Somehow, some way, the indomitable Snooze managed to coax, prod, persuade and coerce the Ngak of the Village of Dela to agree to take their stone knives and drag them along their palms in order to resuscitate their Protector--a story that, was still a bit too light on the details for Snooze’s comfort. She also wasn’t sure what happened after they sliced the insides of their hands open, but she trusted that someone would eventually figure it out.

They seemed to.

Once she mentioned the idea, Jors nodded.

“It will work,” he said simply, “but we will need time for the ritual.”

Snooze would have frowned if she didn’t think that would be perceived as rude--though, it would not have. How long would that be? Also, she now began to wonder, how were there so many elements of their lives that she had no understanding of? She watched them all the time, though not just the Village of Dela…

She also spent time studying Kenk--on the other side of the continent, Hwiss, the strange group inhabiting the tribe rest of the Kopkeia, the stoic Wuff settlement, Mng, Aago, the baffling Stonies of Brafk, she’d spent more than her fair share of time watching the captivating undervillage of Sh Uy Il, and even took moments for the occasional antics of L’Quk and Reej.

Now that she thought about it, it was possible that she’d missed a few things in the Village of Dela. This ritual being one of them.

Well, it’s not fun knowing everything about them all the time! It’ll be a unique experience. Like that time I tried pickle-flavored ice cream and then threw up on the hood of a police car.

Coincidentally, that was also the first time that Snooze--in her former life--had vandalized government property. The city council had said that her vomit had left such an egregious stench and damage from acidic erosion that it technically qualified as a hate crime. In fact, they didn’t even attempt to fix it, they just threw it away.

Once again, she was being postponed in her endeavors when all she wanted to do was bring her companion back to life so they could continue on being normal. But, she supposed that if she had to be waylaid, it may as well have been among the descendents of her original creation.

This must be what it feels like to be a grandma!

Several of the villagers left to go attend to… something or other, leaving Snooze and Riff to dally and cavort with the remainder of the Stonies along the beach outside their ruined home. Still, they didn’t seem sad for it, in fact, it appeared to be quite the opposite.

How long do you think this will take, Snooze? Riff asked, glancing around at the bustling group.

“I’m not sure,” Snooze responded. She couldn’t see Jors or his wife. Perhaps they were preparing whatever necessities were required for the ritual? Maybe a really important piece of cloth that she didn’t know about, or a wooden stool of ultimate importance?

They watched the Stonies for a while as they built little cook fires, and began piling along little timbers, gathering around the merry flames in anticipation to sup. Snooze noticed that several of the more capable food preparers began scraping off their cook stones and rudimentary tools. Helpers brought along root vegetables and savory fruits they’d been storing in brine and those were soon sliced and laid flat on the piping rocks, sizzling wonderfully and filling the air with a pleasant aroma that made Snooze’s mouth water.

Riff and Snooze watched the display with an amused interest, seeing these simple people get to work, their former woes completely forgotten in light of what they must have assumed was an important duty. Before long, seashells full of the brined vegetables were pressed into their hands, and the two gods glanced at one another. They smiled, and clinked the vessels together, and it seemed that for a moment, they could enjoy themselves. They feasted.

---

Songs died down, and full stomachs won out. A lethargic crowd of potbellied Stonies assembled around the coil of remains that had been Meat. Many of them had the stone knives in their hands, of varying degrees of utility, but, Snooze figured they’d do the job well enough. It wasn’t as though they needed precision.

Riff had been mostly silent during this whole exchange, and while the Dela people gathered, Snooze took a moment to speak to the other god.

“It looks like this little vignette is about to come to a close,” she said, leaning against a tree.

It appears so, Riff said quietly, even inside the other god’s mind. She seemed as exhausted as the Stonies, and Snooze supposed she couldn’t blame her. It was late in the night, and they’d had their fair share of tiresome trials over the last few hours. Snooze herself was almost drained completely of her ability to use Godspells, though she suspected she still had a bit left in the tank thanks to the little boost she’d gotten from Riff.

But there was something else that was bothering Riff, Snooze knew. Before, she’d been upbeat, even despite their circumstances, and now she was hardly speaking, and when she did, it was very dismissive and short.

“You must be as tired as I am,” Snooze said, not wanting to pry too much, “I feel like I could sleep for decades, and I don’t even require resting in that way.”

Riff gave a mild mind chuckle and shrugged her shoulders.

