Author's Notes:

What Comes Next - Part 2 continues its popular first offering of an Isekai style story.

A hero reborn on a new world where he must survive dangerous trials and find his way amongst different races and cultures to find the ultimate treasure: Love.

Lots of classic elements... with a twist!

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What Comes Next - Part 2

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Chapter 1

The steady rhythm of his four broad footpads thumping against the soft earth brought a sense of peace to Alex's troubled mind.

Ignoring the fact that Humans shouldn't be able to experience this sensation also helped.

He'd come to terms with the fact that he now had abilities no other Human shared. Abilities granted to him by the Gods he'd only recently learned of after he was reborn on another world.

His mind was currently inhabiting the body of a monstrously large beast called a Therrax. It had the head of an eagle with large golden eyes that caught the slightest detail and motion. Large, triangular, scoop-like ears gave him excellent hearing, and his body was that of an oversized polar bear, covered in soft, black fur.

This was only one of the beasts he could transform into due to a blessing from a God of this world.

As incredible as these concepts were, accepting them as real went a long way towards bringing him peace of mind.

Returning to the now, he looked upwards at an intense blue sky with not a cloud in sight. His lungs filled with fresh air, the only impurities being the scents of the grasses and flowers. There were no airborne industrial pollutants in this world to poison his body.

The doubletrack road Alex was following stretched out before him, crossing the gently rolling hills of the vast plains he and his party now traveled. They'd left behind the forested lands of the Kingdom of Thale.

Compared to these gently rolling grassy expanses, the lands of Thale reminded him of the topography of his home on Earth, with its mix of tall hills, deep valleys, dense forests, and pristine lakes. The only flat lands were within the agricultural zone surrounding the capital.

The plains they were crossing now were sparsely inhabited, serving as a buffer zone between the kingdoms of the Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and Beast-Kin. Far to their left were the plains of the Orcs, and to their distant right was the mountainous domain of the Dwarves. Staying on this road ensured they didn't encroach on anyone's sovereign territory.

Alex had been assured they would soon cross into the lands of the Beast-Kin, and he'd begun to see some smaller villages in the distance, but they didn't approach them.

The creak of the leather harness across his chest and shoulders and the tug of the mass behind him were a reminder of the large, ornate passenger carriage he was pulling and its slightly smaller trailer. While he'd felt the load during their initial weeks of the journey, he was now accustomed to it and gave it little thought.

As the days passed, he discovered that the carriage and trailer had begun to feel lighter as his fitness improved. He could run for hours at a good clip without feeling winded. He was also surprised to discover these enhancements to his fitness were shared with his Human form... in proportion. While he hadn't become super strong like his Therrax form, his Human strength and endurance were also improving.

Scanning the road ahead with his sharp vision, he detected no unusual movements or patterns. This meant he should be safe to take a quick glance back.

Today, Yellsbeth and Thorn were taking a turn on the driver's bench. The duty of that position was to manage the brakes for the carriage in case Alex needed to slow quickly or slip free from his harness to engage with a threat. Every member of the party who wanted to cover this duty was drilled on braking maneuvers.

The sisters were from the Dwarven race and stood four-foot-nine and four-foot-eight, respectively. While Yellsbeth was densely muscled due to her blessing from Saphra, the Goddess of Strength, Thorn was generously curved and blessed with powerful Lightning and Fire magic from Phyrrenz, the God/Both/Goddess/Neither of Passion.

They noticed his attention and smiled at him. While his Therrax beak prevented him from smiling in return, he nodded before turning his attention back to the path ahead.

His glance also caught the peaceful smiles of Dale and Dystra as they rode on the carriage roof, enjoying the breeze and sun on their faces. The Human and Elf couple's personalities meshed well, and Alex enjoyed the dynamic they brought to the group.

Just behind them, reclining back against the roof baggage, was Devya Khandelwal, their petite Hindu powerhouse of a Water Mage. Like him, she was a recent transplant from Earth, and they shared stories of their backgrounds and different religious upbringings. While his faith had failed him before he came to this world, he still had many questions, and she was a good partner for faith-related discussions.

On top of the wagon, she was conversing with Jhaan, another Elf, and Joah, their Human swordsman. Both men were in their usual spots on the rear bench. They kept a lookout for trouble that might be following them.

Inside the carriage, retired imperial regent Alois Charette rode in comfort, entertaining the interior occupants with stories from his fifty years of serving Thale's king. The local born Human had no blessings but vast experience in diplomacy, which would be very helpful on their mission to visit all the kingdoms on this nameless world.

Their two Beast-Kin party members were also riding inside today. Ti'Nah and Shi'Jax would be their local guides, introducing them to the citizens of Shalazar, the Beast-Kin capital city. It was crucial for the party to receive permission to visit the ancient underground city of Wave Crest.

Finally, the other passenger in the carriage was Lyra Foxlove-Baumer, the leader of their party, named The Answer. Born of an Earth-born Human mother and a local-born Elf father, she'd inherited the best features of each. Tall, slim, and gracefully limbed, with long sandy-blonde hair to midback and delicate pointed ears, her beauty took Alex's breath away. Her strength as a Wizard of Healing and Air Magic amazed him. Lyra's compassion and empathy were a perfect match for her abilities.

While he was delighted to be in her company, she'd surprised him with a feverish kiss when he'd miraculously survived falling down an elevator shaft in the last underground city they'd visited, GreenTree Dynasty. Now, though, she was keeping him at arm's length, but he could tell she was also keeping a close eye on him. As he could feel her concern for him, he wasn't sure what to make of that. Alex wouldn't push her into anything she wasn't comfortable with, so he just worshipped her from afar.

He missed Halle Shahidi, the party's original Human Water Mage, but he was pleased she'd been able to retire from adventuring with the treasures she'd returned from GreenTree Dynasty with. He'd find her on their return to Genthale to ensure she was enjoying a safer lifestyle.

It wasn't like he was missing out on female companionship. From the early days of his joining the party, Yellsbeth and Thorn were eager and willing bed companions. As a powerfully muscled Dwarf with a bombastic personality, Yellsbeth was frustrated by her inability to attract lovers and was delighted to discover Alex held no such biases. Thorn was much quieter than her sister, but still waters run deep. She welcomed every opportunity to share his bed, and her desires might be a little wilder than her older sister's.

He'd been surprised to discover their two new Beast-Kin party members were also interested in sharing his bed. For Shi'Jax, it was just for comfort and security as she preferred snuggling and made no attempt to move beyond this.

Ti'Nah was another matter. She was eager, enthusiastic, and energetic. He discovered she was also too vocal.

That led to a lot of teasing and embarrassment for him. Ti'Nah had no such difficulty and glowed with satisfaction for days.

Once more, Alex marveled at his good fortune at being accepted into the company of such an amazing group of people.

When he tried to recall his previous life on Earth, he encountered a frightening issue.

There were gaps.

He was missing memories from his prior life, the cause-and-effect memories with missing cause elements. It was worse when he attempted to recall his previous circle of friends.

As one of the Gods watching over him restored his body from all injuries, he began to fear that there was a hidden cost. Memories. As he wasn't aware he was missing them, he only noticed when something triggered an attempt to recall a similar experience. This made it feel like his mind was slowly being eroded.

He was aware he'd made a sacrifice to save his life so he could rescue his party in GreenTree Dynasty, but he didn't know what it had been or if it was related to this. As the new gaps appeared so randomly, he couldn't connect the dots.

As they ate dinner a few nights ago, Dale shared with him some lines from a movie he'd enjoyed from his time on Earth. Alex recalled the lines, but the context was missing. He couldn't remember any other details of the movie or the time he must have watched it.

This discontinuity plaguing his memory threatened his peace of mind.

Alex gave his head a shake, dragged his thoughts away from his fears, and focused once more on the now.

The sun was reaching the point in the sky where they'd look for a spot to camp for the night.

As he thought back to the nights he'd spent with this group of adventurers, he realized how much he'd begun to care for them. They were becoming a tight-knit bunch of friends who'd been through tough times and good, and their personalities complemented each other's.

Each night after dinner, Alex asked questions about the origins of the distinct societies present on this world. As most were represented in the party, with the omission of Orcs and Goblins, there was plenty of information to be shared.

Their ex-regent of the Human Kingdom of Thale, Alois Charette, was particularly well read on the subject and gave Alex's history lesson its structure, calling upon members of the party to flesh out the facts from their race's perspective.

From Alois and Thorn, who'd studied Dwarven history, Alex learned that the Dwarves were the first to be brought to the world by the Gods after some event took the world's previous inhabitants from them.

This race went through a painful learning curve to discover the meaning of the God's Marks, and the purpose for the new skills they'd been given.

Some began to receive dreams from their Gods. These hinted at their wishes as the Gods couldn't communicate directly without destroying the minds of the recipients. Much like how Alex spoke with the three, concepts were passed through the dreams, and if they were interpreted correctly, they were praised. This process cost the minds of many Dwarves before the Gods were satisfied that their transplants were following their instructions.

Unfortunately, all who received the dream messages from the Gods succumbed to mental collapse.

The Dwarves created a guidebook written in the new language they'd been given, including all the knowledge they'd gleaned from and about the Gods, and set up the Adventurer Guild to train their New Arrivals.

Alex learned from Jhaan and Dystra that it was many generations later when Dwarven explorers encountered their Elvish counterparts in the land that would one day be claimed by the Humans for Thale. The Dwarves provided copies of their guidebook to the Elves and reviewed the information the Elves had collected themselves. The Elves discovered how much earlier the Dwarves had been on the world, and how much knowledge they had about the Gods. They hadn't received any dream communications and had to interpret their new circumstances completely on their own. The Elves had also undergone a painful learning curve, but they believed they were beginning to understand their place in this new world. The Dwarves' Guide and knowledge refuted these beliefs.

The Elves didn't take it well. When they returned to their forest with the new knowledge, it created a profound rift within the population at that time. Lives were lost, but the rationalists finally won, and they adopted the Guide for managing their New Arrivals with an Adventurer's Guild of their own.

Unfortunately, many held an unspoken grudge against the Dwarven Nation for being first, for communicating with the Gods, and for not reaching out to them earlier (though none of these reasons were rational).

Jhaan had spent time with the Orcs and learned of their history from them. It was the Elves who discovered the arrival of the Orcs. Not keen on their warlike new neighbors to their south, they were slow to pass along the knowledge they received from the Dwarves. Cooler heads prevailed, and the Orcs were brought up to speed on the new world rules but were otherwise left to their own devices.

Ti'Nah spent a lot of time with her Beast-Kin party leader, Gio'Dan Ketta, who was a font of information on their arrival on the world. She filled in the details for the Beast-Kin.

When their people arrived and met the other races, they were not greeted with offers of friendship. The others were initially suspicious of their similarity to some of the monsters they'd encountered on the world and were confrontational.

Seeing the God's marks on the corpses was their first clue that they shouldn't be treating them this way, but the damage was done. Distrusting the Elves, Orcs, and the Dwarves to a lesser degree, the Beast-Kin isolated themselves in their domain and managed to figure out most of their purpose with less bloodshed than the others. When they finally received the Dwarf Guide, they adopted its steps into their own process for training New Arrivals with little difficulty.

Alois's knowledge of Human history was second to none, thanks to his education and position in society.

When the Humans first arrived, they weren't ready for such a hostile environment and began dying off quickly. The Dwarves stepped in to give them structure and set up their initial Guild Hall.

The Elves grew concerned that the Dwarves were building an alliance with the new race who'd set up their home in the land between the two nations. They increased their presence in the Human village to offer their assistance as well. The Orcs got wind of this and also sent representatives.

The Humans quickly caught on to the dynamics among the different races. They proved to be quite adept at playing one against the other, and the Human village grew quickly with the assistance of the three nations. The humans appointed a leader, a new arrival who'd been a dynamic young prince from France, and they modeled their civilization on the Elven monarchy, which pleased the Elves.

The Humans suggested and instituted a common currency for all nations, and the only ones who abstained were the Beast-Kin. They'd had too many run-ins with Humans to trust them, and they preferred the barter method for trading. The arbitrary nature of currency made no sense to them.

The new Human noble class established a university to collect, record, and analyze information gathered from the subterranean cities. They understood the true power of knowledge, and all new arrivals with specialized training to support this were hired to work in the university as researchers and professors.

While the Dwarves and Elves had been working on this for a long time, the Human methods for managing data proved to be far more efficient. Earth scholars utilized their training from Earth in these fields. It took time, but they convinced the Dwarves to share their information by giving them positions at the university. The Elves were less keen on sharing, but they also wanted access to the information. They joined the scholars and presented their findings as well.

A goal outlined in the Dwarf Guide was to provide the Gods with an answer to a single question. What happened to the people of the subterranean civilization?

The university studied the artifacts collected from the cities and used their findings to improve the standard of living for select levels of the Human, Dwarf, and Elf societies. This shared bias became an unspoken policy.

While the Orcs had no information to share, they began hunting in the cities for it. The scholars gave them instructions on what to look for, and the Orcs were the first to bring back a significant find. They were paid handsomely for it by the university, and this sparked a rush of parties exploring every subterranean city they could find. The initial mortality rates spiked, so the Guild adapted their training to ensure the parties were better prepared for what they might face.

Just enough parties struck it rich to entice the rest to keep trying, even when most failed and some never came back.

The Beast-Kin did their part in eliminating the monsters from the underground city in their territory, but collecting artifacts wasn't for riches but personal achievement.

A century later, Thale's society revolved around the monarchy, the university, and the wealth that both accumulated. The Gods gradually reduced the number of New Arrivals sent to the other nations and increased the Humans.

Then Ffornexa, Ullentra, and Agron stopped sending New Arrivals to every catacomb location. When this was investigated, it was discovered that the Beast-Kin had never had one of their people blessed by Agron, which was deemed just another anomaly. The fact that the Beast-Kin worshipped Agron as their God wasn't missed by the researchers, and this was used as yet another black mark on this God's reputation.

The decreases in the New Arrivals were seen as a loss of favor, and the Humans' increase was viewed with jealousy and concern. The Human population was increasing faster than the others. They bred quicker as well. Elves and Dwarves had longer lifespans but had few children. Orcs could have longer lives than Humans and bred faster than the Dwarves and Elves, but their warlike nature usually cut that short. Beast-Kin were the only other race that kept pace with the Humans.

The only thing that bred faster were the native creatures of the world. They were a constant threat that all the Nations had to defend against. This is where their alliances became so important. Should there be a population surge of a particular species of monster, the Nations would send forces to support the others. Attempts to determine the source of the monsters often resulted in the deaths of the researchers. Adventurers were tasked with reporting locations where the monsters were found to be proliferating. Although it had not yet been confirmed, the prevailing belief was that the source was located in the lowest levels of the subterranean cities. Places no adventurer had ever been able to reach.

Alex's discovery of the portal in the second-to-lowest level of GreenTree Dynasty seemed to be evidence supporting this theory.

Then there were the Goblins.

Their territory was east of the Elf and Orc lands. They were vicious killers, hunted in troops, and had a taste for Human flesh, especially the women and children. No one had ever seen a Goblin female, so there was some question whether they existed. Little else was known about them, as the policy of all other races was to kill Goblins on sight.

They communicated with each other but didn't speak the God's language, and none had ever been found to have the mark of a God on their corpses.

Could they be native to the world?

Could they be involved in the original inhabitant's disappearance?

Alex was pulled back from his thoughts when he noted something on the horizon just to the right of the road. It looked like structures, and he saw what might be wisps of smoke rising from them.

"Village!" he called over his shoulder as he slowed his pace. This one was right on their route, so they'd have to stop at it.

The side door of the carriage opened, and Ti'Nah leapt out to run alongside Alex until he slowed to a walk.

The Beast-Kin Tigress peered ahead and smiled. "That's Vastella Station. It's the farthest outpost from Shalazar and marks the beginning of the Beast-Kin territory. There's a sizeable group of Guardians stationed here in case of invasion. The village grew up around the outpost." She peered into the grasslands to her left and raised both arms above her head, clasping hands to make a circle around her head. Moments later, two heads popped up in the prairie grasses.

Ti'Nah smiled at Alex. "Scouts. Keeping an eye on you—and us! Give me a second."

She moved to Alex's other side and repeated her arm circle gesture, and three more heads popped up and began to move closer. Soon, five Beast-Kin stood on the lane before them, watching the Therrax with trepidation.

Alex was impressed as they must have been moving fast to keep up with him, but they'd remained hidden in the tall grasses.

The leader had golden-yellow fur with dark rosettes reminiscent of a cheetah, complemented by a slim, athletic body that supported the comparison. Her large, dark eyes flicked up to watch for any sudden moves from the Therrax.

She and her companions were breathing hard, indicating their effort to keep up. The others were equally slim but didn't have the rosettes in their fur. One was black, and the others were a tan-brown color that blended nicely with the grassland cover.

"I am Ti'Nah Desh, and this is Shi'Jax Reven," Ti'Nah said, gesturing to her rabbit-eared friend who'd joined her. "We're the last surviving members of Gio'Dan Ketta's expedition to GreenTree Dynasty."

She then gestured to the Human, Dwarf, and Elf party who'd left the carriage to stand behind her.

"We were saved by these people and joined them in their mission to explore the underground city," Ti'Nah explained.

The lead scout moved closer to Ti'Nah as she glanced nervously at Alex. He thought she had very expressive eyes. "They have a trained Therrax?"

Ti'Nah's grin widened, and her eyes flashed with amused excitement.

"He is far more than that!" she purred and gestured to Alex.

He sighed, knowing what she wanted. As much as he didn't want to expose his naked body to a bunch of strangers, he realized he was going to have to get over that hangup. They'd need to see his God markings on his lower back to fully accept what they were about to see.

With a glance toward Thorn, who nodded, Alex faced the group of scouts and returned to his Human form. He stepped clear of the now loose harness straps. His skin was flushed from running, and the sheen of sweat glistened in the late afternoon sunlight.

He slowly turned to let the stunned Beast-Kin see the markings on his back.

"Three?" the lead scout exclaimed. "I don't recognize these markings."

Ti'Nah nodded. "It's been generations since these Gods have blessed any new arrivals individually. Alex was blessed by all three." She moved closer to point to the markings. "Ullentra, Ffornexa, and Agron."

This last name caused excited gasps from the scouts who moved a step closer to stare at Agron's symbol.

The lead scout looked embarrassed. "I should have recognized it," she muttered.

"The context likely confused you. You weren't expecting to see it there," Ti'Nah assured her.

As Thorn brought Alex a blanket to wrap around himself, the scout leader once more glanced at Ti'Nah. "I recall stories about Gods who stopped sending New Arrivals, but we've never had blessings from Agron. I've also heard the other kingdoms of this world cast out or killed any who had Agron's blessing!"

"The three Gods have a mission for Alex to complete, so Agron has Ffornexa and Ullenta to support him," Ti'Nah said excitedly.

Now Alex felt the eyes of all five scouts lock onto him.

"Alex speaks with the Gods!" Ti'Nah gushed.

"Not with words and not consciously!" Alex asserted as he sent Ti'Nah a frown. She dipped her face to him as she realized she may have divulged something Alex was not comfortable with.

Alex felt awkward as he faced the looks of awe the scouts were giving him. "I'm just a Human who recently arrived on this planet. I'm still learning how to survive here. That said, we need to visit Shalazar. I'm hoping we'll be permitted to do this."

This seemed to remind the scouts of their duty, and the scout leader nodded in agreement. "Follow us to Vastella Station. You can bring your request to Gor'Dem Vena, the Lead Guardian of the outpost." Alex noted a broad smile appeared on Ti'Nah's face when she heard the name.

He nodded to the scout and handed his blanket back to Thorn as he moved back to the harness. They'd figured out a way for him to return to his Therrax form in the harness with only a small adjustment. He undid the belly strap and put the head strap over his shoulders. Switching into his Therrax form like this filled the head and chest strap securely, and one of his friends would refasten the belly strap for him. They had it down to a science, and he could be reconnected to the carriage in under fifteen seconds.

The party climbed into and onto the carriage, and they continued their way toward the village at a slower pace. Ti'Nah and Shi'Jax remained with the scouts and talked with them as they got closer.

Alex did his best to tune out their excited chatter.

Soon, they were close to the sprawling settlement, and Alex got his first look at a Beast-Kin village. The inhabitants were too unnerved by his presence to act naturally, but he could see children peeking at him from behind the adults and around the edges of the tents, which resembled yurts. A distance behind these structures was a low rolling hill with entrances dug out of the earth. Low chimneys poked up from the hilltop, where he saw wisps of smoke he'd seen earlier rising above the village.

He understood there would be a shortage of lumber and possibly stone for building homes out here in the grasslands. The yurts and underground dwellings made the most sense for this environment.

They came to a stop next to a large tent, and several broad-shouldered beings walked from the structure to approach the scouts and Ti'Nah. The Tigress grinned and clasped the forearm of the leader in greeting.

As everyone exited from the carriage once more, Thorn and Yellsbeth walked up on each side of him, carrying blankets, so he returned to his Human form. He thanked them for screening him and wrapped Thorn's blankets around him. The sudden disappearance of the huge beast caused more than a few villagers to shout in surprised concern, but when they spotted the Human standing in its place, confusion appeared on their faces, then curiosity. This made them draw closer.

Alex was thrilled to see the variety of forms among the Beast-Kin villagers: tall, short, wide, slim, furred, with a few being with feathers, and others with scales. The children were just cuter variants of their elders. He recognized forms that seemed to match animals from Earth and many that did not. He knew he'd have to ignore any preconceived notions he had about them. They were Beast-Kin, not anthropomorphic earth animals.

He spotted one at the front of the group of villagers that looked very much like a walking teddy bear. Suddenly, an image of a large plush appeared in his head, a favorite toy he'd won at a local fair for....

The memory faded into nothingness. The surging emotions the image pulled from him swelled with a sense of anticipation until they suddenly disappeared as well. The experience left him feeling confused and unbalanced.

He felt Yellsbeth's strong arm wrap around his waist to brace him. He glanced down to lock eyes with her and saw her concern. He shook his head and forced an embarrassed smile onto his lips. He looked away but couldn't shake his unease.

"This is the being who claims to be blessed by Agron?" boomed a voice from nearby.

Alex turned his head to look up at the face and pointed ears on a being covered in thick, grey and black streaked fur, which was longer over his head and shoulders. His face had a protruding muzzle not unlike that of a wolf, and his gold eyes watched Alex with a mixture of unease and incredulity.

The odd question brought a smile to Alex's lips. "Unless you know of another God that could give me the ability to transform into a Therrax, Agron it is."

Gold eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer. "You wouldn't be the first Human to try to take advantage of the Beast-Kin's good nature."

Alex's smile faded as he recalled the red-vested slaver he'd encountered in Genthale. "Yes, I think I may have met some." He locked eyes with his interrogator and noticed he was wearing a necklace with what looked like a badge hanging from it. "I can tell you I'm not like them, but that's just words. What do you need as proof?"

Doubt and frustration flared in the gold eyes, so Alex gently gestured for the Dwarf sisters to give him room. He dropped the blanket and turned slowly to show his Gods' markings. He switched to his Azzarra form, then the Paxphillos. He finished with the Therrax and went back to his Human body. That many changes so close together, each with its sharp jolt of pain, left his muscles aching, so he bent down and lifted the blanket once more to cover his nudity.

"Agron, Ffornexa, and Ullentra blessed me. From what I can tell, it's not the same kind of blessing most get. I don't know why I was picked for this. I certainly didn't ask for it. A significant difference is that when I'm sleeping or unconscious, I can sense them. We have a rudimentary means of communication. Ullentra heals the damaged that causes."

He went quiet as his recent memory gaps might deny that last claim.

His little demonstration seemed to have the desired effect, as doubt had been replaced by wonder and excitement on most faces. The Wolf-like being seemed to be struggling to maintain an impassive expression.

Ti'Nah spoke up again. "Gor'Dem, Alex was given a mission by the Gods. We need to get to Shalazar to speak to the elders about mounting an expedition into Wave Crest."

After a brief pause, the leader of the Guardians faced Alex again. "You wish to collect treasure from our city?" he asserted stiffly as he watched the Human.

Alex shook his head. "I promised the three Gods I would investigate what happened to the original citizens. We're also preventing new monsters from spawning in the city."

The Beast-Kin's jaw dropped open as it stared at Alex. He finally got his voice back. "How?"

Alex wasn't going to divulge too much, but he had to answer. "It's not easy, but we managed to do it for GreenTree Dynasty," Alex admitted.

Gor'Dem turned to look at Ti'Nah, who nodded emphatically as she gestured to Shi'Jax, who also indicated agreement. "We were there," she said.

"Will you do the same for Wave Crest?" the Lead Guardian asked.

"If I'm allowed to. It's what I've been asked to do in all the cities," Alex replied.

The big wolf huffed a deep breath. Then he paused as he looked back along the path they'd arrived on and frowned. "What did the Human Kingdom's leaders make of your gifts and your achievement?"

Alex was pleased to see Gor'Dem was a thinker. "The new king tried to have me killed, but the Commander of the City Guard is a practical man and far more intelligent. We weren't pursued."

"New king? King Harlen Alvarest is dead?" Gor'Dem asked in surprise.

The ex-regent stepped forward. "Greetings, I'm Alois Charette. I was Harlen Alvarest's regent. When he suddenly died, it was clear to me that his son, Ungar, had decided he'd waited long enough for his father's crown. I believe he ordered his man, Gordier Jalviere, to expedite his father's passing. I know he ordered Jalviere to kill me. I was fortunate to find refuge with this party."

"And you expect King Ungar to give up?" Gor'Dem asked doubtfully.

The ex-regent shook his head. "While Ungar will not overtly challenge the Beast-Kin nation, he will have Jalviere covertly continue his hunt. To my knowledge, Jalviere has no contacts in Beast-Kin society, so we should be safe here unless he's able to hire some Beast-Kin mercenaries willing to work against their people. Do such individuals exist?"

Ti'Nah and Gor'Dem exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"I see. Should you encounter any following our path, you might ask if they've been hired to assassinate us," Alois responded with a smile and stepped back with a slight bow.

Ti'Nah shook her head. "When Gio'Dan Ketta's expedition party was passing through Genthale, we only saw a few Beast-Kin mercenaries, so I don't believe Jalviere will be coming after us with an army. He might have a few mercs and attempt a covert operation."

Alex sighed. "It's all speculation. We've been on the road for six weeks and haven't seen anyone. We have a large group of very talented adventurers, so if he tries anything, he and whoever he hired will die."

He rubbed the tension in his neck and glanced back to see a look of concern on Lyra's face. He realized he was doing a terrible job of introducing his friends, so he gestured for her to come forward. "My apologies. I should have introduced our party leader, Lyra Foxlove-Baumer."

Gor'Dem looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were the leader!"

Alex shook his head. "No, the party is Lyra's. They've joined me to complete the mission. Their party name is The Answer."

Gor'Dem huffed in amusement. "Clever!"

Alex smiled at Lyra, and she nodded with a little mischievous smile on her lips. She took over the introductions for the rest of her party members, and Gor'Dem shared the names of his crew of Guardians.

"We don't have any hotels or restaurants in Vastella Station, as that's not its function. We serve as a guard post and early warning station for incursions from the north. But Shalazar has these amenities," he stated humbly, but Lyra raised her palms.

"We're quite content to camp as we've been doing on the way here. If you could point us to an area we can set up, we'll get started," she said.

Gor'Dem turned to his second in command. "The veldt on the southern edge of the village. They can use that area for their camp."

Alex noted that each of the Guardians was wearing the badge necklaces, so this seemed to be their uniform. He once more got into the harness and pulled the carriage as the others followed their guide. Once they were settled, Alex was able to change back into his human form and put on clothes. Then he was able to feel more at ease, especially with the entourage they had collected as they traveled through the village. Lyra insisted he relax and let them set up their camp. This drew hidden smiles from the others as he was left to face his audience.

He gave his friends space as he dragged an empty storage crate away from the activity and took a seat on it. Immediately, three young Beast-Kin moved closer with wide eyes. Two were like Shi'Jax, having the long upright ears and broad springlike feet. Their soft-looking fur was mostly brown but with white patches. The third had some physical characteristics of a hedgehog, with the cutest button nose and a natural smile on their lips. It was bolder than the others as it spoke first, and he got the impression she was female.

"You talk with the Gods?" she said.

Alex smiled as he spotted the adults nearby straining to hear his answer. He'd do his best to project his voice for the crowd.

He considered his answer carefully as he didn't want to upset the locals. He looked into the children's eyes.

"There's such a vast difference between us and them. I don't believe it's possible to speak directly to them with words. It's like me trying to speak to the world." He spread his arms as if trying to embrace the planet. "However, I have been able to share my emotions and thoughts as pictures with them and received theirs in return. Even that is overwhelming, and if it wasn't for Ullentra's healing, I don't think my mind would stay intact. Imagine someone the size of the world yelling into your ear. It would deafen you!"

The children burst into giggles as they tried to picture it, but their eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What do they look like?" a voice called out.

Alex's mind shied away from the memory, and he shook his head again. "I'm unable to say as my mind won't let me remember, for my sanity. They seem... huge, but I get impressions and sensations when I interact with them. We create pictures in my mind of what we want to say to each other."

"Why won't Agron bless Beast-Kin?" one called out with a sharp tone. There were some gasps and grumbling in the group.

Alex spotted the light-furred being who'd spoken and saw the confusion and anger in his eyes. He'd need to be careful with his answer.

Shi'Jax walked over to stand next to him, and he smiled at her before he spoke.

"When I arrived on this world, I found I'd been given the marks of three Gods. Three who hadn't given blessings to any race in a long time. Generations, in fact. When I first met Ti'Nah, she informed me that Agron had never blessed any of the Beast-Kin, even though her people worshiped him. I didn't understand how this could be, and I promised myself I would ask him."

That admission caused the gathered people to move closer.

Alex glanced at Shi'Jax and saw her ears were trembling with excitement as she grinned at him. "Give them Agron's message," she said quietly to him.

He saw Ti'Nah and Gor'Dem had also moved closer to watch him. Ti'Nah was excited, but the Guardian seemed cautious.

"When I had the opportunity, I put the question before Agron. Why wasn't he blessing the Beast-Kin? In return, he gave me this message." Alex stood to face the villagers and reached for the memories of Agron's response.

Once more the God's message surged into his mind, and he felt it fill his body. His muscles shifted, and his stance underwent several subtle adjustments. He made noises he didn't recognize, ending with an exhalation. Then, a shudder ran through his muscles, and he was himself again.

When he looked at the gathering, he saw shocked expressions and wanted to get ahead of that. "I can't interpret what the message means to Beast-Kin. I do remember Agron's profound sense of pride in your people. He loves you."

That admission caused an immediate upswell of joy, and the people cheered. Loudly!

Alex smiled at the happy faces. Suddenly, he found his face pressed against dense, grey and black striped fur as he was hugged and lifted from his feet.

When his feet touched down again, he stumbled back a couple of steps and looked up into the wide, toothy grin of a wolf's smile.

"Ti'Nah explained your mission for Agron. Two of my team members and I will join you on your journey to our capital city. I will introduce you to Shalazar's elders," Gor'Dem asserted.

"Ah! Okay, great! Thank you," Alex mumbled as Ti'Nah grinned at him.

The three children were the next to rush forward and hug Alex's legs. This triggered the rest of his audience to move closer to touch the emissary. That word was being chanted happily. He suspected Ti'Nah had been the first.

Alex sent a desperate look toward Ti'Nah and Gor'Dem, so they waded into the group to gently push the civilians back. Soon, the other Guardians joined in to make space around him. They were firm but civil, and Alex was led out of the crush.

He looked back and relaxed when he saw the crowd hadn't hurt the three children. He waved to them, and they responded with excited grins and waves in return.

Ti'Nah drew him deeper into their camp, and Alex stopped her with a hand on her arm. "What did you tell the Guardians?"

She glanced back toward the people in question, who were setting up a perimeter around the campsite to keep the curious out. "I didn't share any information about your relationship with the city maintenance machines. I explained about the portals letting monsters into the city and how we were shutting them down to make the cities safer."

Alex looked into her eyes as he thought about that and nodded to himself. He knew there was something else the Gods wanted, but he hadn't been able to discern what it was. When he returned from his thoughts, he saw that Ti'Nah was beginning to look distressed.

"Sorry. That's fine. I want to limit the amount of information we share about the mission and the number of people we tell it to. We don't need outside interference." He reached up and pressed his palm to her cheek and felt her relax.

A twinkle came to her eye. "Could-could we have some private time tonight?"

Alex blinked at her in surprise. He then assessed their proximity to the village and the number of people nearby. "How?" he whispered.

A broad smile appeared on her face when she didn't hear an immediate refusal. She gestured to the vast expanse of grasslands beyond the village. "There is plenty of privacy not far from here."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he gave her a doubtful expression. "Not far? I seem to recall how vocal you can be. We'd have to travel quite far to ensure not being overheard!"

Ti'Nah grinned as she chuckled deep in her chest. It almost sounded like a purr.

Alex felt a familiar twitch down below and flared his eyes at her. She knew he wasn't going to refuse her.

"After everyone has gone to sleep," he said, wondering once more if the Gods were manipulating his sex drive. He knew they seemed to enjoy his experiences.

Perverts.

Ti'Nah pranced away, and Alex turned toward the center of camp, where he saw Yellsbeth and Thorn watching him with knowing smiles.

Damn.

-=-

Luc'San Hanso watched as the target he'd been hired to follow pulled the large carriage and trailer into Vastella Station. Arriving before the party hadn't been too difficult for a Beast-Kin with the ability to fly. Especially one with a strong blessing from Hallestra. As an Avian, he could read the air currents, but with Air magic, he could manipulate those currents to increase his flying speed tremendously. This should have made him one of the most in-demand message couriers ever, except for his terrible luck with shitty employers and his gambling habit.

The greatest challenge in this mission had been remaining out of sight as he ensured their destination was, in fact, the Beast-Kin capital city, Shalazar.

As one of the rare Avian races, he was tall and slim with a lightweight but flexible skeletal system that allowed his broad wings to carry him on the winds. He had lovely white feathers, and his long and pointed bill was best suited to catching shoreside fish and amphibians when he was out in the wilds. In cities, he ate at pubs that catered to Beast-Kin. His food and drink were served in suspended bags with feed tubes under them he could activate by biting the tube ends with his bill.

The pub he'd been in when he was hired for this mission was on the poorer side of Genthale. Seeing a Human enter it was a rare event and drew everyone's eyes. The man had scanned the dim room with an intense gaze before locking on the avian. He then crossed the room to sit at Luc'San's table without an invitation to do so. Before he could protest, the man leaned forward and spoke softly.

"I'd like to hire you for some surveillance work. I will pay you generously for a task for which you are specifically suited. I understand you're fast."

Luc'San watched him carefully. He seemed dangerous, and there was... a bad smell? But Luc'San's interest perked up at the promise of payment. As a message courier that the industry blackballed, he'd lost his contracts and was no longer bonded. This left him feeling somewhat desperate about his rapidly dwindling funds. He'd have to leave Genthale and return to Shalazar before he went broke. But going home wasn't in his best interests as he'd made enemies and had many debts there, too.

He turned his head to focus an eye on the man. "What's the work?"

"All you need to do is stealthily keep an eye on a Human and report his movements to me," the man said quietly. "He's traveling between the kingdoms. You don't need to get close to him. Just keep me informed of which one he's going to when he moves."

Luc'San thought about that, and it seemed safe enough. "That's it?"

The man smiled, and the unpleasant scent increased.

"How much do I get paid for this, and how long will it take?" Luc'San asked, putting aside his distaste.

"Two silvers a week for as long as it takes," the man said.

Luc'San's eye locked onto the man's face. The task paid well, and there seemed to be a chance for longer-term work. He knew he had to accept, so he nodded to him.

Only then did the man slide a small slip of paper across the table. "You'll report to me at this address."

Luc'San glanced at the address, then tucked the note into one of his pockets on his courier vest.

"Where is he going now?" Luc'San asked.

"I was told he's headed to Shalazar, the Beast-Kin capital. I need that confirmed."

"How will I recognize him?"

"He'll look like a huge, black Therrax in a harness pulling a large, fancy passenger carriage hooked up to a trailer," the man said.

Luc'San froze as he watched this increasingly smelly Human. "A Therrax?"

A scowl appeared on the Human's face. "Agron blessed him."

Returning to the present, Luc'San watched the approach of a huge Therrax pulling a fancy carriage. The stinky man hadn't been lying.

There couldn't be more than one, so this had to be his quarry.

Luc'San stepped back into the shadows. He didn't want to be seen by the target or anyone on that carriage. He memorized the vehicle's design so he could find it later.

Before he left the area, he caught sight of the plumage of one of his kind. It was wearing a minimal harness displaying the symbol of Shalazar's Council of Elders. Was there always a courier stationed in Vastella Station?

He pushed the question and his jealousy aside as he had confirmation that his employer's target was going to Shalazar. He'd leave in the morning after he got a good look at the Human to memorize his features and ensure they continued south.

