After many days of riding the wagon and sleeping, Nozomi and Kaito could see the border to Neflen at the end of the road. The border was guarded by a massive wooden wall, reinforced with steel plates in the center and spikes on the top. The woods became denser as their wagon was drawing closer to it. The tops of trees were blocking out most of the sun, giving the forest floor a soft light. Nozomi tugs on the reigns for the horses to bring them to a stop. She and Kaito climb down from the wagon and begins approaching the gate. Suddenly, three arrows fly out and land directly in front of their feet. Jumping backward, they ready themselves for a fight.

"State your business with Neflen." A man's voice calls out from atop the wall.

Looking up, they could see at least a dozen elves, each pointing a bow at them. Their skin was light-ebony, each dressed in makeshift clothing made of leaves and vines.

"We need to see your goddess, our dad needs her help!" Nozomi calls back to the voice.

"Our dad?" Kaito questioned quietly.

"It just sorta slipped out." She whispered.

One of the elves jumps from the wall and lands in front of them.

"To enter Neflen, you need a pass from one of our kin. Doesn't matter how badly your dad needs our help, without a pass no one can enter." The male elf explained.

Nozomi quickly pulls out the card Syllia gave them before departing. She hastily hands it to the man and he examines it.

"Where did you get this from?" He questioned as his eyes widen while looking at the card.

"His mother gave it to us, she said it would get us into Neflen to get him the help he needs." She explained.

The man turns and signals to the elves atop the wall. They nod and quickly open the gate. He then whistles towards the trees above. Four elves drop down and land in the back of the wagon.

"Take them to Gaia and defend this wagon at all costs." He ordered.

Kaito and Nomozi were standing there baffled as to what was happening. The elf hands the card back to Nozomi.

"That card is extraordinarily special. It is only given to the highest-ranking members of our society. These people would talk to and live with Gaia, our goddess. His mother is an important person and that makes him and you two just as important." He said, bowing at them.

"We had no idea she was so important, we just assumed it was like any regular pass to get past your gates," Kaito explained.

"If you desire you can learn more once you've reached Gaia. My people will take you there now." He said, gesturing for them to get back onto the wagon.

One of the elves had taken the reigns of the wagon. Nozomi sat next to her while Kaito was climbing into the back with the other three elves. Once they sat down, the female elf gave the reigns a whip and the horses began running through the gate.

"It's an honor to be traveling with you, my name is Irithel. " The female elf said as she held onto the reigns.

Nozomi turns towards her. The elf's skin was lighter than the male elf from before. She had black hair that was braided into a single column going nearly halfway down her back. Small and minor scars were going up and down her arms. Her breasts were considerably well endowed, to the point that the leaves struggled to cover them and the vines looked as if they were going to split. Nozomi blushed at the sight before responding.

"Honestly, we knew nothing about that card. We weren't expecting a personal escort to your goddess either." Nozomi explained, glancing back at the other elves who were on their guard.

"Those who live with Gaia, you could compare them to your human council. They speak with Gaia and make decisions that affect our country as a whole. They're revered and held nearly as high as Gaia in respect. You could say that your dad is royalty here, while we have no kings or queens like your lands, it's the best comparison I could think of." Irithel explained, glancing back between Nozomi and the road between her words.

"That would make him double royalty then. He's a prince from our lands, his other mother is the queen of what used to be considered one of the strongest kingdoms."Nozomi explained.

"Other mother? So your dad has two mothers?" Irithel questioned in confusion.

"Yeah, his biological mother who is called Mirabelle and the one who gave us the card is Syllia. They rule a kingdom together in the southmost part of our country." Nozomi said.

"Your country truly is different than ours. Due to our low population, women cannot be with other women here. Our kind doesn't breed nor give birth as quickly as yours. Pregnancy for us last two and half years in comparison, it's incredibly slow for us to build our population up." She explained.

"That's terrible, being told you can't be with the kind of person you desire to be with. I'm not sure if I could ever give up that freedom." Nozomi said.

Before long they had made their way out of the dense woods and into some open fields. Nozomi was in awe at the amount of wildlife that surrounded them. There were dozens of flocks of birds flying through the air singing their melodies. Herds of animals were grazing throughout the fields around them. Nozomi saw bison, deer, elk, and many other creatures roaming about. In the distance to their left, she could see some mountains with a waterfall that turned into a river that flowed throughout the fields. A ginormous tree sat on the horizon, it's gigantic branches reached out for many miles away from it. Each branch was lush, full of the greenest leaves and prettiest of flowers on the tips.

"It's gorgeous here, I wasn't expecting to see so many animals," Nozomi said, peering in every direction she could.

"That's one of the beautiful things about living here, we tend to have more wildlife living among us than in other countries," Irithel explained.

