"No, you divine failure. When you showed up, I helped you against those three old monsters, and look what it got me." Flowheart spoke in cold, even tones, frost crystals hanging in the air around her. "She is my Prime. When you came and asked me to make her one, I agreed as she showed promise. And now-"

"Now what," Rathica snapped back as she glared at the smaller deity. "You don't even want her, and the only reason you turned her into a Prime is that I told you of the potential of these earthlings. You're too weak to even go to their world to see for yourself!"

"Perhaps," Flowheart said, her voice deathly calm. "But she is my Prime, and you know what it would do if I let you take her."

Rathica barked a laugh as she straightened to her full height. "I do, and better than you. I've thousands of years of experience over you, and the slight setback in growth you are talking about is nothing to cry over."

"Slight? We scrape and scrape to get a sliver of Karma away from those three, and every one of our Primes costs us years of work. How dare you insinuate anything else!" Flowheart hissed, the frost crystals hanging around her growing to palm size.

"Pathetic. You're barely a few hundred years old. How could you possibly hope to fight with either of them on even ground." Rathica snorted. "You're focusing too much of your energy on your Primes, that's why they push you around like this! You should be thankful to me for taking one off your hands!"

Flowheart was quiet for a moment, staring intently at Rathica. "You talk big, but just because you have prior knowledge doesn't make you as powerful as you say you used to be! Technically you're not even a year old, and that makes you weaker than me!"

A cold smile popped up on Flowheart's face, and she raised her hand threateningly. "You're even weaker than that Percussion fool, and you think you can just do as you please?"

Rathica inched forward, moving her face closer and closer to Flowheart's, who suddenly stopped moving as her eyes widened.

"Little deity," Rathica's words sounded like a whisper, but they held so much bottled up power the walls rumbled, "do you dare to threaten me?"

Something exchanged between the two that was too fast for me to follow, but Flowheart stepped back. "How can you possibly be this powerful already!" she hissed.

"Because you are a fool that doesn't listen! I told you and those other younglings. Don't focus so much of yourself on creating more Primes! Grow your realm, grow yourself. The rest will follow!"

"We can't!" Flowheart retorted. "We can't get out of this solar system, so we need all of the followers we can get on this world, and Pre-" she swallowed the next word, taking a deep breath before continuing. "And those old fools have their Primes stamp out anything we build beyond a small town! We need more Primes to guard our followers so their souls end up in our realms!"

Rathica sighed, shaking her head sadly. "You don't understand. The fear you feel is from your mortal side... Don't let it guide you so much! Quality over quantity! Pick the best ones and cultivate them until one can stand against many."

She turned to me and pointed. "Take Est, for example. Do you think it's a fluke that he managed to beat much older Primes as he did?"

Flowheart examined me, her cold eyes like freezing rain on my soul. "He is a fluke. Besides, he is the one who shaped you and is inherently stronger than normal Primes."

"You are wrong. He is just a normal, regular mortal," Rathica responded, smiling fondly at me.

"The reason he is this powerful is because I focus all the energy not needed in growing my realm on him. Although less than you spend on your Primes, he is getting it all! He isn't as strong as the best of those old fools yet, but given time he will stand toe to toe with them."

"Fine, and then? You will have one strong Prime. Even if he can defeat four weaker ones, or even ten. The amount of energy it costs you… you could have made twenty weaker ones that brought you more return on your investment!" Flowheart snarled.

Rathica just smiled sadly and took a step back. "You need more time to learn to balance your human side with yourself. I can't help you see until you are more clear-minded. Until then, are you going to give me the girl, or do I need to take her?"

I could barely breathe, and I felt my heart speed up, hoping Flowheart would relent.

Flowheart just glared back, her frozen eyes like blue fires.

Rathica shook her head, and like a mother chastising an angry child, she continued.

"Don't be this angry. We can't fight each other and keep out of Preyatar's hands," she said and raised her hand to stop Flowheart's rebuttal. Her eyes narrowed as she continued. "What if I offer you something in return?"

Flowheart hesitated and seemed taken aback.

What? If she has something to offer her, why didn't she just start with that? I thought.

"What could you possibly have to offer," Flowheart finally asked.

Hook, line, and sinker, I thought. I didn't know what Rathica had to bargain with, but I could feel the situation had moved exactly as she wanted it. At the same time, I was surprised how human the conversation between the two deities had been.

"I believe you haven't managed to get any of the seeds for the tree of life?"

What? I barely held back from shouting in outrage. She can't be thinking of giving-"

Don't worry, now calm down! You're drawing attention, Rathica whispered in my mind.

"You only have one. You can't possibly be willing to give that to me," Flowheart said, her voice suddenly turning icy calm.

"I have one… for now. But I will have another one within a week. If you join forces with me and relinquish the girl to me, I'll give you the second one."

