“What do you mean you created my universe?” Herah aimed Jeffery at Norwe’s chest, a scowl marking her face, “You’d have to be dead for that to be true.”

“W-why is that?” Owen asked from behind Herah, the youngling hearing the shivers that racked his body.

“Ask me that again when we’re in a much better position.” For a brief moment (maybe more or less than that) a smile came to Herah’s face, “As one of my favorite stories from my Mistress, it’s not one I will disrespect by mere summary.”

“Oh, you’re currently in no danger from me dear artist.”

Norwe snapped their fingers, and the room suddenly remolded itself. The walls turned an eerie black as strange red symbols appeared upon them. Each symbol was that of a point with eight arrows expanding out from it, all of them emitting the same familiar but foreign feeling that Norwe did.

In between Herah’s group and Norwe, a long table of blue wood with breathing mouths embedded into it popped into existence. Empty space spat dull, silver chairs out and around the table. Each chair was clearly composed of some type of silver wood, with only the legs seemingly made of something softer. Said chair legs were shaped like crescents, with the outer sides fat and covered in rings of varying size while the inner sides were just flat faces.

“Are those chair legs croissants?” Max asked with a nervous chuckle.

“I’m more focused on the mouths.” Was Herah’s disturbed response, “Why does this table have mouths?”

“Ayúdanos, ayúdanos a bailar al ritmo feliz del final. Bailemos hasta la muerte de todo y la vida de nada. ¡Baile! ¡Baile! ¡Baile!” The mouths upon the table chorused together, whatever language they spoke foreign to Herah’s ears.

“Now sit would you?” Norwe asked, pulling their own chair out and sitting.

Herah felt three sets of eyes on her back, the tension in the air giving them all pause.

“Idiot,” Alex’s hand came down to rest upon Herah’s right shoulder, “Stand down. This isn’t a fight you’ll win.”

Herah turned to Alex and growled, her eyes running over his face and her nose reexamining his scent. A quick scan later and the youngling flinched back in shock from the human.

“You’re terrified.”

Alex glared back at Herah with white eyes, his hand squeezing upon her shoulder with greater strength then when they had fought earlier. However, now that Jeffery’s Presence was protecting her, Herah was able to easily shrug him off.

“Your tone changes too much when you’re not on top.” Herah told him in blatant disgust.

“And yours doesn’t change enough.” Was Alex’s cool and more tempered response.

The pair glared at one another for a single, long (or short or neither) moment.

“Now now now,” Herah’s head whipped towards Norwe, who now had their scaly legs resting atop the table while leaning back in their oddly sturdy chair, “It’s rude to keep your host waiting.”

Herah’s nostrils flared as flames of green shot from them and a growl tore from her throat. With only a slight bend of her legs and quick flap of her wings, the youngling launched herself into the air and across the table. Flipping once before slamming into a slide, Herah slid to a stop right next to Norwe’s legs and placed Jeffery’s tip against the Maker‘s forehead.

“I will cut you down where you sit!”

Norwe chuckled, looking up at Herah with a wide grin.

“Do you truly think you can beat me?”

Herah opened her mouth to respond, but a flood of Presence from Norwe took the air from her throat and caused her eyes to widen.

Everything….. distorted around Herah.

Blue became red then yellow then some color the youngling had never seen before. Norwe appeared both right in front of her and millions miles away at the same time. Forever passed in an instant and an instant took forever to past.

Everything was in a constant flux, the only constants being Herah, Jeffery, and Norwe.

One again the feeling of Chaos washed over her, allowing Herah to fully observe the Maker’s Presence.

Unrestrained, unfocused, and wild.

This was just the surface of what Herah was able to glimpse of the Norwe, as their Presence seemed to poke and prod at her in an almost lazy manner. It was if the youngling only held mild interest in the eyes of the Maker, like a brand-new chew toy for an ashling that would soon be forgotten amongst all the others.

It was only thanks to Jeffery’s Presence that Herah wasn’t being chewed upon.

