Waking up as the rooster crows, I rise from the bed, removing the comfy blanket that I had remembered using from two days ago.

The light enters from the window, shining brightly on Gastor, who sleeps on the floor, taking most of the space in the house with his large frame, with one pillow behind his head.

He snores loudly, maybe also being a part of the reason as to why I feel so groggy in the morning, waking up so early even though I'm still dead tired from yesterday's 'activities'.

*Yawn* "But, there's no reason not to enjoy the morning instead, right?"

-Right!

"Oh, Vixalis, you're awake?"

-It was excruciating! I had been awake for the past hour, forced to stay awake because of this unbearable snoring! It's just the start of the day, yet I feel tired.

"You and me the same, huh? Well, let's just leave him to rest."

I stretch out my body, feeling the morning warmth wash over me, something that I'm starting to look forward to, the morning, a new tomorrow. Sounds pretty cliché, but, in this world where I know nothing at all.

It's quite sad and fulfilling at times.

Sad, because I had friends and family back home, but I'm not there with them... Well, I don't think they care either way, I think they'd be more than happy to get rid of me, seeing as they are only my foster parents, namely aunt and his deadbeat boyfriend...

Fulfilling, because it feels as if a great weight that I've carried all my life is gone now, and It feels that I have nothing to bear, other than my own life that is, but when aren't you careful with your life.

Well, don't really like recalling things from the past, but I already expected these kinds of things to come back to me, but it doesn't seem to affect me as much.

-You seem to have had quite a bad childhood.

"I'm more surprised that you haven't looked into it like the rest of my memories."

-Well, I wouldn't like to see something that would ruin this bond between us. I'd rather you give me permission, or ask me to leave it alone.

"Don't worry about it, it's all in the past now. I should be thanking you for giving me a new chance at life, despite it being accidental and all."

-... You're welcome, Kael. I don't know much about you, but I'm glad to have helped someone.

I take my vest that I had hung the midnight before I slept, wearing it then heading outside.

The sight of people going in different directions greet me, some are chatting amongst themselves, some are seem to be letting their children play with the rest as the wives gossip and giggle in a small group.

There are also men and women shouting out everywhere with hearty voices saying, "Come get your fruits here at the best prices!"

"Leather and the brand new collection from the capital city!"

"Get yer fresh meat here! Get yer fill while the prices are low!"

The bustling settlement is lively, everyone has smiles on their faces, a place that I won't mind living in for sure.

Suddenly, a girl that I am rather familiar with crosses my path, carrying what seems to be a heavy load for someone of her stature, and with a bad stroke of luck, she trips, dropping the assortment of fruits one the ground, of course she flops to the ground as well.

"Are you alright!?"

I run up to her, searching for any signs of wounds of scratches.

She looks at me in shock, shifting her arms in front of her defensively.

"Well, it's not much of a wound rather, It's just a small graze. Here, I'll help you. Your name's Elisha, right?"

I flash her a smile after having picked her up from the ground.

I then take the basket she had been carrying, filling it with the assortment of fruits and vegetables that had been spilt on the floor.

"My name's Kael, remember me? I was the one that went to your place with Svanvhit once."

She timidly nods, standing a few meters away from me.

After having picked up all the things she had dropped on the ground, I fall on one knee, extending my hand out to her as she tries to act brave, hiding the pain she feels on her wound.

Shyly coming forward and backward, she seems to be in conflict with herself, thinking if I might be a good person or a bad one.

I don't really have that much experience with children, so I've been improvising the entire time, seeing how things might play out if I play this kind of card.

After much resisting, she finally takes my hand with her small one.

"Where were you heading to?"

She points at the lone house on the top of the hill, or Parsha's house.

We begin walking, but she stays silent the entire time, looking away from me, but still clutching my hand.

Just like the little sister that I never had.

As we walk, I notice her bumping frequently with the people meeting us from the opposite side, shoving her aside as they are unable to see her due to her small size.

"Hey, wouldn't you like to sit on my shoulders? The view's pretty great, plus the wind's really gentle."

