Wren cleaned and got dressed back up as he waited for Glaucous to collect himself.

“You are much like a being who is both mortal and like myself at once. I have to admit to a great deal of curiosity about you. I have seemed to have lost a great deal of the madness that had taken over me but I'd not deny you if you ever wish to be taken in by me.” Glaucous said, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Let's just stick to friends, alright... Okay, so I wasn't bullshitting you before. Your 'cusp of change' thing is gone now right?”

“Sadly, yes. To feel so close to greater power and lose it is disheartening.”

“Dude, if what I saw with inner-sight was even close to the truth you are better off. Before I go on to other things, I need to ask you a couple of questions. They might be things you do not want to share, and if so, don't.”

“Ask your question's then... brother Wren,” Glaucous said after a bit of hesitation towards the end, as if he was trying on a pair of shoes he liked but was afraid they wouldn't fit.

“Alright, G-man.” Wren broke into a big grin. “Was your grandfather from Earth?”

“I-there was a time if anyone asked that question, my family would have been forced to silence them but I see no harm in answering now. Yes. He and Ephyra were transported here together. Though he fell in love with my grandmother first after she had taken them in, in love and friendship they offered Ephyra to join them in union. There is more but if it's not necessary I'd rather not continue with that tale, brother Wren.” Glaucous said Wren's new moniker much more confidently this time. Apparently the shoes fit just fine.

“Just two questions more on the subject. It was only gonna be one but inner me is a lot stronger now and wants another piece for a different puzzle. Did your grandfather ever talk about a place called India? I don't need any details more than a simple yes or no and it's only really important to you personally if the answer is yes because he seemed to know it well.”

“Before I say more, I want binding oath you mean no harm to any of my family, Wren,” A bit of darkness clouded Glaucous' face.

Hey, where'd the brother bit go?

“I will give it all but for Ephyra because more than once I believe she has meant me harm, brother Riverson. Before I give oath, I will ask you the second question which you don't have to answer at all but I have a small fear for you and that is why I ask. How did your grandfather die?”

“That second question is common knowledge. His spirit had a mysterious wasting. It was not an unheard of thing to happen to the refugees that came here from your world. In almost all cases it was for pining after a century or two. We had just assumed it was the same for grandfather since he was a man who did not easily share his feelings or worries with others.”

Shit. Could have ignored any other cause.

With a worried look on his face Wren said, “Um, do you happen to have access to any life essence restoration items by chance? I need to speak with someone and it's costly”

“I have a bottle of elder berry wine that was gifted from... It matters not. If you have need I will give it.”

Glaucous didn't have to go far as what he was searching for was in a back corner of the refreshments he had prepared.

“It has...special properties within it to enhance desire.” Glaucous had the decency to look apologetic.”

So he had a hidden trump to roofie me if I didn't want to play ball huh? Forgiven....barely.

Glaucous removed the stopper and after a few stirrings of his finger, a dark syrupy substance was removed from it.

“It's safe to drink now, though it is a powerful intoxicant still. I trust that since you can use life essence so... skillfully that you can manage it's effects?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Would have been if you hadn't told me but I'm not letting you know that. Even the way it gets you to absorb LE is stimulating!? What the hell kinda super date rape drink is this!?

Wren downed the five shot glasses worth of liquor in one go.

Wow, stuff's like really good tasting sizzurp...Sue me. I tried it once. So has every person who's had a bad cold they went to the doctor over before the early 2000's. Let's wrap it up in multi essence blend and break it down safe and quick like.

“I had hoped to at least share a glass with you.” Glaucous said, a little disgruntled.

“Oh. I suppose that was bad manners. If I get a chance I'll make it up to you.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Glaucous' instinct seemed to be stirring a little.

“Like any good brother would, with an even better vintage.” Wren said, squashing other directions of conversation.