Then he'd head north to make his report and get his first payment. This was easy money.

Chapter 2

Ti'Nah stretched her long muscles, enjoying their tingling from a wonderful night's sleep and the amazing sex she'd had with Alex amongst the long grasses of the prairie. Her mind returned to it easily.

The Guardian posted on the far edge of the encampment had given her a nod and a smile as she quietly guided Alex out into the darkness after he left his clothes behind and switched into his Azzarra form. They quickly ran through the grassland looking for a good spot to enjoy each other.

Alex stopped when he reached the top of a small hill and looked back at the glowing dot on the horizon that was the village. He switched back into his Human form and peered into the darkness.

"Human eyes are useless at seeing in the dark," he sighed as Ti'Nah moved to stand next to him. He willed just his eyes to change to an Azzarra's and smiled. "Whoa, that's much better."

"I can't get over how well you've taken to these gifts!" she said in awe as she tugged her clothes off quickly.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "It's Agron's ability. I wouldn't be able to do anything like this without him."

Ti'Nah placed her hand over his cock and smiled. "I believe you have skills of your own that are equally exciting."

Alex sucked in a breath as he began to swell in her grip when she stroked him gently. He flared his Azzarra eyes at her to show how much he enjoyed her touch, and she smiled hungrily.

He took her face between his hands and kissed her passionately as they lowered themselves to the soft grass. She pulled him down over her body.

Beast-Kin didn't typically include kissing in their foreplay, but Ti'Nah loved it! It felt exotic and taboo!

This made her think of Thorn's interlude with Alex the night before their return to Genthale. Her keen sense of hearing picked up the sounds Thorn and Alex made, and her clever mind put the clues together when she saw Thorn's condition the next day. Alex had been more than Human during their sex!

Taboo! She moaned with need.

Alex pulled back from their kiss and looked at Ti'Nah's lusty gaze curiously. "What's wrong?"

Ti'Nah gasped as Alex ground his hard cock across her wet lips. The heat of him caused her to gasp once more, and her hips began to rock. "Nuh—nothing!"

Alex raised a brow. "Talk to me. No secrets."

She held his eyes, desperate for him to enter her, but the thought wouldn't leave her mind.

"Thorn. That night before Genthale," she said with a quiet voice as she looked at him timidly. Would he reject her?

Alex's eyes widened further as he finally understood. "Ah. I think that's something I can assist you with."

Suddenly, Ti'Nah felt the difference. Alex was still rubbing against her, adding her juices to a cock that no longer had a Human proportion or shape.

Ti'Nah gasped aloud as ridges now strummed against her opening back and forth. She felt the thick head drop down to press against her lips, beginning to part them.

She was so wet!

She went still as he suddenly drove his thick shaft deep inside her. Wrapping her arms and legs around his body, she squeezed him tighter, pulling his cock deeper as her eyes rolled back from the overwhelming feeling of fullness. When her senses began to return, her orgasm struck, and she roared as a colossal wave of pleasure crashed through her body. She felt Alex firing his heat into her, and her bliss was complete.

When her eyes opened again, Alex was standing next to her, speaking to someone.

"...yes, sorry, we're good. You can return to the village. We'll join you shortly."

She blinked to clear her eyes and lifted her head to see a group of three Guardians leaving. One glanced back with a knowing smile as they locked eyes.

She recalled Alex walking her back to the encampment, but not much after that.

Ti'Nah smiled as she stretched again. She felt so tingly good!

"You know, you woke the entire camp last night!" Shi'Jax's voice scolded her from somewhere near her feet.

Ti'Nah opened her eyes and saw she was inside a tent. She lifted her head from the pillow and looked down her body to see her friend kneeling in the entrance. "What?" the tigress asked in surprise.

"You are very loud when you have sex! Alex's face is very red and hot, which Yellsbeth told me is what happens when Humans are embarrassed. His friends are teasing him," she said in annoyance.

Ti'Nah sat up, and her eyes closed again as another tingle went through her body. "Mmm!"

Her eyes popped open to see her friend's exasperated expression, so she rushed to explain.

"Sorry. It was really good sex! I'm still feeling it."

Shi'Jax's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. "Still?"

Ti'Nah smiled dreamily. "It was really good!"

Shi'Jax sighed and shook her head. "You must apologize to the party, but especially to Alex." With a final look at her friend, she left.

The tigress flopped back onto her pillow as tingles flowed through her body.

She needed to get up to make her apologies, and she would... but first she'd enjoy the afterglow a little longer.

-=-

"We can run alongside the carriage," Gor'Dem insisted.

Shi'Jax shook her head. "Not at the pace Alex sets, or at least not for long. A Therrax runs fast! Didn't the scouts fill you in on that?"

Gor'Dem frowned, so she knew he'd received their report, but he'd doubted them.

Lyra smiled kindly at the Lead Guardian. "We don't know if Alex's mission has any fixed time restrictions, but Agron isn't a patient God. He pushes Alex to complete it, and Ffornexa and Ullentra seem to be trying to balance that out. If we can avoid unnecessary delays, it helps."

The Lead Guardian stared in awe at Lyra's casual mentioning of their interactions with the Gods.

"We can probably squeeze the three of you on top of the carriage and your packs on the wagon," Dale offered.

The big wolf-like being returned to the moment and frowned, but he saw this was his best option. He nodded. "We gratefully accept your offer." Then he grinned self-consciously as he shook his head. "It feels odd to hear the Gods spoken of in such a familiar manner."

Lyra nodded with a little smile of her own. "Yes, we feel the same. If we didn't see their actions through Alex so blatantly, it would be hard to believe."

Gor'Dem's eyes flicked to the man standing by the harness with his back to them. "I look forward to witnessing this for myself."

Shi'Jax shook her head. "It's often a very unpleasant experience for Alex to be under the direct interference of the Gods. I look forward to them letting him accomplish their mission at his pace."

Lyra shared a grateful smile with the party's other healer and nodded.

The last of the baggage was tied down, and the carriage roof was arranged to make space for the three Guardians.

"All aboard!" Dale called out like an old-timey train conductor. Very few caught the reference, and the others just rolled their eyes at Dale's weirdness.

He directed their new Beast-Kin passengers to the roof with their backs to the rear bench. Devya and Ti'Nah were also on the roof with their backs to the driver's bench.

Jhaan and Joah were in their spots on the rear-facing seating, and Alois was assisted into the carriage to take his favorite spot. Dale and Dystra followed him in with Shi'Jax waiting for Lyra.

The woman in question walked up to Alex, who was preparing himself in the harness. His face was still a little red, and she thought it might be due to the teasing he'd received at breakfast.

Then she saw his nervous glance in her direction as he held his disrobed tunic before his groin.

Oh! Was he self-conscious about being naked before her? Her face suddenly warmed up, too.

"Ready to go?" she asked brusquely, and he nodded as he handed her the tunic.

She tried but couldn't stop herself from peeking at the beginnings of his erection. Then he became a Therrax, and what swung between his legs was far more intimidating than a Human cock could ever be.

"Sorry," he squeaked quietly.

Lyra just nodded and tightened the belly strap while avoiding the heavy appendage. Job done, she headed back to take her seat inside the carriage. She ignored the knowing smiles from the Dwarf sisters sitting on the driver's bench.

Shi'Jax followed her in and called out that they were ready.

Yellsbeth released the brakes as Alex leaned into the harness, and the wheels began to move. He gradually increased their speed until he reached his comfortable running pace. He knew he could run faster, but that would give everyone a rough ride, so this was good enough.

On the roof, Gor'Dem was watching the land pass by quickly. "How long can he hold this pace?" he called out to Ti'Nah.

"All day with a break for lunch and two water breaks," she called back with a smile.

"How much further until we reach Shalazar?" Devya asked.

Ti'Nah and Gor'Dem exchanged looks after both looked at the land rushing by.

"It depends on whether you wish to stay overnight in villages or prefer to wild camp. There are a few villages between here and Shalazar. If we reach one before midafternoon, you can choose to stay overnight or keep going and set up camp next to the road at dusk. At this speed... what do you think, Ti'Nah? Will we reach Tastan Village before sunset today?"

The tigress was nodding to herself. "If we reach Wallow Point by noon, yes, I think we'll see Tastan by dusk."

"That's a good spot to stop. There is a good-sized Guardian Garrison there and some very good restaurants," Gor'Dem offered.

"Did someone say restaurant? I vote for restaurants!" Alex called back over his shoulder as he maintained his pace.

Gor'Dem stared at him with wide eyes. "He heard us with all this wind noise?"

Ti'Nah grinned. "Therraxs have exceptional hearing. If you are hiding from one, hold your breath and don't fart."

Devya burst into giggles.

"We'll make the suggestion to everyone when we stop for lunch in Wallow Point," Gor'Dem said. He saw the curious expression on Devya's face. "There is nothing at Wallow Point but a dry well."

Devya nodded with a smile.

Everyone rested back to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze. There were hours to go before noon.

-=-

Wallow Point was a cluster of trees that seemed to be slowly dying, along with a few abandoned campsites. The tents had been packed up and carted away when the well failed.

After gobbling down their quick lunch, Devya and Thorn wandered over to the well and peered into the darkened hole.

"I see nothing. It's very deep, but I see nothing," Thorn said. She created a small fireball and dropped it down the well. They watched it fall until it landed in a pile of dusty sand at the bottom.

They shared surprised glances, then looked at Lyra. "It's remarkably deep, but, yeah, dry as a bone.

Devya frowned and put her hand over the well's opening, closing her eyes. She remained in this pose for a full minute, then opened her eyes and looked at her friends.

"I feel water. A lot of it, but there's been a shift in the land, and it's been choked off," she said with a sigh.

"It's impressive you're so in tune with the element that you can detect water that far down!" Thorn said. "Can you pull it through the obstruction?"

Devya stared at the shorter woman. "Pull it through? It's water behind solid rock!"

"Is it solid?" Lyra asked with a little smile. "There are likely cracks and gaps. Give it a try. I've seen how strong your abilities are. We aren't looking for finesse here. Just brute strength." She smiled to remove the sting.

Devya gave them a doubtful look but moved her hand back over the well. She closed her eyes in concentration and went silent.

Thorn noticed the muscles in Devya's jaw begin to jump as the woman struggled to find a path for the water to escape.

Alex was walking over to see what they were doing when the ground suddenly jumped up an inch and sideways two. Alex's right foot caught his left heel, and he stumbled to the ground.

A deep, low rumble spread across the surrounding fields, then everything went still again.

"What the hell was that?" Alex asked as he pushed himself back to his feet.

Devya smiled at the two ladies standing next to her. "I found a path it could follow." She peered into the well and grinned. "It's filling!"

Thorn and Lyra looked inside too, then cheered as they hugged Devya.

Gor'Dem joined Ti'Nah, who was watching the excitement by the well with a grin. "I suppose I should pass along the word that Wallow Point is no longer dry."

Ti'Nah nodded. "Seems like."

"Your water wizard is ridiculously strong," he said quietly.

Ti'Nah smiled and leaned a little closer to whisper to her friend. "Just make sure you are beside or behind her when she's launching an attack," she whispered.

Gor'Dem instantly understood and nodded.

Alex finally reached the well and looked inside to see the water level rising slowly. He turned to look at Devya. "We should celebrate at that restaurant Gor'Dem was talking about."

Lyra raised an eyebrow at Alex. "That was a hint to get back into the wagon, wasn't it?"

"You read my mind like an open book," he said with a smile, then clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Let's go, people! That restaurant's going to fill up with customers if we don't make tracks!"

Thorn turned her face to Devya as they walked back to the carriage with Lyra. "Did you just cause an earthquake?"

Devya shook her head with a smile. "That was just the water forcing its way through a fault. Now there's an underground stream."

"Yes, but you were the one who forced the water through the tiny gap in the stone, broke the blockage, and created that stream! That's incredible!" Lyra added.

Devya shook her head bashfully. "Water is very strong! It's what lifted the stone and moved it to create an opening. Besides, you did say brute force was required."

Lyra chuckled as she climbed back into the carriage.

Alex got them underway, and the passengers noticed the extra speed in their journey.

Someone was eager to avoid his cooking duties tonight.

Alex didn't feel like discussing why he was so keen to eat out.

The truth was, he'd been having flashbacks to previous similar experiences on Earth of cooking outdoors, and his mind was falling into more frequent memory gaps.

There were scenes of cooking over open flames and laughter, but being alone? Also, mixing ingredients at a kitchen counter for a meal too large for just one person.

Interspersed amongst these flashes were bursts of emotion that left him confused.

Running felt good, as he could let his mind concentrate on the path ahead and the effort his muscles were exerting. Everything else could be tuned out.

For a little while at least, and he appreciated these moments of peace.

Chapter 3

Gordier Jalviere ground his teeth as he returned from speaking with King Ungar. He hadn't yet received the promised title of Regent, as the King demanded he complete the tasks he'd been charged with first: eliminating the previous Regent, Alois Charette, and more importantly, killing Alex Frost, the Agron-blessed adventurer who'd made a mockery of Ungar's royal commands.

The new King's ego was still stinging from the spanking Alex Frost gave his Royal Knights and how he'd refused the King's order to surrender. Gordier had been tasked with bringing about Frost's execution as soon as possible. The rest of his party would be sent to the gallows as soon as they were captured.

Currently, Gordier had a logistics issue. His target was no longer in the Kingdom of Thale. The battlefield was too large, and moving his pieces into place took an excessive amount of time. He'd received word from his avian spy that the target was going to Shalazar. The courier's incredible speed was the only bonus Gordier had in this mission.

Today, he'd made his first move. He'd sent his courier to deliver a contract to a Shalazar-based asset for the termination of Frost. The assassin was a highly reliable and discreet problem solver, though that also made him correspondingly expensive.

As Frost had proven to be an extremely difficult problem to solve, Gordier felt the need for a contingency plan. Luckily, one of Genthale's nobles had connections that Gordier might be able to enlist in this effort. He was on his way to meet with her today.

Lady Nissar Escarion was distantly related to the late King and wielded considerable influence in the Royal Court. As one of the significant members of Genthale's noble class, she ensured she had the ear of influential people. With the sudden death of King Harlan, her influence had diminished as she'd missed her opportunity to establish a place in Ungar's circle of advisors.

Gordier thought she was a particularly vicious, power-hungry bitch, which he felt made her a good match for Ungar's policies.

Nissar was lovely, with long, black hair, large, dark eyes, and a body with curves that drew a man's gaze. But she was also cold and manipulative; her smile reminiscent of a hungry predator discovering its prey at rest. Her husband had died of mysterious causes eight years earlier, and Nissar's influence expanded quietly but steadily. She'd taken a lover, but no one ever met him, unless it was in a dark alley where they met their end.

Nissar held a deep-seated hatred for the Beast-Kin race, mostly driven by acute xenophobia, but made worse when her older brother died at the hands of a Beast-Kin family he'd been hunting for sport.

It was largely her influence in the court that ensured foreign relations with the Best-Kin nation remained strained and, at times, hostile.

Gordier was aware that Lady Escarion's lover was the leader of a Human mercenary group. He was also aware that this group was currently on maneuvers that would take them within the Beast-Kin territory. There might even be some... unofficial culling.

As the Escarion family was a major supporter of Genthale's University, Gordier had learned that Nissar had obtained artifacts that granted her the ability to communicate with her lover over great distances. Such devices should have remained within the university's research wing, but she'd used her influence to get her hands on them.

King Ungar wasn't keen on the idea of Nissar being included in his circle of advisors, but Gordier insisted she could provide indispensable support in the effort to eliminate Frost. Gordier promised that he could always arrange to remove her later.

A meeting with Nissar was arranged, and Gordier was led into her audience room. He noted an overabundance of scented candles but put that from his mind when the inner door opened and Lady Escarion joined him in the room.

"Good day, Mr. Jalviere!" Nissar said with a charming smile.

"Please call me, Gordier, Lady Escarion!" he returned.

"Then you must call me Nissar," she responded. He noted she did not approach him but remained on the other side of a table situated between two small couches facing each other. No matter.

She gestured for him to sit, and he did as she settled down on the seat across from him.

"A refreshment?" she asked, and he shook his head. She gestured for the servant to leave them. The door closed, and they were alone.

"What brings you from the busy palace to speak to me?" Nissar asked with a coy smile.

He returned the smile, and she leaned back in her chair slightly.

"There is a matter where we can provide each other with great benefit," he began, and she gave him a curious look, so he continued. "We are hunting fugitives from justice who have taken refuge in Shalazar. We expect them to launch a mission to retrieve artifacts from Wave Crest. Should they get permission to do the mission, there would be an excellent opportunity to bring justice to these criminals and reap a great bounty of artifacts at the same time."

"A great bounty, you say? Your confidence in their ability to succeed is surprising," she said cautiously.

"But not unprecedented. They achieved this very thing in GreenTree Dynasty. The artifacts they brought back are still being catalogued and reviewed at the university. The assessors blew the university's yearly budget to purchase most of the items the party collected. The fugitives took the rest with them when they fled to Shalazar."

Nissar let that sink in, then looked at him. "And if they are refused permission?"

Gordier smiled and nodded. "If they are refused, they will likely attempt to flee to another nation. That would lead to a prime opportunity to serve them justice and collect the artifacts they kept from GreenTree Dynasty."

She watched him closely. "And my ability to assist you with this would be?"

His smile became more predatory. "Your ability to communicate with your Mercenary Team leader who might be in their vicinity."

Her smile took on a predatory gleam of its own. "And how did you get the idea I might have this ability or know someone of this nature in that location?"

"Knowledge is a valuable commodity that I make my business to collect and analyse. I'm aware of the artifacts, on loan from the university, that enable long-distance communication. I'm also aware of a certain mercenary team leader who has a special relationship with one of Genthale's nobles. I'm not interested in acting on this knowledge in a way that would be detrimental to the parties involved. My interests lie in using that information to benefit the Kingdom and those who assist it," Gordier said with a smile. "This assistance would be greatly appreciated and would lead to closer collaboration with Thale's leader."

He saw Nissar's eyes light up with the promise of access to Ungar's inner circle.

"That does sound like a beneficial arrangement!" she said with a hungry smile, and Gordier bowed his head forward in agreement. He knew she desperately wanted a seat at the table.

"If said Mercenary leader was currently near the outer boundary of the Orc prairies on the Beast-Kin border, and in contact with an Orc ex-warlord, might that information be of value as well?" she asked.

"Raggad?" Gordier asked in surprise.

He was aware that the people of his nomadic tribe had ousted the volatile warlord for being a little too bloodthirsty. Their population had declined due to the leader's frequent efforts to start wars with his neighbors, as he attempted to expand his territory.

She nodded with her vicious grin, and he wondered what barbarity she'd planned to inflict upon the Beast-Kin people. Not that he cared in the slightest.

Still, this was useful news!

"Indeed, a group comprised of Human mercenaries and Orc warriors would have little problem with a party of Beast-Kin adventurers after they left the city, and even less with a smaller mixed party of fugitives attempting to flee Beast-Kin territory. My contact is traveling to Shalazar and will return with news on the success of their mission launch. When I receive word from him, I will inform you where your people should be to confront them," he asserted.

"I will reach out to my contact and let them know of this potential opportunity to work for the betterment of the kingdom. It sounds like a very rewarding endeavor," she said as she held his eyes.

Gordier nodded. "I will let you know the moment I hear from my contact."

She smiled. "I will notify my contact to prepare them for this mission." She stood, indicating the audience was complete.

Gordier stood and bowed to the woman and headed back to the palace. Ungar wanted him to prepare a plan for removing her from his council.

While he thought that was a mistake, he would prepare for the eventuality.

-=-

Luc'San beat his powerful wings to increase his speed as he flexed his wind magic to accelerate the jet stream he was riding. His new mission required him to reach Shalazar as quickly as possible.

Meeting with the smelly man at the address he'd been given had been easy enough, and receiving his payment was a relief. He wouldn't have to move from the Human city just yet.

The man was very pleased by his speed and handed him a sealed envelope. "I need you to deliver this to my contact on the outskirts of Shalazar. I have a task for him. Remain there until he provides you with proof of completion or failure. Then report back to me with that proof."

Luc'San read the address on the envelope before tucking it into his vest pocket. It was an area he wasn't too familiar with, but he knew where it was.

When the smelly man slid him another silver coin unexpectedly, he looked at it cautiously. "For expenses while you wait," the man explained with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Easy money.

Luc'San nodded and immediately set off due south. He spotted two other messengers heading for Shalazar, and he knew he could slip in to fly with them in a V formation. This would ease the burden on two while the lead maintained a lookout and their heading. Each would take turns to share the effort.

Unfortunately, this would greatly reduce his speed, and he was being paid for getting there fast! He'd have to go it alone.

He wondered at the contents of the note he was carrying, but he knew better than to open it. He couldn't afford to lose this job.

-=-

Tastan looked much more permanent than Vastella Station. There were buildings made of wood and even stone here.

As they traveled, the landscape slowly changed. They were leaving behind the vast open plains, and orchards were beginning to replace fields of wild grasses. There were forests scattered throughout, but the trees were more tropical in nature, and many bore fruits that resembled dates and mangos.

Tastan's region was a thriving agricultural center, trading produce from the massive farms surrounding the village with Shalazar's goods. The transport caravans came and went daily.

Their arrival was immediately noticed, and Guardians wearing badges appeared to block their way. Gor'Dem and his two squadmates climbed down to speak to them, and Alex felt their eyes lock on him.

He glanced toward the sun approaching the horizon and wondered if they would get access to the promised eatery.

Once he turned his attention back to the locals, he saw the amazing variety amongst the beings going about their business or stopping to gawk at the enormous beast pulling the ornate carriage and its strange passengers.

He knew at this moment they didn't know the truth about him, and they were innocent of his true nature. They were just going about their day.

He didn't really know how the Beast-Kin worshipped their chosen deity. Due to his close link to Agron, he hadn't spoken to Ti'Nah or Shi'Jax about it yet.

He wondered how he would have reacted if he'd encountered someone on Earth who could demonstrate proof for the existence of God. Would he have adopted his mother's feverish devotion, his father's quiet acceptance, or some other behavior?

His mind suddenly shied away from his introspection as he was approaching another memory gap, and his emotions became unsettled.

Gor'Dem walked to stand before Alex with the Tastan Guardians. Lyra joined them with a smile for Alex.

Her presence settled his mind, and he nodded to her.

"This is Tastan's Lead Guardian, Len'Nox Kurtis, and some of his squad," Gor'Dem said and introduced Lyra and Alex.

"So... it—he's not a Therrax?" Len'Nox asked, looking up into the large gold eyes.

Lyra placed her hand against the Therrax's powerful leg. "Alex is a Human with blessings from three Gods, including Agron, which allows him to be in this form," Lyra explained.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not switch back to my Human form here in the open. Far too many watching eyes," Alex added uncomfortably, and the squad jolted to hear words emerge from the deadly hooked beak.

"Wha—why won't you change in front of people?" Len'Nox asked stiffly.

"Because I'd be a naked Human," Alex replied. "I can't wear clothes when I change, as I tear through them."

The Lead Guardian, who bore some resemblance to a black bear and was covered in dense fur, opened his mouth to respond, then thought better of it. "I understand."

Gor'Dem patted Len'Nox on his broad shoulder. "Tomorrow, we're continuing to Shalazar to speak to the elders. Tonight, we're just looking for a meal and lodging."

The bear man nodded as he looked back at Alex, then addressed the other Lead Guardian. "Right... uh, you can park your carriage in the lot behind Loo's Inn. I believe they have available rooms." Gor'Dem nodded as he knew the place being suggested.

"Do they have a restaurant?" Alex asked.

Len'Nox nodded but turned to Gor'Dem. "Yeah, but you should eat at Pol'Detta's place across the road from the inn. The food's better. Don't tell Loo I said that."

Gor'Dem chuckled and nodded. He bumped fists with Len'Nox as Lyra went back to the carriage. When she was on board, Gor'Dem jogged next to Alex to guide him to their destination.

The inn was a two-story wooden structure that looked sturdy and well-maintained. As Alex pulled the carriage into the lane beside the building, he noted three young Beast-Kin waiting in the enclosed courtyard behind the inn. The building behind them seemed to be a stable for draft animals, as he spotted two other carts. The three froze as they saw the only exit filled by the monstrous creature.

"Not to worry, we're customers looking for a spot to park our carriage," Alex said to them in his squeaky voice. One fainted, and the other two began to relax as they finally noticed Gor'Dem smiling at them.

They moved closer after confirming their friend was waking up.

"Where should I position the carriage and wagon?" Alex asked, and the bolder of the two pointed to a free space against an inner wall.

Once they were parked, the party climbed down from the carriage, and Thorn brought Alex a tunic and his boots.

He immediately returned to his Human form and dressed behind her. As had become their ritual, she turned her face up to him, and he gave her a sweet, grateful kiss.

Everyone collected their baggage from the wagon, and the tarp was retied over it.

Three Guardians walked into the courtyard and spoke with Gor'Dem. He smiled and nodded, gesturing to the carriage and wagon. The three took up positions around it.

"Just a precaution to keep idle hands from your possessions," Gor'Dem said with a nod. "We have to check in with the headquarters here. We'll see you in the morning." He and his squadmates headed down the lane.

Alex saw that his group was entering a rear door into the inn, so he followed them in. He gave himself a little distance as he was sweaty and overheated from the extra effort he'd made since lunch. Thinking of lunch made him realize how ravenous he was! Still, getting clean was his priority. Then he'd stuff himself until he couldn't fit in another bite.

"Do they have a bath?" he called out from the back of their group.

Lyra looked back and smiled as she turned to ask a large avian being behind the check-in counter. She turned a large black eye toward Alex and stared for a moment before nodding to Lyra.

Keys were collected and handed out. Yellsbeth and Thorn waited for Alex as the others climbed the stairs to the upper floor.

Yellsbeth grinned at him. "You're with us in the largest room, lucky man! It has a tub, and Devya said she'll fill it with hot water for you."

He smiled as a tub of hot water sounded divine. He nodded and followed them upstairs.

The room was large but basic. The best thing was that it was clean, had a large bed, and a bathtub.

He heard a knock on the door, and Thorn opened it to greet Devya.

"This will be an interesting experiment," she said with a grin as she entered and crossed to the tub.

"We're looking to fill it halfway with hot water, not blow a hole through it," Yellsbeth teased and got an annoyed expression from the water mage.

Devya concentrated as she held her hands out over the tub. She started with a slow trickle and slowly increased the flow. She also focused on the stream to raise its temperature. There were a couple of concerning bursts of steam, but she steadied herself, and the tub began to fill quickly to its halfway point.

Alex tested the temperature and smiled. "That's perfect. You can stop there," he said to Devya, who released her magic, cutting the stream of magic with a grateful smile.

"That was harder to do than I expected! It was like holding back a raging river. Controlling the temperature on top of that was almost too much!" Devya sighed.

"You did an awesome job! Practice will make you better at it. Thanks!" Alex said, looking at the tub eagerly. Thorn scooped out a basin's worth.

Devya fixed her eyes on the sisters. "Don't take too long. We're all freshening up, then heading over to the restaurant. No hanky panky... until later!" she added with a blush, then left the room in a hurry, closing the door behind her.

Alex stripped off his clothes and slipped into the hot water with a sigh. When he opened his eyes, he saw the wicked grins on the ladies' faces.

"You heard Devya. Later," he insisted as he began to wash the sweat from his body.

With sighs, they returned to their own refreshment with the basin.

Alex quickly felt Human again and stepped out to dry off. The ladies promptly rubbed him down with towels and copped some quick feels, too.

After he managed to get away, Alex tugged on a fresh tunic and his boots. He saw the ladies were grinning mischievously as they left his room. He locked it with his key, and they joined the others outside the front door.

Dale and Dystra were the last to join, then the group crossed the road to the restaurant Len'Nox suggested to them.

It was another two-story wooden structure, with a massive dining hall just inside the main door. Ti'Nah led them to a long table she spotted against the wall to their left. It would easily fit six to a side. They took their chairs, and a busy waitress stopped by to get their drink orders.

Once more, Alex stuck with water while the others ordered ale.

As they waited for the drinks to arrive, Alex picked up the sound of raised voices at a nearby table behind him. His radar was going off as it sounded like one of the diners was becoming intensely angry. Someone else was trying to calm the one named Prex'Tan, who was losing his cool. Then Alex heard the term Fucking Humans, which put him on full alert. He turned in his chair to look back, and that was enough to cause the agitator to jump to his feet and approach.

Alex stood as well and faced the taller being, which stopped an arm's length away, glaring down into his eyes.

Prex'Tan was half a head taller and covered in rough scales that looked like they'd had better days. They were heavily scarred, smudgy grey, and looked damaged. Perhaps he was a mercenary or worked in some other hazardous occupation. He'd seen violence of some nature.

He had small, dark eyes, no nose to speak of, and a lipless mouth filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Two rows of spines ran over his scalp, front to back, which rose when he was agitated, like now.

"What are Humans doing in Beast-Kin territory?" Prex'Tan snapped, its claw-tipped fingers flexing like they wanted to be around Alex's throat.

Alex held up a hand to stop Ti'Nah from approaching, but he never looked away from the angry eyes before him.

"We have business here," Alex said calmly.

"Humans aren't trustworthy enough to do business with Beast-Kin! Leave while you still can," he spat.

"I'm sure that's true for some Humans, but not all of us are bad," Alex said gently. "I don't know what your story is, but none of the Humans at this table mean you any harm. None deserves your anger."

Prex'Tan's anger spiked. With a hiss, he swung a backhand at Alex's face.

The blow passed through empty air.

Alex's tunic dropped onto his empty boots as the slime creature he'd become stretched forward at ankle height to wrap itself around his assailant's legs. It rushed upward and expanded to encompass Prex'Tan in seconds. The ooze suddenly changed into an oblong sphere containing its floating victim, who thrashed weakly.

"Alex! No!" Lyra shouted, but he ignored her.

Then a pseudopod extended from the slime, which looked remarkably like a Human arm and hand. It raised its index finger for Lyra to wait.

A tube formed from the slime's surface to expose Prex'Tan's mouth and nostrils to open air, and they heard him gasp in a desperate breath.

A chunk of something suddenly lifted from one of his scales, spun slowly in circles, then dissolved away.

A deep vibration began as the slime pulsed faster and faster. The jiggling made it harder to see Prex'Tan trapped in the ooze, and something began floating in the gelatinous mass, forming a cloud all around him. Little bits pulled away, becoming smaller but more plentiful.

Alex's friends watched in horror as it looked like Prex'Tan was dissolving!

The sound quickly faded as the ooze stopped vibrating. Prex'Tan was still inside. Then the slime seemed to step back from its prisoner, who passed through the outer surface. Suddenly, Alex was standing naked before Prex'Tan, supporting him to keep the being on his feet.

"You're okay. Everything's okay," Alex said softly to the shaken being. "Look at your scales."

Blinking in a daze, he glanced down at his arms and sucked in another sharp breath.

Where his scales had been a dull, lifeless grey, they now had an almost iridescent gleam.

"What did you do?" Dale asked as he moved closer. Alex released his grip.

Alex smiled at the incredulous expression on Prex'Tan's face.

"When I enveloped him to stop his attack, I noticed he didn't taste right." He grimaced at Dale uncomfortably. "Sorry, that sounded weird, but taste is a slime's strongest sense. The stuff stuck on his scales wasn't... right. It looked like rock, but the scales beneath were brighter. I suddenly thought of the rock polishing machine I had as a kid."

Dale blinked in surprise and smiled when he heard this.

Alex continued. "Slime creatures are particularly good at dissolving stuff and cleaning, too, apparently. Additionally, a significant amount of grit and debris was stuck under the scales due to that coating. That must have been really uncomfortable."

Alex looked down at Prex'Tan's feet, and all the crud he'd shaken loose was in a small pile on the floor.

He looked up to see the being carefully moving his arms, legs, and rolling his neck.

"The pain is gone! The horrible tar the Humans bonded to my scales is gone, too!" he sighed happily.

Alex leaned back in surprise. "They tarred your scales?"

Prex'Tan looked closer at Alex's eyes and saw him clearly at last. "Yes, and they set it on fire. I see now you're not like them." His puzzlement grew. "How did you become a slime monster?"

Alex suddenly realized he was standing naked in the dining hall. He turned quickly and grabbed his tunic. As he pulled it over his head, he pointed to the Gods' symbols on his lower back.

Prex'Tan gaped at the three marks.

"Agron gifted me with the ability to become other creatures," Alex explained as he dropped the hem down to cover his ass.

"But you have two others!" Prex'Tan gasped.

"Yes. Ffornexa and Ullentra blessed me too," Alex said casually. He turned back to the tall being. "I understand now where your anger came from, and I'm sorry those terrible people did that to you. You have every right to hate them, but not all Humans are like that. I'm a new arrival, so I know less about how to live in this world than you do. I won't try to tell you how to live your life. I'm just glad I was able to reverse what they did to you."

Prex'Tan blinked at him and didn't seem to know how to respond. "It was... very unpleasant... to be swallowed. But I'm healed now. Thank you."

Alex just nodded and returned to his chair as the scaled being walked back to his table, a wide smile on his face for his friends, who gaped at his restored scales.

Lyra locked eyes with Alex across the table. "Sorry I shouted, Alex. I—"

He held up his hands to stop her apology. "No, I get it. Especially after what I did in Genthale to those knights. I only learned after that event that slimes have control over their internal acidity, so I could use this form just to take control of an opponent." His expression dropped. "If only I'd known that earlier."

"The Royal Knights wouldn't have stopped until you or they were dead. We prefer the latter," Dystra said firmly. After a brief surprised pause, Alex gave him a small grateful nod.

"The drinks are here! Thank the Gods!" Yellsbeth cheered, and the tension dropped perceptibly.

Alex did his best to ignore being the focus of attention for the other customers. He caught Lyra's sympathetic gaze and smiled briefly in thanks.

His emotions were spiking again. He would have headed back to his room except he was ravenous!

Where was that waitress?

-=-

In the earliest days of their arrival on this world, the less optimistic members of the Beast-Kin leaders said that administering a Beast-Kin society with its immense variety of citizen species, each with their own unique and instinctive drives and needs, was a fool's errand, as it couldn't be done. It was a study in Chaos Theory. The slightest actions taken to help one species had unpredicted impacts on others. Implementing social order and controls on such a diverse range of beings would inevitably fail.

There was one additional and profound difference for Beast-Kin new arrivals. Unlike the Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and Humans, the Beast-Kin weren't being taken from a singular world. Each species was the pinnacle of intelligent beings on their distinct home world. None had ever met the others before arriving on this world.

This fact was never shared outside of Beast-Kin society.

One positive circumstance was in their favor. They were brought to this world and placed in the southernmost territory. Food and water were plentiful, especially once they got their agriculture and fishing industries underway, and the weather was very agreeable, so they weren't faced with some of the challenges the other races faced.

Their initial interactions with the other races weren't positive. As they were often mistaken for the monsters found in the wilds around the subterranean cities, they were typically attacked on sight.

Once the attackers saw the marks of the Gods' blessings on their corpses, the error was discovered, but the initial impressions had been formed. Distrust and outright hate for each other thrived in the resulting mess.

The great breakthrough for the Beast-Kin society arrived when one member of the Council of Elders suggested removing all rules that didn't directly impact the survival of their society. Individuals would be granted all the freedoms they needed until they became a threat to all Beast-Kins as a whole. Everyone was to work together to ensure this goal. If one species inflicted harm upon another, the offending species would have to alter their behavior to maintain the peace and respect for each other. To be protected against the Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and Humans, the Beast-Kin had to be united.

The current Council of Elders led the Beast-Kin society with compassion, patience, and respect. That's not to say they led a utopia. Many issues had to be dealt with on a daily to a yearly basis, so their days were filled with meetings, discussions, and keeping a close eye on the other societies on this world.

Sometimes that led to late evenings for the council members.

One such elder was working in her office under the glow of a magic-powered lantern. Her office had a breathtaking view of Shalazar, as the city was built into the gently sloping inner walls of a massive and extinct caldera. During the day, her large window allowed her to see the homes and shops of her citizens. At night, like now, she could only see the glow of thousands upon thousands of magic lanterns illuminating the passages, stairwells, and roadways weaving between those homes and shops.

Bas'Reen Trexis was old for her species at eighty-three years, but she was still close to the peak of her health.

Standing seven-foot-tall, nine-foot-six to the sharp tips of her two majestically curved horns, she was broad-shouldered and powerfully muscled. Her thick arms ended with three-fingered, one-thumbed hands tipped with hard, black, blunt claws. Her powerful legs allowed her to run all day on hooves she'd used to dispatch foes with deadly kicks during her Adventuring days.

As she'd been born into the world with the blessings of Saphra, she'd spent her early years as an Adventurer, exploring the levels of Wave Crest. She had scars from that time in her life, but those were just experience marks and did nothing to slow her down. Many of her friends hadn't returned from their expeditions. She recalled the treachery of a gang of Humans who ambushed her party as they left Wave Crest after a rewarding but particularly difficult expedition. Only she and one other party member managed to escape, and everything they'd found was stolen.