More importantly, just a bit deeper into Norwe’s Presence, Herah was able to see the raw power that the Maker held. It was the greatest the youngling had ever experienced, her father’s, Jeffery’s, and even La Flamme’s combined being less than a percent of what was in front of her now.

“No.”

Herah’s words were quiet, Norwe’s grin turning into a frown at her reply.

“So that’s the reality you choose, boring.”

The Maker then reigned in their Presence, everything returning to normal around Herah before the youngling was shooed towards a nearby chair with an uninterested sigh.

“If you’re done disappointing me then please sit down, there is a lot to cover.”

Herah growled, but not at Norwe, this was aimed at herself.

‘What a fucking disgrace,’ Herah thought before letting go of Jeffery and hopping off the table, ‘Losing without even putting up a fight.’

The youngling then walked over to the chair right of Norwe, sitting down in it as Jeffery floated up to and over her.

That standoff now cleared, Herah noticed Alex now tapping his nose with a much more nervous and fearful smell about him, Owen looking between the youngling and their Maker shocked, and Max letting out a relieved sigh.

“Well,” Herah turned to Norwe, who was smiling once more and still gesturing towards the seats, “Since I know none of you are going to try and be as fun as the Artist, please do sit down.”

All three standing went to a seat, Alex sitting at the opposite end of the table from Norwe, while Owen and Max took the rights of Herah and Alex respectively.

“Now” Herah’s attention went back to Norwe, the faux Cendreux’s arms spread out in a grand gesture, “I bet you’re all wondering exactly why you’re here?”

There was a moment (maybe) of silence as Norwe looked over everyone with a wide grin and waiting look.

“Any guesses?”

“I don’t care for your games Norwe.” Was Herah’s frowning response.

“Cut it out dumbass.” Alex scowled at Herah from across the table.

“Piss off coward.” Herah snapped back.

Alex cocked his head, lips stretched into a taunting smile.

“There’s a certain amount of weight you just— lose, when you don’t prove any better.”

Herah barely held back a growl, Alex’s eyes beginning to lose their pupils as they turned pure whi-

“Now now.”

“HURK!”

“HURK!”

Breathing was suddenly much harder for Herah, clawed fingers wrapped tightly around her throat and her body pulled up into the air.

“It’s rude to engage in side conversation.”

Herah’s eyes went wide, both still locked on Alex who now had a Norwe standing next to him, the Maker‘s hand around his throat and his body elevated.

‘Oh,’ Herah thought as her own hands went up to the one around her neck and rubbed against scales while observing the entirely separate Norwe that held her up, ‘They’re doing that to me too.’

“So, my dear Artist and Soothsayer,” Herah both saw and felt Norwe’s hand clench tighter, “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

“S-s-sorry.” Alex choked out.

“Fu-fuck you!” Herah responded, her vision going blurry as the Maker tightened their grip.

“Hmm, nice to see some fight still in you Artist.” Herah could hear the grin in Norwe’s words, “Though I ask that next time you back your bark up with some bi-”

Norwe paused, shortly after their grip weakened and Herah found air filling her lungs again and her sight clearing.

“Oh Liar, do you have a problem with me?”

Sight cleared, Herah could now see Max standing and holding a card up to the other Norwe’s neck, a glare in her eyes and the smell of rage wafting off from her body.

“Hands off my brother, or I’ll kill you.”

“Max no- HURK!”

Norwe clenched harder upon Alex’s neck as the human desperately reached out to his sister, attempting to push her away. Max’s eyes hardened, her breath slowed, and her body became unnaturally still.

“That would rely on me being alive now wouldn’t it?” Norwe chuckled as his face stretched into a painfully wide smile, his carnivorous teeth disturbingly clean, “That would rely on me being a slave to Concepts like the rest of you. That would rely on me believing I could die in the first place. That would rely on you believing you could kill me. That would rely on the impossible being possible. That relies on a lot you know? How much of that do you think you can make true?”

“Enough.”