Yeah, I’m pretty beat. It was a… difficult day.

“You’re telling me!” Snooze exclaimed, shaking her head at the memory of recent events, “but it’ll be a story to laugh about some day.”

Yeah… Riff said halfheartedly, but didn’t offer anything else.

“Blessed,” Mayor Jors’ rough voice cut through the din. He’d returned, and was wearing a ceremonial kuyl, a soft garment dyed with mudberryflower. Snooze looked to him and nodded, and gave one final glance over to Riff who was staring out at the nighttime ocean, and then walked to the circle of Stonies.

“Alright,” Snooze said to the group, “now, according to the… gods, if all of you open the flesh of your palms, and focus on sending out your energy, it should work.”

Snooze expected there to be hesitation in their reactions, but as she looked around the circle, all of the Dela people’s faces were set seriously. She was impressed, but she supposed it made sense considering how frequently their people saw death. She felt a little guilty on that front as she’d let loose a wild element without any curation upon their world, and because of that, they would always be fighting back against it.

But, she thought, perhaps that was why they were able to perform this ritual unhindered now. A world rampant with death had made them strong, they didn’t fear it, but they didn’t necessarily accept it willingly either. No, she had seen time and time again that her Stonies had a willingness to survive, often at all costs, and frequently knocked on death’s door and facing it with bravery and zeal. Death wasn’t terrifying to the Ngak. It was annoying, and while they respected it for what it was, they also saw the changes that could be exacted through their force of effort and sheer will.

“You lot are quite brave,” she said as a compliment, but it was Pili who spoke, interrupting the somberness of their task.

“Only brave when needed,” she said, in the Stonies’ simple manner, “we owe a debt of life to our Protector. He risked for us. We risk for him.”

Snooze nodded.

“What exactly did Mea--er, what did the Protector do to assist you?”

Jors was the one to speak now, his voice as calm and confident as always.

“When the shadow beast attacked,” he stated, lifting a hand to indicate a direction downshore, “the Protector guided us away. Led us to the high cliff. Then the Protector returned to face the beast. Thus, saving us.”

Snooze’s breath caught in her throat. The footprints in the sand. She’d known that Meat was nearby at that time, it was why she pulled the ridiculous gamble of hiding his name in her statements to Perth, shouting it out to summon him. She’d known that part of Meat’s purpose was to act as a… bastion? Was that the word? But, she didn’t know that it would extend to him leading the denizens of this world to safety and returning to fight a dire threat.

She smiled, nodding.

“Right,” she said, lifting her hands, “all together now.”

As one, the Stonies dragged the points of the stone knives across their open hands, and blood began to seep up. Then, they slowly approached, drizzling the ground where Meat’s husk lay with their lifeblood. The sand swallowed the fluid eagerly and immediately, and with each drop that was devoured, a dark stain remained.

When it was done, Anik moved to the head of the group.

“Ngak call to summon,” he said, and a chorus of copycats returned his words verbatim.

“Ngak call to summon,” he said again, his voice raising. They echoed his words.

“Ngak ask the gods to seek the spirit of the Protector. Return to it full vibrance. Make it whole and house it within the hut of his being.” The passage was repeated.

“Ngak call to summon. Be true.”

Suddenly, the ground started rumbling, and Snooze watched as the sand began to almost boil where the droplets of blood had landed. Then the spots began to glow a rosy, green color and then thin beams of energy blasted out of the sand, shining up into the sky like the universe’s tiniest little spotlights. The beams began to shift, facing inward into the circle and converging on the husk in the center.

While this was occurring, the Stonies began to chant.

“Ngak call to summon. Be true. Ngak call to summon. Be true.” They kept repeating it over and over, and their voices carried a weight that caused Snooze to tear up as hope and gratitude filled her chest. She was brimming with maternal love at that moment. Her little Stonies were so wonderful!

Snooze could see the lifeblood lights seemed to be filling the husk with their magnificence, as the husk slowly began to change to the same rosy green color. Almost there!

The chanting continued, as the beams stubbornly blasted Meat’s empty form until, with a loud pop, they suddenly stopped.

But something was wrong. Snooze examined Meat’s husk, and it still was very translucent. It was nowhere near fully complete! The Stonies could see this too, but undeterred, they kept chanting. There were still no more beams, and the blood in the sand was almost completely gone. Nothing was happening. It wasn’t enough! They need more blood, but they already gave so much...