She pushed that old pain aside.

Her body was covered in a dense pelt of short black fur with wide streaks of white running down her long face from her large, long-lashed eyes to her snout.

She liked to think her powerful physique made her politically motivated or aggression-prone colleagues more willing to listen to her wisdom.

Bas'Reen heard a gentle knock on her door jamb and looked to see the white plumage of a message courier. From the harness it wore, she knew she was one of theirs.

"Come in, please," she said as she gestured for the being to enter.

"Good evening, Elder," the female began politely.

Bas'Reen glanced at her window and realized it was late. She looked curiously at the messenger. "I was unaware of the hour. You are making a late delivery!"

The courier preened a little, then nodded to her. "I've only just arrived from Vastella Station with highly important news! I didn't think it should wait for the morning to be delivered. I was most grateful to learn you were still in your office."

Bas'Reen smiled at the young female's enthusiasm. "Then I look forward to the message."

The courier bobbed her head again.

"I'm stationed at Vastella Station as the early warning messenger. Although the message does not concern an invasion, I deemed it pertinent to act upon, so I left my post after gathering sufficient intel. I will be traveling back in the morning," she said, to justify her leaving her post. Bas'Reen tilted her head at her, and the courier's feathers settled a little.

"A large and grand passenger carriage arrived at the station, being pulled by a huge, black Therrax. The carriage was towing a smaller wagon—"

"A Therrax? Used as a beast of burden?" Bas'Reen interrupted in her shock.

The courier nodded her head and continued.

"The party in and on the carriage is made up of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Beast-Kin, but the most surprising thing is that the Therrax isn't a beast at all. It's a Human with the blessings of three Gods! One of them is Agron!"

Bas'Reen jolted slightly at the news that a Human had been given Agron's blessing. It had been so long. Suddenly, an old memory from the back of her mind tried to surface, but her shock held it back. Then something else the messenger said surfaced in her mind.

"Wait. You said three blessings? No one has ever had more than one!" the elder insisted.

The courier bobbed her head once more. "I saw the marks on his lower back. There were three, but I had to confirm them with one of the Guardians as I didn't recognise the other two. Ffornexa and Ullentra gave him their blessing, too."

Bas'Reen's thoughts were blocked by her confusion and unease. These Gods hadn't blessed anyone in a very long time. While Agron's alcove in their sacred catacombs had always been empty, Ffornexa's and Ullentra's alcoves had stopped sending new arrivals generations ago, and she'd learned this was the same with Agron's alcove in the caves of the other race's territories. The blessings from all three had disappeared from the world.

Until now.

The memory from earlier suddenly snapped into focus. It was a history lesson she'd heard from her parents. A Human with Agron's Blessing had come to Shalazar a long time ago. He'd wanted the people to rise and take vengeance against the Human Nation. He'd fooled many into following him and very nearly brought them into a war.

If the Council of Elders at that time had sent citizens after the Human and his followers, it would have started a civil war that might have devastated the Beast-Kin populace and destroyed the unity and peace they'd worked so hard for.

However, letting them attack the Human Nation would have led to war amongst the nations. It was a terrible dilemma.

Then, Agron resolved the issue.

The rebel Human was addressing his followers from atop a small hill, his fiery words whipping them into a frenzy, when he suddenly transformed into a large creature made of different beast parts. He screamed horrifically in his terror and pain, then fell over dead.

It was clear to all who'd witnessed his agonizing death that the only one who could have killed him this way was Agron.

The God hadn't approved of the Human's intentions.

Bas'Reen returned from her thoughts. "Did... did the Human announce why he was coming here?" Bas'Reen asked the messenger.

"All I was able to determine was that he'd indicated that he needed to speak to the Elders. They should arrive tomorrow or the next day at the latest," the courier said. She was quiet for a moment, then her feathers trembled, seemed to stand on end for a moment, and then settled. "He gave us a message from Agron. He told us that Agron is proud of us and loves us."

Bas'Reen's nerves flared at the feverish joy she saw in the young avian's eyes.

"Thank you for delivering this message." She gestured for the female to present her logbook. The elder signed and dated the page to prove the messenger had completed her delivery. "I would like you to keep the contents to yourself until the Council of Elders has had a chance to speak with him," Bas'Reen said.

The avian's eyes widened at the serious tone used, and she nodded quickly. "Yes, of course!"

Giving the messenger a firm nod, she watched the young being quickly back out of her office and rush away.

Bas'Reen stood and walked to her window, gazing down at the city laid out before her. All those people she and the other elders were responsible for protecting and guiding, to ensure the people were leading their best lives. She knew she couldn't enforce a rule that would prevent them from following a false prophet, or a Human con artist. One of the failings of their method of managing society was this very freedom.

Her expression became grim as she reached a personal epiphany.

If it came down to it, she would personally end the threat he might pose to the citizens of this nation. When he arrived, she would ensure she remained close so she could deal with him before he did too much damage. If she determined he was mentally unstable or driven by vengeful emotions, he would die at her hand.

Ffornexa, being a God of Order, may potentially interfere with Agron's wrath and control over the Human. She couldn't rely on Agron to intervene and protect the people this time.

Chapter 4

Alex had been assured they would reach the city by mid-to-late afternoon, so he didn't hasten his pace and enjoyed the changing scenery as they approached the mountain in the near distance. Being told that this mountain was an ancient and extinct volcanic caldera made him awestruck at its scale.

It also explained the bountiful agriculture fields that stretched around its base and climbed its lower slopes. The soil must be extremely fertile!

The scents and colors of the fruits and vegetables filling the orchards and gardens on both sides of the road were a treat for the senses. Alex looked forward to sampling this produce.

They saw many workers tending to the crops, and all turned to stare at the odd beast of burden pulling the carriage and wagon.

Gor'Dem answered Alex's questions until they approached the first checkpoint. There was a garrison and gatehouse, where the road began to climb the slope. On either side of this structure, stretching away in both directions, was a tall, impenetrable thorny hedge which ringed the base of the mountain.

"There are five more garrisons along the thorn barrier. This allows for the fields to be harvested more efficiently. This entrance is the only one connected to the main road from the other nations," Gor'Dem explained before he climbed down from the carriage to approach the gatehouse on foot. The Guardians followed him back to the carriage, and they kept a wary eye on Alex as they passed.

After a quick but thorough inspection of the carriage and the wagon, they were allowed to proceed through the gate and pass between the walls of the garrison to the inner gate. Guardians watched them from the top of the walls, and Alex saw that this was another protection for their city. Invaders would have to survive this gauntlet to attack.

As they passed through the second gate, Gor'Dem smiled at Alex. "In case you were wondering, the thorn hedge is super tough, highly resistant to fire, and slightly poisonous. Not enough to kill but excruciatingly painful."

Alex nodded to him before the Wolf-like being climbed back to the roof of the carriage.

The next stop would be the entrance of the tunnel, which would take them to the city built into the inner walls of the caldera.

They continued to pass through orchards of fruit trees as the road serpentined its way up the slope through a series of switchbacks, limiting the grade.

Alex was feeling the load he was pulling now, but he maintained his pace.

Eventually, he arrived at a plateau carved into the side of the mountain. Ahead of them was another garrison and gatehouse. There was also a series of buildings and stables a short distance away.

A barrel-chested Guardian, who had the head of an owl set atop a bear's thick torso and limbs, ambled closer with a critical eye locked on the Therrax.

"You'll be housing the beast in our stable at three times the usual fee, for hazard pay," he gruffly insisted.

Alex turned his head to look back at Dale and Dystra on the driver's bench and saw their grins. Dale threw the brakes on as Alex switched back to his Human body and stepped from the leather straps.

"That would greatly impede my ability to be present when we speak with the Council of Elders," he said to the large Guardian.

"GODS! What sorcery?" the being gasped, his feathers fluffing up to make himself look even larger as he drew his weapon. Alex made no aggressive moves as Gor'Dem hustled closer with an annoyed look at the Human. He turned to the nervous gatekeeper.

"It's fine, Fat'Ress. He's a Human with the blessing of Agron. We're going to request an audience with the Council of Elders to discuss an expedition into Wave Crest. There are no dangers here."

It appeared that the large being was having some difficulty lowering its feathers. He peered at Alex again.

"My apologies for startling you," Alex said soothingly with a slight bow.

With a final huff, Fat'Ress flattened his feathers. "We don't allow naked Humans to enter Shalazar either."

Alex smiled. "Understood. I have clothes, which I'll put on once the carriage is parked at its destination. I can't wear them when I change shapes."

Fat'Ress stared at Alex, then glared at Gor'Dem as if blaming him for this. "You may proceed," he added gruffly.

Gor'Dem stared at Alex, who sighed as he suddenly felt stupid for giving in so quickly to the childish impulse. He didn't even understand why he'd done it as he slipped back into the harness once more. "Sorry," he said to Gor'Dem.

After he switched back to his Therrax shape, he looked once more at Gor'Dem. "Uh, could you connect the belly strap?"

Once this was done, Alex moved them toward the tunnel entrance. The barricade was moved, and they felt a strong breeze coming through the tunnel.

"That smells wonderful!" he called back.

Gor'Dem and his fellow Guardians smiled and nodded. "It smells like home!" Gor'Dem replied.

As Alex took them into the tunnel, he picked up the scents of flowers, spices (likely from cooking), and the sea.

When they'd approached the base of the mountain, Alex understood the ocean was on the other side of it, but they were so deep in the agriculture zone that he'd missed any scent of the salty ocean air. Now it seemed to be coming right down the tunnel at them.

He continued to pull them through the tunnel, realizing just how long it was. The gently glowing lanterns, mounted high on the walls, ensured that no shadows formed, and they appeared to stretch out before them. He watched for the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, but it took a very long time to appear. Alex realized that, without the breeze, the air in this tunnel might become stale and hazardous. Another defense for the city?

As they stepped out into an inner inspection area, agitated shouts could be heard on the walls overlooking them.

Gor'Dem called out to calm the Guardians.

Alex held himself still, and the danger passed. Gor'Dem dismounted with his crew and met with a group standing by the inner gate. Moments later, he gestured for Alex to move forward slowly. A troop of Guardians formed a phalanx to lead him through the streets as they jogged forward. Alex slowed his natural pace to match theirs and followed them through the winding lanes and between the brightly colored homes and shops.

Citizens stopped to stare at the bizarre sight.

They took ramps up to the higher levels where the buildings began to give way to low gardens. This allowed Alex to see across the entire caldera, and the sight took his breath away. The color was chaotic but dazzling. At the bottom was an enormous deepwater bay. Sunlight danced off the waters like diamonds as ships of all sizes moved lazily across the water or moored at a huge dockyard at the shore below.

On the far side of the caldera, there was a massive fault in the wall that ran from the upper lip and reached the waters below. This was the inlet from the ocean beyond the gap. Considering how calm the water was in that crevasse, there had to be a seawall on the other side to still the ocean's rough waves.

Alex's extra-sharp vision was almost overwhelmed by the beautiful complexity of the colored buildings built in rings around the inner surface and the gardens.

His attention was brought back to the group before him as they led him into the courtyard of what looked like a fancy hotel. They pointed to the inner wall of the structure, and he drew the carriage into place.

Yellsbeth and Thorn brought blankets and clothes for him so he could switch back to his Human state. He gave them grateful kisses as he felt presentable once more.

He noticed everyone in the party was smiling and seemed excited.

A good start to their visit.

-=-

Lyra and Alois stood at the front of their group to speak with Gor'Dem and the person who appeared to be the manager of the establishment where they were staying.

"Greetings! I am Dio'Lorn Mellos, Senior Diplomat for the Shalazar Embassy," a sleekly furred, svelte-bodied female in a flowing white gown said to them with a slight bow. Her fur was a silvery grey, very short, and flowed over her gentle curves. Large gold eyes scanned the collection of varied people before her, then sought out Alex at the back of the group.

Lyra's eyes widened when she heard this was an embassy, not a hotel. She glanced at Alois, whose gentle smile appeared in response to the civil greeting. He stepped forward.

"Greetings! I am the former Regent Alois Charette from Genthale. While it is no longer my duty to do so, I must report that Thale has new leadership with the death of King Harlen Alvarest. His son Ungar now sits on the thrown and I... was retired. I'm now traveling with this party of Adventurers. This is their leader, Lyra Foxlove-Baumer."

Lyra smiled and bowed to the diplomat. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we were being brought to the embassy."

Dio'Lorn nodded. "We'd received word that you would be requesting an audience with the Council of Elders."

Lyra nodded. "Yes. It's my understanding from speaking with Ti'Nah Desh and Shi'Jax Reven that Wave Crest is open for Adventurers of all nations—"

"Though it is very rare for Adventurers from other nations to visit our territory," Dio'Lorn clarified.

Lyra smiled to acknowledge the point. "Our expedition to Wave Crest is not going to be a typical attempt. We need to recruit a significant number of Beast-Kin Adventurers. Additionally, we need to inform the council of some... changes that may result from this mission."

The diplomat's eyes widened in surprise, and then she glanced toward Alex.

"There is also the matter of a New Arrival with blessings we haven't seen in a very long time," Dio'Lorn said.

Lyra smiled and nodded as she gestured for Alex to come forward.

When he stood next to Lyra, she introduced him. "This is Alex Frost. He's a very recent New Arrival. He also has three blessings: Ffornexa, Ullentra, and Agron." She looked at him and saw his embarrassment as he bowed to the diplomat, then turned his back to her and lifted the hem of his tunic high enough to show the Gods' marks.

At the female's quiet gasp, Alex dropped the hem and turned back to face her.

"Hi, I'm Alex," he said, his voice low and slightly rough with his embarrassment. He froze as he noticed her ears, which had been tucked and hidden under the longer fur/hair on her head, were now lifting to poke through the silky silver strands. Definitely not Human ears, or even pointed Elven ears, hers were covered with even finer, short silver hair on the outside and pure white on the inside. They looked incredibly soft, and now that they'd risen to be visible, they still angled downward.

Images flashed through Alex's mind: a large rabbit hutch built next to the cabin for the small group of grey velveteen rabbits he planned to buy for....

This was a memory. The rabbits and hutch were a... present. Based on a favorite book? For... someone. Another wave of emotion swept through him, and he felt his moorings on reality slip.

A soft hand gripped Alex's arm to steady him, and he returned to the present to catch his balance.

The diplomat had a startled and concerned expression on her face. "What do you mean by Bunny?"

Alex blinked and shook his head as he didn't recall speaking. Her ears didn't resemble the long, floppy ears of the rabbits, as they couldn't be more than three or four inches long from her head to their gently rounded tips.

Alex pulled his thoughts back and glanced apologetically at Lyra. "Sorry, I... might have overdone it today."

Little worry lines remained between her eyes, but she focused on Dio'Lorn. "I'm sorry about this, but could you perhaps direct us to an inn where we might get some rooms and purchase meals?"

Pulling her attention from Alex, the diplomat turned to Lyra. "The embassy has many guest suites and a dining room, where you can get your meals. The embassy staff will see to your needs during your visit."

"Oh!" Lyra said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting this level of hospitality. We're more than willing to cover our costs."

Dio'Lorn smiled. "You'll find that the Beast-Kin nation works a little different than the others. You'll be our guests as the council members gather for their audience with you. It shouldn't take more than a few days. Some are outside the capital performing inspections or covering adjudications in their home regions. Our seniormost council member, Bas'Reen Trexis, issued a recall order last night. In the interim, you may explore the capital city. Though to see it thoroughly, you'd need a few weeks at least!"

Alois leaned forwards with a gracious smile. "That is most generous of you, and we're delighted!"

"Excellent!" she said and gestured for some staff to assist with moving their baggage into their rooms.

Gor'Dem and his fellow Guardians announced they would return in the morning as they needed to check in with their leaders at Guardian Headquarters.

Soon, the entire party and the embassy staff were walking through the building's corridors.

"I would like to offer you this room as it's for our special guests," Dio'Lorn said to Alex. "As not one but three Gods have blessed you, I hope they—I mean, you will find this room to your satisfaction!"

Alex blinked at her in surprise. "I-I don't need anything special—Alois! You were the Regent for Thale! Perhaps, you should have the honor!"

The older gentleman chuckled. "I'm no longer a regent. I'm just a guest on your mission. I wouldn't dream of taking this honor from you," he said with a cheeky smile. That smile spread across the faces of the others as Alex struggled to find someone else to give the prime room to.

"Lyra! She's our party leader!" he insisted, but she just shook her head.

"It's a very nice room," Dio'Lorn said as she watched him closely.

He finally gave up and nodded to her. A dazzling smile appeared, and Alex nodded as he slipped inside to leave his luggage by a huge four-poster bed.

It was a lovely room with a large balcony with a breathtaking view. He quickly left to follow the others.

Each of the guests was assigned a room, and baggage was deposited as the group continued onward. They reached the end of the hall and came upon a lovely dining room with an outdoor dining area under a white canopy, which softened the lighting and eased the heat.

"The temperature today is very comfortable, so feel free to sit where you please. The staff will bring you your meals. The fish was caught today and is delicious. It's served with locally grown vegetables. If you prefer red meat, we offer a tender roast of wild boar, caught in the forests west of the agricultural zone. This also comes with the vegetables. Dessert is fresh fruit, also sourced locally."

Delighted expressions were on everyone's faces. Dio'Lorn nodded to Lyra and Alois. "I'll return in the morning at breakfast to give you an update on your meeting with the council. I will also check in with you in the dining room during dinner hour to share any news I may have. My office is near the embassy entrance, and my assistant will direct any enquiries you might have to me."

Lyra and Alois thanked her, and she left with a slight bow.

When they were alone, the ex-regent gave Lyra a chagrined smile. "This is far more civilized than I'd expected and a far better reception than Genthale gives its visiting dignitaries. They put the Humans to shame."

Lyra smiled and nodded. "This is the level to match." She glanced distractedly at Alex, then back to Alois. "Please excuse me. I need to see what's really going on with Alex." The older man nodded, concerned as well.

She spotted the man in question standing by the far edge of the outdoor dining area, staring out at the panorama view of Shalazar. She headed in that direction and raised her hand to stop Dale from joining her. She raised a finger to let him know she'd speak to him soon.

As she walked up to Alex's side, she caught a sad expression on his face, which he quickly hid with a smile when he saw he had company.

"It's a million-dollar view!" he said.

She gave him a gentle smile. "I take it that's a good thing."

"Ah, right. Earth reference," he sighed.

"If it's good, why does it make you sad?" Lyra asked.

Alex looked at her and remained quiet for a moment. "I'm not sad. Not really. There's just so much on my mind at the moment. I'm struggling a little with the scale of the tasks ahead and my worries about dragging others into what could be a very dangerous mission."

"You're dragging no one. We all want to be here. We all believe in the mission. We all believe in you," she insisted.

Lyra watched Alex absorb that and saw his frown return.

"I'm not sure how to respond to that. It feels like madness to put such faith in someone who is clearly flying by the seat of his pants!" Alex sighed.

"You're not wearing pants," she reminded him with a cheeky smile.

"Even worse!" he said with a grin.

They smiled and gazed out at the view for a while.

Lyra slid a quick look at Alex from the corner of her eye. "Would you like to talk about the little stumble with the diplomat?" she asked gently.

Alex immediately shook his head, so she nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder. "When you do, I'm here."

"Thanks," he said to her, but kept his eyes on the view.

Lyra walked back to join Dale and Dystra, who'd been watching from inside.

"How is he?" Dale asked.

Lyra glanced around to ensure they were alone. "Something is upsetting him, but he refuses to open up about it." Dale and Dystra nodded thoughtfully, like they understood, and Lyra glared at them.

"Why is it so hard for men to express their emotions like women do?" she growled.

The two men looked at each other, then stared at her.

"Elves have no such issues... with other Elves," Dystra insisted.

Dale responded. "From my personal experience on Earth as a Human male who was unsure of his sexuality, I found women were quick to judge me as weak when I expressed my emotions. I even faced hostility in some cases. This definitely made me far less inclined to open up. I knew a few men back on Earth who were terrified to show their true feelings to the women they loved and who loved them in return. It was a relief when I realized I was attracted to Dystra, as he understood how I felt and didn't judge me for it." Dale looked over at Alex. "You'd have to ask Alex what his reason is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar to mine. Wasn't his father some kind of commando soldier? Lots of repressed emotions and a need to appear strong there."

Lyra frowned. She couldn't argue with Dale's real-life experiences, but she wasn't willing to accept that as the final answer. "We wouldn't do that to him!" she insisted.

Dale smiled. "Sure, but if he was conditioned to believe you will, why would he try?"

Lyra realized she had no answer to this. She'd have to be patient.

Ti'Nah and Shi'Jax approached, and she turned to them.

The tigress spoke for them with a serious tone. "We will see you tomorrow for breakfast. Tonight, we must meet with the families of the slain Beast-Kin expedition members to give them closure."

Lyra nodded to the two and watched them leave. She remembered having to do this herself in the past. It was a terrible responsibility, but one that shouldn't be delayed.

She hoped she'd never have to do it again.

If Alex's efforts were successful, perhaps no one would.

-=-

Dio'Lorn rushed through the corridors of the council office building until she reached the door for Bas'Reen Trexis. She knew the elder would be in as she'd received a request to report to her after dealing with their guests.

She knocked and heard the elder's voice giving her permission to enter. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her to face the council member who watched her with keen interest.

"Greetings, Elder," she began.

"Greetings, Dio'Lorn. You've met the Human blessed by Agron and his party? I'm curious to hear your impressions," Bas'Reen said eagerly.

Dio'Lorn was surprised by the intensity of the other female's gaze, so she took a moment to order her thoughts.

"Yes, the Human. Alex Frost. I witnessed the three God's marks on his back for Agron, Ffornexa, and Ullentra. I also saw him arrive as an enormous black Therrax and transform back into his Human body. But he's not the leader of the party. This would be a Human-Elf halfling named Lyra Foxglove-Baumer—"

"He's not the leader?" Bas'Reen interrupted in surprise.

Dio'Lorn paused as she looked at the elder. "He's not. He appears to be one of their support members. In this case, he pulls their carriage and wagon in his beast form."

Bas'Reen seemed confused by this fact, so Dio'Lorn continued.

"Our conversation was cut short as Alex seemed to have exhausted himself. He had a moment of dizziness, and Lyra had to brace him to keep him from stumbling."

"Was he angry?" Bas'Reen asked sharply, and Dio'Lorn once more paused to understand the intensity in the elder's voice.

"No... Is something wrong? Something I should be aware of?" she asked Bas'Reen and saw the elder lean back slightly, seemingly now aware of her behavior.

"Wrong? No. There have been some issues in the past with Agron-blessed Humans. I just wanted to ensure he wouldn't prove to be difficult as well," the elder said as she looked away. "What was he doing when this moment of dizziness occurred?"

It was Dio'Lorn's turn to be embarrassed. "His voice had... an interesting tonal quality, and my ears lifted to capture it. He might have been mesmerized by my ears for a moment as he was staring at them, then he stumbled. That's when he confessed to being exhausted."

Bas'Reen was frowning, but Dio'Lorn didn't know what to do to appease that.

The elder suddenly seemed to realize she was upsetting her, as she wiped the expression from her face. "I'm sorry. It was probably as he said."

"Have the other council members indicated when they will return?" Dio'Lorn asked to change the topic.

"Most have, and I believe we'll have everyone back by the end of two days. We'll be able to meet with our guests on the morning of the third," Bas'Reen said with a smile.

"May I pass this information along to the party?" the diplomat asked.

"Yes, please do," Bas'Reen said with a smile.

Relieved, Dio'Lorn nodded. "Was there anything else you needed?"

The elder shook her head. "No, that's all. Thank you!"

With a polite nod, Dio'Lorn left without unseemly haste. She headed for the exit as her workday was over, and she was meeting friends for dinner out at a favorite restaurant. She knew they'd be grilling her about the Agron Blessed Human.

There wasn't much she could share with them as her occupation meant she had to be discreet, and she'd barely spoken with him.

She could say she'd seen him naked, and for a Human, he wasn't hard on the eyes.

She knew the squeals that would elicit from her friends.

Chapter 5

At breakfast on their first morning in Shalazar, Dio'Lorn stopped by to let the party know when they'd probably get an audience before the Council of Elders. This meant the party had a couple of days to fill with sightseeing. She then left to attend to some business.

The party determined it might be a good time to test the waters by going to the largest local Guild Hall to see what difficulty they might have in recruiting Adventurers for their mission. They discussed what they could divulge and what they should keep secret, for now. They also needed information on the potential costs of supplying a large-scale party mission, so this meant a visit to the marketplace to get cost estimates. Once they had their plan of action, they decided to split the tasks.

Ti'Nah would guide Lyra, Dale, Dystra, and Yellsbeth to the Guild.

Shi'Jax would guide Jhaan, Thorn, Joah, and Devya to the markets.

Alois decided he would stay close to the embassy and administrative center. Perhaps he would enjoy their library. If he had the opportunity to speak to any elders in advance of their meeting, he would.

Alex felt that he might be too much of a distraction going with either group, so he suggested he'd stay at the embassy as well.

Plans made, the group split into two, and they waved to Alex as they headed down the road.

Alex sighed and looked around the embassy's entrance to see what he might do to fill his day.

"Alex? What are you doing here all alone?" Dio'Lorn asked as she arrived from one of the side corridors with Gor'Dem and his two subordinates. He'd learned their names at breakfast: Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee, a male and female team.

"The others are visiting the Guild and the markets, so I'm keeping a low profile until we get to meet the Council of Elders," he said, and she smiled.

"You don't need to hide in the embassy. If you'd like, Gor'Dem and I can give you a little tour of the city—just a low-key visit to see some of it. Nothing that would attract any attention," she added to assure him.

Alex looked around the nice but dull embassy lobby and nodded to himself. "Okay. Maybe a site or two."

Dio'Lorn smiled at Alex. "What would you like to see?"

Alex immediately thought of the ships moving through the waters far below. "Could we go down to the water's edge?"

Her face lit up with a delighted smile. "Yes, that's a particularly interesting spot." She glanced down at his sandaled feet and thought they might not be up to long walks. "We'll need to hire a transport as it's a long way down and back up," she suggested, and Gor'Dem nodded, sending Hex'Ray to collect one from the taxi stand on the other side of the embassy.

Alex hustled back to his room and quickly returned with his shoulder bag, which contained his wallet. He thought he might want to pay for lunch instead of freeloading off the embassy. Then he wondered if they accepted currency at all.

Shortly, Hex'Ray returned, sitting on the front bench with the driver of a carriage large enough to seat them all.

The being holding the reins to the oxen-like beast of burden was wearing an eye patch and was covered in slightly iridescent scales, which reminded Alex of Prex'Tan, the one who'd been tarred and set ablaze. That disturbing image flitted by in his mind before he was directed to climb onto a seat behind the driver. Alex chose to sit facing forward, and Dio'Lorn sat beside him with Gor'Dem behind the driver, facing Alex. Tan'Shee rode the back of the carriage to watch for followers.

A cloth canopy covered the center benches, shielding them from the sun's direct rays while allowing them to feel the breeze.

As they set off down the passages between the homes and businesses, Alex took in the sights and enjoyed the scents of cooking and gardens. Dio'Lorn answered his questions as they passed some larger buildings, so he learned what their community bath houses, recreation and entertainment centers, and worship halls looked like.

"Would you like to see the inside of Agron's temple?" Gor'Dem asked with the hint of a smile.

Alex locked eyes with the grinning wolf before answering. "Not this time. It might go to his head."

Dio'Lorn looked at Alex with wide eyes, but he just ignored that.

The streets were busy and got busier the lower they went. Their beast was broad-shouldered and heavy, so people made room for it and the carriage, so they steadily descended through the city levels.

Alex smiled. "I can feel the humidity increasing, and the scent of the ocean is getting stronger."

Dio'Lorn gave him a cautious smile. "I hope you don't find that scent overpowering once we get to the port."

He shook his head. "Humans are practically scent blind. While I can borrow the senses of the beasts Agron lets me transform into, I can always rely on the limited strength of my Human ones to protect me from pungent odors."

Dio'Lorn stared at Alex in surprise, but Gor'Dem looked fascinated. "You can do partial transformations?"

Alex nodded to him with a smile. "Yeah. I'm still learning about it. It's a work in progress."

Gor'Dem continued to stare eagerly, so Alex switched his eyes to the larger, golden, and intense tiger-like eyes of an Azzarra.

Dio'Lorn squeaked in shock, and Gor'Dem's jaw dropped open as Alex switched back.

"I've never heard of anyone having this much control over an Agron blessing!" Gor'Dem asserted.

Alex shrugged. "I received no instructions on what I could or couldn't do, so... I try stuff."

Eventually, they could see the ships up close, but the carriage had gone as far as it could, as the paths along the harbor front were too narrow, winding, and filled with hustling bodies. It was a busy spot!

They parked in what could only be considered a taxi stand, and the driver assured Dio'Lorn he would remain in their service for the trip back to the embassy.

They moved off on foot and saw plenty of commerce being done in the shops and markets along the shoreline. Alex also saw restaurants and bars.

A little further along, ships were moored along the docks, loading and offloading cargo.

He grinned at the scene, as it looked like an Earth movie about the seafaring days of pirates and adventures.

He saw no Jolly Roger skull and bones flags on the masts of the ships, but some ships were quite large.

"So, they take their cargo where?" Alex asked as they walked amongst the workers moving cargo back and forth.

"There are smaller Beast-Kin cities along the coast, and we trade with the Orcs, Elves, and the Dwarves at the ports of their larger coastal towns," Dio'Lorn explained.

"No trade with the Human Nation?" he asked.

The diplomat looked momentarily uncomfortable. "Shipments for them are strictly overland as they're landlocked." Alex nodded as he realized his faux pas. She continued. "The trade we do with the Human nation is limited as relations between us are strained due to past strife."

Alex saw an opportunity to plant the seed of his idea. "I understand. I've not been on this world for long, and what I've seen of the Human nation's system of leadership has greatly disappointed me. While I've met some honorable Humans, I don't consider myself part of their nation." He sighed. "I know we can do better."

Dio'Lorn's eyes widened, and a smile began to appear on her lips.

They were passing the largest ship in the dock, and the area around it was especially busy. Alex stopped to watch the hustle and bustle with a smile on his face, as it was fascinating.

"MELLOS! What the HELL are you doing showing a Human spy around our port?"

The diplomat turned her face to follow the voice, and Alex saw a large Beast-Kin... Lion-man? He was standing at the rail of the largest ship, glaring down at them, a huge mane of reddish fur ringing his toothy head. Pure hate radiated from his large golden eyes.

Dio'Lorn stiffened in rage. "He's not a spy! He's—"

"BAH! You're a fool!" the ship's captain spat, then pointed at Alex. "Toss the spy between the ship and the dock. We'll deal with him ourselves!"

Gor'Dem and his two Guardians were immediately swarmed by dock workers and held back as a huge brute of a Beast-Kin grabbed Alex, flipped him upside down to grab his legs, then threw him against the side of the ship.

The impact dazed him for a moment, then he fell into the shadows and hit the surface of the water.

The shock of the coolness brought his mind back to him, so he reoriented himself and swam toward the light. When his face broke the surface, he took a big gulp of air and stared upward to see some sailors pulling up the ship's bumpers while dock hands hauled on the mooring lines to allow the vessel to crush him against the dock's wall.

There was no way he'd be able to swim to either end of the ship or under it to avoid being turned into a smear.

An image flashed in his head, but he balked as it was too much.

As the massive side of the ship slipped closer, he realized he had no choice.

Just as he went under the surface once more, he heard Dio'Lorn scream.

-=-

Lyra was amazed by the differences between the Beast-Kin's Guild Hall and the one in Genthale. While the Human Guild emphasized the monetary aspect of adventuring, the Beast-Kin Guild directed their energies toward improving the skills of the adventurers to ensure they survived. Achieving success boosted an adventurer's status in their society, and that made them a more desirable mate. That was a far more appealing reward for the Beast-Kin race.

This shone a disturbing light on Genthale's attitude that Adventurers were disposable.

Alex's words returned to her, and she realized this must have been how it seemed right from the start for him. As she'd been born into the environment, she'd taken it as accepted practice. She looked at Dale and could see the tension in his jaw.

"Alex was right," he said to her before she could share her epiphany. She just nodded.

He looked at Dystra and frowned. "Were you aware of how bad the Human Guild practices are?"

The Elf locked eyes with him. "We Elves understand it to be a Human thing. None of you complain, so we assume you all knew and accepted it as the norm."

"What about Grakkesh Harkentoll? He's a dwarf running the Human Guild. Why wouldn't he be aware of it and make efforts to..." Lyra's voice went silent as she saw the expression on Yellsbeth's face. The Dwarf looked like she'd tasted something bad. "What?" Lyra asked her.

"It's true that Humans are far more fiscally incentivized than Dwarves, but don't believe for a second that my people consider all lives equal. Merit is what gives a life value in the Dwarven Kingdom. What you've accomplished for your leaders and the community, and what you've done through your sole efforts to elevate your status, gives an individual value."

She looked away and shook her head. "It's why I left home and traveled to Genthale. I've seen people left outside the mountain city's doors to freeze to death in a flash storm, as they weren't considered valuable citizens. My younger brother Norwess was one."

Lyra's mouth worked silently in her shock. Finally, she found her voice. "So Harkentoll...."

Yellsbeth's smile was brittle. "He sees New Arrivals as meritless until they survive by their efforts. It's the way of Dwarves."

Lyra turned to face Dystra. "Do the Elves feel the same way?"

"All Elves have merit simply by being Elves. We don't involve ourselves in the social dynamics of other nations. How you treat your people is your business," Dystra said with brutal honesty.

"That's an aspect of isolationism," Dale said, and Dystra nodded after a moment of self-reflection.

A Beast-Kin with heavy natural armor plating approached. His face was hidden under a thick ridge of bone above his eyes, and two bone plates hid his face. He was barely taller than their shortest member. But he was wider than any of them. The face plates moved back to expose his mouth.

"Greetings! I'm Guildmaster Fenn'Tas Musi. Welcome to Shalazar. How may I be of service?"

He spotted Ti'Nah with them, and his expression became one of surprise. "Oh, Ti'Nah!" His eyes passed over the group once more. "Is this the party you spoke of during your debriefing?"

She nodded. "Half of them." She noted his eager glance. "Alex stayed back at the embassy as he thought he might draw too much attention."

"Ah, that's too bad. I'm eager to meet him," the Guildmaster sighed, then smiled at the others. "Thank you for bringing Ti'Nah and Shi'Jax back home safe and sound."

"It was our pleasure," Lyra said and made the introductions for her people.

"Now, what can I do for you?" the armored being asked.

Lyra nodded. "We'll be speaking with the Council of Elders in a couple of days to discuss a mission we have involving Wave Crest."

His eyes widened. "A mission?"

She nodded. "Our party is assisting Alex with his mission for Agron, Ffornexa, and Ullentra. He was blessed by these three Gods and given a mission. We're ensuring the flow of new monsters into the underground cities stops."

Fenn'Tas frowned in confusion. "You're going to kill all the monsters? That seems rather... ambitious."

Lyra smiled. "No, we're disabling a portal in the cities that the monsters use to gain access to this world. The existing monsters will need to be killed in the usual way, but at least no new ones will be arriving to replace them."

Again, the Guildmaster seemed confused. "A portal? It's believed the monsters are breeding in the depths."

Ti'Nah shook her head. "Each of the cities has a portal in its lowest levels. Alex shut down the one in GreenTree Dynasty. He's been charged by the three Gods with a mission to do this with the other cities."

An uncomfortable expression came to Fenn'Tas' eyes. "Are you certain of this? Humans have been known to be very convincing... scammers."

Ti'Nah looked like she was outraged by the idea, but Lyra touched her arm to calm her. "I can't deny some Humans are like that, but I also can't deny that Alex has the Blessings of three Gods. I've witnessed Alex using these gifts. I've seen him interact with the Gods in a very direct way, though none of the other Gods do this. They're far more hands-on with him than is healthy for anyone. The only reason he hasn't lost his mind is that Ullentra uses her restoration magic to heal him after they communicate with him.

Fenn'Tas gasped in shock. "They are speaking to him directly in his mind?"

Ti'Nah spoke excitedly. "Alex explained it wasn't words but shared images, concepts, and emotions!"

The Guildmaster stared at them in shock.

"I must meet him!" Fenn'Tas insisted, and Ti'Nah nodded in agreement.

Lyra nodded as well. "Our reason for coming here today, before we meet with the council, is to determine the possibility of creating a super party to head into Wave Crest to reach the first habitat level. It could be six to nine levels down, but with a larger group, we could deal with the enemies in a far more effective way."

Fenn'Tas looked doubtful again. "Larger groups aren't cost-effective. We couldn't get volunteers for such a dangerous mission."