I urge her, seeing as this might be the only way to calm her nerves of me, and to avoid getting her trampled by the crowds of people heading our way, two birds with one stone.

She looks hesitant, which says that my plan of befriending her backfired already.

"Well, I won't force you if you don't like-"

Surprisingly, she shakes her head at my words, looking at me, and at my own conscience from the looks of it.

"So, you'd like to?"

She nods.

I temporarily drop the basket on the ground, raising her up with my two arms, similar to those father and son, or daughter combinations I saw at the park back home, carrying them to the air as they laugh.

Well, I'm no father for sure, but I disregard all that, simply placing her behind my back.

She doesn't weigh that much at all, making it easier on my shoulders, and the strain I have on my body.

I take it slow, bending to take the basket from the ground.

"Hold on tightly alright?"

She seems to know what she's doing as she takes hold of my hair, tugging on it which causes quite a stir on my scalp, but not something that I can't bear.

As we continue our small trek to Parsha's house, Elisha seems to go silent seconds after having sat on my shoulders.

I hear her say faintly, "Wow, this is, really pretty..."

"It is, isn't it? I had the same reaction the day I first saw this lively place."

"Really?"

"Really."

She goes silent, but my curiosity does not.

"Say, how old are you, Elisha?"

The itching pain from my head seems to disappear after I had asked her that question.

Concerned as to what might be wrong with her, I stop for a moment, looking up to see two small hands extended out enough for me to get a good look without the sun flashing in my eyes, and I see her left hand raising five fingers while the other raises two.

"So, you're seven years old?"

"Y-yes."

"I see."

It quickly gets awkward as I run out of ideas to talk about, just like with every other conversation in my life so far, except the ones with Svanvhit.

An idea pops inside my head, one very idiotic, but one that might work this atmosphere out.

"Hey, Elisha, have you ever heard of a Pegasus?"

"No, what's that?"

"Have you ever seen a horse?"

"Yes."

"Well, a Pegasus has wings, white beautiful ones with feathers of the purest white. Its mane is as comfortable as cotton, but sways with the wind."

"R-really? Amazing!"

In an instant, her interests are piqued, just like how I envisioned it, for the most part at least.

"They can take you up to the air, and you'll be able to see the sky and feel the clouds with your hands, and the warmth of the sun, it's unlike anything you've known."

"Woah! I want to ride Pegasus! Let's go meet one and fly!"

-Are you sure that's it's alright to tell her such things, some might be threatening to the so called relationship you have with her sister?

"Don't sweat it, she opened up to me just fine. It was just a small case of timidness, just like you."

"Who're you talking to?"

"Oh, don't mind me, you were saying something about riding a Pegasus?"

We continue until we finally reach the elder's house.

I quite enjoyed it, sadly it has to end here.

I knock on the door, and Parsha greets me with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, is that you, Kael? You're here already?"

"Well there wasn't much to do, just some adventuring here and there."

"Don't just stand there, come on in. And, thank you for heling Elisha, you're such a kind soul."

"Wait, how'd you know I helped her out?"

"There's a light gash on her elbow the fruits look quite dirty, but not inedible, plus it looks like she's grown on you even if just a bit."

Remembering the passenger on my shoulders, I take her the same way I did in placing her there, kneeling to gently place her on the ground.

She looks at me, quite sad it seems, puzzled even as she blankly stares at me.

"Come Elisha, help grandma prepare some fresh berry juice. You have the time don't you, Kael?"

"Of course!"

I enter, quite relieved that all went well for now.

It's the same place, same furniture, just like when I first came here, quite nostalgic despite it only being two days apart.

I sit on the same wooden chair that I sat on before, thinking about what else I have to do for today.

-Don't forget that you have to be at the temple of Aether in a few hours, other than that, you have until that time for yourself. We can't afford to be complacent even if you've won over Gastor's trust and companionship.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I'll need to keep on improving if I want to win this, this is just the first of many things that I have to go through."

I whisper as to not incite some curiosity upon the unwary pair of grandmother and niece making some refreshments in the next room.