As they continued down their path, Nozomi continued to admire the land around her. However, this wasn't the only thing she was admiring. Each time Irithel talked, Nozomi would stare at her, blushing some and getting lost in her words. Kaito watches from the back of the wagon, keeping a close eye on their new elf companions, keeping himself at the ready in case. It takes them nearly an additional two days to reach the base of the massive tree. As they make it to the base of the tree, Nozomi could see a grand staircase leading to a door inside the tree. They depart from the wagon, and the elves in the back lower Brandon down and begin carrying him up the stairs. Katio hastily follows behind them, keeping an eye on Brandon.

"Welcome to the tree of life, home of Gaia, the essence of all living things in our country," Irithel said, gesturing for Nozomi to follow her.

"I didn't know a tree this massive could exist, I can't even see the top of it!" Nozomi exclaimed, looking directly up as she followed Irithel up the stairs.

"Its height surpasses twenty miles, and its branches at the longest points reach ten miles, according to Gaia. No one has ever reached the top, but, she created it so she knows everything there is about it." Irithel explained as they reached the door.

The door matched the tree in both color and texture. Dark brown, with rigid bark going vertically over it. If it wasn't for the perfectly round, golden knob, one couldn't tell it was a door. The knob was much higher than any of them could reach and the door was nearly four times that of a normal-sized door in both height and width. The elves carrying Brandon place him down and knock on the door as one of them speaks.

"Zo rein fye tol." One of them said.

Nozomi and Kaito stand there clueless as to what he had just said to the door. But, suddenly, the door slowly slows open, and they pick Brandon up again.

"What did he just say?" Nozomi asked, looking toward Irithel.

"A translation in this tongue is a little difficult. More or less it's just a code known to certain people to gain access here. The words combined with the way he knocked, informed the doorkeeper on the other side it was safe to open.

The two of them quickly begin fast walking to catch up with Kaito and the others. The door slams shut as they all enter, a female elf locks it the moment it closes. They were walking down a long hallway that looked exactly what Nozomi thought it would, like wood. Candles were mounted on both sides of the hallway. The floor was wood, and the walls and ceiling were also wood. No carpet, tiling, paint, or nothing, simply the tree carved out. After walking for what felt like forever to Nozomi, the group enters a grand room. Kaito and Nozomi were taken aback by the site of the room. The room was brightly lit, orbs of light hanging from chandeliers above and mounted on wall sconces. A large fountain sat directly in the middle of the room. In the center of the fountain was a marble statue of a deer. The floor was made up of smooth marble titles, with small gold trim. At least a dozen elves were walking around the room, carrying on random small talk as they went about their day. Past the fountain on the opposite side of the group was a giant marble throne. As they approached the throne, Kaito and Nozomi suddenly felt small and insignificant compared to the person sitting on the throne. A woman sat upon the throne, she glared at them as they were making their way toward her. The woman was blonde, with her hair in a ponytail. Her ears were pointed and her skin matched those of the elves around them. She stands up from her throne as they sit Brandon down in front of her. Her height was towering in comparison to everyone else, standing at nearly ten feet tall. A white dress covered her body, fitting loosely on her making it hard to fully see her body type. The dress had a small gold trim around the edges, matching the room's floor. Irithel and the other elves kneel before the woman as Kaito and Nozomi merely stare at her in shock at her height.

"Who are these people? Why have you brought them here?" The tall woman questioned.

Her voice was soft and motherly, it almost relaxed Kaito out of his worries.

"Forgive us for the intrusion lady Gaia. The man in the coffin goes by the name Brandon. The other two are his kids, Kaito and Nozomi. Brandon's mother is a former sentinel, she gave her card to them." Irithel explained, keeping her head down.

"I understand." She said as she looked toward Kaito and Nozomi.

"I sense that your father has pushed his body well past its physical limit, any normal mortal would've died. What happened to him?" Gaia asked as she knelt to Brandon's coffin.

"We don't fully know ourselves, he went to kill a dragon that killed his kingdom's army. Then it turned out to not be a dragon, but some sort of demon that was stronger than he could've predicted. We were told he has divine magic and used it, pushing his body into this coma state." Nozomi explained, walking up next to Gaia.

"That explains why he's still alive and the aura I'm sensing off of him. If a mortal possesses a god's aura and hasn't perfected how to use it, they risk damaging their bodies, such as broken bones and melted flesh. If they continue to push past that, they risk being comatose, and if they manage to use more power before going into the coma, they'll die from their magic destroying them from the inside out. But have no fear, I can easily bring him out of the coma." Gaia explained as she opened the coffin.

Brandon was wrapped from head to toe in bandages to protect his burnt skin. The only thing left unwrapped was his eyes and nose. Gaia places her hand on his chest and closes her eyes. Suddenly, a white light emits from her hands, blinding everyone in the room. She removes her hand and smiles. Brandon jerks himself upward in a panic and hastily examines the room. His bandages were completely gone and he was wearing new clothes. A long-sleeved black shirt with beige cargo pants. He looks up at Gaia and jumps backward, out of his coffin. He holds his right hand directly out to his side and purple lightning begins emerging from his hand.