"We reached the eighth level in GreenTree Dynasty because Alex got us there. We left with more artifacts than Genthale's university had money to pay for. So, we can make it cost-effective. We can also bring a supply wagon with us to carry the goods required for the larger party," Lyra assured him.

The Guildmaster watched their confidence and started to believe. "Let's go up to my office to review the member logs to see who might be available."

The party followed Fenn'Tas up the stairs to the second floor and found seats around a wide table where the Guildmaster set his logbooks so they could build the mega-party.

They noticed the incredible view this office commanded of the harbor below. Ships of all sizes were moving across the waters and moored at the docks.

He had a breathtaking viewpoint. Lucky Beast-Kin!

-=-

Trembling with rage and the taste of revenge in his jaws, Captain Zag'Red called out orders to heave on the mooring lines.

When the ship rocked and shook as it suddenly stopped, he smiled as he pictured the Human broken and bleeding as he slowly sank to the bottom—food for the fishes.

Glancing over the side, his grin turned to confusion as they weren't against the dock. There was a large gap, and it was widening rapidly. He looked down at the dockhands and saw them running from the straining ropes tied to the bollards on the dock. The lines were stretched tight, humming, almost beyond their endurance. The sharp, piercing cracks from the ship's mooring pins as they tore away announced they were free from the dock.

Something was pushing the ship back. Something big.

The captain went to look over the side again, but instead, threw himself away from the railing to land on his back as he stared up at the massive head shooting upwards from the water below, its body slamming and grinding against the side of the ship.

The next moments were pure chaos.

The deafening shrieks of rupturing timbers being torn from the ship by the dragon's ridges of sharp, barbed scales.

The screams of his crew as they were slammed to the deck or tossed overboard.

The rapid impacts along the side of the vessel, vibrating it like a drum.

An enormous looming shape was blotting out the sunlight.

Timbers crunched as a vast, clawed hand seized hold of the ship.

A deafening roar was aimed at the heavens above, followed by a brilliant flash of flame.

The radiant heat from the blast was almost painful on the skin.

When Zag'Red was able to focus, he found himself sprawled on his back on the jostling deck of his damaged ship.

The head of a monstrous red fire dragon was thrashing from side to side as if fighting with some unseen foe, and smaller blasts of fire shot upwards.

It shuddered, and the thrashing stopped. Brilliant red light flashed over its head, and the dragon seemed to calm.

Its skull, covered in ridges of jagged spikes, slowly turned and pointed at the ship's deck. Zag'Red trembled as its sharp teeth were too close, and its glowing red eyes seemed filled with hate. It opened its mouth, and Zag'Red braced himself for the blast of fire.

He might have peed himself a little.

"That was... very rude."

Zag'Red jolted from the vibrations caused by its deep voice, and his eyes flew wide.

It spoke?

Five of his crew were dumped onto the deck next to him from the massive, clawed hand of the dragon, not keeping the ship in its grip. They made terrified and pained sounds, but they weren't dead, at least.

"Some of your crew fell overboard. I saved as many as I could find. Your ship is in no state to sail. It looks like a lost cause. If I let go, it will sink to the bottom in seconds," the dragon continued.

"NO! No! Don't let it sink!" Zag'Red cried out as he looked to the terrified faces of his crew around him.

The dragon seemed to scowl at him. "I have no intentions of doing that! I'm no murderer." Its eyes flared with accusation. The vast head turned left, then right, before focusing on him again. "Where do I set it down?"

"The shallows!" his first mate cried out desperately, pointing to a beach further along the shore.

The dragon nodded, then the jolting increased as the ship was carried slowly and carefully along the shoreline, cradled in the arm of the dragon.

As the water became very shallow, the dragon had to stretch out and crawl on its belly until it reached out the arm supporting the ship to set it down on the sand as gently as it could.

It pushed back and sat in the shallows, staring down at the captain.

"Your attempt to murder me was barbaric and unjustified. Agron is extremely pissed at you right now. He really wants me to eat you, your crew, and burn your ship. It's all I can do to resist him. Unlike you, I'm willing to act in a civilized manner. Be warned, though, make another attempt on my life and you're dragon chow."

It snorted a gust of sulfur breath at the captain, then walked away onto the beach on its four huge limbs.

Zag'Red dropped to his ass on the deck.

"Captain? Is he not going to eat us?" the first mate asked with a trembling voice.

Zag'Red blinked in shock at him, then looked back at the dragon. "No. Not today."

-=-

When the building shook from a mighty cry and the sky flashed with red flames, Lyra and her party members raced to the window. Fenn'Tas was at their heels and slammed to a halt as he gazed upon a fire dragon far below, standing in Shalazar's harbor near the port.

"A red fire dragon in Shalazar?" he gasped. "We must evacuate the people!"

Lyra and Dale exchanged glances. "What are the odds?" she asked.

"It has to be Alex," Dale agreed.

"I thought he was staying at the embassy to keep from making a scene!" Dystra snapped angrily.

"Yes, that's what we thought as well. But somehow, he's there, and for some reason, he's a dragon. We need to get to him, now!" Lyra insisted.

She set off at a run, down the stairs and out of the Guild Hall to the street. Ti'Nah and Yellsbeth quickly caught up to run beside her.

"You know it had to be bad if he became a dragon," the Dwarf said.

"I know the fastest route! Follow me!" Ti'Nah added and diverted to head down an alley leading to a lower level.

The rest of their group, including Fenn'Tas, pushed themselves to keep up.

-=-

Alex slowly walked up onto the dry sand, careful not to step on anyone. Most people on the beach were busy running for their lives.

Once he was clear of the water's edge and the other people on the sand, he willed himself back to his Human shape. The effort was once more enormous and painful. As consciousness fled, he saw the sand rushing toward his face.

When he woke, his head was cradled on a soft lap. Dio'Lorn's worried face gazed down at him.

He felt a blanket on him and wondered where it had come from.

"Hello," he said with a weak, little smile.

"Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

He took inventory of his mind and body, and aside from a residual ache from the transformation and a deep weariness, he decided he was. Why he was so tired this time, he wasn't sure.

"Yeah. That's the first time Agron suggested I become a fire dragon," he said, and twitched as he recalled the pain. "That hurt... a lot!"

"Agron suggested it?" Dio'Lorn asked with wide eyes.

He nodded. "I was about to be squished by the ship, and an image of the dragon popped into my head, like a command to be a dragon. If I'd known it would hurt that much, I might have hesitated and died." He glanced to the diplomat's right and saw Gor'Dem speaking with a large group of Guardians, all of them being wolf-like beings. When Gor'Dem heard Alex was awake, he rushed over, and the others followed more slowly.

"How are you, Alex?" the Guardian asked.

"Feeling a little beat up, but I'll live," Alex responded and sat up slowly, tucking the blanket around himself. He looked at his bare feet and realized he'd lost yet another pair of sandals.

His head was still spinning from exhaustion, so he didn't try to stand. "Thanks for the blanket," he said quietly to the diplomat.

"You were naked!" Dio'Lorn squeaked equally quiet.

Alex sat cross-legged, wrapped in his blanket. "Sorry. Changing forms while wearing clothes destroys them. Is there a nearby place where I can buy something to wear?" His expression dropped. His small satchel, with his wallet, was probably in the water. "Shit! My money!"

Hex'Ray showed up holding his satchel. "You dropped your bag when that big guy grabbed and threw you at the ship."

Alex sagged and smiled at the Guardian. "Thank you so much! What a relief!"

Gor'Dem looked out toward the ship. "Did you kill them?" he asked cautiously.

"No. I told him he was rude, and he'd be eaten if he tried to kill me again," Alex explained. He paused. "I collected some who'd fallen off the ship, but I really don't know if anyone died. Sorry."

Gor'Dem huffed out a surprised breath. "Rude. He tried to kill you in a most gruesome way."

Alex held up his hand as he felt Agron's rage pushing at his mind. "Please don't remind me. Agron is still really pissed."

The Guardian standing behind Gor'Dem had more embellishments on his uniform, and his fur had more grey streaks. He might have been someone important and seemed to be losing his patience. He pushed his subordinate aside to address Alex directly. Before he could, a red light flashed over Alex's head, and his headache from the angry God's pushing was gone.

"What... what was that?" the senior officer asked cautiously.

Alex looked up at him. "That was Ullentra using her Restoration Magic on me to keep me sane. Hi! I'm Alex Frost."

"Chief Guardian Pao'Wen Zell," he said, then scowled. "Which God blessed you? Agron or Ullentra?"

Alex looked up into his doubtful eyes. "Both did, as well as Ffornexa. Would you like to see the marks?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he asked Gor'Dem to assist him to his feet and dropped the blanket, showing his ass to the officer.

As he was standing there, he saw Lyra's group running towards them on the beach. A group of Guardians moved to intercept them, acting as crowd control. Alex pointed this out to Gor'Dem, who spoke with his senior officer. Pao'Wen seemed to be in an argumentative mood.

"I'm with their party," Alex called out to him and got a scowl for it.

Alex waved to Lyra and mimed a large shrug. Then he turned to Dio'Lorn. "Could you let them know that I'm okay?"

She nodded and walked toward the party.

Alex turned to Gor'Dem. "Am I being arrested, or can I go?"

Gor'Dem shot him a pained look and turned back to his leader. The argument continued.

Eventually, the officer ran out of steam and left, taking his team with him. This meant Lyra's group was able to join Alex and Gor'Dem, and his two underlings came back as well.

The Guardian looked at him wearily. "They aren't going to press charges against you."

Alex stared at Gor'Dem incredulously but held his tongue as he could see his feelings matched his own.

"Captain Zag'Red will lose his docking privileges for two years, but his ship was destroyed. Unless he has access to another one, which I don't believe he does, this isn't sufficient punishment for attempted murder," Gor'Dem forced out between clenched teeth.

Alex sighed. "Is that it?"

"No. You are to remain at the embassy until you leave Shalazar," Gor'Dem admitted.

Voices were raised in anger and frustration. Alex frowned in disappointment but shook it off as he'd half expected this. He gestured for everyone to calm down.

"I caused a disturbance, a big one, so I'll stay at the embassy. I would have liked to have seen more of the city. But considering I was almost killed on my first visit, maybe I should be okay with this," he sighed. "Let's go back."

They returned to the taxi stand, and Alex was surprised to see their driver was still there. They hired a second one to take Lyra's group and were climbing on board when Shi'Jax and her group arrived at a run as they'd seen the dragon as well.

A third carriage was hired, then they all sat back and enjoyed the scenic tour back up through the city levels. When they reached the embassy, Dio'Lorn was called away with an urgent message.

"Is it dinner time yet? I'm famished!" Alex groaned.

"Soon," Lyra said.

Alex did his best to ignore the complaints of his empty tummy.

-=-

Dio'Lorn stood before Bas'Reen once more.

"A dragon! He became a fire dragon?" the elder gasped in dismay.

The diplomat winced at her harsh tone. "Captain Zag'Red was attempting to crush him between his ship and the dock's wall. Alex had no other choice but to become something larger than the ship to save himself."

Bas'Reen looked at her in confusion. "Why did the captain feel it was necessary to take such extreme measures? What did the Human do?"

Dio'Lorn cleared her throat. "Nothing! Zag'Red accused Alex of being a Human spy. Then he ordered his men to throw him into the water next to the ship. Alex was thrown against the vessel violently and fell into the water. It happened so fast! Dock workers restrained the Guardians with us, and Alex slipped under the surface."

"So, he became a dragon, killed the captain, his crew, and destroyed his ship?" Bas'Reen stated grimly.

"No! Zag'Red and his crew are alive. Some were rescued from the water by Alex as well. Zag'Red's ship was destroyed when the dragon struck the side of it as he surged out of the water. But he kept it from sinking and carried it to the shallow water next to the beach. That's where it remains," she said excitedly.

Bas'Reen was watching the diplomat closely. "You've come to admire the Human?"

Dio'Lorn's mouth worked silently as she was caught by surprise. She pulled her emotions under control and faced the elder, locking eyes with her. "He's shown no sign of ill intent and has demonstrated civil behavior even after being violently attacked. If you believe he's a danger to the Beast-Kin nation, please share your concerns with me so that I may assist you in protecting our people."

The elder seemed like she might speak, then shook her head. "There appears to be no immediate danger. I must caution you to remain vigilant when interacting with Humans. They don't need the Blessing of Deshna to charm those they target for their personal agendas."

Dio'Lorn bowed to show respect for the elder's advice. Bas'Reen nodded, and the diplomat left her office.

As she walked through the corridors, Dio'Lorn couldn't prevent a momentary worried frown from flashing across her expression before she hid it behind professional calm.

What threat did the elder believe Alex might eventually represent?

Chapter 6

The following day, Lyra's party members were back out exploring the city with their Beast-Kin guides as Alex promised to remain in the embassy.

That didn't mean he was alone. He found himself sitting under the canopy in the embassy's lovely patio beside Alois and a growing number of visitors. One after another made their way up the slope to speak to the Agron-blessed Human who'd made such a bold demonstration of his power.

Prominent members of the community wanted to see for themselves who this Human was and what his agenda was for Shalazar and the Beast-Kin.

The previous evening, Thorn presented Alex with some Beast-Kin kilts she'd bought in the marketplace. These would allow him to display his Gods' markings without exposing his naked body. They were lightweight, fastened at the hip with a single clip for quick removal, and hid his private bits when he pulled the hem of his tunic up. He promised himself he'd buy a bunch more and look for the equivalent of a t-shirt before they left the city.

Thorn received many kisses for her gift.

Guildmaster Fenn'Tas Musi was the first to arrive and was fascinated by Alex as Alex was with the armor-plated male.

He answered his visitors' questions as honestly as he could, while also inquiring about Beast-Kin society: how it functioned, the pros and cons of a barter-based system, its strengths and weaknesses (from the speaker's perspective), interactions with other nations, and daily life.

Mid-morning, a disturbance occurred at the embassy entrance, and Alex paused while answering a question, recognizing the raised voices. One sent a brief shot of adrenaline through him as it was Captain Zag'Red. Gor'Dem was a second raised voice, and a third managed to calm the others.

All eyes from the patio turned to watch the doorway where the agitated group arrived.

Alex didn't recognize the sleek black furred being standing next to Zag'Red. He wore a leather vest with many pockets and black leather ankle boots. His black fur covered everything else. Small dark eyes locked on him, and his black nose twitched as if taking the scent of the room.

The image of an ermine slipped through Alex's head, but his body proportions were far closer to a Human's.

"What is going on here? What is this meeting for?" the new arrival snapped.

Dio'Lorn locked eyes with him. "Harbormaster Juur'Elle, this isn't an official meeting. It's just an informal visit between Beast-Kin citizens and our guest, Alex Frost."

"The Human who disrupted business at the port and destroyed the vessel of one of our busiest clients?" Juur'Elle snapped.

Alex snorted involuntarily at the outrageous twisting of the facts. "Are you kidding me?" he growled as he slowly rose to his feet. Zag'Red twitched.

Dio'Lorn shot him a pleading look, so he eased himself back down, though his skin prickled with anger.

The diplomat once more faced the Harbourmaster.

"I was present as a witness to Captain Zag'Red's unprovoked attempt to murder Alex Frost simply because he is a Human. He directed his men to throw Alex into the water between the ship and the dock so they could crush him. At the threat of being killed by Zag'Red's ship, Alex called upon Agron's Blessing to defend himself. This led to the destruction of the ship. It could have led to the deaths of the captain and his crew, except that Alex saved them. If the captain failed to mention the facts of the encounter to you, I could understand why you might misunderstand."

She watched the expression on the harbormaster's face and saw no sign of surprise. He had known the truth but chose to pervert it for his purposes. Her respect for the male was gone. He'd shown his true self.

"What about the lost revenue for the city?" Juur'Elle exclaimed.

"Are you saying there are no other ships that might be able to pick up the deliveries? Isn't that something you should be aware of?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

With a snarl, Juur'Elle spun and stomped his way back toward the exit. Zag'Red looked momentarily lost, then frowned at Alex.

Suddenly, Alex was covered in red scales, a wisp of smoke streamed from his mouth, and red light glowed from his eyes.

Zag'Red's legs gave out, and he dropped to the floor to press his face against the tilework.

"Was the harbormaster getting kickbacks from you in return for prime shipping contracts?" Alex growled low and deep.

The captain lifted his head to stare at his nightmare made real with a shocked expression.

"WELL?" Alex snapped.

"YES!" Zag'Red gasped aloud.

Alex switched back to his Human form and looked toward the Guardians as he waved the lingering smoke away. "Corruption exists where wealth matters more than honor."

Gor'Dem and his team grabbed Zag'Red's arms and hauled him to his feet. "Thanks for the confession," the Lead Guardian said, then looked at Alex. "How did you know?"

Alex shook his head. "I didn't, but the harbormaster was making a lot of effort to recoup his losses and defend the captain. That just seemed suspicious to me."

Fenn'Tas was staring at Alex in excitement. "You can make partial transformations?"

Alex grinned at his enthusiasm. He liked this Guildmaster more than Harkentoll.

-=-

The question period continued into the afternoon after a light lunch was served.

People continued to climb up to the embassy until there was no more seating available. No one was leaving, so people had to be turned away.

Alex enjoyed talking to the Beast-Kin. Their lives bore similarities to the citizens of the Human nation, yet their differences were eye-opening.

Their barter system had a form of currency, as they maintained relationships with those who supported them. As a result, they would go out of their way to return that support or pay it forward to someone their supporter designated. It was a wonderful social networking glue that kept the community connected and running smoothly.

Act like a selfish dick, and you'd find yourself becoming persona non grata and have to move away.

It matched Alex's values, and he wondered if he'd be accepted here.

Then he thought of Zag'Red and Prex'Tan. There was a lot of hostility toward Humans amongst the Beast-Kin. He saw the doubtful expressions on the faces of the visitors. He wasn't blaming them. He'd heard some awful stories.

They finally had to call an end to the event just before the dinner hour, and Alex thanked everyone for visiting. He followed them outside, where a few people had been waiting for hours. He spent another hour mingling with them, then allowed himself to be dragged inside by Gor'Dem, Hex'Ray, and Tan'Shee for dinner.

Lyra was grinning at the happy expression on Alex's face when he joined them at the dinner table.

"Someone had a good day," she teased.

He nodded. "It was wonderful! I love the Beast-Kin people! Sure, there are some duds in the group, like the Harbormaster and Captain Zag'Red, but so many wonderful people like Guildmaster Musi and the shopkeepers.

"It was looking like a regular sermon on the mount," Dale teased.

Alex rocked back from the unexpected comment and stared at the man in shock, his emotions suddenly flaring out of control. "Whoa there, pal! There was no sermonizing involved. Just people talking to people," Alex insisted, and Dale held up his hands in surrender, though his grin remained as he missed the signs of Alex's shifting emotions.

"Just people asking for your words of wisdom about Gods?" Dystra asked with a coy tone.

Alex glared at the Elf but barely managed to hold his tongue.

He suddenly felt another irrational surge of anger, and it caught him off guard. His memories flashed back to his religious upbringing, his mother's blind obedience and harsh criticism of those who didn't follow, his father's silent devotion and firm principles, and then a terrifying gap where he was involved. That fear gave way to anger, which flared into rage.

"FUCK YOU!"

Alex stomped away, his emotions breaking free of his control as fear of the gaping hole in his memories sent his thoughts spiraling. The Gods were stripping away his identity! What would be left if this continued?

The comparison of him to the sermon on the mount sent outrage throughout his being. He wasn't worthy of it!

Did he fail his God and fall into this world to make penance? Is that how he felt about—

Maybe this was Hell! Did... did he believe in Hell?

He knew he believed in the Gods of this world, as they wouldn't stop poking their nose into his business!

He felt a growing pressure as one began to turn its attention on him. He stumbled and went to his knees before a flash of red took his consciousness.

-=-

Lyra saw Alex speaking with Dale and Dystra. He was smiling, then his expression suddenly twisted, and he shouted angrily. The room went quiet as Dale stared at Alex in surprise, and the man rushed from the room.

"What did you say to him?" Lyra asked as she ran closer.

"We just teased him about his sermon on the mount," Dale responded.

She rushed past and turned down the corridor towards Alex's room. She saw him stumble, a red flash, and he fell onto his chest, going still.

"ALEX!" she shouted as she ran up and dropped to her knees next to him.

She touched his neck and felt his strong pulse, but he wasn't responding to her touch or voice.

Dale caught up with the others at his heels. "What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

She looked up at him as she struggled to contain her panic. "The Gods have been pushing his mind too hard. I just saw another red flash."

Lyra held her hands out over Alex's head and closed her eyes as she called upon her healing magic. She found no physical damage, but she knew his mind was struggling with the lost memories he'd sacrificed.

She turned her face back to Dale. "I'm going to enter Alex's mind while he's in this dream state to see if I can heal the instability caused by the missing memories." She turned back to Alex and lowered her hands to touch his head, opening her mind to sink into his thoughts.

"Wait!" Dale said as he reached out to pull Lyra back, but Dystra grabbed him.

"You're too late. You'll hurt both if you break the link now," he scolded.

"He connects to the minds of Gods, and now Lyra is in there!" Dale shouted as he struggled to get free.

"Then let's hope Alex has enough sway to get her healed, too," the assassin insisted.

-=-

Lyra felt like a leaf trapped between tornadoes. Her senses were distorting, overlapping, and she struggled to maintain her calm. Her senses were all mixed up as she tasted sunshine and smelled anxiety.

It felt as if one of the Gods were to focus the tiniest bit on her, she would instantly be vaporized.

Alex floated before her as a white spark, twinkling brightly but dormant. He seemed terrifyingly open to the forces before them. She reached out to him and discovered his mind was aware but not receiving. As if paused, but in a safe way. She wondered how he learned how to do this.

She bound herself to him to get closer.

From his descriptions, she knew how he communicated with the trio. She kept her focus on Alex and opened a slight crack in her mind to broadcast her worry for him: conceptualizing Alex as incomplete because of missing memories and how this jeopardized both him and his mission. She flashed an image of Alex sacrificing his memories for the healing he received.

The might of three titans struck her mind, and she fell silent. Only her mooring to Alex kept her mind from being scraped free.

-=-

Three Gods focused on the image of Alex's incomplete state.

Three Gods knew the despair of losing their one chance to achieve their goal.

Two Gods wondered how this state of becoming incomplete came to be, while the other remained silent.

This break in unity drew attention to itself.

Then the image of Alex sacrificing memories drew their focus.

Ullentra attempted to justify.

Agron's rage exploded at Ullentra's act of sabotage.

Ffornexa's icy calm blocked Agron's rage, then turned his doubt of conviction against Ullentra.

Two Gods demand the third return what she'd taken.

Ullentra insisted that Alex freely sacrificed his memories in return for his life.

Ffornexa insisted they needed Alex alive and whole. She should have asked them for the energy to save him.

There was a perceptible moment of resistance as Ullentra treasured these memories.

Finally, reluctantly, Ullentra restored them to Alex.

-=-

Alex was floating amongst the crispy clouds and prickly heat. He was aware the Gods were raging, but was grateful it wasn't directed at him.

He became aware of the sensation of snowflakes falling on him, each giving him a little sting of cold as it settled into place, finding its home.

When this passed, Alex was filled with a sensation he hadn't felt recently, a clarity and... completeness.

But what he'd lost was still a mystery to him.

A recent memory intruded. Dale's sermon on the mount comment slipped back into his mind, and he unraveled the explosive emotional baggage that had been triggered.

His mother's fanaticism.

His father's stoic and silent belief.

His lapsed worship in the face of a profound love for—

Laura!

Images of her smiling face, cuddling in bed with her, doing their daily chores together, even their school years, all came rushing back, and he realized with horror what he'd done.

His wife! He'd sacrificed his memories of Laura!

What kind of monster would do that?

Her loss struck his heart and mind once more, but now with the weight of his guilt behind it.

He'd given up his memories of a woman he loved more than anyone, even the God he once worshipped.

A thought struck him.

Was that the reason she'd been taken from him?

But... that wasn't the God he'd believed in. Unlike his mother's faith, Alex believed in a merciful and compassionate deity and kept this in his heart—until his wife died.

He curled in on himself as he relived the day he'd found her, the memories fresh and raw once more. The pain of his loss threatened to overwhelm him until he sensed another mind close to his.

The surprise pulled him free from the abyss his despair sank him into, and he saw Lyra floating next to him. She wasn't responding, and he realized her mind had been exposed to the Gods.

Why was she here? What was she do—It was her! She had to have been the one who enlightened the Gods about his incomplete state.

He called out for Ullentra to restore her, but felt a wave of resistance from the Goddess, who was resentful for giving back his sacrifice.

Alex threw himself wide open to the Gods, sharing everything he was with them. This threatened to destroy his mind, forcing Ullentra to use her Restoration magic on him and Lyra, as she was bound to him.

He felt himself slipping into a deep sleep from exhaustion. He also felt the duality of loss and love, both equally strong, as they tried to find their place in his heart.

Not far behind was doubt.

Was he worthy of that love?

Had he ever been?

-=-

Lyra woke with a scream and tumbled away from Alex. She shuddered as the last of her link to the three Gods faded. Turning her face, she looked at Alex and tried to recall what had happened, but aside from a sharp prickling sensation fading in her nerves from her exposure to what she could not comprehend, she had no memory of the interaction.

Perhaps it was more accurate to say her mind blocked her from seeing the memories.

She saw tears on Alex's cheeks and wondered if this meant he'd regained his memories.

"What the FUCK were you trying to prove?" Dale suddenly snapped from the tension. "Communing with the Gods destroys minds! You're damn lucky they healed you!"

"They... healed me? Oh! Of course they did," she replied absently.

She looked at Alex again. "Let's put him to bed so he can sleep it off."

Then she discovered she had no energy to stand. The corridor spiraled into darkness as she slumped, unconscious.

"Lyra!" Dale yelled as he surged forward to her side. He saw she was breathing, and her heart was beating, but she wasn't waking up.

Shi'Jax dropped to her knees next to Lyra and held her hands over the woman's head as a soft glow appeared. The Beast-Kin relaxed and looked to Dale. "She's fine. Exhausted and sleeping but otherwise healthy."

Dale cursed silently and ground his teeth. Messing with Gods was incredibly dangerous, but here they were literally hitching their wagon to someone with three Gods holding his reins... tight.

How had Alex put it?

We're on a mission from Gods.

He recalled laughing when he'd heard him say it.

Now, looking down at Lyra, it didn't seem funny at all.

-=-

Luc'San glided in for a landing on the lane outside the home he'd been asked to deliver the letter to. He fluffed his feathers to ease the fatigue he felt. It had been a long journey. His night vision wasn't good, so it was tricky finding the destination, but he'd managed it.

He walked up to the front door and tapped it with his bill.

He heard noise from inside, then the door opened to bring him face-to-face with a large Beast-Kin of the Tiger species. Covered in white fur with black stripes, its vibrant green eyes locked on him as wide jaws filled with sharp teeth curve into a gleaming smile.

"What do I have here at my door?" his deep voice rumbled with a touch of malice.

"A delivery from Genthale to the owner of this abode. Are you that person?" Luc'San managed to ask calmly, hiding his fear. He plucked the letter from his vest and held it out to the large being whose smile began to slip away. Suspicion appeared in those large eyes.

"I am," he said and received the note to read its front.

Luc'San watched as several emotions appeared and disappeared on the large being's features. Excitement and caution were the strongest, and his eyes returned to lock onto the courier.

"I'm to remain until I receive a response, which I will deliver to the author of that note. Success or failure."

The Beast-Kin barely managed to throttle his snarl at hearing the last word. His eyes returned to the letter to ensure he'd missed nothing.

"I'm not running an inn here. You'll have to stay at Molly's. She has rooms to let. Up the street, red awning over the door." The tiger's voice was rough with his suppressed anger. "Come back, this time every night, until I have the response."

"Might I know how many evenings that might entail? My travel allowance is limited," Luc'San asked, and the tiger snarled at this.

"It will take as long as it requires. Your inability to negotiate a better travel allowance is not my problem!" he snapped and slammed the door in Luc'San's face.

Blinking in surprise, the courier walked away from the home, then spread his wings and glided up the street until he found the promised Molly's. Her daily rate for a room was reasonable, so Luc'San could pay for a few days before he'd have to head back to Genthale.

He hoped he'd receive a response in that time.

-=-

Ros'Vex Koor stood in the entrance way of his home and trembled with unspent adrenaline. He'd wanted to gut that courier with his snotty attitude, but the name on the letter made him keep his claws sheathed. There would be a significant reward for completing the mission he'd been offered. He knew he wouldn't turn it down as it was something he loved to do. His people were hunters. It was natural for them to excel in this endeavor, and Ros'Vex was exceptionally skilled at it. He hunted down the wild boar in the forests, not far from where he lived.

Something he didn't make known publicly was that he was also a hunter of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and, on rare occasions, Orcs. Only a small number of significant individuals knew of his true occupation.

He took contracts like the one he'd received tonight and set out into the wilds as he normally did. He'd be away for extended periods while he tracked his prey and killed them with no witnesses. They'd just... disappear. He had wealth stored away in the banks of the Dwarves, the Elves, and the Humans, for the day he decided he'd done his last hunt and wanted to retire.

That was not today.

His new target was a Human with three blessings. This might be his most difficult hunt to date. A thrill rushed through him. This was what he lived for.

His strong blessing from Grolex ensured he was an expert in stealth and close-quarters weapon use, plus archery if a long-range kill was required.

The target was surrounded by blessed individuals, making it far more difficult to get him alone for Ros'Vex's preferred method. He liked to look his prey in the eye as their life slipped away.

Knowing Ullentra was one of the Gods blessing the target meant the first attack had to be devastating enough to make Restoration impossible.

Decapitation at a minimum. Life fled the eyes of the dying very quickly with these.

He'd begin the research phase tonight.

The kill would come soon enough.

Chapter 7

Alex sat on the edge of his bed, staring out the window at nothing, unaware of the beauty of the slowly brightening sky over the ancient caldera.

Instead, his mind spun in circles as he went over the moment he'd betrayed his wife's memory.

He understood he was dying.

He understood his new friends were fighting for their lives.

He also understood that his decision to accept Ullentra's deal ultimately enabled him to rescue them.

But... at that moment, he hadn't known he'd be able to do anything to save them.

He was at the bottom of a very deep elevator shaft.

He hadn't met the mechanized caretakers of the city.

He didn't know they'd mistake him for one of the original inhabitants and assist him.

Alex was lost in the chaos of that moment, trying to find some validation to justify his decision.

He found... nothing.

Moving forward, he examined his memories after the rescue and analyzed his behavior. It made his skin crawl, as if he were watching a stranger pretending to be him.

Incomplete Alex.

Horny Alex, too quick to fuck any willing partner.

His mind wanted to pin some of his behavior on the trio of Peeping Tom Gods, as he was aware of their interest in these interludes, but he knew he had free will when he chose to bed these females. It was his eagerness that felt alien.

From having one partner his entire life to suddenly having many. That troubled him.

He certainly didn't hold any of them responsible for his unfaithfulness.

Alex twitched. The word made his stomach clench.

Another memory flashed into his mind.

Lyra's kiss when he'd returned from the depths of the GreenTree Dynasty.

It was sweet and transcendent. Her need was almost feverish, and he felt like he might soar into the heavens.

Then she pulled back, and her eyes were troubled.

The words he'd said to her weren't coming to him, but she must have realized at that time the terrible thing he'd done.

He now understood why she'd avoided him from that time forward.

He took some deep breaths as he needed to get his head back into the game. He was still linked to the three Gods, and he still had their mission to complete. He didn't know why it was so important to them, but he did know it would improve the lives of the inhabitants of this world if they could finally stop having to face monsters from other worlds after all the portals were closed.

He recalled how work filled his empty days on Earth after he lost Laura.

He had work to do on this world.

It was time to start his day.

-=-

Hallestra sampled the energy from her blessed and felt contentment. The fluctuations in the flow hinted at the arrival of her newly blessed to the world and the perishing of those lost to misadventure or their short lifespans. While they continued to sample from the other worlds, the Humans were their latest emphasis as they'd proven to be useful if short-lived.

The discovery that they could breed with some other races was both surprising and useful, as the hybrids often inherited their blessings with greater strength.

She lightly focused on her collection of hybrids and paused as she felt something she hadn't in a long time.

The energy of another God had touched one of hers!

She would have missed it except this blessed hybrid was one of her strongest, and their connection was excellent.

Cautiously opening her link to the sleeping female, Hallestra ensured she didn't touch her mind but sampled the residue of the foreign energy.

Each God had distinct wavelengths and could be identified this way.

Hallestra closed the link as she pulled back in shock.

It couldn't be, but she couldn't be mistaken. Her blessed had been touched by Ullentra! More startling than that, there were minimal traces of Ffornexa and Agron as well!

Ullentra had used her Restoration magic on Hallestra's blessed hybrid! Ffornexa and Agron were somehow involved in the interaction, which was confusing as all three of these Gods had abandoned their positions in the Pantheon.

The Great Disruption occurred long ago, and there hadn't been any sign of the three since they left the Pantheon to step into the outer realms. It was speculated that they'd perished in that chaotic energy, but now she had proof they'd not only survived but were working together!

It defied all known facts. None of the Gods worked with Agron. His chaotic nature made that impossible. When Ffornexa, champion of order and logic, turned from the others and followed Agron with Ullentra at his side, the Pantheon rocked from the disruption this caused their plane of existence.

It was only the combined efforts of all the remaining Gods, working in unison, that brought stability back to the Pantheon.

She would need to commune with the remaining Gods to inform them of this new information.

She didn't know what it meant, but they needed to find out.

-=-

The Beast-Kin Council of Elders gathered in the large, circular conference room, seated at a desk that ringed the room. This was slightly higher than the petitioner's area, allowing the elders an unobstructed view of each other.

Petitioners to the council walked through a corridor under the room and climbed a ramp to reach a waiting area in the center of the ring. There was an area for petitioners to wait their turn to speak just behind a low-rise platform with a podium at its center, where they would address the council. The speakers also had an unobstructed view of all the elders.

There was an emblem on the desk before them which indicated where the senior member of the Council sat. She had no more authority than the others, but it was her responsibility to maintain order during the meetings. The being seated there introduced herself as Bas'Reen Trexis, and each councillor then took a turn stating their name.

To begin, Alois Charette stood at the petitioner podium, as Lyra's party waited behind him. He introduced himself and explained his role in the party. He also outlined the current power dynamic in the Kingdom of Thale. Then he rejoined the party.

His news was greeted with uneasy grumbles. King Harlen Alvarest was a known quantity, and while not a friend of the Beast-Kin, his policies weren't openly hostile.

Lyra took his spot on the podium and introduced herself and the members of her party. She introduced Alex last, and this was when the senior member stood and pointed at him.

"This is the Human, blessed by Agron, Ffornexa, and Ullentra, who terrified our citizens when he transformed into a Fire Dragon?" Bas'Reen snapped.

Lyra watched her closely before answering in a careful tone. "Alex was at risk of being intentionally crushed between a ship and the dock. He changed to something that would protect him from this. He immediately switched back once the danger was over with no loss of life."

"The Council will question him directly. Now," Bas'Reen insisted.

Lyra opened and closed her mouth, then nodded as she stepped aside, gesturing for Alex to take her place.

When he stood on the platform, he passed his eyes over the gathered elders. Not a lot of friendly expressions.

"You are Alex Frost, blessed by the three Gods I mentioned earlier?" Bas'Reen began.

"Yes—"

"Why were you chosen for such an honor?" Bas'Reen immediately asked.

Alex watched her and glanced at Lyra, who looked worried.

He turned back to the senior. "I don't know. I didn't ask for it. I died on my world and woke up here with the marks on my back. Others have Blessings, but mine are... difficult to adjust to. It's been a struggle to survive on this world since day one."

"It's been reported that you have spoken to our people on a few occasions and are developing something of a following." Her eyes locked on Alex's fiercely. "Are you claiming to have a God given mission to lead the Beast-Kin people to victory against the other nations?" The elder's voice was becoming sharper.

Alex twitched when she said mission, but he was confused by the rest. "Why would the Gods want a war between the nations?"

Bas'Reen appeared frustrated. She frowned like she wasn't hearing what she'd expected.

Alex suddenly caught on, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's happened before? Someone tried to use Agron's blessing to start a war?"

He saw the elder stiffen and knew he'd hit the mark. He shook his head. "Agron would never lead his favored people into such a disastrous war."

Bas'Reen made a rude sound. "Favored people? A Human wearing his mark has the gall to say this? Look around the room and tell me how many you think have his Blessing."

Alex could almost feel her pain. He saw Shi'Jax begin to move closer, but he raised a hand to let her know he knew what she wanted. He wasn't sure if it would help or hurt, but it was worth a try.

"When I first met Ti'Nah, she told me Agron had never blessed one of the Beast-Kin. I wanted to know why, so I asked." He heard scoffing and outraged noises from some of the councillors. "When I arrived at Vastella Station, I talked with the people there, and someone asked me, Why won't Agron bless Beast-Kin? I gave them Agron's answer to me," Alex said as he reached for the memory once more and gave them the God's message.

