather, they are performing actions which they had already performed. Their own actions.


    "Honestly?" He asked. "We aren''t sure why it''s even possible. Let''s say you came here from the future. The future hasn''t happened yet, though. So why would you be able to be here? You don''t exist in this time, yet you''re here anyway."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Cyrus stood and picked up the empty glasses, then took them to the kitchen as Lyda thought over what he said. He washed, rinsed, and dried the glasses, then put them away before returning to the couch.


    "The answer," he said. "Is that we believe an outside force is at play when it comes to actual time travel."


    "An outside force?" She asked.


    "Something outside the universe," he nodded. "Back to the example of you being a time traveler, here from five hundred years in the future. Why would you exist before you existed? Sometimes, the simplest answer is the best answer.


    "My theory," Cyrus told her. "Is that a force outside the universe created you, complete with your background, history, and so on. In an instant. Then, it placed you in a point in time before your ''own'' time. You did stuff. Then when you activated the ''spell'' to return to your own time, that outside force then took you out of the universe, put you in stasis until ''your'' time arrived, then when you ''travel back in time'', place you back while erasing your old body, updating your soul information. When you''re born, it moves your soul into the infant ¨C well, into the fetus, as souls are acquired during pregnancy ¨C but without the data. It just has the base you had in the history created for you."


    "But wouldn''t that require-"


    "Being able to look at time like a book, know how things are, and implement that into your knowledge?" Cyrus asked. "Yes. I believe that time travel does actually use some information from the future, this outside force altering the soul in the past once the actual ''present'' arrives to include the soul''s data from the travel point. And when it returns, updates the soul''s information again. It may actually involve manipulation of events to ensure the traveled soul has mostly correct information initally."


    "So time travel," Lyda said. "Isn''t a spell a chronomancer is actually casting."


    She wasn''t too sure on Cyrus''s explanation, as it still raised a few questions, but she wasn''t going to question him on his theory.


    "It''s more like a signal to something outside of the universe to mess with time," Cyrus said. "Which is why it costs less mana than resetting time. But as I said, that''s purely my theory. It''s not necessarily fact, and no one, not even the phoenixes, knows for sure the full details of how time travel works."


    "I see," Lyda said, then thought for a few moments. "Resetting costs more mana?"


    "Yes," Cyrus nodded. "Though it doesn''t actually matter in the first place. The mana is pulled from the ''current'' body, and we''re immediately put into the reset point''s, so we have as much mana as it did at the time we arrived. Mana itself isn''t actually stored in the veins, just the information related to our mana veins, such as size, amount, strength, and so on."


    Lyda nodded, understanding that part.


    "Hey," she said. "How old are you actually? How many times have you reset?"


    "I''ve never used the spell," he told her. "Though I suppose¡­ twenty-four, if you include the resets I''ve been through."


    "The spell can be cast on others?" She asked in surprise. "It''s not limited to just the caster?"


    "Sort of," Cyrus answered. "A god who has enough mana can take another person with them, but they need to actually know soul magic to do it. As far as I know, only Rynovar, Kylnar, myself, and a god not on Earth right now can perform it. She visited us a few years ago to teach the three of us a little more soul magic than we know, for reason I won''t get into."


    He didn''t particularly want to relive the memories relating to when he was learning necromancy, and Rynovar and Kylnar had her visit the floating island after Cyrus learned what he needed to know. They never told him why they learned additional soul magic and he never asked, so he couldn''t explain the reason for them to Lyda.


    "Then it wasn''t your brothers?" She asked. "Huh. I would assume you going through an additional four years in resets without doing it yourself would be because of your brothers. Did Lord Rynovar do it as some sort of prank? I know it''s wrong to think stuff like that, but with some of the pranks he pulls on us mortals, I can imagine him doing that to a god."


    "Oh, no," Cyrus told her. "It was my brothers. And it took four and a half years'' worth of resets to get them to stop."


    More specifically, that was how long it took Cyrus to figure out how to alter their mana veins to prevent them from being able to use the level of soul magic necessary for the reset spell. He probably could have sped it up by experimenting on people, but Cyrus hated such things. Instead, he studied his brothers'' mana veins and his own, and once he was able to identify the soul magic aspect of the high magic veins, he nullified his brothers'' pain registration while they were sleeping, then promptly weakened their affinity for soul magic below the threshold necessary to cast the reset spell.


    It was the one and only time he ever used his aether to alter the mana veins of a person, and he did it to save himself the headache of involuntarily reliving the same day again. The automatic effect for if they died wouldn''t change, as that didn''t involve affinities at all. So his brothers would reset if they were killed, even if they couldn''t perform the spell intentionally anymore.


    "I don''t understand," Lyda told him. "How did your brothers take you if they can''t use soul magic?"


    Cyrus scratched the back of his head as he thought over the explanation. It was rather simple, but he didn''t know the why behind the explanation, and even Kylnar couldn''t answer it.


    "When my brothers use time magic," he explained. "All three of them are affected. If one slips out, all three do. If one travels to the past, all three would. If one resets, all three do. If someone uses such time magics on them, all three are affected as well. So if I froze one in time, all three would freeze in time. If I slipped one of them out of time, all three slip out."


    "So at the shop," Lyda realized. "It wasn''t just¡­ whichever one that was? It was all three who slipped out?"


    "Yes," he nodded. "The other two actually came out and watched the fight, then went back upstairs when they realized I was about to slip us back into time. And that was Luke I attacked."


    "Do you really hate your father that much, you''d attack your brothers over them mockingly calling you that?" She asked.


    "You saw me do that," he said. "That answers your question. Yes, I hate my father, and they do that to antagonize me. A good thrashing is one of the only things that gets them to stop that stuff once they get started. And it''s the easiest way."


    "Oh," she said. "And you hate him because he abandoned you?"


    "That," Cyrus said. "And the stuff he pulls with my gifts. That book I gave the triplets? He left two copies with the Silver Oracle specifically because he knew I''d set the first one on fire. I always set the first one on fire. And he''s apparently decided to start doing two because I do that."


    "He only did one present," she told him.


    "There were two boxes with the exact same sex toys in it," Cyrus muttered. "I only didn''t set the second one on fire because Mother would have scolded me for it. The other one was one of the ones with red wrapping."


    "Oh," she said. "So your father likes to antagonize you, too?"


    "He''s not really a fatherly person," Cyrus shook his head. "Anyway, back to the other question. There''s another unfortunate quirk. The souls my brothers and I have are strange. The god who taught me a little soul magics said she''d never seen souls like them before. And it seems that I am unfortunately stuck with the time magics affecting the triplets. However, what happens to me doesn''t happen to them. So I can slip out of time, and they won''t. But if they do, I will."


    "And they were resetting," she said. "Causing you to reset."


    "Yeah," he sighed. "It was annoying. Want to know what Father did in response to finding that out? He sent me a clock and a calendar. Every. Damn. Reset. And there were a lot of them. That was when I began burning his gifts."


    That was also when he began studying mana veins to find out how to prevent his brothers from being able to perform the reset spell. He was only ten at the time, and there was a limit to the amount of patience a kid could hold, even one as mature as Cyrus had been.


    Especially when it was interfering with him obtaining a rare collectible.


    "Now I''m starting to understand why you hate your father so much," Lyda told him. "Mine died when I was twelve, but I always had good relations with him."


    "He died?" Cyrus asked. "Do you mind if I ask how?"


    "Heart failure from overwork," Lyda answered. "We lived in poverty. Mom worked as a dancer at a club until a customer didn''t like she wouldn''t strip for him. It wasn''t that kind of club. Skimpy outfits, but no sex or stripping."


    "What happened after that?" Cyrus asked. "What did she do?"


    "Get buried," Lyda answered. "The customer killed her for pushing his hand off of her. He was arrested, but left me an orphan. I went from foster home to foster home until I turned eighteen, then got dumped out. Stayed at a friend''s place until they moved. I was already working at Madam Mara''s at that point, so I rented an apartment after that, and you know the rest."


    "Yeah," Cyrus nodded, then stood. "All this talking has brought back some rather unpleasant memories. I''m going to head to bed."


    "Mind if I join you?"

 018

    "I already told you last night I don''t mind sleeping with you," Cyrus told her. "Just understand that if you expect more than just sleeping, you will probably find yourself disappointed. Last night was an exceptional circumstance."


    "Don''t worry," Lyda told him. "I know you well enough to figure that out on my own."


    "Alright," he said. "You can keep doing your thing, you don''t have to go to bed when I do."


    "Alright," she told him. "I think I''m going to wind down a little bit before bed, then."


    Cyrus nodded, then made his way to his room, stripped, and climbed into bed, quickly falling asleep. When morning came, he woke to find himself spooning Lyda, one arm draped over her with his hand resting on a breast, his other hand under their pillows.


    The position was strange, as he knew he couldn''t be moved in his sleep or he would wake. How Lyda managed to put him like without rousing him baffled the young god.


    Deciding not to think on it, Cyrus carefully extracted himself to avoid waking her, then pulled on a pair of sweatpants and made his way to the kitchen of the suite, where he began preparing breakfast. Pulling out his phone, he rolled his eyes. His brothers had figured out they could text him from within the time prison.


    Allowing them that wasn''t an easy feat by any means due to the nature of the time prison, and Cyrus wasn''t sure why he had chosen to allow them to. He knew when he did it that it would only allow them a way to harass him, yet hemade the adjustments necessary to allow it anyway.


    Figuring out that one adjustment had taken him three times as long as creating the time prison did. Rather than them actually sending a signal out of the time prison, the time prison would register specific signals, then recreate them and send them out. Nothing actually left the time prison that way. Instead, the time prison itself sent a signal upon receiving one.


    when he made that adjustment, Cyrus also had to figure out how to avoid that being taken advantage of in ways other than to message him, especially as he knew his brothers would try to break out of it using any means they could find.


    As it was, they had sent him over seven thousand texts begging to be let free and for forgiveness. Being trapped in the shop, with no one coming in, no one to talk with, and no one to sleep with would be pure torment for them. Especially as Cyrus knew their mother would not have trapped anyone else with them, meaning they were truly alone with just the three of them.


    It wasn''t up to him to let them out, and he wasn''t going to ask their mother just because they were begging him for it. So he ignored the texts and prepared breakfast, offering Lyda some when she came out of the room.


    "Thanks," she told him. "You were cozy."


    "Did you move me?" He asked.


    "No," she answered. "It took me around an hour to fall asleep. I was beside you, but not touching. I wasn''t sure if you were trained to wake up upon being touched or something. I kept shifting around, though tried not to. At one point, you just turned onto your side and pulled me against you. I thought you''d woken up, but when that was all that had happened, I realized you were sleeping. You were so cozy, I fell asleep almost immediately."


    "Strange," Cyrus muttered. "I don''t usually move in my sleep."


    "Stuff like that happens," Lyda told him. "So, Cyrus, do you really not do stuff for your birthday?"


    "It''s just the anniversary of when my father dumped me at an orphanage," he told her. "I don''t find that special, and nor do I find having lived another year special. My brothers celebrate theirs, as that''s how they are, but I don''t celebrate mine. I hate it."


    "Do your brothers ever do anything for it?" Lyda asked. "Yours, I mean."


    "Of course they do," Cyrus snorted. "It''s why I avoid being at the shop on it. I usually rent a room in a hotel in another part of the world to get away from them. Or delve deep into a Dungeon and stay there. While my brothers can get to me, they don''t."


    Mostly because the one and only time they attempted to force him to celebrate, he blew up on them. The kind of angry outburst that his brothers did their best to avoid. It went beyond what happened when they mockingly called him their father.


    The outburst had surprised Cyrus himself, and he felt guilty over it, but with his brothers apologizing repeatedly over provoking it, he never did gather up the courage to apologize to them. That had been years before, on his thirteenth birthday. As he had become a teenager, they had wanted him to celebrate with him.


    Instead, they made Cyrus realize how bad his anger could be. If he had to put a definite time to it, that incident would have been what caused him to start to shut himself down to other things, and his brothers stealing his first love years later finalized it.


    "Sometimes," Lyda told Cyrus. "Celebrations aren''t for the target, but for those who love them."


    "I know," Cyrus sighed. "My brothers do the celebrations because they don''t really know what to get me. They want to feel as if they''re doing something to make my birthday special, especially knowing why I hate it. And it''s only made me hate it more."


    They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, then Cyrus washed and dried the dishes. After he put them away, he moved to the couch and pulled out the stuff for Lyda to do her morning training with. He used his tablet as she trained, though he kept part of his attention on her.


    "I was wondering," Lyda said as he sent the equipment back to his warehouse after her training concluded. "If were you planning on opening the presents?"


    "I already know what''s inside them," he said. "Well, except my brothers''. They performed a blocking enchantment on the wrapping paper to avoid me knowing what it was they got me. No one else bothered. Kylnar got me the limited edition version of a book that came out a few years ago, signed by the author, and a couple of other books. Mother got me a pair of metal chopsticks with dragon designs on the upper ends of them. Those are the more notable things they got me."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "And your father got you sex toys," Lyda said.


    "Yeah."


    "Why don''t you open the presents from your brothers?" She asked. "Who knows? What they got may surprise you."


    "I''d rather not," Cyrus grumbled, yet he gestured with his right hand and four gifts wrapped in green wrapping paper appeared in the coffee table. "But fine."


    The first gift he opened was labeled as coming from Owen, and contained a collection of figurines only a couple of inches in height. Each one was made of plastic, though the colors on them had faded with time.


    "What the heck?" Cyrus muttered. "How did he find twenty of these? I''ve only managed four with years of searching."


    "What are those?" Lyda asked. "Another collection?"


    "They come from before the Great Collapse, before magic came to Earth," he told her. "I''m not actually sure what they were used for, though Kylnar says they went with some video games. Mother wasn''t kidding when she said she made them get me serious gifts. But there''s no way Owen managed this in a short time. How long did she have them working on this?"


    Setting that gift to the side, Cyrus opened up the gift from Max, which turned out to be a wand made of a dark brown wood with a slight green tinge to it.


    "A wand?" Lyda asked in confusion. "No one uses wands to channel their magic."


    "It''s an artifact," Cyrus said as he examined the wand without touching it. "If I''m not mistaken, this wand is part of a collection that was thought lost. I have two of the wands from it. They weren''t actually used for spells, just for showing off. But they belonged to a famous mage who''s since been forgotten, which is what makes them valuable."


    "Oh," she said. "Wow. Your brothers really did go serious, then."


    "Yeah," Cyrus opened up the gift from Luke.


    Inside of it was an entirely black, metallic sphere four inches in diameter. Lyda gave it a confused look, but Cyrus ignored that as he turned the gift over in his hands, running his fingers across it as he examined the object.


    "Luke got you a metal ball?" Lyda finally broke the silence.


    "Sort of," Cyrus answered. "It''s a training ball that was in use about two centuries ago. Freshly-awakened mages would use their elemental magic on it to create various effects. It required being in the Advanced Tiers for their affinities, but was a pretty nifty tool that helped teach magical control."


    He held his palm flat, the orb resting on it, then channeled air magic into the orb, causing it to float. Once it was hovering a few inches above his palm, Cyrus channeled fire magic into it. At first, the entire orb began to glow orange, then he changed the pattern of the flames, resulting in a pattern forming on the orb. When he canceled that spell, the orb returned to normal. Following that, he generated water and ran it over the orb, which then lost its solid form and began to shift, changing form where the water touched it.


    Cyrus canceled that spell, and the orb returned to its original state.


    "There are effects for the other elements as well," he said as the orb dropped back onto his palm. "But you get the idea. None of the orbs from back then survived, at least, as far as I thought. I was checking the orb with my magic to see how old it was. It looks like Luke forged and enchanted it. I''m guessing Kylnar taught him how to make them."


    "Those seem useful," Lyda said. "Why did they go out of use?"


    "If I remember what Kylnar said correctly," Cyrus set the orb back in the box it had come in. "It was invented by a small academy that spent too much money developing new items. As they were going bankrupt, they decided to make one last bid for money that would keep them afloat. The orbs had been developed shortly before that and hadn''t been sent to market yet.


    "During the creation of the item," Cyrus continued. "They accidentally blew up the academy. No one who knew about the orbs or what they could do survived, and most of the orbs were destroyed in the explosion. Of the few that were found, no one knew what they could do and just melted them down. Of course, they were put through a despeller first, just in case, but that was the end of the orbs."


    "Well," Lyda said. "It seems like your brothers put some effort into these. I''m guessing your mother got on them a couple of years ago, if the things they gifted you were rare as you said."


    "Probably," Cyrus nodded as he reached for the fourth gift. "This is from all four of them. That makes me nervous. Very, very nervous."


    He contemplated simply incinerating it all at once, but decided to open it. Inside were two bottles of wine, a stuffed bear, and a lot of rocks. Cyrus sighed as Lyda gave it a confused look.


    "They gave you a box of rocks?" She asked.


    "Those aren''t real rocks," Cyrus pulled one out and bit into it, then chewed as he showed her the inside of the rock. "Chocolate."


    His brothers couldn''t completely resist their pranks. Cyrus was pretty sure there were other ''tricks'' under the rocks, but didn''t want to bother finding out what they were. Instead, he closed the box, then sent all four gifts back to the warehouse.


    "The wine is just grape juice," Cyrus told Lyda. "And the stuffed bear¡­ that''s just them being them. Well, that was less disastrous than I expected."


    "I noticed," she smiled. "Do you regret opening those?"


    "No," he answered. "But I still hate my birthday. I''d much prefer to return to the routine we have now, thank you."


    "Okay," Lyda told him, then thought about something for a few moments. "I''m supposed to meet up with Jared for another painting today."


    Cyrus knew immediately his expression betrayed his opinion of that, as Lyda winced at it.


    "Don''t stop because of me," Cyrus told her. "You know this ends after you reach the floating island. You''re human, I''m not. I''m not going to put you through an even longer relationship."


    "I know," she told him. "But it''s clear you don''t want me to do this, and we are together, even if temporarily. I''m going to respect your desire on this. It''s not really acceptable in society to do some of the stuff I do while in a relationship."


    "Does that mean," Cyrus hesitated. "Does that mean you''ll stop whoring out for money? Because I''ve told you before I''ll pay for what you need. That''s part of our agreement during this trip."


    "I know," she told him. "I feel as if I''m taking advantage of your generosity with that, Cyrus. But yes, I''m going to stop. I''ll find another way to make money."


    "Like helping me make potions I''m selling?" Cyrus asked, and Lyda stared in realization. "I''ve tried telling you before that I''m putting aside the money made from the potions you make. Well, minus the cost of the resources and vials, since those come from my money. You do have some funds from that, you know. You kept interrupting me, though."


    "Right," Lyda said, face flushing. "Sorry, Cyrus. Anytime you started bringing up giving me money, you always worded it at the start in a way that made it sound like you were just giving me money. And as I said, I already feel as if I''m taking advantage of your generosity. Just accepting money from you feels wrong. I hadn''t thought about the fact that you were selling successful potions of mine."


    "I''ve thought about," Cyrus told her. "Just putting the money from it in your room. But then I thought you might not touch it because you kept telling me ''no''. So I decided against it."


    "Yeah," Lyda said. "I wouldn''t have used it. I''d have probably gotten upset with you."


    "I''m glad I didn''t, then," Cyrus told her as someone knocked on the door to the suite. "That''s Jared. Are you really going to tell him you won''t do the painting? It''s not like every nude model is single."

 019

    Rather than answer Cyrus''s question, Lyda got up and walked to the door, answering it.


    "Hello," she greeted Jared.


    "Good morning, Lyda," he greeted her, then looked at Cyrus. "Good morning, Cyrus."


    "Morning," Cyrus responded.


    "Hey," Lyda told Jared. "Sorry to spring this on you, but I''m going to have to cancel. Cyrus and I decided to try having a relationship, and while he says it''s okay for me to keep doing the nude modeling, I know he doesn''t like it."


    "Well," Jared responded. "While I''m a little disappointed to not be able to do more paintings of you, Lyda, I''m glad you''ve entered a relationship. Cyrus seems like a nice enough guy, so I wish you luck in it."


    "Thanks," she told him. "Anyway, sorry."


    "It''s alright," he said. "I was lucky to get to do the other two in the first place. Well, I''m going to head out, then. You enjoy yourself now, and congratulations."


    "Thanks," she said. "Have a good day."


    Jared left, and Lyda closed the door, then approached Cyrus.


    "Does that answer your question?"


    "Yes," he answered. "Are you sure about that?"


    "As I told Jared," she told him. "I''d rather respect your wishes, since we''re in a relationship. I didn''t mind doing nude modeling, but the sort I was doing is best left for if I''m single or if it''s by or for the person I''m with."


    "Okay," Cyrus said softly. "Sorry if I''m making you unhappy."


    "You aren''t," she sat beside him. "So. Is there anything you want to do today?"


    "The usual routine," he answered.


    "Fair enough!" She laughed.


    The two of them returned to their usual pattern, adding in a two-day trip to the Dungeon ten days after their last visit to it, making a total of three trip. They deviated from their pattern almost none, with Cyrus reading or using his tablet most of the time that he and Lyda were at the lodge and not skiing or mixing potions, and Lyda swimming in the pool, using the spa, or simply socializing in that time.


    After Lyda used the last potion from the third batch they mixed up, she trained as usual, feeling the difference in her magic from two months before. She possessed a stronger sense for her fire while using it, and had increased her level of power several times over.


    Though she was still weak, it wasn''t insignificantly weak, and her mana pool had increased enough for her to use magic for nearly ten minutes continuously without a potion increasing the cost, as long as she only tried small spells.


    "So," Lyda said as Cyrus sent the candles and tray back to his warehouse. "Are we making another trip to the Dungeon? Or are you going to contact the Blessed Ones so that I can undergo their trial? Am I at the¡­ whatever it is standard?"


    "You are," he told her as she began to stretch. "But there''s no need for me to contact them. They''ve had an earth elemental on the other side of the wall, watching your progress."


    Cyrus indicated the outside facing wall of the suite.


    "It let them know you were at the standard a couple of days ago," he informed her. "Though I had it make sure to tell them to wait until we used up the last potion today."


    "So they''re coming?" She asked.


    "They''re here," he said right before someone knocked on the door.


    "I''ll get that," Lyda told him.


    She walked over to the door and opened it, finding the pair of Blessed Ones standing on the other side.


    "Hello, Colin, Emily," she greeted them.


    "Hello, Lyda," Colin greeted her. "May we come in?"


    "Of course," she stepped to the side, allowing the Blessed Ones to enter. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."


    The three of them sat down, Lyda beside Cyrus, the Blessed Ones across from them. Cyrus himself continued using his tablet, having decided to arrange several meetings while Lyda was undergoing the Trial.


    "So," Colin said to Lyda. "You meet the standard necessary to undergo our trial. It will take you a week to perform. Do you feel ready to undergo it?"


    "Can I ask what it involves first?" She asked.


    "No," Emily answered. "A rule our father set is that we cannot tell others the contents of the trial before they are undergoing it. We''re bound by a geas to not. Cyrus isn''t, but he won''t tell out of respect for Rynovar."


    "I also won''t be there," Cyrus reminded her. "My presence might influence the result, so I''ll stay away while you''re undergoing it."


    There was also the reason he had told her before, about how he didn''t want to ask to come to their mansion only to find out they didn''t want him there, just like his brothers, but he wasn''t going to say that in front of them. Saying it out loud, he felt, would be rude and insulting to them, even if he outranked them by being a god.


    "How far away are you going to be?" Colin asked.


    "I''m arranging for them to come here," Cyrus answered. "So that if she fails it, I''ll be here to meet her when she returns early. That way, we can set her to training again so she can try again in another month, and hopefully pass then."


    "Huh," Emily said. "We expected you to go on a flight somewhere. It''s not like you to not travel far for more than two weeks, and it''s been two months."


    "We''ll be traveling again after Lyda finishes the trial," Cyrus said. "We''ll undergo plenty of traveling then."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Alright," Emily said, then looked at Lyda. "So, Lyda. Are you ready to undergo it? If so, pack some clothes, then come with us."


    Lyda nodded, then went to her shared room with Cyrus to pack, and the Blessed Ones looked at Cyrus.


    "We had to ask Rynovar," Colin said. "After your brothers'' presences disappeared. You made a truly frightening prison, Cyrus."


    "It''s serving as a punishment," Cyrus shrugged. "They deserved it, destroying a Dungeon like that. Mother is still trying to deal with the aftermath. While it was made public that a Dungeon was destroyed by some rogue gods, Rynovar and the Divine Enforcers have ensured the full extent of the damage hasn''t been leaked."


    Magic flooded the area surrounding it, warping space and mutating the plants and animals in the region. Even humans were affected, the flood of magic weakening most and killing the rest. Storms and tornadoes manifested regularly, the ground shifted and buckled randomly, and the elements manifested in the air or random objects without warning.


    Only a god could survive such an experience, and Cyrus planned on visiting there after Lyda finished the trial to help fix things if his mother hadn''t managed to get enough of it under control. She was doing a decent job, but her powers weren''t sufficient for manipulating things on the scale necessary.


    Cyrus was expecting a formal request from Rynovar asking him to intervene as the god of reality to come soon.


    "It''s still frightening," Emily told him. "But we can understand why your mother activated it. Have you spoken to your father since she did?"


    "No," Cyrus scoffed. "I haven''t had reason to. If he wanted to contact me about my brothers being in there, he''d have done so already. He doesn''t actually care about us, that''s why he harasses me."


    "Alright," Lyda came back out, interrupting the conversation, dressed for the day and wearing a pack on her back. "I''m ready to go."


