As the early dawn passes by, innumerable amounts of trees are collapsed on the ground, and the forest is ravaged.

Amongst all the mess stands Kael, breathing harshly as he faces yet another tree, but a much sturdier and taller one.

After dismissing the fact that he can't form a connection with winter right away, he focuses on tapping into spring's power, one that requires a deep relationship with nature itself.

-Is it truly necessary to knock all these trees down? I mean, you could just harvest the energy around while being idle, safely, and without having to harm the forest.

"I need something to fall back on. Like I said, I'm not going down without a fight, so I'm improving this attack of mine, the one where you pour all your energy into one strike."

-I still can't believe you want to cultivate such a reckless technique. If you do not finish the enemy with that one attack, then you are most definitely finished, forever.

"I'm not just striking them down for training. I know you can see those faint traces, but you're just ignoring it."

-You mean, that you were harvesting the energy from the trees themselves before knocking them down?

"Precisely. I can take the energy around me instead of using up all of mine, replacing it with that to truly maximize my power."

-I've never even thought about that. How clever.

"Not that clever. I'm almost close to blacking out. I feel so tired, as if I've been doing this for months on end."

-Why not take a break and try forming a connection. Spring's deity might respond if you do.

Without another word, Kael crosses his legs, sitting with his eyes closed, concentrating.

In this state, there is only silence. One man, waiting quietly as he inches closer to being a fully-fledged god.

Yet, there is silence. Still nothing, nor no one.

It is dark, mist filled, cold and damp.

Yet he remains calm and collected, not shivering not budging from his perfect posture.

And then, a faint voice, one that disappears almost instantly, whispering until it reaches his ears.

"You are the vessel of my master. Are you strong enough to bear my power? Are you one that can surpass my trials, proving me wrong?"

Almost without hesitation, he answers willingly.

"Yes. Show me my trial so that I may know my fate."

The words are not his own, yet he speaks them naturally, refined in both grace and finesse.

"I shall only give you one chance. I sense that your state is grave, so I shall not delay further. Fail, and there will be no second chance. The connection with spring that you desire will be lost forever. Are you prepared for that?"

He replies fervently, not hesitating nor waving as much as he thought he would.

"I am. Show me the way."

He opens his eyes, worn out, as the sun greets him, blinding his view.

He falls on his back, feeling the comfort of the grass behind him, such lush greenery and foliage, as if spring's deity had arrived.

-You managed to form an agreement! Amazing! Spring is no that that strict compared with the others, but this is still a feat that I had thought would take us months to succeed on.

"Why did I just agree on that? I can't even move my body at all, and I feel too tired to think about anything else."

"Then does that mean you'll concede this chance forever?"

An unknown voice seems to rattle Kael, although not showing in his movement or his face, he clearly becomes aware, cautious even at the low, rough voice somewhere around him.

He barely even manages to rise his upper body, forcing an excruciating pain upon his torso.

He sees an image of a bear, a normal sized bear, different from the one he had encountered before.

But, the fear of what had happened before with his encounter with the bear still lingered within his head, sending a rush of adrenaline to his head as he picks his feet up and running the opposite way for his life, yelling.

-Wait, Kael! Go back, you're making a grave mistake.

"What do you mean I'm making a mistake? I don't want to see another wild bear in my entire existence here!"

-But you don't understand. Don't you remember the trial? Just stop for a second and think clearly.

He does, not because he wanted to, but because his legs couldn't take anymore.

His breathing comes more ragged than it was earlier, becoming forced and almost suffocating for him to bear.

After running a fair distance, he looks behind him for any signs of the bear, in which he does, but he sees it standing on its two legs, idle, unmoving at all.

"Why isn't chasing me?"

-Like I said, try and remember your trial, then piece everything together. It should be obvious by now.

"Don't tell me, my trial is to fight a bear? I don't think I like that idea. If you clearly remember what had happened list time, then you'll agree with me on this."

*sigh* -You sure are hopeless. He is the guardian of spring, the deity Gastor, the Ursa of the wilds. He will be the one to give you your trial. Now approach him and speak.

"Is that so? I can't believe I just embarrassed myself in front of one of the deities..."

With downcast eyes, Kael heads back to his training grounds, scratching his head in embarrassment.

He looks up at the brown bear with a scar over his left eyes who stands tall despite being of a normal size, one he is familiar of.

"Are you Gastor, the guardian of spring?"

"Indeed I am! Are you Kaellum, the one who will be receiving my trial!?"

Gastor responds with a heartening energy, boasting of his fervor, burning with passion.

"Yes, that is me. What do I have to do to prove myself worthy?"

"It is simple. Defeat me in battle."

"Defeat you? But how? I barely even have anything to fight you with, other than the technique that I am training."