The expressions on the councillors' faces went from suspicion to confusion, and when he was done, some showed wonder while others swung to open hostility, including Bas'Reen.

"OUTRAGEOUS! You learned a little Beast-Kin body language to try to trick us into thinking you're in direct contact with the Gods?" she shouted. "That would leave you mad! But you must be if you think we'll buy into your deception!"

Alex looked at Shi'Jax and Ti'Nah, who were both staring daggers at the elder. He raised his hand to get their attention and shook his head. He knew the message wouldn't be accepted by those who'd already decided he was a con man. He turned back to Bas'Reen.

"I didn't come to this world of my own free will. I didn't choose which God would give me a blessing, and I certainly wouldn't have asked for this!" He pulled up his tunic to reveal his lower back and slowly turned for all the elders to see. "I've been told no one else has ever had more than one. I don't know why they chose me."

He locked eyes with Bas'Reen. "You're right. I don't have direct contact with the Gods. I'd go mad if I did. I've never spoken with one, but when I'm asleep or otherwise unconscious, they can reach my mind, and we can share impressions and concepts. It's not the easiest or clearest way to communicate, and even this damages my mind, but Ullentra restores it. They're too hands-on, and it hasn't always been a pleasant experience."

Her skepticism was clearly apparent in her tone. "I suppose they've given you a mission. What exactly is its nature?"

Alex took a deep breath and tried to relax. "The clearest objective is to shut down the portals in the underground cities, which are allowing the monsters to enter."

This caused a stir. One of the other elders, a black-furred Mink-like fellow named Jaa'Ruul Dewten, finally chose to speak. "What portals? The monsters breed in the lowest level of the cities. They come up from the depths."

Alex nodded. "They do come up from the depths, but they're not native to this world. The cities have a portal in one of their lowest levels. These lead to other worlds or maybe dimensions, which allow creatures to come through. They need to be shut down."

"What proof do you have of the existence of these portals?" Jaa'Ruul insisted.

"I saw one!" Ti'Nah blurted in frustration.

There was more mumbling and some scoffs. "You say you've been to the lowest level of a city? No one has been lower than the sixth floor of any underground city," Bas'Reen asserted.

Alex caught Ti'Nah's attention and got her to settle down. "I'm not asking you to believe us. I'd never want to attempt to reach the bottom going one level at a time as the monsters get bigger and more savage on each floor."

The council accepted this and grumbled in agreement.

"We just need to reach the first habitation level. Depending on the city, this could be from the seventh to the ninth, roughly."

"I just said no one has ever been below the sixth!" Bas'Reen insisted.

At his gesture, Lyra joined Alex on the podium to speak. "No one has ever taken enough adventurers to overwhelm the enemies in each level."

"Large parties have made attempts before, and none have been successful in retrieving sufficient items to make their effort worthwhile," the second talking councillor said.

Lyra smiled. "No other parties have ever had a Therrax as one of their members. Bringing a monster of our own into the city's tunnels proved to be quite the deterrent for the existing ones."

The senior councillor snorted. "I still don't believe your fantastic story. What's the significance of the habitation level you claim to have reached?"

Ti'Nah snarled in frustration and lifted something out of her satchel and held it up on her outstretched palm.

From Alex's spot on the raised platform, he saw it looked like a glass egg.

It began to glow, and the room's lights dimmed as the egg projected an image of a night sky onto the ceiling above them, which suddenly appeared as an inky black sky. Everyone gasped at the intense beauty and realism. Alex felt like he could reach up and touch one of the twinkling lights.

Ti'Nah closed her hand over the glass projector, and it shut off, allowing the room's lights to return to normal levels.

"I collected this from one of the habitations we entered on the eighth floor of GreenTree Dynasty. It's an ancient device that Genthale's university scholars desperately wanted when I showed it to them. They'd already purchased most of the items we brought with us and didn't have sufficient money left to pay for this. Alone, this would pay for all the expenses we'd have for the mission Lyra's party wishes to do in Wave Crest," Ti'Nah explained, and the room went silent.

Bas'Reen's argument lost some of its steam with Ti'Nah's demonstration, but she wasn't done. "So, your true goal is to take the riches from the city."

Alex shook his head. "No. Shutting down the portals is the mission. If we reach the habitation level, I'll be able to take the necessary steps. The party will then be able to collect sufficient items to gain the status their efforts earned them. It won't take many, as items on this level are extremely valuable." He glanced at Ti'Nah with a smile. "Like Ti'Nah's star projector."

Turning back to Bas'Reen, he sighed as he thought of the work ahead of them. "Then we move on to the next city to shut its portal down. We've done GreenTree Dynasty, as it was in an unclaimed territory. We need to do Wave Crest, then Pinnacle Reach in Dwarven Territory, Resolute Destiny in Elven Territory, Solitude Found in Orc Territory, Victory Plains in Human Territory, and finally Shadow Cape."

Jaa'Ruul frowned. "What is this Shadow Cape? I've never heard of it." He looked to the other elders, and each shook their head.

"It's in the Goblin territory, which is why it's last," Lyra explained.

"Why didn't you do Victory Plains before coming to us? You're a Human!" Bas'Reen insisted as she stared at Alex, whose agitation showed in his body language. Lyra placed her hand on his arm so she could answer this.

She locked eyes with the elder. "As Alois mentioned earlier, the new leader of the Human Kingdom is Ungar Alvarest, who has allowed his fear of change to control him. He arrested us and actively tried to have Alex killed. The Human Kingdom may be almost as hostile as the Goblins."

Bas'Reen grinned in triumph. "So, you are looking for us to challenge the Human Kingdom after all!"

Alex grunted as Agron's patience had run out. He pushed Alex into changing into his Therrax form, but there was no room on the podium. To keep from knocking Lyra off, he leaped sideways mid-transformation and landed on his side, then scrambled to get to his feet.

"No! There must be no war between the nations!" Alex screamed from a Therrax beak. Then he grunted as he pushed Agron and switched back to his Human form, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. Red light flashed over his body, and he toppled onto the floor as a wave of dizziness rushed through him. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes to settle himself. The party rushed to his side.

Bas'Reen stared at Alex like he might explode and kill everyone in it.

After confirming Alex would be okay, Ti'Nah moved closer to the Bas'Reen. "Agron is not known for his patience, and you are sorely testing it! Alex is remarkably strong to be able to resist the God's will as much as he can, but he's no God. If he didn't have Ffornexa's support and Ullentra's Restoration, he wouldn't survive this. Now, maybe you understand why he has three blessings?"

"Y-you're saying that was Agron, not the Human, who lost his patience?" Bas'Reen stammered incredulously.

Ti'Nah nodded with a grim frown. "He told you the Gods are too hands-on. Now, you've seen it."

"These aren't normal Blessings!" Bas'Reen exclaimed.

"I believe Alex mentioned that, as well," Lyra said gently as she returned to the petitioner platform.

The entire Council of Elders looked shaken, so Lyra launched her low-ball appeal.

"Our petition is quite straightforward. We are requesting permission to recruit a large group of Beast-Kin Adventurers to assist with a mission into Wave Crest. We will reach the habitation level. We will shut down the portal. We will open some of the habitations to allow for the collection of artifacts, rewarding those who participate. Then we will leave Wave Crest. The city will still have the existing monsters in its lower levels, but no new ones will be able to enter through a portal. If the council would like to invest in the mission, such as providing food supplies for the people, we will collect extra items from the habitation level as a return on your investment. We await your decision. Thank you," she said with a smile.

She left the platform and returned to Alex, who had reawakened. Shi'Jax returned up the ramp from the corridor below. She had a towel in her hands.

"It was all I could find," she said apologetically.

"Thank you," Alex said, and accepted it. He wrapped it around himself, then picked up his destroyed clothes and sandals. He sighed. Those were his last pair of inexpensive footwear. It was too warm to wear his boots. He'd have to buy more, but could he here?

Taking stock of his situation, he felt the weight of the party's and the elder's eyes on him. He was a loose cannon, causing trouble wherever he went. Why was the party still with him? Why didn't they dump his sorry ass and run for the hills? He didn't feel worthy of being in their company, but after the ordeal of GreenTree Dynasty, he realized he couldn't do this without their help. Were the Gods aware of this? He'd make sure of it the next time he met them.

He returned to the podium, then looked into the eyes of all the elders before bowing toward Bas'Reen. "My apologies for this. It's... difficult sharing a mind with three Gods." He stepped back, and Lyra gestured for him to join the others as they went down the ramp to leave the chamber.

When they exited the corridor into the lobby of the council building, they met Dio'Lorn, who gave them a tentative smile. "You were the only petitioner for this gathering of the council, so they'll be discussing your request immediately and will hopefully give us their decision soon."

Alex felt a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry for making yet another scene—"

Dio'Lorn raised her hand to halt his apology. "I witnessed the meeting, and Ti'Nah's explanation summed up your difficulty quite succinctly. We cannot expect you to tame Agron's aggression. You're doing amazingly well." She smiled at him, her eyes dipped to his chest, and her expression froze as she saw the scars. "Oh, you've been injured? I thought Ullentra's Restoration spell left no scars."

Alex glanced down and unconsciously touched the one Dystra gave him.

Seeing where he touched, Dystra smiled at the diplomat. "I gave him that one to replace Devya's missing lower leg," he said cheerfully. Dale slapped his arm with a frown.

The diplomat's eyes widened in shock and confusion at the odd and gruesome comment. She glanced at Devya, whose grim expression confirmed it was true. Dio'Lorn looked back at Alex, who seemed unhappy about the attention.

Her jaw dropped. "You're serious!"

Alex nodded stiffly. "She won't do it any longer, but Ullentra once allowed me to heal others with her Restoration magic if I sacrificed my pain to her. Those injuries leave scars and the memory of the pain." He looked away. "The other Gods won't let her accept sacrifices any longer." His expression twisted as if he were in pain.

Dio'Lorn's mouth was open, but she seemed to be at a loss for words. She finally managed to regain control and nodded. "Good." She saw Lyra nod and smile in agreement.

Lyra saw that Alex needed some privacy. "That was enough excitement for this morning. Let's head back to the embassy so we can discuss the logistics for the mission, the composition of the super party, and maybe relax with some tea."

She saw relief flicker across Alex's face, then something else. He wouldn't look at her, so she gestured for the group to head for the exit. He led the way as if to distance himself from the events of the morning. She caught Dio'Lorn watching him with concern, then they locked eyes momentarily, and followed the others.

Dio'Lorn casually made her way over to walk with Lyra and began to speak, but Lyra shook her head and tapped her own lips, pointed toward Alex, then touched her ear.

She slowed her walking pace to drop back, and the diplomat slowed as well.

Once Alex turned up a passageway to ascend to a higher lane, this put a wall between them, and Lyra relaxed. "Alex's hearing can be extremely sensitive. I assume you have questions about him?"

Once more, Dio'Lorn's eyes widened in surprise.

"I-I did some research last night in our historical records of Agron blessed individuals from other races. I wanted to know what to expect from Alex's link," Dio'Lorn admitted.

Lyra nodded. "I don't think you're going to find a reference that lines up with his experience. This connection he has is like nothing any of us has ever had. Our blessings give us the ability to do miraculous things, but we have no other interaction with the God who blessed us. They're silent and thankfully so. We were never meant to exist in the same plane of consciousness." Her thoughts briefly touched on the memory of slipping into Alex's unconscious mind.

Then she was aware of Dio'Lorn bracing her arms and looking into her eyes in fright.

"Lyra! Are you ill?" the diplomat gasped.

Blinking to get her eyes to focus once more, Lyra nodded. "What... did you see?"

"I think I should be asking you that question. You stopped speaking, then your pupils dilated completely, your mouth dropped open like you were about to scream, but you remained silent! What caused that?"

Embarrassment rushed through her, but the other woman was insistent. "Oh! Uh, I was trying to heal Alex last night when he fell unconscious. The Gods were interfering with him once more. I linked my mind to his and may have been exposed to them momentarily—but Ullentra healed us both!" she finished in a rush, seeing Dio'Lorn's shocked expression.

Lyra held up her hand to stop the diplomat's protest. "I know, it was a reckless thing to do, but as a healer, I couldn't stand aside when my friend was being hurt by the Gods who blessed him."

Dio'Lorn frowned. "Didn't Alex say he was no longer able to share Ullentra's Restoration magic with his friends?"

"He can if he's in physical contact with someone when Ullentra restores him," Lyra explained. "He's no longer able to let himself be injured intentionally to offer it as a sacrifice to the Goddess for Restoration."

The diplomat shook her head as she tried to process that. "How often did he do this?"

"Once was too many!" Lyra insisted sharply and saw Dio'Lorn watching her reaction closely. She sighed. "Three times. Listen, we all feel very strongly about Alex. He's a good man. He cares for his teammates, and he's saved our lives multiple times."

"Some of your party seem particularly attracted to him," Dio'Lorn noted as she watched for a reaction.

Lyra saw curiosity in the diplomat's eyes, not judgment, so she nodded. "Some have shared his bed." She looked away. "Not me."

Dio'Lorn's eyes widened a bit as she sensed the woman was struggling with something. She decided not to pry any further. Then she recalled something from the Guardian's report on the party's journey from Vastella Station. She'd seek out Ti'Nah for an interview next.

They continued walking toward the embassy, but remained silent, lost in their thoughts.

As the embassy finally came into view, they saw Alex watching for them. Relief passed over his face, then he turned and walked into the building.

Dio'Lorn glanced at Lyra and caught the tail end of a secret smile quickly hidden away.

She wondered at that.

-=-

The Council of Elders was making far more noise than they'd ever made before.

"ORDER!" Bas'Reen finally bellowed to bring the councillors back from their excited states.

There was a split of opinions amongst the group regarding how they should deal with the petition they'd just heard.

Some of the elders had been completely overwhelmed by the Human's demonstration of his interaction with the Gods and demanded that the Council throw their full support behind his mission.

A second group was more cautious about trusting the Human but lusted after the promise of high-value artifacts like the one Ti'Nah had demonstrated.

Bas'Reen found herself in the third group. Those who wanted nothing to do with an Agron-blessed Human or his dubious mission. She admitted to herself that she no longer believed he was a fake. Facing Agron's rage and witnessing Ullentra's Restoration magic at work cleared away those doubts.

The fact was, she was terrified by what he may represent. What agenda did these three Gods really have? Why had they been gone for so long, and what did their mission mean for life on this world?

She needed more information.

"The Gods sent him here for our help! How could we ignore their will? We must assist!" Lia'Will Bronte insisted. She oversaw the management of the Beast-Kin's orchards to ensure the people were fed and the excess was available for trade.

Mio'Fantu Pibbler was her counterpart in charge of managing the grain production fields. She was nodding at Lia'Will. "I, for one, would greatly appreciate any mission that could potentially eliminate monsters from wandering out of the underground city to wreak havoc in our fields!"

Jaa'Ruul was firmly in the third camp. "They've offered no proof of their claims. All we've heard are some incredible stories and a demonstration of an artifact that might have come from Genthale University itself. I don't trust them."

The shouting swelled in the circular chamber until Bas'Reen had had enough.

She thumped the heavy meeting stone against the desk until everyone stopped once more. If she had to use the stone again, a challenge would have to be issued, and none of the elders wanted that.

Scanning the faces of the other councillors, she made a quick estimate of how she expected them to vote based on the gleam in their eyes. She saw most of them were far more excited to have witnessed proof of Agron's presence than were troubled by what it might mean. Not good.

One of the elders who rarely spoke suddenly stood, and all eyes turned to him as the rest went quiet to hear what he had to say.

Azri'Lain Roy was one of their most respected council members. He'd been Shalazar's Chief Guardian for many decades before he retired from the role. His fur was no longer jet black, streaked with silver, as time had replaced the black with more silver until he almost gleamed. He still had a commanding presence when he saw the need, and a strong body to back up any challenge he might face. Serving on the Council of Elders in his twilight years kept his mind active, and there was no questioning his keen intellect when he spoke.

"It would be easy to allow ourselves to be swayed by the excitement of what we've witnessed in this chamber today. In all my years, this is the first time I've been exposed to what could be clear evidence of Agron's presence," he said calmly, his deep voice reaching every ear in the room.

Bas'Reen felt hope when she heard the cautious tone of his words.

He continued. "The party leader expressed her petition clearly, and while it contained some claims we might find difficult to accept based on our own experiences, that's all we have to judge them against. We've been asked for permission to allow them to recruit a large number of our people to accompany them into levels of Wave Crest none of us has ever reached, to attain a goal none of us were aware existed. Shutting down a portal that brings monsters into the city. It almost sounds too fantastic to believe."

There was grumbling and some relieved smiles when he expressed this doubt, but he wasn't finished.

"When I was recalled to the capital to attend this meeting, I immediately reached out to my contacts in the Guardians to begin some research. My experience as a Guardian tells me to examine the facts and study the people making the claims. As most of the party members are strangers to us, I initially focused my research on the two party members with whom we have background information: Ti'Nah Desh and Shi'Jax Reven.

Ti'Nah is young, impressionable, and bold. Yet every reference I read about her in the Guild mission logs claims she is honest to a fault, a keen judge of character, and an asset to any adventurer party.

Shi'Jax is younger still, but in Gio'Dan Ketta's recruitment documentation for their mission to GreenTree Dynasty, he sang her praises as he did for Ti'Nah."

He paused as he looked at the other elders as if assessing them before he continued, and Bas'Reen's curiosity flared.

"I have... contacts in Genthale who brought me word of this party's departure from the city. Their account today lined up with what I had learned independently, so they were honest about that."

Jaa'Ruul made a sound of outrage. "You have a spy network in the Human capital?"

Bas'Reen slapped the desktop to make a sharp sound, and everyone froze. "No reference of the last two statements will be entered into this council meeting's record."

She held Jaa'Ruul's eyes until the male nodded to her, then she looked to Azri'Lain. "Will you continue?"

He nodded with a slight smile. "Thank you." He gathered his thoughts them cast his eyes over the gathered councillors. "The Council of Elders' mission, our purpose, is to protect the Beast-Kin Nation and its people. As this Human, Alex Frost, has already gathered quite a following amongst the people, including Guildmaster Fenn'Tas Musi, I might add, I believe they will have volunteers begging to join them on their mission regardless of our permitting them to do so. The status they will gain from being part of this mission is too great for them to pass up."

More grumbling arose from the councillors at this, but it was subdued as they understood their lack of options.

"Could we not forbid the party access to Wave Crest?" Jaa'Ruul snapped.

"What do you believe the people's response would be to our blocking a mission from Agron himself, as that's the message we would be sending," Azri'Lain snapped back and shut down the other elder.

More grim expressions appeared.

Azri'Lain took a deep breath and let it out to calm himself. "I suggest instead that we agree to their request, conditionally. We allow them to build their super party, and we even invest in it."

The eyes of the elders who were the most interested in the artifacts lit up.

"But we insist they include official representation for the Beast-Kin members of the party. These overseers will have the ultimate say over the safety of the Beast-Kin members. Should the party endanger our people, these overseers will ensure the Beast-Kin return to the surface."

"You've already indicated the Human has developed a following. Who could we send with them that these adventurers would listen to?" Jaa'Ruul asked.

"I'll go."

Faces turned to see Bas'Reen standing. They swung back to see Azri'Lain smiling at her.

"And I nominate Azri'Lain as well," Lia'Will insisted. "The inclusion of two of our most respected elders will ensure the people keep them from harm as well as themselves!"

Azri'Lain looked at Lia'Will in surprise, then considered her words.

"I see your point and agree," Azri'Lain said with a smile. He locked eyes with Bas'Reen. "Are you ready to go on an adventure?"

Bas'Reen snorted in surprised amusement as they were the two eldest members of the council.

"It will be interesting to see how they respond to the condition of bringing two seniors with them," she responded.

Smiles appeared amongst the council. It seemed like this covered everyone's concerns.

Another success for the Beast-Kin Council of Elders.

-=-

Lyra was preparing for bed when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"Yellsbeth, Thorn, and Devya," came the response.

Lyra opened the door to see the three ladies standing in the hall, their faces filled with concern. She gestured for them to enter and closed the door once they had.

"Sorry to disturb you so late, but we're worried about Alex," Yellsbeth began.

Lyra nodded as she'd watched the man during dinner and saw he wasn't doing well.

"He's lost his smile," Thorn added, and Lyra believed that was an accurate assessment.

Yellsbeth nodded to her sister, then she shook her head as something was bothering her. "When we first convinced him to share our bed, it felt like he was beginning to open up to us. After the mission in GreenTree Dynasty, it was like he'd turned a corner or something. He was much more relaxed."

Devya was glancing at the sisters as she hadn't been with Alex that way. She cared for him as she owed him so much for saving her, and she really liked him... but sex?

Thorn's anxiety increased. "Today, it feels like he's back to square one, but far more reserved than before! What's happened?"

Lyra nodded and decided it was time to share her thoughts on this with these women. She'd only shared this with Dale, who likely told Dystra, but that's as far as it would have gone.

"When we met Alex, he was in mourning for his wife, who'd died shortly before he came to this world. He found the strength to open his heart to us. When he fell to the bottom of GreenTree Dynasty, Ullentra demanded a sacrifice to heal him. A large one. I believe that he sacrificed his memories of his wife."

Yellsbeth and Thorn gasped as this shed light on his behavior since the city. Devya gaped at her as she recalled the time she'd spent with him.

Thorn nodded. "That explains his change after the city, but what happened recently to make him so... depressed?"

Once more, Lyra was impressed by how accurately Thorn read Alex's emotional state.

"The gaps in his memory were damaging his confidence. He likely had doubts about the soundness of his mind. You've probably seen him staring off into space or seeming lost. It was getting worse and got to the point that caused him to collapse. I went into his mind to try to heal him. I told the Gods that Alex needed the memories of his wife back to be whole."

"You faced the Gods!" Yellsbeth shouted in shock.

Lyra closed her eyes and shook her head to force back her own memory gap. "No! I intended to send them images of Alex missing crucial pieces of his memory." She paused as shivers ran down her spine. "I have no memory of meeting them, but Ullentra restored my mind.

I believe she also returned Alex's memories. He remembers his wife again, but also that he sacrificed her memories. I think he's feeling guilty about that."

"But doing so meant he was able to save all of us!" Yellsbeth argued.

"He knows, and it's likely the one thing keeping him going," Lyra responded.

The three women were lost in thought as they tried to imagine what he was going through.

"The Gods really fucked with him," Yellsbeth said softly.

"It's too much for one person to endure," Thorn agreed.

Yellsbeth saw the pain in Lyra's eyes and frowned. "You know, you didn't cause this."

Lyra twitched as she looked at the redhead.

Thorn reached out and took Lyra's hand in hers. "You've been extremely supportive of him and even reined him in when he overstepped. We've noticed how much you watch over him, and we're with you all the way."

"What can we do to help Alex?" Devya asked.

Lyra was grateful for her redirection of the conversation. "We'll need to be patient with him as he might be sensitive about his wife's death since the memories returned. Friendly, but not too physical until his comfort level has returned." She looked at the sisters as she said this, and the women nodded seriously. "He needs to know we're there for him and value his company."

She sighed. "Time will heal him, but we'll need to remain vigilant."

"What about Ti'Nah? She seems to enjoy Alex's attention... very much," Devya said with a little smile as she recalled their journey to the Beast-Kin capital.

Lyra smiled as well. "I'll speak to her in the morning. She and Shi'Jax will be having breakfast with us."

"Maybe Dale could speak with Alex about his depression?" Devya suggested.

Lyra recalled Dale's talk on why men avoid discussing their emotional state with women.

She nodded. "That's a good idea. I'll speak to him as well."

She wasn't sure if Alex would be any more comfortable sharing with Dale, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Chapter 8

Alex sat at a table in a lovely roadside café in a shopping district with Ti'Nah, Gor'Dem, Shi'Jax, and Dio'Lorn. Gor'Dem's two shadows were close by. Gor'Dem had arranged with his superior officer to allow this one shopping excursion for Alex, who desperately needed clothes after Agron destroyed them.

At his feet was a satchel containing three pairs of simple but durable, custom-made sandals, four kilts, and five shirts made to fit. It turned out that Shi'Jax's adoptive family were tailors and cobblers. They were delighted to make these items for someone who'd saved the life of their adopted daughter. After he'd insisted on paying, they gave him a very sweet deal.

This was the first time Alex learned how Beast-Kin New Arrivals were accepted into their society.

As they were reborn into a new world, leaving behind their families, each new arrival was matched up with a family of their species, so they'd have immediate support. This was just another function of the Guild House.

Once more, Alex was pleasantly surprised by how much better the Beast-Kin society functioned compared to the Human Kingdom of Thale.

Shi'Jax was spending her nights in Shalazar with her family, as was Ti'Nah. They'd been away for too long.

While Alex was enjoying some shopping, Guildmaster Musi was assisting Lyra, Dystra, Yellsbeth, and Jhaan in a large meeting room at the Guild Hall. They were interviewing volunteer adventurers who were applying for spots on the roster of the super party. There was enormous interest in participating, but they couldn't take everyone.

The Guild had already closed access to Wave Crest until further notice in preparation for their mission. Only two groups were known to have already entered, and both were small party sizes. One was overdue for returning.

Dale, Thorn, Joah, and Devya were working with two members of the Council of Elders to provision the party. Alex hadn't heard which two they were, but there had been hints that they might be joining the group.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Dale had approached him after breakfast to let him know he was aware Alex was going through some troubles and offered to listen if Alex needed to talk it out. He'd gotten a little choked up, then thanked the man, who nodded with a smile and gave him some space.

Alois was in closed-door meetings with several members of the Council of Elders and had already indicated he would wait for their return from Wave Crest to rejoin them.

Alex was attracting a fair amount of attention on the street, but the presence of the Guardians kept the foot traffic moving, if not quickly.

"You aren't going to join the selection process for the party?" Dio'Lorn asked Alex curiously.

Alex smiled and shook his head. "I've only been on one mission since I arrived, and Lyra and Dale have been doing this for years, and manage a party. I have no experience that would be of help to them. I follow their instructions in the field and offer any insights suggested to me by Agron."

That last comment drew their eyes.

"How does that work?" Gor'Dem immediately asked.

"Uh, well... in GreenTree Dynasty, we encountered a large monster with impenetrable scales. Agron dropped an image in my head of a creature I might become to kill it," he said.

"So, you did?" Gor'Dem asked.

Alex grinned. "Actually, no, but that suggestion told me where it was vulnerable to arrows."

Gor'Dem looked impressed, and it seemed like he'd answered Dio'Lorn's question, too.

"When do you think you'll be heading to Wave Crest?" she asked.

Alex shook his head. "Soon, I hope. Agron is always impatient, but he's aware there are circumstances beyond my control. Ffornexa is a soothing presence for both of us."

He looked at Gor'Dem. "How close is Wave Crest to Shalazar?"

He gestured vaguely north-west. "It's a two-day walk to get there... or a one-day run for a Therrax. I suppose we won't be going that fast if we are bringing such a large party."

Alex realized he was right. He tried to imagine such a large party crossing the land toward the distant city. He couldn't wait to see it in person. He assumed he'd be in his Therrax form to pull the supply wagons, and he'd have to maintain a slow walking pace.

He let his eyes scan the area around them and marveled at the brilliant colors that decorated the shops and restaurants. In a way, Shalazar reminded him of pictures he'd seen of the beautiful town of Oia, Santorini, Greece. But, instead of the city sprawling along a cliffside, it was shaped into vast concentric rings, extending from the water below them to a short distance under the upper lip of the caldera.

Instead of whitewashed stone houses with blue roofs, the buildings were painted in bold and vibrant colors, creating an explosion of hues. He knew that when the sun set, the candlelight lanterns would come on and fill the caldera's interior rings with their magical beauty.

"Shalazar is so beautiful! It's breathtaking!" he sighed. A memory flashed through his mind. Snuggling on the couch with a tablet between them, browsing through travel websites, planning a honeymoon they couldn't afford but enjoying the dream, together.

Alex closed his eyes and struggled to breathe as his emotions swelled.

After Laura's death, he'd tormented himself with memories of her until he finally had to push them away, hidden in the back of his mind. Then he could begin to cope with his loss.

Now, it felt like those early days again.

A soft hand settled on his, and he jolted as his eyes opened quickly. He looked at the silver-grey fur of Dio'Lorn's hand resting on his as he gripped the table's edge with white knuckles.

"Why are you crying?" she asked softly.

He pulled his hands back and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I'm sorry. It was just a memory." He glanced at the other concerned faces around the table, and his face warmed with embarrassment.

"Would it be okay if we headed back to the embassy?" he asked.

"Of course," Dio'Lorn said, and the group stood. Alex collected his satchel.

Gor'Dem made some hand gestures, and Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee slipped into position before and after their group as they began walking up the busy lane.

Alex locked a smile on his face as he nodded to the curious onlookers. He forced his memories back and felt a sense of relief as his emotions finally settled.

But his guilt remained.

-=-

Dale was pleased with the assistance their two senior members were providing. Both had been experienced adventurers before taking on new duties as Guardian and Civil Servant. With their familiarity with the dietary requirements of their people, they accurately determined the proper provisions for the mission.

"We'll need three wagons to carry the goods and equipment. They should be linked together so Alex can pull them from the front," he suggested.

Bas'Reen's eyes widened. "Alex will be pulling the wagons?"

Devya smiled. "He's very strong as a Therrax!"

"The wagons will need brake operators," Joah reminded Dale, who nodded and turned back to the councillors. "Should Alex need to respond to a threat, he'll disconnect from the wagons, so the brakes need to be applied by the operators."

"He has no issues with acting as a pack animal?" Azri'Lain asked curiously.

Dale's smile became a little strained as he remembered Alex's struggle with Agron's wounded pride.

"Alex had a little talk with Agron when the God demonstrated his displeasure. They came to an understanding."

Azri'Lain stared at Dale, then shook his head. "It never stops feeling odd to hear people speaking of the Gods as if they were physically present!"

Dale nodded in agreement. "We haven't gotten used to it either."

Bas'Reen spoke quietly with the provisioners, who nodded in agreement before rushing away to begin their tasks. She turned back to the party members. "We'll have the supplies in two days."

"So, we'll leave on the morning of the third day," Azri'Lain said as he looked to Dale to see if this worked for them.

"Hopefully, we'll have our party decided by then. We're going to have to run field drills as we travel to optimize the party member placements," Dale said.

"It's a new scenario for us as well," Bas'Reen agreed.

"Could we meet tonight after dinner at the embassy to begin a review of Wave Crest's layout and our plan to reach the habitation level?" Dale asked.

The seniors nodded in agreement, and Dale smiled in relief. He'd been concerned when they presented their condition that they might become a hindrance. So far, that wasn't the case.

Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain said their goodbyes and left, promising to be at the embassy that night.

Dale smiled at the others. "Let's head back to the Guild to see how the selection process is going!"

With excited nods, they hurried on their way.

-=-

Ros'Vex sat in the last booth by the back wall of a bar in Shalazar, one ring higher than the embassy and two building units to the west. He'd visited several bars the night before in various locations in the city, listening for stories about the Agron-blessed Human, Alex Frost.

In the docks, he heard about Captain Zag'Red's ill-fated attempt to kill the Human and how it cost him his ship, then his freedom. Apparently, the Harbormaster was also in custody.

He heard tall tales of the Human becoming a Red Fire Dragon, and in each telling, it grew larger and more terrifying. How many sailors he'd killed was also a highly contentious subject.

Ros'Vex learned the Chief Guardian ordered the Human to restrict himself to the embassy until he left the city. Today, he'd seen the Human disregarding this order by walking around in one of their shopping districts. There hadn't been an opportunity to dispatch him there, as he had an escort that remained by his side at all times.

He visited three bars around the embassy: one below, one above, and one on the same street as the large building, as he examined it to determine how he would gain access to his target. He was pleased to see there were no security patrols or even locks on the patio doors.

He intended to kill him silently and disappear into the night. He knew he couldn't make him disappear like his previous targets, but that wasn't a requirement on this mission. Jalviere wanted Frost dead and his head as proof.

Ros'Vex was excited just thinking about how close he was to his target.

When it got dark, he'd move to the closed shop two doors over, ease himself down onto the roof of the embassy building below, cross to the other side, enter the target's room from its balcony, and take his head off.

He just needed to wait for darkness.

Chapter 9

Alex's nerves were buzzing, and sleep wasn't coming to him tonight.

The party's mission review after dinner was very helpful, as they'd been presented with a map of the first five levels with hints of the sixth. This represented the accumulated knowledge of the Guild presented by the Guildmaster himself.

Alex was reintroduced to Bas'Reen Trexis, who spent the evening watching his every move. He picked up a strong impression that she didn't trust him—at all.

He got a better feeling from Azri'Lain Roy. The former Chief Guardian had a sharp intellect and seemed willing to keep an open mind, at least.

They made it crystal clear that their priority was the safety of the Beast-Kin citizens who were being recruited for the mission. If they felt their people were being put at unnecessary risk, they could shut down the mission and send them back to the surface.

This was followed by a discussion of what could be classified as necessary or not. Alex's eyes glazed over during this interval.

The constant scrutiny from Bas'Reen finally made Alex flee the room once they called the meeting to a close. He could no longer endure her animosity, especially when he was already disgusted with himself.

From behind his door, he heard knocks from Lyra, Dio'Lorn, and Yellsbeth with Thorn, each worried about him. He'd sent them away with gentle refusals, claiming mental exhaustion.

He remained in his room for hours, lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, but sleep wouldn't come.

Finally, thirst made him get up, strap on his kilt, and leave his room to silently pad down the hallway to the dining room, where a large glass cooler containing spring water and sliced fruit awaited.

He poured himself a tall glass and carried it out onto the patio to the balcony's edge to gaze upon the sleeping city below. Shalazar was beautiful in the sunshine and mystical at night. Looking up at the stars, he sipped his refreshing drink as his mind reached for those distant lights.

Was Earth out there?

-=-

The target wasn't in his room, but the bed was still warm, so he'd been here very recently. Cursing under his breath, Ros'Vex rushed back out onto the balcony and sprang up onto the roof once more. For all his size, he moved silently and prided himself on his stealthy hunting skills.

Motion caught his eye, and he slowly turned to see Frost, alone on the embassy's patio balcony.

He ducked down and moved silently across the roof toward him. When he reached the edge above the doors leading into the dining room, he saw his target's back as the Human stared up at the night sky. Easing himself over the edge, Ros'Vex dropped silently to the floor below and listened. The night remained silent and calm. Drawing his blade, he began to move closer to the oblivious Human.

The near-silent, sudden gasp behind him was the only warning he had. Ros'Vex spun to face a dark-skinned Human female standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear. She suddenly flung up her hand to point at him.

A brutal impact slammed into him, like a wall of spears, stabbing deeply into his body from his shoulders to his knees. The blast launched him backward, and he saw from the corner of his eye his target diving out of his path to avoid being crushed as well.

Ros'Vex's lower back struck the edge of the balcony, and he felt himself being ripped in two.

He crashed onto the roof of the building below, amidst the ice that followed him down.

As he stared up at the stars, he wondered what his target had been looking for up there.

His eyes dimmed as life drained away, so... quickly.

-=-

Devya gasped again and rushed out onto the balcony when she saw Alex lying on his side on the floor.

He was grimacing in pain as she got close and saw the spears of ice in his thigh and calf.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!" she cried.

Alex grunted as he pulled them free and sagged as red light flashed over his injuries.

"It's okay... better this than dead," he grunted.

Lights were coming on, and they heard the sound of running feet. Soon, there was a crowd on the balcony. Dale and Dystra examined the lower half of a body leaning against the balcony wall, punctured by dozens of ice spears which were beginning to melt in the warm air. Joah picked up a wickedly sharp, large knife. Lyra, Yellsbeth, and Thorn immediately came to join Devya beside Alex.

"I didn't see Alex behind the brute with the knife!" Devya gasped as her bottom lip trembled.

Alex pushed himself to a seated position, rested back against the wall, and held her eyes with his. "If you hadn't acted so quickly, I'd be dead. Thank you for saving my life."

The others were peering over the balcony at the roof below.

"Oh! The rest of him is down there," Jhaan said mildly.

Joah looked at Alex. "The next questions are: who was he, and was he working alone?"

Dio'Lorn rushed out onto the patio and looked around at the angry and frightened faces. "What happened?" Then she saw the lower half of a Beast-Kin covered in melting ice. "What?"

Dale approached her. "Assassin. Probably going after Alex or maybe all of us. Who knows?" He glanced at the others, then back to the Diplomat. "Can you contact the Guardians to ask them to put a guard around the embassy?"

Dio'Lorn's eyes were wide with fright, but she nodded and rushed back into the building.

Yellsbeth lifted Alex back onto his feet. He didn't let go until he tested his restored legs and sighed in relief that they held his weight. He felt a little tired from being injured, but there was no pain where he'd been speared.