That stuff gave me a nice 5% jump up. Hopefully I don't need it all. I've been riding the 20% line for so long I feel like I'm never gonna be able to take enchanting out for a test drive.

“I'm getting to it G-man. Don't freak. I think you need to hear a couple things from someone who you don't need to worry about spilling your family's beans.”

Wren reached out to his call mark with Hiidan. The familiar scene of a dark ball stretching into man shape was just as underwhelming as the first time.

“Hey pops.”

“I didn't expect you to be calling me out so soon. Wanting to show off your new form to your old man or something?”

“Um, no. How frivolous...never mind. I think we got a big problem. By we I mean me and G-man here.”

“Speak it. My wisdom is at your disposal. Just keep an eye on the time and your life levels.”

Wren broke down the bits and pieces he had strung together, setting a supposition of soul eating fugitives and Glaucous' ancestry.

“So, blue skin plus Ephyra talking about Indian chess made you think that your friend here might be a **** descendant. Oh sorry, I meant a descendant of a Hindu deity. Let's start with that one.” Hiidan said.

“Well, that and some other things but you get the gist,” Wren said.

“A good possibility but why does it matter?”

Glaucous, who was pole axed stood in a stunned silence to the side as the two men shook the foundation of his understanding of self.

“To keep the conversation from going too off the rails... For various reasons, Glaucous was undergoing a premature and shaky apotheosis. I stopped it and am trying to give him a much better symbolism to work off of for a future one.”

“I don't suggest you getting closely involved in matters like that. Things can get messy for beings like us but just for the record, apotheosis is a sucker's game for entities who have no other way to power. To put it in a way you might understand, it's reality's oldest pyramid scheme except the very bottom collectively influences the top.”

“Tell you what, if you can advise my buddy on some better options then I'll officially recognize you as my dad. Cause that's how I see a dad, a guy who helps with a little advice to his son's friend if they ain't got a dad to help them out.”

“Emotional blackmail is it? I'd settle for you just listening to me, like when I told you a moment ago that getting involved in issues that affect other's Dharma is dangerous to beings like us. If it'll keep you from sulking, I'll help out this once but do me a favor and make more friends who have their shit already figured out or at least think they do.

“First off, little boy blue, do you do other stuff besides water bend?”

“I-No, not really.” Glaucous said.

“Bullshit.” Wren and Hiidan said at the same time. Since Hiidan seemed to be aware of what Wren was thinking he kept his mouth shut and let Hiidan keep the floor.

“Water isn't even your main power, fertility is. Someone's been filling your head with garbage for so long that you warp everything into that garbage concept.

That water power of yours was added to you...Wren, since you just recently played Etch A Sketch inside him with life essence, You got a good model you can throw out?

“I haaave one but what do you mean by, oh...Yeah, I can do it...just never thought of doing it before.”

Wren rebuilt Glaucous' energy and physical models then overlaid them and made an AE projection float above his palm.

Hiidan looked it over for a moment before continuing, “ See this large and tightly condensed Essence conversion...”

Hiidan spent a couple of minutes blowing Glaucous' mind about his make up. Glaucous was so shaken up by the experience that when Hiidan asked his name Glaucous gave it up willingly.

“See how that grafted power lit up with your name? Your given true name was masked by a false one. Do you really think that some random participant who came waltzing in to your home would just be handed something like that? That is your self given name recorded by your brother. Just keep using it. I'm going to do something to your AE model here and then we're going to look away. Look at the change it makes and then you should see it, your real true name.”

Hiidan threw just a tiny bit of void power into the projection and then turned Wren's head away as he joined him in staring at the wall.

“There you go son, lot's of fatherly guidance for your bastard buddy. Satisfied?”

“Sure, but why ya gotta get all name calling about it?”

“Oh, that's right. You grew up in a PC society. I'll try to keep that in mind to spare your delicate feelings.”

Get a new dad and he's Archie from 'All in the Family'.

“What about the Ephyra thing?”

