Kazus's Story

((Double Post))

Nylia

You think you destroyed most of me when you killed me. Nothing could be less true. I am all over the world. I am not just Jute. You are soon to be in the presence of myself once again, even while I remain by your side. I control powers you would not understand. But I am your ally. And I will still give you power as you need it. Nylia nodded calmly to the Crystal. It appeared she hadn't been suspicious enough. "Very well then," she whispered to it, eyeing the two Gods before her as they talked, scowling when Adarani mentioned her, saying she was a lot calmer before the Cataclysm, Nylia sighed at the blatant act of disrespect occurring right in front of her. She couldn't wait until the war began.

She signaled her leave and took to the skies again, finding Hanryyt wasn't going to be too difficult without Adarani anyways. She sent some of the Hurthr that were spying in New Sacrira to search for him, eventually one sent her a faint telepathic message, telling Nylia where to go. Nylia took course, making her way to Hanryyt's home.

Nala

Nala smiled when she got her tea. "Thank you," she said respectfully, listening to what each of the two men had to say about it. Wanting to try some for herself she took a sip, enjoying the tropical taste while feeling a sense of rejuvenation. Nala was enjoying her time when something happened that really surprised her, Nylia entered.

Nylia

A ghostly tendril swirled through the window of Hanryyt's home, and spun up until Nylia was revealed in her normal attire. "Hello, sorry to barge in unexpected," Nylia said, calmly smiling as she walked closer to the table. "There's just a matter I wanted to address," she stated, "Hanryyt, I am aware that you made a prayer to Mathias, stating that I had gone insane," Nylia said bluntly. "Normally, I would press charges for slander and get revenge for such a statement, however, I can understand how a mortal such as yourself would not understand the methods of a God," she continued, "Thus, when I executed my punishment you were scared and confused. However, it is my duty to give revenge to other mortals when someone prays for it, as Nala did, and the ferocity of my punishment directly corresponds with how much the sender is willing to give up, and the deed the receiver committed. Seeing as Nala was willing to give up her youth and her hand in marriage if I punished Maarzan, and the deed he committed was rape, I gave him the corresponding punishment he deserved," Nylia finished, looking to see if Hanryyt understood. It didn't matter if he did or didn't all she cared about was making herself less suspicious when the war started. "Well, thank you all for your time," Nylia said, exiting and exited through the methods she entered.

When Nylia was leaving New Sacrira she heard another faint telepathic message "Nylia, the Sacrirans are in chaos, over whether or not you're insane. It's quite funny actually, but this should leave them even more vulnerable to an attack." The Hurthr stated. Nylia let out an even more devious smile, she had a feeling her plan was working.

As the goddess explained the events of the war to him, Kazus was flooded by names and the knowledge that a name carried. Nylia, Mathias, Kreios. He began understanding the terror of the event, hearing it described by one of few survivors and wondered how the events brewing in the north would compare. Listening silently, he decided to not share his vision with this goddess. It did not yet seem time to share knowledge, which could possibly cause panic. Instead he probed further into the events that already had come to pass.
The wind circled Adarani once more, after having long been still. "So how did everyone here survive? What brought these events to a close?", the gust whispered. Kazus's hope was that one or two immortals were responsible for the conclusion of the war. If he could find the one or ones responsible for this current peace, he was sure they'd make great allies for the times to come.

After his wandering he would find the greatest concentration of how her name made him feel. She found her and it appeared she was talking to something, but what Othuma could not see. He had thought he noticed another godly presence but nothing was there. Not knowing to whom she was speaking to, he assumed it was with herself. The black robed god walked up behind the Goddess Adarani. The white Werebear Shan, walked towards Othuma's right side, noticeably taller than Othuma himself. He then politely spoke.

"Excuse me , you must be Adarani." Othuma gracefully spoke. Othuma then heard some other voice but couldn't make any words out. It was barely even audible to him. "Hm is someone even there?" Othuma asked. He was rather confused by the strange actions the Goddess took. Still it didn't matter, he had to have her help the Dragons. "Anyway I apologize for interrupting , er, whatever it is your doing, but I need your help." He spoke. He awaited for her response.

((How did the Hurthr manage to spy on Hanryyt without attracting notice? If they took over some mortals by destroying souls, Adarani would know and kick Nylia out of New Sacrira, by now. To avoid that, they would have had to have been under the guise of people who required sanctuary or some other form of help instead of taking over anybody.))

Poor Adarani. It seemed she always made someone angry without meaning to. First, it was the Elder God of Change, now it was the Elder Goddess of Revenge. Had Nylia not left, she would have been able to apologize for hurting her feelings. That would have to wait, however. Before she could continue talking to Kazus, however, a strange being appeared, apologizing for interrupting.