"I don't know who you are, but I can sense you're a god," Brandon said bitterly, readying his lighting.

"Brandon wait! She's the one who healed you!" Nozomi cried out jumping in front of Gaia.

"Nozomi? What the hell is going on, where are we?" He questioned, lowering his hand.

Nozomi and Kaito bring Brandon up to speed on the events that happened after his battle with Dajall.

"You two held your own against bandits? You two have gotten stronger, I'm glad your time with Adam helped." Brandon said, patting them both gently on the head.

"I just wish we didn't have to kill them. We should've tried to just knock them out and turned them into jail at the nearest town." Nozomi said, looking at the floor with guilt.

"Sometimes we're going to face battles we have no choice but to kill the other. Trying to subdue someone without killing is much harder and puts yourself and those with you at a greater risk. While I wasn't there, I trust both of you made the right decision. You did good, I'm proud of you two." He said, smiling at them.

"Well with you brought back to full strength, you all should stay here for the night and in the morning I can send you back to your castle if you'd like," Gaia said as she sat back atop her throne.

"That would be perfect, however, I do have some questions I'd like to ask you. You're the first god I've stood before in a long time." Brandon said, looking Gaia dead in the eyes.

"Your mother is the reason you're standing here right now. While there is a level of respect for you and your kids due to her service. You and I aren't friends, I can sense that you're undergoing the trials to replace god. I'm hesitant to honestly let you leave this place, but God forbade us lesser gods from intervening. Stick with my current pleasantries and don't push your luck." Gaia said, gripping the arm of her chair tightly.

The room falls silent as everyone stares Brandon and Gaia down. They hesitantly await his response, as if they were expecting a fight to erupt any moment. Brandon stares into her eyes for the longest time. Her light green eyes reflect the room's soft light. He then smiles at her.

"That's perfectly fine, I have no intention of causing tension between us. I'm a guest here and will abide by any rules you have." Brandon said giving her a slight bow.

"Glad to hear it, Irithel, lead to them the spare room and bring them some food. Tomorrow I shall you all back to your home." Gaia ordered.

Irithel bows in confirmation and then lead the three of them out of the main room and into a cramped hallway. The hallway was so cramped, that they had to follow Irithel in a single-file line. She stops at a doorway and opens it for them. Inside four small cots were mounted onto the walls. A single orb of light hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow on the room. The floor and walls were made up of the same wood as the entrance hallway.

"I'll be back shortly with food, I hope venison and steamed vegetables are okay with everyone," Irithel said.

Everyone nods at her. She quickly takes her to leave and shuts the door behind her. Minutes later she returns with a tray holding three plates of food. She passes them each a plate and once again leaves them.

Gaia stared off blankly, deep thought as she sat upon her throne. Suddenly, the room is consumed by a blinding white light. Everything disappears besides Gaia and her chair. A powerful flame erupts in front of her, towering over ten feet tall.

"You should aide him sister, build trust up now while you still can. Change is coming, sooner than you might think." The flame spoke with a crackly, feminine voice.

"Amaterasu, I wasn't expecting a visit from you. Do you honestly think that he's going to complete the trails? You know as well as I do, while God prohibited us from intervening and stopping someone on the trails, some of the other gods won't listen." Gaia said, staring the fire down.

"I have full faith that he will achieve his goals, I'm going to assist him whenever I can," Amaterasu stated.

"I imagine that'll be hard, given where you reside," Gaia said in disbelief.

"I may be stuck at the center of the sun, but that doesn't mean I can't help. The girl he is traveling with, Nozomi, her grandmother carried the sun sigil on her aura. Nozomi isn't aware of this, but she too bears the same sigil. Making her a perfect gateway for me to use my magic to help them in any way I can." Amaterasu explained.

"She's a holy vessel? That's very lucky for you, however, I'm not sure as to why you want me to help him." Gaia said.

"Think about it, a god's actions led to the suffering that made him endure this path. Once he's God, he'll probably kill off most if not all of the other gods. If we aid him and gain his trust, I believe he will show let us remain and continue our current duties. It's either that, or you try and stop him and get killed by God for attempting to intervene." Amaterasu said.

Gaia ponders Amaterasu's words for several minutes.

"Alright, you've convinced me. I'll send Irithel with them, she's an extremely talented archer. She'll be of use in combat, plus when the time comes I'll help him find the artifacts in my lands." Gaia said.

"Good, you're making the right decision sister. A new era is coming and I fully intend on seeing it." Amaterasu said as the fire tower slowly faded away.

In seconds the white light vanished and Gaia could see the room again.

"We'll see about that sister, I pray that my actions over this don't lead to my own downfall." She thought to herself.