"Then you are beneath me. If you want to prove your worth, then fight me with what you have. There should be no reason for you to decline, nor be terrified of your fate."

Kael shifts his head from side to side, thinking about the consequences of accepting and refusing.

If he would accept, then there's a high chance of him dying ultimately at the hand of a bear if he makes even a simple mistake.

If he would refuse, then that's one less deity to help him, and one less chance of him actually standing a chance against the strongest of gods, that is if he wants to survive this feast.

-Do not fear, Kael, I will help you however I can. Although I cannot influence you directly, I have entice the nature surrounding you to lend you energy, powering your so-called 'devastating attack’. We can succeed, together.

Vixalis' voice and suggestion goes well with Kael, filling his mind with a chance that he cannot possibly pass up now.

He looks up at Gastor with eyes of burning will and desire, impressing him even if only by a small margin.

"I will take on your trial head on!"

"That is what I had hoped for. Excellent! This will be a test of might, overpower me, and defeat me! I will not use my heavenly weapon, instead I will substitute it with my fists, which are of equal strength in some ways, but is not to be underestimated."

Gastor backs away a fair amount, standing on the center of the forest's clearing, glowing as green as the forest around him.

He is covered by a veil of green, kneeling down, changing into something entirely different, alerting Kael as he backs away, assuming his battle stance.

The bear behind the veil changes form, emerging as a towering tall, brown haired, bearded man with largely toned muscles that are unobscured on his naked torso, wearing what seems to be leather paddings on his left shoulder, all the way to his hand. He wears a traditional looking long skirt with leather leggings beneath it, boots pairing his look.

Surprising Kael, whose eyes are open in shock and disbelief, despite already having seen gods, this is much different than what he has already seen before.

A bear, or the deity of spring, transforming into a grown, well-built man twice his size, but much more convincing to call him 'human' on a technical level.

The grizzly looking man feels his beard with his hand, looking at Kael, who seems to be too impressed with his sudden transformation. But he, nevertheless continues with the trial, speaking with a loud voice that would echo through the forest.

"Well then, are you ready? There are no boundaries in this forest. You may go wherever you please, as long as you continue fighting me. The trial will end when a victor is declared. Do you have any other questions?"

Kael simply shakes his head, indicating no other doubts in which to block him from concentrating. Except, he asks a question inside his mind, baffling him.

... Will he be holding back? Or will he give his all?

Probably the latter, since he seems to be a bear, or man rather, of honor.

He barrels forward fearlessly, like a train heading straight towards me.

I run to the side as fast as my legs could take me while I converse with Vixalis on our plan.

-I will be charging you with energy from nature since you didn't have time to rest. But remember, you consume more power than I can give, so take note of that and conserve your energy.

I look back at Gastor, keeping an eye on his so that no surprises with damage me.

He stops, looking at me as I continue running away from his, using the trees to my advantage.

-The wisest thing to do for now is to put some distance between you to, then recover as much energy as you can. A hand to hand fight will be inevitable, so defend as few as you can, and dodge the majority of his attacks.

"Got it!"

I can feel a constant flow of energy around me, connecting into a thread-like mist only to be siphoned to me.

The only way that I can defeat him is if I use the only attack I have that can actually damage a godly being, namely my mortal smite.

-Wait, so you named it 'mortal smite?'

"Don't kill the excitement in it. I feels lacking the way it is now.

I stop after having ran a mile almost, breathing in the energy and the air surrounding me.

Suddenly, the earth shakes, rumbling softly, then becoming a strong magnitude as something closes in on me from the shadows of the forest.

Gastor emerges, knocking aside the sturdy trees in his way with a simple brush of his arm, sending barks flying into the air as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

-No time to be dazed, Kael. Keep your guard up and dodge at the right time, then strike him and make a run for it.

Nodding in agreement, I try calming my nerves of the fear of being trampled by this beast of a man that's shortening the distance between us.

He reaches striking distance, I ascertain my position, the movement around me slows down as I concentrate my all into this pivotal attack.

Gastor slowly raises his hand, bringing it down like a hammer.

I move forward, meeting the surprised Gastor, twisting my body to the side even before we collide.

Gastor slams his arm down, creating a strong tremor in the earth that destroys everything in front of him, bringing soil up from the ground, rippling the soil as I quake from the aftershock, making me lose my chance.

Yet, I persevere, forcing my body to move forward despite the strain that the shaking ground is sending me.

Closing my eyes, I channel forth all my power into my fist, which I start winding to my side.

I sharpen my breathing, narrowing my sights to the left part of his back, releasing it with a stomp to the ground.

The attack connects, but the strong body that Gastor possesses makes the damage less than what I wanted it to be.

My fist doesn't drive through fully, as if I just struck a boulder, or something stronger entirely.