"Well, it's okay. I'm just explaining the Cataclysm to the Wind God, Kazus. One moment." She turned back to Kazus. "Anyway, I was not there to see who, exactly, but I hear a Goddess named Laska was responsible for Kreios' demise."

Turning her gaze back to the person who came to see her. "What is it you exactly need, sir?"

----

Hanryyt and Saulkavt gazed upon Nylia with suspiscion obvious in their eyes. You would think she would at least have the courtesy of knocking before intruding on somebody's privacy? What she said did not help matters by much. Hanryyt, especially, displayed every sign of distrust in his facial gestures. It was not until Nylia left that the young Vitaiim man spoke.

"You know, that does not explain what she said to everyone but Nala and Maarzan."

Saulkavt shrugged. "I was not there, so I would not know. Do you suspect there is more going on than meets the eye?"

"I most certainly do. If I know anything about Nylia, she does not give up on exacting the vengeance she feels she should so easily. You know what's even more out of place? She did not even mention what I did to the guards."

"It could just be because she let Adarani take care of reprimanding you for that, since you broke the Code by giving in to your anger."

"Perhaps. Given Nylia's portfolio of Manipulation, though, I'm not entirely convinced."

Saulkavt gave a quick smile. He knew Hanryyt was the more cautious of the two, yet he figured that caution was to the extreme, in this case. "C'mon! Don't be so stiff! That Elder Goddess never gave us reason not to trust her, before!"

"I guess..." Hanryyt took a sip of his own cup. "I mean no disrespect by talking of your Goddess that way, Nala. I just have a hard time trusting someone when they show so much hostility, initially. That trust can still be gained, don't get me wrong. It merely takes time."

Saulkavt laughed a little at what was said. "Hanryyt's just not the kind of guy that gives benefit of the doubt, sometimes. You should have seen him after he was all tough and angry when he thought Ruthtaika was having trouble with some guy and, low and behold, it was just a sparring match. His right eye literally twitched as he was still trying to register in his mind what went on while his sister giggled at the thought of him being so overprotective."

----

Meanwhile, Ruthtaika managed to calm everyone down with her speech, calling for unity in spite of disagreements. In time, the truth would be found out, but not while everyone bickers. Word was sent throughout New Sacrira about the proposed Sacriran Games. The arrangement was indeed good, giving a method of letting off steam without bringing nearly as much harm to each other from disputes. For the moment, everything was now peaceful. How long the peace wold last remained a mystery. One thing for sure, though, was it would take an invasion.

Othuma

Still Othuma was confused at what she was talking too. The Wind God? Where is this Kazus? He doesn't see him, or perhaps he can't be seen only heard. Then as if upon closer inspection their was some gusts of wind, gathering around in this area, perhaps thats what Kazus is. Still he had no interest in seeing a wind god, he had to talk to Adarani. He waited for her to speak to him again. She then turned to him and asked him what he needed.

"Ah yes, so It does seem you are Adarani," Othuma began, "Well you see I come on behalf of my friends, The Dragons." He spoke in the richness of his voice. "They seem to require this 'fertility' for their babies." "I am lead to believe you can give me some fertility and I kindly ask if you can give it to me." "That way I can return it to my friends." He spoke as he awaited for her response. He hopes she can do whatever needs to be done, otherwise his friends won't be too happy.

Shan

Shan looked at them both and could some what remember what he was told about Adarani. She is the Goddess of Love and one of the oldest here. She has great power but uses it in ways different from combat. He believes her to be what one might call 'good' but that's about it. Even so, he believes Lord Othuma has everything to be just as great. He silently stood there and hoped his master's mission was for not.

Mathias

He had expelled quite a bit of knowledge upon the Valeish, and rightfully so. Their pursuit of justice was way off key. They didn't even investigate the crime properly, and not only did they tried to condemn the person believed to be the criminal, but also his family along with him. No one else but the accused should be punished, it's not right. Just because some of that family committed a crime, doesn't not mean all of them are at fault. This whole concept of mob justice was rather undignified and barbaric, he had to introduce courts for better civilized practices.

Much to his content the Valeish absorbed this knowledge and went immediately to practice it. First though, Mathias held a court session for the criminal and after using his divine powers of investigation, he found evidence from this Valeish man's life. He manifested these pieces of evidence and demonstrated it's uses. He also demonstrated the use of Witness Testimonies for further accuracy of a trial. After their statements and arguments made, Mathias added a new feature, the Jury System. A gathering of peers are to review what Mathias has uncovered and give him a verdict. The Jurors went to perform this task and it took several hours of deliberation. Once completed they did return and reached a verdict. Mathias then swiftly gave the sentencing.

