Max arrived back in the lobby of Lesterwood’s Church. He puked hard. Projectile sick splattered the floor and ankles of nearby patrons. The Lost Lord fell to one knee as a riptide of nausea blasted his eyesight into a spinning web of stars. He puked again, this time less so.

Emi was first to react as she had felt something a moment earlier. She couldn’t explain, not truly, but she felt as though Max was in dire trouble. But when she turned around, her partner was fine, albeit losing his lunch. The little monster recognized the image straight away, long distance teleportation nausea.

But when? Emi thought, her mind spun as she pulled water from the air rapidly. The water bathed Max in a protective bubble of healing magic. It was then that she noticed his clothes. Battle robes, the most powerful of the Lost Lord’s arsenal. He was covered in soot and ash from head to toe, making him look like he had just returned from a full shift at a coal mine.

Max threw up one more time, but the lack of stomach content caused this particular convulsion to hurt more than the other two. He tried to stand but fell to his side – nausea still overbearing. So, he sat and looked around. His eyes were bleary, but he made out plenty of passersby rushing out of radius of sick and magical water. Multiple Church personnel ran near, including Moon Elf Woppy.

Ugh, Woppy. Max thought remembering the [Priest] and how he almost killed Emi during their first experience with the Church.

Celenia was near, her eyes were wide, and she was actively scanning the growing crowd. Her magic was flaring out like hackles on a wolf. Roots twisted and wrapped around her wrists and palms, forming large thorns and impromptu weapons. She was no means a [Pugilist] but she wouldn’t go down with a fight.

Max reached out, through the bubble of water and touched her leg. That was enough to cause the young Elf to stand down.

Woppy said something to a nearby lower-ranked [Priest] before speaking to the crowd, “The shows over, everyone. A pack of mages must have had too much to drink, let’s move along, come on.” He waved off the crowd, dispersing and hurting Max’s pride in the same stroke.

Celenia and Emi crouched down, assisting Max to a sitting position. Once the water fell past his neck, he spoke, “We have a lot to talk about at the mansion.”

A purple shimmer appeared behind the [Space Mage]. The intent was clear, Max wanted to leave, now. No walking around the city, no detours, no recreation time. Celenia picked up Emi before walking the few steps into the portal.

Before he teleported, [Head Priestess] Burk turned the corner in a rushed half run half walk. The old woman and Max made eye contact before Burk noticed the situation. She had been an Angelic for a long while. She had seen it all, from Demigod threats to deaths of the Divine. She had seen Gods speak to children and smite down the elderly.

She certainly had never seen – what she could only assume was – the Ash of the End. Otherwise known as a material so rare, the God of Death had rid Nava of its existence. At least, until Max brought some back.

Max teleported leaving the Church lobby in a greater state of confusion. Burk, on the other hand, knew her task.

She made a break for the door.

Max let out a long held sigh of relief as his butt hit the comfy reclining chair in the mansion. Emi scampered up his chest to his shoulder where she perched like a meerkat on overwatch. Celenia found purchase on the chair’s thick padded arm next to her boyfriend. She held his hand in a comforting and appeasing way.

Max manipulated Emi’s large glob of water into the Pocket World opening, where it combined with the steadily growing supply already housed within. He would have to separate out the soot and ash, but that was a task for a non-groggy Max at a later date.

Icarus appeared a moment later, the golden bird forming from stealing light from the room’s lit mana lights. The owl created a base tree that spiraled into the ceiling where many branches hung low. Icarus perched on the most isolated of the bunch.

“How was the errands?”

Both Emi and Celenia bore holes with their annoyed stares. Max held his head back on the neck rest and closed his eyes.

Icarus looked between the three, “What? Did I say something wrong?”

Emi blasted a beam of water through the bird – where it passed through the feathered familiar without any semblance of impediment. Icarus was an illusion, a very powerful one at that… which sucked when you wanted to blast the mansion caretaker with water. The beam of water rerouted just before it hit the far wall, dissipating into the air.

Celenia nodded at Emi’s attack, “Max… Max… I’m not really sure. We were walking out of the Church then he suddenly collapse and puked. He had switched to his battle robes as well…”

“Felt panic.” Emi added, “Very far away panic.”

Icarus eyed the Lost Lord, “Interesting. Why don’t we have the man in question tell us what happened?”

Max opened one eye, sent a bolt of water at the bird, and promptly closed his eyes. The bolt of water wrapped around the room where it formed into a thin rectangle and rested across Max’s forehead. He chilled the impromptu cooling pad, easing his still raging headache. He made a note to figure out a headache healing spell – if it was possible.

“I was – for lack of a better word – kidnapped…” The silence drawn on for a moment, “by Peneil.”

Three different versions of “What!?” exploded out of the group.

Emi sniffed Max, dry heaved, then sniffed again. She declared Max was not dying, which added to her confusion of why the God of Death wanted to speak with her partner. Celenia was more focused on the kidnapping portion of the statement rather than the God of Death view. She kept asking Max if he was injured in any way.