“Oh, about if she really is a fugitive rather than just another refugee... I already knew that. Didn't I already say I read some interesting things about her? Why do you think she's been on her P's and Q's? If she stirs up any more crap while you're around I'll just report her ass.”

“She's got her hooks in pretty deep already don't you think? Look at Glaucous... I think she's done something to my bonded through artifacts left behind by Glaucous' mother. Isn't that going to affect me?”

“ * sigh * This is something you can handle on your own.”

“Pops. She took my other bonded in as a disciple. Taught him some secret stuff. Made him do some oaths I have no idea what about. She's all but came right out and said that Troy is her hostage that she keeps 'helping' as long as I toe the line. Now that was before your threat but you don't think she'll try to lever whatever advantage that she can and keep doing it till she even starts to lever you? Or do you not think her capable?”

“You're so smart my boy...Tell me though. What do you think I did, first thing, when I was called out?”

“Um, unfold like origami...”

Hiidan smacked the back of Wren's head.

“I set up a jamming field against spying. So guess who showed up and is on her way here. So if there's a specific course of action you want me to take under advisement. Spit it out.”

“Well, do you want a poisonous serpent as a maid where you are? She's pretty~”

Okay, you have my ear but let me tell you,” Hiidan switched to mental message

“If she called bluff I could still hurt her but whatever tricks she has I'd be pretty helpless against helping you with. So if you're planning on trying to grift her it better be a damn good game or she's gonna school you on what a true 'millennial' really is.”

“Well, this is what I was thinking...”

Five minutes and some serious pain later a plan was in place as Ephyra walked into the reception/throne room.

“So, what are the boys up to?” Ephyra said to Hiidan. “We older generation could be up to more entertaining recreations, if it pleases you, while these two finish their dealings.”

“A tempting offer but as you can see, the youngsters got a little rough in their play and my boy here took a pretty nasty bump to the back of his head. So, I need to tend to him for a bit while he recovers.”

“I did not expect Wren to remove my manacles before we were done. My recollection is a bit hazy about what happened after but I am certain we went awry of your plan.” Glaucous offered apologetically.

“It is no matter. You seem greatly improved god-grandson. Your ascension should proceed smoothly now.” Ephyra turned to Hiidan. “You will not hold this small matter against his benefactor and I will you?”

“Not in the slightest. My naughty little boy got some sort of enlightenment out of it so...”

“That is a relief. May I inquire as to the nature of this... need for secrecy.”

“Said enlightenment is of a sensitive nature. I was concerned about possible interest being drawn as his interface got bumped up to classified. The smart ones will be deterred by the aura signature in the jamming field.”

“Then it seems congratulations are in order for us both. My dearest child ever nears the moment he may take up his grandfather's mantle and yours has uncovered some momentous insight. Would you like to toast to it? There seems to be a great deal of remaining refreshments from the youngster's escapades. That is if there are no objections...Seafather?”

“I have never denied you anything within my provender. I would not desire to be ungenerous to you on such a day as this.” Glaucous deadpanned.

“Surely you have something of higher quality than livestock fodder in this assortment. Perhaps that bottle of elderberry?”

“I fear it was necessary to use, Ephyra. How about this bottle of-” Glaucous was interrupted by whispered voices amplified by strange acoustics and magic.

“-SYSTEM rewards. All we have to do is see her and the world Host representative's personal aid will come get her. We don't even have to fight this Ephyra lady,” An unknown woman said. Her voice outside of translation sounded like Arabic and French had a language baby.

“She could just kill us for spite. If she's powerful enough that the big boss has to send her right hand to deal with the bitch directly, how confident are you, really?” A man said. Despite the content of his words, his voice was cheery and distinctly African.

For the first time, Wren saw Ephyra have a truly panicked face. It only lasted a moment before she went deadly calm. She turned to Glaucous and requested him to kill the intruders. He did not move. She tried to order him with his fake true name. Aside from his face turning frosty, he still did not move. She threatened Wren with Troy to get him to send Hiidan after accusing Hiidan of betraying her.