A cold, stale pulse of power swept over the room. While the pulse itself was invisible to Herah, the effects it had weren’t. The smell of rot became pervasive as the long table turned a darker blue and the legs of all the chairs began to decompose, with Herah hearing Owen let out a surprised yelp as his chair collapsed. Alongside all this, the youngling felt her entire body attempting to shut down and her flame growing weaker, but a quick burst of red fire throughout her body put an end to whatever was attempting to kill her. Looking at Alex and Owen, Herah could tell the two of them seemed to be reacting to whatever it was coming from Max as well. Alex was turning blue even faster than before, his frenzied arms slowing in their movements. Owen appeared to be growing weaker by the second, a quick check with her ears telling Herah that all his organs were slowly beginning to fail.

“What the-”

“Death, she’s inducing death into all of you Artist.” The Norwe still holding her answered, clearly unaffected, “It’s just one of the many gifts she bears.”

“Hmm, you’re killing them my dear Liar.” The Norwe still holding Alex gestured to him, “Your brother to be more specific.”

“He’ll be fine, he’s lived through worst.” Max’s words came out almost uncaring, giving no real attention to her brother, “Now hands off.”

“Hmm, Artist failed earlier,” Norwe raised a hand to hover over Max’s head, “Shall you succeed in her steed?”

Once again, Norwe’s Presence flooded the room, Jeffery’s own emerging to cloak her and Owen. Max however-

Herah watched in shock as steam began to rise from Max’s body, her skin turning red as the smell of burning copper and iron was picked up by Herah’s nose.

“Max!” Owen cried out, his previous affliction now gone, “Your blood, it’s- it’s-”

“Boiling.” Max answered, her words twinged with pain, “I don’t care. And I don’t care about how powerful you are Norwe. I’ll still kill you, now drop my brother.”

‘How- Max can-’ Herah was taken aback by the human’s determination and disregard for her own safety in lieu of her brother’s survival.

“That’s kinda hot.” Herah said more to herself than anyone else, a light dusting of pink coming to her cheeks.

This got the youngling a quirked brow and grin from the Norwe holding her while the one holding Alex continued to stare Max down. For how long, Herah had no real idea, but eventually Norwe pulled their Presence back in and Max stopped steaming. As Jeffery reigned their own Presence in, the Maker dropped Alex, who was still turning blue but now had the option of death via death instead of via choking.

“I’m alive.”

Alex’s voice took on the same distinctly feminine tone from earlier, his skin regaining its normal hue near instantaneously. Now not dying, the human shot up to his feet and leaped past Norwe, tackling a surprised Max. Herah was almost surprised at their speed, Alex shooting across the room in less than a second (could’ve been longer) and slamming into a wall with his shoulder. Norwe laughed as Alex slid to the ground with a wince, clutching a confused and struggling Max’s head close to his chest.

“Bro what are yo-”

“Shut up sis!”

“Oh that’s cute,” Herah blinked as now a third Norwe appeared standing over Alex and Max, looking down at them with their back to the youngling. “You’re trying to protect her from me, aren’t you Soothsayer?”

Alex said nothing as his head tilted up to look at Norwe, his body having broken out into a heavy sweat.

“Well, if you are, please do show a bit of that grit your sister showed for you.”

Norwe slid back from the twins and held out his hand.

“Give her to me.”

‘That coward wouldn-’

Herah’s thought was brought to an abrupt halt as Alex shoved Max up and towards Norwe’s hand.

“Bro! What the fu-”

And Max disappeared.

“By the Flame!” Herah punched at Norwe’s wrist, but her hand just went through, “Why the-”

“I don’t exist Artist, neither do I not not exist. I am just Norwe, and I follow my own logic,” The Norwe holding Herah gave her a slight boop to the nose with their free hand, “In order to affect me in any form or shape, you’d have to either follow my logic or I’d have to follow yours. Like now, I’m following your logic of sight and sound so you can visualize me, while my hand follows the logic of touch so I can wrap it around your throat.”

Herah growled at Norwe and spat flames at the Maker, but they just went through him like her previous attack.

“Calm down Artist,” Norwe booped Herah again, this time getting a snarl from her, “My Liar is perfectly fine. All that happened was the Soothsayer displacing her in one of my sibling’s sandbox.”