Icarus acted in the most peculiar way. He froze up, speaking through his bonded connection with the owner of the mansion – Lester. Lester was an enigma to Max and the others. The older Lost Lord was jailed, as far as they knew. Hints and teasers used as taunts had been said about Lester before, but only Icarus knew of the man’s true fate – one he was not sharing, even with Lester’s wife.

A full-fledged conversation happened silently between the owl familiar and the imprisoned Lester. Eventually, Icarus spoke, “What did Peneil want?”

Max shook his head, “It was bizarre. He gave me the gift Reep past up after the Defibrillator spell was taken away. I am now able to see the dead. Whatever that actually means… I’m not fully sure. Peneil said it was a curse or gift… When he wasn’t actively trying to scare me or,” Max shuttered, “-or something.”

Celenia cocked her head, “Scare you?”

“Well… I think he was mad at me for escaping the teleport to his domain. Oh by the way, I think I found the Astral Dimension. A Level eighty-nine bird attacked me before I could teleport out… Which just so happened to take me back into Peneil’s grasp – not back into the Church like I wanted.”

“Max…” Celenia tried, but he just continued.

“Tobyn Salae was there in the ash dunes. He was mocking me, telling me to end my life, and that it was my fault he died. It was torture for a few moments before I realized what was going on. I killed the thing that held Tobyn’s face – an Apparition of Death, level question mark and worth one experience. That was when Peneil showed up. Scary looking amalgamation of smoke and teeth…”

Emi watched her partner with horror. He had been taken under her nose without her even noticing. At least, not noticing in any meaningful way. She didn’t like being split up and decided they needed to visit the Gods together from now on.

Max continued, “Peneil would snap from basic conversation to riled up anger in a few words. He showed me visions of Death, threatened me, and then pondered his own existence. “Curse or gift” he kept asking.”

Max went silent for a moment before adding in a quick rushed huff, “Then he offered for me to take his place as God of Death. Sent a contract that made me instantly the Ruler of Death. I declined.”

Silence reigned for a full minute. Everyone did a double take on the final statement, thinking through Max’s words with careful consideration.

Icarus was the first to break the silence, “I’m getting Veline.”

Max groaned as he watched the bird fade from the room. He turned to Celenia, “How did meeting Yepu go?”

The Elf’s face went through a wide range of emotions. From disbelief that Max changed the subject, to happiness that he remembered, to guilt that he wasted a favor for her, to excitement about what she received, and finally confusion.

“First of all, the savanna was amazing. Not my favorite location in nature, however. He kept offering me food, most of which had magical boons. Infinite stamina was my favorite. It was like being hit with a cart full of pure adrenaline.”

Max materialized a strip of jerky, “I saved mine.”

Celenia’s eyes filled with greed, but she composed herself and continued, “We talked for a while, mainly discussing morals, magic, nature, and the void the [Druids] left me in. Specifically Dreamstem. From there we discussed what I wanted in life… I told him about my work in progress domain of roots, and he showed me something… something magical!”

Celenia dug around in her pocket, carefully pulling out its contents. It looked like a seed – rather a pod – but was definitely more. It was oval shaped with a thick ring of wood around the most elongated edge. It looked rocky but a smooth rocky, like it had been weathered in a creak for a few months. Most importantly, it pulled in mana from the surrounding air.

Max Inspected it.

Medallion Pod

“It’s called a Medallion Pod. God Yepu told me to attach it on a necklace and wear it while training my domain spell. Supposedly, it helps open the holder’s senses.”

Max looked strangely at his girlfriend, “Open the senses? What does that mean?”

Celenia smiled, “I asked the same thing too.” She pocketed the glorified acorn like a sacred object, “Do you know what domains spells truly are?”

“Spells that form from the caster’s center. Unless we are talking about Divine Domains. Those are massive houses – or rather, habitats. Like the savanna or my Pocket World.”

“Exactly. Err, well, I’m not too sure about your Pocket World. But the definition of a domain spell is correct… Or to a degree, as Yepu explained.” Celenia leaned closer, “He showed me a true domain spell. It was like being transported to a different world. One touch and we both were relocated.”

Max squinted, “Sounds like a Pocket World.”

She quickly shook her head, “No it was different. It wasn’t a physical place… But it wasn’t in our heads either. Yepu explained it as being a temporary land were the creator had full reign. One where the rules were decided by the creator. Meaning if I don’t want anyone to fight, no one can fight.”

“Or if you want to kill someone, you can?” Emi asked.

“Perhaps. But Yepu said I would never achieve a domain if I had that state of mind.” Celenia opened her hands, “A place of refuge and protection. A place for my allies and anyone who is in need. A place hidden from all others. No way to invade, no way to remove the spell.”

“Unlike my Pocket World and a space lock.” Max added.

“Exactly!”

“Sounds powerful.”

“Worthy of a Divine Favor, I’d say.”

Max let loose a silent sigh of relief, he thought his attitude might have affected the lesson Celenia would receive. Her confirming that it was a favor well used filled a pit in Max’s stomach.

“So what is the pod supposed to help with?”

“Oh! It opens the senses, allowing the holder to feel at one with oneself.”

“I guess we are both going to have things to train in. You in domain creation, me trying to create inventory rings.”