The Valeish cheered for the system seeing as it effectively brought a criminal to justice. It seemed fair and manageable making it easy to establish and continue practice of this system. Soon their previous notions of crime and punishment and law and order, were erased and replaced with this civilized order. Cheering and praying, they gave their love to Mathias, their god and a huge up surge of Religious fervor began. Just as soon as Courtrooms were made, they were followed by Churches. Soon being either apart of the Courts or The Clergy, were the most honored and prestigious jobs one could have. The kindling of civilization is about to grow into a fire.[code][/code]

"Dragons? You mean Malus Dou Makakhan's creations? Didn't they perish in the Cataclysm along with him?" Her eyes focused on this younger god for a moment. There was something familiar, yet she could no wrap her finger around what. Could this be the same one who was born from an explosion whose aura was of death? Yes, that had to be the explanation. She smiled gently and nodded. "Well, I guess since they are back, there is no excuse to refuse."

Closing her eyes, the Elder Goddess of Love focused the energy within, glowing light blue, the color of fertility. She focused that energy into the palm of her hand within moments due to the magnitude, since there were possible many dragons out there back from the dead. That same energy concentrated enough to form a crystal ball, still glowing in its light blue light.

She opened her eyes and handed this crystal ball to younger god. "All you have to do now is concentrate the energy within on them, and they shall be given the fertility they need." Her head tilted to theside in curiosity. "May I ask what your name is?"

Othuma

Othuma took the blue crystal ball and looked at it with curious eyes. "Extraordinary, I can hardly believe this could make babies." He spoke. "Yes, I must get this to them immediately." He said as he looked at Adarani. "Hm? Oh yes right my name, of course!" He spoke a bit embarrassed that he forgot to introduce himself. "You may call me, Othuma." He spoke. Despite the rather gentle and courteous nature of the god, it belies a different nature when he spoke his name. Something dark and quite cold. "Anyway I can't stay too long, I really need to get this Fertility stuff to my friends." He spoke.

Othuma wondered what Sithis, thought about all of this. He was sure there was more on the Snake God's mind than just fertility and dragons, but he does wonder why he chose not to show himself. Othuma is positive he has his reasons but still, does it seem rude? Well it doesn't matter he supposes. From what Sithis told him, they are gods and it shouldn't matter to them whether it seems wrong or right to them. They could do anything, anything they wanted. Like Adarani, she didn't have to give him any Fertility but she did. Just like he didn't have to go here and ask her for it, but he did. So why can't Sithis be a tattoo and not speak? It seemed to make sense to Othuma.


Shan

Shan looked at Othuma and then back at Adarani. So she was why cubs are made. Shan thought to himself. While thinking about cubs, he wondered if he would find a mate. He was old enough to find someone and make cubs with. At this moment though his wants and needs are nothing, compared to serving Othuma. His god comes first and foremost.

All was still as Kazus listened to the conversation between Adarani and Othuma. The god's request interested him. It not only confirmed his idea that Adarani was the right deity to consult about Mother's purpose, but introduced the fact that there was a race that was about to grow much larger, and possibly powerful. His decision to go with Othuma was sudden, but final.
The wind stirred, a strong gust encircling Ahuv. A firm but quiet voice came from the wind- "Please tend to Mother for a moment. I promise, you will be well rewarded if you keep her safe."
And then more loudly, without waiting for a reply from the crane- "Uncle, with me."
The wind suddenly rushed away, thanking Adarani for the information at the same time.
Even though the voice faded quickly and Uncle couldn't see his creator, he had no doubt about which direction he was headed. The wind had all rushed towards the other god that had interrupted his creator's conversation with the goddess, nearly leaving a vacuum in its stead. He flew towards the strange figure, feeling anxious leaving his sister in the care of strangers. He looked over his shoulder directly at the strange, blue bird. He gave it a combination of a stern look and a nod, that he hoped would imply the importance of the task he'd been handed.
The wind reached Othuma first. He felt a wind run across his shoulder and heard a whisper in his ear- "I am Kazus, the whispering wind. Would you mind if my mortal and I accompany you to see the dragons?
Uncle saw the god turn around, at first with an puzzled expression on his face. The tall, white bear accompanying him turned and looked back as well. This too seemed to be an animal blessed by a god- there was some feature about it, an intelligence in its eyes that Uncle's lunch hadn't shared. Not wanting to alarm them, Uncle landed far enough away that they could shout to him if necessary, hoping that Kazus would let him know when he should join the group.

Ahuv, Blue Crane of Adarani

Ahuv felt the gust of wind swarm around him, again, with Kazus asking him to tend to Mother's needs. He does not have to give a reward, though I guess he would insist otherwise, like seemingly every other deity my mother and I have seen after the Cataclysm, so far. The being called 'Uncle' gave a stern glare while nodding towards him, to which the blue crane responded with a more graceful and gentlemanly nod.