Herah just glared at the Maker, having no idea what they were talking about

“Don’t worry about it Artist,” Norwe reached out to boop Herah once more, but paused right before their hand could touch her nose and rolled their eyes in annoyance before pointing towards Alex, “Your questions shall be answered soon enough.”

Herah found her attention back on Alex and the third Norwe, the human’s eyes going wide and the smell of his fear growing more potent as Norwe crouched down to his level and knocked against his head twice.

“Knock knock.”

Alex’s body was locked in place, only his eyes moving as they locked on Norwe’s hands.

Norwe knocked on his head again.

“Knock knock Soothsayer, respond.”

“Whose,” Alex’s eyes slowly went up to Norwe’s face, snapping back down and to the floor after seeing something, “There?”

“Failure.” Herah just knew Norwe was smiling, the Maker rising up and raising their left arm out with an open hand.

“Failure who?”

“Failure you.”

Norwe’s open hand closed around Max’s face.

“Max!”

Alex went to get up, but a glance from Norwe froze him in place.

“I will admit that your attempt to circumvent my words was admirable.” Norwe patted Alex on his head, though Herah was sure they weren’t close enough to actually do that, “You gave her to me, but only for a moment.”

“Bro, what is-”

“Silence Liar,” Norwe gave Max a tap to her head, “I’m talking.”

Max shut up.

“Speaking of you,” Norwe turned their head to face her, “I will also have to admit that your stand to defy me was also admirable.”

Norwe let go of Max’s face and the two bodies that had been harassing the twins disappeared.

“However, in the end, you both still choose disappointing realities.”

Herah turned towards the end of the table, where a grinning Norwe sat with their legs atop it.

“What do you mean?” Herah’s ears perked up at Max’s baffled but irritated tone.

“What I mean is that instead of actually believing you would succeed, you each hoped for some type of miracle. And a miracle you got, but understand this-”

Herah felt and watched as the entire room began to warp and distort, as Norwe’s Presence emerged from everything and everyone but her and Jeffery.

`Why is it in everything else?’

Herah wondered this to herself as the Maker’s Cendreux form broke, and in its place their original state was revealed. A heavy and stern voice filled the room as if it was coming from everywhere at once.

“You will not get a second freebie. Next time, you will either obey and suffer the consequences or disobey and suffer the consequences.”

Herah could feel as Norwe’s Presence correlessed around Alex and Max, and for a moment became less like a force and something visible. The area surrounding each of the twins was distorted beyond measure, no logic to be found in what was happening within it.

“Am I understood?”

Herah watched closely as both humans nodded, Alex’s own a quick and hurried one while Max’s was stiffer and more angered.

“Good.”

Everything returned to normal as Norwe’s Presence returned to which it came. The Maker’s form was once again that of a Cendreux’s, and their legs went back up on the table.

“With all of that out of the way-”

The head of the Norwe holding Herah disappeared as Jeffery slammed through it with their eraser, erasing it.

“Ahahaha!” The Norwe which still had a head fell out of their chair in laughter as the one holding Herah dropped her and disappeared, “I guess you grew tired of my pushing my luck huh old friend?”

‘Old friend,’ Herah thought to Jeffery after landing on her feet, ‘You two know each other as well?’

“Your pencil knows only me,” Norwe picked themselves off the floor, their laughter dying off into a few chuckles, “We’ve had the pleasure of encountering one another many of times, while they’ve never met my Soothsayer.”

Herah blinked in confusion a few times before looking at Alex then Jeffery.

“How the fuck does Alex know about you?”

“Jeffery is a bit of a celebrity amongst certain crowds my dear Artist.” Norwe answered as they sat themselves back down.

Herah gave Jeffery a hard look.

“I really need to start asking what you’re doing when you’re not with me.”

The only response Jeffery gave was a memory of Herah at the cycle of ten, sticking her tongue out with her eyes shut while her entire body slowly dissolved into paint.

‘Not sure if that’s you being an ass or just letting me know that you’ve been doing this since I made you.’