    "Okay," Colin said as he and his sister stood. "Let us be off, then. And Cyrus, we''ve never held you responsible for the actions of your brothers. You might be their brother, but you aren''t them, and you aren''t responsible for their actions, even if you do try to shoulder that."


    "So yes, you''re allowed on our property," Emily told him. "Visit sometime, would you?"


    "Yeah," Cyrus told her. "I''ll visit sometime, I guess. After Lyda finishes her quest, when I have time."


    "Okay," Emily said. "Enjoy your day, Cyrus, and we''ll see you again soon."


    Cyrus nodded, then the Blessed Ones left with Lyda, leaving Cyrus alone. He returned to using his tablet, looking for sellers and buyers, until lunch. After lunch, he went downstairs for a session at the spa.


    As he was showering off, he felt a familiar presence enter the showers as well.


    "Mind undoing this?" Kylnar asked as he stepped under a shower, fox tail swishing from side to side.


    "I don''t feel comfortable touching you while you''re naked," Cyrus muttered.


    "It''s just my back," Kylnar said.


    "Let me guess, you rendered yourself invisible to the human mind to get in here?" Cyrus asked.


    "Just the wolf traits," Kylnar told him. "So, could you?"


    "Fine," Cyrus sighed. "Turn so your back is towards me."


    Kylnar obeyed, then Cyrus placed his hands on the older god''s back, making sure to keep at arm''s length as he did. He reverted Kylnar back to his original self, then pulled his hands away and resumed his shower.


    "What was Rynovar''s reaction to it?" Cyrus asked.


    "At first, he just stared at me," Kylnar answered. "Then, he charged me, tackled me to the ground, and started playing with my ears and tail, feeling them to see how soft and fluffy they were. He convinced Selar to join in."


    Cyrus snorted at the mental image of the godking and his wife sitting on Kylnar, playing with his tail and ears.


    "Then when he finished, he told me I had become adorable and he wanted to keep me in a cage forever," Kylnar added. "Before setting Ra on me."


    "Ra?" Cyrus asked. "He-okay. I''m guessing that''s the one formerly known as Neptune?"


    "Yeah," Kylnar nodded. "He changed its name to Ra a few months before you met Lyda and started this."


    Neptune, now Ra, was one of Cyrus''s earliest creations with aether. He had taken a wolf, a fox, and a mountain lion, pulled attributes and genetics from each, then merged them together, creating a new creature. One that was a mix of all three, but much stronger and possessing mana veins for all six elements, as well as possessing the intelligence of a human child.


    The young god had decided it wasn''t something he should let loose and was preparing to destroy it when Kylnar showed up, saying that Rynovar had wanted it for his collection of exotic animals. The godking changed its name to a random god of the ancient tales every eight or nine months, and no one was certain as to why.


    "Rynovar is a nut," Cyrus muttered.


    "He''s an interesting one," Kylnar said. "When we first met, he had just killed a dragon by incinerating its brain. Without opening a path into it. That elemental sensory spell he came up with is frightening to think about."


    "Yeah," Cyrus nodded. "At least it''s something beyond human ability. So. Did you only come down here to get that undone? Why come into the shower with me? Perving again?"


    "No," Kylnar said. "If I were perving, I''d do it anytime you were naked, not while you were in the shower. Actually, I come here regularly for a massage. Every couple of months, and I book well in advance. I''ve had this session booked for the last year. You just happened to chose to book a session at the same time as me."


    "Oh," Cyrus said.


    They finished their showers in silence, then moved on to the massage rooms, receiving their massages. Cyrus had decided to observe the previous masseuse''s advice and receive a massage every two or three months. She had a point back then, when she told him that he was stiff. Dealing with his brothers and stressing over their actions did cause him to tense often.


    Even without worrying about them over the past month, Cyrus still found himself craving another massage. While he didn''t like the contact that occurred during it, he did enjoy the relaxed feeling his body had after.


    After the massage, Cyrus went to the relaxing pools, while Kylnar went off somewhere else, coming to the pools after another hour. When their block ended, they returned to the showers and washed off, then dressed, Cyrus pulling on sweats and a hoodie before slipping his feet into sneakers.


    "Cyrus," Kylnar said, dressed in shorts, a sleeveless, and sandals. "I heard that you had a question for Rynovar."


    "Yeah," Cyrus answered. "I''ve had it for a long time. I wasn''t going to ask it, but since I''m helping Lyda with this, I figured I''ll ask when we go up to the island."


    "You could go now, you know," Kylnar told him. "Rynovar will answer the question. You''ve done enough for Earth, especially regarding your brothers, that he''d probably do anything for you."


    "I''ll wait," Cyrus shook his head. "The question can wait."


    Kylnar gave him a knowing look.


    "It''s about your father, isn''t it."


    "As if!" Cyrus scoffed, and Kylnar raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe."


    "I figured," Kylnar told him. "It''s the only thing I could think of that would make you delay asking Rynovar. You know you can just ask your father directly whatever it is you want to know, right?"


    "I doubt he''d give me a straight answer," Cyrus scoffed again. "My father likes his games."


    "Alright," Kylnar said. "Suit yourself, then. Anyway, I should be heading back. Rynovar wants to play chess again. He says that this is the time he''ll beat me."


    "Yeah!" Cyrus laughed. "And I''m a purple dinosaur!"


    Kylnar laughed, then walked out, and Cyrus returned up to the suite. He remained in the suite other than to go shopping or meet up with buyers or sellers for the next week, waiting for Lyda to return without incident.


    When an elemental told him that Lyda had passed the trial and would be returning with the Blessed Ones in a few hours, Cyrus found himself preparing a cake for her.


    "Why am I doing this?" He asked the earth elemental outside his room.


    "Because you want to celebrate with her," it responded. "Humans often celebrate achievements with sweets such as deserts. At least, that is my understanding of it. Because you care for her, you have decided to make her a cake to honor that tradition of theirs."


    "Okay," Cyrus wasn''t sure of that explanation, but decided that a celebratory cake wasn''t out of the question.


    He mixed up chocolate frosting for the cake, then applied it before using blue frosting to write "CONGRATULATIONS" on the cake. Having never done much with cakes before, Cyrus wasn''t sure what else to do with it. He knew that some cakes had candles put on them, though wasn''t sure if this kind of cake was among them. He contemplated putting strawberries on the cake, but before he could start slicing them, Lyda returned.

 020

    "What''s the cake for?" Lyda asked.


    "You," Cyrus answered, then gave her a puzzled look. "Do you put strawberries on cake?"


    "Well, you can," she told him. "But people generally don''t."


    "Oh, okay," he looked the strawberries, then at Lyda. "Do you want strawberries?"


    "Sure!" She laughed. "Based on what you put on the cake, I take it the cake''s for passing the trial?"


    "Yes."


    "The elemental told you?" She asked.


    "Yes."


    "You didn''t have to do this for me," she told him.


    "I know," Cyrus said. "I found myself doing it. I could''ve sworn I saw strawberries on cake."


    "Probably cheesecake," Lyda told him. "Though whether that''s a cake or a pie is up for debate."


    Cyrus thought it over for a few minutes, then nodded.


    "It was a cheesecake," he said. "Come on, let''s celebrate you passing. I have ice cream, too."


    "Thanks," she told him.


    They served up the cake and ice cream, then moved to the couch to eat. After they finished, Cyrus washed the dishes and Lyda took out the Blessed Token and examined it, showing it to Cyrus when he joined her a few minutes later. It was deep blue in color, with a triskelion raised in gold on both sides.


    "Why a triskelion?" She asked.


    "It represents Rynovar, Selar, and Kylnar," Cyrus answered. "The triskelion is one of the oldest known symbols, and its origins are unknown. At the time of the Great Collapse, the oldest known triskelion was older than the oldest known usage of it. Our godking decided that it would make a nice symbol, and decided to stick it on the Blessed Tokens."


    "Ah," Lyda said, turning the coin over in her hands a few times. "It''s strange, I can''t remember the trial. I mean, I have vague impressions of what went on, but it feels as if my mind was messed with."


    "It was," Cyrus informed her. "That''s done to protect the integrity of the trials. The more that''s known about it to others, the less difficult it becomes. It''s a spell woven into the token, too, so it''s unavoidable. The token is only handed to the person who earned it, and it''ll work even through gloves and such. The Blessed Ones also check to make sure there are no contingencies set to ensure knowledge of it is kept in some way."


    "That sounds¡­ like an extreme measure," Lyda told him. "But I suppose that if people knowing how it''s done makes it easier, it makes sense Rynovar would want that. I''m only missing the Mystery Token and the Forest Token now. One of those is a waiting game. For the Forest Token, are we heading to one of the forest ruins now?"


    "No," Cyrus answered. "The situation with the Dungeon my brothers destroyed needs a better touch than my mother can provide. Rynovar is probably going to send me an official request to step in sometime in the next few days, so I figured we should head down there and take care of it."


    "With some of what you told me," Lyda said. "Is it safe for me to be there?"


    "The effect on humans was only from the destruction itself," he nodded. "It won''t affect you anymore. I can handle any of the other effects as a result of it. I have a plane booked out there for a few hours from now. Sorry to spring it on you so soon after you return, but it''s something that needs taking care of."


    "It''s fine," Lyda smiled at him. "Even if you''re helping me with my quest, I can''t expect a god to stop everything just for it. It will be an opportunity to see your power at work, too. Outside of the Dungeon, I''ve only seen the one time, when you altered your makeup as part of an explanation of what you were a god of."


    "What I do likely won''t be all that impressive," Cyrus told her. "Most of it won''t be visible to you, as I''ll mostly be affecting the actual magic in the air."


    "Okay," she said. "I take it I need to pack up and prepare to leave, then?"


    "If you would," Cyrus nodded.


    Lyda packed up the rest of her stuff, then Cyrus sent it to the warehouse. They made their way downstairs and checked out, then took a cab to the airport. A few hours later, they were on their way to the Dungeon Cyrus''s brothers had destroyed, arriving at the nearest airport an hour before nightfall.


    "Come on," Cyrus led Lyda to a car parked in the airport''s parking lot.


    "A car was waiting for you?" She asked.


    "It''s one of mine," he explained as they entered the car. "Mother''s been borrowing it as she contains the situation and does other things."


    Lyda snorted, and Cyrus gave her a curious look.


    "Sorry," she said. "Just imagining a god driving around amuses me."


    "I''m a god who drives around."


    "I know," she told him. "It still amuses me, it just usually isn''t stated as bluntly as with your mother driving."


    "Oh," he said, then turned on the car and pulled out of the parking spot and began driving. "It''ll take us about twenty minutes to reach the zone. We''ll pass through a barrier that will make your skin tingle. It''s nothing harmful, it''s just a side-effect of creating a barrier to contain the area and prevent people from wandering in. Since you''re with me, another god, you''ll be able to enter. Anyone else, their senses would become muddled and they''d find themselves turned around."


    "Okay," Lyda said.


    Cyrus drove in silence, grimacing once they finally reached and passed through the barrier. Barriers weren''t his mother''s strong suit, and he didn''t like that it made him feel the tingle under his skin as well. He could tell it made Lyda uncomfortable by the way she wiggled in her seat, though she didn''t make a comment, so he said nothing.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    For the next hour, Cyrus carefully navigated the damaged road, sometimes exiting it just to continue driving. A few times, he swerved to avoid unexpected geysers of flame, lava, or steam, but other than that, nothing of note occurred on the drive.


    He parked the car in a broken parking lot, the asphalt uneven, cracked and raised or sunken in places, then stepped out of the car. Lyda joined him as they approached Cyrus''s mother, who stood at the edge of the former Dungeon.


    While it was still a hole in the ground, it was full of rubble, of broken stone and dirt, the edges of it no longer clean and straight down, but slanted and uneven, stretching an extra forty yards from the original edge, overtaking part of the parking lot as well.


    Cyrus''s mother opened her mouth to say something, only for the winds to pick up, whipping at the three of them. Cyrus grabbed Lyda to keep her from blowing away as he shifted the air around the three of them to shield them.


    "There''s a tornado forming," Sarah told her son, pointing in the direction it would form. "It''ll form over there, if the way the wind is moving is any indication."


    Cyrus nodded, then released Lyda and turned to face the direction the tornado would form in. He stretched out his senses, feeling the air and its violent patterns. Summoning his powers, he began soothing it, dissipating the air when necessary, stopping it where possible, and countering it in other places.


    The young god spent all of a single minute altering the wind, ending the tornado before it began, and when he finished, the air went still all around them.


    "That was fun," Cyrus looked at his mother. "I''ve never had the wind fight me like that. There''s so much raw magic in the air, too. You didn''t tell me about that. If I weren''t shielding Lyda, she''d have been crushed by it. Her magic isn''t powerful enough to protect her on its own."


    "Sorry," Sarah said. "I''m unused to mortal restrictions. I noticed the magic in the air, but didn''t think it was worth mentioning, since it doesn''t bother us and you''d deal with it once you arrived. Are you going to handle this now?"


    "Yes," Cyrus nodded. "Take over shielding Lyda and step back. I take it you already tried reversing the time on the Dungeon?"


    "It didn''t work," his mother confirmed.


    "Okay," Cyrus said. "Time to get to work, then."


    Lyda and Sarah moved to the car, sitting on its hood, and Cyrus closed his eyes, sending his clothes to the warehouse, leaving himself naked. If he didn''t, his outfit would burn away as he worked.


    Reaching inside himself, Cyrus accessed the part of him which commanded aether, the fabric and basis of reality. Rather than simply tapping it like he did when he altered himself and Kylnar, he grasped it, feeling the flow of aether within him as it began to surround him. Even without opening his eyes, he knew that a purple, green, and blue fog dotted with tiny stars had begun to swirl around him.


    Spreading his senses as far as they would go, Cyrus began his task. He pulled on the wild magics flowing through the air, centered around the destroyed Dungeon, and dominated them with the force of his will and magic.


    The young god reached into the ground and the sky, into everything around him, and pulled, calling all of the wild magics to him. The aether flowing around him grew denser, dancing over his skin, causing a cool tingle through his body.


    At the same time as he pulled on the magics in the air, Cyrus began flooding it back into the pit that was formerly a Dungeon. He pulled on the ground, restoring its borders and boundaries. Cyrus felt glad he had devoted time into studying Dungeons over the years, as it made his job easier.


    Rather than recreating the tunnels and pits, caverns and caves of the Dungeon, Cyrus simply created a new Dungeon in its place, soothing the wild magics back to the magics of a Dungeon, concentrated and powerful. It would take only minutes for the Dungeon to begin developing its own holes, creatures, plants, crystals, and other resources.


    As a result of Cyrus''s actions, the Dungeon was larger than its original state, stretching a little more than two hundred feet in diameter, and he knew it would be around two hundred feet in depth as well, when it had been only three-quarters of that originally.


    After finishing soothing the magics of the air, Cyrus began rewinding time on the objects in the area, restoring the roads, houses, businesses, parks, and other things. It wasn''t something he needed to do, but he felt obliged to do it for the humans who would eventually return to the area. Those who had survived were evacuated, but they still had property there, and he would feel bad if they lost everything they had just because his brothers got up to no good and destroyed a Dungeon.


    The only thing he couldn''t fully restore was a small section of the parking lot, because the Dungeon took up part of its space, but everything else affected by the Dungeon that wasn''t living, he restored to their state before his brothers destroyed it.


    When Cyrus finished, the aether around him began to dissipate, and the young god realized he had overtaxed his powers. While he might have been far more powerful than even a Blessed One could ever hope to be, he still had his limitations. Manipulating wild magics and rebuilding a Dungeon were not things just anyone could do, nor were they things Cyrus had ever done before.


    Feeling his body weaken, Cyrus did his best to remain standing, only for his mother and girlfriend to approach and grab him, each taking an arm and putting it across their shoulder to help him to the car. His mother opened the door to the back seat on the passenger side, and they helped him into the car, Cyrus laying on the seat, barely able to move.


    "There''s a duffel of clothes in the trunk," heard his mother tell Lyda as his vision swam. "Pull out a pair of sweats, so we can at least get that on him."


    "I don''t mind the view," Lyda said.


    "I do," his mother snorted as Cyrus heard a phone ringing. "That''s Rynovar, you get that while I take this call."


    "Yes, ma''am," Lyda said.


    Cyrus closed his eyes as he forced himself to remain awake and listen to his mother''s conversation, his godly hearing allowing him to hear both ends of it.


    "Hello," she said.


    "Hey," Rynovar said. "Cyrus did a good job there. Other than the corpses and the mutated living things and the Dungeon, everything is back to normal. Also, Kylnar''s now interested in how Cyrus made the Dungeon. We were watching, and it seems Kylnar can''t figure out how Cyrus did that. He''s theorizing it has to do with manipulating aether and wild magics, but he isn''t sure, and-"


    "Alright," Sarah interrupted him. "I''ll let him know you appreciate his help in the matter."


    "Thanks," Rynovar said. "Cyrus probably wasn''t expecting that to wipe him out, so I''ll let you know ¨C he didn''t book a room at a hotel. He was probably expecting you to let him stay in the suite you''re staying in for the night."


    "That''s not a problem," Sarah responded as Cyrus felt someone''s hands on his feet, slipping them into a pair of sweats. "Anything else?"


    "You can let the triplets out," Rynovar told her. "They''re going catatonic in there. It can wait until tomorrow, when Cyrus is more than, uh, well, what he is right now."


    Cyrus felt Lyda tugging his pants up, and did his best to lift his hips so she could pull them all the way up. She had to help him, and he briefly thought that if he were someone else, he''d probably feel embarrassed over needing to be helped like that. The thought disappeared just as fast, however, as Cyrus didn''t care about such things.


    "Will do," Sarah said. "See you, Rynovar."


    "See you," Rynovar responded, then the call ended.


    "Alright," Sarah said. "Get Cyrus''s feet in the car, then climb in. We''re heading to the hotel I was staying at. I''ll release my barrier before we go through it so that you don''t have to go through it. Rynovar will probably have the Divine Enforcers make an announcement tomorrow saying that the situation here has been taken care of."


    "Okay," Lyda said.


    Cyrus heard them entering the car, then heard it power on and felt it begin moving. He faded in and out of consciousness through the drive, which took less time than the drive from the airport as a result of him repairing the road and his mother not needing to avoid random bursts caused by magic.


    When they arrived at the hotel, Cyrus felt reacovered enough to walk, though he still leaned on Lyda for support. They made their way up to his mother''s suite, and she showed them to the second room. Without hesitation, Cyrus collapsed onto the bed, his legs still hanging over.


    "It''s so weird," Lyda told Cyrus as she helped him move all the way onto the bed. "Seeing you like this. Until now, you''ve always come across as being this unstoppable force that didn''t have a ''weakened'' state."


    "Don''t mistake this," Cyrus took a few tries to roll over, then used air magic to simply flip himself over. "For me being weak. I could kill anyone with but a thought, if I wanted. My body just feels drained. I''ve never channeled that much aether through me at once before. A good rest, and I''ll be just like new."


    "Well," Lyda climbed onto the bed, stepping out of her shoes as he did. "Is there anything you want me to do while you''re like this?"

 021

    "Something I want you to do?" Cyrus asked.


    "Yeah," Lyda placed a hand on his stomach and gently traced his abs. "Anything?"


    "Snuggle me," he answered, and Lyda laughed. "Did I answer wrong?"


    "No," she answered. "That''s just a ''you'' answer. Let me get the light."


    Lyda turned off the light, then joined Cyrus on the bed, and he wrapped an arm around her before falling asleep. Cyrus slept through the rest of the day, the night, and most of the next morning, waking to find himself alone in the bed. Sitting up, he stretched, feeling like new. He changed into a fresh pair of sweats, pulled on a hoodie, then met with Lyda and his mother in the main room of the suite.


    "Good morning," he greeted them.


    "Good morning," they responded.


    "Feeling better?" Lyda asked.


    "Much," he answered. "I feel more powerful, too. I suppose that''s what happens when I channel that much raw aether through myself."


    "Let''s head back to the shop," his mother told him. "It''s time to release your brothers."


    "Okay," Cyrus nodded, before remembering the phone call between his mother and Rynovar.


    The godking had some way of viewing into the time prison, which shouldn''t have been possible. Rynovar told Cyrus''s mother that the triplets were going catatonic, which he couldn''t have known, yet had said with certainty.


    He needed to patch up whatever exploit Rynovar was using to check inside. Knowing Kylnar, it was probably him who had found it, and Cyrus made a mental note to ask him what it was the next time they saw each other.


    "Come here," Cyrus''s mother pulled him over. "We''re taking a pathway."


    "Please, no," Cyrus muttered.


    "I''d rather not leave them any longer, if they''re going catatonic," his mother told him, grabbing his arm and Lyda''s and pulling them against her. "Hold your breath."


    "We have to for the pathways?" Lyda asked. "There''s one here?"


    "No," Cyrus answered. "We''re about to teleport. Hold your breath."


    Cyrus inhaled, then held his breath, and Lyda did the same. A few moments later, they were standing twenty yards from the rebuilt Dungeon.


    "Exhale, then inhale again," Sarah said. "Take as much of a breath as possible, then exhale it all at once, as much as you can. Then hold."


    Lyda obeyed, wondering why the pair of gods didn''t seem to. Before she could think on it too much, however, Sarah pulled the three of them into a pathway, their bodies feeling as if they were being pressed through a tight space. The sensation lasted only a few seconds before it ended, the three of them in the kitchen at the back of Cyrus''s shop.


    "They''re most likely up in their room," Cyrus led the way upstairs and the to the triplets'' room.


    A king-sized bed sat against the back wall, the walls themselves covered in shelves filled with books, stuffed animals, and gadgets. The bed was neatly made with dark green covers, the head of it covered in pillows wrapped in dark green pillow cases.


    "I take it you sealed up the shop, too?" Cyrus asked. "How did their latest girlfriend react?"


    "When she found herself unable to enter," his mother responded. "She decided it was ''just one of their things''. When they wouldn''t respond, she decided to give up. If they approached her, she''d probably return to them."


    "Right," Cyrus nodded, then looked at Lyda. "They''ll probably try to get you in bed again after getting out, especially as they know we''re a couple. The only reason they didn''t come to the lodge and bother us after we started dating is because they were warned not to interfere in your training. It''s also possible we''ll be gone before they recover enough to try, though that just means they might track us down later."


    "I''ll handle them," she told him.


    Cyrus nodded, then looked at his mother.


    "Ready?" He asked.


    "Yes," she reached under her shirt and pulled out an amulet forged with silver, platinum, and a metal Cyrus could only find in the deepest section of a single Dungeon, the amulet set with emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts, along with a variety of magic crystals. "Here we go."


    The triplets appeared on their bed, each one sitting in a different spot on it, knees pulled up to their chests, eyes staring forward, vacant. Each one was wearing a pair of black shorts and a dark green t-shirt, showing that their bodies were thinner than they were last time Cyrus had seen them. He knew that their time in the time prison affected them heavily, if they had stopped taking care of themselves.


    Sarah pulled off the amulet and handed it to Cyrus, then the amulet vanished, returned to its storage box.


    Cyrus stepped up to one of them and waved his hand in front of his face, then looked at their mother.


    "They really did go catatonic," Cyrus said. "Maybe you did leave them in there too long?"


    "They''ll recover," she said. "Come on, let''s get you something to eat. You must be starved after repairing the damage, then sleeping for almost a day."


    "I am," Cyrus nodded, his stomach rumbling in agreement.


    Cyrus, his mother, and Lyda returned to the main room of the apartment, and his mother told him to take a seat while she prepared lunch. Cyrus sat on the couch while Lyda began looking at their recospheres to pick out a movie and Sarah entered the kitchen.


    "Sarah?" Lyda hesitantly spoke after a couple of minutes.


    "Yes?" Sarah asked.


    "I know Cyrus and the triplets cook," Lyda said. "Because they live among mortals by themselves, but you cook, too? You don''t have, like, a host of servants?"


    "I have a host of servants," Sarah told her. "But over the centuries, I''ve learned how to cook, and only a god can really please a god''s taste with their cooking. That''s why my boys never bothered getting servants ¨C they prefer their own cooking to a human''s."


    "Even though Cyrus eats fast food?" Lyda asked.


    "It doesn''t mean I like it," Cyrus told her. "Though I''m less inclined to dislike mortal cooking than most gods. I''m the exception, though, not the rule. It likely has to do with my domain."


    "Reality?" She asked.


    "And fantasy," he added.


    "Ah," she said, then picked out a movie and put it in before joining him on the couch. "Will your brothers be okay? They seemed¡­ really out of it."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes, they''ll be fine," Cyrus stretched out his empathy and senses to include his brothers in his range. "They''re already beginning to come out of that state, having begun to process there were others there. I''m sure they''ll come out here as soon as they start smelling Mother''s cooking."


    "Okay," Lyda snuggled against him. "This is okay, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay," she leaned her head on his shoulder. "What are we doing after this?"


    "Resting for the rest of the day," he answered. "Then heading back to Madam Mara''s Restaurant."


    "Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant," Lyda corrected. "Why there?"


    "The forest outside your city," he said. "Contains one of Rynovar''s Ruins. I thought you might want to see your friends there again before we went into it."


    "There''s one outside the city?" She asked in shock. "I''ve never heard of that. Wait, isn''t there one in the forest a couple of hours from here?"


    "Yes," he answered. "And the one outside of your hometown isn''t well-known."


    "Oh," she said, then went silent for a few minutes.


    Cyrus could tell she was thinking about something, but decided to leave her to it as he turned his attention to the movie she had picked out. It was an adventure movie about a group of college wizards and witches, converted from the ancient format to a recosphere. He was glad it wasn''t a sappy romance movie, as he wasn''t in the mood for those.


    "Lyda," Cyrus said when they were twenty minutes into the movie. "Sit up."