I've never been given a major task by anyone but my mother, before, which feels strange. What to do... what to do... His gaze turned towards 'Mother'. I guess I should see if there are any problems to tend to, first. Even though he knew he was completely a bird while this humanoid was only part bird, he still felt a little awkward with what he needed to do to check on one thing in particular, something five deities already wanted for their mortals since the Cataclysm ended, which he assumed was what Kazus may have wanted for this one.

"This is going to be a little embarrassing, miss, but just... don't freak out. I have a feeling Kazus will want to ask Adarani for fertility for you, considering fertility for mortals has been the main request made by deities, lately."

He placed his head close to her belly. Not quite touching it, yet close to that. This was how he could sense the fertility level, due to not being as powerful as Adarani in that regard. Nothing. The womb is not working properly. Jerking his head back, he cleared his throat before stating, "As I expected, the womb is not working as it should. I need you to hold still. One moment..."

Stepping backwards, Ahuv flapped his wings to release whatever fertility energy he possessed, directing it towards 'Mother'. I hope this works. The process ended when he panted out of fatigue by the whole thing. This was truthfully his first time attempting to grant fertility, a task Adarani normally performed. "Okay... that should do it... You should experience... monthly periods... in the near future... however... that is the main side effect... that comes with fertility... in most people..."

Thankfully, for him, Adarani already had a bottle of Rejiv juice handy that she meant to give to him, anyway. The blue crane sipped some of it with a straw, prior to rejuvenating. Now, where were we...? Ahuv flew towards some of the trees and bushes to pick out fruits and berries, figuring 'Mother' may end up hungry during her stay. Once the basket was full, he flew back to 'Mother' and lay the basket of fruits and berries in front of her.

"That is in case you get hungry."

----

Kenha, Davig, and Johnthu

Johnthu kept silent the whole time. The whole scene that was forming brought confusion to his mind. He could only hope that neither the dragon nor the Klik'kik-t had a trap in mind.

Kenha figured only the gods could feel the power from the names of deities. What bothered him, however, was the staring. It made him feel uncomfortable. "Malus Dou Makakhan was the God Dragon of Fire, Destruction, and Predators. He nearly destroyed the Middle Realm, once, before the Cataclysm. He was the one who created the first dragons to have ever existed, all for the purpose of wreaking havoc on places he went to. He was not evil, per se, but he was intimidating. As for the three of us, we are the ony ones we know of in this area. We Sacrirans often travel to places where our skills and expertise in medicine, agriculture, and protection magic may come in handy for people in need of it."

Mother stifled a giggle as the bird spoke. It seemed as though it was such an awkward subject for him, the way he moved hesitantly when nearing her nude body and explaining fertility. The explanation itself had seemed lacking. She had learned more about how her body was going to work from now on by the sensation she experienced when Ahuv had flapped his wings at her than from anything he'd told her.
She sat quietly, eating the berries that Ahuv had collected for her and pondered if perhaps her nudity made him feel odd. She had noticed over time that every god and goddess they'd met had clothed themselves. But Ahuv was completely naked too. She decided to ask. "Thank you for all of this, Ahuv. The company and 'fertility' and the berries. I've been wondering something though. Is it...", she paused for a moment reflectively. "Is it weird that I'm naked?"

If birds could blush, Ahuv's blush would end up bright red, assuming the feathers did not cover it up or make it look purple. "Well... 'Mother'..."

Adarani raised an eyebrow and cocked her head in curiousity. "Hmm?"

Ahuv jerked his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean you. 'Mother' is this mortal's real name that Kazus gave her. It's not a family title, in this case." Glancing back at 'Mother', he continued his explanation. "Considering I am quite accustomed to seeing beings of humanoid shape clothed... yes, it is odd to me."

Adarani grinned gently to the side. "You could take on a humanoid shape, too, Ahuv."

The Blue Crane jerked his head back towards Adarani. "I can?"

"Of course." The Elder Goddess of Love could not help but giggle. "It's just like when I take the form of a dove for travel purposes. I can switch between this form and my dove form at will. Your current form is what we would call your Blue Crane form. Your humanoid form, should you choose to take it, is actually similar to mine. Except it would be masculine, of course, plus you'd be wearing the pants and shirt of a Sacriran Monk, the main difference being those clothes would all be blue. There is that, and you'd still have wings on your back."

This confused Ahuv a bit. "Are you saying I was inspiration for the clothing for male Vitaiim, Exorcim, and Templarim?"

Adarani nodded. "You are correct. I did not mention this before, but, whether you knew it or not, you were actually the very first Sacriran to have ever existed. I based every male Sacriran's model off of your humanoid model, since then. You're also the only Sacriran who has two forms."

The Blue Crane nodded before turning his gaze back towards 'Mother'. "I guess you want to see me in my humanoid form, now, huh? It would actually be my first time in that form, so I do not know how I will turn out in it."

