***The Crystal City***

***Sharid***

I am still trying to process all this new knowledge in my head, having a hard time making sense of everything, when from one second to the next Nazareth whisks me away.

Only for me to find myself standing on a big platform made out of some sort of crystal. Around me, sparkling blue crystal towers raise towards a violet sky with a blue sun! The beautiful sight literally takes my breath away as I gape at my new surroundings.

By slapping my thigh, Nazareth draws my attention away from the indescribable city landscape in front of us. “Close your mouth and good luck. Just call if you need me to take you somewhere.” He looks around, eyeing the two guards in uniform who are watching us before he whispers. “I am better not recognized around here. Angrod and I have history, so I will take my leave.”

Before I can say anything, he wriggles his fingers in a goodbye gesture and vanishes in a flash of light.

“Goodbye...” I wheeze a little too late, trying to draw in a deep breath as the world starts spinning sideways like on a carousel. So dizzy!? Why? I didn’t quite mean the thing with the ‘taken breath’ quite that earnestly…

Gurgling and gasping for air, I flop to my knees as my legs give out, then topple over to plant my face on the hard crystal floor like a doll who had her strings cut.

“Haah… Haah…” Why is it so hard to breathe?

“Ah, another newbie!” a female voice comments and the feet of the two guards who I noticed earlier start approaching me.

“And a hot one at that! Do you want to go on a date?” the voice of the male guard asks as the two stop in front of me.

There is an audible ‘Smack!’, before the female guard starts complaining, “Don't you see that she is suffocating!”

She kneels down in front of me, looking into my face. “Hey, newbie! Concentrate on your mana and release it through your body. Didn’t that gnome teach you how to use your aura before he brought you here? The air on this world is toxic. You have to heal your body and strengthen it by releasing some of your aura!”

“Meh! Why do you bother? Some of the new ones suffocate anyways because they just don’t get it. Then we patch them up until they learn their lesson. Let me get the protective respirator,” the male guard comments, starting to walk away. “Do you think she will indulge me if I lend her the thing and ask her out on a date?”

My power!

That bastard Nazareth! Couldn’t he have told me to release my aura beforehand?

I ignore the two bickering guards and search for the power within myself, just as I was taught, and release it through my body. Finally, my breathing eases and dizziness disappears. “Haaaaa! That feels so much better!”

The female guard notices that I am back among the living and offers me a hand. “Tone down your aura just a little. It’s rude to have it fully released while in the presence of other gods. They might think that you want to attack them.”

I do as told and gladly accept her hand. She pulls me to my feet, commenting on my most recent predicament, “Don't take it too seriously. It's a joke amongst the gods to send the new ones here without telling them about the environment.”

Her expression turns slightly annoyed. “That's pretty much the only reason why we are stationed here. It's too bothersome to deal with the dead bodies of newbies cluttering up the arrival platform.”

I gape at her. “But- but- but isn’t that murder? Isn’t there anyone who would prosecute those bastards?”

“It may be a bad joke,” the male guard smirks at me, “but who is gonna hunt some deity on a goose chase through the multiverse just because another deity had to reincarnate.” He shrugs. “It may be inconvenient for the newbie who got tricked, but a forced reincarnation may serve as a good reminder to always unleash your aura when you walk the pathways. If you walk to an unknown location you never know what awaits you.”

He sighs and shudders, looking towards the sky. “I will always remember when I walked right into the corona of a sun. At least it was over real quick. Luckily, getting a new body cloned costs only half as much for those who serve in the military. Bless the queen.”

“Bless the queen,” the female guard repeats, clearing her throat.

Are those Chimerans for real? Idiots! Station a healer here! What if someone doesn't get the trick in time?

“So? What about the date, newbie?” the male guard asks me, his eyes failing to meet mine. Instead, his sensory organs are stuck to a spot about fifteen centimetres beneath my chin.

