Aine grinned, the expression on his face priceless, which made her feel oddly . . . refreshingly naughty.

Aine rolled her eyes at the feeling before she slowly turned away from the man on the couch and walked over to the huge hearth on the right wall. This hearth was mirrored by the hearth on the left wall of her waiting/leisure lounge, forming a perfectly synchronised image, with couches and side-tables arranged in semi-circles facing them, creating a walkway between them straight to the service desk. Turning back to him and she dipped her hand into the fire and as she took it out, held a ball of writhing fire on the centre of her palm. His eyes darted between her face and the fire held on her palm of her hand, Aine smiled as she turned her attention to the fire.

“Want and need, two similar things out of context. It is just that both seem to have only a minor difference in terminology. But is that a fact? The truth is, what you ‘need’ isn’t always what you want, and what you ‘want’ isn’t always something you need. That is my self-determined role, I sort the difference between them, sort out what someone ‘wants’ and what someone ‘needs’. Then I offer what they ‘need’.”

Smiling at the flame in her hand, she closed her eyes and whispered under her breath. Tapping into her Domains and Aspects was an interesting experience, different in the form and type of experience for each. However, things only get difficult, mind-bending or painful when she tries to use two or more Domains or Aspects at the same time or in rapid succession. In this case, Hearth, Crafting and then Wealth.

Hearth was for protection, both for herself and for the other party, as well as empowerment for her other and following abilities. Crafting was to gain inspiration, an idea on what they ‘needed’ to leverage their present challenges in a favourable direction for themselves. Wealth was how she made the deal fair and profitable for both herself and the other party, Aine wasn’t interested in ripping people off for momentary gain. A river full of fish could provide more in the long run than a single hunt ever could.

Aine let the warmth and heat of her hearth billow out, let it swell and fill the area around both her and the man, its heat formed a barrier of safety, of protection to keep chill of fear far from them. Its light chasing and scattering the shadows and darkness of ill-fortune and the unknown. Just as a campfire would warm a weary traveller or a torch would light their way in the dark of the night, driving away both cold and shadow from their place of rest or their path.

A frown formed on her face as Aine felt the throb of a headache burst behind her eyes, even as the flame on her hand soon began to change, twisting and moulding itself into a shape. Aine took a deep breath to steady herself, before casting the flame on her hand back into the fires of her hearth, causing it to roar with her power. Both she and the man on the couch stared into the blaze and watched as it transformed into an image, a vision, of a sword being made, the burst of sparks from the hammering of cherry crimson steel. Before the image changed to a man, shirtless and with sweat dripping from his body as he swung a pickaxe into rock and stone, discovering the treasures of the earth as he reaches out to pick up a lump that glimmers with a lustre of wealth.

Aine smirked at the image before glancing at the fellow on one of her couches.

“A sword, huh, I would have guessed a spear for a Son of Odin, but I guess that would be stereotyping, I guess fate is really interested in you alien demi-gods. I hadn’t even put out the welcome mat and it had already sent both you and the inspiration for your sword to my humble abode.”

She turned and walked to a mostly empty rack of swords, trailing her finger down to the last and most recent addition she had added to their small number. Aine didn’t like making swords, not out of any modern thinking of them being outdated but more out of a learned dislike of killing and battle in general. She had seen what it had done to her father.

Heard of what it had cost him in the long run of time. Even in spite of what it had gained him, she knew from his own lips that he would have traded it all to have his children back.

So, Aine didn’t like swords. Or any weapon really.

She only made them when the inspiration hit her. She wouldn’t be able to sleep until she did. But then, that just made her dislike them all the more, it was terribly rude to keep a girl from her beauty sleep. Did they have any idea the kind of weathering and damage a blazing hot forge did to a person’s skin? Aine felt like she needed all the beauty-sleep she could get because despite her love of creating and working with metal, she liked to feel beautiful as well.

No woman doesn’t want to be considered attractive.

Still, this sword was special to her.

Solemn-star. Her graduation piece and her first True-Name weapon.

She had hoped to keep it with her, if only for a little while. She could feel the pride and joy she felt when her father told her she had completed her apprenticeship whenever she glanced at it. Even if the event was still fresh and only hours old, she wanted it to still feel the same decades or even centuries from now. Having the sword by her side would have helped her hold onto that feeling of pure joy.

But that would be selfish and cruel.

Solemn-star wasn’t an ornamental art piece. To just be viewed and admired for its form, beauty or message. Nor a simple lump of metal in a swords’ shape. It had a soul, one born for the perils of war and the harshness of leadership. It was born to make the hard and lonely sacrifices of one who stands in judgement, grave and distant, but ever shining in fulfilling in its honour bound duty.