    "Why?" She asked as she sat up.


    "So I can get up," Cyrus stood and walked into the center of the room, looking at his mother. "You''re making enough for them, right?"


    "I am," she answered.


    "Good," he nodded, then turned and faced his brothers'' room.


    A second later, the door opened and the triplets rushed out of their room, charging to Cyrus and wrapping their arms around him in a hug. All three of the young gods were sobbing into their brother, apologizing for causing him trouble and begging to never be put back in there again.


    Cyrus let them without saying a word, simply rubbing their backs to reassure them. More than a month of reality''s time in the time prison would have worn on nearly anyone''s nerves, and he knew his brothers were likely to be traumatized over it for a long while.


    Once they started to calm down, the triplets released Cyrus, their eyes red and puffy. They sniffled in unison, then walked over to their mother, quietly offering to set to the table.


    "Go ahead," she told them. "I hope you learned your lesson."


    "We did," the triplets answered together.


    "How did you even destroy a Dungeon?" Cyrus asked. "Rynovar and Kylnar said they didn''t know, and Kylnar said that he didn''t even know it was possible, which makes it damn curious how you did it."


    "Um," all three looked hesitant, then busied themselves with setting the table.


    "Guys," Cyrus said as soon as they finished. "How did you destroy a Dungeon?"


    "We don''t want to say with a mortal around," the three decided to say, and Cyrus raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s not that mortals could do it," Owen said.


    "It''s just that it would frighten them," Max said.


    "Much more than knowing that Dungeons can be destroyed," Luke said.


    Cyrus sighed, then placed a hand on each brother''s head in turn, extracting the information out of them. They allowed him without hesitation, something Cyrus knew only happened because of their imprisonment. Normally, the three would try to give him annoying memories or memories of a night with one of their lovers.


    Groaning, Cyrus wanted to shove his brothers back into the time prison after finding out how they destroyed a Dungeon, but knew they felt guilty. Their session in the time prison had given them plenty of time to think on their actions, and it made them realize just how much of a problem they caused for their older brother, their mother, and for mortals.


    Returning to the couch, Cyrus turned his attention back to the movie as his brothers assisted their mother with preparing lunch. It was more of a small feast, but Cyrus knew it was necessary. He and his brothers would all eat a lot.


    When Sarah finished cooking lunch, Cyrus and Lyda joined the others at the table, and they dug in. The triplets began talking about the start of their time in the time prison, their voices subdued, lacking the enthusiasm they normally held.


    At first, the triplets didn''t think much of it, just assuming it was some sort of prank Cyrus decided to play on them because they could detect his touch in the magic. Then the day repeated itself a few more times past what they knew Cyrus would have done as a prank. A few more times past that, they began attempting to unweave the spell, only to find their powers over time ineffective.


    As time passed in the time prison, they began to worry they would never escape, and while they could entertain themselves without others around, that only lasted a few weeks before they found themselves going crazy. They weren''t certain, but they believed they had entered the catatonic state a week before release.


    "It was awful," Owen said.


    "I never want to go through that again," Max said.


    "We''re really, really sorry," Luke said.


    "Wait," Lyda said. "The time prison looped the day over and over for a little more than a month?"


    "No," Cyrus said. "It created a day that it looped over and over, but time in the time prison is ten times the speed of time outside of it. They spent more than a year in there. I could only do something like that because it was a reality marble, not an isolated pocket of time."


    "So they''re older than you, now?" Lyda asked.


    "No," the triplets answered.


    "We''re still younger than Cyrus," Owen said.


    "We played over the same day," Max said.


    "Until the prison ended," Luke said.


    "Then we were released into today," all three said.


    "Though we did," Owen say.


    "On occasion," Max said.


    "Live another day," Luke said.


    Lyda gave Cyrus a confused look.


    "It¡­ it''s complicated," he told her. "They ''lived'' for only one month in there, even though they were in it for about a year. Or rather, they only actually aged, even mentally, a single day. Only their powers of time allowed them to even be aware they were living days beyond what they lived, and that''s part of why they started to go insane, then catatonic."


    "Okay," she said. "I think I''m going to just¡­ not think about this anymore."


    "That''s for the best," Owen told her.


    "We''d rather forget it, too," Max told her.


    "It was a terrible experience," Luke told her.


    "We don''t ever want to go through it again," all three said.


    "That part of them hasn''t changed," Cyrus muttered.


    "That part probably never will," his mother said with a slight smile.


    They finished their lunch without another word, then Cyrus and Lyda cleared the table, washed and dried the dishes, and put them away. The rest of the day was spent with Cyrus watching the shop, Lyda helping him, and the triplets out in town, enjoying being around people again.


    "I''m going to go say goodbye to the triplets," Sarah told Cyrus after a few hours. "Then I''m returning home. Anything you want me to tell your father?"


    "Yeah," Cyrus growled. "You tell him that I''m going to beat the living crap out of him the next time I see him! He stole the cash from the register and left a note in it saying ''should''ve kept a better eye on it'' in it''s place!"


    "I''ll make him return it," she told him. "Goodbye, Cyrus."


    "Bye, Mother," he gave her a hug, then she returned to the back as he looked at Lyda. "I hate my father. I really, really hate him, and wish he would just screw off to another world."


    Lyda just snorted, then they returned to watching the shop until close. Cyrus led Lyda upstairs and made enough dinner for them and triplets, and as he expected, his brothers arrived just as it finished. Everyone ate in silence, then the triplets washed the dishes as Cyrus and Lyda watched a movie together.


    After the movie, the triplets went to bed, alone, and Lyda took a shower before going to Cyrus''s room to sleep, Cyrus himself not feeling tired.


    Once he sensed that everyone was asleep, Cyrus made his way into his brothers'' room. It was the first time they had been to bed without a lover in it with them in quite awhile, excluding their period in the time prison, and Cyrus was amused to see much hadn''t changed from before they were old enough for sex.


    The three slept separately, with large stuffed bears in pajamas separating them on their king-sized bed. Each of the triplets was stark-naked as well, though their blanket covered them and the bears. Cyrus walked around to the side of the bed with Owen on it. With a small bit of force magic, he pulled the blanket down to their waists, keeping their lower halves covered while exposing their chests.


    Placing a hand on Owen''s chest, Cyrus closed his eyes and felt for his brother''s mana veins. After their imprisonment, he doubted they would abuse their powers to annoy him again for a long while.


    Manipulating his brother''s veins for high magics, Cyrus restored Owen''s ability to use soul magic back to the level he should have been able to. He repeated this for his other brothers, floating in the air to fix Max''s veins, then landing on the other side of the bed to mend Luke''s.


    Finished, Cyrus pulled the comforter back up over his brothers and the stuffed bears, then gave his brothers a regretful look.


    "Sorry," he whispered. "I had hoped we never needed to use it. I would have done something different, but Rynovar told Mother to do that."


    He knew they would forgive him, but he still felt guilty over it. At the very least, repairing their ability to use soul magics made him feel better, as if he had made it up to them a little bit.


    Cyrus returned to the main room and sat on the couch, watching movies until morning, then he began preparing breakfast. Lyda and his brothers came out as the smell filled the apartment, then they ate in relative silence.


    "So," Cyrus looked at Lyda once they finished breakfast. "Are you ready to head out?"

 022

    "I am," Lyda answered. "We''re going back to Madam Mara''s?"


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "I already have the flight booked."


    "Okay," she says. "Let''s head out, then."


    "Goodbye," the triplets told them.


    "Goodbye," Lyda told the triplets.


    "Make sure to wash the dishes," Cyrus said. "And open the shop back up, and don''t forget to finish converting those discs into recospheres, and to finish Kylnar''s order, okay?"


    "Got it," the triplets responded. "Goodbye, Cyrus."


    "Goodbye," he said. "Come on, Lyda."


    Cyrus led Lyda outside and to his car, then drove them to the airport. They checked in and waited for their flight.


    "You seem surprised by something," Cyrus said as they took their seats on the plane.


    "Well," Lyda said. "You booked two seats, beside each other, and one is for me. Wouldn''t you rather sit alone?"


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "But if we are dating, even if only temporarily, then I will let you sit by me. I can handle it if you bump me or brush me."


    "Okay," she chuckled.


    Cyrus pulled out his tablet and used it for the duration of the flight, putting it away only once the plane landed and it was time to exit. They took a car down to the restaurant after leaving the airport, and Lyda approached the bar, where Sabbie was filling a beer for a customer.


    "Welcome back, Lyda," Sabbie greeted her as Lyda took a seat. Cyrus sat beside her and grabbed a menu "Still with this handsome man?"


    "For now," Lyda answered. "Actually, I still have two tokens left to earn, the Forest Token and the Mystery Token."


    "Can I see them?" Sabbie asked, and Lyda gave Cyrus a curious look.


    "It''s up to you," Cyrus told her. "I''m just holding on to them."


    "Sure," Lyda looked at Sabbie. "If Cyrus will get them out."


    Cyrus set the four tokens on the bar without looking away from the menu, and Sabbie looked over them.


    "Silver Oracle and Blessed Ones," Sabbie murmured. "I find it hard to believe you did both."


    "Whether you believe it or not doesn''t matter," Cyrus said. "She has four of the tokens and is just missing three, then she''ll be good to go."


    "Three?" Lyda asked. "Aren''t there six?"


    "What?" Cyrus screwed up his face in confusion. "Oh, right. Mystery Token and Forest Token. You have the other four."


    Lyda gave him a sideways look, but turned her attention back to Sabbie after only a moment.


    "There''s apparently," she told her friend. "A Forest Ruin outside of the city. Cyrus says we''ll head there tomorrow. I''m kind of excited at the thought, to be honest. What''s a Forest Ruin like? I didn''t do much research on those, since the cost for going into one is pretty high."


    "The local one is kind of quiet," Cyrus said. "A few monsters, a few traps, but nothing really noteworthy. Has a few good places to nap in, and-what''s that look for?"


    "Has a few good places to nap in?" Lyda raised an eyebrow. "Have you gone into it and taken naps a few times?"


    "My brothers don''t like Ruins," Cyrus stated.


    "So you sought them out as hiding places!" She laughed.


    "His brothers?" Sabbie asked. "The supposed god has brothers?"


    "Yes," Lyda answered. "They-"


    "Are here," Cyrus muttered.


    A moment later, the triplet gods of time walked through the front door, grins on their faces as they approached Cyrus and Lyda. Owen sat to Cyrus''s left, Luke on Lyda''s right, and Max stood behind them, leaning against them with an arm around each one.


    "We found out," Owen said.


    "That the two of you," Max said.


    "Decided to be together during this trip," Luke said.


    "And if you suggest a fivesome," Cyrus said as all three went to speak. "I will make sure you three don''t get laid for another year."


    "Awww," the triplets said in unison. "But it might be fun."


    Cyrus met the gazes of each one of them, and when he did, their grins faltered a little.


    "You know," Max looked at Lyda. "We have a higher sex drive than our brother, and a fair bit more experience. You''ve seen what we can do, want to experience it again?"


    "I would, very much," Lyda said. "But you know, your brother has his own charm, and I know you''re only doing this to annoy him. So if you''d like to ever be able to have children, I''d suggest you don''t push it."


    "Maybe once the trip is over?" Owen raised an eyebrow.


    "Since you two only agreed to be together until then?" Max asked.


    "We can give you another good time," Luke said.


    "How about it?" They asked in unison.


    "How about," Cyrus elbowed Max in the stomach, causing his brother to release them and stumble back. "You three find some other target? Lyda said ''no''. If you want to sleep with her again, ask her if she''s single, not for an ''after you get single again''."


    "But-" the triplets began to ask.


    "We''re in a restaurant that has men and women who you can pay to have sex with," Cyrus said. "Go find one of them to harass. The other option is I undo the spell I put on the three of you to prevent you from having children. Then you can find yourselves explaining to Rynovar why there are suddenly a lot more Blessed Ones being born."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The triplets backed off, and Cyrus let out an aggravated sigh, before looking up from the menu and meeting Sabbie''s gaze.


    "Can I get two cheeseburgers with lettuce, onion, ketchup, and pickle," he handed her a couple of notes. "Both with fries for their sides. An order of chicken tenders with fries, two orders of mozzarella sticks, and an order of nachos with meat and cheese, no other toppings? And a beer."


    "Sure," she said with a smile. "Your brothers are just as hot as you, you know."


    "They know it, too," he muttered, pulling out his tablet and beginning to use it.


    "Cyrus," Lyda suddenly sounded panicked as she began looking around. "The Silver Token is missing."


    "Luke grabbed it," Cyrus told her. "I used a bit of magic to swipe it back, and it''s back in the warehouse. He''ll probably realize it soon, but he won''t go after it again."


    Cyrus waved a hand over the tokens, sending them back to the warehouse, then he accepted the beer from Sabbie and drained it.


    "Another, please," he handed her a few notes.


    Sabbie filled him another glass, then took Lyda''s order before sending it to the kitchen and talking with her coworker. Cyrus, meanwhile, used his tablet, arranging for the sale of a lawn ornament he''d had in storage for six months, though the buyer wouldn''t be available to pick it up for another three.


    After they ate their late lunch, Lyda told Cyrus she was heading to her apartment to pack a few more things, and asked for her pack.


    "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked as he handed her the bag he''d kept in his warehouse for her.


    "No," she told him. "I''m just doing some laundry and packing some fresh clothes. Maybe picking up a few other things, too."


    "Okay," he said. "Want me to keep an eye on you in case something happens?"


    "Can you do that from here?" She asked.


    "I can do it from anywhere on Earth," he told her, and she raised an eyebrow as he sensed her confusion and curiosity. "You think about me, you somewhat worship me, and you acknowledge my existence as a god. As a result, I can sense you and watch you at any time. It''s why Rynovar is able to keep watch over the entire world at once from his floating island. He doesn''t need it to look at things, he just wanted an island floating in the sky, so had Kylnar make it. No, Rynovar simply looks at anyone and everyone, though he also filters out certain things and people to watch at all times. My brothers and I are among those."


    "That''s interesting," Lyda said. "And I really should have expected you to be able to do something like that."


    "It''s not something many people think about," Cyrus shrugged. "Want me to?"


    "Sure," she said. "Back in a few hours."


    Lyda left, and Cyrus returned to using his laptop, feeling Sabbie''s gaze on him and her confusion and mild annoyance with his empathy.


    "Staring won''t answer any questions or let you vent," he said after several minutes.


    "You do know she wants some time alone, right?" Sabbie asked. "And you always playing on that thing doesn''t help."


    "What else am I to do?" Cyrus asked. "I''m always using this, and was before we met. She''s never said anything before, and she doesn''t have an issue with me conducting business."


    "Right, because you''re supposedly a god."


    "It''s because she accepts me doing this as a part of who I am," Cyrus stated. "I''ve already proven to her that I''m a god, and-"


    Cyrus rubbed his temples as he let out a long breath.


    "Welcome to the event of a lifetime," he muttered. "Four gods walk into a bar, then a phoenix shows up."


    As the bartender opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, there was a flash of flames beside him, receding to revealing on the stool to his left a falcon-like bird with red, orange, and yellow feathers, its golden eyes looking at Cyrus with interest.


    Without a word, the young god pulled chocolate from his warehouse, unwrapped it, and set it on the bar. The phoenix jumped up onto the bar, then picked up the chocolate with one claw and lifted it up as it bent its head down, taking a bite with its beak. It chomped the chocolate for a few seconds, breaking it up, then swallowed before nodding.


    "That''s some good stuff," the phoenix told Cyrus. "By the way, are your brothers really upstairs-"


    "Yes," Cyrus said. "It isn''t like you to visit Earth. What are you doing here?"


    "I came to say ''hello'' to Rynovar," the phoenix responded. "We''re old buddies."


    "You''ve never met him," Cyrus shook his head. "Only his wife, Selar, and their friend, Kylnar."


    "Your friend, too," the phoenix said. "How many times does he visit you? Wasn''t the most recent time in the shower?"


    "He wasn''t visiting me," Cyrus''s face flushed as he felt Sabbie''s amazed and confused gaze turning to him. "He just happened to have reserved a spot at the same spa at the same time as me. A year before I reserved a block. That was merely coincidence, and had surprised him, considering he knows I can''t stand being touched."


    "Sure, sure," the phoenix took another bite of the chocolate. "This really is good stuff, Cyrus. Can''t find someone who makes it better than you."


    "You''ve never had my-" Cyrus cut. "You''re the thief!"


    "Erm, maybe," the phoenix said. "But in my defense, it was just sitting there, untouched, and I didn''t want it to go to waste!"


    "Kylnar told me to keep some on-hand in case you ever visited," Cyrus said. "I didn''t realize you were sneaking in and stealing my stores for you! That''s all your getting!"


    "Is this really a phoenix?" Sabbie asked.


    "I am," the phoenix puffed out his chest, looking at Sabbie. "Ancient phoenix whose life transcends this universe. Rynovar and I are old friends."


    "You''ve never met him," Cyrus rolled his eyes, putting his tablet away. "We just went over that. What are you doing here?"


    "Visiting an old friend," the phoenix flapped a wing dismissively, then took another bite of the chocolate. "This really is some good stuff, Cyrus. I can see why Kylnar wanted you to have some of it. And I''ve known Rynovar in more than just this life of his."


    "Reincarnation doesn''t exist," Cyrus said.


    "So you say," the phoenix said. "So you say. This really is some good chocolate, what''s your secret recipe?"


    "Phoenix blood," Cyrus answered.


    The phoenix paused for a moment, then examined the piece of chocolate, as if it might actually contain phoenix blood as an ingredient.


    "You know," the phoenix gave him an amused look. "In all the time I''ve known Rynovar, he''s pulled that same stunt a few times. One time, he even convinced me he put my blood in the chocolate! Turned out, he''d actually used it for an enchantment."


    "Considering you''ve never met Rynovar," Cyrus told the phoenix. "You have some of the weirdest dreams."


    "Perhaps," the phoenix said. "Anyway, I''ll be off. Old friends need visiting before I go and help another phoenix-erm, no. Won''t say it, not to you. I''ll be taking the rest of this with me as well."


    The phoenix waved the chocolate in its claw.


    "Farewell, Cyrus," the phoenix said, then disappeared in a burst of flames, leaving behind no trace of its arrival.


    Cyrus looked at Sabbie, who was staring at the spot where the phoenix had been in a mixture of confusion and awe.


    "Aren''t phoenixes supposed to be myths?" She asked, slowly turning to look at Cyrus. "Was that some sort of illusion of light and sound you did?"


    "No," he answered. "Sadly, we just got visited by a delusional phoenix, and it''s the first time a phoenix has been on Earth in more than ten thousand years, if you don''t include the times he''s apparently stolen my chocolate stores. Why he decided to come visit me, I''ll probably never know."


    "Phoenixes see a lot more than you would expect," a voice said, and Cyrus turned to find Kylnar walking into the restaurant. "Even one as young as that one, the youngest of them all. Why he visited you directly rather than just stealing your chocolate, I don''t know. But considering he''s a phoenix, we may never know."


    "Hello, Kylnar," Cyrus looked at the older god. "What brings you here?"


    "He likes to peck at my hair," Kylnar answered as he took the seat to Cyrus''s left. "So I thought I''d come bother you instead of dealing with that."


    "Thanks," Cyrus muttered.


    "You really shouldn''t," Sabbie told Kylnar. "Pretend to be one of the three gods of this world. What if the real Kylnar strikes you down?"


    "Oh, I''m perfectly okay with myself calling me that," Kylnar smiled at her, holding up a hand and producing a long dagger. "As for proof? Well, we can always do this."


    As Sabbie stared at the weapon, Kylnar pulled off his shirt, revealing his slender, lean torso. Then, he raised the knife and plunged it straight into his heart.


    "As you can see," Kylnar said as he pulled the dagger out of his chest, the blade coated in sticky, shiny, bright red blood. "I can take a lethal wound like it''s nothing. In fact, you''ll notice I''m already healing."


    As Sabbie and several other guests of the restaurant watched, the injury mended, healing over in moments and leaving just the blood on his chest. The dagger disappeared in an eruptions of flames, then Kylnar gestured at his chest, the blood burning away as well.


    "Perfectly clean, perfectly smooth," he told her. "And since you can sense water pretty well, Sabrina, I know you sensed the blood was quite real. Who but a god could naturally heal that quickly and survive such a fatal injury?"

 023

    "Kylnar," Cyrus spoke after several seconds of silence in the restaurant. "Most mortals can''t handle the sight of blood, and nor do they, uh, like it when people stab themselves in the chest."


    "Right," Kylnar said. "I''m used to Rynovar, who once went through a phase where he''d rip off my head just to watch it regrow."


    "It''s Rynovar," Cyrus told him. "He''s not exact the standard for mortals, or even for gods."


    "It can be hard to adjust to mortals," Kylnar shrugged. "Sure, there are a few of them up on the island, but not many, and they all adjust rather fast to Rynovar''s eccentricities. Kind of have to if they want to stay sane."


    "You-you stabbed yourself in the chest," Sabbie finally spoke. "And there was blood. Actual blood, not an illusion, not water faked into blood. Actual blood. And you just continued on as if nothing was wrong or weird about it."


    "Well," Cyrus said. "He is a god. Our healing magics natural mend us from various injuries the moment we receive them. The more powerful our healing magic is, the faster it happens, not even needing to trigger the fail-safe eventually."


    "Fail-safe?" She asked. "Are you-are you really a god?"


    "Yes," Cyrus answered. "As I stated multiple times, I am a god. I''m not on the level of Kylnar, Selar, or Rynovar, though. I''m simply a god who lives among mortals, doing my best to imitate mortal life in the best way I can, being a god."


    "You are welcome on the island, you know," Kylnar told him.


    "I''ll move onto the island after I beat the daylights out of my father," Cyrus said. "Then the nightlights, too."


    "I don''t even want to know," Kylnar muttered, then smiled at Sabbie. "Yes, Sabrina, I am the Kylnar, right-hand god of Rynovar, godking of Earth."


    "And¡­ you''re¡­ in¡­ this¡­ restaurant," Sabbie''s breathing became short and quick, her skin beginning to pale.


    "No," Cyrus snapped, ending the hyperventilation before it could progress too far. "Even Kylnar goes to mortal things from time to time."


    "A phoenix, four lesser gods, and Lord Kylnar himself," Lyda said in a mixture of awe and disbelief, more patrons staring than before. "If this isn''t a dream or some elaborate prank, I don''t-I don''t know what I''d do."


    "Pass out, probably," Cyrus told her, then turned his attention to the woman approaching from the right. "Hello, Madam Mara."


    "Hello, Cyrus," she smiled. "I do believe I saw three young men who looked remarkably like you a few minutes ago."


    "My brothers," Cyrus told her.


    "I pity the poor woman who went with them," she told him, then settled her gaze on Kylnar. "You look remarkably like the images I''ve seen of Lord Kylnar, but I know you can''t be him, considering the nature of this place."


    "Even a god has needs," Kylnar smiled. "And mine was to visit a friend while escaping the presence of a phoenix who went to harass us."


    "Harass?" Cyrus asked him. "He said he was visiting an old friend."


    "Sure, he says that," Kylnar rolled his eyes. "But you can bet your all that he''s just annoying Rynovar to amuse himself. When Selar and I met him the time before we came here to Earth, he decided to raid our supplies for any chocolate we had, burn up all of the bread we had, and then just play around with our fire until we finally shooed him away."


    "He sounds fun," Cyrus said, then looked at Madam Mara. "Yes."


    "I didn''t even ask," she said.


    "The question was clear in your mind," he told her. "She''s at her apartment right now, taking a shower while her clothes are washing. She''s also doing something I think she''s only doing because she knows I''m keeping attention on her."


    While he said he thought that, he knew she was doing it because she knew he was keeping an eye on her while she was gone. He wasn''t sure why she would, though, but chalked it up to mortal desires and habits he would likely never understand.


    "I see," Madam Mara said, then gave Kylnar a slight bow. "Thank you for gracing my establishment, Lord Kylnar. It is not something I would have ever expected to occur."


    "As I said," Kylnar smiled. "I''m just escaping an irritant, and Cyrus is a good friend of mine. And he''s not a lesser god, Sabrina."


    Kylnar looked at her.


    "Cyrus is," Kylnar said. "The second-most powerful god in the universe right now. Period. There have been more powerful before him, and there might be more powerful to come, but right now, he''s the second-most powerful god in the universe. Only Rynovar stands above him in power. If Cyrus so wished, he could erase all life from Earth just by flexing his powers."


    "I''m a minor god," Cyrus muttered. "Just a minor god who lives among the mortals, dealing with his brothers while doing his best to keep them in line and clean up any messes they do make. That''s all, and nothing more. At all. Ever. Period. I''m just a lesser god, and put your shirt back on."


    "I like being shirtless," Kylnar said.


    "The restaurant has a policy not to serve people without shirts or shoes," Cyrus said. "Since you''re in the restaurant portion, you should follow that, not use your status as a god to ignore it."


    "There''s a policy like that?" Kylnar asked.


    "There''s a sign on the door."


    "Oh," Kylnar grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. "Whoops."


    "It is fine, Lord Kylnar," Madam Mara smiled at him. "You are quite attractive, and as one of our gods, we will have no issue serving you down here even if you chose to come here naked."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "No," Kylnar smiled. "It is best to follow such rules, even if they don''t apply to us gods. After all, it is a way of showing that we do respect humans who have done nothing to earn our ire."


    "Well," Madam Mara said. "If there is anything we can get for you, Lord Kylnar, please do not hesitate to ask."


    "Onion rings," Kylnar answered. "I would kill for some onion rings right now. I''m in one of those phases where I crave them every few days, so I have to keep coming down here to get them. Rynovar banned them on his island about two hundred centuries ago."