“Finally,” A voice said coming up from the stairs to the underground training room. Vel hobbled up each step, her short stature making it rough on her old bones, “I need a new one. This one’s getting full.”

Max eyed his sassy mentor as she trudged through the room, plopped down on the couch, and put her feet on the coffee table. Emi chuckled at the funny images Max sent her through their bond. She especially like the one of Vel slipping on a banana peel.

“Now then,” Vel said, “What is this about you becoming the God of Death?”

Max let out a long sigh and begun to retell the tale. A few minutes into it, Bishop, Reep, and Clammy arrived – so he restarted.

“And that’s the story.” Max said to a wide eyed audience.

Reep was the first to respond, “I didn’t think that me giving up my gift for you would have caused this much issue.”

Max shrugged, “Everything is okay. Before I left, I saw Ofes and who I assumed to be Ssawp speaking with Peneil. Hopefully, everything with the God will work itself out.”

“I still don’t like it.” Vel said with a hum, “Many would leap at the opportunity to become a God.”

“But how many have the opportunity to speak with the God of Death? As far as I’m aware, Peneil is one of the least seen Gods.”

Bishop added, “That may be true, but it doesn’t exonerate Peneil’s state of mind. But, hearing that Ofes and Ssawp showed up puts me at ease. Those three have been around since recorded time, if anyone can get through to him it would be his siblings.”

Belopi, who had showed up sometime during Max’s story, spoke up, “So… You three are leaving in the morning?” Her eyes gazed over Emi and Celenia as well.

“Yes, Eden’s reach touches even Lesterwood.” Max replied, “That reminds me,” A small box appeared in his hand, “Each of you should take one of these - Shaker Stones. If you need to contact us, shake it, I’ll come running.”

The next few hours were filled with dinner, conversation, and planning. Dinner was fish, much to the dismay of Bishop who was promised thick cuts stakes the night prior. Conversation turned to magic and Sahhgen’s choice of headwear. Planning was Vel asking Max what his plan was – where he’d go, how long would he stay places, how he was going to train in magic.

The answer, was simple as it was, still annoyed the old woman. Max didn’t know. He expressed as much by giving vague answers about where they would head. “Maybe some tourist towns? Maybe the Mountain? I’m not sure, we’ll figure it out as we go.”, he explained.

Vel finally conceded the argument when Clammy approached.

“Can I ask you to do me a favor, Max?” The youngest – former – princess asked.

“Sure, anything.” Emi nodded a long with her partner’s words.

“Alia is jailed. I want you to break her out and allow her to travel with you.”

All conversations around the room ceased at that moment. A drawn out silence filled the air, an uncomfortable weight landed on everyone’s shoulders. Guilt was the culprit. As everyone scrambled to make sure Max was going to be fine even with the [Master Trackers] on his trail, Clammy’s sister was forgotten about.

“She’s in the castle dungeon, right?” Max asked, “May be a bit hard for me to get to the entrance. My Salae teleportation spots are somewhat limited.

Clammy shook her head, “I have the memory of the stairs leading into the dungeon. You would just have to get past one guard – maybe two if someone is below ground.”

Max’s mind went to the memory she had sent him of a hill a few weeks ago. The magic wasn’t perfect, but it was possible for Clammy to give Max memories of locations – at least, enough of a memory to allow him to teleport.

“The only true threat is going to be a space lock.” Clammy continued, “There should be a lock at the far end of the dungeon.”

“A bit of a challenge, but not impossible… Any idea of its relative strength to the one I have in the cave?”

Max was referring to the space lock used to hold open the portal to the Dimension of Fire. Serana Cresthill had brought a lock of great power to her attack on the Plains. After circumventing its defenses, Max was able to teleport the item away while saving himself, Vel, and Emi from the mad woman. Since then, he had experimented and studied the lock a few times, but its relative power made getting to the remote cave difficult. Teleporting into the cave was impossible since the lock was always on.

“I don’t know.” Clammy said, her voice down and saddened.

With a sigh, Vel spoke, “It should be weaker. I don’t know by how much, but unless Tobyn or his father had the device commissioned by someone out of state – which is unlikely due to the security concerns – it should be weaker than Cresthill’s. Before their fall, Vast Empire was known to have one of Salarin’s best [Artificers] in their ranks. I suspect the lock was his doing.”

“So one, maybe two, guards, and a lock. Anything else?”

Clammy shook her head, “Don’t touch the bars to the cells, teleport directly into the cell to grab Alia.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Vel shook her hands stopping her apprentices, “Are you seriously going to do this? Break into the castle of the kingdom that wants your head? Is that the smartest decision?”

Max, Emi, and Clammy stared blankly at their teacher, Emi spoke for the group, “Yes it is.”

Vel held her hands up in surrender, “Fine, do what every you’d like. It’s your funeral.”

Clammy smiled, placed her hand on Max’s forehead and concentrated. Divination magic was unique in its attributes. It didn’t flow like normal magic; it didn’t fuse like normal mana. It was its own beast, one that had caused many to fall due to the related madness. Clammy couldn’t blame them, though. The nightmares were horrid, the visions sometimes putrid, and the curse of seeing all sometime left the user incredibly blind.