The chants still rang out, and their intensity increased. They were trying to will more energy to enter Meat, in order to revive him. Then Snooze saw movement. Jors stepped toward the center of the circle, a determined and serious look in his eye. He’d been toward the back of the group, but now he was standing over the partially-resurrected Meat, his stone dagger in his hand, and his woolen shirt lifted.

“Ngak call to summon. Be true.”

“No!” Snooze called out, but the village leader had already acted. He thrust the knife into his chest, never looking away from Meat’s still form on the ground. Snooze cried out again, but then stopped.

The sharp blade of the dagger was completely covered by the crystalline barrier, and it bounced harmlessly off of Jors’ chest.

ENHANCE!

There was a bright flash, and Snooze whipped her head to the light. Riff was standing over Meat’s husk, her crystalline dome glittering with tremendous intensity as it held Meat’s body within it. Inside, the beams of light began again, strong and more powerful. They continued to pummel the husk, lighting it up with a ferocity that was awe-inspiring.

KEEP CHANTING! Riff commanded, her voice now carrying to the minds of the Stonies. Despite it not being in their language, the Dela people seemed to understand, and they began practically shouting the oath, their voices reaching such a powerful decibel that Snooze considered shielding her ears. Riff stood shuddering, her outstretched hand looking as though it would explode as she poured all of her power into this spell.

Then, with a loud snap. The beams broke off, and the dome over Meat shattered, revealing a very much alive Archangel.

A cheer that had been louder than the chanting erupted on the beach as the Stonies raised their fists and pumped them in celebration. They laughed. They cried. They hugged eachother.

With a whistle and a happy buzz, Meat launched himself at Snooze, and practically tackled her to the ground. She grasped on to him tightly, fearing that if she’d let go, she’d lose him again. So they lay in the sand, embracing one another as well as they could.

After a few moments of this, Snooze stood, allowing the villagers to gather around Meat, and thank him in their own way, which they were more than happy to do. Snooze took that opportunity to approach Riff, who was sitting in the sand, breathing heavily with her eyes closed.

“Riff, that was amazing!” Snooze declared, “thank you so much! Jors ended up almost whacking himself. That would have been very sad.”

Riff nodded, but kept her eyes closed.

I see how much these people mean to you, Snooze, she said softly, I couldn’t let them kill themselves. Not when I could do something about it.

Snooze smiled.

“You’re kind of a softy, Riff,” she said, sitting down in the sand next to the other god.

Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone. Most of the Multiverse thinks I’m still Vile, remember? I have a reputation to uphold.

Snooze chuckled.

“Too late, I already sent out a mass godmail telling everyone that you’re just pretending to be tough, when really--”

Riff keeled over, and Snooze slid forward to catch her before she hit the sand.

“Riff!” she exclaimed, “Riff, what’s wrong?”

Riff’s eyes blinked open, and she gave a wry eye-smile.

I used up all of my energy. She stated, chuckling a little, though it looked like it hurt to do so.

“Well, then you just rest right up, then,” Snooze said, “and you’ll be good as new in no time at all.”

Snooze… Riff began, her inner voice sounding pained.

“What?”

I can’t rest up. I’m away from my plane, and I’m cut off from the source.

“Oh, well, that’s easy,” Snooze said, her smile wide, “just pop back, rest up, and then we can see how terrible brined Steves are. I hear they’re pretty gross, though of course I’ve never tried them myself. But the Stonies love them, and--”

Snooze…

“...yeah?”

I can’t go back.

“What, why not?”

I could only travel in my Astral form because that was part of the Vile God Path. I don’t have the same Abilities anymore.

Snooze froze.

“You’re trapped here? But if you can’t get back…”

Then I’ll eventually use up even the power that’s still keeping me in existence. I’m a goner. She said the last line with a laugh.

“No, no, no, no…” Snooze said frantically, gripping on to the god tightly. “But, you can’t die, Riff… we just became friends!”

Isn’t existence a bitch? Riff said.

Snooze shook her head, and she was reminded very strongly of her refusal to accept Meat’s fate as a sacrificial Seed.

“There has to be another way…”

Snooze opened her eyes again, and somehow still looked a little amused.

There is another way…

Snooze practically leaped into the air.

“Yes!” she declared, “what is it?! I’ll do whatever it takes. You’re not going to die on my watch Missy!”