I clear my throat and infuse some power into my voice. “~If you run a hundred thousand laps around this platform within the day, I might consider it.~”

“Really?!” The male guard’s eyes light up.

“~Yes!~”

The guard starts running, apparently not questioning the impossibility of the task before him.

No chance in hell that he will manage it. Mwahaha! Punishing evildoers is the best! I love it!

“That's a neat little trick, newbie!” the female guard comments and smirks as she watches her comrade working out. “But don't do it again or I will have to throw you into the prison. Influencing another’s mind is heavily restricted within the Crystal City and the punishment is nothing to scoff at. I will overlook it this time because he is an idiot.”

Oh, no! I didn't even think about this! This could have ended badly. “Oh... Thank you! I guess I got carried away. I promise that I won’t do it again. Ah, could you give me directions? I am completely new to this godhood-business.”

“Sure. You see the big central tower?” She points towards the city which has a single structure overshadowing all other buildings. “At its feet is a big plaza with stores and the evaluation centre. You can get yourself registered there. All you need to do is to follow the central road which is going right there. Have a nice day.” She points out an oversized road which is inexplicably empty.

Apparently it’s just a design feature for aesthetics. Why would gods who can teleport anywhere need roads?

“Ah, thanks!” I wave at the female guard and start walking towards the central tower. No need to rush or to take any pathways! There is so much to see! A town made out of crystals! Now that's what you call a place for gods!

On a second thought, the road might only exist to intimidate new arrivals who get to enter the city for the first time. Hahaha, it’s embarrassing, but not even I can get lost while following a six-lane highway!

Knock on wood!

In absence of any wood, I kneel down and knock the Crystal highway, hoping that it has a similar effect. Then I set out to get myself registered as a new deity.

As I walk deeper into the city, I marvel at the imposing superstructures. Even the smallest one easily outmatch anything I know from my homeworld. Who knew that the Chimerans had such a sparkling taste?

While I walk, I also realize that this town is very lively! Further out, there weren’t many people around, but the deeper I get into the city, the more pedestrians are walking the streets... uh... gods... people…

Well, I guess we are still people? Anyway! There are so many people here! Why aren’t they just teleporting around or are they on a social outing? I should have asked whether teleporting is allowed within the city limits.

Passing men and women of all kinds of races, I notice that most are trading goods or talking.

They all look different. There are so many different races that I rarely see more than one or two individuals who look similar.

Unexpectedly, I soon arrive at the plaza which the guard mentioned a while ago.

“Ha!” I jubilate, proud that I managed to find my way for once in my life!

I didn't get lost, although, I suppose it would be sad to lose your way with a really big tower bathing the city in its shadow and such a wide road to follow.

Now I just have to ask someone for this registration thingy.

My choice falls onto a shop owner who doesn't look very busy. “Excuse me! Can you tell me where I can register myself as a new god?” I decide to be blunt.

“Over there, at the foot of the central tower, miss!” The shop owner points out the direction, indicating a very official-looking entrance right next to a large stairway which leads up to the central tower’s main entrance.

That's when my eyes fall on the price tags for his goods. Most of his wares are made out of crystal, but there are also other items. Moreover, all of them are made from the finest materials I have ever seen.

“What is GP?” I point out an outrageous mirror which is tagged with fifty thousand GP!

“Those are guildpoints, young lady. A guildpoint is equivalent to a decent meal here in the city. You are new?” The shop owner smile sardonically.

“Yes?”

“Then you might want to know that guildpoints among gods are like contribution points among mortals. A single guildpoint is the equivalent of one working hour of a lesser deity. So… it’s as well worth more than a mortal’s entire lifetime, as a deity might accomplish more within a single hour than a mortal could ever hope to in his entire life,” he explains patiently and I thank him, suitably cowed by the prices on his wares.

After doing a rough calculation, I gingerly turn away to leave, too afraid to touch any of his goods. If I accidentally destroyed that mirror, I would have to work for years just to pay him back!