He passed a thank you to Ullentra but felt no response, thankfully.

"What were you doing out here on the patio?" Dale asked him.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to get a glass of water and some fresh air with a view," Alex said.

"Same here," Devya added.

Alex smiled at her. "It's really good water."

She hiccupped in surprise, then a grateful but shaky smile appeared on her face. Alex wrapped his arms around her, and he felt her relax.

"Thank you," he whispered as he pressed his cheek to the top of her head.

She just nodded.

Gor'Dem rushed out onto the balcony with two Guardians they hadn't met before. Dystra gave them a quick situation report, then the two new officers looked over the balcony and rushed away to collect the body's upper half.

Chief Guardian Pao'Wen Zell walked out onto the patio with a grim expression on his face. Two more of his Guardians collected the lower half of the corpse in a tarp and carried it away. Gor'Dem assisted his superior with taking statements as Dio'Lorn returned.

When the two Guardians returned from the lower street, they'd brought the upper body of the assassin in a tarp but left it outside the entrance of the embassy. Everyone followed the Chief Guardian outside to see if he could make an identification.

Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee arrived and spoke to Gor'Dem to get up to speed, then they walked over to view the corpse.

"Wait! I saw him today," Tan'Shee said with a firm nod. The others looked at her as she sorted through her memories. "When you entered the tailor shop, he walked by on the other side of the street. Then he walked past when you stopped in the café for refreshments. I saw no other beings conversing with him during those events, but there might have been another watcher."

One of the Guardians who arrived with the chief stared closely at the still face. "I think he might be from outside the city. When I was a patrol officer for the west slope villages, I think I saw someone who looked like him, but I don't recall which village he lived in. My old partner Jost'Key might know who he is as he's far more familiar with the west slope villages and the people living there."

Pao'Wen nodded to the Guardian. "Collect a squad and find your ex-partner. Locate this one's home and find evidence of who he was, who sent him after our visitors, and if he has any collaborators or partners."

"Yes, sir!" the Guardian said and rushed away.

The Chief looked at Alex and took a deep breath. "Guardian Ladsen will find who the mystery assassin was. In the interim, I will post a guard detail around the embassy. Please remain within the grounds." He looked at the rest of the party members. "As we don't know if he was the only target, I recommend the same for the rest of you."

He gestured to the body, and the Guardians with him lifted the tarps and followed him out of the embassy grounds. They could see other Guardians taking up positions to watch the access routes into the embassy.

Devya pointed upward. "I saw the assassin drop from the roof to the patio. He might have gotten there by climbing down from the street above," she said as she scanned the buildings on the road above theirs. They spotted two Guardians on the embassy's roof investigating a rope they'd just found hanging down from the shop above.

Dystra smiled at Devya. "Good call!"

Alex nodded to her, then looked away from the anxious expressions on the faces of his friends. "We should try to get some rest. The Guardians look like they've got control over the scene, so we should be fine."

He walked back into the building, followed by the others. When he reached his door, Dystra touched his shoulder.

"One moment, please," the Elf said, and he slipped past to rush into the room with his daggers in his hands.

Alex blinked in surprise at this, then stepped inside when he heard Dystra give an all-clear. The magic candles lit up the room.

"What the hell was that?" Alex asked when he stepped inside.

"Did you open your balcony door?" the assassin asked in a serious tone.

Alex immediately looked toward the balcony and saw that it was open. "Uh... no."

Now, everyone was crowding into Alex's room, pushing him further inside as they looked as well.

"The assassin came for you here first, but you'd left your room. He must have returned to the roof and spotted you on the patio," Dystra theorized.

"Maybe he wasn't after me. I mean, how did he know I was in this room?" Alex asked.

"A special room for a special guest?" Dystra teased, and Alex frowned at him. "Think about it. It isn't a great leap to expect an Agron-blessed guest would get the biggest room in a Shalazar embassy. He came into this room and left. What does he do next? He ignores all the other rooms and moves to the patio to get you. You were his target."

Alex was still frowning, but he couldn't argue with Dystra's logic. It seemed to fit the events. He saw the smug look on the elf's face and sighed. That gave the elf an even wider smile.

"Why are there no locks on the balcony doors?" Yellsbeth asked.

"It's an embassy!" Dio'Lorn said in surprise. "The building is meant to bring together people from different nations for open dialog. Locks speak of distrust and isolation. We've never had an attack at the embassy!"

"Until tonight," Dystra said as he strode over to the door and closed it. "We were extremely fortunate that Devya came upon the assassin when she did. The Gods' mission might have ended tonight."

Alex frowned as he knew Dystra was right about this, too. He hoped the Gods didn't show their displeasure about him being so fucking oblivious. He pushed that worry aside and faced his friends.

"Thank you all. I still think we should get some rest," he said as he gestured for everyone to find their way to the door.

Yellsbeth hooked her thumb toward the balcony door. "Until that door has a lock, you'll be safer not being alone." Her smile appeared. "Lucky for you, your bed is extra wide! Thorn and I will protect you tonight. We're light sleepers, so no one will be able to sneak in to make another attempt."

Alex gaped at the sisters, who just smiled back at him. His eyes jumped to Lyra, who was struggling not to smile. Jhaan and Joah made no attempts to hide theirs.

"Excellent idea!" Dystra said as he guided Dale from the room after the others, with Devya as the last one out.

"Nighty-night, Alex! Ladies!" Devya said as she pulled the door closed after her.

Alex looked at the sisters again nervously, and Yellsbeth held up her hands. "We get it. No funny business tonight. We'll make sure we get some decent sleep."

He nodded, then moved toward the bed.

"We promise not to take advantage of you. You can get comfortable. We are," Thorn said softly, and Alex looked back to see they were already naked.

"Ah," he managed, then sighed and tugged off his kilt before climbing onto the bed.

Yellsbeth and Thorn disabled the magic candles, then slipped onto the bed on either side of him.

When they cuddled against his sides, he had a moment of concern, but they kept their promise and sighed as they relaxed.

It took longer for Alex, but in the comfort of their embrace, his mind silenced the angry voices and finally let him sleep.

-=-

Luc'San was woken by the sound of a wooden door being shattered. His eyes widened as he heard shouts, but his brain finally caught up, and he realized the noises weren't nearby. They echoed slightly as if crossing a distance and bouncing against the house he was in. He peered out the window and saw nothing, but the noises continued.

He slipped on his courier vest, left his room, and went downstairs to the front step, where he saw his host, Molly, standing in her housecoat as she looked up the street at something.

"Good morning," he said politely, and she glanced at him with a curious eye before facing her morning entertainment.

"It's not such a good morning for one of my neighbors," she finally responded.

"Really?" he asked.

She sniffed and spat onto the street. "Guardians. Lots of them."

This made his neck feathers prickle. "Whatever are they doing?"

"Looks like a raid to me. Ros'Vex Koor's place. They busted his front door right in." She frowned. "I think he's back from hunting, so he should be home, but I hear no roaring. Strange."

Luc'San didn't need to hear any more. With a polite nod, he stepped down from the front porch and walked away from the noises the Guardians were making behind him. When he felt he had sufficient distance from the house, he gracefully beat his wings and took to the skies.

The previous day, he'd done a little reconnaissance flight over Shalazar and spotted the large carriage parked before the embassy. As the brute he'd delivered the letter to was a hunter, according to Molly, and the Guardians were currently tearing through his home, Luc'San was fairly certain something had gone wrong with his latest hunt.

He now understood the true nature of the mission he'd gotten himself involved with.

The thought of flying away to live in the wilds crossed his mind, but he was too much of a coward for that. He had no skills for living off the land. He was too dependent on the comforts of civilization. This mission had been easy money so far, and he wanted more.

So, he could fly back to Genthale and report what he'd seen, but he had the feeling it wouldn't be enough. The stinky man wanted proof.

With a sigh, he turned and caught an updraft to begin ascending higher and higher. He'd have to do another flyby at the embassy to see if the Agron-blessed man was still alive.

Then he'd have a response to bring back to Genthale: Failure.

He hoped the smelly man wouldn't take out his frustration on the messenger.

Chapter 10

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, several facts came to light.

The raid on the assassin's home yielded some interesting information. A letter had been burned in haste in a wood stove, but the envelope somehow fell under it and avoided most of the flames. The seal was broken and partially melted, but Alois was brought in as an expert witness to confirm that the stamp was from Genthale. While he suspected it belonged to Jalviere, he admitted he couldn't be certain.

The existence of the letter indicated it had been delivered by messenger, so the Guardians went to the messenger's Guild to investigate. There was no record of an official delivery to the assassin's address. This meant it had to be a non-bonded courier.

Next, they went door to door in the assassin's neighborhood until they found Molly's and learned of a recent guest who wore a courier's vest. This guest had left immediately after, or perhaps during, the raid.

The Guardians also collected three ornate keys. One Alois immediately recognized as belonging to the Bank of Genthale—a key to a private lockbox.

Chief Guardian Zell wanted to know why a Beast-Kin Hunter would have such a thing.

Dystra identified one of the two remaining keys was from the Bank of Elcathelane, in the Elvish capital. He suggested the last one might be from the bank in the Dwarven capital, Kharnthiad. He also theorized that the Hunter might actually be an Assassin by trade. As someone in Genthale had hired him to kill Alex, the evidence seemed to indicate this.

Yellsbeth confirmed the origin of the third key.

The party pushed ahead with the mission and finalized the selection of adventurers for the super party. They had six Saphra-blessed warriors, four Grolex-blessed archers, three Phyrrenz-blessed fire and lightning mages, three Lushella-blessed water mages, three Macrus-blessed earth mages, and two Julliash-blessed sorcerers. To ensure the health of their party, they'd included five Hallestra-blessed healers.

Not including Ti'Nah and Shi'Jax, twenty-six new Beast-Kin party members were very excited to be part of the mission.

Speaking of their two original Beast-Kin members, they were very upset to hear about the attempt on Alex's life and felt guilty about not being there to protect him. He assured them that Devya had done an excellent job in their absence.

Three wagons arrived at the embassy, loaded down with their provisions and camping equipment for the large party.

Dale and Jhaan moved the harness from the carriage to the lead wagon so Alex would have his quick release.

Alex changed into his Therrax form, and they linked the wagons to see if he could manage the load. It was definitely heavier than their coach and single wagon, but he indicated he could manage it.

Then came the morning they were to leave Shalazar.

After breakfast, Alex packed his small satchel of personal items, which he stored on the third wagon.

He'd been sharing his room with the Dwarf sisters since the attempt on his life, but they'd been on their best behavior, so he gradually got past his mental block. He had to admit to himself that it had been difficult to resist the temptation when sleeping next to two naked beauties. He wondered if that urge came from him or the Gods.

As he stood in the entranceway of the embassy, watching the hustle and bustle of the party members preparing to leave, he felt a soft hand touch his shoulder. He turned and looked into Dio'Lorn's golden eyes. She was standing very close, and he was surprised by the intensity of her gaze.

"I-Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No! No, I... I wanted to wish you success on your mission," she said quickly.

He smiled. "Thank you!" He gestured with a hand toward the excited Beast-Kin. "We have a lot of help with this one."

"I-I wish I were coming too, but I have no adventuring skills," she sighed. "I have no blessing."

"You're far safer here," he said, taking her hand between his, and she gasped quietly.

"I'm so sorry you were put at risk in the embassy!" she suddenly gushed. Then she threw her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug.

Her fur felt amazingly soft, but he felt her trembling, so he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a friendly squeeze. She made a sudden purring noise, and his eyes widened in surprise.

The hug was going on as she made no sign of releasing him, so he cleared his throat, and she jolted slightly.

"I really should be taking my spot at the lead wagon," he said, and she finally released him.

"Yes! I should return to my office," she said hurriedly.

"Thank you for your amazing hospitality while we were here. It was above and beyond our highest expectations," Alex said with a smile, and her smile widened.

"You are most welcome! I hope to see you when you return!" she responded, and he gave her a nod.

With a final smile, Alex walked toward the first wagon and saw Yellsbeth sitting on the driver's bench. She'd be operating the brake, which would be helpful on their switchback descent of the outer slope.

Next to her was Azri'Lain Roy. The former Chief Guardian seemed excited to be on a mission. Alex hoped this one wouldn't prove to be too much for the senior.

He glanced back and saw Devya on the driver's bench of the middle wagon with Gor'Dem. Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee were... around, somewhere.

The third wagon's brake was being managed by Dale, who was seated next to Bas'Reen.

Alex looked away before that senior had a chance to pin him with her eyes.

Giving himself a shake, he moved up between the extra-wide shafts and stripped off his kilt. He tied this to one of the shafts so he could put it on quickly once he changed back. He stepped into the harness and looked up to see Lyra smiling at him as she waited to tighten the belly strap. He still felt a little self-conscious standing before her in his naked state, so he willed himself into his Therrax form, and she fastened the final strap as Jhaan ensured the other straps were properly positioned.

"Thank you," Alex squeaked, and the watching Beast-Kin jumped at the high-pitched but loud voice. Nervous laughter spread amongst the party as Lyra and Jhaan grinned back at them.

"Let's go, people!" Lyra called out. "Let's go make history!"

The large party cheered loudly as they fell into step behind the wagons.

Retracing their route back to the tunnel, it didn't take long to get there, but to Alex, it felt like every citizen of Shalazar had come out to watch the parade. When they saw the huge Therrax pulling the wagons, the people cheered and called out Agron's name.

When they stopped at the guard post at the interior entrance of the tunnel, Alex looked back at Azri'Lain.

"That was very different from our departure from Genthale," he admitted.

Yellsbeth chuckled as she recalled the almost oppressive silence of the streets lined with Genthale Knights. They'd seen Alex take out an entire elite squad of Royal Knights in seconds. They were grateful he was being friendly now, but most of all that he was leaving.

"No cheering crowd?" Azri'Lain asked with a little smile.

"Maybe they were cheering in their heads," Yellsbeth offered, and Azri'Lain laughed.

They were given the okay to leave, so they headed into the tunnel, and Alex maintained his pace to let the party walk comfortably.

They took their time descending the mountain, but Alex was grateful when the slope leveled out and the wagons no longer pushed him.

Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee led the way, and the route circled the base of the mountain to their left and the fields to their right. Workers stopped to stare at the remarkable sight of such a large party of adventurers. Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen answered the questions they called out as they went by.

Lyra and Dystra made their way up to walk next to Alex to fill him in on the evening's plan.

While dinner was being prepared at the campsite, they would begin drilling the party in group coordination. Dale had scripted some scenarios against imaginary monsters.

"Will there be any dangers to be concerned about where we'll be camping?" Alex asked.

Azri'Lain answered as he'd been listening. "We'll still be within the territory the Guardians patrol, and there haven't been any reports of rogue monsters, so there shouldn't be any issues tonight. From tomorrow on, more caution will be necessary as we'll be approaching the city."

"Any news on the two groups of adventurers currently inside?" Lyra asked.

The silver wolf shook his head. "No word at all. One party is long overdue for returning, and the other will soon reach their expected exit date."

"We've read the reports on the kinds of creatures we're likely to find inside this city, but if you have any particular advice, I'd welcome your input," Dystra said to him.

Alex kept one of his dish-like ears pointing back to collect information from the senior as they walked and talked.

You can never be too prepared.

-=-

Once dinner was over and everything was packed away, the campsite had an almost party-like atmosphere. The people were thrilled to embark on such an unprecedented mission with someone who had Agron's blessing and the support of two other Gods as well! The bonus of having Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain with them brought everyone's enthusiasm up.

Alex was relaxing, sitting cross-legged on a blanket in a circle of his friends, when Shi'Jax and Ti'Nah returned from circulating through the extended party. He could see their eyes were almost twinkling with excitement. He suddenly noted quite a few of the other Beast-Kin were following them.

Dropping down to her knees before him, Shi'Jax grabbed his hands in hers.

"They need to witness Agron's message for the Beast-Kin!" she pleaded.

Alex froze, then he glanced over at Bas'Reen, whose expression had stiffened.

"I, uh, don't think that's a good idea," he began, and Bas'Reen looked at him sharply with suspicion.

Alex fought off his desire to scowl at the elder. "I wouldn't want to be accused of manipulating the people."

Azri'Lain was watching him and Bas'Reen and saw the impact Alex's words had on her. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

"Do you still believe Alex is faking his link to Agron or intends to use it for purposes detrimental to our people?"

She looked at him sharply but held her tongue.

He saw she was struggling with something. Finally, she looked to Alex. "I do not deny your connection to Agron or the other two Gods. I appreciate your caution in exposing the people to messages from the Gods that might be misinterpreted."

"As I have no idea what Agron's message means, I have to take your word that it could be," Alex answered and got another frown from the elder.

Azri'Lain watched Bas'Reen closely. "I witnessed the message as well, and I don't believe I agree with the idea that it could be misinterpreted. It's a clear statement of love and respect."

Bas'Reen glared at him as she didn't want to be the one to say the words out loud.

"Perhaps it's the medium of the message that taints it?" Alex suggested.

Bas'Reen locked eyes with Alex as he'd expressed her concern exactly. He turned to Shi'Jax. "Maybe you can deliver it."

Ti'Nah, Shi'Jax, Bas'Reen, and Azri'Lain all reacted negatively to this suggestion, and Alex panned his eyes across them, trying to determine what he'd said wrong.

Azri'Lain came to his rescue. "Such messages can only be expressed by their source, as too much is lost in the individual's body language."

Alex's mouth dropped open, then snapped closed. "Could I have added my body language to the message?"

Azri'Lain held Bas'Reen's eyes until the female looked away to face Alex. "No, the message is Agron's. There is nothing of you in it."

Alex was back to being confused, and it showed.

"Give the people the message," Bas'Reen snapped quietly, then she stood and walked away.

Alex looked at Azri'Lain, who nodded with a little smile.

Ti'Nah assisted him to his feet, and he approached the gathered Beast-Kin. All eyes were on him.

"Did you mention to them why I was given this message?" he asked Ti'Nah, and her smile widened.

"Yes! I spoke of the night on the plateau outside GreenTree Dynasty and how you passed my question to Agron. They would really like to witness the God's response."

Alex nodded and once more felt the weight of so much attention on him. He cleared his mind and reached for Agron's message.

He didn't try to understand what his body was expressing, but once it was done, a surge of joy spread among the gathered people.

Alex found himself in the middle of the biggest group hug, and he couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face. Everyone was overjoyed, and he felt a little giddy from the overwhelming sense of happiness.

It took him some time, but he finally extracted himself from the middle and stood to the side.

He held up his hands, and the volume dropped as they turned to listen. That felt a little freaky.

"Everyone get a good night's sleep, as we'll be reaching the city tomorrow and we need to be sharp!"

He waved, and they called out their good nights to him as he turned to head back to his friends.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen were standing side by side, waving at their people with smiles.

Alex's eyebrows rose in question.

"Presenting a unified front," Azri'Lain said quietly for their ears alone.

"Ah, got it," Alex said, and saw that Bas'Reen's suspicion was alive and well.

He didn't have it in him to argue with her anymore tonight.

-=-

Watching the party running drills as they moved through the forest toward the city was fascinating.

When they discovered they were allowed to stow their personal packs on the wagons while they drilled, everyone was delighted. Unburdened by packs, they acted out the mock battles as they progressed through the lovely woods. Dale called out their imaginary attackers, the vectors they were approaching from, and which faction of the party should act to protect them.

A few got a little carried away and used actual magic attacks instead of pretending, but that only happened a few times, and no harm was done except to a few singed branches.

By the time they approached the city entrance, most felt confident that they could work as a team. Some were still a little unnerved by the size of their party. Dale said they'd continue the drills inside, especially in areas with limited space, which would be difficult with their numbers.

Dale had the party stop before they came into view of the plateau before the city entrance. Alex learned this was another common feature of the cities. All were built atop a hill with a flat, open space before the entrance.

The brakes were set on the wagons, and Alex switched back to his Human form to put his kilt back on. He was getting used to being topless and barefoot.

Remembering the ambush they'd faced when they left GreenTree Dynasty, and knowing there was at least one missing party, Dystra slipped ahead to determine if it was safe to proceed.

After an uncomfortably long period, the Assassin returned, and Lyra healed a slash on his arm.

"There's no poison, so you'll be fine," she said.

"Thanks," he said and faced the group. He spotted Azri'Lain. "How many people in the two missing parties?"

"A group of six and a party of nine," the elder said, and Dystra's expression became grim.

"I found fifteen Beast-Kin bodies. There's a party of bandits hiding by the entrance. I counted nine, now eight, two Orcs and six Humans. When they discover their scout is dead, they'll run. We don't have much time to take them out.

Yellsbeth moved in closer with her battle axe, a grin on her face. Jhaan stood beside her with his bow ready.

"We need to flank them, quickly," Dystra said.

"Ride me!" Alex suggested.

Dale looked at Alex and nodded as he put the plan together in his head. "Take Jhaan and Yellsbeth. Bring your bow so you and Jhaan can pick them off if they run. If any of them try to get past you, Yellsbeth can take them out. Joah, Thorn, Dystra, Lyra, and I will attack from the front."

Alex rushed to the wagon to collect his bow and quiver. He ran back and handed them to Jhaan before stripping off his kilt and becoming the Therrax once more. Yellsbeth grabbed his kilt, as he might not want to fight naked.

"Excuse me, what about us?" Azri'Lain insisted.

Dystra grinned at him. "You protect the rest of the party while we exterminate these vermin. We have a particular hatred for cowards who ambush parties."

Dale pointed to where he should go, and Alex waited until Yellsbeth and Jhaan had a good grip on his fur before he rushed down a path that should take them up the far side to the rise. There were sections with extensive overgrowth, but he pushed through without losing any passengers. When they began to climb, the path widened, and Alex picked up speed. He wasn't running silently, but they'd be there well before their enemy could prepare.

When they heard the rip and crack of a lightning bolt strike the ground, they reached the area just behind the entrance to the city. This was roughly where Gerritt had been when he launched his attack on Lyra's party and probably Devya's as well.

Jhaan slid off one side while Yellsbeth went the other way. She dropped his kilt next to his bow and quiver. Jhaan had already drawn his bow and let fly. The bolt struck one of the Human bandits in the throat as he ran from the plateau.

One down.

There wasn't time to dress, so Alex notched an arrow as he saw one of the Orcs running toward them, fleeing the lightning strikes. He drew and released in a second, hearing Jhaan's bow thump at the same time.

Jhaan's shot struck the Orc's chest slightly higher than where his heart would be. Not a fatal shot.

Alex's arrow hit the other side of his chest and likely punctured his lung.

The huge, green-skinned man sank to his knees. But he quickly lurched back to his feet and charged directly at them, pulling his heavy club from his belt.

Yellsbeth launched herself at the Orc, whose expression flashed to rage when he saw the Dwarf racing closer.

His swing breezed over her head as she dropped and spun, her axe taking his left leg off at the knee. The Orc crashed against the ground, his club bouncing away.

Jhaan rushed past both with his blades in his hands as he went for another Human trying to escape the carnage on the plateau. Metal clashed against metal, then the Human squealed as he fell.

Two down.

Alex watched a green hand fly past his head as Yellsbeth's axe carved the struggling Orc into bits. She finally allowed him a coup de grâce, separating his head from his shoulders.

Three down.

With no more escapees, Alex pulled his kilt on and ran forward with his bow to see if anyone needed assistance.

When he reached the plateau, he saw Joah standing on the second Orc, his sword driven deep into its chest and through its heart. The older man glanced around and smiled at Alex. He was panting, but thrilled that he'd won.

Four down. Both Orcs were accounted for.

One of the Human bandits was a crispy pile of goo, the obvious target of a lightning strike. Two more were lying face down, very likely dead based on the blood splashed around them.

Five, six, and seven down. Eight if you counted the scout Dystra got earlier.

That meant one was... Alex looked around and saw no other bodies. "Did one get away?" he asked.

Dale nodded. "Fast fucker. He ran directly into the city and is probably still going."

"We're going to have to watch for him," Dystra said, and the party nodded.

"Let's get back to the others," Dale said. "Joah and Jhaan, could you remain here to ensure the last bastard doesn't try to sneak away?" They nodded with smiles.

Alex took off his kilt and placed it on top of his bow and quiver. Then he switched back to a Therrax.

"Who wants a ride back to the wagons?" he asked.

"Me!" Lyra called out first, and everyone looked at her in surprise. The tips of her ears showed a deep blush.

Alex stretched out, and she climbed on, gripping his fur tightly.

He stood and padded his way back down the slope faster than the others, so they were the first to crest over the next rise and see the Beast-Kin party waiting there.

Lyra smiled at Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen. "We've cleared the bandits out. One male Human bandit has fled into the city, so please ensure everyone is aware of this danger." The two leaders nodded.

Alex settled down to let Lyra ease herself to the ground. Then he moved to the lead wagon, switched to Human, eased into the harness, and switched back to Therrax. She got his belly strap for him, then patted his side.

"Thank you, Alex," she said quietly, and he nodded to her.

Once he had people on the wagons to operate the brakes, he started forward and soon enough had the wagons up on the plateau. Dale used his earth magic to clear the battle debris away. The bodies of the bandits were stripped of anything of value and dumped into a pit where Thorn used her fire magic to burn them to ash. Dale then buried the pit.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen inspected the bodies of the murdered Beast-Kin adventurers and collected their IDs. Then they held a ceremony for the dead and buried them so they could return to nature.

They'd set up camp on the plateau, leaving space before the entrance in case something nasty decided to come up to the surface.

Once everyone was settled and dinner prep was underway, Dale and Lyra approached Alex. "It's time to see if the map works," she said.

He nodded. "Bring Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen. I want them to see we aren't hiding anything from them. If the map works, I want them to see that we have a better chance of success than they currently believe."

The two friends thought about that and nodded. They walked toward the Beast-Kin seniors who were speaking with Shi'Jax and Ti'Nah.

Alex collected the map from his satchel and gestured to the other members of Lyra's party to join him as he walked toward the entrance of the city's entry chamber.

He stopped just inside and looked around at the vast, cavernous room. He saw it was very similar to GreenTree Dynasty's entrance with its tall ceiling, smooth tiled floor, and the narrowing tunnel that led deeper into the city. He could see the shadow of a side passage a little further down the hall. Was it similar to the dead-end corridor they'd sealed those dead bandits inside? He shook his head to release that memory.

The others joined him inside, the last to arrive being the elders.

"What's going on?" Bas'Reen asked stiffly.

Alex sighed and looked into her eyes. "When we were in GreenTree Dynasty, we met some of the automated maintenance drones—I'm not talking about the gardener bots that attack in the fields. These machines service the city itself and once served the original inhabitants."

Azri'Lain frowned in confusion. "They'd have to be ancient!"

Alex nodded. "The original people built their machines to last. These were sleeping in the deepest level of the city, waiting for a call from their creators."

"That's too fantastic to be true!" Bas'Reen snapped.

Alex nodded. "Fantastic, yes. But true as well. One of them mistook me for one of the original inhabitants and gave me a map. It told me the map works in all the cities. We're about to find out if that's true."

He opened the tube and slid the map out into his hand, passing the tube back to Jhaan.

The map unrolled into the flat, stiff sheet they'd used before.

"There's nothing on it!" Bas'Reen scoffed, and Azri'Lain frowned at her.

Alex glanced at Dale and Lyra, then looked at the seniors. "It's keyed to my life signs and activates with my touch, but only inside the cities. It won't work for anyone else, anywhere else."

He placed his palm on the center of the sheet, and it lit up, eliciting excited gasps from his friends. Tiny lights danced across its surface, then a schematic of Wave Crest appeared.

"It works!" Lyra gasped happily, and Alex gave her a relieved smile.

He turned to face the stunned elders. "Now you can see what we are truly up against. The portal is down here on the second-to-last level, just above the power generator and control room.

Alex touched the map and enlarged the section he was talking about. Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain gasped in shock.

"How are you doing that?" Azri'Lain asked.

"The map has touch controls, but again, they only work for me. The city maintenance drone programmed this map for my body signature. It doesn't work for anyone else. It won't even activate for anyone but me," he said with a sigh, then zoomed the map out to show all the levels. He examined the controls at the edge of the map and found one he thought might indicate living quarters. He pressed it.

Six levels were highlighted on the map. Alex saw that the seventh through the thirteenth were considered habitation zones.

"Two more levels than GreenTree Dynasty," Dystra noted.

"Far more people lived in this city," Dale agreed.

"The seventh is the one we need to reach on our own," Alex said with a nod. He touched the level, and the map zoomed in, changing to a top-down view of the seventh floor.

"Ah! This is extremely detailed!" Azri'Lain gasped. "What we might have been able to do with such a map during our adventuring days. It makes our maps look like childish scribbles."

"Now is when we tell you about the chief danger of the habitat levels," Alex said.

"A specific breed of monster?" Bas'Reen asked in concern.

"No, the dangers are inside the habitats. The original people were highly skilled experts in many fields of study. Many were scientists who used their homes as their workshops. They were also poets, artists, and musicians. In addition to beautiful art and amazing inventions, some of these rooms also contain deadly chemicals, hazardous materials, and biological poisons. We need to open one to wake the city's maintenance drones to complete the Gods' mission. There is a risk involved in opening that without knowing what it contains, but we have no choice.

Once the drones arrive, I will be able to get their assistance to shut down the portal. Then we can ask them which of the rooms is least likely to contain materials hazardous to biological life. They'll even enter first to confirm it's safe for us. We'll select some of these safe rooms to collect artifacts. Please be aware that the drones are protective of the original inhabitants, so we're not looting the rooms. We inform them that we're reviewing the Master's work to give it purpose. It will be used to enhance the lives of the living and expand their knowledge. They seem to accept that. The people we're bringing into the city with us need to behave properly when they enter the habitats. We don't want to get on the bad side of these drones. We need their help. Can I ask you two to ensure the people receive this instruction and behave?"

Alex watched the faces of the two councillors and saw them struggling to grasp the extent of what they'd seen and been told. They finally nodded in agreement.

"So, the most critical element of the mission is communicating with the maintenance drones," Azri'Lain summed up for them and received a relieved nod from Alex. "Does battling against the gardening drones cause a conflict with the maintenance ones?"

Alex shook his head. "The gardening drones are malfunctioning when they attack. The maintenance drones can fix them. No attacking the maintenance drones."

Bas'Reen was looking at the map hungrily, so Alex handed it to her. Surprised, she grabbed it. The moment he let go, the surface went dark, and it rolled closed.

"Please be gentle with it. We need it to reach the seventh level as quickly as we can," Alex said.

With a sour look, she handed it back to him. He unrolled it and placed his hand back on the surface. When it lit up and displayed the full map, Alex breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a map before? In front of the rest of the Council of Elders?" Bas'Reen asked suspiciously.

"If we had and it didn't work in this city, what would you have thought of us then?" Lyra intervened before Alex lost his temper.

Azri'Lain frowned at Bas'Reen. "Could we have a moratorium on the hostility? We need to plan our course, and with this map, we'll have a great advantage over previous missions!"

She still looked grumpy, but she nodded to the other elder. "Apologies."

He scowled at her. "Don't apologize to me."

She blinked, then turned to face Alex. "My apologies for my rudeness."

Alex heard the beginnings of sincerity in her voice, so he nodded politely. "I understand where your concern comes from. I hope our actions will be able to assure you of our integrity."

Bas'Reen looked a little uncomfortable but nodded to him in return.

Gor'Dem walked over with his two Guardians, and their faces showed their shock when they saw the map.

"What is that?" he gasped.

Azri'Lain smirked at him. "It's just a complete map of the entire city," he said blandly.

"How­­..." he began, then saw the smile rising on the ex-Chief's face. "No, really!"

Alex took pity on him. "The city maintenance drones in GreenTree Dynasty gave me this. It only works inside the cities. All the cities."

"It only works for him," Bas'Reen added. Alex heard the disappointment she wasn't trying to hide.

"It should help us reach the seventh level where the habitation levels begin," Alex said.

"Seven levels?" Gor'Dem said uneasily.

Lyra smiled sympathetically and patted him on the arm. "Don't set any expectations until you see how it goes with the first three. Trust me on that."

He held her eye and saw her confidence. That made him feel better, and he smiled with a nod.

"Have the people been informed of the bandit who fled into the city?" Azri'Lain asked the Lead Guardian.

Gor'Dem nodded seriously as he got back to business. "Yes, Chief. Everyone will be on alert for him."

"We're going to review the map and plan our route for the first level," Azri'Lain said, and caught Lyra gesturing to him that they'd be doing two. He looked questioningly at her and saw her nod. "First two levels. Then, we'll come speak with the others to fill them in."

Gor'Dem smiled at the party and nodded before heading back to the Beast-Kin party, who were setting up their tents.

"You aren't expecting everyone to run through the city levels, are you?" Azri'Lain asked with a troubled expression.

Lyra and Dale shared a smile, then he answered. "We found that having Alex as a Therrax acted as a deterrent for being attacked, especially on the upper levels. We'll move cautiously, prepared to defend, but the initial levels should go by quicker than you're expecting. That was our experience in GreenTree Dynasty. It might be different here, but we don't think it will."

Alex sat cross-legged with the map laid out on the floor before him, and the others settled in around the map. Everyone had a clear view, so Alex tapped on the top level, and it switched to a top-down view of what they'd find there.

"Let's begin."

Chapter 11

Luc'San was close to exhaustion when he sailed down to land in the backyard of the address the stinky man gave him. The air currents on the way back from Shalazar this time had been all wrong for using his magic, but he alternated between layers to find optimal conditions.

It was late afternoon when he arrived, but he had no idea what the man did or where he went during the day. No one answered his knock on the back door, so he settled onto a cushion and let himself drift off into a deep sleep.

"Wake up!"

Luc'San jolted awake to see the stinky man glaring at him from the open back door. The yard was dark with the hint of dawn on the horizon, so he'd been asleep for hours. He stood.

"The r-response..." he stammered and tried to get his unsettled feathers to lie flat again.

The man waited for him impatiently.

"The target is still alive. I don't believe the hunter is," Luc'San said.

"Did you read the message you delivered?" the man growled.

"I would never do that!" Luc'San said, ruffling his feather indignantly.

A suspicious frown appeared on the man's face. "Then how do you know?" he asked carefully.

"The Guardians raided his home, so I believed his mission might have failed. His neighbor claimed he was a hunter and should have been home at the time of the raid, but he didn't seem to be. I knew I shouldn't return without a response, and you would want proof. So, I flew to the location where the target was staying in Shalazar. I saw him on the embassy's patio, alive. There was also a large blood stain on the roof of the building below that wasn't there when I flew by the day before."

Luc'San saw the man was upset, but it didn't appear to be directed toward him, so he continued.

"While this may be circumstantial evidence, it seemed sufficient to assess that the response to be delivered was that he failed," he said, and went quiet as he watched the agitated man.

"Fuck."

Luc'San felt relief when the man's response was limited to the disgusted exclamation. Then the stinky man focused his attention more closely on the courier. "You did very well for having so little information. I'm impressed."

"I'm a courier. The fastest one available. I don't need to know more than what you need to tell me to complete a delivery."

The man smiled, and Luc'San leaned back slightly as the subtle stench increased.

A small pouch of coins landed on the ground before his feet. He picked it up and felt its weight. It was pleasantly heavy.

"I can see you're exhausted from your journey. Get some more rest. I'll have additional work for you soon," the man said and turned to walk back inside the home.

Luc'San nodded and dropped himself back to the cushion. He'd get some food after the sun came up.

Fatigue dragged him back down into sleep.

-=-

The news that the assassin had failed to kill Alex Frost made Gordier livid for two reasons. Foremost was that Frost continued to be a threat!

Second, was that they'd lost a very valuable tool. Ros'Vex Koor was the silent knife that certain, well-connected Human nobles used to maintain their positions in society and authority. Gordier was aware that Koor also worked for similar individuals within the Dwarven and Elven kingdoms. To date, there hadn't been any cross-national assassinations... that Gordier was aware of, at least.

The loss of this tool would be distinctly felt by those who depended on it.

While he was frustrated that the assassin had died, Gordier's contingency plan for Koor's failure was already underway.

Lady Escarion notified him that her mercenaries were on their way to set up an ambush near Wave Crest with the Orc war party.

Gordier wished he could be there to see the brutal demise of Alex Frost and his party.

He'd send the courier to join them to verify that the entire party had been killed this time.

-=-

The Pantheon wasn't a physical construct. No stone, steel, or glass was used in its creation. It wasn't built upon high mountains or reside in the clouds.

It was simply an agreed-upon concept to facilitate a convergence of thought and maintain temporal synchronicity. The Gods defined it and ensured it remained untouched by the chaos of the outer realms.

When Hallestra sent her request for a congress of all Gods, it couldn't happen immediately, as each followed their own timeframe, but they did receive the request and noted the urgency of the call.

Each reached for the Pantheon and arrived simultaneously. There was no grand hall or ring of thrones, as they did not need such things. All acknowledged their arrival.