Now that you think of it, it was quite a shock that I managed to win over Gastor.

Truth be told, I was prepared to lose at that moment, but kind of blacked out since I poured in everything except a percentage of the energy I've drawn from nature, including the one that Vixalis had given me, which was the deciding factor in my opinion.

Maybe I should thank him for not using his heavenly weapon, or whatever that is.

As I think to myself, the pair enters the room carrying a wooden tray with three cups filled to the brim.

"Here, have some. It's a made with a special recipe in mind. Though I hadn't had an idea that you were coming here, it was still quite a pleasant surprise."

Parsha sits on her rocking chair, and Elisha on her own, sipping the cup of berry juice.

I take the one I was served and drink it, feeling a burst of flavor overcome my senses, I gulp it all on one go, finding myself unsated as I crave for more.

Parsha laughs, seeing something amusing as if she had expected this to happen.

"I remember my own reaction to that when my mother had made it for me for the first time. It's the same, but now that I look at it,I seemed to have made quite a silly face."

Her memories flash back to a time when she was just a little girl, similar to Elisha, maybe a few years older than that.

I refrain asking her how old she is, instead focusing on the other surroundings within the area.

"Grandma, Grandma, I want to ride a Pegasus."

I freeze after hearing those words come out of the toddler's mouth, simply being a bad scenario, and one situation that I had hope to not happen.

"Oh my, what is that dearie? A Pegasus?"

"Yeah! He told me all about it!"

She points to me, and I inconspicuously avoid her sight, wracking my brains on what I should say, or should I simply a lie that would sate their imaginations.

Instead, Parsha does the opposite of what I thought she would do, laughing at it as, agreeing completely without questioning me.

I breathe a sigh of relief as she lets this pass, another thought in my head pops up.

"Parsha, would you know where Svanvhit is this early in the morning? I haven't seen her yet."

"Oh, if you want to find her, then head to the settlement gates, take a left, then head forward, you might find a clearing where she may be."

She smiles deviously with her eyes closed as she says this, dispelling all suspicion.

I cast my eyes down on the cup I was offered, thinking of what I should do now.

"Go, youth does not wait for anyone."

"What do you mean youth? It doesn't have anything to do with that, I assure you."

"Well, if you say so. Now, go on and find her. You must be very busy today as well, are you not?"

It feels like she's reading my mind. The way she looks at me, it looks as if she's been reading a book this entire time.

Am I really that predictable?

Nevertheless, I get up to head to the door, opening it and heading outside, except I am abruptly halted with a tug on my shirt.

"Hey, you're coming back right? I want to play."

I kneel in front of her, placing my hand on her head, fitting just perfectly, "I'll be back soon, then let's play," smiling at her before leaving.

I run, not wasting the time I have left in meeting Svanvhit.

I pass by the bustle of the settlement markets, attracting curious gazes to me, yet I persevere, not feeling fatigue when I should have been already.

Quite the improvement if you ask me.

I pass by Svanvhit's house, not needing to enter as I hear a loud snore coming from inside, terrifying the townspeople that are passing through, yet piquing the interest of the children.

I continue running, reaching the entrance within a few minutes.

I look to the left, remembering what Parsha had said about the directions.

-You look too forward in meeting her, is something the matter?

"Nothing really. I just want to see her before going to the temple. We have time, right?"

-Yes, but I do not see what benefit this will do for us.

Ignoring Vixalis, I finally reach the clearing that I was told, hearing a sound of air being cut, and a voice shouting out briefly.

I crouch down to the level of the shrubs, hiding behind them as I see the person that I was trying to find.

Svanvhit, wearing black and white dress, with leggings underneath, wields her spear, swinging here and there skillfully, connecting a chain of combinations that I've only seen in games, but here she is proving it.

She closes in on a tree, swinging at the air with a twist if her body, then doing a graceful, and awe inspiring backflip only to throw her spear like a javelin, sticking to the tree, unmoving.

She then puts her fists close to her, tightening them as she assumes an impressive stance, one that puts mine to shame.