Those things are fucking expensive, but I guess that gods with limitless lifespans would only trade each other worthwhile luxury items. What a bother.

I probably can't afford anything in this city!

“AAAAAAAA!”

“HAHAHAHA!”

“HOHOHOHO!”

“KYAAAAA!”

Hmmm? What's with the screams? Is someone in danger?

And why is nobody paying any attention to the screams?

I look up from where the screams are coming, frowning while squinting against the sunlight.

“Miss! Above! Evade! They are jumping again!” the shop owner from earlier calls out to me.

“WaWaWaWa!” Falling bodies!

I dodge left, barely avoiding a child.

“AAAAAAAA!” A small body impacts the ground right next to me, making me immediately regret my knee-jerk reaction. I could have saved her!

“HAHAHAHA!” Another heavy thud comes from right behind me.

There are more! I dodge to the right, again following my instincts.

“HOHOHOHO!”

The impacts of bodies on the hard pavement shake me again and again before I can get my act together!

“KYAAAAA!”

My agility fails me at the last one and I unwillingly go down for the second time today, playing a soft cushion for the last falling body. Only the fact that I have my aura released saves me from fatal injury. Yet, being flattened against the hard crystal floor drives the air out of my lungs, rendering me unable to do anything aside from wheezing on the ground while someone shifts on top of me.

“I won! I WON! HA!”

“Again!”

“Sis.... you got one!”

“Nice! It's hard to hit one!”

“Hn! They get better at evading every day!”

“Owie! That hurt!” I complain, trying to push the child which is apparently quite well off of me.

“Miss, are you okay?” Someone kicks the girl off of me.

I look up and realize that a red-haired demon is holding her hand towards me. A real demon! With horns and tail! I thought those exist just in fairy tales and as statues above my mother's house!

“Um. Thanks. I guess that I am not injured. My name is Sharid and I am new here.” I allow myself to be helped up – which makes twice today.

Why do the eyes of that demon sparkle so strangely? I feel like a piece of meat.

“I am Seria! You are a new god? Welcome to the Crystal City, and those are my little sisters. Lada, Eris, and Arianne!” The red-haired, beautiful girl introduces me to the other three members of her party.

I study the children, finding the family resemblance astounding. Horns, tails and faces, there is little difference aside from some defining features like the aristocratic nose of one girl, or the eyes of the other, or the slightly rounder face of the other.

Aside from Seria’s age and red hair colour compared to her sisters’ black, the familial ties are undisputable.

I return my attention to the leader of the group. “Ahem, thanks. I was just about to get myself registered when you… fell on me. Why did you even fall from the tower! Did someone throw you?” I look up, trying to see the top, but it is currently hidden inside a slightly yellowish cloud. Is being thrown from the tower some kind of punishment around here?

“It's a game!” Arianne explains. “You have to jump and hit people!” Lada continues. “Wanna try?” And Eris finishes.

“Ah, sorry. I will pass on that!” I politely decline.

“You could play the target if you don’t want to jump,” Eris offers and Arianne adds, “The others here on the plaza got too good at evading!” And Lada finalizes. “Wanna try?”

I frown, admittedly a little creeped out at their tendency to finish each others’ sentences.

“I am afraid that I have to register myself first! Maybe we can play when I have an idea of my situation.” Or, like never! I won't jump, nor will I play the target!

“Then we will continue alone,” Lada starts, followed by Eris, “You know where we are!” And Arianne finishes, “Just wait down here if you want to train your skill at evasion!”

The three kids disappear in a flash of light and Seria gives me an apologetic look. “They are a little too enthusiastic about this game. Please don't be mad at them. Want me to give you a little guided tour? There is much to see in our city!”

I bow to Seria. “That would be very helpful, but I am afraid that I can't reward you.”

“Hahaha! There is no need for a reward! Come with me to the registration first! That will take some time which we can use to talk. I am also curious about your divinities!” Seria grabs my hand and pulls me along towards the registration office.