I retract my fist, thinking back on the plan, running away once again to recuperate.

I feel my body sink in weakness after having released all my power into that one attack.

I should be lying on the ground right about now, but thanks to Vixalis' assistance, I was able to replenish a fraction of my lost energy right away, though the heavy feeling remains each time I use it.

"I don't think I dealt him any sort of damage, and It'll take a while before I can use this again."

-I say you did just fine. This is a good start. I predict that the next time you meet it will be a hand to hand combat type of battle, so I think it's best to find a fitting arena for that.

"What do you suggest? I feel worn out already, it’s a miracle that I can still keep running."

-You are part god, so it makes much more sense. About the location, I suggest either a denser part in the forest, the lake with the waterfall, or the base of a mountain. You decide.

"... Let's go with the dense part of the forest. The waterfall will serve me no defense, and I doubt that the water will even obscure his inhuman strength. The base of a mountain will be just his cup of tea, seeing as it's a wide plain before heading straight into a field of rubble and craggy earth formations."

-Very well. From where you are facing, turn left and keep going, you'll be heading straight into the dense forest. A quick question, why do you choose the forest? You saw how he can just toss away trees with no problem, so why?

"Well, I think it's better to have cover than none. I just can't hope to fight him face to face the way I am now. I need to think clearly since my life depends on this. We'll see how this goes."

-Good luck. I will keep supplying you with more energy as fast as I can.

As a moment passes, the trees start becoming denser, the leaves cover the sky, preventing any light from piercing through.

There are branches, shrubs, thick foliage everywhere.

As a few more seconds pass, the earth shakes once again, indicating only one obvious thing to me, and that is Gastor.

Without even looking back, I quicken my pace, finding a spot as to where I can start plotting out my next objective.

I can feel enough energy in me to send off another mortal smite, but it won't be enough to keep me going, so I have to save it until I can replenish even more energy from the forest.

In my head, I hear Vixalis yell out, 'Get down, now!' in which I do reflexively, but unprofessionally, stumbling forward only to injure myself.

I stop briefly, looking forward at the very reason as to why Vixalis yelled out.

A bundle of trees has been sent flying past me, rolling to the place where I was supposed to be, but was luckily saved by Vixalis.

I get up quickly, feeling Gastor's presence behind me, bursting into a run as I feel a massive tremor explode behind me, launching me forward once more as I slam onto a tree.

"Is this it, boy? Maybe I just expected too much from you. I will now end your misery even before you feel the pain."

-Kael! Move quickly, now's your chance!

My body moves instinctively at Vixalis' words, the energy forms on my fist, strangely not being channeled manually by my own.

In a rush of panic, I meet Gastor head on as he strikes with his fist, breaking the air.

I barely stand properly, my left leg still bent as I struggle getting up, sending a vertical strike to counter Gastor's... Or rather, that's what I originally intended.

My arm's weight makes me miss my mark, instead brining my entire body down, with Gastor also missing me by a hair's inch.

Although, my strike does not miss, it instead connects with Gastor's chest, knocking him back as he is too late to steel himself.

On instinct alone I stand up, barraging him with punches all over his body like a child making a tantrum.

It looks to have no effect on Gastor at all as he just continues backing away.

He strikes me from the side, sending me flying to a tree like nothing.

I lose my breath, coughing as the air in my lungs burst out, and I land on the ground with a thud, hurting much more than I thought it would.

-Get up, Kael. He's closing in on you.

"I-I don't have any energy left, Vixalis. I don't think I can overrun him anymore, plus my side hurts like crazy. I think He broke a rib bone."

I feel empty, after having poured out all my strength just moments ago, I’m unable to flee due to the exhaustion wrapping around me, that is to say, replenishing energy and striking once more this instant isn't possible.

"Is this it?"

I look up, faintly seeing Gastor's body towering over me

"You're either a tricky one, or a lucky bastard, but we'll see here whether luck still favors you, or has abandoned you entirely."

Gastor glows with the same lush green light that enveloped him when he transformed, only this time he won't be transforming, instead he seems to be empowering himself.

I feel an immense amount of pressure emanating from Gastor as he grins from ear to ear, further strengthening himself, exceeding the bounds from which I can handle.

-Counter him! I'll lend you my power!

"But I thought that was impossible since I wield your power now."

-Don't worry, just leave it to me. I can't let this be the end of us. Gastor will see this through no matter what, be it your death or my reincarnation in the next life.

"Fine, I'll put all my trust in you. Let's do this!"

My body heats up, my very soul seems to vibrate as I feel power being poured into me at a different rate, not like the energy, but something much purer than that.

My resolve skyrockets along with the power given to me, and I begin winding my fist against Gastor, who is fast approaching.

"It seems that you have a little more fight in you. Excellent! This is what it truly means to rival strength, with even more strength!"