“I swear an oath upon the Eternal Circle, may it be witnessed by the Great Pattern, that no one in this room has turned you in. I do, however, have a solution without you having to resort to desperation moves that would make others fugitives as well.” Hiidan offered.

“I'm listening. It seems I have time since they started searching upward. Pity running at this point would do little good if this world's Host has made me part of their game.”

“Glaucous may not be willing to join you as a fugitive, Ephyra, but I'm sure he'd be willing to claim you gone off world. Once the truth is verified and a small number of days has past you would be able to return without difficulties.”

“So, you take me to your abode and give me arbor for a few days, Then this all will blow over and done? Do you think me simple?”

“Not at all. You make a good exercise. That is all. There is a threat coming to this world. The Host only seeks to train the participants to face it. If dealing with you becomes an extra planetary affair they will lose interest for more productive training. The fugitives hiding among the refugees would not have been left untouched for so long if any truly cared. Make no mistake. If your presence becomes confirmed in the SYSTEM, others that do care would respond.”

“IF I take your offer of generosity, what do you expect in return?”

“Aside from dismissing all binding oaths from my son's bonded, I'd expect you to take the ancient guesting oath. As a last precaution, I have not had guests for quite some time. My personal collection of artifacts is not stored away and neither of us has the time for me to tidy up before you must away. Since that is the case, I will have an oath upon the Eternal Circle, with all that you are as collateral, that any you chance upon will immediately be safely stored away in my abode with all the care and ability you possess. Many a clever rogue has found ways to claim items they may covet, even with the guesting oath in place... I will shamefully admit that bachelorhood has made me unkempt but I will have these oaths from you without any changes in wording or else this conversation is at an end.”

“If I didn't know better, I'd think you were hinting at the need for a woman in your life.” Ephyra said, picking up on subtle flirtation. Even though the words were harsh they were delivered softly and there was more than a little genuine loneliness in his admission of bachelorhood.

“If, if there are no unpleasant surprises from you during your stay. It would take little convincing for me to extend it.”

Hiidan walked over to her and hesitantly, as if afraid of startling her, ran a slightly trembling hand over a few strands of her silky hair. Deftly tucking them behind her ear.

“But I still require my demands met.” Hiidan's voice was thick with restrained emotion.

As the whispering voices began to grow closer once more, she acceded. Her graceful calm was only marred with a faint trace of bitterness. Passing through the body of Hiidan she was allowed one last look back to see the blue fading from Glaucous' body into a shade so dark that it gave the illusion of velvety texture, all save a tinge of blue at his throat. She screamed in rage as the void claimed her.

“Alright boys, I release you from your oaths so you may now recall.”

A small hole in the back of Wren's head closed as if it never were as Glaucous' distant eyes snapped into clear focus.

“I borrowed the voices from the two above as you... The mission was completed?” Troy said as he stepped into the reception/throne room. The faint but unmistakable odor of recent activities brought a brief cloud of unhappiness across his features that just as quickly passed.

“You don't need me here anymore, Wren. I should go. No, I want to go... I don't want to miss a single detail of her struggle.” The thickness of Hiidan's emotion was, if anything, more prominent. “I'm finally going to see some positive progress after all this time. I'll have to find a way to reward you for this, son.”

“Is three days enough? I figured you might want a little more time with fair company, no matter how vile, after such a long time.”

“It's unhealthy for a child to dwell overly much on the intimacy of their parents. Just know that her involvement in your lives is at an end. Anon.” Hiidan said as he folded in on himself until gone.

Glaucous looked between Wren and Troy in the sudden silence before saying, “I have wronged you both. Even if it was mostly unknowing, I still was not completely ignorant of all wrong. Allow me a moment to collect a few things before sending you back. Brother Wren's life and spirit are dangerously exhausted and I'd like to find a few tokens of appreciation. As for my contrition and debt to you both, any material gift would seem insult. I suppose only time and opportunity will allow for such a thing to be repaid.”