She jabs at the air with her right a few times, making a swooshing sound that seems to meld with the air.

She then proceeds to combine a few kicks and punches together, creating a devastating combination of technique and movements that I can only dream of doing.

Graceful and captivating, I find myself unable to turn my eyes away from her.

She takes the spear that is lodged on the bark of the tree, twirling it like a baton, then pointing it towards me as she strikes a fierce gaze that could send an unwary enemy into a short state of shock.

"Show yourself, whoever you are!"

She yells, unable to discern that it's me.

Not willing to play around with her after seeing that display of raw skill for myself, I emerge from the bushes with my hands up in the air, surrendering with a playful laugh, hoping to ease the hostility surrounding the air.

"Kael!? What were you doing, hiding there? You should have just come out immediately."

"Uh, well, I thought that I might never see that again if I interrupted you."

"See what? You mean my practice? Oh, it's nothing impressing really."

"Really now, but it's unlike anything that I've ever seen in my entire life. Are you sure you're not hiding any secrets from me?"

"Well, I don't think I can call this a secret seeing as almost everyone in the settlement knows about it."

My face freezes in surprise as she says that with a nonchalant face, not seeming to mind that.

*sigh* I thought what I saw was something special, yet it turned out to be nothing more than a town shared gossip, how tragic.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so sad all of a sudden?"

She approaches me, placing the spear by a nearby tree.

"Nothing, don't worry about me, I just thought about something, but it's nothing really."

"Hmm, are you sure? It seems like you want me to pry further, but I won't since it might agitate you further."

*sigh* Well, we can't all be perfect. She seems to be dense to romance, of any type of romantic setting at all.

Though, I myself don't have any experience with that, but I'll save it for another time.

An idea enlightens me, one that might save me in the long run.

"Hey, Svanvhit, can I ask you something?"

"Well, if it's something that I can answer, then go ahead."

I look her straight in the eye, hoping to see some reaction that a girl is said to possess, the embarrassment of having someone stare at you face to face.

"Would you mind training me? I won't force you if you don't have time but-"

"Sure, I'll train you, but why ask all of a sudden?'

"Oh, okay, I just thought that I might- wait... You will?"

"Of course I will. You're my closest friend, so there's nothing to worry about between us."

My mind shatters into a million pieces as she shoots me down without even intending to do it.

I seem to lose energy all of a sudden, but reminding myself that nothing in life comes easy.

Especially if you're trying to win a girl's heart, then you'll have to start somewhere.

A true man must overcome any trial presented to him, no matter the difficulty, and that is just what I'll do.

"Hello... Kael? Are you alright? You were staring a blank, are you sure that you are okay? You don't seem well at all."

I wave my hand, dispelling this dread that seems to latch on to me like a curse.

"How about starting right now for training, you know, the basics of hand to hand combat, like sparring."

She starts walking, speaking with her back to me.

"Well, I have no objections, I'll teach only what I can, but keep in mind that I'm no expert at this, but don't hold back no matter what as I will be taking this seriously for the benefit of training you."

"Don't worry, I know you'll do really great in teaching me."

Without delay, she assumes her stance, displaying that fearlessness and power that I gazed upon earlier.

I myself take a stance, one that I'm familiar of using against a certain deity.

-Just so you know, I won't be helping you at all, but you're free do to as you please.

I whisper to myself, "That's just fine. This is training anyway, what could possibly go wrong?"

Steeling myself, I attack first, winding my fist backward, reaching striking position within no time at all.

Svanvhit, who stands idly, looking me over, tightens her stance further.

Without using my power, or 'mortal smite' as I like to call it, I release a straight punch right at her raised arms, confident that I'll be able to break her defenses, but hoping as to not injure her too much.

Her arms, sturdier than it looks to be, blocks my attack completely, and Svanvhit herself is unperturbed by my frivolous attempt at an attack.

She opens up as I forget to retract my fist in time to defend, squatting to send a powerful one, two, three combination to my stomach, immobilizing me as I fall to my knees, clutching my stomach.