It desired to find its purpose and place in the world, to discover its soulmate, its partner, just as we all do. Who was she to deny her special creation its own dreams and path?

All memories fade, for good or for ill, Aine smiled as she took Solemn-star down, she would just need to make new and better ones in the future, and she hoped to give Solemn-star the chance and opportunity to do the same.

Turning back to the demi-god, Aine stared at him in thought.

“You appear to need a weapon my fine fellow, but before we get into that, perhaps introductions are in order. I’ll go first as the host, shall I? My name is Aine, an Earthly Divine and this is my home, temple and business all in one and you are most welcome to stay by the safety of my hearth under my protection.”

Aine held Solemn-star in one hand and gestured with the other that it was his turn.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Leif sat up and pushed the blanket that lay atop him to the side, before carefully getting to his feet and clearing his throat.

“My name is Leif Odinsson, I am not quite sure how I managed to arrive here, but I was in dire straits, I can only profess my profound thanks that you were kind enough to offer me your generous help. Thank you, Divine Lady, for saving my life.”

The goddess, and Leif was certain that she is indeed a goddess, whatever an Earthly Divine may be, chuckled.

“Not even bothering to hide it, impressively bold and honest if foolhardy. Or so my father would say.”

Her eyes meet his, the wisdom he found there, kind and with well-meaning intentions.

“A warning, from the daughter of an ancient and powerful god to the son of an old and more powerful god, what is old and powerful will also have enemies just as old, if not older, and maybe just as powerful. It is the nature of beings with both age and power. Especially gods, if what my father has told me is any indication, tend to attract enemies, with their demi-god children often falling prey to those enemies.

“Though, most ancients seem able to tell who or what fathered or mothered an individual or what-have-you, so perhaps there is simply no avoiding the dangers of being the mortal child of a god. Still, best to try and avoid as much of that type of danger as much as possible.”

Leif felt his lips twitch in a pained fashion as he had already encountered that very situation.

However, the question he felt was most important, considering the issue of his general safety having been answered, was where this goddess’ place of residence is and how did he find Asta and get back to Oslo. Preferably without offending his current host or running into any of his ‘in-game’ father’s enemies, or the one he had already met for that matter.

Leif glanced at the sword held in her graceful hand. He found himself a tad slow on the details today, noticing, or indeed, not noticing details until it served little point in doing so. But still, he did not mind noticing some details even if they were slow in coming to his attention.

Like the way her dark honey golden, a sublime mix of blonde and brunette, seemed to waver and float, like fire or just maybe her hair simply wasn’t bound by the laws of gravity. Or her skin looked like smooth, luscious, caramel silk but also had an almost golden bronze metallic sheen to it, as it carried a faint but warm glow of light and heat.

When you stare into her honey and molten gold eyes, you can feel the sweet heat roll through you and should her eyes drift away, to observe you, you can tell where she is looking by the wandering heat of her gaze. And should they stray from you to something else?

You were suddenly ice cold and in the deadly chill of winter.

As if you had been thrust out into a blizzard naked from a toasty warm bed, that had a roaring fireplace close enough that you where roasting marshmallows not even moments before.

It was distinctly unpleasant, especially for the not short but also not long duration she had been staring and taking that sword she was now holding from the weapon rack.

He had the discrete impression that her gaze was addictive and her smile, formed by soft, rose gold lips was a deadly weapon when paired with a seductively angelic yet still regal and boldly beautiful face. With beyond supermodel height and a perfectly proportioned, but incredibly well toned and fit body, it was every inch the face and body of a warrior goddess and divine queen.

Truly a breath-taking beauty. Yet he felt she either didn’t notice the affect her gorgeous beauty had, or it could be that she simply didn’t care.

Leif realise he had been staring slack-jawed at his host and a goddess for an embarrassingly long time, men had been turned into animals and hunted by their own hounds for less. However, she walked over to the bar or maybe it was a service desk, or both? Nope, definitely a bar, as she poured herself a mug of something from a tapped barrel behind the bar and walked back, a thick and frothy head.

Taking a seat beside his old couch and next to the side table with a tray of sandwiches and a mug of some beverage he had once again failed to notice due to his surreal surroundings (that was his excuse and he was sticking to it), she, Aine, looked at him and gestures to his old couch.

“Take a seat Leif, wet that parched throat and fill that hungry belly of yours, we have bargaining to do. Some might starve you or leave you dying of thirst to distract and undermine your ability to make good and sound decisions, I however lack the moral bankruptcy to go through with that sort of tactic unfortunately. So, take your time, no rush and all. But if you want, we can make small talk while you eat to pass the time. I would love to hear about the world you come from. Are demi-gods common there? Do you and others like you serve your divine parents as champions and act as heroes to the people of the world you come from? Why did you come to this world? Have you been to worlds other than this one? I . . . I am sorry.”