I couldn't believe what I heard but kept silent, trying to contain the outrage boiling inside me. We need that one to create bodies for humanity! But we will free Eliandra, a small voice inside me countered at the same time.

Flowheart was quiet for a long time, and when she finally spoke, the frost crystals began dissipating. "Although I don't believe you will get another one... I can't risk losing this chance. Fine. If you give me another seed, you can have the girl,"

I felt a massive surge of happiness conflict with worry when Flowheart continued, making me freeze.

"But, the girl stays with me until you deliver. I am no fool, Rathica, no matter what you may think."

Shit. Will she have to stay with that cold-ass for days longer? I thought, shivering at the implications.

"No," Rathica said while shaking her head and ignoring the sudden outrage on Flowheart's face.

"The girl will stay here, in my temple. You can post guards to make sure she doesn't leave, but I will not give you a chance to manipulate her further."

Rathica's words were crisp and clear and showed she would not budge.

Again I held my breath, and when Flowheart finally shook her head angrily, I let out a mental sigh of relief.

"Fine. But if you try and weasel your way out of this, Rathica, I will send my followers and Primes to hunt your little Est. If he dies, your growth stops dead in its tracks, and you will wither before you can blossom!"

Flowhearts words were cold and measured, and with a last look at Rathica and a freezing glance for me, she vanished like mist.

Time didn't immediately return to normal though, and Rathica looked at me with a complicated expression.

Est, I can't make Eliandra into a Prime, not for a long time. Rathica waited to let her words sink in, which they did. I hadn't expected it, but I felt my mood dampen.

It makes sense, I thought after a while. If she could easily make more Primes, Rathica would have done so already. The risk for her was currently great.

The pair of intense deity eyes scrutinizing me mellowed slightly as she smiled.

Indeed. After you succeed in Ulderion's mission and gain more seeds, she will turn into a normal follower and lose many of the perks she has now. I can't read her fully yet, so I can't say how she will respond.

I shook my head, not worried about that at all. Eliandra would be fine. She was tough and resilient, and I was pretty sure she cared more about being free from Flowheart than the perks it gave.

Wait, won't she be connected to Rathica after this?

The sudden thought made me look at my deity with some trepidation.

Yes, she will, and I have no idea how she will respond to my presence. You feel little of it, but she? She will be the first to fully experience it... or not?

The sudden change in tone from Rathica confused me. What are you on about now? I thought, wondering why Rathica was looking at something behind me.

Laurel, Rathica said as her eyes gleamed. She reacted favorably to my influence when you used it to circumvent Flowheart's temple's aura.

I nodded mentally. She was right. Laurel had seemed to be fine with it.

A calculating gaze came across Rathica, and then she stared at me. I normally wouldn't consult about these things, but as we have just gotten started and you are my first Prime... What would you think about asking Laurel to follow me?

I was stunned for a moment and then began mentally nodding. That could work! If Eliandra had to stay here, that meant I had to go at it alone again, and although I would if I had to, having some company sounded like a great idea. You are talking about sending her with me after that, right? I asked quickly.

Definitely!

Then I think it's a great idea, if she is willing that is, I said. But didn't you only have one follower for a reason?

Rathica moved towards me, her eyes still on the spot behind me. Yes, but I am not planning on going back to your world. I've found what I need there-

Nana? I asked, interrupting Rathica.

Rathica turned her attention from the area behind me back to me, and she was quiet for a while.

Rathica? I asked, getting worried.

I've found her… Rathica finally said, lingering on the words for a moment before she continued. But I was too late. She was old, Est. She couldn't handle the changes in your world, and her mind had gone numb with grief.

As Rathica's words continued, I felt a tiny spark in my heart extinguish. The last time I had seen her had been so long ago. I'd always said I'd go the next weekend, but the next weekend never came. Wait, her mind?

Did you find her alive? I asked, trying to understand what Rathica was saying.

Yes, but she was dying. I communicated with her, but my presence brought her distress.

I flinched as if I was struck. Did she die because I sent you to her?

No! Rathica's voice was filled with certainty, and it carried a wave of warmth that bathed my mind. She would have died within hours of me finding her.

This time it was me that was quiet, as I tried to remember the last moments with her. So she was gone.

Not exactly. Rathica said, making me look up.

I had to swallow back some nasty curses before I could manage to continue speaking civily. Explain!

I wonder how many times someone had commanded Rathica before. If not for her feeling my troubled mind, I wonder what might have happened.

I brought her soul with me to my realm, Rathica said.

So we can put her into a new body! I shouted, the roller coaster that was my emotions going up again.

She has… reset might be the right word, Rathica said and raised her hand to silence me. Listen. No more talking until I can explain.

Alright, I said, willing her to hurry up.

You are too young, too new to know everything, and like before, I will remove these memories when I am not around, but this might help. Every living being has a thing called Karma.