Mother listened to Ahuv's reply to her question. It seemed a little bit silly to her though, that everyone would cover their bodies. Didn't their creators make them beautiful as well?
She only half listened as Adarani spoke to the crane. Most of what the goddess said didn't make sense her, but when Ahuv's humanoid form was mentioned, Mother's interest peaked. Another mortal humanoid! The only other one she'd seen before was her brother.
The bird turned back to her now with her full attention. "I guess you want to see me in my humanoid form, now, huh? It would actually be my first time in that form, so I do not know how I will turn out in it.", he said.
A giggle escaped her at Ahuv's unconfident disclaimer about his first transformation. It was a cute gesture, trying to make sure she wouldn't be disappointed.
"Yes, please.", she responded hardly hiding her anticipation.

((Just so you know, Fox, the Sacrirans do have free will. Adarani thinks it cruel to not have mortals think for themselves. That is why she will sometimes let her mortals interpret some of her teachings.))

Ahuv took a deep breath. "All right. Here it goes..."

The Blue Crane closed his eyes to focus. Silver light surrounded him the whole time. During that transformation, his height altered from four feet to make him five feet, eight inches. The entire transformation took roughly five minutes to complete due to the fact this was his first transformation.

The light left afterwords to reveal Ahuv with the appearence of a relatively genderbent version of Adarani. In his humanoid form, he was lean and athletic, his dark blonde hair reaching the top of his neck at the back of his head while two hair locks hung just above his eyebrows. His skin possessed a darker shade of tan than Adarani's, for the purpose of differentiating between the two. The eyes were a more silvery shade of blue than his matron's eyes for the same reason his skin was more tanned. For clothing, Ahuv wore the shirt of pants often seen used by the younger male Sacrirans. (The Blue Crane was the first Sacriran created.) The main difference was, the outfit contained nothing but various shades of blue, plus the patterns were more detailed as to signify his status as Adarani's adoptive son.

"Urngh... My head..." Ahuv could not help but place a hand on his forehead while he felt it ache.

The Elder Goddess of Love shrugged while handing him a bottle of Vitalita Tea. "The first transformation always hurts the most. I would know from experience. You'll be immune to those pains, in time, as you switch between forms. You'll also transform more quickly with practice."

"I'll remember that..."

The Blue Crane (or, rather, the Blue Monk, right now), gently took the bottle before taking a sip, feeling the effects nearly instantly. His pains were slipping away at a swifter pace. The more Vitalita Tea he drank, the faster the healing process. The headache completely went away before he finished a quarter of the Vitalita within the bottle; the headache was just minor.

He next posed the query, "How do I look?"

Adarani held back a giggle as she pulled out the mirror. "Maybe this would explain it better than words?"

The moment Ahuv saw his reflection, he nearly lost his balance from shock. "What in the Middle Realm...?"

"I did say we would appear similar, Ahuv."

The Blue Monk sighed before noticing his blue wings attatched to his back, feeling the feathers with his hands. "Well, I now see where you got the idea for the other Sacrirans." He turned his attention back towards 'Mother'. "Well, 'Mother', what do you think?"

------

Kenha nodded in understanding. The Order has seen races rise, develop, and fall. It was a wonder his people's civilization was able to just barely survive the Cataclysm while some of the more militant ones perished.

"Well, we are called Sacrirans because our nation, the Sacriran Order, originated in an archipelago named the Sacriran Islands. That place was where our matron Goddess, Adarani, was born. She is the Elder Goddess of Love, Healing, and Fertility. Before the Cataclysm, the only race within the Order was the Vitaiim, whom I am one of. She made more of my race because only twelve of us survived the Cataclysm. I was one of those survivors. I'm a descendant of Jacobti, thus I am considered a Jacobtiite among the Sacrirans. Vitaiim like myself specialize in healing, thus we are the main healers within the Sacriran Order."

The Vitaiim man continued his expalanation of the races as he gave a bit of background about the Order. "The other two Sacriran races did not come until after the Cataclysm. Behind me are Johnthu and Davig. They are Templarim, a race with expertise in protection magic that reaches high levels, their martial arts training heavily intense. Their race's purpose is to protect the other Sacrirans as well as whoever else needs protection from hostiles. The third race, which came before the Templarim, is the Exorcim, the race which tends to the dead instead of the living."

------

Davig shrugged at Humble Kindness' query. "It's decent, though we felt we were not welcome after we tried explain that never was a 'Queen of Gods'. Nearly every God before the Cataclysm looked up to Acanthus. He was a mentor, a teacher, a guide, a leader. He gained that authority through the respect of his kin. Our matron, Adarani, can confirm that, as well as Mathias."

Johnthu muttered in Sacriran that he had a bad feeling abut the current situation. Why would more than three guards be needed? Unless the immediate area was dangerous, it made no sense.

((I'll finish this post tomorrow.))