    "Why?" Cyrus asked.


    "Because I kept putting them on-


    "Forget I asked," Cyrus muttered, causing Kylnar to laugh.


    "-his head, saying they were his crown."


    "And you wonder why he likes to prank you," Cyrus rolled his eyes.


    "He started it!" Kylnar protested. "Trust me! He deserved that!"


    "And you deserve needing to come down here to satisfy your cravings," Cyrus told him as he pulled out his tablet. "I''m going to back to work."


    Cyrus returned to using his tablet as several of the employees and patrons of the restaurant hesitantly approached the god beside him. Some just wished to meet Kylnar, while others wanted to ask him questions. The majority of the questions revolved around what it was like on the island, if he really was as old as the tales said, and what the best part of being a god was.


    Eventually, the god rose, saying it was time to return to the island, placed a few notes on the counter for Sabbie, then left the shop. A few minutes later, Lyda returned, and Cyrus gave her an amused look as she handed him her pack.


    "I know it''s coincidence," he told her as he sent her pack back into his warehouse. "But this is the third time you''ve missed Kylnar. He left here as soon as the phoenix left Earth, which was just a few minutes ago. He probably didn''t even think about the fact that twice before, you missed him. Well, you''ll meet him on the island for sure. All three of them greet people who complete the quest."


    "I thought no one has?" She asked as she sat on his right.


    "None have," Cyrus confirmed with a nod. "But that''s part of the custom he wants to set. So you''ll meet Kylnar after arriving there, as he and Selar will be present as well."


    "Okay," she said. "What was he doing here?"


    Cyrus explained about the phoenix, then returned to using his tablet as Lyda socialized with her coworkers and boss. They ate dinner there, then stayed for some time later, leaving when Cyrus began to grow aggravated at people approaching him in an attempt at inviting him upstairs.


    It was part of the restaurant''s nature, so Cyrus understood why it was happening, but it still annoyed him. He and Lyda made their way to the hotel he booked for them. While they could have stayed in her apartment, Cyrus preferred sleeping in either his own bed or in a hotel.


    At the hotel, Cyrus took a shower, then dried off and entered the bedroom, where Lyda was laying on the bed, looking over a booklet regarding Forest Ruin preparation.


    "Those things are useless," Cyrus said. "There''s no set formula for how to complete a Forest Ruin, nor how to prepare. Each one has at least one thing unique to it, too."


    "How do you prepare for it, if these are useless?" She asked. "What are Forest Ruins like? You mentioned traps and puzzles."


    "And mazes," he nodded. "Learn about the specific one you want to explore. Most famous ones have been mapped out well, making it easy. This one isn''t well-known, though I know the full thing. However, if you want, I''ll let you do your own thing, and protect you when necessary."


    "Being able to prepare in advance would be helpful if I were to lead the way," she told him.


    "Maybe," he shrugged. "The best thing you can do is be prepared for any unexpected surprises. A seemingly harmless hall might have a floor that triggers a trap upon you stepping on it. Maybe the path becomes longer, or you find yourself in another area. Space is bent in the Ruins, too, packing in much more space than should realistically fit into them. Don''t think you know the layout of the place because you''ve been in a few rooms, as there might be more rooms wedged between them, impossibly so. There aren''t many monsters, but the ones that are there act as gatekeepers. Have plenty of food and water, but travel light. That''s if you go without someone like me, who can summon stuff from a warehouse."


    "I see," she said. "So keep an open mind and be alert at all times."


    "Yes," he answered. "If you put it simply, keep an open mind of what could happen and be alert at all times. Also know your mind and be aware of your surroundings. Notice the differences or oddities."


    "Be aware of my own mind?"


    "Keep track of your thoughts," he told her. "Some Forest Ruins will lead you in circles simply by having you choose to walk through the same entrances. It''s easiest to notice such things by being aware of your own mind, knowing if you''ve made the decision before, and if you''d normally make that sort of decision. If it''s not a decision you''d normally make, the Forest Ruin is playing with your mind."


    "That''s good to know," she said. "What''s the unique thing in this one?"


    Cyrus climbed onto the bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling as he thought over the Forest Ruin. He had a hard time keeping them separate in his mind from time to time, as he had entered all of the ones Rynovar and Kylnar had created, just for the experience.


    As time progressed faster in the ruins, at a rate of ten days for every one which passed outside, it was easy to explore them all even in just his twenty years of life and still be able to keep track of his brothers and clean up their messes. The time distortion was one of the most famous features of the ruins, which was why he didn''t mention it to Lyda ¨C she already knew about it.


    After a few minutes, Cyrus remembered the unique feature about the local Forest Ruins and grimaced.


    "What''s that face for?" Lyda asked.


    "Now I remember why I visit this one to nap in it," he told her. "It has a subtle sleepiness spell. It makes you always tired while inside, and unless you force yourself to power through, you''ll be tempted to lie down for a nap all the time. When you do sleep, it will be for longer than normal. So if you normally sleep nine hours, you might slept for eleven or twelve."


    "Um," Lyda said. "Doesn''t that mean you might slept for something like a day and a half to two days, since you normally sleep a day or so?"


    "Not always," he said. "I sleep normally, too. You''ve seen that. As long as I sleep regularly and don''t use my powers heavily, I''ll sleep for seven to nine hours, the healthy amount for someone our age."


    "Okay," she said. "That''s good to know, then. So you use it for longer naps, then?"


    "Yeah," he answered. "I also sometimes go to it when I know I need more sleep than I''ll get. I''ll show you a few of my napping spots. For now, though, I think we should get some sleep, since we''ll be setting off in the morning."


    "Okay," she kissed him on the cheek, then snuggled against him. "Good night, Cyrus."


    "Good night," he told her.


    The two of them fell asleep resting peacefully through the night. After they woke, they dressed and checked out of the hotel, then took a car outside of town, to a campground in the forest five hours away.


    "The ruins are in the campgrounds?" Lyda asked as they exited the car.


    "No," Cyrus answered as he began walking down the main path of the campgrounds. "It''s past here. Rynovar put the campgrounds here because of the journey. It''s a place to store the car for adventurers seeking to complete the ruins, with magical protection against theft. It''s also a place to rest once they leave the ruins, as they''ll no doubt be quite exhausted."


    "Ah," she said. "Do you mind if we stop to eat first? It''s lunchtime, and I''m hungry."


    "Sure," Cyrus led her over to an empty campsite and they sat at a picnic table.


    He pulled out some sandwiches and tea for them, and once they finished eating, led her back down the path. They left the campgrounds and continued deeper into the forest, eventually reaching a stone archway set into the ruins of a building which rested against the face of a cliff.


    "Here we are," Cyrus told Lyda. "Once we step through that archway, we''re in the ruins."


    "Really?" Lyda looked over a wall. "It''s an old church, right?"


    "Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps that''s what Rynovar modeled it to look like."


    "There''s not really anything in there," she said. "Are you sure this is the right place?"


    "Space is bent, and magic can mean it''s connected to many other places," he told her. "So, Lyda. Are you ready to enter a Forest Ruin?"

 024

    "I am," Lyda answered. "Let''s go, then."


    "Lead the way," Cyrus gestured for Lyda to enter first.


    She stepped through the archway and into the ruins, and Cyrus followed, feeling the lethargy spell tingling under his skin. If he wouldn''t to, he could ignore it. Normally, he wouldn''t even notice such a spell, except he knew that Kylnar had designed it to work against the resilient. He wasn''t certain as to why Rynovar wanted that in the ruins'' makeup, just that the godking did.


    "What now?" Lyda looked around the ruins of the sanctuary. "How do we move on? Approach the altar and get warped or something?"


    "Or something," he responded. "You said you wanted to try to lead the way."


    "Right," she said.


    Cyrus watched as Lyda began walking around, noting the slight sluggishness to her movements. He knew she was probably aware of the effects of the spell and was fighting it as hard as she could to remain alert. She would eventually need to stop, slow down, and lay down. It was an inevitable event.


    After nearly half an hour of searching, Lyda stopped, then approached the altar and knelt in front of it, bowing her head and clasping her hands as if in prayer. As Cyrus watched, she disappeared from sight, and he snorted.


    Most mortals took longer than that to realize the clue of the setting. He glances into the forest around them, before approaching the altar and kneeling in front of it, pressing his hands together in front of him.


    A few seconds later, he found himself kneeling beside Lyda, who jumped, then looked around.


    "It doesn''t look much different than the ruins we just left," she said.


    "We''re in a reality marble," he said. "And it''s quite different, I assure you of that. One word of advice: stay on the path."


    "The path?" She asked, then looked through the archway leading into the ruins, at the dirt path leading out of it. "That path?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay," she nodded, then paused and looked at him. "What happens if I don''t?"


    "You''ll end up wandering in circles until Rynovar eventually decides to set you back on the path."


    "Oh."


    "Yeah," he said. "The good news is that you can step off of it, but make sure it stays within sight. As long as it''s within sight, you''ll be able to return to it on your own. That''s important if you need to step away to pee. The guaranteed return range is about twenty feet in the forested sections."


    "Well," Lyda took a deep breath. "Let''s go, Cyrus."


    Cyrus followed Lyda out of the church ruins and down the path. He breathed in the fresh air of the reality marble, looking up and observing the imitation sky. Only a god like him would be able to tell the difference between a real sky and the reality marble''s illusion. It was part of Rynovar''s attempt and preventing people from realizing they were inside of a reality marble.


    Or more accurately, a series of reality marbles. Every time they warped, they would find themselves in a new reality marble, even if it didn''t appear to be different.


    Their walk lasted for half an hour, Lyda slowing down as they walked. It was obvious to Cyrus that she was losing the battle against the spell, which wasn''t a good sign for their trip into the ruins. If it took her less than an hour to need to sleep, they would have to stop many, many times.


    He contemplated using magic to shield her from the spell, but knew that Rynovar would likely do something to make up for it. The godking always watched when people were inside of the ruins, and he would know immediately that something was wrong if Lyda was suddenly no longer affected by the lethargy spell.


    "More ruins," Lyda said as the path ended in the ruins of a stone building, the roof missing ¨C as well as most of the upper half of the walls and several sections of walls. "What was this place?"


    "Nothing," Cyrus answered. "It was created for the ruins, and for no other purpose."


    Lyda nodded and began looking through the ruins. Cyrus knew where the traps were, and wanted to warn her of them, but knew it might ruin her experience to have him constantly warn her of danger. She wanted to experience running ruins for herself, the way most people would.


    So when she made her way into the ruins of one of the back rooms through the original doorway, Cyrus said nothing. He only watched as she disappeared from sight, the trap activated. Because someone activated it, the trap turned inert, set to turn on once more after exactly sixty-nine minutes.


    If he wanted to, he could warp himself into the reality marble Lyda found herself in. It was another ruined stone building in a forest, with a couple of traps. If she left it and followed the path, she would find herself in a ring of stones with runes on them. Stepping into the ring would send her back to the ruins of the chapel in the current reality marble.


    Since there was no danger to her, either from the traps or beasts, Cyrus sat on the ground and pulled out a book. There was no service for his tablet in the ruins, so he chose to read instead. More than two hours passed before Lyda returned to him, looking like she wanted nothing more in the world than to lay down and sleep, her clothes slightly wet.


    "You didn''t come after me?" She asked.


    "I was watching you," he told her. "After you were warped to the building you found yourself in, you explored it, first activating a gravity trap with pinned you against the wall for fifteen minutes, then a paralysis trap which prevented you from moving beyond vital functions for half an hour. After that, you activated a dousing trap, causing a torrent of water to pour down onto you. Three traps activated, you decided to leave the ruins and follow the path, where you found the warp zone. Finding it suspicious, you attempted to locate another path, only to find there wasn''t one. You then decided to step into the warp zone, found yourself back at the chapel, and then came down here."


    He put the book away, then pulled out a fresh set of clothes for Lyda. She stripped off her wet outfit and traded it for the dry one. Cyrus sent the wet clothes to the warehouse, then pulled out sandwiches and bottles of juice, offering Lyda one of each.


    She sat beside him as they ate, her head starting to drop. Every few moments, she jerked her head back, and Cyrus contemplated once again using his magic to shield her.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "I expected you to want to lie down and nap after the first hour," he told her as he sent the trash away.


    "I wanted to," Lyda said as she stood. "Still do, and pretty bad. The spell is subtle, but it''s a little strong."


    "Is it?" He asked. "I wasn''t aware. It''s hard for me to judge such things when I compare it to myself."


    "I can understand that," she said. "Do you have any advice for this section, Cyrus? Not telling me how to do it, just¡­ some advice to avoid walking into teleport traps?"


    "For the ruins itself," he told her. "Avoid walking through any entrance or exit that isn''t part of the building itself and don''t try to go over a wall. You''ll avoid seventy percent of the traps in buildings that way. There are others scattered throughout, but seventy percent of all traps in a building are in the doorways and lining the tops of the walls."


    Lyda looked around, and Cyrus knew she was realizing for the first time that every room could be entered without setting foot through a doorway. Even if it took going through several other rooms first, there would be a way into a room through an additional gap in the wall.


    Keeping Cyrus''s advice in mind, Lyda began exploring the ruins once more, and Cyrus stood up, then walked to a wall and sat on it, watching her as he ignored the effects of the trap that attempted to influence him.


    If he let it influence him, it would cause him to confuse his directions, resulting in him being unable to get to where he wanted to go. Even if he attempted to compensate by doing what he thought would result in going the right direction, the curse would adjust to that. The curse would last for half an hour, meaning he could sit down and wait it out, but further in the ruins, they would last for even longer.


    Some of the traps had effects which could last for up to a week.


    Cyrus watched as Lyda touched a small pot to look inside of it, instead activating a trap that blasted hot air into her face. It wasn''t hot enough to burn her, just enough to be an annoyance, much like a dousing trap.


    "That was¡­ interesting," Lyda looked at Cyrus. "Oh, you can''t see what happened from there."


    "I can see through the elements," he reminded her. "I saw it. I knew about the trap, too, so I knew what would happen when I saw you bend down."


    "Right!" She laughed, then returned to exploring the ruins of the house.


    Cyrus waited, finding himself burning to tell her the next stage was accessed from outside of the house. If she went to the back of it, she would find the entrance to a cellar, doors closed. They were locked, but the key was hidden in a pot outside as well.


    Lyda spent four hours searching through the ruins of the house before eventually stepping out to the back and finding the cellar doors. She spent another half-hour looking for the key, and by then, Cyrus was hungry again and knew she probably needed to sleep. They''d spent nearly a day just reaching the ruins, then making it through the first stage.


    "Let''s stop for dinner," Cyrus told Lyda as he joined her. "Then we can either sleep here or go into the next stage and sleep."


    "Let''s just sleep here," she told him. "We won''t be attacked or anything, will we?"


    "No," he answered as he sat, pulling out sandwiches, bags of chips, and bottles of juice. "There''s nothing dangerous in this stage, not even insects."


    "Doesn''t the forest and everything need insects?" She asked, looking at the trees around the ruined house.


    "No," Cyrus answered. "It''s magically maintained, eliminating the need for an ecosystem. Kylnar came up with the spell. There''s one stage with a horned wolf that''s particularly dangerous, but we won''t come across that unless you get pretty unlucky. If you do end up facing it off, I''ll deal with it."


    Cyrus accepted the food from him, then they began eating, the artificial sky beginning its transition to night. After they ate, Cyrus pulled out the merged bedroll they used in their Dungeon trips and spread it out.


    "Does it ever rain here?" She asked.


    "No," he answered. "Well, not in this one. It does in others."


    "Okay," she said, joining him on the bedroll as he pulled out pillows, fluffed them, and set them down. "I feel like I probably took much longer than normal to find the entrance and the key."


    "You did," he admitted. "But most people trying to go through a set of ruins are in a group of at least ten to twenty. They''d be searching in groups of two to five for the next way through. That''s also why most traps have a delay of one or two seconds ¨C to catch more people in them. They become inert after, taking time to turn back on."


    "In other words," she said. "If one group were teleported like I was, another could pass through right after them?"


    "Correct," he nodded. "Some of them are simply area-of-effect spells, those are typically the ones not in entryways, and usually have either no delay or a one-second delay."


    "Like the spell that dumped a lot of water on me," she said.


    "Just like it," he nodded. "It had a range of eight feet in diameter, so anyone in that range when it activated after being tripped would be soaked. It also ensures at least one person is by tagging the person who activated it and using them as a focal point, unless someone else enters the range."


    "So someone is always hit by such spells," she said.


    "Correct," he said, then pulled her against him. "Let''s go to sleep, okay?"


    "Okay," she let out a soft yawn. "I''ve wanted to since we entered this place."


    Within moments of them no longer fighting the spell, both of them fell asleep. Cyrus woke first in the morning, with an urgent need to pee. He pulled away from Lyda and walked off into the woods, relieving his bladder against a tree well-away from where she could see or hear it.


    After he zipped back up, he summoned a bottle of soap from his warehouse and used it and water magic to wash his hands, then heated the air around them to dry them off. He sent the soap back, then turned around with an eyebrow raised.


    "I thought I was concealing myself from the elemental senses," Kylnar sighed, releasing the concealment spell he used, appearing before Cyrus. The older god wore only a pair of light green shorts and nothing else. "I''ve practiced it against Rynovar many times, and he can''t sense me, either with the elements or with his mind magics."


    "I can sense magic itself," Cyrus reminded him. "As with all gods, Rynovar can, too."


    "I''m concealing my magic," Kylnar shook his head. "He can''t sense me when I have it active."


    "I''m a god of reality and fantasy," Cyrus said. "You exist, therefore, I can sense you and your magic. It''s an inevitability. Why were you spying on me as I peed?"


    "I only showed up after you finished," Kylnar stated. "And I didn''t actually know what you were doing. Rynovar shook me awake and told me to come to you."


    "He wants me to turn you back into the fox guy I made you before?"


    "Why would you guess that?" Kylnar asked.


    "Because you''re shirtless."


    "I am?" Kylnar looked down. "Oh, right, I am. No, I threw on some shorts after he woke me up, didn''t realize I hadn''t pulled on a shirt. You know, he probably made it sound urgent specifically because of what you were doing and what you''d think."


    Cyrus sighed.


    "What does he want you to ask?" Cyrus asked.


    "He knows what you''ve been considering," Kylnar said. "Especially as she''ll only want to fall into the desire to sleep more the longer she''s affected by the spell, to the point she''ll need to nap for two or three hours every day, even after a night of peaceful sleep."


    "I wasn''t planning on it," Cyrus told the older god. "I know Rynovar won''t like that and would probably do something to make up for it."


    "Actually," Kylnar said. "He wanted me to lighten up its effect on her. I''m not going to tell you why, but he does ask something of you in exchange."


    "Make her go through a Dungeon to collect the Dungeon Token herself?" Cyrus guessed.


    "That you give her no advice in the latter stages," Kylnar told him. "You knew which ones he''s referring to."


    "I do," Cyrus said. "So he''ll lighten the effect on her, allowing her to function a little more and make it deeper in before needing the longer naps, but I can''t give her any advice regarding six different stages, should she end up in them?"


    "That is correct," Kylnar told him.


    "Okay," Cyrus took a deep breath, then let it out. "I take it you''ll be putting it back in full if I do?"


    Kylnar simply stared at him.


    "Rynovar will enforce it," Cyrus rolled his eyes. "He''s asked you to put a mind spell on her to prevent her from actually receiving the advice, if I try to give it to her. The way you worded it, it''s not actually an offer. Rynovar wants you to lighten the spell for some reason, so he''s enforcing this balance. When are you placing it?"


    "It''s already in place," Kylnar told him. "I put it on her before coming over here. Rynovar will eject you from the ruins if you do anything to it."


    "Okay," Cyrus said. "I''ll keep it in mind."


    "Thank you," Kylnar said. "I need to leave now, and she''ll be waking soon. Goodbye, Cyrus."


    "Goodbye," Cyrus responded, then Kylnar disappeared.

 025

    Cyrus waited a few minutes after Kylnar left, then gathered some wood as he returned to the ruins of the house, where Lyda was still asleep. He sat down and set up a fire, igniting it with a point of a finger. After adjusting the fire for heat over flames, he set up a cooking grill over it, a thin wire grid with a pair of metal legs on either end.


    Pulling food and dishes out of his warehouse, Cyrus began cooking bacon and pancakes, Lyda waking to the smell of breakfast. They ate in silence, Cyrus adding strawberries and bananas to their meal, then cleaned everything off before sending the dishes away and putting out the flames with his magic.


    "Let''s move on," Cyrus told Lyda. "If you''re ready."


    "I am," she told him. "How long after I wake does it take for the sleepiness to become noticeable again?"


    "Depends on how much you pay attention and how long you slept," he told her. "If you''re paying attention, you''ll probably notice it in the next hour or two again."


    "Okay," she said. "Let''s go."


    Lyda pulled out the key and approached the cellar doors, inserting the key into the lock. Once it clicked open, she pulled open the doors, then descended the stone steps. Cyrus followed behind her, summoning up a globe of light to illuminate the dark hall.


    "Do you have any flashlights?" Lyda asked. "In case we get separated?"


    Cyrus produced a backpack from his warehouse and handed it to her.


    "Cyrus," she said. "This looks and feels rather full. And it''s not a flashlight."


    "It''s a survival pack," he told her. "It has a few days'' rations in it, water purification tablets, a flashlight that works by shaking it, emergency blanket, first-aid kit, and a few other things."


    "You don''t strike me as the type of guy to need a survival pack," she said as she pulled it on.


    "I assemble and sell them," he told her. "They run a hundred and fifty notes, which is cheaper than most you''d find with the same types of supplies in them, and mine are just as good, if not better."


    "A side hobby of yours?" She asked.


    "It gives me something to do with my hands when I''m bored," he told her. "There''s a lantern in there as well, along with backup battery packs."


    "A lantern?" She asked, surprised. "With battery packs? Isn''t that expensive? There aren''t many Dungeons lightning crystals form in. The lightning wire in the flashlight''s much more common, so that''s understandable. When I was looking into some stuff for packing for Dungeon or ruin trips, I saw the price tag on lanterns like this. Aren''t they fifty notes? And the battery packs something like ten apiece?"


    "Yes," he answered. "Benefit of owning an entire Dungeon excavation team and a Dungeon that produces lightning crystals is that I can get the stuff for much cheaper. Lead the way and don''t touch the walls unless you''re pretty sure there isn''t a wall there."


    Lyda gave him an odd look, but he ignored it. She''d figure out what he meant eventually, if she ever did. That tunnel''s hidden passages weren''t particularly important, not with it being that early in the ruins. They all either had nothing at all or a few pieces of supplies for the explorers.


    Further into the ruins, the hidden rooms would also potentially possess traps.


    After fifty yards, they came across a fork, the path moving either forward or left. Lyda looked in both directions before continuing forward.


    "Why did you chose the forward path?" Cyrus asked.


    "To keep moving forward," she answered. "If we come across a dead-end, then we can just turn around, right?"


    "Right."


    There was also the possibility that they would end up back at that fork, though he didn''t tell her. He also didn''t mention that the moment the entrance was out of sight, it would disappear from them, a new section of the path opening up in its place.


    That wouldn''t prevent another group from entering into the labyrinth, however. If another group came down, the entrance would remain missing to those who were there already, but visible to those who entered until it was out of sight. The first group would simply see the second appear in the tunnel.


    Since he doubted anyone else would show up, Cyrus didn''t mention it to Lyda, instead watching her as she walked, picking paths whenever there was a fork. If there was the option to keep walking forward, she chose that path. Otherwise, she alternated between choosing the left path and right path.


    They stopped for lunch at noon, eating sandwiches and apples while drinking water. Nothing was said between them until they stood again, preparing to continue walking rather than taking the nap both of them felt the need to take.


    "Cyrus," Lyda said. "Do you have any advice other than not touching the walls unless I''m certain there''s no wall there?"


    "You''re not good at memorizing the path you''ve taken and gauging its distance, are you?" He asked, and she gave him a confused look. "I''ll take that as a no. We''ve been going in circles all day. If you form a pattern, you''ll always end up in a circle. Left, right, left, right, left, right. You end up in a circle, even if you go forward at every turn. Rather than picking a pattern, listen to your gut and follow it."


    "Thank you," she said, then began walking again. "So follow my instincts rather than the pattern I picked."


    "Yes."


    They continued walking as Cyrus contemplated dismissing his globe of light. The only reason he summoned it was because most groups would turn on lights as soon as they entered the labyrinth. Lyda likely would have asked him for a flashlight anyway.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    If he dismissed the light, however, the path would become clear. Mostly clear, at any rate. As long as any light not of the labyrinth was in the labyrinth, the glow would not reveal itself. A soft, green glow in striping down the tunnels. At every intersection, it would form an arrow, pointing in one of the two directions.


    The trick was to ignore the arrows and go in the other direction. In a three-way fork, the choice was always to go right, because it was the right way.


    In the end, he decided against it. As far as he knew, no one had ever realized that trick, because everyone always used a light. They needed to see, after all.


    Another three hours were spent in the labyrinth before Cyrus and Lyda found themselves at a set of stairs leading down. Lyda gave Cyrus a glance before walking down them, and he followed after her.


    The steps twisted and turned, eventually ending at an arched opening leading into a chamber with an altar at the back end of it, two dark green candles burning on it. They approached the altar and knelt, folding their hands as if in prayer.


    A moment passed, then they found themselves on a floating platform in another chamber, the room illuminated by motes of light lazily floating through the air. The stone platform was thirty feet in diameter, and joined to another platform by a stone path.