She let out a warm and jovial laugh, leaning back into her couch, sinking into its buttery softness as she did so, the sword she had been holding now across her lap, her other hand still gripping her mug. Bringing it to her soft smiling lips and taking a long sip, her eyes closing in the pleasure of savouring the taste of it, before lowering it and sighing contently.

Her eyes opened and flickered towards Leif’s still stumped expression from her previous barrage of questions, her smile becoming a mischievous grin.

"Never mind, it’s too much trouble to explain I’m sure. Instead, maybe we should talk about the price of this.” She gestured to the sword on her lap. “Of course, while I wish I could give you a friendly discount, I’m not sure I know you well enough for you to count for it, rules you see. But if you were to say . . . tell me about yourself, I’m sure I will be infatuated with all the delightful details. Still, I cannot force you to do anything you don’t want to, and I don’t want to impose.”

Leif regained control of his facial expression and raised an eyebrow at her apparent, and she made it clear it was deliberate, attempt at bribery. The fact that she was so . . . fun and easy to communicate with, was a first for him, like she didn’t even consider herself as a probably centuries old goddess, with the power he couldn’t even guess at the present. It was both unnerving and refreshing at the same time, unnerving because he wasn’t sure if the other shoe would ever drop at a wrong word. Refreshing since the only other person he had ever felt so at ease around was Asta.

He considered the backstory of this ‘reality’ Nexus had created, on the fact that the reason for the arrival of ‘the alien demi-gods’ wasn’t exactly clear to anyone apart from a coming war. While those that may know more on the details of what the war was for or where the lines would be drawn, weren’t sharing. It was also clear that this world had a similar mythology to his own reality’s, though with some clear differences as this world’s mythology was Nexus’ version of it.

Leif could only believe it would simply a matter of poetic licence.

But, from the clues he had from both before and after arriving in this ‘reality’, he could guess that they, being the gods and community of this ‘reality’ knew next to nothing or at least very little about what sort of world he and the other Beta-Players and the future players came from.

It gave him a lot of leeway on what he could share and using the connection in their realities’ shared myths and similar geographical layout of their realities’ world, he could share things he thought might interest her.

That is if he could discover where in the world and what mythology in the world she was from.

But for now, it was clear she was mostly interested in them, ‘the players’ and others like them back in their own world. As he thought on who the most recognized heroes his world had to offer, the subject of heroes reminded him of the superhero comics his great-grandfather, a fastidious and avid collector, had let him read as a child.

Though only the more common and replaceable ones.

The rarer ones were locked in his vault and Leif fully believed his great-grandfather would very likely take them with him to his grave like some ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

Glancing at the Goddess Aine, who waited patiently while sipping her frothy and nibbling on a sandwich which made Leif’s stomach growl ferociously with ravenous and staved hunger. He reached over to the tray of sandwiches and grabbed what looked like a chicken and avocado sandwich triangle, quickly taking a bite and only moments later finding himself biting his own fingers in his eagerness to scarf the rest of the morsel down his gullet. Leif picked up the other mug, clearly placed there for him, and took a long draw, moistening his parched throat considerably.

The loud and honestly amused, good-natured laughter of the goddess beside him made Leif blush only slightly as he felt his actions entirely justified. Those sandwiches were magic.

She spoke from her place seated beside him, her voice as deeply sweet and as tempting with a hit of bite as a good toffee apple, smiling with pleasure at his rapture over the sandwiches.

“It is good to see you enjoying them, I would have been forced to hate you on principle if you had abstained from them out of some kind of entirely unnecessary caution. I’m hardly going to poison you after saving your life. What a completely illogical and wasteful use of time. Not that time means much in my domain if I don’t want it to.”

Leif mulled over and stored that little titbit of information as he continued eating, before proceeding to get his other thoughts in order. As Leif opened his mouth and he awkwardly realised that this would be basically the second time he had spoken in the entire time he had been here as her guest. He hadn’t thought himself much of a listener.

However, he quickly managed to come to the logical conclusion that simply appreciating the goddess and admiring the raw beauty of her voice was eminently more preferable to hearing the sound of his own voice.

But needs must and so Leif decided to soldier on.

“In my world, those that . . . transcend, I guess would be the word, mortal limitations and exhibit abilities that are beyond on the norm of what most mortals would ever possess and yet put those same abilities to use in protecting and saving the lives of others are most commonly called . . .”

Leif paused for dramatic effect as the goddess leaned closer, her lips parting in anticipation and her eyes glowing with curiosity.

“Superheroes.”