There was a brief moment of silence. The kind of silence that fills the entire room with a presence so powerful it feels as if the air itself gave way to it. The kind that lasts only for a moment and yet it feels like it will be there forever, until someone is finally, at long last, brave enough to break it.

Ruun slouched his back. "What are you talking about? We're your creation. Just like everything else."

The goddess looked around for a moment as if she was looking for someone. She raised her slender fingers and pointed to the ground.

"You are... in Hell?" Ruun asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Ruun leaned against the rock behind him. He seemed as if he was about to collapse any second now.

"No... No that's not true. We feel, we breathe, we think. We are just like everyone else!"

Ruun's breathing got faster. He clutched his chest while his eyes darted all over the room.

The creature turned around and floated away, leaving the broken demon's side. His hyperventilating was the only thing the echoes carried through the tunnels.

she said and her hands reached for the god's shoulders again.

"WAIT!" Ruun yelled, so loud that his voice for a moment seemed to drown out even that of Eigam herself.

"I challenge those beliefs. I challenge you!"

The creature stopped and slowly turned around. Its round mouth widened more than it would even seem possible.

"I didn't mean a fight. I meant a discussion. I will change your mind. All I need is time and your attention."

"Because you are Magic. You are what drives scholars insane and wizards mad as they pursue knowledge. I read about you. I know you. You are curious. You know everything there is to know about this world, but there is one thing that always escapes you, isn't there? The way mortals think. You struggle to understand them. So tell me, why do you think so many people followed me?" A moment of silence followed. "Come on then! I have amassed a cult and an army. I didn't pay them. I didn't pretend to be their god. I didn't manipulate them. I always spoke the truth. So why did they follow me? Huh? What is with that silence? Is it perhaps that Eigam doesn't know?" Ruun waved his arms around as much as his cracked bones allowed it. "Look at this, kids! The goddess of all creation doesn't know what I did. How funny is that? A worm has something the heavens don't. Glavas, have you ever seen something like this? Have you ever seen a clueless goddess during your travels? I sure didn't. She looks absolutely–"

Everyone fell to the floor. The loudness of her voice made everyone's ears ring.

"Aaaaaa! Alma!" Surdi yelled out, clutching his head.

"It's okay! I'm here!" she replied and wrapped his arms around him.

"Why is it so loud?! It's so loud again!"

Glavas didn't wait for one second before running to his son's side.

[Hey, hey, it's okay. She won't hurt us. I think. We're fine. Everything's–] The dragon leapt at him, embracing the hunter with so much force it nearly pushed the air out of his lungs. Glavas did the same and gently patted the dragon on his back.

"Hey, Swen! Calm her down!"

"Eigam, misorop–"

She once again floated over to the demon's side. Her body began growing and stretching. The strands of muscles erupted from her body, weaving together a form that lacked any symmetry and only seemed to be a mass of teeth, claws, and eyes.

"So your response is aggression and intimidation? Wow, you are really primitive at your core," Ruun remarked and picked himself up from the ground, seemingly unphased by the transformation, even though at a closer look, one could see his knees trembling.

"We will talk. I will start and present an argument. You will try to disprove it and counter it with your argument. Then I will do the same. The first one to repeat an argument or run out of logical arguments wins. I will show you exactly how I managed to win everyone over. And when I win you over too, I want you to set all the demons free, just as I have planned. You will give them the future they deserve!"

"Step down? This just proves you know absolutely nothing about mortals. That you know nothing about me. I came this far. I will follow this path until the end. I accept your conditions!"

In a quick warp of the surroundings, the demon and the goddess disappeared, leaving the rest alone in the cave. Glavas kept holding his son. His panicked heartbeat was more than concerning to the hunter.

"Where did they go?" Alma asked.

Swen sighed. "I have absolutely no idea. In all the years I've known her, this is a first. Only a very few have ever seen her. Even fewer dared to challenge her to a fight. But a debate about the life value of demons. That's new. Heh, I don't have a clue what will happen now. But if I were to guess, we might just as well be standing on the very edge of a whole new world."

As the two most troubling members of this reunion disappeared, the unease finally started subsiding. Glavas heard as Surdi's breathing slowed down and soon after, the dragon finally let go of him. He shook his head and looked Glavas in the eyes.

[Sorry. Just... I haven't heard a sound for so long. And something this loud kinda reminded me–]

"Don't worry about it. I know. It's okay if you sometimes need others to help deal with this sort of thing."

The dragon looked to the ground and scratched the back of his head. Part of him envied Alma for how quickly she was able to leave the past behind.

Now that the situation calmed down, she wasted no more time and leapt at Glavas, giving him a hug.

"I'm so glad you're back!" she squeaked. Glavas had to try as hard as he could to not let it show that she was nearly squeezing the life out of him.

Swen sat down on the ground with a sigh and leaned back against one of the wooden supports, which were keeping this entire area from collapsing and held on themselves the platforms and stairs originally leading in and out of here. The sound he made, however, quickly attracted attention to him.

"Did you really meet a god?" Alma asked and her grip around her father finally loosened.

"Yeah, I did."

[And that creature was–]

"Yes, that was Eigam. Or at least a depiction of it. The body is not real. It is just conjured up. Hit it too hard and it will disappear. Doesn't mean she wouldn't be dangerous though," Swen answered.