    From what Lyda could see, that stage of the ruins consisted of the floating platforms and either steps or paths between them. It spanned a massive cavern with no visible bottom or sides, the platforms themselves forming several levels.


    "This is a maze, isn''t it?" She asked.


    "It is," he answered. "We''ll find another altar. However, there are traps abundant as well. Lead the way."


    "Why don''t you go first," she suggested. "And I''ll just tell you which way to go? As a god, you''d be more resilient to the traps, and-"


    "You''re expecting me to avoid the traps to avoid being caught in them myself," he told her, and her cheeks flushed crimson. "Two issues with that. First, I can intentionally pass over the traps without activating them. Second, I don''t need to do that, because gods and Blessed Ones don''t trigger them."


    "Oh," she said. "I suppose Rynovar had that done in case a god or Blessed One was escorting someone?"


    "Because when I was eight years old, I threw a small fit after being caught in a particularly nasty trap that Kylnar hid a tad too well."


    "How small of a fit?" She asked.


    "It was easier for Kylnar to just reset time to before I went into the ruins and changed the settings of all of the traps," he told her. "So I have no memory of the event. According to him, I completely unraveled the entire set of ruins, then sank Rynovar''s island to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. I''m not sure if it''s an exaggeration or not, I did have a small temper when I was little."


    "That''s not a ''small'' fit," she told him."


    "I have the power to completely wipe out life on Earth and reshape its entire geography in less than a day," he told her. "To a god, my supposed tantrum was rather small."


    "Right," she said. "Sorry. Even after all this time, I can''t help but compare you to, well, mortal standards."


    "It''s understandable," he said. "Shall we move on?"


    "I''m kind of tired," she told him. "I know it''s just the spell, but do you think we could rest here?"


    "We most certainly could."


    "But?" She caught his tone and expression.


    "It''s an experience I''d rather not go through again," he told her.


    He could tell her what the motes of light really were, and what they would do to anyone sleeping in that chamber, but didn''t want to frighten her. Her expression and emotions told her that she understood that he had his reasons for not telling, and she turned and began walking.


    It took them four hours to make it to the second altar. Part of the time was spent just navigating the platforms and needing to turn back around several times, but part of it also came from Lyda walking straight into traps.


    When they finally reached the altar, they both knelt in front of it and folded their hands together. A moment later, they were in the ruins of a chapel.


    "It''s not the same as before," Cyrus said as Lyda opened her mouth, and he indicated a statue on the other side of the altar.


    It was made of marble, with a few vines growing over it. The statue featured a fit man with short hair, striking a pose with his member at full mast.


    "Uh," Lyda hesitated. "Who is that supposed to be? It doesn''t match the pictures of Rynovar I see sometimes. Is it Kylnar? Is that Rynovar screwing with Kylnar?"


    "It''s Rynovar''s younger brother," Cyrus explained. "All of the statues you''ll see in the ruins will either be of him or his wife. Or both. A few areas have their statues or paintings be of them having sex in various positions."


    "Oh," she said.


    "Let''s head down the path," he told her. "There''s a place we can stop for dinner and go to sleep at ahead that''s more comfortable than a ruined chapel."


    Lyda nodded, then left the chapel and began walking down the path. Cyrus followed her, listening to the birds chirping as they went. There were actual birds there, but nothing dangerous. Their presence was solely for the ambiance, a gentle, soothing sound to lift the eerie feeling that would fill the air if the ruins had no sounds at all.


    After twenty minutes of walking, they reached a fork in the path, and Lyda looked both ways before looking to Cyrus for help.


    "You''re the one leading us," he told her. "Though it doesn''t matter which way we go. We''ll end up at a place we can rest comfortably at either one. And we''ll end up moving on to the next area regardless of which one we take."


    "Okay," Lyda said, then picked the path leading to the right rather than moving on ahead.


    "Not going to go forward?" He asked as they walked. "You were doing that initially in the labyrinth."


    "I chose the right path," she told him. "Because I figured, if it doesn''t matter, then we don''t need to move forward, we can just go right."


    "It didn''t matter," he told her. "Because only one of the two paths has the entrance to the next stage. This is the path leading to the ruins with it. Had we gone the other way, you''d probably search for awhile, eventually realizing there wasn''t an entrance there. Then, you''d come back and take the right path."


    "The¡­ the right path," she groaned. "Rynovar did that for the pun, didn''t he?"


    "He did," Cyrus answered. "Rynovar set it up like that in a few places here."


    Lyda snorted as she shook her head, continuing down the path. Cyrus debated on telling her that had she gone forward, then turned back around, the path wouldn''t be on the left. Just to keep with the pun, the ruins and path would shift so that they were on the right-hand side when she came back to them.


    He decided it wasn''t necessary information, just a bit of trivia, and made a note to tell her about it after they left. He would do the same with the labyrinth they went through. There was always the chance she would end up back at the very start, though that was a low chance. Most return warps led to the most recent chapel ruin rather than the very start.


    Two other labyrinths in that set of ruins also had similar enchantments to the first, so the knowledge would give her additional help if they came across them.


    After another thirty minutes of walking, the two of them arrived at a set of ruined buildings on the edge of a cliff. Unable to help herself, Lyda approached the cliff, looking out across the forest below.


    Cyrus could tell she''d forgotten they were in a reality marble, believing the seemingly endless forest to be real, the setting sun true.


    "This is a beautiful view," Lyda told Cyrus.


    "It is," he told her. "But I prefer a few others over this one."


    "In here?" She asked.


    "And outside of here," he nodded. "Aunt Lena''s reality marble looks nicer to me, though these ruins have some nice spots, too. There''s a waterfall we might come across I quite enjoy napping beside. The ambiance of it and the birds is soothing, and I sometimes go for a swim before or after the nap."


    "I look forward to seeing it," Lyda told him. "Let''s set up camp, shall we? I''ll search for the entrance to the next stage in the morning."

 026

    Cyrus set up their small camp, and as they ate dinner, Lyda asked him how long they could expect to take to finish the ruins.


    "Other than me," he told her. "No one''s ever tried them solo before. Groups usually take two to four weeks for ruins this small. It really depends on your luck and how many naps you stop to take. One group that did this set of ruins took nearly two months because they were sleeping sixteen hours a day."


    "We''ve only been here a couple of days," Lyda said. "And I can sympathize with them on that, Cyrus."


    "It really does depend," he shrugged. "A group of three humans managed to complete a set of ruins twelve percent larger than this one in three days. That''s the quickest any set of humans has ever managed to complete a set of ruins in, no other group has managed one in less than a week, regardless of size."


    "Okay," she said. "So you''re saying there''s no way for me to tell how long it would take to complete."


    A statement, not a question.


    "Correct," Cyrus told her. "I, personally, could complete the largest one in under a day, with only some boosts to my speed due to walking time. The average time taken to complete it is one year and four months. Keep in mind, though, that this is time inside of the ruins. I''d be in it a couple of hours outside, while most would take more than a month and a half."


    "Got is," she said. "So this is your favorite one?"


    "No."


    "You said you like to nap here."


    "I do," he told her. "The unique feature of this set of ruins makes it perfect for that. My favorite one is a little more than four times as large as this one, and is more like Aunt Lena''s place for most of it. Lots of water. I like islands."


    "You live in a city," she pointed out.


    "I discovered my love of islands after settling in there," he shook his head. "Moving with the triplets would have been troublesome back then, and it''s too much effort to deal with them now. Maybe if they''re done causing big problems, I might move onto an island. Or ask Aunt Lena to make me a reality marble."


    Cyrus began thinking over what his reality marble would be like, if he had one of his own. From there, his thoughts traveled to what type of world he would prefer to have, if he were a godking. He lost himself into those thoughts, unaware of the rest of the world until morning, when he began preparing breakfast, only then becoming aware that Lyda was sleeping on the bedroll he''d spread out and completely naked.


    When she woke, Cyrus gave her a curious look.


    "Why did you sleep naked and without a blanket?" He asked. "Wasn''t that a little chilly?"


    "Yes!" She laughed. "I was trying to get your attention, Cyrus. You mentioned possibly asking the Silver Oracle to make you a reality marble¡­ then went completely silent and didn''t talk again. I figured you were deep in thought, so I tried to get your attention in various ways. In the end, I figured you''d at least notice I was cold and give me some warmth, only I guess you passed out and didn''t realize it."


    "No," he felt his face heat up. "Sorry, Lyda. I got distracted by my thoughts."


    "I noticed," she told him, laughing again. "You''ve done that quite a lot since we met, I''ve gotten used to it. I just figured that this time, you might not ignore the naked woman who looked cold."


    "Sorry," he mumbled.


    "It''s fine," she said, then began dressing and sat beside him. "It''s my fault for thinking you''d act differently than you normally do, then passing out in the chilly night."


    They ate breakfast, then Cyrus broke down the camp as Lyda began searching through the ruins of the buildings in an attempt to find the next clue or path forward. He watched her for several hours, before she stopped walking around and began staring at a partially-damaged wall.


    After nearly twenty minutes of staring at the wall and touching it in various spots, Lyda walked over to Cyrus, her lips curved down in a slight frown.


    "Cyrus," she said. "That wall is strange."


    "Strange?" He asked. "How so?"


    "Most walls," she said. "Are three, maybe four feet at their peek, except maybe in a one-to-two-foot section in a corner, or at a doorway. That one goes from eight feet in height down to a little less than four feet over an eight-foot span, with another four feet of it at just four feet tall. That makes it strange, but what makes it really strange is that some of the stones light up when I touch them. And yes, I know you said to not touch the walls, but I figured this one had something different from traps on it. The problem is, I can''t figure out what''s with it, other than I can reset the glows by pressing six of them in a perfect hexagon pattern. That was on a whim, just because of there being Hexagons, people with an affinity for all six elements, and I''d noticed that there were a few spots where the bricks could be said to be arranged in a hexagon, even if it wasn''t obvious. I know I wanted to do this mostly on my own, Cyrus, but¡­ could you give me a little help? Just a hint of some sort?"


    Cyrus thought over his answer carefully. Lyda had experimented with the wall, he had noticed her doing that. She''d figured out how to do the reset without discovering the plaque which hinted at it. There were several things which he could say, but he didn''t know which of them would prove useful to her without giving her too much of a hint.


    In the end, Cyrus decided on a single word to give her as a hint.


    "Layout."


    "Layout?" She asked.


    "Layout," he confirmed.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Hm," Lyda thought over the word, before returning to the wall.


    Cyrus watched as she examined it, using his empathy to check her emotions at the same time. She was deep in thought, with only mild confusion. After a few minutes, however, he felt her begin to realize something, then she began to wander through the ruins once more.


    After exploring the ruins for another hour, the tiring Lyda began tapping on bricks on the wall, looking at several rooms before returning to it and tapping more.


    The young god nodded slightly upon seeing that. She had figured out the clue, all that was left was for her to input the correct code.


    Lyda finished tapping in a sequence, and Cyrus watched as all of the bricks of that wall glowed for a few seconds, before every brick on the wall expelled a blast of water, thoroughly soaking her. He was amused to find her immediately set back to work, walking through the ruins and tapping more bricks on the wall.


    The second time she finished, Lyda began floating in the air in a bubble of gravity which suspended and slowly rotated her. She waved at Cyrus when the trap let her face him briefly, her hair spread around her in the disturbed space.


    When the trap ended twenty minutes later, Lyda joined Cyrus for lunch, then returned to attempting to solve the puzzle. Her third attempted resulted with her disappearing from Cyrus''s sight, and he pulled out a book to read until she returned from that stage''s chapel.


    Lyda returned and immediately began exploring the ruins and tapping on the bricks once more, her fourth attempt ending with the air in front of the wall heating up rapidly enough that Lyda found herself soaked in sweat within moments, her clothes becoming plastered to her.


    She waited for the trap to end before walking to Cyrus and changing into the offered clothes, drinking water to rehydrate herself.


    "I know I''m on the right track," Lyda told Cyrus. "But this is taking way, way too long."


    "It took one team nearly four days to make it through this stage," he told her, and her eyes widened. "They the spent the first one before figuring out how the wall functioned. You figured out the reset function before finding the plaque, which is a first."


    "You had to see the plaque?" She asked.


    "I''m excluding myself," he told her. "I can just read the magics of the place, which makes it much easier to figure out where to go and what to do. Just by looking at the wall the first time, I was able to tell every single combination set into it and what each one did."


    "I''m going to make one more attempt," she told him. "Then it''s dinner time. Seriously. This is taking a lot of time, and this lethargy spell is making it hard to focus."


    "Good luck," he told her, then began cooking at Lyda returned to work.


    He contemplated telling her the effect of the spell was lightened up on her, but decided against it. It wasn''t as if she actually needed to know, and he knew she might become a little upset to know there was an additional benefit for her.


    Lyda''s fifth attempt ended with sparks of electricity dancing over her, sending tingles through her body and rendering her immobile for ten minutes. When the trap ended, she rejoined Cyrus, digging into the steaks he cooked up.


    "Do you keep fresh food in your warehouse?" She asked. "You seem to have an endless supply of it here."


    "No," he told her. "The ruins have their own storage areas, some stages of it have resource chests to supply adventurers with food, water, and possibly supplies. They''re only there when someone is nearby, pulled from a separate reality marble with a time suspension spell preserving everything inside. It''s actually a single reality marble storing stuff for all of the ruins, since most of the supplies are the same for all of them. Then there are smaller sections in it for ruins-specific supplies."


    "Stuff is teleported between ruins?" She asked.


    "All the time," he told her.


    "Oh," she said. "I didn''t realize that. This is good, by the way."


    "Thanks."


    "How often does someone attempt these ruins?" She asked.


    "Not very often," he answered. "Though there''s a tendency for someone to try while I''m in here. Kylnar says it''s coincidence, that Rynovar isn''t doing it to screw with me, but who knows?"


    "You''re skeptical?" She asked. "You think Kylnar might be lying about that?"


    "I wouldn''t put it past Rynovar to trick Kylnar about that," Cyrus told her. "Kylnar would have told me, he knows it''s frustrating for me to lie down for a nap, only to be interrupted by someone who''s been here long enough to know the spell, worried that it might have taken me while I''m alone, with no one to find me. I nearly started sealing off this place while I was inside until Kylnar begged me not to. The fact that a party came in a little bit ago, even when I''m not here to nap, suggests it might actually be coincidence. Rynovar wouldn''t set another party on us just to mess with you attempting the quest, the quest is something he takes quite seriously. That''s why he''s bribed me not to give you too much help."


    "Rynovar has bribed you?" She asked. "And it''s to not give me much help? Wait, didn''t your mother say Rynovar asked the Silver Oracle to suggest it to you?"


    "I don''t remember?" Cyrus answered. "I thought it was Mother, but maybe it was Rynovar? I''ve had a lot on my mind, since my brothers did that thing, and the kiss, and anyway, it''s irrelevant. No, he bribed me into not just giving you the missing tokens I could easily procure for you, such as the Mystery Token, Elemental Token, and Forest Token. Just the Dungeon Token. That was the bribe."


    "What did he bribe you with?" She asked.


    "A rare collectible I''ve been trying to track down," he answered. "Mint condition, still in the packaging. That''s why Kylnar visited me at the shop, to deliver the bribe request for Rynovar. And to place an order for some recospheres."


    "So not the ''you can''t just tell her how to do the ruins'' kind of bribe, then," she said.


    "And to not give you advice on certain areas of the ruins," he told her. "But there''s a reason for that, and I won''t tell you why until after you complete them. You will end up in at least one of them. That''s a guarantee."


    "Oh," she said. "Anything else?"


    "No," he answered. "Just those two things."


    "What''s the collectible?"


    "A golden Josh Manakao figure in the original box, mint condition," Cyrus said. "The last part wasn''t stated, but Kylnar would have told me if it wasn''t."


    "A children''s toy?" She asked. "He''s bribed you with a children''s toy?"


    "I did tell you I was looking for it."


    "I know," she started laughed. "I''m sorry, Cyrus, it''s just the idea of a bribe is usually something a bit more than a children''s toy. You''re really simple sometimes, you know that, right?"


    Lyda immediately turned serious, and he felt her concern and worry through his empty.


    "That''s not meant to be an insult," she told him. "I know it might be taken that way, but-"


    "I''m not seeing it that way," he told her. "Were you planning on making another try tonight? Or just relax with me until morning?"


    "That depends," she told him. "Does relaxing with you come with warmth?"


    "I have a blanket."


    She cleared her throat.


    "I meant with your body."


    "Oh," he said. "Yes. "But we can use a blanket, too."


    Cyrus moved onto the bedroll, and Lyda joined him. He pulled a blanket over them as he spooned her, wrapping an arm around her, before just enjoying the feel of her against him. She fell asleep almost immediately, but Cyrus remained awake, marveling over how easy it was to handle her against him at the moment. Just months ago, he wouldn''t have been able to manage a single touch, and had barely managed to have sex with her.


    Now, however, he could handle not just sex with her, but spooning her, hugging her, and holding her tight. He made a mental note to thank his mother for putting him in her path and her in his once everything was over, then allowed himself to fall asleep, waking when morning came.


    Upon waking, Cyrus found Lyda missing from his embrace, though he could sense her over by the wall, sitting in front of it, deep in thought. Letting her wonder over things, he got up and began making breakfast.

 027

    Cyrus finished cooking breakfast, then brought a plate of bacon, eggs, and apple slices with fruit dip over to Lyda, setting it in front of her. They ate in silence as she continued to appraise the wall, then Cyrus took the dishes away, cleaned them, and sent them away as he returned to his spot to watch her.


    Only a few minutes passed after Cyrus returned to his watching spot before Lyda returned to her attempts, spending all of the morning and the first two hours of the afternoon working on the puzzle, before the wall rearranged itself, the bricks shifting into an archway pattern, only darkness visible through it.


    "Um," Lyda looked at Cyrus.


    "There are three different effects which could be in the gate," he told her. "Depending on which pattern you did. You activated the darkness visibility, but there is also the purple cloud and the green mist. They don''t actually give you a clue as what''s to beyond, it''s just to make it clear you''re going to a different area. This is where the branching happens."


    "The branching?" She asked.


    "Yes," Cyrus packed up their stuff and put it away, before walking over to her. "This is the first time you''re really able to branch into different sections of the ruins. It''s even possible to end up in different stages altogether. The green mist indicates that you''re jumping ahead four stages. The purple cloud and darkness beyond both go to the next stage, but they are different areas with different challenges to make it through the stage."


    "Is the darkness the worse of the two?" She asked.


    "They''re both equally annoying," he told her. "That''s why I just cheat to get to the nap areas. It avoids going through the hassle of the puzzles and all that."


    "Okay," she said. "Let''s go, then."


    Lyda stepped through the archway, then Cyrus followed her. They found themselves in more ruins, this one surrounded on all sides by forest. The archway reassembled itself back into the wall, though in the new stage, the wall was whole, twenty feet in height and thirty-two in length.


    It was also the only wall, though at the other two corners of the ruins rose pillars four feet in width and twenty in height, vines wrapping onto them.


    Cyrus walked out of the ruins as Lyda looked at the ground, examining the strange pattern of the tiles, each of which was two feet on each side. In the four corners of the sixteen-by-sixteen grid were empty spots, squares without tiles.


    The tiles themselves were strange, Lyda noticed. They had varying colors to them, with some having an off-yellow, while most had one of two shades of green on them, a bright, leaf green or the darker green of healthy grass. The darker green was used exclusively on lines, while the lighter green was for sections of color.


    "I''ll help you if you need it," Cyrus told her. "But not in figuring out what this is or how to solve it."


    "Just give me time," Lyda told him. "I''ll figure it out. I think."


    Cyrus nodded, then sat down and waited, watching Lyda. She spent the entire day examining the tiles of the ruins, then joined him for dinner and bed. When morning came, she ate breakfast, then looked out across the tiles.


    "So I''ve figured out what I need to do," she told Cyrus. "I just can''t figure out what the image is supposed to be."


    "The image?" He asked, wanting to make sure she actually did figure it out and wasn''t attempting to trick him into answering.


    With the emotions in her mind at the moment, he knew it could be either one.


    "Yeah," she gestured at the tiles. "It''s one of those sliding tile puzzles. The tiles need to be rearranged in order to create an image. I''m guessing the four corners are the empty spots, since they''re all empty now. It would make the most sense. But with the lines¡­ I really can''t figure out what it''s supposed to form."


    Lyda turned her gaze to Cyrus.


    "I''m actually rather good at doing these once I know what they''re supposed to be," she told him. "So if you told me what it''s supposed to form, or gave me a hint that could tell me. I''ll be able to do it. It''ll even be a little easier, since there are four empty spaces rather than the normal one."


    "The corners are the empty ones," he confirmed. "As for the pattern, it''s a tree."


    "A tree?" She asked.


    "Specifically," he said. "The Forest Token. And no, this isn''t where you get it. It''s just a puzzle picture of the token, on a grid of sixteen tiles by sixteen tiles. The token is a tree."


    "I see," she said, then looked out across the puzzle. "Give me an hour, maybe two, and I''ll have this solved."


    Lyda set off to begin sliding the tiles around, and Cyrus watched her. He offered to help her move the tiles several times, but she told him to just let her be. An hour and a half after she began moving the tiles, the image began to form, a tree contained within a circle. Another twenty minutes passed, and the image was completed, with just the corners empty.


    The moment Lyda slid the last tile into place, the wall rearranged itself, creating an archway once more, only darkness visible beyond it.


    "Is that going to lead us back?" Lyda asked Cyrus.


    "No," he told her. "It takes us to the next stage. Nice job with the puzzle."


    "Thanks," she smiled at him. "I''m rather sore now, though. How long do we have before it resets?"


    "Until either someone else comes into this stage or we pass through the gate," he told her. "We can rest after, and I told you I''d help move the tiles."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I should have accepted that offer," she admitted. "I''m no used to work like that, and my back hurts and arms are sore."


    "Let''s go," he told her.


    Cyrus joined her, then they walked through the gate, finding themselves in the ruins of another chapel. The archway that marked its entrance was filled with darkness, though once Cyrus passed through after Lyda, it returned to normal, revealing a path beyond.


    "Oh, good," Cyrus muttered. "You did it fast enough."


    "Fast enough?" Lyda asked.


    "Yeah," Cyrus cleared his throat, then indicated for her to follow the trail, so she did, Cyrus walking beside her. "You could end up in one of three places depending on how long it took for the puzzle to be completed. I always just used magic to shift them around, and completed it in maybe ten minutes, so I always got the best path. If I bothered to actually do the stage. The longer you take, the worse the path is. The actual spell that determines it is out of sight, and I never bothered looking deep down for it. I was thinking that since we''d spent the night, we''d have the second path, which isn''t as good as this one, but not as bad as the third, which is where you go if it takes more than five days to complete the puzzle."


    "What''s the difference?" She asked. "Between the three paths, I mean."


    "How difficult they are," he told her. "And how many extra stages there are between them and the end. We''re on the ''true'' path. The purple fog''s optimal completion leads to this as well. If you end up doing the second path, you have three more stages before reaching this one, and if you end up doing the third path, you have six more stages."


    "So they both lead back to the same path?" She asked.


    "Everything does, eventually," he told her. "Sometimes, it just takes a single stage, other times, many stages. But the very end of the ruins is the exact same for all, all paths lead to it."


    "And that''s where the Forest Token will be found?" She asked.


    "That''s where the Forest Token will be found," he confirmed.


    "How many stages are between here and there?" She asked.


    "That depends on your luck, your abilities, and how easily you solve some of the puzzles," he told her. "You''re going at it slowly, but you''re also mostly doing it by yourself, with just some hints from me. It could be five more stages, it could be sixty. That also depends on how often you end up repeating stages, too."


    "Okay," she said.


    They walked in silence until they came to a fork, the path continuing forward and splitting to the left. Lyda chose the left path, and they continued walking until they came to a fork, moving forward to the right.


    The rest of the day, they traveled on the paths, Lyda choosing a branch based on some pattern Cyrus didn''t bother to learn. As the artificial sky turned to sunset, Lyda turned to face Cyrus.


    "I give up," she said. "I can''t figure out which way to go. I feel as if we''ve been walking in circles."


    "We kind of have," he told her, the pointed to his right. "The chapel ruins we appeared in are maybe one hundred yards through the trees that way. The main reason you can''t see them is how dense the trees and underbrush are."


    Lyda groaned.


    "What''s the trick to figuring this out?" She asked.


    "At every fork," he told her. "Look for the split tree. It might be between the paths, it might be off to the side. You can see it from the split, from the direction you were facing when you reached it, even if you need to turn your head a little.


    "The trees split at varying heights," he told her. "But three things always hold true. If a split goes up, it represents the forward path. If it goes to the right, it represents the right path. If it goes to the left, it represents the left path. That will always hold true. So too will only one split match a path. That''s the way to go. The third thing that holds true is only when we''re at a triple split, like here. If you don''t see a split tree, then go forward. If you see a split tree, the split that is the lowest is the way to go."


    Lyda looked around, finding no split trees.


    "So here," she said. "We go forward."


    "Correct," he told her.


    "Let''s set up camp," she told him. "We can continue on in the morning."


    They set up camp and ate dinner, then went to sleep. After waking in the morning, Cyrus made breakfast, they ate, then packed up and continued on their trip through the forest. Knowing the trick to the stage, Lyda managed to navigate them through it, eventually coming to a waterfall cascading down beside the path, falling into a river which snaked away from the path and out of sight.


    "This is beautiful," Lyda breathed in awe, looking at the waterfall. "I can see why you like it."


    "This isn''t the one I was talking about," he told her. "The one I like is smaller, quieter. But more entrancing."


    "Oh," she said, then looked at the opening in the cliff beside the waterfall. "I take it this is another labyrinth?"