It is the energy that powers the system we use, the power we deities gather and manipulate. Every follower we have generates Karma that we can use. Rathica sighed as she looked at me. After you die, the amount of Karma you have decides how long you can stay before your soul resets and loses its memories.

If you die with no more Karma, your soul resets immediately, and not even a deity can bring the memories back. In your world, something has leached away almost all of the Karma your people had. I couldn't find out if it was the Guidar or if one of the old deities of your world did something, but it is odd. Your people generate more Karma than any mortals I have heard of, but only after you come here.

I looked at Rathica and felt everything she told me slide past as if unimportant. All I could think of was, what did this mean for Nana? Was she to be reborn or something?

Yes. That's the short of it.

I sighed. So that was that. I never had a good connection with my parents, not a bad one either, just not one as close as some people I knew. Nana had been the only one to really get me when I was young. After I got older, I stopped seeing her every weekend, but now that I knew she was gone, I felt like a fool.

I brought her with me so her soul can be reborn here and have a chance to live a normal life, outside of the grasp of the Guidar, Rathica said, as she smiled at me. I'm keeping her soul in my realm until things settle down, and then I'll release it so it can find a new life.

Thanks, I said. Think you can stop playing around with time now? I need to move around a bit.

Almost immediately, sounds flooded me, subdued chatter from the corridor to the city, together with the dull smashing of the sea on the shore and the startled cry of Laurel.

Turning around, I saw Eliandra look where Flowheart had been, lost in thought. At the other side of the room, Rathica stood before Laurel, gazing deep into her eyes. Something was occurring between them, but I didn't really care. Instead, I moved to Eliandra and gently placed an arm around her shoulder. She started, then looked at me.

"Flowheart said that if you succeed, I'll be free," she whispered.

"If? If? Hah!" I said, grinning widely at her. "You mean when, of course."

Eliandra snorted and shook her head. "I can only imagine that finishing a quest for a deity won't be that easy. But fine. When you succeed, I'll be free. Sort of." At this, she turned and looked at Rathica, who was still preoccupied with Laurel.

"Don't worry too much. Rathica isn't like Flowheart," I said.

"Oh, I know that," Eliandra said as she grinned at me ferociously. "Her presence in the temple is overriding that of Flowheart. If anything, at least I will be rid of that cold, detached feeling!"

We fell silent after that, both staring at Laurel, who was still conversing with Rathica. A few minutes later, they seemed to have come to some sort of accord. Laurel suddenly stood up straighter, and I could swear she grew a few inches, and her already buff physique tightened a bit, the muscles bulging. She suddenly tossed her head back and roared. Then, she looked at Rathica and smiled.

"Est, come here, please," Rathica said as she beckoned me, waiting until I stood beside her before she put a hand on my shoulder. Although I was not a small man by any means, she was more than a head taller than me currently, and I felt like a child in front of his mother.

"You're no child, Est," Rathica said before turning to Laurel. "I present to you my newest follower, Laurel." As Rathica said her name, my eyes widened, and I expected an outburst from the Grablon. Instead, she just grinned at me sheepishly. Her face seemed a little sharper than before, and a fire burned deep inside her eyes for a moment.

"You don't have to worry. I've no patience for the whole naming thing the Grablons have put upon themselves. I've explained to Laurel that it is a misguided principle based on the misconception that names are the cause of their missing deity. It is not, at least not in the way they think. When that old fool resurfaces I'm pretty sure he will have words with his followers."

About bloody time, I thought.

"Indeed. Now, I think you had something else you wanted here, and as I have my own temple here now," Rathica turned to the left wall, and the vegetation moved aside, revealing a large double door with a book stamped in the middle. "There's your entrance to the Library."

My eyes widened, and as soon as I saw the door, an idea popped into my head.

"You could," Rathica said, "but the ruins of Dursic have turned into a dangerous place. Also, Laurel won't be able to follow you that way."

"Fuck…" I muttered, feeling my optimism die down a bit. It would have been great to just go into the library and exit through the door that led to Dursic. Sighing, I pushed the idea away and turned to Rathica.

"It's fine. I'll take Lark as close as I can and travel the remainder by land. Any chance you can get me one of those nifty maps everybody keeps flaunting around?"

"That much I can do. Anything else? I have some time now, with the first tree fully grown and my realm going strong."

I blinked at the question. It was the first time I actually got a chance to ask questions without a time limit, but suddenly my mind was drawing a blank.

"Think about it a bit as I speak with Laurel and Eliandra," Rathica said as she turned to Eliandra, who was still staring at her intently.

Moving around the room a bit, I ended up sitting with my back against the wall of vegetation. A crisp scent surrounded me, and feeling content, I tried to remember all the questions I had wanted to ask. Suddenly I remembered one, triggered by something Rathica had said.

"Rathica, where did the other humans go?" I asked.