As Glaucous strode away with speedy purpose, Troy walked closer to Wren. It became painfully obvious that Troy was intending to avoid the elephant in the room by his forced casualness. Wren didn't feel like letting it stand.

“So what do you think of G-man's new makeover? Knocking the cobwebs out of his root cellar did him some good I guess. Not that I'll claim all the credit.”

“Wait, so you...him!?”

“I told you. I've got one more Gordian Knot to face back at the farm, so I don't want to get too uppity but I don't make promises I don't intend to keep. I'm not in a mushy stuff kinda mood but I get that being the one to swipe my A/V card is something important to you. Pretty small trade off for all the shit you put up with from me.”

Troy pulled Wren into a crushing hug and after a stunned moment Wren started awkwardly fist tapping Troy's back.

As Troy let him go he said, “I kinda thought after he got a hold of you, magic healing or no, I wouldn't be able to... measure up.”

“Fuck, why would you want to!? But what do you expect from a fertility land god?”

“I thought he was a water one.”

“Ephyra white-washing... Well, blue washing. Just be glad you're released from her oaths.”

“She taught me a lot of really powerful things, Wren, secret and dangerous things. I can't think too badly of her.”

“I get that but why do you think she taught them? You were leverage and likely she had future plans for you too. Remember, she was a big fan of chess.”

Glaucous came striding in with an armful of goodies he laid on an open table.

“There's a heaviness in my heart. She was kind to me in her own way despite everything but since she doesn't need them anymore have her string of beads. It used to be a wedding veil but she's slowly used them for other things. I'm not certain what they are but they have strong spiritual essence and some have small amounts of life essence within them.”

Wren took the offered string like he was handling a snake before throwing it into the purifying part of his void space. Within moments they began breaking apart discharging memories, curses and various other things into the neutralizing depths. As his SE and LE began climbing out of the red, he noticed minute amounts of beneficial material beginning to collect in his center sphere.

So that's how I process things to build my personal realm? Good to know.

Not really paying attention to the details of the spoil divvying, he began tossing all the materials that weren't of any immediate or long term value into the churning of his void space.

This reminds me of the time I threw lots of different shit down the first garbage disposal I had. I definitely hope it doesn't end the same way!... Solid stuff won't clog it up but it does seem to take longer to digest. Looking at all the jewelry and precious metal spinning around, it almost looks like a tiny glittering galaxy. Ooh, that one had a curse on it, so did that box of coins. What a viscous damn woman!

“I'll merge her unanchored realm into my own once I have made it safe to do so but there is this... Perhaps it would be a good inheritance for your child?”

Wren wasn't certain but it looked like a far more colorful version of a void seed. His intuition was telling him the void realm would benefit immensely from such a thing but it was likely a rare thing and Glaucous' reminder of future concerns made him pause before deciding to save it. Seeing Troy's utter lack of interest in it made his thoughts on the issue 1/3 less difficult.

“Hey Troy, do you mind me skimming through those books before you put them away?”

“Knock yourself out Wren but remember that we still have things to iron out before tomorrow.”

As he started taking mental snapshots, Wren replied' “Dude, like five minutes tops... I'm still soaking in bead pulp anyway.”

“Pulp...Pulp!? You destroyed them, brother Wren?” Glaucous said, more than a little disturbed.

“To be more accurate, I'm processing them. More importantly, I'm concerned about Ephyra's knowledge on curses. Her realm is probably booby trapped and I think she might have been the one who disseminated that knowledge to Grimshadow. Who the fuck knows why though.”

“The whys no longer matter as long as we can avoid the consequences long enough to drown them,” Glaucous said darkly.