    "It is," he confirmed.


    "Let''s stay here for the rest of the afternoon," she told him. "Since it''s only a couple of hours until night. Then we''ll head in when morning comes."


    "Okay," Cyrus said, then set up camp for the night.


    They spent the night cuddled together under a blanket, and after breakfast in the morning, Lyda led the way into the labyrinth. Lyda led the way through it, leading them to dead-ends several times, or activating traps which soaked them in water, froze them in place, blinded them, deafened them, or a variety of other effects.


    Cyrus let the trap effects slide off of him, and when he offered to do the same for Lyda, she told him to let her suffer the traps like a normal person would, as they were harmless and only caused discomfort or delays.


    After nearly a full day of travel, they arrived at an altar illuminated by candles. The pair knelt in front and clasped their hands together, then found themselves warped to the altar of a ruined chapel. Lyda looked up at the stained-glass window behind it, then at Cyrus.


    "Yes," he said. "That is Rynovar''s younger brother having sex with his wife from behind."


    "It''s a stained-glass window," she said.


    "It is," Cyrus said. "Shall we set up camp outside the chapel?"


    "Her chest is remarkably small in that," Lyda said. "Rynovar''s decision?"


    "No, that''s how she was," Cyrus told her. "His brother was into flat-chested women. I keep meaning to smash that, it''s in bad taste."


    "Leave it," Lyda told him. "I think Rynovar might not be happy with you doing that, from what I know about him."


    "Maybe," Cyrus shrugged. "He''s a lot more into sex stuff than I am, so I''m sure he likes having it. It''s creepy. I''m just glad Kylnar convinced him to remove the statues at the waterfall I like. I didn''t even have to tell Kylnar a thing, he just knew that I though the waterfall would be a lot nicer without them. Next time I visited the waterfall, they were gone."


    It took him another two years to pull the answer out of Kylnar about why they were removed, too, and had thanked the god heavily for it. The other napping spots were nice, but the waterfall was the best, in his opinion, and he didn''t want to nap with a pair of statues having sex there.


    "I''m setting up camp outside of here," Cyrus told her, then did exactly that.


    After they ate, Lyda looked around, then gave Cyrus a baffled look. He ignored it, pulling out a book to read as he made s''mores to snack on. They went to bed without Lyda asked him about what had confused her, and when morning came, Cyrus made breakfast as usual. Lyda stepped away to pee as he cleaned things up, and when she returned, she gave Cyrus another baffled look.


    "Yes, Lyda?" He asked her.


    "Cyrus," she said, then looked around, taking in their surroundings once more. "Cyrus, there''s no path here. How are we supposed to solve this stage if there''s no path leading us away?"


    Cyrus looked at the forest around them, before finally looking at Lyda again.


    "I never said a path was necessary," he told her. "You''re a smart woman, Lyda. What do you think it means, that there''s no path to walk on?"

 028

    Lyda thought over Cyrus''s question for a few minutes, then looked at the chapel ruins.


    "Because the next part is here," she said.


    "Yeah," Cyrus said. "It''s here. You should stop trying to rely on my hints, Lyda."


    Lyda nodded, then began looking through the ruins as Cyrus began reading. He knew it would take awhile before she figured out what she needed in order to move on to the next stage, and wasn''t interested in watching her the entire time. He had done plenty of that before, and that was when she was looking in the right area.


    One of the first things she attempted was the pseudo-prayer at the altar, though nothing happened. After that, she wandered around, looking for secret entrances under everything, moving anything she could in an attempt to find a hidden door, and just looked around in confusion.


    After lunch, she searched for a few minutes, then plopped herself onto a wooden pew, deciding to give into the lethargy spell and take a nap. Cyrus continued reading, and when she woke up two hours later, he continued reading.


    Lyda sat up from the pew, stretched, and looked at the stained glass window, which spanned most of the back wall, which was intact enough to hide the forest behind it. Cyrus noticed the shift in her thought process and put the book away.


    He watched as she stood and approached the stained glass window, looking at it with a light confusion and interest in her mind. Then, she walked through a gap in the side wall and looked behind the chapel, before turning and looking at Cyrus.


    "That''s why you know Rynovar wouldn''t like you destroying it, isn''t it?" She asked.


    "Yes," Cyrus stood and joined Lyda, and they walked onto the path hidden behind the ruins of the chapel. There was a group of fifteen who came through here four years ago who discovered the path after three days, and then only because one of them decided to go to the bathroom behind the chapel rather than walking a few dozen yards in front of it. For whatever reason, people just don''t seem to look behind the stained glass window that is entirely intact in ruins. The thought that it might be hiding something doesn''t even cross the minds of people, for some reason."


    "If I hadn''t thought about you wanting to destroy it when I woke up," she admitted. "I would have taken longer. How long until the next branch for the ruins?"


    "We''re at it," he told her. "There are two ways to move on to the next stage here."


    One of them involved having sex on the altar in the same position as Rynovar''s younger brother and sister-in-law in the window. However, Cyrus found it rather disrespectful and irreverent, even if the chapel wasn''t for any particular religion. Because of that, he wouldn''t tell Lyda the other method, even though she asked several times as they continued down the trail.


    He knew there were actually three ways to move on, but he only considered there to be two due to the similarities between the other two and the fact that no one had ever found one of them.


    Evening was beginning to set as they reached a waterfall only fifteen feet in height, and eleven in width. It fell from a cliff into a pond twenty feet in width, reaching seven feet at its deepest. The pond flowed into a smaller waterfall only two feet in height, then down three more in the creek formed, which snaked its way through the forest and away from them and the trail.


    "It''s beautiful," Lyda breathed when they arrived.


    "It is," Cyrus nodded.


    "This is the one you like, isn''t it?" She asked.


    "It is," he told her. "I like to nap on the grass right over there, listening to the sounds of the waterfall, the birds chirping, and the hum of magic in the air. There used to be some statues, but, Kylnar removed them because I avoided napping here due to them."


    Lyda chuckled, then frowned as she looked around.


    "The trail just¡­ ends," she said. "Right here, where we are."


    The trail led straight to where the pond turned into a creek, ending right at the edge of the first of the short waterfalls.


    "It does," Cyrus began setting up camp. "Why don''t you wait until morning to try to find it?"


    "I was thinking that we should wait until morning to move on," she told him. "But that doesn''t mean I can''t try to find it right now."


    "Okay," he told her. "Dinner will be done in about thirty minutes."


    Cyrus began working on dinner as Lyda walked around the waterfall, the pond, and the stream near them, making sure to never stray more than fifty feet, to ensure she could see the water at all times. When Cyrus called her over for dinner, she joined him, ate, then immediately returned to her inspections.


    As she did that, Cyrus stripped off his clothes, then waded into the pond, moving towards the center and treading water for a few minutes before shifting to float on his back. The water was cool, but not cold. He knew a normal person would find themselves chilly after exiting the water, with the cool air on their wet skin, but magic always solved that for him.


    Manipulating the water, Cyrus kept himself from drifting away from the center of the pond, his eyes closed as he listened to the sounds around him. He didn''t move when he heard Lyda''s clothes sliding over her skin, nor when he heard the gentle splashes from her enter the water and walking towards him. With his magical senses, he watched her begin to approach him.


    Unaware the water was deeper than it looked, including with a sudden drop in its height, Lyda went from the water only reaching her stomach to falling into the water, coming up spluttering to find the water up to her neck while she was still a few feet from Cyrus, who began laughing at her shock, unable to stop himself.


    He knew she found it funny as well, or he''d have prevented his laughter, and within a few moments, Lyda was laughing as well. Cyrus righted himself in the water, moving to where his feet could touch the bottom with his head still above it, then waited until he could collect himself.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "You know," Lyda stepped up to him, pressing herself against him. "That''s the first time I''ve heard you laugh. I mean really laugh. You''re always serious, unless it has to do with your father. Then you''re just angry. You''ve had an amused look from time to time, or slight confusion, but I haven''t heard you actually laugh before."


    "That was probably wrong of me," he said, trying not to laugh again. "But your shocked expression was just¡­ I couldn''t help myself."


    "I found it funny, too," she laughed, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. "Once I got over my shock."


    "Did you figure it out?" He asked.


    "No," she answered. "I just figured I''d come hang out with you for a bit, you looked so good, floating in the water, naked, with your boner sticking up like that."


    "It was?" Cyrus asked. "I mean, I know I am now, ''cause you''re pressed against me, but when I was floating?"


    "Yes," she kissed him again. "I was going to try to tease you before you realized I was there, but-"


    "I could hear you coming," he told her. "And remember? Elemental senses?"


    "Oh, right," he felt her embarrassment as her face flushed. "I forgot about that. Well, I''m going to return to searching for a solution, before night fully sets."


    "You won''t stay in here with me?" Cyrus asked, finding himself disappointed at that.


    "No," she kissed him again, running her hands along his shoulders. "I want to solve this place. Maybe after we do, you can take me back here? The cheating way?"


    "Okay," he found himself excited at the idea of spending some time there with her when she wasn''t trying to solve the ruins. "Maybe I can take you a couple of other places too?"


    "Here?" She asked. "Or outside? Would we have time for that, as we waited for the Mystery Token to appear?"


    "Probably not," he told her. "Once you have the other five in your possession, there''s a pretty good chance it''ll appear within a couple of days, and an even greater chance of it appearing within a week. I meant after you make your wish to Rynovar."


    "Our arrangement ends then," she told him. "Unless¡­ you were meaning to stay with me a little longer?"


    "You''ll age and die while I remain young forever," he shook his head, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder as he felt her body, cooled by the water and the chilly evening air, against him. "It would never work out. I''m not Rynovar, I won''t just halt someone''s aging. That''s cruel to a mortal."


    He released her, then floated back, using his magic to do so rather than simply taking a step backwards.


    "But," he said. "That doesn''t mean I can''t show you a few things anyway, before you settle down and start whatever new life you''re going to make for yourself, once Rynovar grants the wish you have."


    "Okay," she smiled, though it quickly faded. "What about you, Cyrus? You said you had a question for him, too. What will you do, once you receive the answer?"


    She saw anger flare in his eyes for a moment, and realized immediately the question had to do with his father. Only his father ever brought real anger to his eyes or expression, either in mention or mocking.


    "It''s personal," he told her. "But you''ll probably hear it once we see Rynovar. I''ve delayed asking him long enough the question I''ve had for him."


    "It''s about your father, isn''t it?" She asked.


    Cyrus took a deep breath, then let it out through his nose quite fast.


    "Yes," he told her. "I have a question about my father. Anyway, let''s change subjects. Are you sure you don''t want to spend a little more time in the water with me?"


    "As much as I''d love to," she smiled. "I do want to try to find the next stage before it''s too dark to continue searching. It gets quite dark, even with the fake moon and stars."


    "Okay," he said, then watched as she exited the pond.


    Using his magic, he dried her off in an instant, and she turned and smiled at him.


    "Thanks," she said, then pulled on her clothes and began exploring again.


    Cyrus began floating again, waiting until after the sky had darkened, turning the reality marble into its full night mode. An owl hooted nearby, the only sound other than the falls filling the serene silence.


    A few more minutes passed, then he gently, slowly flew out of the water, using magic to dry himself off before simply laying on the bedrolls, pulling the blanket over him. Lyda was still searching, using what little light she had, before eventually joining him on the bedroll.


    He knew she thought he was asleep, and felt her surprise when she realized he was still naked, as he''d been sleeping in his sweatpants and sweater in the ruins. As he expected, and much to his delight, she took off her clothes and climbed under the blanket with him.


    Before he could make a move, Lyda kissed him on the cheek.


    "If you were awake," she whispered. "I''d think you were wanting to do something, but I''m betting you were just being lazy after your relaxing soak in the pond."


    "It''s both," he whispered back, then chuckled as she jumped slightly. "I can tell you''re horny, Lyda. Why don''t you do what you were thinking of doing the moment you saw me? If you want to."


    "Of course I want to," she kissed him on the lips, then slid down, taking his balls into one hand.


    Lyda gently rolled Cyrus''s balls in her hand as she took his erection into her mouth, sinking all the way down the shaft. As she began working him, Cyrus attempted multiple times to get her to move so that he could pleasure her, too, but she remained where she was, leaving him to rub her back and shoulders.


    Several minutes passed, Cyrus finding himself more and more enjoying her treatment of him, before she pulled off and moved back up to kiss him, pressing her body against his, pushing him inside of her.


    Cyrus wasted no time in running his hands over her body, feeling her breasts, her stomach, her back, her arms, her ass. He held onto her as he thrust himself up into her as she raised and lowered herself onto him, working in rhythm with her. Their tongues met, and Cyrus used his magic to hold back his climax until Lyda began moaning softly into him, clamping around his mast as she hit her own. The moment she did, he released his hold, filling her with his seed as she pressed herself against him.


    For several minutes, they lay like that, then Lyda pulled herself off of him and lay beside him, pulling the blanket back over them. Cyrus shifted onto his side, and Lyda did the same, adjusting the blanket as he spooned her.


    "Cyrus," Lyda said her voice soft as she struggled against the lethargy spell. "What if there are consequences for this? I haven''t had my regular-"


    "Remember how I mentioned to my brothers they can''t have children?" He asked. "I did the same thing to myself. I might make cum, but my sperm is altered to make it incompatible with humans. A dog would have a better chance of having babies with a fish than the two of us."


    "That is one weird comparison."


    "You get the idea though, right?"


    "Yeah," she said. "I get the idea. Good night."


    "Good night," he whispered, and she fell asleep.


    Cyrus allowed himself to fall asleep, and when he woke in the morning, he washed off in the pond, then dried and dressed before preparing breakfast. Through all of that, he thought over whether or not he should give Lyda a hint on how to skip several stages and make it through nearly to the end of the ruins.


    By the time she woke up, dressed, and ate breakfast, he came to a decision.


    "Lyda," Cyrus said as he sent everything away. "Did you figure out the way forward yet?"


    "Yes," she answered. "Though I think there might be two."


    "Two?" He asked.


    "Yes," she said. "Two. I think the reason the path ends at the stream is intentional. The path from there is the stream. However¡­ I think that there might be a cave behind the waterfall. I''ll need to check it to be sure, but it would make sense for there to be a cave hidden behind the waterfall, since it''s fast enough and thick enough we can''t actually see behind it."


    "Both are correct," he told her. "And only one has been found by teams who''ve made it this far on this route. That one is the normal way forward. The other one¡­ take you to just a couple of stages before the final stage."


    He stood and met Lyda''s gaze.


    "Do you want me to tell you which is which?" He asked.

 029

    Lyda thought over Cyrus''s question, then shook her head.


    "No," she answered. "Don''t tell me which is which."


    "Okay," Cyrus responded. "Which do you want to do?"


    "I feel like," she said. "The waterfall cave is the obvious thing, that it''s what everyone finds as they explore. It makes sense people would figure that out, exploring this area. Stories are full of caves hidden behind waterfalls. It would make sense for the easier one to have the longer route, too. Let''s go the stream route."


    "Okay," Cyrus said


    "Then again," Lyda looked around. "Actually, I think the stream route would be more obvious. The path ends right on it, and it leads away from where the trail went. So it would make sense that people who are looking for signs would think that''s one and not even think about the waterfall. Let''s do the waterfall."


    "Are you going to change your mind again?" Cyrus asked.


    Lyda looked at the stream, then at the waterfall, then at Cyrus.


    "No," she answered. "Let''s go with the waterfall."


    "Okay," he said, then used his magic to float them through the waterfall and protect them from its spray.


    They landed in the cave hidden behind it, Cyrus using light magic to illuminate it. Resting at the back of the cave was an altar, behind which stood a twice-life-sized white marble statue of Cyrus, stark naked, hands on his hips, proudly standing with his erection on display for anyone who came back there.


    "That was not here last night," Cyrus told Lyda as she looked at him in amusement. "Rynovar must have had it put in while we were sleeping. I noticed it when we woke up, but¡­ didn''t think much of it."


    "Rynovar has a thing about nudity and sex, doesn''t he?" She asked.


    "Considering he has sex at least once a day, sometimes as many as eight times?" Cyrus asked. "Yeah, he''s got a thing about sex. Knowing Rynovar, he plans on having Kylnar put that in my private workshop after we leave the ruins, too."


    "Well," Lyda gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It captures your looks perfectly, so don''t feel embarrassed."


    "It''s more frustrating than embarrassing," Cyrus sighed. "Come on. Let''s get this over with, shall we?"


    Lyda nodded, then the two of them knelt in front of the altar, appearing on a platform of thin, blue-green light in a vast darkness illuminated by blue-green lights in the distance. Several platforms filled the space, connected by pathways of the blue-green lights.


    Cyrus groaned


    "Is this bad?" She asked.


    "In a way," he answered.


    "How come?" She asked.


    "This is the route less traveled," he said. "You''re right about that. And it''s the one that takes us nearly to the end of the ruins. I forgot to check which version of this stage we were going to end up on, it depends on several factors at entry. If we''d waited, we probably could have gotten a better variation."


    "What''s this one''s thing?" She asked.


    "I can make it a lot easier," he muttered. "But Rynovar wouldn''t like that. I wouldn''t put it past him to get rid of the token before we arrive just because of that."


    "Cyrus," Lyda said. "What''s this one''s thing?"


    "There''s no way out," he said, and she gave him a horrified look. "I mean, not that''s obvious. It''s intended on confusing adventurers, making them wander around until they, well, decide to rest. All present people need to be asleep to activate the dreams."


    "The dreams?" She asked.


    "Yes," he said. "The dreams. There, that''s where you face another puzzle. If you fail it, you won''t be able to try again until at least twelve hours have passed upon the last person waking up, and everyone has to pass before the actual exit appears."


    "So you and I need to-"


    "You," Cyrus cleared his throat. "It doesn''t register gods and Blessed Ones. So just you. The problem is that the puzzle is annoying complex and I can''t help you with it. I don''t even know what it takes the form of, and the dream spell is shielded from outside interference. I literally cannot assist you with it."


    "Oh," she said. "So I''m on my own for this?"


    "Yes," he answered. "I''m sorry, Lyda. I should have remembered to make sure it wasn''t this one we were going to end up in."


    "It''s fine," she smiled. "I just woke up, so it''ll take me a little while, by why don''t you get out a bedroll for me?"


    Cyrus pulled out a bedroll, blanket, and pillow for Lyda, and she lay down. He sat beside her and watched as she relaxed, eventually falling asleep. Knowing it would be awhile before she woke, he pulled out a book and began reading.


    Seven hours passed before the stage of the ruins changed, shifting until there was only the single platform they were on left. An altar appeared in the center of it as well, and Cyrus put away his book.


    A few seconds later, Lyda opened her eyes and looked at Cyrus.


    "I-"


    "Passed, I know," he indicated the altar. "We have just one more stage left before the end."


    "Just one?" She asked.


    "Yes," he told her, handing her a few granola bars and a bottle of orange juice. "Just one. And I''m not allowed to help you with it."


    "Why not?" She asked.


    "Because Rynovar forbid me from doing so," he told her. "There are four stages total I''m forbidden from helping with, and everyone has to go through at least one to reach the end. And before you ask if there''s a way around it, the answer''s ''no''. There''s a geas on you preventing me from properly helping."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Okay," she said.


    "Eat up," he told her. "Then let''s go."


    Lyda ate the food Cyrus gave her, then he sent the trash away before they stood and he sent the bed items back as well.


    "Oh, and something else," he said as they approached the altar. "There are two failure possibilities. In one, you''re returned to here."


    "And in the other?" She asked.


    "You''re sent all the way back to the beginning," he told her. "That one''s rare, so don''t worry too hard about it happening."


    "Okay," she said. "And if I get that bit of bad luck?"


    "I''ll rejoin you," he told her. "But I doubt you''ll get it."


    She nodded, then they knelt in front of the altar. When they appeared in the next stage, Lyda became aware immediately that it was different.


    Though they were in a chapel, it was whole, undamaged, and there was far, far more space within it. Twenty-four stained-glass windows lined each side wall, with several more on the wall behind the altar and the wall with the chapel''s exit.


    Surrounded by green panes were images of a man who looked quite similar to Cyrus, naked and at full-mast, in various positions. Each facing pair on the side walls were identical, but no two windows on the same wall matched.


    Four rows of pews filled the chapel as well, leading nearly up to the slight dais the altar rested on. Upon the marble altar sat two pairs of candelabra, each with six gray candles set into them, lit. On the center of the altar was a scaled-down marble statue of the figure in the windows, taking the same pose as the status of Cyrus behind the waterfall.


    "Before you ask," Cyrus said. "That''s my father."


    "I can see the resemblance," Lyda told him. "Why did¡­ Rynovar do that for this stage?"


    "It was not like this last time I was here."


    "It wasn''t?" She asked.


    "It was Kylnar," Cyrus walked over to a pew and sat down. "I can''t help you with this stage, Lyda, but I can tell you that you can''t leave the chapel until you complete it. The door out is sealed, and the windows and walls and ceiling and floor are impervious to any damage even a Divine, a Tier Twelve, could manage."


    As a god, Cyrus could if he bothered using a larger fraction of his power, but he wasn''t going to do that, and wouldn''t even if Rynovar hadn''t ordered him not to assist her. It would ruin the point of the ruins, of the stage, and cause damage to the ruins that would be a hassle to fix.


    Lyda began walking around as Cyrus watched. She inspected every mural, the miniature statue, the candles set into their holders and on the altar, the pews, and the walls. She examined the floor, the doors, and the ceiling, the latter of which possessed a painted mural of Cyrus''s father.


    For three days, Lyda looked around the chapel, before she began rearranging the pews, and Cyrus didn''t sleep a wink. Cyrus would have offered to help her, except he knew Rynovar would consider helping her for anything outside of eating and sleeping as breaking the rule. He was grateful there was a bathroom through one of the back doors of the chapel, the other of which led to just an empty room.


    Things might have been a lot more frustrating for him, having to use magic to deal with their needs.


    "Lyda," Cyrus groaned after the second day of her shifting pews around. "Why are you moving the pews?"


    "Just let me work," she told him, then thought for a few moments. "Is that groan indicative of something?"


    "No," he told her. "It could just be that I''m frustrated over this stage, or you''re doing it wrong, or moving them is unnecessary, or any other number of things. You wouldn''t have received the hint due to Rynovar''s geas if it were indicative of something, I''ve already checked it. But seriously, why are you moving the pews?"


    "You''re going crazy, just sitting there, aren''t you?" She asked. "Only able to watch because of that rule Rynovar put in place.


    "Yes," he admitted.


    "Just give me another day," she told him. "I think I''ll have this figured out by then."


    "Alright," he told her.


    He returned to watching her, still not sure of why she was moving the pews around. Based on her thoughts, she didn''t actually have a reason for it.


    Because he hadn''t slept since they entered the chapel, Cyrus slept longer than normal that night. When he woke, Lyda had been up for a few hours, rearranging the pews. That time, however, things were different. The pews had been pushed into formations, and candles were pulled from their holders, resting on various pews in a seemingly random order.


    Cyrus watched as Lyda finished shifting a few of the pews and pulling candles from the stands and setting them on the pews, then she walked over to the altar and grabbed the statue off. She took the statue to a pew, set it down, and placed two more candles beside it, before taking a third and melting it, using her magic to strengthen the flame, allowing the hot wax to coat the statue, covering every last part of it with the dark green wax.


    Impressed, Cyrus watched as she finished, and a few seconds later, they both heard a click which echoed through the room.


    "Wait," Lyda looked at the door, then at Cyrus. "Was that actually the way?"


    "You didn''t know? He asked, astonished.


    "I was doing it on a whim!" She exclaimed. "Mostly out of frustration! I didn''t expect that to actually do anything! That was way too obscure!"


    "Which is exactly why I wasn''t allowed to help you," he told her. "I don''t know why Rynovar wanted it that obscure, but he did. Come on, let''s go grab the Forest Token."


    Lyda picked up her pack and pulled it on, then followed Cyrus to the doors exiting the chapel. She opened it and stepped through, the god following, and they found themselves in a clearing in a forest, the chapel having disappeared.


    Resting in the heart of the clearing was a wooden altar with vines creeping up its sides, a pair of dark green candles sitting on it. A small moat surrounded the altar, only two feet wide and quite shallow, but still fully-encompassing the altar.


    Lyda and Cyrus stepped over the moat and walked up to the altar. Sitting between the pair of candles was a black token with a tree raised on it, brown for the roots, trunk, and branches, green for the leaves.


    Lyda picked up the token, then knelt in front of the altar, disappearing. Cyrus followed her out of the ruins, then immediately slapped his brothers'' hands away from her.


    "Hey!" Owen exclaimed.


    "We just wanted to see if she was real!" Max responded.


    "And to check out the forest token!" Lucas exclaimed.


    "We weren''t planning on trying to seduce her," all three responded, and Lyda gave Cyrus a look.


    "She doesn''t have the Mystery Token," Cyrus said, then pulled out all four of the tokens she did have, handing them to her.


    "What does that have to do with them being here?" Lyda asked him as she examined the tokens.


    "How long do you think it''ll take?" Owen asked her.


    "For the Mystery Token to appear?" Max asked.


    "Now that all five of the others are in your hands?" Lucas asked.


    "If you guess correctly, we''ll give you a special prize!" The triplets said in unison.


    "A special prize?" Lyda asked, then looked at Cyrus. "You said it would take less than a day if I had all five of these, right?"


    "Yes," he answered.


    "That''s cheating!" The triplets exclaimed.


    "Less than three hours," Lyda said.


    "But more than how long?" The triplets asked.


    Lyda looked at Cyrus, then at the triplets.


    "Less than three hours," she stated. "More than how long it''s been since Cyrus put them in my hands."