Jeffery answered with a memory of her nodding her head.

Herah let out an annoyed sigh, shaking her head while returning to her own seat. Once seated, the youngling noticed Owen picking himself up off the floor and dusting himself off while Max and Alex sat down in their chairs.

‘Wait-’ Herah looked around and realized that the table and chairs were restored to their previous states, ‘When did that happen?’

“A few moments ago Artist,” Herah whipped her head towards Norwe, the Maker’s smiling face a silent taunt, “Though it could’ve also been a moment ago. Timeflow is erratic here after all.”

“We noticed.” Herah’s ears perked at Max’s dry reply.

“Sis!”

“What? He was stating the obvious.”

“Don’t be a passive-aggressive bitch!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about bro.”

“Uuh, I hate when you’re like this.”

“Like what?”

“I’m just gonna shut up.”

A small chuckle escaped Herah at the interactions of the twins, the youngling also catching Owen’s much softer giggle and Norwe’s much louder laugh.

“You two are always fun to watch,” Norwe snapped their fingers, “Anyhow, I assume this time and space is much more comforting to all of you.”

Herah felt the effect almost immediately, now able to properly count the seconds that passed by while also being able to tell that Norwe was exactly six feet away from her.

“Oh that weird,” Herah turned to Owen, the gnome had their head tilted to the side and was blinking slowly, “Feels like it’s been weeks since I last slept.”

“Seconds on my end.” Herah looked at Alex who now had a finger nervously tapping against his nose.

“An hour maybe with me?” Herah’s eyes went to Max whose own were on Alex, a slightly worried look on her face.

“An instant for me.” Herah said, before turning to Norwe with a questioning look.

The Maker grinned

“How much time has passed for each of you will be random.”

Herah’s ears twitched at a quite groan from Owen, causing the youngling to turn back to him and release most of her hold over her senses as a golden rectangle appeared around the gnome. Her reality shattered and reformed, this time revealing Owen’s organs and bones.

‘Loss of nearly fifteen pounds, bones have turned brittle, and muscles have degraded severely.’

“Jeffery, control.”

Herah felt the familiar weight of Jeffery’s form weigh on her mind as a sketch idea appeared in her head. Not at all looking, Herah mentally directed Jeffery’s body to begin drawing on the wall.

Before even a second could past, the detailed head of a Cendre was created.

With a size comparable to Herah’s own hands, said head was framed so it’s long snout was turned downward with a forked tongue darting out. Covered in what looked like sheets of scales, the head stared out with determined, slit pupils. The last bit of detail was that of the three pairs of horns at the back of the head, all pointing up and framing each other with largest surrounding the smallest.

Giving the sketch a knock with the back of her right hand, Herah felt her left-hand tingle for a moment before Traduire activated. The head of Cendre popped out the wall, now a shiny red as it’s pink tongue licked at the air.

“Woah,” Herah turned to a stunned Owen, barely batting an eye while snagging the falling Cendre head by one of its horns with her right hand, “Are you okay?”

The youngling frowned at Owen for a second before tracing his eyes back to her left hand, which had now collapsed into a puddle of neon paints.

“Oh that?” Flames flared from where the hand had detached itself, burning a new one into existence. With an experimental flex of her fingers, Herah gave Owen a grin,“Yeah I’m fine.”

The youngling then set the Cendre head down in front of the gnome.

“Donnez de la nourriture, de la boisson, du métal, de la flamme, de la vie! Je vous prie de donner plus de Volcan!?”

Before anyone could really react, the Cendre head snapped open and a stream of green magma surged up and into the air.

“Owen!” Max shouted as the magma split into three streams and poured into the gnome through his agape mouth and open eyes

In the blink of an eye, the magma was gone, only steam rising up from the eyes and mouth of a completely still Owen. Herah paid little mind to this, now looking at the Cendre head which had closed its mouth and was now blowing steam.

‘“I always hate how short term most of you are.” Herah let out a sad sigh as a sharp CRACK filled the air, and the Cendre head crumbled into dust, “You deserve the same chance for eternity that I have.”