She seems to change entirely, taking on the persona of someone else, different from the Svanvhit that I know of, simply demon like as I'd say it.

Not ceasing, she continues, twisting her body to send one attack that might end up killing me if I don't dodge or defend, except the pain that she dealt my stomach aches, forcing me to block, or take the brunt of the attack.

-Kael, watch out!

Without any time to decide, I surge all my energy forth to my left arm, taking in as much energy from nature that I can as to further increase my chances of defending and living through this.

She rotates, swinging her leg to my left side like an axle.

I swear I could almost feel my arm bone breaking at that time I defended.

Sent flying to the right, hitting a tree, I manage to defend at the expense of my left arm, now dangling to my side as I prop myself up using the tree behind me.

unable to do anything else except stare at my imminent demise, I channel forth more energy from my surroundings, replenishing as much as I have lost.

Svanvhit dashes to me in an inhuman speed, reaching striking distance within seconds, then leaping in to strike me with her fist, yelling loudly.

I muster all my remaining strength to my right arm, desperate to defend with all I have left in me.

-I'll channel forth some energy, just wait.

"No, it won't matter. Leave this to me, this is a test for me, and me alone!"

Instead of replenishing my energy, I directly send it to my right arm, serving as a station for energy.

Although I feel drained, I can't lose consciousness here, otherwise I'd be dead for sure.

With a loud roar, I challenge her attack with my own, my eyes beginning to fade in sight of the quickly descending Svanvhit.

Suddenly, a tall dark figure obscures my path, whoever it is, is at risk of taking a powerful hit.

Instead of that, I head a thud, then silence as the person in front of me breathes in, then roaring loudly like an animal, or a bear to be more precise.

The loud roar overflows, echoing throughout the forest, and maybe the entire land, deafening me for sure.

I give in, bending my knee as to rest, making out the image of the person who defended me.

"Gastor! What are you doing here?"

"Helping you obviously. What are you doing here? Is my question. Shouldn't you be heading to the temple by now?"

I look at Gastor's captive, dangling by her arm as she is unconscious, sleeping almost.

"What'd you do to her?"

"I merely put her out of her misery. Hmph, I never took her to be someone like that. What a large change in how I see women, truly fascinating, but terrifying subjects."

He lays her down on the soft looking grass, approaching me, picking me up with one hand, placing me on one of his shoulders.

"I'll carry you so that you’re not late. I can't tolerate tardy beings, be it god or not. Plus, I bet you'll just faint since you used up most of your energy, am I right?"

"How did you know?"

"I can sense your energy. I am one guardian that is connected to you now, so that comes naturally."

He begins walking the opposite direction from Svanvhit.

"Wait, you're just going to leave her there?"

"She'll come to eventually. Don't worry about any wild animal that might come her way, rather, I worry for the safety of any wild animal unfortunate enough to run into her. Take a rest, I'll wake you when we get there."

Unable to refuse due to the truth that stands, I agree to his offer, blacking out almost instantly.

Meanwhile, inside the temple of Aether, in the Greek god's part of the heavenly homes, a god of white beard and hair paces around the room, thinking quite agitatedly.

"Where could Poseidon be at this time!? Does he not realize that only shame will befall the Greeks if he fails to show at the allotted time?"

"Calm yourself my brother, I'm sure that he will show."

"It is not enough to believe in one being my brother Hades, this is unusual for him to be late, nor not be in attendance. I wonder what has become of him."

In a dark room, an old man is bound in chains, desolate and tormented, looking at the man in front of him with scorn and anger.

"Look at how pitiful you are, a god, but now a mere mortal old man, bound and tortured. It seems that it is true that you have weaknesses. I never believed in the possibility up until now. Just think of the possibilities."

His captor laughs manically, looking down on the helpless old man.

"You will truly regret the day of which you crossed the god of the oceans. That I swear!"

"But what can you do? I took away your powers, and now you are nothing. And it will stay that way. Now, my plans are set. It is time to put everything into motion. Just you wait, you'll have the best seat in the house!"