    "That''s cheating!" They said.


    "You do know that confirms it, right?" Cyrus asked as Lyda laughed.


    "Really?" She asked him. "How long?"


    "Oh, thirty-eight seconds," he told her. "That''s why they wanted an answer. I checked with my own powers of time as soon as I gave them to you to see. It''s rather fast, but then, no one''s ever had all five of those before, so it was a little beyond what knowledge alone could predict."


    They waited out the rest of the time, and the final token appeared, a black token with a dark gray question mark on both sides. It simply formed in the air above Lyda''s hands, hovering there until she took it and put it with the others. Then, she looked at the triplets.


    "What''s this special prize?" She asked. "And why were you waiting here for us? I get the impression your real reason for being here was an attempt to take me away from Cyrus before we go our separate ways."


    "Oh, no, we definitely didn''t want to do that," the triplets told her. "Well, maybe we did, but we know it''s a bad idea. Cyrus is serious about you. More so than we expected. If we actually did try, he''d probably drop us into a Dungeon we can''t just use our magic to escape."


    "And the grabbing?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "You three were grabbing at her."


    "Maybe we wanted to tease you a little," the triplets responded in unison, then looked at Lyda. "Lyda, the special reward you get is¡­ the seventh token!"

 030

    "The seventh token?" Lyda asked. "I thought there were only six?"


    "There are seven," Cyrus said. "I accidentally hinted at it before, when I said you had three left."


    "Oh," Lyda said, then looked at the triplets. "And Rynovar won''t be mad that you''re just giving it to me?"


    "No," Owen answered.


    "But Cyrus might be," Max told her.


    "Since he technically has a claim to it," Lucas told her.


    "But we want to do it!" The triplets exclaimed.


    "Stack the tokens on top of each other," Cyrus told Lyda. "And hold them on your palm like that."


    Lyda obeyed.


    "No fair!" The triplets exclaimed as Cyrus placed his hand on top of the stack.


    Then, he pushed his hand down, and Lyda found herself surprised that the movement didn''t put any pressure on the tokens, her hand remaining where it was. When Cyrus pulled his hand away, Lyda discovered why: the six tokens had merged together, forming a single token.


    The new token was black with a green hexagon filling it, lines moving from the corners to the center, giving it the illusion of being raised, like a gem.


    "A Jewel," she said. "That''s the emblem of the Jewels, of Specialists, people with-"


    "Affinities to magics other than the six elements," Cyrus told her. "Correct. This is the Divine Token, and only a god can merge the six tokens together to form it. Even if Mother never put you on the path to meeting me, you''d have met either me or the triplets."


    "Most likely Cyrus," Owen told her.


    "But things would have been different," Max told her.


    "Because he wouldn''t have fallen in love with you," Lucas added.


    "But then again, you wouldn''t have met us anyway because you''d have never managed to go on the quest without her putting you in his path," they told her in unison.


    "Right," Lyda said, then looked at Cyrus. "So if someone manages to collect all six tokens, they have to then seek out a god to have them turned into the Divine Token?"


    "No," Cyrus explained. "Rynovar would ask a god to seek them out, if their paths haven''t already crossed. The triplets were made aware of this a few years ago, I figured it out when we were little, and Kylnar confirmed it to me when I asked him."


    "Oh," she looked at the token again, then back to Cyrus. "So what now? It magically sends me to the island?"


    "No," Cyrus told her. "Now, we go get some food, get some rest, and then, we go to meet Ty."


    "Ty?" She asked.


    "Ty," he nodded. "An old friend."


    "But what about the island?" She asked as he and the triplets began walking. "My request for Lord Rynovar?"


    "That comes later," Cyrus told her as she began walking as well. "Ty comes first. You have to meet him before you can go to the island, but he won''t see you unless you have that token. Normally, the god who fuses the tokens into the Divine Token would just tell the quester just enough to set them on the path to finding Ty, and that''s it. But given the circumstances, our deal, and the fact that Rynovar hasn''t sent Kylnar to tell me not to, I''m just going to take you to him."


    "Why do we have to meet Ty first?" She asked.


    "Because he''s part of the quest," Cyrus told her. "Specifically, he''s the one who has the transport enchantment that sends the questers to the island."


    "And it requires the Divine Token to activate," the triplets told her.


    "But it only works," Cyrus added. "For the person it was transformed for. The person who was holding it when a god merged the six into one. To anyone else, it''s just an extraordinarily rare coin. Screw this walk. Hold your breath."


    He placed a hand on Lyda''s shoulder, giving her just enough time to inhale, then teleported them to his car sitting in the parking lot outside of the campgrounds.


    "Didn''t we take a cab here?" Lyda asked, looking at the car in confusion.


    "We brought it because we knew Cyrus wouldn''t want to do the walk," the triplets told her immediately after appearing beside them. "We''re going back to the restaurant, see you later!"


    The triplets vanished, and Lyda gave Cyrus a confused look.


    "They can be nice sometimes," he said. "And they''re still recovering from Mother''s punishment for destroying the Dungeon. Come on."


    They entered his car, then Cyrus drove them back to Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant. When they entered, they found the triplets talking with three women in a curved booth over some drinks. Cyrus felt the shock in Lyda''s mind as she saw the young man working at the bar, which confused him a little.


    He looked at the man, who looked to be around two years older than Lyda, with black hair and dark brown eyes, a splash of freckles on his pale cheeks. The bartender was scrawny, to the point that his uniform hung loosely on him.


    "Why do you seem surprised to see him?" Cyrus asked Lyda. "He works here."


    "He didn''t last I knew," she shook her head, her voice quiet, and Cyrus could tell she was hopeful he hadn''t noticed her yet. "I knew him a few years ago, before he graduated high school and disappeared from my life entirely. What''s he doing here?"


    "That''s our newest worker," Sabbie approached. "Madam Mara found him last night and took him in as a sort of project. Sort of like you, but worse."


    "Thanks, Sabbie," Lyda rolled her eyes.


    "So you crushed on him?" Sabbie gave her a sly look.


    "Yes," Lyda responded. "And if you tell him, Sabbie, I''m dying your hair in your sleep."


    "Oh, come on!" Sabbie mock-whined. "It''s not like you''re going to be working here anymore if you get your wish!"


    Cyrus rubbed his eyes and approached the bar, sitting as Sabbie and Lyda moved off to their own seat to talk. The young god placed an order with the new bartender, Drake, and made small talk with him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    It wasn''t hard for Cyrus to notice the young man''s crush on Lyda, even if the bartender was good at hiding his emotions, remaining quiet with a mostly-neutral expression. To Cyrus''s empathy and mind-reading, however, the fact that Drake had noticed Lyda the moment she walked in was obvious, as was the man''s interest in her.


    While there was a slight arousal, Drake had a more romantic and loving interest in her. Her crush was reciprocated, and Drake was surprised to see her walk in and disappointed to find it was with a guy.


    "I''m just taking her on a trip," Cyrus said, and Drake gave him a confused stare. The young god touched his temple. "I''m empathic, I know how you''re feeling, and who it''s in regards to. Yes, Lyda and I are having sex, but it''s just until our trip is over, because we aren''t denying our primal feelings. The journey is almost over. She''ll be back here after our trip finishes, make your move then."


    With that, Cyrus felt good. He had used his magic to peer through time to see what would happen if Lyda and Drake got together, and the result pleased him. She would have eighteen biological children in the next fifteen years and the two of them would live in a rather large home by the time the fourth was born within three.


    As for how they managed to afford the house, she and Drake would start sharing an apartment soon after they got together, and Lyda would save up money for them to move down to the islands. There, she would figure out where to go in order to meet the Silver Oracle again, then advertise herself, within the rules given to her by Kylnar, as an escort down to the Silver Oracle.


    That job would earn her plenty of money, and her celebration of her first pay celebration would result in her first pregnancy, a pair of twins.


    He felt pleased at that, as she had helped him plenty with things and deserved to have something good in her life as a result of it, something more than just her wish being granted.


    Aware of this future for her now that he had ensured it would happen by telling Drake to approach her ¨C something his magic told him was necessary for that future to play out ¨C Cyrus ate quietly, using his tablet to make more arrangements and contact SnK regarding something unimportant.


    When the night drew late, Cyrus walked over to Lyda, who was still talking with Sabbie in a booth, neither of them working and both turning down everyone who approached them for sex.


    "I''m going to the hotel," Cyrus told Lyda. "Mother booked me a room. It''s the same one we stayed at before, Room 1412 if you want to join me. Or you can do your own thing, it looks like you want to hang out with your friend."


    "I do, thanks," she told him. "Should we meet up here, then?"


    "Yeah," he told her. "I''ll be here at nine, after I eat breakfast."


    "I''ll be here," she told him. "Goodnight, Cyrus."


    "Goodnight," he told her, then dipped his head to Lyda. "Goodnight."


    Cyrus left and drove to the hotel, checked in, and went up to his room. He pulled off his sneakers and socks, then pulled his hoodie off, before immediately throwing it at the god who appeared a few feet away from him.


    "You mistimed it so that I''m in just my pants, not naked," Cyrus told Kylnar.


    "I didn''t realize you were undressing," Kylnar held up his hands defensively. "I wasn''t expecting you to prepare to go to bed immediately, Cyrus. I mean, it''s not like you actually sleep every night."


    "Peering through time exhausts me," he told Kylnar. "What did you want, if you were just popping in because I was alone?"


    "Just to talk," Kylnar tossed the hoodie back, and Cyrus pulled it back on, then sat on the bed. Kylnar sat on the air, a chair forming on its own beneath him. "I was curious about what you were planning on doing after Lyda talks with Rynovar and he grants her wish?"


    "Return to the shop," he answered. "Back to my old life. Now that the triplets are going to behave better, I''ll probably look for a relationship, go out and do stuff I enjoy. They''ll probably try to steal him or her from me again, but¡­ I''ll deal with that. They''re currently occupying themselves in the second floor of Madam Mara''s Restaurant."


    "Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant," Kylnar corrected, and Cyrus rolled his eyes. "Find yourself a human lover? That doesn''t seem like you."


    Cyrus understood Kylnar''s tone and implied question.


    "Yes," Cyrus said. "Once I''m certain my brothers are going to behave for awhile, I''m leaving Earth. It probably won''t be too long, but I''m going to look at other gods, see if there''s one I get along with, male or female, and pursue something with them. Bring them back here if it works out."


    "What do you think your father-"


    "My father can take a white-hot poker up his ass and burn for all I care!" Cyrus exclaimed in a fury. "He doesn''t have a say in my love life, and if he tries to interfere or play games with me when I''m serious with someone, so help me, he''s going to suffer for it!"


    Cyrus realized he was clenching his fists and yelling, then took a few deep breaths and let himself fall backwards onto the bed.


    "Your father won''t do that," Kylnar told him. "Trust me. As much as he tries messing with you, Cyrus, he loves you quite deeply. If something makes you happy, he would challenge the universe itself if something came between you and that happiness."


    The two gods fell silent as Cyrus thought over Kylnar''s words. He wasn''t sure about that, but knew that Kylnar wasn''t in the habit of lying to him. That made his question to Rynovar all the more important.


    "Also," Kylnar said. "I wanted to visit you to let you know that your brothers sent me a bunch of recordings of waterfalls and fish eating instead of the videos and shows I asked for."


    "I''ll talk to them after we visit Rynovar," Cyrus snorted. "You know they''ll show up while they''re there, just to see Lyda get her wish granted."


    "Yeah," Kylnar chuckled. "What do you think the odds are of Rynovar having to tell them to calm down and back off?"


    "They''ll probably be thoroughly intimidated by him," Cyrus said. "It''s their first time properly meeting him, after all, and he''s the most powerful god in the universe."


    "Yours, too," Kylnar said. "Are you nervous?"


    "No," Cyrus told him, then covered his mouth as he let out a large yawn. "I''ll see you up there tomorrow, Kylnar, but for now, I really am tired. I peered fifty years into the future for several possibilities, and I''m not used to that."


    "Alright," Kylnar rose from his seat, which dissolved into nothing. "I''ll see you tomorrow, then."


    Kylnar disappeared, then Cyrus stripped naked and lay back on the bed, falling asleep immediately. When morning came, he took a shower, dressed, ate breakfast, and drove back to the restaurant. He found Lyda sitting at the bar, chatting with yet another bartender Cyrus didn''t recognize.


    "Good morning," he greeted her.


    "Good morning," she responded. "Are we leaving now?"


    "Yes," he told her. "The drive to Ty''s place is a few hours, and I''d like to be there before lunch."


    "Okay," she told him, then looked at the bartender. "Goodbye."


    "Bye," he told her.


    Lyda followed Cyrus to his car, then they climbed in and he began driving.


    "What''s Ty like?" She asked. "You''ve only said he''s an old friend."


    "Because he is," Cyrus told her. "And it depends on his mood, as with everyone. He''s generally rather cheerful, and has a somewhat playful personality. But it''s possible you won''t see that side of him, since we''re going there for the quest."


    "Okay," she said. "And once we arrive, he''s sending us up?"


    "No," Cyrus said. "He''ll have to wait for the signal from Rynovar first, but that''s basically just so that Rynovar is ready for you. It''d be strange if you showed up and Rynovar was, say, in the shower. Though most people won''t know about the signal, thinking Ty''s just delaying things."


    "Okay," she said.


    Lyda looked out the window, and fell asleep soon after. Cyrus wasn''t surprised by that, as he guessed she''d not slept much that night, her anxiety over meeting their godking making rest difficult.


    Just before noon, Cyrus pulled up to a gate set into a stone wall, then waited for a few seconds before the gate opened. He pulled onto the property and drove around the fountain splitting the road, parking in front of the steps leading up to the house.


    "We''re here," Cyrus woke Lyda. "Come on."


    They exited the car, and Lyda looked at the neatly-manicured lawns and fragrant gardens of flowers with vivid colors. Cyrus tossed his keys to the servant who greeted them, who then entered the car and pulled away, to park it in the mansion''s garage.


    Cyrus walked up the steps, Lyda following him, and he felt her nerves radiating out of her.


    "Just take a few deep breaths," Cyrus said as he rang the doorbell. "You really don''t have anything to be nervous of, especially not yet."


    She nodded, and the door was opened by a man who appeared to be only eighteen, with platinum-blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in khakis and a gray polo, feet bare.


    "Hello," he greeted them.


    "Hello, Ty," Cyrus answered. "You answered, not a servant?"


    "I was right here," he shrugged. "I wasn''t expecting a guest."


    "I forgot to call," Cyrus told him. "This is Lyda, she has the Divine Token."


    "Ah," Ty smiled at Lyda. "Come on in, you two. Rynovar''s been talking about the quest you''ve been doing. I should have realized, but I only just woke up, and that was to Rynovar sending one of his pets to jump on me. His name was Poseidon."


    "It changed again," Cyrus rolled his eyes as they entered, and Ty closed the door, then looked at Lyda.


    "Allow me to properly introduce myself," Ty said. "My name is Tyler Novaranamis, and I''m the final gate for the quest for a mortal to meet Rynovar."

 031

    "Novaranimas?" Lyda asked. "Why do I feel like that name is familiar?"


    "Tyler Novaranimas," Cyrus explained. "Was a member of the Novar Family, the last form of government Earth had before Rynovar took over. He was the servant and aid for Ryan Novar, the Family Head."


    Lyda''s eyes widened as she heard who she was standing before, both in shock and disbelief.


    "But that''s not possible!" She exclaimed. "You were said to only have a couple of elemental affinities! And you-you look at as young as we are! Younger, even! Yet you were human! Weren''t you?"


    "History has a tendency of forgetting some things," Ty told her. "To clarify on what happened, Ryan halted my aging, then after Cyrus learned how to manipulate mana veins, Ryan granted me an affinity for all elements and for high magics, turning me into a Jewel."


    "Ryan?" Lyda asked. "He died when Rynovar took over, didn''t he?"


    Cyrus just shook his head as Tyler led them to a sitting room, where he ordered a servant to bring them something to eat.


    "Lyda," Cyrus said once they had tea and small cakes to snack on. "It''s in the name. He literally just removed the first ''a'' and used only one ''n'' while putting the two names together. That''s how Rynovar came up with his god name."


    "Wait," Lyda looked at Cyrus. "Are you saying that-"


    "Rynovar is Ryan Novar, the last Family Head of the Novar Family," Ty finished. "Yes, he is. He never died, he simply changed his identity, had Kylnar raise an island out of the ocean into the sky, and then made his home up there as he declared himself the godking he rightfully was.


    "When he came up with the idea for this quest," Ty continued. "He asked me if I would act as the final gate, the final boundary to the island. The activation of the transport requires two things. The Divine Token and my conscious and willing activation of it. He''s given me full permission to come up with anything I wish for the requirement for my activation of it."


    "Another question?" Lyda asked.


    "Of sorts," Ty told her. "Rather, I decided that anyone who comes here must spend at least one night here. Not necessarily a full day, but if they show up too late in the day, I will delay it until the next afternoon."


    "We have to wait a day?" Lyda asked.


    "Yes," Ty told her. "You must spend at least one night here for one simple reason. Once I activate that transport, you will be meeting Rynovar, our godking."


    "Cyrus told me-"


    "That you have a wait so that Rynovar can get into position," Ty said. "Yes, that''s also true, but he doesn''t go until I tell him I''m preparing to activate it. Selar and Kylnar will be there as well."


    "Will Cyrus''s parents?" Lyda asked. "Or is it just for the main trinity?"


    "Yes," Cyrus cleared his throat. "My parents will be there. They wouldn''t miss it for anything."


    "So you''ll get to punch your father then, won''t you?" Lyda asked.


    "I''m going to punch him," Cyrus growled. "That bastard deserves it and a whole lot worse! I''m going to-"


    "Cyrus," Ty calmly spoke, and Cyrus immediately stopped, took a breath, and apologize. "I understand why you are angry at him. In your position, I would probably have done the same thing."


    "Let''s get back to Lyda," Cyrus muttered.


    "Let''s," Ty smiled, then looked at Lyda. "The wait to go up to the island serves several purposes. The first is so that you can mentally prepare yourself for meeting our godking and the other gods who will be present. The second is so that you can think over your wish or question, in case you decide you wish to change it."


    "Even though the Silver Oracle is meant to discuss it with us and tell us whether or not he''ll accept it?" Lyda asked.


    "She looks at two things," Ty told her. "The first is your current question or request. The second is what you will ask. She will always ensure that what is asked will be answered or granted."


    "Oh," Lyda said. "Okay. So are those the only reasons for the wait? Or is there something else?"


    "Those are the ones you need to know," Ty told her. "Once we finish our snack, I will take you to the transport ring, then we will have lunch in the dining room."


    They finished their tea and cakes, then Ty led them out of the sitting room and to a courtyard of the mansion. On the ground was a black marble circle twenty feet in width with a gray marble pattern set into it, a hexagon with lines connecting each corner to the center, the emblem of Jewels, those with an affinity for high magics.


    Surrounding the ring were six marble circles three feet in width, each patterned after the six normal tokens of the quest, each placed facing one of the six corners of the jewel in the larger circle.


    "When it''s time," Ty informed Lyda. "For you to make the trip, you''ll stand on the central ring with me, and hand me the Divine Token. I''ll then activate it, and you will be teleported up to the reception area of the island. Gods, Blessed Ones, and myself can accompany you if we wish."


    Ty turned his gaze to Cyrus, who nodded.


    "I''m going with her, Ty," Cyrus told him.


    "Okay," Ty said. "I''m staying home. I was up there last night because Rynovar wanted-won''t say."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Cyrus shrugged, then looked at Lyda, who was staring at the formation, lost in thought. While he wouldn''t pretend to understand what she was going through, he did know what she was thinking about.


    It was her last chance to back out, to try to advance her magic her own way and try to live the way she was, to make a living with the power she had.


    After a few minutes, Cyrus''s stomach rumbled, so the trio walked to the dining room, where they were served lunch. As they ate, six dogs entered the dining room, running up to Cyrus and Lyda and shoving their noses against their legs, tails wagging.


    "I forgot about the dogs," Cyrus pushed one of them down as it attempted to lick his face. He looked at Ty as he bopped another dog on the nose. "Didn''t you only have five before?"


    "I got a new one a few years ago," Ty told him. "His name Seth, like the ancient Egyptian god."


    "He really likes to lick faces, doesn''t he?" Cyrus asked as he pushed the dog down again, that time sending a mental command to ensure he was understood.


    "Yes, he does," Ty chuckled, then clicked his tongue, and all six dogs ran over to him, gathering around him. "Want to play fetch with us after lunch?"


    "Sure," Cyrus answered.


    They finished up their lunch, then made their way outside to the back lawn. Lyda sat on a pool chair as Cyrus and Ty began throwing tennis balls for the dogs to catch. Cyrus could tell Lyda wanted to swim in the large pool and soak in the hot tub, but was too nervous to ask. She felt that it would be rude of her to do so, especially as she was only there to visit the godking.


    The young god exchanged a few mental messages with Ty, then tossed Lyda her bathing suit, resulting in the dogs running over to her, thinking he was throwing a toy to her.


    "Hey!" Lyda exclaimed as she found herself buried by dogs. "Cyrus! Help!"


    Ty clicked his tongue a few times, and the dogs abandoned Lyda to return to him and Cyrus, the two of them trying not to laugh as Lyda just shook her head.


    "Sorry, "Cyrus told her. "I didn''t realize they''d chase after you. There''s a bathroom inside, down the hall on the left, third door on the right. It''s not a problem for you to swim in the pool or use the hot tub. Ty does request that you wear swim clothes, though, like the bikini I just gave you."


    "I can understand that," Lyda stood and picked up the swim wear, then went inside.


    Cyrus and Ty returned to playing with the dogs until Cyrus decided to change into swim trunks and join Lyda in the pool, floating on an inflating pool chair. Tyler joined them after a few more minutes, and Lyda appraised him.


    "You''re not like," she said. "What I''d expect of someone hundreds of years old. Then again, none of them so far were, except maybe the Silver Oracle."


    "Your brain changes as you age," Ty told her. "So while some maturation will continue as a result of experiences, if you stop aging, you don''t have some of the maturation you''d have a result of the changing brain chemistry and balances. At heart, I''m a servant of Ryan''s, but at the same time, I still enjoy having fun in things people your age would typically find fun. Swimming in a pool or at a beach, going to the sauna, going to a spa, video games, sex, hanging out with friends, streaking through town-"


    "Streaking through town?" Lyda asked.


    "I''ve refrained from doing that," Ty told her.


    "Here," Cyrus said. "I''ve heard you''ve done that up on the island a few times."


    "I''m going to point out that Ryan and Kylnar were with me, naked, and we weren''t running through the settlement," Ty said. "We were sunbathing at the park."


    "According to Mother," Cyrus said. "The three of you skipped from Kylnar''s place to the park, sunbathed for two hours, then skipped back."


    "We may have also been extremely drunk," Ty added. "Kylnar can make this beer that affects even gods."


    "Really?" Cyrus asked. "When did he invent that? He hasn''t mentioned it to me."


    "He finished it about five years ago," Ty told him. "And he never mentioned it to you because he knew you''d want to get drunk on it and never sober up, the way things were with your brothers."


    "Probably," Cyrus shrugged.


    The three of them swam in the pool for awhile longer, then soaked in the hot tub for twenty minutes before returning inside the mansion to wash off, Cyrus and Lyda sharing a shower. Dressed back in normal clothes, Cyrus led Lyda to the gaming room Ty was playing in, already dressed from his shower as well.


    "You''re free to use the services of the mansion," Ty told her. "There''s another gaming room, too, if you want to play something, or you can watch me if you want. The staff will let you know if you can or can''t do something."


    "Can you tell me about Rynovar?" Lyda asked. "From before he was Rynovar, I mean? Or is that not allowed?"


    "It''s allowed," Ty told her. "He hasn''t really changed much, other than before he revealed himself to be a god and was still pretending to be a human, he would use his reset spell dozens to hundreds of times just to figure out how to make a single scenario play out exactly as he wanted. He may still do it, but if he does, he doesn''t tell me.


    Lyda opened her mouth, only to stop when Cyrus shook his head.


    "Resetting over and over," he told her. "Is far more accurate for manipulating events than peering into the future for the simple fact that you are living the future, only resetting it after. So you know that is what will happen with those sets of events. It makes it easier to play with variables, things you might miss when simply viewing the future."


    "Oh," she said. "Like if you realize while living through the time period that the reason event a happened was because of event b, which was seemingly unrelated and wouldn''t have been in the knowledge of the future used by peering through time?"


    "One case," Ty said. "Which Ryan did it, was with an assassination attempt on him. He knew it would happen, and he knew how to stop it. However, he wanted a specific outcome from it, where the assassin died and her friend became his ally. He could see the bigger picture if he peered through time, but in order to create the exact scenario he wanted, he needed to live through that hour time and again, changing small details each time until he had the final, desired result. And then ended up having an additional result he hadn''t planned and mostly went after just to see if it would yield results."


    Lyda looked at Ty in confused.


    "He got laid," Cyrus told her.


    "He manipulated an assassination so he''d get laid?" She asked.


    "That''s¡­ not quite what happened, but yes," Ty told her. "The assassin''s friend would have preferred me, but as I''m gay, I wasn''t into her. So after seeing Ryan as he was, she decided to get with him when he asked. Though that happened in a reset that ended up getting reset over, so it never happened in the final, true timeline."


    "Okay," Lyda said. "Anything else?"


    Ty continued playing his game as he told Lyda about Rynovar, stopping when it was time for dinner. After dinner, Lyda and Cyrus swam in the pool, then showered off and went to bed, having sex for the last time before falling asleep.