Like a maniac, he storms forward, laughing loudly with his fist wound up, waiting to be brought down.

I stand, wobbling left and right as the pain on my side resonates, but despite that, I force my body up once again, defying my limits as I would have already given up if it were not for Vixalis' aid.

-I've supplied you with more than enough, now all that's left is to gather all the remaining energy from the wilderness around you and add it to what you have stored.

I look at my fist, wrapped around a static light, brimming with energy, trembling with excitement.

I start limping forward, using the momentum of my body to shift into a run, meeting Gastor in the center.

Everything lies on this one last punch, my fate, my future, my everything.

The power of the wilderness, Vixalis', and my own, which really doesn't amount to anything, is merged into one build up.

I release my fist, flying straight towards Gastor, who also releases his in time to meet mine.

The area is enveloped by a white light, erupting to form a pillar of power, destroying everything in its surrounding as the energy gathered into one place, disperses, spreading everywhere the light and darkness touches.

The owls hoot, the crickets sing, those two combinations signal that the evening has come, and the stars are gleaming brightly on the uncovered sky.

The moon shines upon a plot of land where a quite peaceful settlement is placed, with all its people already indoors, taking refuge in the warmth that the hearth brings, the comfort that their beds and blankets give.

A loud, hard knock is heard on the wooden door, a girl frantically gets up, placing her tools to the side, taking a quick break from her hobby of sewing fabrics together, creating an array of designs in which she fancies, giving it to the less fortunate in the settlement.

She takes her spear, which she carries for emergencies, since being in the wilderness where the settlement is located is quite a danger for everyone who is unprepared for anything.

She opens the door cautiously, peeking through at first, only to be surprised as the door opens to the view of a large man carrying someone smaller than him on his shoulder, unconscious.

She points her weapon at him, backing away slowly, but stopping as the presumed unconscious person on the giant's shoulder awakens, greeting her with familiarity.

"Sorry to intrude this late, Svanvhit."

He laughs as he dangles helplessly on the giant's shoulder.

The giant of a man walks inside the house, squatting as to not hit the beams and hinges of the house.

"Pardon our intrusion. Kaellum here had told me to come here since he can't move his body, saying that you could do something about this."

The giant man speaks formally, crossing his legs as to sit down, creating a small quake in the area.

The puzzled Svanvhit looks at both of them, still unable to process what's going on, until the giant sets down the man on his shoulder, laying him flat on his back.

"Don't you remember me? It me, Kael, and it's just as my buddy here says. I need help. I can't move my body, and I feel really weak. I don't think he's capable of taking care of me, so I thought you might be able to.

"Uh, no-It's alright... Wait, what happened to you!?"

She approaches him, kneeling to examine further, unknowingly pitching their heads closely with each other, only the man noticing this, turning a faint red color as he turns his face to the side, avoiding her gaze.

"Ha ha! Youth, it is fresh in the air!"

The giant man teases them, laughing to himself as he puts an arm on one of his crossed legs

The girl however is unable to catch on with what the elder looking giant speaks of, making himself stand out awkwardly.

After preparing some leftovers and some brewed berry juice, they converse on the floor, since they won't fit the dining table of the wooden house that only contains furniture for the normal sized ones, not designed for people exceeding that.

"So, who is this man?"

Svanvhit asks, looking at the brown haired man in question intently, eating away at the served meal.

"Uhm, he's a friend I had made in my travels. He's quite reliable, ha ha ha."

he laughs awkwardly, choosing his words carefully as to not say anything about him being a god with godly acquaintances.

"Is that so? I still am curious of what you are traveling for. I was hoping you'd tell me."

"Oh, about that. Don't worry about it too much, It's nothing really."

"... Is that so, well I guess I won't pry if you don't want to."

It pains him to see her frown like that, but he'll risk this relationship with her if he starts spouting nonsense about gods and thing relating to them.

"You shouldn't keep secrets from women like that, my friend. Their hearts are sometimes confused with their minds, so they act upon it as they would by instinct."

Gastor preaches, making sense to both of them, but Kael chooses to persist, looking at Gastor with a face that says, 'Are-you-not-on-my-side?'

"That reminds me, did you feel that tremor from yesterday? It was quite terrifying, how the sky turned red for a moment, but cleared up right away."

A cold sweat forms on Kael's brow as he tries to find the right words.

"Yes, it was. Were you, Elisha, and Parsha alright? That must have been a real shock for you."

"It truly was. I wonder what is the world coming to. I sure hope that this is not an omen for bad beginnings."

"Well, if it is, I'll be sure to keep you safe no matter what!"

his words come off as a shock to her, but she nevertheless smiles at his remark, giggling.

"I'll be sure to hold you to that. But first, you need to get yourself healed up, and I just have the thing for that."