The kids and Glavas exchanged a few expressions, which were mixes of confusion, surprise, and fear.

"You know, you don't look much like a god," Alma eventually was the first to say something.

What followed was an endless stream of questions. Swen rolled his eyes countless times. Everything the girl asked him was something he had heard before. Once again, he had to explain why he couldn't have come to help them sooner and that being a god didn't mean that he would know of every tragic fate the people of Ezma would have to endure.

"Okay, but what if–"

"Stop, please." Swen put his hands together as if he was begging. "Just let all that god stuff be already. It's tiring."

"But–"

"Alma, leave him alone," Glavas stepped into their conversation.

"Awww. Come on, he's a god! I know he's technically not your god, but still a god! Don't you want to ask him something?"

"Well... Maybe. There is something I'd like to know. But I won't force you to endure our questions if you don't want to, Swen." Glavas partially hated how much he wanted to join his daughter in the god interrogation.

"Okay, fine, one final question."

[From each of us?]

"Yes! From each of you!" Alma took a breath but Swen stopped her before a single syllable could leave her lips. "Not you! You already asked plenty."

Glavas was then the first to ask, even though he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the answer. "Everything that happened recently. I... Years ago, I wanted to help people by slaying monsters. Now... what am I? Still a man? Or already a monster?"

"Oh no, please, don't make me answer that."

"I assume I wouldn't like the response?"

"No, but you would take it as absolute. Everyone always does. This is why I dislike being a god. My opinions are just like those of any other person. They don't matter. You do not understand that I am just an immortal human. That is it. My moral standards are not above yours, nor do I know how to answer your question with objective truth. You see, every time I express my opinion, people take it as a law set in stone. Back when times were... different. I visited a city that served me food prepared by its strongest warriors. It was disgusting. But then, a little fair maiden served me this wonderful dessert. Sweet and full of berries, but not one that would overload you with sugar. I was... arrogant at the time but always valued honesty. So I told them that I disliked the meal and even provided reasons why. Then, as a joke, I said that perhaps they should leave the cooking to women.

"Oh no..." escaped Alma's lips.

"Oh no indeed. Suddenly people believed that god assigned women a role in the kitchen. Centuries of discrimination for one stupid joke. And... maybe I really did see things differently then. Equality wasn't a question many would be discussing. Perhaps my opinions were just completely wrong. But I tried to fix it. I told them that everyone should be seen as equal, with equal opportunities and abilities. They took that way too literally. The result was child labour because I supposed everyone being the same would truly mean everyone. Because god just had to be right. And when I said that I was wrong, it... fractured people. Some said my original word was the best since it was my first instinct. Some argued that it was made in haste and without thought. It resulted in massive religious conflicts. Nobody even considered that even a god can change his opinions. Or that even a god can be wrong. Therefore, I do not wish to answer your question. If I'd say you're still a person, you'd think murder is okay. If I said you were a monster you'd live a life full of self-hatred. I will not choose a future for you, Glavas."

"But you must have an opinion, no?"

"Rather not. I am just as clueless as everyone else. Maybe even more so. The question is, what do you see yourself as?"

"I... don't know. There is so much blood on my hands."

"Then be better. Truth be told, there won't probably be a punishment for you. You came to save the people in the city and chase away the demon's cult, no?"

"No, I–"

"Yes. You did. That is what everyone will believe. You will avoid trial. The bloodshed will be justified. If that makes you feel guilty, do something to atone. Something that will make you feel better about yourself."

"Alright. I... will do."

"Oh no, did I god you? That's not a commandment! It's just a suggestion!"

"I know, I know." Glavas smiled. "You don't have to worry, I get it."

Surdi raised his hand. [Can I have the question now?]

"Sure, let's get this over with."

[Your magic. Can anyone do it?]

"Yes." A moment of silence followed.

"Come on, give him more than that!" Alma scolded the god.

"Okay, okay. Look, magic is really not all that hard. It's just that people don't understand it. Eigam does the magic for them. She gives them her power. So if you want more power, how about you ask nicely? How about instead of saying 'water!' like a demand, you add please or you thank her? Or maybe even ask for it through a poem?"

[Yeah, but that still requires her language.]

"And? It's not that hard to learn. I've seen so many... not so intelligent people do it."

[But I can't hear. I will never get the pronunciation right.]

"Then don't speak, but write. Magic can be done in so many ways. What you did before when you startled me? Do that. Magic can be written into anything. Even thin air. Find the best substance for keeping shape and use it."

Surdi briefly looked at his hands.

"Listen, I've heard of your feats. But also of your shortcomings. Do not think that magic requires a sacrifice. That is what the idiots in Valimar say. Magic is like asking your parent for allowance. If you do something in return, you will receive more of it. If you hurt yourself while doing it, maybe they will give you something extra because they feel bad, but ultimately, the parent wouldn't want to see that. Ask for a gift, give something nice in return, and you will receive what you want."

Surdi nodded. [I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.]

Swen looked at the ceiling and smiled. "I do wonder just how much the world is gonna change now that they met me. Sometimes it feels like those who turn this world upside down come from the strangest of places."