    When morning came, they ate breakfast, then Ty led them to the courtyard with the teleport setup. The three of them stepped onto the ring, then Ty met Lyda''s gaze.


    "Are you ready to go and meet Rynovar?" He asked.


    "I am," she answered.


    "Are you prepared to ask your question or make your request?" He asked.


    "I am," she answered.


    "Then hand me the token," he held out his hand, and she handed him the Divine Token.


    Ty infused his magic into the token, then Lyda found herself in a new location, a warm, tropical island with sand-colored stone making up the floor of the space she was in, tropical trees, flowers, and bushes surrounding it.


    Only thirty feet from her, sitting on a golden throne on a dais six steps above the rest of the ground, was a man who wore an entirely-gray outfit, along with a golden crown atop his head.


    The moment she and Cyrus appeared, Cyrus launched himself at the man, punching him square in the face.

 032

    Lyda stared as Cyrus began attacking who she thought was Rynovar, only to realize that the man greatly resembled Cyrus in addition to the images of Cyrus''s father she had seen in the Forest Ruins.


    "Ah, yes," a voice said from beside her. "A son''s love for his father never fails."


    Lyda turned and found Cyrus''s mother standing there, along with another man she assumed was a god, the latter of whom was the one who had spoken.


    "Mother!" The triplets appeared beside them, hugging their mother, then looking at Cyrus. "Wow, he really did go all-out."


    "Yes, he did," their mother chuckled. "Your father knew he was going to, too, and decided to let it happen."


    "He has plenty of venting needing to happen," the other god shrugged, looking at the duo at the throne. "So his father''s letting it happen. He''ll heal up immediately."


    "Did Cyrus put Lord Rynovar''s crown on his head?" Lyda realized.


    "No!" The triplets laughed. "Father put it on him!"


    "How would Lord Rynovar feel about that?"


    "Lyda, dear," Cyrus''s mother said. "Ty wouldn''t have sent you here if Rynovar hadn''t told him he was ready for you."


    Lyda looked at the man on the throne, then at the brothers'' mother, then at Cyrus, then back to his father, repeating this several times before looking at the brothers'' mother in shock.


    "Cyrus''s father is Lord Rynovar?" She asked. "But he talked so differently about them! He was always angry about his father and calm about Rynovar!"


    "It was how," Owen told her.


    "Cyrus managed," Max told her.


    "To keep civil about the godking," Luke told her.


    "By acting as if Father and Rynovar were two separate people," the triplets said in unison.


    "So, then," Lyda looked at their mother. "That makes you-"


    "Allow me to properly introduce myself," the brother''s mother smiled. "I am Selar, wife of Rynovar and the queen god of Earth. This is Kylnar."


    "Hello, Lyda," Kylnar smiled at her. "It seems we kept missing each other when I visited Cyrus, though that wasn''t intentional on my part."


    "It looks like they''re done," Owen said, and everyone looked at Cyrus and Rynovar.


    "They must have slipped out of time," Max said as Cyrus yanked the crown off his head and slammed it onto his father''s.


    "Because that was definitely much too short," Luke said as Rynovar adjusted the crown.


    "They even healed and cleaned up!" The triplets said in unison.


    "Hello, Lyda," Rynovar smiled at the human woman. "There''s no need to be shy here, come, come!"


    Lyda approached, beginning to shake nervously as she did, kneeling at the steps to the godking''s throne. Cyrus stood to his father''s left as his mother stood to the godking''s right, Kylnar beside the younger god. The triplets took up positions behind Lyda, and for the first time, she felt insignificant, the presence of seven full gods around her making her aware just how small her life was.


    Even without having the ability to sense magic itself, Lyda could feel the pure power in the air, with seven gods that close to her, could feel how much of it was radiating out of the god on the throne. For the first time, she was truly aware just how powerful the triplets and Cyrus were, able to feel the forces of magic that they were.


    "No need to kneel, Lyda," Rynovar said with a smile. "Rise, and look me in the eyes."


    Lyda rose, meeting the godking''s eyes.


    "Good, good," Rynovar''s smile widened. "Just so you''re aware, I never did fix my blindness."


    "Father¡­" Cyrus began.


    "Alright, alright," Rynovar chuckled. "So, Lyda, you may ask me one question or make of me a single request. Do you know which you would like to do? If so, you may do so."


    "Yes, Lord Rynovar," Lyda said. "I would like to ask for greater magical affinity and an affinity for other elements, my lord."


    "A simple matter," Rynovar told her. "Remove your shirt and your bra, then approach."


    Lyda gave Cyrus a startled look.


    "He has to touch your chest," Cyrus touched his own to demonstrate. "Right between your boobs. It''s not something he can control, that''s the best place to touch when messing with mana veins. Your shirt and bra would be in the way."


    "O-oh," Lyda said, then removed her shirt and bra, then walked up the steps to Rynovar.


    The godking touched between her boobs and focused, and Lyda felt something within her begin to change. Several minutes passed before Rynovar pulled his hand back and nodded.


    "It is done," he told her. "I have increased your mana veins to place you at Tier Five, and I have given you mana veins for the other four elements as well."


    "Thank you," Lyda bowed, then stepped back down to where she had been before, pulling her bra and shirt back on.


    "Well," Rynovar smiled. "How does it feel, knowing that you have completed the quest, Lyda?"


    "It feels¡­ strange," she answered. "To have completed it. I was going to work hard in the hope that I could, and then I met Cyrus and all of that change with his kindness."


    "Yes, my son has a kind heart," Rynovar told her. "Kind, but serious. It''s unlikely to ever change, unless he finds ''the one''. Now that your request has been filled, Lyda, where would you like me to send you?"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Lyda looked at Cyrus, uncertain.


    "I''ll come visit you and take you on an adventure later," he told her. "If you''re still willing. Father has some stuff he wants to discuss with me."


    She nodded, then looked at Rynovar once more.


    "Back to Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant, milord," she told him.


    "Hold your breath," Rynovar smiled, and Lyda did so, before vanishing from the god''s temple. "So. The first human to make it up here, and she had the assistance of a god. Can you six tell me in seriousness: is my quest too damn difficult?"


    "No," Cyrus immediately answered. "The clues for how to find the Silver Oracle are there, and people are just idiots when it comes to how to impress an elemental. I''ve looked into the future, and in the next century, a total of three more people make it here."


    "I see," Rynovar nodded. "I take it Lyda has something to do with that?"


    "Yes."


    "I''ll make sure she knows the rules," Rynovar nodded, then grinned. "How do you think she''ll react to me appearing before her again?"


    "She and her husband at the time will freak out," Cyrus told him, seeing the disappointed look on his father''s face. "Yes, she gets with someone. Seriously gets with him, not just as her job as a prostitute. It''s why she''s going to refuse my offer to take her on a journey to show her a few more places. He''s going to ask her out shortly, and she''s going to accept."


    "I see," Rynovar said. "How do you feel about that, Cyrus?"


    "Our relationship was set to end as soon as you granted her wish," Cyrus stated. "While I will miss her, I would much rather see her happy with a human, with someone who will age with her. A permanent relationship between a human and a god just isn''t feasible."


    "Ty and I are still together after hundreds of years."


    "You two rarely actually get together," Cyrus shook his head. "And Ty is an exception. You stopped his aging."


    "You could do that, too, you know," Rynovar told him. "Stop Lyda''s aging, if you wanted."


    "That wouldn''t make her happy," Cyrus shook his head. "She''s human, and-"


    "So is Ty."


    "Ty," Cyrus said. "Is utterly devoted to you as a servant, Father. He will do anything you want him to. His entire world revolves around you."


    "Technically, so does yours."


    "Father!" Cyrus snapped.


    "Cyrus, Rynovar," Selar interrupted. "Why don''t you two talk about what you really want to discuss rather than have a back-and-forth you already know the play and end of."


    Cyrus and his father stared at each other for several long moments.


    "Why did you abandon us at the orphanage?" Cyrus finally asked. "Why didn''t you raise us here, on the island? Like a proper dad would have?"


    "I did," Rynovar told him.


    "Bull-"


    "Cyrus," Rynovar said. "Much like your mother, I''ve performed resets because of you. It took me eighty-four to realize that it was living here, on the island, that made you the way you were. You were even more of a recluse then. Six thousand years in the first several iterations of time, and you barely talked to anyone not one of us here now. We''re now in the eighty-fifth iteration. My intent was to let things run until the fifth century of your life again, to see if things were better for you, though I''d already noticed changes. You had more personality to you, hobbies that weren''t just ''what happens if I do this with this?'' and other random experiments you performed with magic."


    "You mean to tell me," Cyrus took a deep breath. "That you abandoned me just so that I''d turn out different?"


    "Cyrus," his father said. "We barely saw you even for meals. You barely talked to anyone. It wasn''t healthy. I sent you down there in the hopes you''d turn out different, being forced to interact with people."


    "And the triplets?"


    "To give you companions," his father said, then had to admit something. "I didn''t expect them to get up to that much mischief, they were much better behaved when raised up here. I knew that even as an infant, you were intelligent. You''re my son, after all, and a full god from birth. That, and I''d been through your infancy more than eighty times. Do you have any idea how frustrating it was to keep having you transmute my food as I was eating if you got upset with me? Yeah. More than eighty resets of that was enough. I couldn''t even properly bind your powers because of your talent with aether!"


    Cyrus sensed his father just wanted to get away from the hassle of raising a god of aether and let out an aggravated groan.


    "I''m glad things turned out differently," his father smiled at him. "You seem much happier, now than in any previous reset."


    "You guys should let me live my life," Cyrus muttered.


    "If we did that, you''d suffer from many types of problems," his mother placed a hand on his arm. "We do it because we care about you. That''s why I let Rynovar send you and your brothers down there, with a few conditions."


    "Conditions?" Cyrus asked. "You never mentioned-"


    "Because I never felt it necessary," she told him. "Now, why don''t we move on to something much more cheerful? Let''s eat!"


    Rynovar, Selar, and the triplets walked off, passing through a trail which formed for them, and Cyrus and Kylnar remained behind.


    "He really did have you in mind," Kylnar told Cyrus. "Otherwise, I would have stopped it before it happened. He doesn''t know it, but this is the eighty-sixth reset. The eighty-fifth, I attempted to change how things went with you while you were raised here and realized why Rynovar was concerned about you. Then I reset back to when we were arguing."


    Cyrus sighed, then nodded and gave his friend a hug, startling the older god, who decided to return it.


    "Thanks," Cyrus said, then pulled back. "You kept visiting because you were worried about me, weren''t you?"


    "Yes," Kylnar smiled. "After seeing how you were, being raised up here with our best intentions on not letting you turn into a recluse who didn''t notice much of what went on around him, I was worried you might go that way again. But with watching the triplets and running the shop, you had something to occupy your time that didn''t make you forget about everything."


    "I''m going to need some time to process this," Cyrus told him.


    "That''s fine," Kylnar smiled. "The feast is mostly your father feeding the triplets, they intentionally didn''t eat breakfast because they wanted to eat up here. He mentioned before you came that you''d probably not attend."


    Cyrus nodded.


    "I''ll see you around, then," he said.


    "See you," Kylnar said. "Now that you''ve been up here, make sure to visit more often, yeah?"


    "Yeah," Cyrus nodded, then teleported himself down to the surface of the planet once more.


    He appeared in front of Madam Mara''s Crimson Restaurant, then stepped inside. Lyda was at the bar, speaking with the bartender she liked. The way they were talking and the light in their eyes told him that the bartender had already asked her if she would go out with him.


    "Hello," Cyrus approached, sensing the worry in the minds of Lyda and her new boyfriend. "Congratulations, Lyda. I wish the two of you a long, happy relationship."


    "Coming from you," Lyda smiled. "I''m sure you already know how it will play out."


    "I do," Cyrus told her. "But I''ve played around with your future enough already. I wanted to ask you, do you wish to go on the journey I promised? To show you those beautiful places? We can take your new boyfriend with us, if you wanted."


    "No," Lyda answered without thinking. "I mean, thank you for the offer, Cyrus, but no, thank you. After seeing you up there, beside your father, I realized a few things. It would be wrong of me to accept that offer, after everything you have already done for me. I''d like to try out my new relationship, too."


    "Okay," Cyrus smiled. "You enjoy your life, then, Lyda."


    "Thank you," she said. "You as well, Cyrus. Do you mind if I ask what you''re planning on doing now? Since your brothers don''t need as much watching?"


    "They still need watching," he snorted. "As for what I''m going to do¡­ I still have appointments to keep and a figurine to receive. I''ll see you again¡­ sometime."


    Cyrus teleported himself home and took a shower. He entered his bedroom after finishing his shower and drying off, and found an item sitting on his bed. A golden figurine in a box with a clear plastic front.


    "Huh," Cyrus said. "He actually did have one."


    He picked up the golden Josh Manakao figurine, still in its original, unopened packaging, and set it on the shelf beside the others, before sitting on his bed, thinking about his adventure.


    As his thoughts of the adventure drew to its conclusion, Cyrus realized that he couldn''t return to the way he had been. After journeying with Lyda, he had changed, and simply living out the life he had before didn''t feel right to him anymore.


    "I can''t just leave, though," Cyrus said to himself. "Someone still needs to keep the triplets in check. What should I do now?"

 033 (Epilogue)

    "Alright!" Cyrus called the group of weary mages once they were in the parking lot connecting the Dungeon and the small academy. "You can go inside and shower up! This was your last lesson, so rest up and relax! We''ll be performing your graduation ceremony and feast tomorrow."


    The ten mages nodded, then walked to the academy, entering it as Cyrus remained outside.


    After giving himself a few months of rest after Lyda finished her quest, Cyrus found himself restless. He went through several Dungeons and ruins before eventually deciding to build the academy at a little-known Dungeon he claimed for himself.


    He ran a ten-month general course on how to survive Dungeons, which included alchemy training, martial arts training, knife combat training, and magic training. The Dungeon he set up school by possessed all of the resources necessary for making the potions he had used with Lyda. Instead of only being able to make fire-based potions, he could make them for any of the six elements with the resources in his academy''s Dungeon.


    At first, he only trained one or two students at a time, a result of not many people wanting to pay for the academy. Then he changed his pay structure so that they only paid after they left, and anything they harvested in the Dungeon during their training could be used to pay part of their tuition. They could also keep extra resources they harvested, giving them money for when they returned to their lives, having not worked in ten months.


    Two years after he made the change, his academy became famous when five of his former students teamed up and delved into the depths of one of the deepest, most dangerous Dungeons on the planet. The moment he found himself swamped with applications, he limited each course to ten students and picked only the ones he knew would both benefit for their magical power and use it to improve their lives. Anytime he had more than ten students, he would draw names out of a bowl until he had ten.


    It was a successful business, and Cyrus enjoyed teaching others and training them, something he knew he wouldn''t have discovered if it weren''t for helping Lyda on her quest.


    Once the last of his students from the current session entered the academy, Cyrus turned his gaze to a young man standing on the other side of the gate fixed into the wall which surrounded his property.


    The young man was eighteen, with black hair and bright green eyes, a splash of freckles on his cheeks and nose. He wore white and blue sneakers, blue shorts, a white t-shirt, and a black and grey backpack. The man stood with his hands in his pockets, but pulled one out and waved when Cyrus looked at him.


    Cyrus walked over to the young man.


    "Hello, Russ," Cyrus said.


    "Hey, Uncle Cyrus," Russ greeted him with a smile.


    "Happy birthday," Cyrus said. "Shouldn''t you be with your mom and dad?"


    Russ was the eldest child between Lyda and Drake, the firstborn of their first set of twins. Cyrus visited them during the winters, mostly on his way down to the Silver Oracle for an annual visit he decided to start making.


    "Probably," Russ shrugged. "But they gave me their blessing to come here. I told you that when I was eighteen, I was going to come."


    "You did," Cyrus snorted. "How are your mom and dad?"


    "Doing good," Russ responded. "Mom and Dad are still running their business guiding people to Aunt Lena or through the local Dungeon. The usual stuff."


    "Come on in," Cyrus said, and the gate disappeared. "Working with me will be a lot of work, you know."


    "I know," Russ entered the parking lot, and the gate reappeared. "The session ends tomorrow, right?"


    "Yeah," Cyrus answered.


    "How come you start it at the start of the year and end at the end?" Russ asked as they walked to one of the property''s many yards.


    Cyrus waited until they were sitting at a picnic bench to answer, setting food on the table between them.


    "Even if it feels nice here during the winter," Cyrus told Russ. "That doesn''t make it nice. There''s about one month a year when the Dungeon''s more dangerous than normal, even in the upper levels. That''s the two weeks before and after New Year''s, roughly."


    "So you set the school schedule to match that," Russ said.


    "Yes," Cyrus nodded. "That way, I can keep to a pattern. It also allows them to do their own thing in the coldest months of the year. I have to ask, Russ, are you sure you want to work with me on this?"


    "I''ve practiced my magic and alchemy," Russ told him. "I''m prepared to help you teach them to survive Dungeons and make the potions necessary for the job. The books you gave me were quite extensive."


    Cyrus had given Russ and his siblings various books over the years, so that they and their parents could train better. Most of them were written by him, giving tips that wouldn''t be found in normal training manuals. He knew that Russ used them the most, as the boy had always been fascinated by Cyrus''s job after finding out about it when he was seven and that he wanted to do the same thing.


    "I didn''t mean that, "Cyrus said. "You''re here for ten months of the year, interacting only with my students, myself, and the golems Kylnar made to act as staff unless you''re sent out to do a store run. Romances with my students are forbidden."


    "I''m prepared for that," Russ told him with a smile. "Maybe one day, I''ll get bored and go off and find love, but for now, I''m happy to help you."


    "Okay," Cyrus told him. "I just wanted you to be aware of this."


    "I was already aware of it!" Russ laughed. "Mom and Dad pestered me about it."


    "I''m sure," Cyrus laughed. "Considering how much they love each other and don''t want to stop making babies."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Oh, jeez," Russ groaned. "Please tell me I''m not getting too many more siblings."


    "Maybe," Cyrus grinned at him.


    "So do you have a lover?" Russ asked. "A girlfriend? You''ve never mentioned one. Or boyfriend, Mom mentioned you were bisexual."


    "No, I haven''t," Cyrus shrugged. "Unless it''s just for sex, I''m not going to get with another human. The only relationship I''m looking for now is with a god, and the only ones here are either blood family or Kylnar, who might as well be family."


    "Okay," Russ said.


    "So," Cyrus said. "Want to stay out here and chat a little more? Or want me to show you the room I set up for you?"


    "Let''s talk," Russ told him.


    "Okay," Cyrus said.


    They spoke until night fell, then Cyrus led Russ inside and introduced him to the students as his assistant for future lessons, arrived early to learn the ropes. The twelve of them ate dinner, then Cyrus led Russ to the suite prepared for him, before turning in for the night, himself.


    When morning came, everyone ate breakfast, then Cyrus lined up his students in the back yard of the academy.


    "For the last ten months," Cyrus said. "The ten of you have worked hard at passing this course. Each of you has gained at least one Tier in every element you have an affinity for, and some of you gained two Tiers. You''ve learned how to fight, how to tell what''s safe and what''s not in a Dungeon, what kind of gear you need based on the type of Dungeon you''re planning on going in, and even how to make some of that gear yourself. After yesterday''s session, you''ve each passed the course."


    He stepped up to the first student in line, handing them a polished mahogany box, then stepped up to the next, handing them the same. As he moved down the line, the students opened their boxes, revealing the certificate of completion, a note written binding them with a geas in regards to the information on it, and a black token imprinted with the winged crest of the academy.


    They would use their certificates to prove their graduation from his academy, earning them better jobs in any field relating to something he taught there. The notes were hints for the quest Rynovar gave out, even if he knew few of his students would ever complete it, even if he taught for centuries.


    For the Academy Token, while it wasn''t a part of the quest, he had them made and issued them to his graduates for a quest he himself created. It wasn''t something he''d informed anyone of, and he awaited the day one of his students would realize the quest he''d made.


    Once he finished handing out their rewards for completing his course, Cyrus returned to his spot and looked at his student.


    "Congratulations," he told them. "Let us feast in celebration!"


    The group walked to the tables outside, where food and drink appeared as they sat. Russ sat beside Cyrus, watching as the students talked and cheered each other for their accomplishment. It wasn''t an easy ten months, but to them, the time was worth it.


    As the feasting ended, the students collected their bags, thanked Cyrus for the education, then left. Once they were all gone, Cyrus ordered the golems to begin cleaning the academy, preparing it for the break so that he could rest and recover.


    "There''s a spa in town," Cyrus told Russ. "My students will probably flock today to it to reward themselves, but tomorrow, I''ll be heading there. Want me to set up an appointment for you as well? I''m taking an all-day session."


    "Sure," Russ answered. "So what do you do during the break?"


    "I rest, I relax, and I prepare for the next session," Cyrus answered. "Though I also go and visit other Dungeons, the Forest Ruins, my visit down to Aunt Lena, which you know considering you accompany me to her every New Year."


    "Yeah," Russ smiled. "I probably could have waited for your visit, but I was kind of impatient, wanting to see your place."


    "Well," Cyrus stretched. "You''ve seen it. Want to go into the Dungeon?"


    "Didn''t you just come out of it yesterday?" Russ asked.


    "Yeah," Cyrus shrugged. "I''m going to take you into it a few times over the next couple of months, so you can learn a bit about it, too."


    "Is there a Dungeon Token in it?" Russ asked.


    "No," Cyrus answered. "I had Father revoke the Dungeon''s ability to spawn them when I claimed it for my academy. That way, my students don''t get them during the session, and have to go elsewhere, attempting the quest on their own."


    "Even with the hints?"


    "That''s mostly so that someone will figure out the trick to impressing the elementals," Cyrus said. "Speaking of them, there are a few that live here. Want to meet them?"


    "Instead of the Dungeon?"


    "We can go tomorrow," Cyrus told him.


    "Sure," Russ responded.


    Cyrus led Russ to another section of the property, where a pair of flame elementals were fighting with a pair of water elementals, a lightning elemental, a wind elemental, and an earth elemental floating nearby, watching.


    "Uh¡­" Russ said. "Since when do elementals fight each other?"


    "Since today," Cyrus told him. "They''re trying to impress you, since you''re considered my nephew."


    "They know I can''t communicate with them, right?" Russ ask.


    "Yeah," Cyrus shrugged. "But working on the elemental sensing spell is one of the things I promised you, if you managed to last three years here."


    "Yeah," Russ grinned. "I''m looking forward to figure out how to do that as a mortal."


    "With the help of a god," Cyrus told him.


    They watched the elementals for a few minutes, then Cyrus introduced Russ to them, assuring him that the teen would eventually learn to tell which one is which even without being able to sense the elements.


    Cyrus led Russ back to the academy, and as they approached the doors, a woman appeared in front of them. She had long, black hair, dark orange eyes, and a smooth, flawless body concealed with no clothes. Her breasts were rather large, and Cyrus had to pull his gaze away from them to meet her own.


    The amount of magic she possessed informed him she was a god, and he could sense her confusion, as well as Russ''s confusion at how she made it inside with the barriers.


    "Hello," Cyrus said, and could detect from her mind that she didn''t speak a word of English. He projected to her using telepathy. "You aren''t from here, are you?"


    "No," she responded. "I was using a pathway, trusting in my magic of divination to guide me, and found myself here. It is not as I expected."


    "What were you looking for?" Cyrus asked.


    "A powerful god," she answered. "Who would make me his wife. Instead, I find myself before two mortals."


    "I''m not mortal," Cyrus said. "I simply conceal my magical power. My mortal name is Cyrus, my god name is Cyrlun, son of Rynovar. I am the god of fantasy and reality."


    "If you are a god," she stepped forward. "Then you are the one might power led me to. Will you make me your wife?"


    Cyrus placed a hand on her forehead and gave her knowledge of English, so that they could converse with words so as to not leave Russ confused.


    "I don''t know how things are where you''re from," Cyrus told her. "But here on Earth, we don''t make people our wives, we get to know them, we love them, and then we marry them. If you are willing to allow us to see if we get along and actually do fall in love with each other, then I would be willing to do that. But I won''t commit myself to a long-term relationship with someone I don''t know."


    "That will work for me," she told him, then looked at Russ. "Who is this handsome man? A consort?"


    "What?" Cyrus asked. "No! This is Russ, the eldest son of an old friend of mine. He''s like family to me, even if he''s human."


    "I see," she said. "Well, it is nice to meet you, Cyrlun."


    "I go by my mortal name," Cyrus told her. "Now, let''s get you inside. Here on Earth, people generally wear clothes."


    As Cyrus and Russ led the foreign god inside, Cyrus peered into the future, seeing that he would, indeed, spend many years with her. He allowed himself a small smile, happy at the way his life turned out. Not for the first time, he sent a prayer to his parents, thanking them for their interference.


    Passing by one of the tables with a decorative pot filled with flowers, an object caught Cyrus''s eyes.


    A book titled How to Make Love With a God (Female Edition).


    Suppressing a groan, Cyrus made a note to return it to his father.

 New Story

    My new story, which is taking over the posting from The Gray God now that that story is over, is up! https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/33390/above-the-fog</a>


    <hr>


    In an attempt to locate a valuable item, eighteen-year-old childhood friends Nyz and Kal find themselves dealing with powerful corporations, terrorist groups, and the dark secrets of the magitech which protects and betters civilization. Their attempts at obtaining this item lead them deep into the fog which permeates much of the world, blanketing it in a cool, silent darkness within which hides deadly monsters. With Kal''s planning and Nyz''s strength and combat abliity, there is no obstacle they cannot overcome, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to obtain the item, no matter the challenge, no matter what or who gets in their way.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.