Othuma


Othuma took his leave of the Goddess of Love and her company that was until, someone new introduced themselves. "Kazus huh?" "So your the person Adarani was speaking too." He didn't know where to turn so just address his immediate vicinity. "Why of course, I see no reason why you can't." "Just know that I cannot slow down, I must get this to them immediately." Othuma spoke as he soon summoned the weapon that tore open a portal. "I have yet to name this long blade stick, but I shall on my own time." Othuma spoke as he once again ripped open a portal.

"Well then, Wind God I shall see you on the other side." He happily spoke as he stepped through. He was then followed by Shan. Othuma waited for Kazus to breeze through before he closed this portal.

Mathias

Mathias watched as their community had grown, a bit too much in population. Looking to expand and inhabit other areas of their valley, some Valeish have packed their belongings and began using animals as transportation. The local wild horses provided excellent animals for such labor. Loading up wooden carts, entire families saddled up and left the main settlement as they searched for more land.

Mathias over saw their pilgrimage and saw that other areas of the valley were slowly becoming inhabited. New towns soon popped up as more Valeish entered the world. With all of the different settlements, it won't be long before a government is needed. That is where Mathias' teachings will shine, soon they will have the most well-organized, most sturdy government of all. In the midst of excitement soon came a being he was familiar with. It was one of Keindra's sons. He greeted Mathias.

"Good day to you Vallance." Mathias spoke as he gave a friendly wave. He then stated his buisness. "Hm? They wish to speak with me?" He asked. "Well then, I welcome any opportunity for a visit, I was just in the middle of tending to my people." Mathias happily spoke. "I shall wait for their arrival my friend." Mathias spoke as he waited for the other gods.

With Adarani:
Mother watched intensely as the figure cloaked in luminescent silver warped, gradually growing taller. It took longer than she had expected, but the character that emerged from the light seemed well worth the wait. Staring at Ahuv, mouth slightly ajar, Mother drank in his image. He had relatively the same shape as she and her brother had, but his wings were still that beautiful shade of blue. Through the clothing, she could see that he was muscular, but not massively and threateningly so the way Uncle was. It was as she was watching the way his muscles moved beneath the blue cloth that the Blue Monk turned towards her.
"Well, 'Mother', what do you think?", he asked.
This was the first time he'd looked directly at her in this form. Her eyes danced around his face, seemingly absorbing every feature individually before eventually coming to rest on his own silvery blue eyes.Her cheeks reddened.
"I... ", she began. There was a feeling coursing through her body that was especially intense when she looked at the monk. It hit some of the same places as Ahuv's granting of fertility. Is this... attraction? Her thighs clenched together involuntarily and she turned her back towards Ahuv. Feeling embarrassed was a first for her.

With Kazus:
As soon as the Death God confirmed they could come Kazus reached out his winds to propel Uncle forward towards the group. The condition that they mustn't slow Othuma down wouldn't be an issue. Not only could the whispering wind blow at nearly any speed (carrying Uncle with him), but he was also interested in meeting the dragons and wouldn't be deterred by anything.
Suddenly Othuma held what appeared to be a weapon. With the winds still encasing Uncle, Kazus felt him tense up at the sight until the god turned and slashed at the air with it. At first it appeared that the air was splitting where the god had cut it. But as the rift opened it was clear that it was not the air, but the very space had that split apart, revealing a portal.

Ahuv

Ahuv noticed the blush on 'Mother's' face, which made his eyes widen some. She... is attracted to me? This was the first time someone actually developed romantic feelings for him. Sure, he helped with matchmaking, yet never in his life did he expect romance to come his way.

What could he do? Furthermore, what was this growing emotion inside him? Was it the romantic love his mother (Adarani) kept telling him about? Several questions entered his mind. While thinking on them, the Blue Monk decided to sit next to 'Mother'. Fro a moment, he did not know what to say.

Finally, unable to think of anything else, he chose to say, "Well... I think you are..." A blush entered his facial features. "C... Cu..." Poor Ahuv could not bring himself to look at her, his eyes focused on the ground. I didn't think it would happen so suddenly, and now I can't even express it!

-----

Hanryyt, Saulkavt, and Ruthtaika

Hanryyt was a little embarrassed when Saulkavt explained that one event. He decided to change the subject a little, just a little. "Well, I guess this is a good time to explain a bit of history, since that bit involves both Adarani and Nylia." He pointed to the one decoration that was elegant: a mural detailing the healing of Pupo by Adarani, the creation of the Vitaiim, the inauguration of the first Grand Abbots, and, lastly, the incident where Nylia threatened Adarani's life.

The Davutite went on to explain the mural. "In the first panel, we see Adarani curing one of the first Amares, whom we now know to be Pupo, of an infection Aspestis placed on him which, against Elder Deity of Illness' expectations, made the man loyal to... I don't know Aspestis' gender, so I'll say 'them'. Aspestis never meant to harm people with disease. He only meant to make it so people would feel bliss from their suffering. Quite an odd immortal, if you ask me. Anyway, Nylia brought Pupo to the first monastery ever made so that Adarani would cure him, which she did."