Banish me.

Snooze stopped in her tracks again, her heart leaping around like it was a racquet ball being slammed hard against the wall.

“No!” She cried, “if you’re Banished then--”

Then I’ll survive, and go back to my plane.

“But you won’t be able to come back here,” Snooze said, and tears began streaming down her face. She felt as though she was being selfish, but she couldn’t help herself. She was damned if she did, and damned if she didn’t.

Riff put lay a gentle hand on Snooze’s shoulder, nodding at her.

I know. Like I said, it’s the only other way. I wish it wasn’t, but it is. I was starting to like it here, and you’re not half bad. A little airheaded, but pretty cool. She chuckled again.

But I can’t Banish myself, she continued, so, if you can’t bring yourself to do it--

“No,” Snooze said seriously, blinking away the fresh moisture from her eyes, “no, I will do it. I’d rather have you existing than not, it’s just…”

I know.

“But, will we ever see each other again?”

Maybe, Riff said, winking at Snooze, I mean, it was entirely unlikely we’d meet in the first place. A lot of variables had to fall into line perfectly. You helped me return to my rightful path. Literally. I don’t know how that Aura of yours works, but it did the trick. I suspect that it’s more powerful than you know.

She sighed. Maybe fate exists, and I was destined to end up here, and break out of the slog. We stopped Perth together--well, Meat helped. A little. She winked again. Though, it is unlikely. Fate probably has better things to do than mess around with old miserable Riff.

Snooze laughed, a sound broken by the frog in her throat.

“You’re not miserable,” she explained, “you’re Measured.”

Riff rolled her eyes.

Don’t remind me.

“Well, when we do meet back up,” Snooze began, “we have to go explore the rest of my world. And I’ll have to explore your world too! Oh goodness, I wonder what sorts of creatures you’ll create! I’m excited. I didn’t have any idea how well the Stonies would--”

Snooze…

Snooze paused, looking at her friend.

I’m dying over here.

“Oh,” she said, “I’ve only got a little bit of power left. I’m at the threshold, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it well enough. What if you’re stuck halfway? I’d feel bad, of course then--”

Snooze…

“Right,” Snooze said, nodding, “shall we then?”

Riff just nodded.

Snooze righted her god friend and then stood up in front of her, putting her hand out. She noticed now that the Stonies had gone quiet, and as she looked over her shoulder, she could see they were all staring at the two of them. Meat stood nearby, and released a low, sad whistle, his glow taking on a blueish hue. She tried to smile at them, but felt it was weak. She turned back to Riff.

“Goodbye my friend, I’ll never forget you.”

Riff winked.

Right back at ya, airhead. Oh-- she suddenly lifted something up. Two rectangles wrapped in colorful paper. She could see the bright and bold text leaping out at her.

“Ten-Held-High Fukusu no zasho Chocolate Bar!” Snooze declared, “but how did you?”

I grabbed them before we took flight in our escape. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to have ‘em around.

Snooze started laughing, but it was punctuated with breaks and she was also crying again. Through her tears, she was able to manage:

“You keep them, you did all the leg work.”

Snooze, there’s two, Riff said, ...so I’ll take one and give the other one to Meat.

Snooze couldn’t help herself. Despite the situation, she felt a guffaw erupt from her belly. She’d hardly gotten to know the other god, but they’d bonded so quickly. She knew everything would be alright. She’d figure out her own method of visiting her. Or maybe she’d just go full Vile and grab that neat Astral form. But, as I’m sure anyone could tell--she wouldn’t be capable of that. No, Snooze was far too humble to ever do something truly Vile… for now.

Snooze felt a prod, and looked down. Riff poked her with one of the chocolate bars. She smiled, and accepted the gift.

Goodbye, my friend. Riff said.

“Goodbye, Riff,” Snooze returned. Then, summoning as much strength as she had left--which wasn’t much, granted--she closed her eyes, and said those damnable words.

“BANISH!”

She felt the power erupt from her, and just like that, she heard a pop. When she opened her eyes, Riff was gone, and Snooze felt a sadness creep into her heart. But she quickly pushed it away. She’d definitely figure out something! She was Snooze, after all!

Snooze turned, but suddenly felt as though the very last of her strength had finally abandoned her, and the world began to spin. As her body hit the sand, everything went dark.

For a long, long time.