“True, that. You feel up to handling a negotiation with the two participants up top? Just pretend to give them a bit of a haggle before agreeing to allow me to set up a safe zone five miles north. I'll make sure none of the obelisks point toward your arcane well, even if it means I can't complete it to the SYSTEM's liking. There's enough intersecting lines at the point I mental mapped to make a good one so they shouldn't be too pantie bunched their original purpose for wanting it here isn't exactly served.”

“All is well then, Brother Wren. Use the modified mark of passage well tomorrow. You should find it enriching. Speaking of. Is there no knowledge I possess to peak your interest for the knowledge mark?”

“I honestly don't know. Intuition's telling me a big nope on martial prowess and I think I'd have a lot more fun in figuring things out myself in your other biggest expertise. Guess I could trade it out for the rest of your enchantment models?”

“It would be a waste since you have most of them. You already possess my knowledge of life and the manipulation of it. Perhaps you would relinquish it for the bulk of my faith that is tainted with untruths. Though it would diminish me further, I would need to make use of it quickly to keep it from affecting my current purity of understanding about myself anyway.”

Wren pulled the mark out and released his hold on it.

“Use it to prepare your home. There is a limit to generosity between even brothers.”

“I will not need it all and the balance between us still weighs heavy on me.”

“Alright, then lets go old school. Bless our union,” Wren said as he grabbed Troys arm. He pulled out the egg from among its nest between the pools. “and give little omelet one while your at it.”

“Ah, that is balance is it not?” Glaucous said more than a little emotionally pained. “A sharp and searing kind of balance. It is a well done thing.”

After it was done, a sense of closure came over the three. What bitterness over recent events remained was now gone. As long as Troy and Wren were near each other words would no longer be necessary for them to understand the other's intentions and their essence support of one another would never need physical intimacy to be accomplished. As for the egg, what legacy of Ephyra remained within was washed over with the stronger presence of Glaucous' blessing. Making of him a god-father in truth.

***

She screamed and wailed. She cried, begged and raged. Even as her stolen divinity was scraped from her, even as her life force and spirit were consumed by the cursed instrument, she carefully labored to work it loose. She would rather it take all that she was than give even the smallest scrap of herself to bolster the trickster that had doomed her. Yet a vain and maddening hope existed within that if she was successful in this one the rest would not be the same. She had just chosen poorly. Even if not, this one sealed his physical sensation. Others sealed various other parts of his being but this one would bring him pain. If that was all the vengeance that she could gain from her oblivion, then it would have to suffice...

As the corpse-like man looked upon her distorted writhing he could not help to compare it to more pleasant labors. It made him reminisce of better times. Perhaps it was too cruel a vein of thought in the face of her self afflicted destruction but the preservation of his sanity had been a precarious thing for a long time now. Better to be cruel than mad. It was even more important to maintain that fragile equilibrium now that he saw hope. Oh, his new child, his joy. Such a resourceful babe. In this moment he could not believe a father could be more proud. Yes, these thoughts were better to dwell on than this one's dust soon joining the others on the floor. Not knowing, but dreading he did, the identities of those who had tried before.

Their sacrifice hadn't been for naught. He had gained thought and sight. A labor when the cursed objects were newly made. They had become brittle as he had and she seemed so determined. Despite how small she truly was, in so many ways, he held good reason to believe she would succeed on this one. She thought it clever, her choice, but if he could feel he could move. Pain had lost most of it's meaning to him since even before this slow damnation. A single micron of movement, over eons on it's own, could free him. His hope was more ambitious than that.

The chained spike came free with her last effort, though she fell. She had gathered enough strength to barely reach the lowest artifact pinned through his thigh. The searing lash at it's touch had undone her hope. No longer caring, she consciously chose to break her oath. She gave up the ghost and slid to dust. The tattered vestiges of her very being infused the corpse-like man. Though the sweet balm was next to nothing, an infinitesimal twitch of desiccated finger gave meaning her grudging labor.