Attention turned to Hallestra as the request was hers.

"Agron, Ffornexa, and Ullentra exist," she stated.

Phyrrenz flared like her elemental force, a flash of light and heat. "Evidence!" she snapped. Hallestra noted the God was in their female state now. Why they'd linked this to the seasons of the main continent of the world was lost on Hallestra. The God/Goddess/Neutral of Passion had taken the trio's abandonment the hardest, and that wound had not yet healed.

Grolex, the God of Perception, was far calmer and seconded the request to perceive the evidence.

Hallestra created a copy of the moment containing her experience of sampling the foreign energies on her blessed one. She offered this up to the gathering of Gods and felt them each absorb it.

Shock and turbulence shook the Pantheon as each experienced the event and recognized the energies that had been missing for so long. Energies they thought lost to the raging chaos surrounding the Pantheon.

"They live!" Saphra exulted with a mighty warrior's cry of exultation.

Wavesh's astonishment and wonder washed over the others as the God of Luck hadn't expected such a surprise and was delighted.

Lushella sent waves of relief through the collection at the idea of the trio's survival.

Macrus, the God of Earth, remained cautious as the proof was limited to this one example.

Julliash, the Goddess of Intellect, felt an almost feverish curiosity about how they'd achieved this. It was thought to be impossible to interact with the blessed of another God. They were all but invisible and intangible to the others. Yet here was evidence of the three being in touch with Hallestra's blessed.

A thought came to her. "Hallestra, have you lost this blessed as a result of their interference?"

All Gods focused once more on the Goddess of Inspiration.

"No. She lives, unharmed."

Another ripple of disturbance went through their gathering.

Grolex offered a possible answer. "Could Ullentra have restored her?"

This calmed the group as the logic made sense to them. It seemed like another mystery, and they remained unsettled by this extraordinary event.

Ophrax, the God of Change, posed a question. "What does this signify?"

Hallestra contemplated the God, another which switched between male and female states based on an arbitrary rule of the world's moon phases. Well, it seemed arbitrary to Hallestra.

His question rang like a bell through the consciousnesses of the gathered.

"We need more evidence," Macrus insisted.

Hallestra was thinking the same. "Search your blessed for examples of these energies. If it happened to one of mine, they might have interfered with one of yours," Hallestra suggested, and another ripple of unease went through the gathering.

Julliash felt a spike of excitement as something came to her. "It was thought to be impossible for us to interact with the blessed of others, but as Grolex suggested, an exception might be Ullentra's Restoration powers, which can have an area of effect capacity. However, this means she has brought someone to the world and blessed them."

Grolex picked up the thread. "And for there to be signs of Agron and Ffornexa, they must have blessed the same being as well!"

"That's not possible!" Phyrrenz argued again.

Deshna, Goddess of Charm, sent a ripple of gentle amusement through their connection. "So was surviving in the terrible energies of the outer realms. Yet here we are, faced with the evidence of their continued existence and potentially collaboration. It also means they brought someone to the world seemingly outside the established method. I felt no evidence of their energies involved in the influx of a new consciousness brought to the world."

The other Gods immediately reviewed their memories for the last sensation of the trio's energy in a collection, and none occurred after the Great Disruption.

"How!" Phyrrenz exclaimed.

"We need to determine if any of our blessed have felt the touch of the trio's energy. This will help us find the blessed they brought to the world," Grolex instructed.

Hallestra was confused by this. "We don't have the capability of perceiving the blessed of others. How will we perceive the thrice blessed?"

"One step at a time," Grolex urged. "That which was impossible may find resolution with additional evidence. Be thorough with your review, but be gentle with your blessed as we may need to intervene through them."

"We will reconvene once the search is complete," Hallestra suggested and felt their agreement.

The Gods left the Pantheon as they had a task to do.

Chapter 12

The mood amongst the super party was optimistic as they'd reached their camp at the top of the ramp down to the fourth level far quicker than any had expected.

While Alex had picked up the scent of the last Human bandit, they hadn't found him yet. As they progressed through the levels, he caught the smell occasionally, so he was still out there, just ahead of them. Alex marveled at the bandit's continued survival and the odds of him choosing the same path they were following. They'd passed many side routes the bandit might have slipped into to allow the large party to pass by so that he could race for the surface. The deeper they went, the less chance the bandit had of surviving the way back on his own.

The presence of a Therrax in their group seemed to serve as a deterrent against the smaller threats they might have faced at these higher levels.

That wasn't to say they hadn't encountered any monsters.

At the beginning of the third, a large group of beetle-like creatures rushed at them from the side passages. Huge scythe-like mandibles clacked menacingly as their six legs accelerated the chitin-covered bodies forward.

Immune to fire, it was quickly discovered that ice and cold crippled them. While their chitin armor proved effective against the party's archers, swords, axes, and hammers were still effective in killing them.

None of the party perished, but Lyra and her Hallestra-blessed team quickly healed those who were injured.

Before they reached their campsite, Alex was surprised to detect the Human bandit's scent once more. Somehow, he'd avoided the beetle creatures. He passed the word that the threat still existed.

Alex left some Therrax scent at the passage entrances off the entrance of the fourth level, then returned to camp. He apologized to the Beast-Kin with a sensitive sense of smell, but they all agreed it was a small discomfort compared to being ambushed in the night.

Seated in a circle with Lyra's party, the two seniors, Gor'Dem and his two fellow Guardians, Alex stretched his muscles, which ached just a little from pulling the wagons. He saw Yellsbeth watching him with interest, which returned a memory of their first night together. He felt a familiar tingle and tried to ignore it.

"The fourth level in two days! We are moving much faster than I expected!" Azri'Lain asserted with a smile.

Dale nodded. "We were surprised by our pace through GreenTree Dynasty, but I think the larger party size, as well as having a Therrax with us, is helping this time."

"I noticed that the city has far less damage than the last one. Even the mouldings around the walls and doors are still intact," Alex said.

Bas'Reen nodded. "The Beast-Kin wouldn't harvest ornamentation items or fixtures from the city, unlike the other races."

While it felt like a dig, Alex let it slide and nodded to her. He pulled out the map, and they reviewed the layout of the next level.

Azri'Lain's eyes widened as he finally saw the full extent of a level he'd just passed through in his younger years. "The cultivated fields begin on the fourth level. They are exceptionally large. The gardening drones are found here."

"GreenTree Dynasty had malfunctioning drones in this level, so there were no crops," Dale said.

"The most recent reports we received indicated the level was fully operational. Keeping out of the fields is imperative as the gardening drones attack any intruders in their zone," the senior said. "This also means they attack any creatures who invade their space, so the level should be free of other threats unless they keep to the path as well."

They identified their entrance ramp and saw two exit ramps on the map. They reviewed the quickest routes to get to each exit. The slightly longer path to the nearest ramp potentially had an area they could use for setting up their camp before they descended to the fifth level. When they examined the map for the fifth, they saw the longer route's exit also had a shorter route to a ramp down to the sixth. Not a great deal shorter, but it was a welcome discovery.

The group huddled over the map, reviewing scenarios in which they might encounter an ambush from side passages or find themselves boxed in. Dale and Azri'Lain discussed strategies for coordinating the party's members for these scenarios until they agreed on the safest options.

Bas'Reen remained mostly silent during this, and Alex could see she was slowly coming around to the idea that Lyra's party wasn't going to put the people at unnecessary risk. He felt a little relief at that.

He winced again as his shoulder muscle tweaked. Yellsbeth moved to sit next to him.

"You seem to be in some pain," she said for his ears only.

He looked into her eyes and saw she was just stating her observation. She wasn't wearing the sexy smile she'd had the previous times she'd asked.

"Uh, yeah. The wagons are pretty heavy," he said.

"If you don't think Ullentra will use her Restoration magic on it, I could give you a massage," she said. "Just a massage," she hastened to add.

He froze as his mind raced ahead. Would the Goddess heal his sore muscles? Something so small wouldn't even draw her attention. A massage would be good, but... did he deserve it? His mood began to dip, and her expression changed as she noticed.

"We can't have our secret weapon at anything less than top condition," she asserted, and he blinked in surprise at her. Then he saw the little hopeful smile at the corners of her lips.

He let out the breath he'd been holding and nodded gratefully to her.

She smiled in relief and nodded. "I'll find you after the review."

He watched her move back to sit with her sister, who sent him a smile as well. He nodded and returned his attention to the strategy meeting. Luckily, they hadn't needed his help with the map while he'd been lost in his head.

Thirty minutes later, Dale, Lyra, Dystra, Azri'Lain, Bas'Reen, and Gor'Dem seemed satisfied with the plan for the next part of their expedition. Alex was able to shut down the map and return it to its storage tube.

Azri'Lain moved to speak with Alex.

"That map is an incredible resource. Having such an accurate representation of each level allows us to prepare the party for each step of the way, reducing the danger for them. I understand this one only works for you and you'll need it for the other cities, but is there any way to make a copy of it that could remain with us?" he asked.

Alex saw his serious expression and knew he was legitimately concerned about his people.

This was a dangerous precedent, one he hadn't fully discussed with Lyra and her party yet. The dangers found in the habitat levels needed to be protected against. Having another copy of the map outside of his control might be dangerous if it got into the wrong hands.

"There might be a way to obtain another map. I won't know until I'm able to speak with this city's maintenance drones. If I am able to obtain another one, it will have to be keyed to one individual's life signs, just like this one. Access to it must be restricted, as the dangers in the habitat levels are too great to allow open access to all," Alex explained.

Azri'Lain nodded as he agreed, then caught a stern look from Bas'Reen. He grinned at the other senior. "We can discuss who'll get the honor of bearing this responsibility later." She huffed at him, but nodded.

The meeting broke up, and people made their way back to their sleeping arrangements. Guard shifts had been assigned, and Alex was off the hook for the night.

Yellsbeth joined him, and they walked toward the tent he'd set up for himself. He slept better knowing he was hidden from view. He had too many eyes on him during the day. The Beast-Kin super party members were quickly becoming his biggest fans as his presence kept the monsters at bay.

Alex slipped into his tent, and Yellsbeth followed him inside. He glanced at her nervously, and she lifted one eyebrow in question before he turned and tugged off his clothes. He stretched out on his stomach and did his best to relax.

When she settled her weight on him, he immediately noted she wasn't dressed either, but he could only moan in relief when her powerful hands began to knead the sore muscles in his shoulders. Soon, he was putty in her hands.

She worked her magic as she moved down his body, and he felt the tension leave his muscles. When she asked him to flip over, she began at the top again, working the tightness out of his chest.

She was also sitting on his cock, which had a mind of its own and began to indicate how much it enjoyed the heat and wetness it was pressed against.

Alex glanced up at Yellsbeth's face and saw she was doing her best to maintain a professional attitude as she continued his massage. She also wasn't grinding herself against him as her hands loosened the knots from his chest muscles. He was surprised and grateful for the sensitivity she was showing for his state of mind, as this was something he'd expect more from her sister. He felt something in his heart ease.

Once more, his guilt slammed into him, and he felt unworthy of this intimacy. He closed his eyes and tried to ride out the swell of his emotions.

Yellsbeth noted the softening between them and glanced at his face to see a tear slip from the corner of his eye.

"Hey... am I hurting you?" she asked softly.

Not trusting his voice, he shook his head once.

"Have I upset you?" she asked cautiously as she began to ease her weight from him.

Instinctively, he reached up and pulled her down over his chest to hug her against his body. When they were in full contact, the emotions he was trying so hard to contain broke free, and his tears flowed.

Yellsbeth held him tight in her strong arms as this seemed to be what he needed. His trembling slowly began to calm as his silent sobs eased.

Finally, she could feel him regaining control of his emotions as his breathing slowed and the gasping faded.

"I... I'm so sorry."

Yellsbeth pulled back to look at him and saw guilt in his eyes. "What are you sorry about?" she asked.

"I-I don't d-deserve this," he stammered after a moment, and his emotions flared again.

She watched him with concern. This was a little beyond her experience, and she wished Lyra were here to comfort him. She'd never been that eloquent with her words when it came to expressing emotions.

"I don't know why you think that. You've been nothing but supportive with us. We all think you're wonderful!" she asserted.

He shook his head stiffly. "I'm not worth—"

Alex tried to pull away from Yellsbeth, but her arms wouldn't budge. She looked him in the eye fiercely.

"What gave you that crazy idea?" she asserted.

"I—I sacrificed Laura's memories to Ullentra!" he gasped painfully as his trembling began once more. Fresh tears fell.

Yellsbeth watched him struggling as the name rang in her head.

Laura? His deceased wife's name was Laura?

That was so close to the sound of their party leader's name! She wondered if there were any other similarities.

She pushed that thought aside to focus on his guilt. Again, she wished Lyra were here.

"You did that to survive. I know it was a hard thing to do, but I thank the Gods you found the strength to do it, as it saved our lives!" she insisted.

His eyes opened a little. "I-I had no way of knowing then that I could!"

She felt a little more comfortable now as she'd had some experience to call upon for life and death situations.

"No. Of course you didn't. I forgive your misguided thinking that you know everything. You're a newbie here. You've little experience with fighting for your life. When you are at the edge of death, praying for the healer to cast their magic over you for one more chance to rejoin the battle and save your friends... the truth is, you're just clinging to life. What you think you'll do with that chance is just fantasy. No one can predict what will happen.

If you have the strength to live, the will to live, that's all that matters in that moment.

It pisses me off that Ullentra took your memories of your wife. I saw what that did to you, and no one should have to experience that. I'm glad you got them back, but I also don't believe you should punish yourself over your decision to live. That's the most honest decision you'll ever have to make."

Alex looked into Yellsbeth's eyes and saw her conviction. She believed in her words, and she believed in him.

He held her tight against his body as he cried once more.

But this time, it was in relief.

They remained this way until sleep took them into its embrace.

Chapter 13

Lyra watched Alex's expression as the camp woke and prepared for the day. She thought his depression might be easing, and the tension lines on his brow weren't as severe. He also seemed calmer, so she sought out Yellsbeth when she had a chance.

She led the redhead off to the side so Alex wouldn't overhear, and saw Yellsbeth also seemed relaxed. "What happened last night?"

Yellsbeth snorted in amusement at the bold question as she watched Lyra's face redden.

"You know what I mean! Alex seems... better this morning!" Lyra continued in embarrassment.

Yellsbeth's smile softened. "Yes. I think he's beginning to let go of the guilt he's feeling about sacrificing the memories of his wife," She watched Lyra's face. "Laura."

Lyra's eyes widened in shock. "Laura?"

"So, you didn't know," Yellsbeth said.

"No! He told me he screamed her name too many times after she died. He never wanted to hear it from his lips again," Lyra said softly as she remembered.

Yellsbeth ground her teeth in anger. "The Gods can be cruel."

Lyra agreed, so she nodded. She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Thank you for helping him past his pain."

Yellsbeth looked away in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, last night I was wishing you were there in my place. I'm glad what I said made him begin to realize his guilt was unwarranted, but I'm sure you would have done a better job of easing his mind." She smirked self-consciously. "I'm more of a body-easing person."

Lyra grinned at her friend and hugged her.

They returned to the task of preparing for the day.

They had levels to traverse!

-=-

Alex was amazed at the difference between the cultivation levels in GreenTree Dynasty and Wave Crest's. These levels weren't barren or damaged in any way. The grow lighting and irrigation systems appeared to be operational, and the fields were filled with rows upon rows of healthy-looking crops. They just seemed bigger!

All this food for a city with no people.

What a waste!

They had instructions to stay on the path, avoid the cultivation zones, and keep watch for the gardening drones.

They quickly determined that one of the benefits of a fully functioning farm level was that the presence of gardening drones eliminated the vermin. They were able to move rapidly along the well-maintained path without any violent encounters.

After they stopped for a midday meal, a scout returned to say they were approaching an area actively managed by the worker drones. She estimated there to be at least forty of them. The party would have to slow their pace to reduce the chance of attracting the worker's attention, but considering their numbers, that might be a futile effort.

Lyra and Dale wanted to avoid a battle at all costs. The seniors, Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen, concurred.

Dale had an idea and turned to Alex. "What if you put on the white gown and approach first? If they recognize you as one of the residents, you may be able to get them to return to the fields and ignore us."

"Do we know if the original inhabitants of this city wore white gowns?" Azri'Lain asked.

Alex blinked at him in surprise, then smiled. "We do not. For all we know, the gown color might be specific to the city, much like the colors of local sports team jerseys. We might start a riot!"

Most of the gathered didn't get the Earth culture reference, but the idea was clear. There was no guarantee this would work.

It was Lyra's turn to offer a suggestion. "What if we move Alex and the wagons to the front so he can try the gown idea if the gardeners turn their attention to us. If that doesn't work, he can switch back to a Therrax and hold them off while we hit the rest with everything we have."

"No lightning!" Dale insisted, and Thorn rolled her eyes as she nodded.

"If I switch back to Human, someone else will need to pull the wagons," Alex said.

They worked out a plan to bring forward members of the Beast-Kin party to take hold of the harness and line the sides of the three wagons to push them forward.

With this plan, the party moved back and allowed Alex to take the lead, pulling the wagons in his Therrax form. As Alex was now taller than anyone else in the party, he spotted the drone workers before anyone else. He noted that four stopped their work and began moving toward the path ahead of him.

Alex immediately switched to his Human form and tugged on the white gown. This signaled the selected people to take their stations around the wagons.

He walked forward and gestured for the others to wait. When he reached the spot where one of the drones would exit, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He'd seen sick versions of these semi-organic workers attacking his friends, and it was unnerving to see fully functioning versions moving toward him. He raised a hand.

"Stop."

When they didn't immediately react to his command, Alex prepared to yank off his gown and switch forms.

The four droned slowed and stopped just before the path and seemed to be waiting.

Alex allowed himself a breath. He recalled how the GreenTree Dynasty maintenance drone recognized him as a Master when he transformed his eyes. He switched his eyes to Paxphillos, then back to Human.

The drones made a series of chirps between them, then focused on him again.

"I'm bringing a group of surface dwellers through. They are with me," Alex said firmly, and the drones chirped some more but made no other moves.

Alex gestured for the party to pull the wagons forward. As they approached, the drones shifted forward slightly.

"Back to work. Go," Alex commanded as he pointed back to the fields. "Tell the others to leave them alone."

The four suddenly turned and moved back up the aisles they'd been working in.

There was a collective release of breath, and Alex was first. He remained on the path, watching for approaching drones as the party slowly moved through the section where the workers were.

When they finally moved beyond the drones, Alex joined the back of the group to ensure they weren't followed.

Joah and Jhaan smiled at Alex. "Glad you were able to talk them out of attacking!" the swordsman said with a grin.

Alex just shook his head with a grin. "I may have talked at them, but they were speaking a language I don't know. I think my hand gestures were more useful."

"We're getting close to the ramp down to the next level," Jhaan said. "Again, we made better time than expected. There isn't much point in camping on this level."

"Yeah, I'd better get back up to the front to guide the wagons down," Alex said with a wave as he began to jog forward.

Suddenly, there was a horrendous scream from the front of the group, and he knew that it didn't come from the throats of the party members.

"Alex!"

He recognized Dale's voice coming from the front and ran faster.

As he reached the first wagon, he saw the downward ramp a short distance ahead. Dale was standing on the vehicle's bench seat, pointing his arms toward the massive creature trying to climb up from the level below. It looked like a grotesquely bloated Thorny Devil lizard, with its body covered in deadly points. The smooth ramp surface was giving it some trouble as the massive, hooked claws scratched for purchase to heave its bulk up to their level.

It screamed again as Dale shot another series of rock bullets at it. Most bounced off its hardened scales harmlessly, and even the ones that struck softer flesh never made it past the surface.

Yellsbeth's battle axe bounced off its leg, failing to cut through the thick armor. The leg in question was currently pinning one of the Beast-Kin swordsmen to the floor with a claw through his upper thigh.

The memory of the armored snake monster they'd fought in the last underground city popped into his head, then a second image pushed its way forward insistently by Agron.

Alex frowned as he locked eyes with the snout of the monster.

"GOD DAMMIT!" he shouted as he yanked off his gown and sprinted toward the creature's maw.

Yellsbeth was backpedaling as fast as she could as she dragged the now free, injured swordsman away from the ramp. Alex shot past her and leapt upwards as the monster opened its maw to scream again.

She watched in fright as Alex suddenly disappeared and the massive jaws snapped shut, cutting off its scream abruptly. It tossed its head from side to side as its throat puffed out.

The Dwarf blinked in confusion and terror. Had Alex just jumped into its mouth?

"ALEX!" Lyra screamed, and Thorn's fireball exploded against the neck of the monster, knocking it back on the ramp but doing no other damage. It was highly fire-resistant, it seemed.

It managed to get a claw-hold on the edge of the ramp and strained to pull itself upward. Half of its bulky body crested the top.

Thorn moved forward and raised her hands, but Dale got to her and stopped her from casting.

"No lightning! You'll draw all those gardening drones behind us!" he shouted over the screams from the huge reptile.

Ti'Nah raised her sword above her head and let out a mighty battle cry before she charged forward.

The spiky lizard raised its head, and its jaw dropped open. Then it arched its head back, and Ti'Nah drove the point of her sword into its throat.

Only the sharp tip managed to get between the scales before it stopped, and a feeble amount of blood splashed out.

The monster twitched to the side, and Ti'Nah was flung from her feet, her sword tugging free from the shallow wound.

"How the fuck are we going to kill this? Alex might still be alive if he was swallowed whole!" Dystra yelled.

A massive boom rang out as the huge lizard suddenly twisted its body and slammed its head against the wall. One of its front legs rose stiffly into the air and stayed there, twitching as its eyes darted side to side. It arched its head back farther and farther until it tipped sideways and fell back, sliding down the ramp belly up.

Everyone rushed forward and stared down at the twitching monster on the floor below, all its limbs now frozen with some form of rigor mortis.

A loud, wet, crunching sound could be heard as something chewed its way out of the creature's ear and fell out of sight on the other side, landing with a thump.

Next, they heard retching as the tiny, toothy beast had transformed back into Alex. He was heaving the contents of his stomach onto the ramp next to the carcass of the massive, but dead, lizard.

"Oh God!" Huuurk!

"So fucking awful!" HOooaackkk!

"Guard the wagons!" Azri'Lain called out to the Beast-Kin party before rushing down the ramp with Lyra's group.

She reached Alex first and saw his face was ashen and his eyes were rolling.

"Alex! Are you okay?" she gasped.

His voice was whisper-quiet. "That was... horrible! I've broken... something in my shoulder and leg."

"Why isn't Ullentra healing you?" Dale asked.

Alex tried to focus on Lyra's face. "Holding her off... bring the injured one... to me."

Dystra surged forward angrily. "For FUCK'S SAKE, Alex! We have healers in the party! Restore yourself first!"

"please...," Alex moaned as he looked into Lyra's eyes.

Joah and Jhaan ran back up the ramp and returned momentarily with the groggy Beast-Kin wearing a bandage around his thigh.

The two shared a look, then turned to the seniors.

"Gently place him against Alex and hold him there," Joah said as they moved the injured male into the elders' arms.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen stared at them in shock as they held up the patient.

"Quickly, please!" Lyra said.

They knelt and gently placed the injured Beast-Kin against Alex's body.

"It's okay, Alex," Lyra whispered as she stepped back, and the tension left his body.

Red light flashed over Alex, the injured male, and the two seniors, who gasped in surprise.

Lyra moved to Alex's side again and saw he was unconscious.

Dale was watching Lyra with a worried expression. "What the fuck was that?" he muttered.

She looked up at him sadly. "I think he's struggling with his self-worth. Give him some time."

"What happened to me?" Azri'Lain asked cautiously.

Joah smiled. "You got caught up in Ullentra's Restoration magic. Feels good for us old farts, doesn't it?"

Bas'Reen made a sound in her shock, and Azri'Lain chuckled.

"I do feel... stronger!" the large Beast-Kin said with a smile, flexing his hands. He looked at Bas'Reen in question, and she glanced at him, then nodded.

"The old aches are gone!" she said.

"A present from Alex and Ullentra," Lyra said as she helped Yellsbeth and Thorn lift Alex to carry him back up the ramp. The restored Beast-Kin swordsman stood on his own, touched his uninjured thigh, then followed the others up the ramp.

Dale was all business again. "Until Alex is back on his feet, we have things to do. We need to clear this ramp, hosing it down would be helpful. The carcass will attract scavengers once it starts to rot, so we should be ready to move the moment Alex is ready. The second option for our basecamp tonight is still a distance away."

"I can wash the floor clean, then turn it to ice so Lyra can push the monster aside with wind. Thorn can then melt the ice and dry the floor with her fire," Devya suggested.

Dale smiled. "That sounds like a plan. Please proceed."

He turned to Azri'Lain. "I've never encountered a creature like that before. Are they more common here?"

The ex-Chief Guardian thought about this for a moment, then nodded with a frown. "Spiky monsters, yes, but I've never heard of any reaching this size. The smaller ones aren't so tough-skinned."

"Killing it from the inside was very smart," Bas'Reen conceded.

They watched as Devya prepared to gently spray down the ramp to clean it off. The massive blast that hit the surface obliterated any sign of Alex's rejected meal and tossed the monster's carcass end over end to crash into the far wall of the landing. She looked back at the group with an embarrassed smile.

"That works, too," Dale offered.

-=-

Alex woke not too long after he was carried back to the wagon. His white gown had been strapped to the lead wagon once more in case he needed to pretend to be a Master again.

Images flashed through his mind of burrowing through the lizard, eating his way through its sinuses to get into its brain to tear it to shreds with tooth and claw. Escaping through its ear was another nightmare scene Alex wasn't spared.

When his shudders finally eased, he opened his eyes to see a Beast-Kin standing before him, his expression wobbling between concern and awe.

"Th-thank you for healing me!" the male finally managed.

Alex gave him a wobbly smile. "I'm sorry you got hurt—"

"It's not your fault, and if it weren't for you and your friends, I'd be dead!" the male insisted.

Alex just nodded, then was enveloped in a hug. After a moment of surprise, he wrapped his arms around him and returned the embrace.

As the swordsman left with a wave, Alex saw that Dale was trying to hide his impatience, so he switched back to his Therrax form and got strapped into the lead wagon's harness. They descended into the next level and set their course for the area they'd flagged as a possible rest spot for the night.

Further along, they encountered the corpses/wreckage of some gardening drones. Based on the claw markings and the bites taken from the organic bits, the group was fairly certain these had encountered the spiky monster Alex killed.

The fact that such a large monster had recently been through meant they would not likely encounter any threats for a while. They'd still be cautious, but at least the odds of encountering dangerous creatures had decreased.

The campsite appeared to meet their needs, so they stopped and began preparing for the night.

Alex explored the areas outside the camp's perimeter as a Therrax and left his mark to ward off nighttime surprises.

When he returned to the camp, he switched back to his Human form, got dressed, and sought out Lyra and the rest of her party. Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen were sitting with them, as was Gor'Dem and his two underlings.

"I'm not picking up any scent or sign of the last Human bandit. Maybe he was eaten by that big lizard beast, or he got behind us somehow," Alex said with a frown.

Dale nodded. "While I like the idea of him being lizard chow, I think we should pass the word to everyone to be vigilant about a possible follower."

"Can we see the map again?" Azri'Lain asked Alex, so he collected it, spread it open, and they gathered around.

Alex brought the map's focus to the current level, and they saw the route they'd need to take through the fifth to the ramp down to the sixth. There was a large storage facility on that level, and just beyond it would be another excellent rest area.

A short distance beyond that, they discovered a shortcut to a ramp down to the seventh level.

"If we push, we might reach the habitation level by the end of tomorrow!" Bas'Reen exclaimed.

Dystra frowned. "Rushing leads to making mistakes, especially at these levels. We don't want that kind of trouble!"

Bas'Reen frowned but raised her hands to indicate she understood.

Alex nodded. "Besides, it makes more sense to reach the habitation level while we're still fresh. It's going to be a busy day once we do."

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen did their best to hide their excitement at the idea, and Alex looked away to hide his amusement. He caught Lyra watching him and lifted a brow curiously before she looked away, the tips of her ears becoming red.

He wondered what she'd been thinking, then immediately looked away. A great weariness washed over him, and a sudden twitch went through his muscles again as the memories of the battle returned to torture his mind.

Shi'Jax knelt at his side and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

"We can see you're having flashbacks. If it will help you rest, Ti'Nah and I will share your tent tonight."

Alex froze momentarily, then nodded quickly as the idea of being alone with these thoughts was more disturbing. She touched his cheek with her palm, then returned to Ti'Nah's side.

A hot dinner was served, and once he was finished, Alex struggled to keep his eyes open.

Ti'Nah guided him to a tent and followed him inside. Shi'Jax was right behind her.

Alex was too far gone to feel uptight about being naked with the two females and sighed with relief as they cuddled against his sides.

He surfaced momentarily as a thought came to him. "Sentry duty..." he muttered.

"Not tonight. Sleep," Ti'Nah said to ease his mind.

Alex sank into the depths of his exhaustion as the day caught up to him at last.

-=-

Lyra gathered the other members of her party, and the Beast-Kin leaders joined them on the far side of the camp, far from Alex's tent.

"What's wrong with our Agron Blessed member? Is the God breaking his mind?" Bas'Reen asked bluntly and got an uncomfortable frown from Azri'Lain. He didn't chastise her as he was also concerned and wanted the same answers.

Lyra shook her head. "No. While Agron pushed him to take actions he's not mentally prepared to do, he succeeded nonetheless." She took a deep breath and glanced at Dale, who nodded. Their partners in this mission needed to know. That said, she didn't want to bare Alex's soul to beings who were largely just strangers. She'd keep certain facts to herself.

"We had a crisis in GreenTree Dynasty. On the sixth level, Alex was separated from us during a battle and almost died. Ullentra restored him but demanded a great sacrifice in return. He made the deal to get his life back and, as a result, was able to save us.

However, the sacrifice was too great, and over time, it began to threaten the stability of Alex's mind.

I took a gamble and entered Alex's mind while he was unconscious. He often communes with the Gods in that state. I wanted to make the Gods aware of his imminent mental collapse and why.

It worked. Ullentra restored Alex's mind to his pre-sacrifice state. She healed my mind as well as I'd been exposed to them.

However, there was fallout from the event, which Alex is still struggling with. His self-esteem took a terrible hit. He feels... unworthy."

Bas'Reen blinked in confusion. "Unworthy of what? The Gods' Blessings?"

Lyra shook her head. "No, he never wanted them." She took another breath and held Bas'Reen's eyes with hers. "Unworthy of friendship, admiration... and love."

Azri'Lain rocked back slightly as he heard the words. "The man has the Blessings of three Gods and feels unworthy of love?"

"Alex needs time. He will heal," Lyra insisted firmly. "We will make sure he realizes how important he is to us. Not just as a party member on a mission from the Gods but as our friend who we... care about deeply."

"Love," Azri'Lain corrected with a questioning look.

Lyra dipped her eyes but nodded briefly.

Azri'Lain glanced over at Dale, who was watching his friend with a small, sad frown. Then the man saw the ex-Chief Guardian was watching him. He quickly cleared his expression and gave him a nod.

The senior sighed and nodded. This would have to do. "I can't deny that the progress we've made is less than remarkable. Our casualties have been light as well. How he handled that large monster likely saved many lives." He turned his eyes to Dystra. "I agree with you that Alex must learn to rely on his party members more and not try to do it all himself." He turned to face Dale. "You mentioned this is only his second mission?" he asked, and Dale nodded. Shrugging, Azri'Lain continued. "He's a newbie. He's still learning."

Bas'Reen shifted uncomfortably, then nodded. Then her eyes hinted at her suppressed excitement. "I've never reached this deep inside the city before, and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing the habitation level. What can we expect?" she asked.

Lyra smiled. "In GreenTree Dynasty, each individual had their own space allocated to them. Each used their unit as a place to live and work on whatever pursuit they desired. The rooms we saw in GreenTree Dynasty were large and beautifully furnished, and while each reflected the work of the person who lived in it, there was very little evidence of the people themselves. I had hoped to see images of them or some personal touches. They appeared to be a very practical race who did not need mementos."

"How many artifacts will each party member be allowed to remove from the habitats?" Gor'Dem asked.

Dale answered this time. "There are thousands of units per floor, so there's no shortage of items. As Alex said, the maintenance drones must not witness any disrespectful behavior. This is imperative and make sure the people know." He locked eyes with Gor'Dem.

"I'll have another talk with them tomorrow night so it's fresh in their minds," the Guardian said.

Dale continued with a nod. "Each member should be able to collect between one and three artifacts based on their size and portability. They shouldn't get crazy with big stuff as they're carrying it back to Shalazar. Even the smallest items are enough to make the Genthale University scholars salivate."

"Journals, notebooks, and scientific documentation are the most highly sought-after items. Knowledge. Information on how all this continues to work after so long!" Dystra suggested as he loosely gestured to the functioning lighting and received nods.

"This is all very exciting, but we still have to get through a very large cultivation level tomorrow. I expect we'll need Alex to perform his impression of an original inhabitant to tame the gardening drones at least one more time," Bas'Reen said.

"Yes, it worked well this time," Dale agreed.

"We should all get some rest," Gor'Dem suggested. "Sentries have been assigned and scheduled. Rest well."

The meeting broke up, and everyone headed for their bedrolls.

It would be difficult for most to get to sleep as they were closer than they'd ever been to obtaining ancient artifacts. They were also reaching a level no Beast-Kin had ever reached and killing monsters on their way. To top it all off, they were accompanying Agron's emissary! This meant the status they would gain from this one mission was more than they'd ever achieved before!

Exciting times, indeed!

Chapter 14

Hallestra used the lightest touch possible to reach out to the Hybrid blessed she'd identified who'd been touched by the three Gods.

When she reached the female's mind, she realized she was sleeping, which made the task much simpler. Nudging the blessed to see her recent memories made them run by her perception. This would seem just a dream for the blessed female.

It seemed the blessed one was in one of the subterranean cities. Based on the number of Beast-Kin she saw in the memories, Hallestra believed she was at Wave Crest.

Hallestra pulled back quickly and left her blessed one to rest. This one was particularly sensitive, so no more contact was prudent.

Scanning the Hybrid's vicinity, the Goddess detected several others of her blessed. Some were awake, and a few were asleep. One sleeping Beast-Kin female caught her attention as the strength of her connection was fluctuating oddly. She'd never experienced this kind of... interference before. Her blessing was not as strong for this one as the Hybrid's, but nudging her memories brought about a startling discovery. Ullentra had also touched her! The merest traces identified the presence of Ffornexa and Agron as well.

Both of these Healers had been in contact with a being blessed by the three missing Gods! That was too much of a coincidence! They must be working with the thrice-blessed being!

Just then, Hallestra's connection to the healer strengthened surprisingly, and the Goddess felt the presence of Ullentra, Ffornexa, and Agron when her healer was bathed in Restoration magic.

Hallestra's connection to the Beast-Kin healer flared suddenly, then she found herself pushed from her Blessed's mind abruptly.

She was back in the Pantheon!

She remained in a state of shock for a few moments.

She'd felt them! They were alive and active!

Her blessed must have been in direct physical contact with the thrice blessed to have been caught up in that magic!

She sent out a call to the others to reconvene. She had to share this news with them! If there was a party with two of her healers and the thrice-blessed, there had to be other blessed in the group that might have experienced the restoration magic. The other Gods might find their own blessed in that same party!

For the first time, Hallestra found herself annoyed by the dyssynchronous nature of their time frames.

-=-

Alex woke feeling a little groggy. His dreams had been filled with flashes of crawling through slime and gore, with periods of distant rolling thunder as the Gods argued, or bowled, as the story went. He wasn't sure what had them so restless and upset.

He realized his body was squeezed between two soft, furry females. He smiled as he heard the quiet purr of Ti'Nah and the gentle breathing of Shi'Jax.

Then he looked closer at the healer. Normally, her fur was lovely, soft grey with white patches, but now the fur on the sides of her head had two silver jagged streaks running from her temples to her shoulders. He'd heard of people's hair being dramatically altered overnight, but that was usually due to something traumatic.

He reached over and gently touched one of the silver lightning bolts and heard her sigh in her sleep.

Thankfully, the streak felt as soft as her other fur.

Dark red eyes opened, and she smiled at him. "Good morning," she said.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

She looked at him in surprise. "Feeling? Good? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, I don't know—your fur. At your temples, it's turned silver!" he explained, and her eyes widened further as she sat up and touched her face.

Ti'Nah snorted softly as she woke. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I wish I had a mirror," Alex said in frustration.

"Oh! Hey, your fur has silver streaks!" Ti'Nah said.

The healer looked at Alex nervously. "Did the Gods do this to me?"

Alex's mouth dropped open. "Uh, well... I think they might have been upset about something. I don't recall them trying to communicate with me, but there was a lot of noise, uh, on the horizon. If that makes sense."

Ti'Nah left the tent as Alex tugged on some clothes and followed her out.