"The second panel describes the creation of my race, the Vitaiim. From the body models, to the wings, the colors, even the clothing." Hanryyt's voice became for solemn with each panel he described. There was a reason he was doing so. "The third panel shows two Vitaiim being inaugurated as the first Grand Abbots of the Sacriran Order. The female is Jordiik. The male is my direct ancestor, Davu. Jordiik managed agriculture, Davu handled medicine. His Bo Staff he made later on is in this house. It's a family relic that has been cared for and handed down for generations. Decendants of Jordiik are called Jordiikites, whom the family with direct lineage to survived the Cataclysm. The descendants of Davu, like myself, are called Davutites."

His voice was most serious when he mentioned the last part of the mural. "The final section of the mural describes in vivid detail the incident where Nylia came back to that monastery, not with a request for help, but her sword pointed at our matron neck. Nylia blamed her for her miscarriage, when Adarani had no idea happened until she heard the accusations. Every Vitaiim picked up whatever they could use as a weapon and surrounded the two Goddesses in an attempt to defend the Elder Goddess of Love. Davu was the angriest of the lot of them. Of course, Adarani healed Nylia's womb, but since that event, Davu never trusted the Elder Goddess of Revenge again. Many of his descendents, including myself, still did not trust her because of that incident, a distrust which was carried even after the Cataclysm. By that time, however, the deep distrust began to slowly fade. I can only hope it can continue to fade, without anything to ruin it."

Just then, a knock at the door was heard. Saulkavt opened went over to the door. Whoever it could be was beyond the two Sacriran men. When the door was opened, it reveal the Grand Abbot of Agriculture, Ruthtaika.

She came in and turned towards her brother. "Hanryyt, sorry to interupt your conversation, but I think this news is urgent. While you two were spending time together, we received numerous reports of lost souls gone missing. I don't know how it happened, but whatever the cause, it made the Order end up in a heated debate over whether to trust Nylia, sinc she has the portfolio of the Undead. Personally, I do not think it rational to jump to conclusions,but the two side did of the argument did. One side, calling themselves Deltas, blame Nylia for the disappearence of those souls, while th other, the Gammas, say Nylia would never do that. And then there is a third faction: the Omegas, who say we cannot know for sure whether Nylia was behind it. I sid with the Omegas, but that's besides the point. Things went chaotic for a bit. I managed to calm everyone down with my speech and suggestion of bi-yearly athletic tournaments for everyone to let off steam through them, but I don't know how long the calm will last."

Hearing what his sister said made Hanryyt clench his fist. Right when he was ging to take Saulkavt's word on not being so stiff, there was yet again a reason to be skeptic of Nylia. "Gosh darn it! And to think we could breath easy? What could possibly be going on?"

The Middle Realm

They were gnawing at the wall, pushing at it trying to get through. It bubbled and swirled, colors unimaginable blossomed and vanished in the blink of an eye. It seemed to take shapes but then lost them immediately. The Chaos, The Wilds, it had many names but it cared not. It's only wish was to expand. It pushed at the barrier and the barrier pushed back. Then the barrier gave way. Chaos beasts rushed into the world, weakened by the barrier that they had pushed through. The Barrier closed instantly but enough of the creatures had appeared to cause trouble. They began attacking and destroying everything in their paths and turning more creatures into beasts like them. Geographically these beasts were contained at the far North, far South, far East, and far West borders of the Wilds. But eventually they began to expand pushing farther and farther into the Middle Realm as they came...


Laska

The young goddess looked at Merida and Keindra. She understood all that they had told her but she did not wish it to be true. The god of War was dead, that wasn't a good thing, but she could only feel glad. In the end she took as somber of a face as she could and followed Merida and Keindra to go see Mathias. When she got there she let the other two do all of the talking. She only spared them part of her attention. The rest was focused on the purple mortals running around and setting up cities. She nearly clapped her hands in delight at the sight of them. They were so peaceful and happy.

Sithis

Sithis had not spoken while Othuma had asked Adarani for help. Its attention had been on the prayers of the snakes who told of many mortal affairs and also of gods. Sithis was still gathering information when they returned to the Northern wastes. When it finally snapped out of its reverie it slithered out of its tattoo form and onto the shoulders of the god of death. Then it noticed the new mortal and the godlike presence.

"Who iss thiss Othuma?" Sithis asked with feigned politeness. "Why did you bring another god here?" Then it sniffed the air with a flick of its tongue. "Trouble approachess. Gather your weaponss. Chaoss comess."