“Oh wow,” The Cendreux’s attention went back to Owen, who was now touching his face and chest in shock, “I feel even better than I had before I got here. How’d you do that?”

“Traduire.”

Herah froze her mouth agape, her Gift’s name not spoken by her.

“Traduire, great name by the way Artist,” Herah turned to Norwe who was now playing with their hands while smiling at her, “Is my Artist’s Gift.”

Herah was hyper-aware of the simultaneous hitching of Max’s and Owen’s breaths and Alex’s slight grunt and pinching of his own nose.

‘Why do they seem to recognize a Gift?’ Herah thought to herself, though the youngling also welcomed an answer from Jeffery if the pencil was willing to provide.

“Because we’re Gifted too.” Alex answered, not looking at her.

Herah’s eyes widened then narrowed, turning to Alex.

“And how do you know this?”

Alex’s eyes glowed that same white they had done earlier.

“I can learn a lot about anything just by glancing at it.”

Herah frowned at Alex before turning to a still smiling Norwe and growling.

Norwe shrugged.

“Well someone or something had to give your Gift to you, guess who?”

Herah clenched her fist, wisp of smoke wafting from her nose and tightly clenched teeth.

“Why?” Barely held back rage marked the youngling’s words, “Why did you give this to me?”

“No real reason,” Norwe shrugged again, “Just felt like it.”

“You just felt like it?” Herah’s nostrils flared and a spurt of green fire shot out, even more coming from her now grinding fangs, “That’s your only reason?”

“No,” Norwe shook their head, their grin never fading, “That’s only the core reason.”

“What’s the rest of it?” Herah’s hands unclenched and her claws popped out.

“My dear Artist,” Herah watched Norwe’s eyes leave her and run across the rest of the room, “Soothsayer, Bonder, and Liar. The four of you were given your Gifts partly on a whim, but also because I figured it time to mark your universes as candidates for Recompense.”

Herah’s nose wrinkled at Alex’s shifting scent, the terror from earlier now just an atom in the mountain that was the human’s fear. The youngling could also tell Norwe held everyone’s attention, even Jeffery’s.

“What’s Recompense?

This question came from Max, a quick glance and sniff telling Herah the human had noticed the shift in her brother and was also genuinely curious.

“Recompense is essentially a way for me to entertain myself,” Norwe answered, “A high-stakes game with one of the greatest prizes imaginable.”

“Which is?” Owen asked, a nervous energy to his question.

“A wish from a Maker,” Norwe pointed at themselves, “Me. I’ll give you almost anything you ask for.”

“Almost anything?” Max asked, her question drenched in suspicion.

“I’m a Maker of my word so anything that would make me a liar I will not do.”

“Such a-”

“What happens to the losers?” Herah cut Max off, green flames still coming from her head.

“Nothing, if they survive Recompense to completion all I’ll do is send them off to their new home or wherever else they may wish to go.”

“New home?” Herah felt an uneasy feeling creep up her spine at Norwe’s words, “Why would we be going to a new one?”

“Ahaha,” Norwe chuckled, then laughed and kept on laughing.

Norwe wouldn’t stop laughing.

“What’s so fucking funny?!” Herah stood up slamming her hands into and through the table as her head was engulfed in green flames.

“Recompense is a high-stakes game Ashbrain.” Alex’s words were quiet and pensive, a sense of resignation within them.

“The fuck you just call me!?”

Herah turned to Alex with a glare, the human just letting out a sigh and tilting his head up with a defeated look on his face. As Norwe continued to laugh, Max and Owen turned their eyes to him as well.

“Winners win a wish; losers lose their home.” Alex said never looking down.

“How?” Herah asked, the flames around her head dying out as her anger was turning to worry, “What happens to my house?”

“No no no.” Alex shook his head, “When he said home, he didn’t mean something as small as a house.”

Norwe’s laughter turned dark and mocking as Alex finally tilted his head back down and locked eyes with Herah.

“If we lose, he’s going to destroy our universes.”