Crysalis

Crysalis arrived at a new city on her way to the ocean. Here were very different mortals from the Klik'kik-t. All of them wore masks and they all seemed to hold malice for something or another. Crysalis could feel the Crystal nearby so she lessened her godly aura so that Nylia might not sense her. Crysalis entered the city proper and found herself bombarded by dirty looks. She was not welcome...That would change very soon indeed.

The Crystal

The Crystal had been watching Nylia's every movement. She did not seem to be angry at Jute, or even revengeful at the moment. She seemed to be absorbed in the war. That was good. The Crystal remained quiet for most of the time as Nylia moved about the world, doing as she wished. When she returned to the masked mortals the Crystal finally spoke up. It is time that the war is started. If these mortals do nothing then I can call others to the war effort instead. As for our relationship, I would like your opinion on something. The Crystal paused for response. What are your feelings for Jute now?


Acanthus

Riomu was healing at a fast rate and schools all over the Fortress were teaching the History of the Middle Realm among many other subjects. Acanthus and Torsc were now meeting on a weekly basis, their project was nearing its completion. The Time Bubble as well was nearing its cessation period. The two gods were planning to unveil their new creation at the Ceremony of Release. Acanthus had never been happier than he was in the Bubble, but he knew that when it ended he would be able to start his new plan for a better and safer Middle Realm.

((Oh, crud. I was not expecting a second cataclysm to happen so soon. Looks like I may be forced to have Adarani evacuate the civilians from the monasteries through Paradise portals before the Betans even arrive, if things turn out for the worst against the beasts. Sorry Jade, but it looks like our planned war and outcomes might not happen, at all, at this rate. I hope you don't mind what happens in this post involving the Beasts, Midnight. The Templarim were made for this sort of thing. You can tell the Beasts' part with them beginning to get better at fighting against the Sacrirans, if you want.))

The militias at the outermost islands to the West, North, and South were the first Sacriran forces to spot the Chaos Beasts incoming. This time, they were better prepared for them. The archers lit the rockets on their arrows before shooting. Wave after wave of rocket arrows exploded upon impact on the Chaos Beasts, killing some, wounding others. This slowed the enemy down enough for the 24-strong squadrons of Templarim to charge up Protection Energy to pound their Bo Staves to the ground a wave of energy knocked back oncoming Beasts so that they crashed into their comrades behind them, followed immediately by a wave which actually stunned or slowed down many of those same foes. This wave pattern continued in rapid succession twelve times before melee charge initiated.

The Templarim went in first, their training and defensive protection spells serving them well on the battlefield. Even though several among the main race of protectors of the Order fell every seven minutes, the casualty ratio was twelve Beasts per Templarim. The archers dished out even more kills than that as they resumed their barrage, the Templarim in front of them keeping the enemy away from them, for the most part.

----

Adarani felt a sharp jolt. One which she did not feel since the Cataclysm. "Ahuv, take Mother with you to Paradise. I'll meet up with you, there, when I can." She opened a portal for the two of them while speaking.

Ahuv nodded and took 'Mother' by the hand. "This way! Hurry!"

The Blue Crane Monk wasted no time in pulling Mother along with him through the portal before it closed. Paradise was moe than he expected. It was absolutely stunning to him. Still, this was no time to enjoy anything. Mother had to be tended to. He turned towards her with his silvery-blue eyes. "This is Paradise, where good souls go. No evil can be done here. We will be safe in this realm while the fighting goes on." He gave her a reassuring grin. "I don't think Kazus would mind if the two of us spent time here. I will pray to him and assure him you are safe with me up here."

Ahuv then closed his eyes and made this prayer:

Kazus, this is Ahuv. I have taken Mother up with me to Paradise through a portal that Adarani made for us. She will be safe here while the Middle Realm fights off the Chaos Beasts that were made during the Cataclysm. No evil can be done up here, meaning no harm will come to her. Trust me.

The Middle Realm

In the West, Southwest, and Northwest, the Chaos Beasts were being driven back. The Sacrirans were putting all of their effort into driving off the many Abominations that were threatening them. The Beasts in those areas had been greatly lessened and all were finding very little to expand their numbers with. As the Beasts were destroyed, the water that they had been in contact with returned to its normal state, the creatures within its depths remained mostly unaware. Some Chaos Beasts had tried to go underwater but were quickly repelled by Nylia’s faithful there.

Far to the North and South the Chaos beasts had barely any creatures to feed upon and so the numbers remained small, however they were mostly unchecked and they began to spread out and cover more land as they searched for creatures to prey upon and change into more Abominations.

In the East the many forests were teaming with life. As the Chaos Beasts attacked and fed upon the many creatures there their numbers began to swell at a rapid pace. The Chaos beasts roamed through the forests, ripping apart the fabric of nature itself as they attacked anything and everything in their way. As of yet the major threat to the East was the worst and yet it still remained unchecked…