He was helping Shi'Jax out of the tent when they heard some panicked cries from the tunnel leading toward the ramp down to level six. Ti'Nah grabbed her sword, then they rushed over to see two Beast-Kin helping a third come back toward the camp. As Tina continued down the ramp, Alex and Shi'Jax got a good look at the injured Beast-Kin. He had a badly torn calf muscle, and blood was spurting.

Shi'Jax rushed forward and held her hands above the wound and called her healing magic. There was a sudden and bright flash of green light, and she toppled over onto her side. Alex rushed to her and saw she was blinking slowly.

"Are you okay?" he asked her as he helped her back to her feet.

"I don't know! It's never felt like that before," she sighed.

The two who helped the injured one were staring at the injury, but all that was left were a few long scars. The fellow put his weight on the leg and stared at it in shock. Then he turned to Shi'Jax. "Thank you for healing me!"

"I thought he was going to lose the leg!" one of his helpers said in shock.

Alex watched Shi'Jax staring at the healed injury in shock until the female finally turned her head to stare at him. "I've never been able to fully heal such an injury! What's happened to me?"

"I don't know," Alex said, shaking his head.

Shi'Jax's eyes lost focus as she seemed to relax all of her muscles. Moments later her she returned to stare at Alex in shock.

"My connection to the healing magic feels so much stronger! How could this have happened?" she gasped.

Alex shook his head. "I haven't heard any of the other party members mention their link strengthening."

Ti'Nah returned with three more Beast-Kin. They had only minor injuries, but Shi'Jax quickly stepped forward and healed them.

The Tigress and the others stared in shock at the one whose leg had been badly torn up. Ti'Nah looked at Shi'Jax. "How?"

"I don't know. My connection to the magic is so much stronger! I don't know why!" she said, touching the silver streaks once more.

Alex focused on the Beast-Kin. "What were you fighting?"

"It was a pack of insects. Large, fast, and vicious!" one exclaimed.

Ti'Nah nodded. "Like the ants from GreenTree Dynasty, but with more body sections and legs. Not quite as tall but longer. Two, sharp pincer jaws, and covered in armor that needed several strikes to crack open. We killed them all."

"I guess they aren't warned off by Therrax piss," Alex noted. That got smiles from the Beast-Kin.

Lyra joined them with Dale and Dystra right behind her. Alex could see the camp was quickly waking. With the unchanging lighting, he had no idea what time it was, which momentarily confused him.

"What happened to your fur?" the party leader asked Shi'Jax.

The Beast-Kin smiled at her. "My link to my magic has suddenly strengthened. We don't know what caused it!"

"We encountered a small ambush at the bottom of the ramp. Only one serious injury, which Shi'Jax healed as well as some cuts and scratches," Ti'Nah reported to the gathered party members.

Seeing there were no other issues to report, Alex smiled at the group. "Breakfast, anyone?"

-=-

The sixth level was another vast cultivation zone and was fully operational. They encountered three separate groups of gardener drones, but Alex's trick of pretending to be one of the original inhabitants seemed to settle the bio-mech workers. This didn't slow the party down too much, but they were pretty tired by the time they reached the next campsite. They'd rest before their descent into the habitat level the following day.

As the party leaders sat in a circle, reviewing the map after dinner, a sense of excitement rippled through the entire encampment.

Gor'Dem, Hex'Ray, and Tan'Shee were going through the Beast-Kin group, speaking to everyone, ensuring they understood how they needed to behave in the habitats. Assurances were given that everyone would be allowed to collect some artifacts, but this could be jeopardized by poor behavior. There would be time for everyone to gather something valuable to return with. This increased the smiles amongst the super party, and many would have difficulty getting to sleep tonight.

When the Guardians rejoined their circle, Bas'Reen was first to speak. "So, these habitats are sealed?"

Lyra nodded. "Yes, each has a massive, impenetrable door that can only be opened by the city maintenance drones or someone the city recognizes as an original inhabitant. The drone in GreenTree Dynasty informed Alex that he would be able to open the doors."

Eyes turned to him. "How will this city recognize you? Is the gown all that's needed, like it works for the gardeners?" Azri'Lain asked.

Alex shook his head. "For the gardeners, I think it's likely a combination of the gown, my visual similarity to the original inhabitants, plus the ability to transform my eyes partially. That's what I've been doing for them, and it seems to convince them. The maintenance drone in the last city indicated their Masters could adapt their eyes to different lighting conditions."

He looked at the map once more. "The drone said I'd be able to open the doors as the city would recognize me when I tried one." He gestured to the map. "I also have a map that functions for me, so the sensor on the door might recognize that."

"What if all that fails?" Bas'Reen asked, and Alex locked eyes with her.

"Then we'll have to find another way to wake the city maintenance drones," he said. "We don't have the tools or force required to force one of these doors open. I don't even know why the original inhabitants built them so strong. I'm grateful they did, as it keeps the dangers contained."

The group pondered that thought.

"When you get in touch with one of the drones, you can ask," Dale suggested, and everyone smiled at the optimistic thought.

Azri'Lain was scanning the faces of the Beast-Kin in the super party. He was pleased to see none of the exhaustion or tension he'd witnessed when he was in his adventuring days. Not that they ever made it this far down, and their return trips had always been harder as they'd stirred up the monsters on the way down.

He turned his attention to Lyra and Dale once more.

"We've maintained a considerable pace for our inbound journey. My experience tells me our return trip won't be so hasty," he said cautiously, then he glanced from member to member of Lyra's party as each did their best to suppress their smiles.

"Don't start keeping secrets now!" he insisted in annoyance.

Alex held up a hand to ease his temper. "We don't mean to be cruel. It's just that, if all goes well tomorrow, we'll have a very pleasant bonus to share with everyone. We didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case we fail to contact the maintenance drones."

Bas'Reen was scowling now. "What surprise were you going to spring on us?"

Alex sighed as he once more saw her perpetually suspicious gaze. "The drones have a means to bring us, and I mean everyone, including our wagons and stuff, back to the surface in minutes." He paused, then turned to Lyra and Dale. "Once I complete the Gods' mission, what if we asked the drones to bring us up to the entry hall. We can set up a much safer camp on the plain before the city entrance. Then we'll bring small groups from the Beast-Kin party directly to the habitat level as many times as we need until everyone has collected something of value."

Jhaan made a throat-clearing noise as he raised his hand to get everyone's attention.

"Now that everyone realizes this is actually going to happen, I think there is something else everyone should consider." He saw that he had them focusing on his words.

"We are talking about a very large quantity of artifacts being collected from Wave Crest. Currently, all artifacts from every explored city are brought to Genthale University in the Human nation of Thale. This concentrates all knowledge in one place and benefits a very small percent of the world's population. It's true that the university pays for the pieces and adventurers like that, but they don't share the knowledge they collect."

The seniors acknowledged that point with frowns and nods, so Jhaan continued.

"It might be in the Beast-Kin nation's best interests to set up a Shalazar University to house and research the artifacts collected from Wave Crest. You can invite the Genthale University professors to Shalazar to study the pieces as they train locally based researchers and professors here."

Alex's eyes widened as the idea struck a chord with him. "That's brilliant! Knowledge needs to be shared between all nations so everyone benefits, not just the royal class in Thale!"

Thorn offered a point concerning her nation. "Some of that knowledge is shared with the leaders in Kharnthiad, though the general populace never sees it."

Jhaan nodded to the Dwarf. "The Elven Royal class receives some as well, but the lion's share remains in Thale."

Dystra got a cautious look on his face as he looked at the other Elf. "This idea's not going to make King Ungar happy."

Alex looked to the Beast-Kin seniors. "Obviously, it's up to you. But it's also true that this mission will flood a very limited market for artifacts. This will bankrupt Genthale University unless they significantly undervalue the items. Their evaluators discovered they couldn't afford to pay for the items Lyra's party members collected from GreenTree Dynasty.

I think Jhaan's idea needs to be bigger. As we visit each nation, we should suggest that they create their own university to house and study the artifacts from the cities in their territory. These universities should work together and share the knowledge for the betterment of all people in all nations."

Dystra grinned wider. "This really isn't going to make Ungar happy."

Alex gave the assassin a frown. "It's about time we made the people happy, not just the ruling classes."

Yellsbeth and Thorn looked worried. "It might be a hard sell in Kharnthiad. They are a very conservative bunch."

Alex nodded. "Race survival is an excellent motivation. Reduce or eliminate the threats in the underground cities. Utilize their cultivation zones to feed the people. Study the artifacts of the lost civilization to find ways to improve the conditions of life and let the populations thrive instead of survive."

Azri'Lain grinned at Alex. "Are you sure you aren't Beast-Kin? These ideas are pretty radical for a Human."

Alex chuckled. "Blame it on my wife—" His expression froze, and his voice choked off as he recalled the spirited debates he'd had with her about social justice. She'd always won.

"Should we add extra sentries tonight?" Dystra asked, changing the subject as he noted Alex's sudden tension.

"I don't mind taking a shift," Alex said quickly, grateful for the diversion. "Standing at the head of the tunnel as a Therrax will allow me to hear anything coming."

Dale and Lyra nodded to each other, then shared looks with the others. "Okay, we'll all take a shift to augment our Beast-Kin party sentries," he said.

They worked out the schedule, and Alex would get the last shift before the party began their day.

Alex rolled up the map and nodded to the others as he left the group to head for his tent. He didn't want the others to see his hands shaking.

It was like he was being forced to endure the early days of his loss all over again.

He took slow, deep breaths and let himself feel his grief, but not to the point that it overwhelmed him.

Alex knew Laura wouldn't want him to suffer like this. While he wasn't sure he'd ever forgive himself for what he'd done, Yellsbeth was right about one thing. He wanted to live. He had people depending on him. He needed to get his head back in the game, or someone else close to him might suffer for it.

The first step in that effort was to get some decent sleep.

-=-

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen watched Alex make a quick exit and turned their faces to Lyra, who was watching Alex with a sad expression.

"What happened?" Bas'Reen asked.

Lyra turned to her but only saw concern on the elder's face. This was a positive change for her. "Alex lost his wife shortly before he was brought to this world. He hadn't fully recovered from that... yet... either."

"This is a lot for one person to carry," Azri'Lain said softly.

Lyra smiled gently at him in appreciation of his empathy.

She agreed.

Chapter 15

The Pantheon was buzzing as the final arrival joined the group.

There hadn't been so much turbulent energy here since Agron abandoned them with his two co-conspirators.

Hallestra could sense that some of the Gods had achieved success with their search for signs of the three.

Saphra was first to speak. "Three of my Blessed bear the mark of Ullentra, and Agron and Ffornexa to a lesser degree."

Phyrrenz seemed very agitated. "One of mine bears the marks of the three!" she snapped.

Wavesh was next. "One of mine as well."

Lushella spoke quietly, but they all heard her words. "Ullentra saved the life of one of mine whose strength has grown significantly and unexpectedly!"

Hallestra became excited with this last confession. "One of mine has become much stronger as well! It was during this event that I noted the connection to the Thrice-Blessed and their presence." She looked at the four whose people had been touched. "Did you locate where your Blessed were located on the world?"

"Wave Crest," four voices said in unison.

Grolex drew their attention. "The Thrice-Blessed is an adventurer currently exploring Wave Crest with other Blessed adventurers. How do we contact the three without burning out the medium? They are so fragile!"

Julliash, the Goddess of Intellect, must have already been working on this issue. "Dreams. You leave messages in the minds of the ones who've been touched by the three. Make them our messengers. Short, simple, subtle dreams with only one message. Their God wishes to speak to the three."

"Be gentle with the dream!" Hallestra urged. "Remember what happened with our first direct communications. So many minds were lost. Whisper the suggestion with your lightest touch. This will be the first time their Gods will have contacted them. We must not lose our link to the three carelessly."

They were unified in their purpose. They would make it happen.

-=-

The distance from the camp to the entrance of the seventh level wasn't very long, but as the gardener drones didn't patrol it, the party faced three separate groups of pests. The Beast-Kin super party had their mettle tested as a swarm of flying blood suckers launched an attack with no warning.

Their wings proved to be very flammable, but they were still very quick on foot after they crashed to the floor. Yellsbeth, Ti'Nah, and Joah were a wall of flashing steel the grounded fliers couldn't get past.

The moment they killed the last one, a fallow field to their right erupted with huge, red worms whose skin was slick with a toxin that caused paralysis.

They almost lost Joah to one when a hacked-off section spun through the air and struck the back of his neck.

Shi'Jax was immediately at his side and healed him after she wiped the sticky stuff from his skin.

As they approached the top of the ramp, a pack of rat-like creatures the size of small dogs surged up and found themselves immediately torched, then drowned by Thorn and Devya consecutively.

Once they were settled in the large entrance chamber of the habitation level, they took a breather as Lyra and her team of healers went through the party, ensuring all the injured were taken care of.

"Welcome to the seventh level," Alex said to Gor'Dem, who was catching his breath.

Hex'Ray and Tan'Shee chuckled at Gor'Dem's relieved smile.

A blood-curdling scream echoed up the tunnel ahead of them. This was followed by distant, frightened shouting that suddenly turned into screams, which choked off.

Alex ducked out of his harness and switched back to Therrax form to race down the hall behind Ti'Nah, Yellsbeth, Gor'Dem, and his two underlings. As they approached an intersection, Alex saw that the floor ahead was covered with a black, fuzzy substance. Tendrils climbed one wall—images flashed through Alex's mind, and Agron pushed a single concept—threat. Alex screamed in Therrax's rage, which was deafening in the corridor, causing everyone to stumble and fall to the ground. He leapt over them and spun to face the shocked group.

"Back! Move back!" he screeched and pushed them back.

Something stabbed into his rear leg. He spun lightning fast and snapped his beak through the tendril, which had slipped around the corner to spear him. He limped after the others until they had a good distance between them and the intersection.

Red light flashed over his body, causing him to stumble. Then he shuddered in relief from the sudden cessation of the burning agony that had been creeping up his leg.

"What was that?" Gor'Dem yelled.

"What did we say about your Therrax scream?" Yellsbeth complained as she placed her palms over her sore ears.

"I-I'm sorry. Agron recognized a threat ahead. I needed to stop everyone, fast. It's bad," he gasped as he spotted Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen arrive with Lyra and the rest of her party.

"Who screamed initially?" Gor'Dem asked.

The group looked at each other in confusion. Gor'Dem pointed to his people. "Go back to the Beast-Kin super party and do a headcount. Make sure we're all accounted for."

With a nod, they rushed back toward the wagons.

"What did you see, Alex?" Lyra asked.

"There was something grimy on the floor at the next intersection. Agron recognized it and threw the image in my head. It's a kind of ambulatory mildew. It adheres to walls and floors, resembling a thin, fuzzy black carpet. Except it has little hooked spears, which it launches at its targets. Once you're caught, it pumps a caustic fluid into your body, dissolving you so it can feed." He shuddered at the memory of his pain.

The two Guardians returned. "Three are missing from the party. Ket'Rig Marll, a swordsman, Loo'Rang Treg, a Healer, and Shett'Exy Blan, a bowman. They were members of a party registered with the Shalazar Guild Hall. It seems they slipped ahead of the party when everyone was cooling off after the last fight."

Alex shook his head in confusion. "Why? We're here."

Azri'Lain had a grim expression on his face. "Being first to open a habitat? Pocketing extra artifacts to sell in Genthale? Who knows? My question is, are they still alive?"

Alex shook his large, billed head. "In the time it's had them, they'll already be internally dissolving. If they aren't dead yet, they soon will be, and there is no way to heal that outside of Ullentra's Restoration Magic. She isn't willing to share."

"Can we burn it?" Thorn asked.

Alex paused as he waited for Agron's response. He swayed as images slammed through his mind. A red flash followed.

"Fuck," Alex cursed silently.

Lyra reached out and placed her hand against Alex's shoulder and felt his trembling. "What is Agron asking you to do now?"

It took him a couple of attempts, but he found his voice. "I... I must dissolve it in acid. It's resistant to fire, ice, and lightning. Water and earth help it spread. A mammoth slime that fills the corridor can absorb the mildew, right down to the spores, and dissolve it. It's going to hurt as its caustic juice takes a moment to be neutralized." He took some breaths. "I'm also going to need to dissolve the people it's trapped as well. They'll be carriers of the mildew spores."

He sucked in a breath to settle his stomach. "Fuck."

Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain were staring at Alex in horror.

"It's too much!" Azri'Lain finally managed to gasp out once he'd found his voice.

Lyra nodded and pressed her forehead against Alex's shoulder. "How large is this mildew creature?"

"I don't know. I won't know until I can see around that corner," Alex replied as he took deep, slow breaths. He looked at the group. "We're basically stuck at this point. We can't go forward, and if we went back up to the sixth level to use another ramp down, there is no guarantee the mildew won't be there." He nodded. "Everyone, move back to the entrance chamber. I'll switch there, then flow through the corridor to the intersection to see what I'm facing."

Reluctantly, the group went back to the chamber where the Beast-Kin super party was waiting nervously.

"I don't want to see their faces when you tell them I'm about to consume their friends," Alex said quietly to Azri'Lain. All the senior could do was nod.

Alex switched to his human form as he faced the corridor once more. "Everyone, give me a lot of room."

When he glanced over his shoulder, he could see that everyone in the Beast-Kin group was watching him with wide eyes. He turned away, then let his body transform into the giant slime he'd last used in the Genthale courtyard before the Guild Hall.

He immediately began forcing his mass through the tunnel, filling every nook and cranny as he cranked up his caustic acidity. A few mildew monster spores were consumed as he approached the intersection.

Spear-tipped tendrils shot forth and sank into his slime body. The burning sensation spiked, then settled into a biting pain that throbbed inside his gelatin-like body.

He covered the black mat on the floor and walls as he turned the corner and felt the soft cushion become brittle and crumble as he absorbed it inside him.

More and more spears were fired into his flesh, and the burning went on.

He saw some lumpy shapes on the floor and realized these were the three Beast-Kin who'd snuck away for purposes of their own. After a moment, he steeled himself and pressed forward, melting their bodies down to their base components to be consumed. A shudder passed through his bulk.

Then he reached another turn in the corridor, but something was different. There was a large, bare patch on one wall where no mildew had grown.

And there he was.

After all this time searching for the bandit who hid by staying out in front of them, Alex was finally able to see the one who had almost got away.

In the middle of that patch of bare wall was the desiccated body of a Human, dressed in black. The body was suspended in midair before the empty wall by dozens of barbed tendrils.

Alex recognized the clothes the corpse was wearing as the same as those of the others they met on the plateau outside the entrance.

The bandit who ran away. His phenomenal luck had run out in the most horrifying way.

Alex pushed onward as he melted and consumed everything organic in the halls, including a few other unfortunate creatures caught in the mildew trap, until he reached a split in the path. He then picked a direction and pressed on until either the mildew or the tunnel came to an end. Then he backtracked until he eventually found no more of the mildew creature to consume.

He reversed his direction to flow back through the empty tunnels, neutralizing his acidic state. When he finally saw his friends, he allowed himself to switch back to his Human form and dropped onto his ass.

Yellsbeth and Thorn brought him a blanket to wrap himself in.

"Were you successful?" Bas'Reen asked with a trembling voice.

He looked at her dully. "Yes... The mildew monster is gone. The three Beast-Kin were dead. The missing Human bandit was also caught in the trap. He was dead as well. I need to sleep."

Ti'Nah scooped Alex up in her arms and carried him to a makeshift bed of blankets Thorn had made. His eyes were rolling in their sockets when the sisters cuddled in on either side of him. He was out immediately.

-=-

"So, we're here, but we can't do anything until he awakens," Bas'Reen huffed.

Azri'Lain gaped at her in outrage. Finally, he found his voice. "Are you kidding me? Are you going to begrudge him a little rest after going through that experience?"

Bas'Reen threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Of course, I recognize the extraordinary efforts he's making! None of us has ever seen this deadly mildew monster before, nor could we become something able to destroy it. Having a God who speaks to him, giving him the means to do these things, is beyond helpful. We would have lost so many lives if we'd marched down that corridor blindly. I'm sad for the loss of the three, but their unknowing sacrifice saved us!"

She huffed a frustrated breath as she looked down the corridor that Alex had just scrubbed spotless. "I'm merely eager to witness something I've been waiting for my entire life!"

Azri'Lain frowned at her. "As are we all, but having waited this long, savor the last moments of anticipation, as it's the last time you'll get to experience it. Alex will wake when he recovers. Then we'll be there when he opens one of the habitations."

Bas'Reen huffed once more and thumped away.

Lyra shared a look with Dale, and they turned to Azri'Lain. "The first room to be opened will be entered by Alex alone. We don't know if there's anything hazardous inside. Ullentra can restore Alex if there is. He needs to get inside to summon the City Maintenance Drones," she explained.

Dale continued. "The Gods' mission takes precedence. We'll get to the collection of artifacts once that is done."

Azri'Lain nodded, though he looked a little frustrated himself. He smiled with chagrin as he realized he was acting like his fellow senior.

-=-

Pungent heat and softness enveloped Alex as he floated in fizzy air.

He had a sudden impression of being pressed against a colossal bosom, then the sensation evaporated like bubbles.

Ullentra?

He realized he was in the presence of the trio of Gods once more, but this time he did his best not to open himself to them.

His skin prickled with tension as the Gods weren't behaving as they usually did.

Agron was content, and confidence seemed to radiate from him. A deep rumble surrounded the God, so low and quiet that it could only be felt and not heard. He gave off the impression of a proud coach whose star athlete had proven his efforts had been justified.

Ffornexa was tightly containing his essence, so the only impression Alex picked up from him was cool and silence. It was very calming as well.

It was Ullentra's behavior that made Alex wonder if trouble was brewing on the horizon. He picked up that she was contrite for past indulgences. Not so much guilt as embarrassment?

She was a little clingy as he could almost physically feel her presence all around him. He didn't know what that meant.

The three had been in some conflict the last time he'd felt them, so this was more pleasant, at least.

He felt sated from the meal he'd just had in his giant slime form, but the poisons from the mildew had drained his energy, so he needed to rest. Ullentra couldn't help him with that.

Finally, they faded from his perception as he was allowed to drift deeper into a truly restful sleep.

-=-

When the party was able to proceed, Alex pulled the wagons through the corridors until they reached another large empty chamber. He recognized the vast bare wall for what it really was: the elevator entrances. On the other side of the chamber, they could see the first of the massive vault-like doors of the habitation units.

Alex changed into his white gown, collected his map, and joined Lyra's party, the senior Beast-Kin, Gor'Dem, and his two Guardians.

He took a slow breath to calm his jitters. "As any unit might contain something hazardous, the closest is as good as any. Once I open the door, I'll enter and press the call button as instructed. I'll exit and shut the door. If I don't come out within ten seconds, someone must push the door closed to contain whatever got me."

That caused some uproar from the others, but Alex held his hands up. "It's just a worst-case scenario! Do I expect there will be something deadly? No, but it's possible."

"I'll do it," Yellsbeth said.

"No, you're more likely to come inside to rescue me," Alex said with a smile. "Dystra. Will you do the honors to keep everyone safe?"

The Elf stared at Alex, then a smile slipped onto his lips. "Yes."

The two immediately set off across the space toward the door.

"People are going to get the impression that we don't get along," the assassin said mildly.

Alex chuckled. "I trust you to be pragmatic."

Dystra smiled and nodded as they stood before the door.

Alex took a deep breath and unrolled his map to activate it. "Not sure if I need to do this, but it can't hurt."

With the active map in his left hand, Alex reached out and pressed the same control he'd used on the door in GreenTree Dynasty.

For a brief second, Alex worried that it wouldn't work or that it wouldn't recognize his permission for access, but they heard a whirring noise as the locks disengaged. With a final click, the door began to swing open.

Handing the map to Dystra with a nod, Alex stepped into the unit before the door was fully open and looked for the control panel the city drone had identified. He was counting off the seconds in his mind.

The unit's lights came on, making the call button visible.

Alex marched over to it and pressed the control. The square lit up, prompting Alex to turn and walk out through the door immediately. He spared a second to glance back at the unit and noted it was messier than the ones he'd seen before.

The tension left Dystra's face as he spotted Alex and received a nod. Alex pressed the control to close the door once more.

"Success," Alex said. "Let's walk over to the elevator bays."

Dystra nodded and handed the map back to Alex, who made it display their current location. As they moved toward the open space, the rest of their group joined him.

"How do you feel?" Lyra asked him in concern.

He paused. "Oh, yeah. I feel fine, but I suppose I should have isolated myself in case there was some biological threat. Ullentra isn't trying to heal me, so she hasn't detected any danger... yet. Fingers crossed?" He gave her an embarrassed smile.

He felt a little stupid as he should have thought of that.

The far wall suddenly opened, and one of the maintenance drones rolled out, balancing on the ball inside its base.

It paused momentarily when faced with a large group of beings it could not identify. Then it spotted Alex and immediately moved to position itself before him. It paused again, then reached a tentacle-like arm up to touch Alex's temple.

"Master! Welcome!"

Alex smiled as the voice sounded in his head.

"Greetings! I wish to communicate verbally with you," Alex stated.

"Certainly, Master!" it said aloud. "It has been a very long time. You called for assistance?"

Alex nodded and glanced back at the others in the group, and saw that most were smiling.

The Beast-Kin seniors were staring at the speaking mechanical device in shock, while Gor'Dem and his team watched carefully.

"These people are surface dwellers and my guests. They need protection from the creatures that have infested the city. Please call for a group of your drones to ensure they are safe while we head to the control center," Alex said.

"A team has been requested. They will arrive shortly," the drone responded immediately.

Alex turned to Gor'Dem. "Can you let the people know the drones coming will watch over them while we deal with the Gods' mission? Best behavior would be appreciated. No more wandering off."

Gor'Dem nodded and left with his people.

Alex turned back to the drone. "Thank you. Now the main issue. There's a problem with the power generator. We must visit the control center to repair this," Alex said.

After a brief pause, the drone spoke again. "We detect no anomalies in the power generator. Output is nominal."

Alex nodded. "I was visiting GreenTree Dynasty, where the same condition existed. I can show you where the issue is, and the fix is very simple. Your network connection between the cities is also down. After we fix the generator, we will attempt to connect to GreenTree Dynasty."

"I confirm the network is down!" the drone said a moment later.

The wall where the elevators were suddenly opened, and a few dozen maintenance drones exited and moved to join the first.

"Please take positions at each of the entrances to this chamber and ensure no creatures get past this perimeter. Terminate any creatures who attempt to harm my guests. No harm must happen to them. Is this clear?" Alex asked.

"Understood," the first drone said, then squeaked to the others, and they all moved away to take positions.

Alex addressed the Elders. "We'll take the elevator down to the bottom level to complete the mission. It should only take a few minutes. Then we'll come back here."

Azri'Lain nodded, and Bas'Reen seemed a little stunned. They hurried to follow when Alex walked toward the elevator.

"Please take us to the control room," Alex asked the drone, which moved ahead and opened the elevator doors. Alex walked in, and the others quickly joined him.

"What is an elevator?" Bas'Reen asked Alex with a tight throat.

He smiled. "It's like a big box you get into to travel from level to level quickly." They barely felt the motion of the car they were in.

When the door opened, they heard a deafening scream. Everyone jolted. Then he remembered the portal was one level up. He hoped the scream came from there. There was nothing in the outer hall, so Alex followed the drone with everyone scrambling to stay close behind him.

Upon entering the control room, Alex noticed it shared the same layout as the one in GreenTree Dynasty. "Can you use these screens to show the feed from the security cameras in the room above the power generator?" he asked the maintenance bot.

"Certainly," it responded, and soon they could see an intense glow that the cameras could not compensate for. Something was slithering out of the room. One more monster in the city. Shit.

Alex wanted to shut down that portal before anything else got through.

"Pull up the records for the software updates for the power generator," he said.

One of the screens was filled with the gibberish of the code. "It came in a long time ago and was run remotely."

"Prepare the system to roll that update back," Alex said firmly.

The drone confirmed this was possible, then queued the task. It gestured to the control pad.

Alex saw the prompt on the console, so he pressed the button to launch the rollback.

After a moment, the room's screens suddenly flashed and went dark. Slowly, the lighting in the room returned, and the displays showed it was just an empty storage room again. The portal was gone. Granted, there was a lot of blood and gore on the floor and walls.

"Two down!" Alex said with a smile, and Lyra's party cheered.

He leaned closer to the drone to be heard over the noise. "Delete the rolled back update file."

"Done," it replied.

"Now, I'd like you to try connecting to the GreenTree Dynasty control room?" Alex asked the drone.

"Attempting," it responded.

After a few moments, one of the large displays changed to a view of the control room of the other city. "We have a communication link, but no one is responding to our hails," the drone advised. "None of the other cities are on the network."

"Can you contact one of the city maintenance drones in GreenTree Dynasty?" Alex asked.

"Attempting," it responded again.

Moments later, a drone moved into view of the camera in the other city.

"Master? Are you in Wave Crest?" it said as it focused on the screen.

"Yes! Is that you, Eon?" Alex asked.

"Yes, Master!"

Alex grinned. "We've rolled back the update in Wave Crest's system. The portal is closed, and the network is working once more, but only between the two cities."

"What are your orders?" the drone said.

Alex looked to the others, who looked back at him curiously. Bas'Reen looked like she was having another crisis of faith. He sighed and turned back to the screen.

"Maintain communication with Wave Crest and keep an eye on your city entrance. If you see me arrive, meet me at the entrance. Have you been able to fix the gardening drones?" he asked.

"We've had to rebuild sections of the fabrication factories to create the parts required to make new gardening drones. We are lacking some essential elements. I will confer with the maintenance drones in Wave Crest to see if they can spare them," it said.

Alex frowned. "How will you get the resources from one city to the other?" he asked.

"Subterranean transportation systems link the cities. When the Masters stopped leaving their habitats, the transports were solely used for inter-city supply and resource sharing. The transportation stations in all cities were sealed off, as only drones required access. When the network failed, we couldn't use the transports."

"Work together and do what you can. I will contact you again," Alex said. He nodded to the local drone, which turned off the connection.

"Show us the rest of our party on the seventh," Alex asked, and the drone made the screens display the Beast-Kin party, who appeared restless.

"Let's get back to our friends upstairs," Alex suggested.

They followed the drone to the elevator and were soon traveling up to the seventh. When the door opened, they heard raised voices coming from the party. Gor'Dem, his people, and the two seniors hustled forward to see what was happening. Alex held back and caught the eyes of Lyra's party.

"There are underground tunnels between the cities!" he said with a grin as his excitement surged.

Lyra smiled at his joyful exclamation, and they shared a moment before he looked away, his face getting hot.

She was so lovely and shared so many features with Laura.

He got a little lightheaded when she smiled at him.

"I-I'm gonna see what the noise was about," he said and pointed his feet in the direction of the elders. The maintenance drone followed along obediently, so he put it out of his mind for the moment.

That's when he realized he hadn't felt a spike of guilt when his wife popped up in his thoughts. That was a complete surprise and a great relief. He walked the rest of the way, lost in his thoughts.

He saw a lot of the Beast-Kin were looking at him nervously, some angrily, and that pulled him back into the moment.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he stopped next to Bas'Reen.

She glanced at him. "They're worried you aren't going to honor your promise to let them collect items from the habitats. We told them we'd be setting up camp on the plateau and bringing people down in smaller groups, but when these machines set up a perimeter around them, some got the idea you were going to cheat them out of the deal."

Frustration flared, and Alex pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself so he wouldn't scream at them.

Once he was calm again, he looked up and saw all eyes were on him. He waved them closer and waited until they crowded tight before him.

"I honor my promises. Everyone will be able to collect some artifacts." He pointed at one surly looking fellow. "Where are we?" he asked.

After a moment of confusion, the Angry one responded. "Wave Crest!"

"Yes, but where exactly are we in Wave Crest?" Alex fired back.

The male's face showed more confusion.

"What level?" Alex sighed.

"Oh! The seventh!" his target responded, his voice firming up once more.

"Do you come here often? Have any Beast-Kin been here and returned to Shalazar to brag about it?" Alex pushed.

"Uh, no—"

"Why is that?" Alex asserted as he held the male's eye.

"Because it's dangerous—"

"YES! Exactly. Now, just a few minutes ago, a group of us had to go down to the bottom level to complete part of a mission I was given by the three Gods who marked me. All of us left the Beast-Kin party on this dangerous level. Did I leave you alone? Did I put you in danger? NO! I arranged for your protection while we left the level. The maintenance drones weren't holding you prisoner. They were keeping the monsters on this level from attacking you!"

He saw he had some grudging acceptance, but the doubt was still there.

"Now, as we all agree, the seventh level is not a safe place. Your elders, the Guardians, and Lyra's party talked about this last night and came up with a plan to make it safer to perform the last step in this exploration, the artifact collecting. As we now have access to the elevator," he pointed to the opening in the wall where the elevator car was waiting for them, "we can return to the surface in minutes and set up camp there. Then we can take our time bringing smaller groups down to this level with the elevator. The drones will continue to keep watch."

The drone at Alex's elbow had been listening and now had a question.

"Master, is it your intention to remove items from the preserved habitat units?"

He turned to face it as he had in GreenTree Dynasty. He knew he'd have to answer this question. He fell back on his previous answer, hoping it would work for this city as well.

"You've done an excellent job of preserving the habitats. We are here to review the Master's work so we can give it purpose. It will be used to enhance the lives of the living and expand their knowledge."

The drone paused as it assessed his answer. "This is acceptable."

Alex hid his relief and continued. "As some of the work performed by the Masters in their habitats may have utilized hazardous materials or other biological dangers, I will need you to enter the selected units to determine if such dangers exist. We will only enter units where it is safe."

"Yes. l will do so," the drone replied.

"Thank you," Alex said politely. He turned back to the Beast-Kin party, who seemed much more relaxed.

"You guys have achieved the hardest part of this mission. Thanks to Wave Crest's maintenance drones, we can take our time to complete this last part with much less risk. The less time we spend down here, the better," Alex said, and finally saw some smiles. "Speak with the elders and work out the groups. We can make multiple trips, so let's limit the group sizes to no more than... six at a time?" He looked to Azri'Lain in question, and the ex-Chief nodded.

Alex turned back to the drone. "If you can determine which field of study the Master's were undertaking, perhaps we could select sufficient habitats to span a number of fields to gather a wider range of knowledge."

"I will assist with this," the drone said helpfully.

"Thank you. Please ask the drones to guide the wagons into the elevator and bring them up to the city's entrance hall. We will need a second elevator to bring all the people up," Alex said.

The seventh-level elevator lobby soon became a hub of activity as the wagons were carefully guided into an elevator car, and everyone else boarded another.

There were a lot of nervous expressions amongst the Beast-Kin party, but they felt calmer as they saw how unaffected Lyra's party was by the experience.

"We were definitely nervous during our first ride in GreenTree Dynasty's elevator, but now it's fine," Yellsbeth said with a smile to ease their fears.

When the doors opened and they saw the entrance hall, they couldn't stop their cheers as they stepped out and gazed around.

"The drones can't go outside, so perhaps we should set up camp inside the hall? This lets us have the drones act as our security perimeter," Dystra suggested.

Azri'Lain smiled and nodded. Bas'Reen agreed as well. They moved to direct their people.

The party began setting up the camp as Lyra's group gathered next to Alex.

"Two down. Pinnacle Reach is next?" Dale asked.

Alex nodded. "I think so."

He looked at Yellsbeth and Thorn. "Are you two okay with visiting your old stomping grounds? If you're even interested in continuing, of course!"

"There's no one I want to visit there, but I'll join you," the red-haired powerhouse said with a little shrug, then looked at her sister.

"Same here," Thorn added. "I'd rather we didn't run into any family members."

"Agreed," Yellsbeth mumbled in response.

Alex looked into everyone's eyes. "You're welcome to collect some artifacts here, and there won't be any hard feelings if you want to say enough and cash out of this mad journey. I know I haven't made it easier with my... issues. Both personal and God-driven."

Lyra stepped forward to place her hands on Alex's shoulders to look him in the eye. "None of us has an issue with your behavior. We know you were recently pulled out of your life and dumped into a situation for which you had no preparation. Three Gods, and demanding ones at that! Combined with your recent loss, faced with life and death decisions, and the trauma of losing your memories, none of us would have been able to cope any better than you have. On top of all that, what Agron asks of you is so beyond reason, yet you achieve it. We are greatly impressed."

Alex gave her a shaky smile and nodded, so she went on.

"I personally want to continue with you on your mission. It feels like we are becoming part of something much larger than just an adventurer's party. Something that's going to change the course of this world for the better! I want to be part of that!"

"Dystra and I are keen to continue, too," Dale said as his partner nodded with a smirk.

"This has been a very interesting and entertaining journey so far. I'm willing to continue," Jhaan grinned.

"I want to see this new world you're building. I'm staying," Devya agreed.

Joah grinned. "I have too much energy these days to go sit on a stool in a bar to rot. I'm in it until after we get to kill some Goblins!"

Ti'Nah was wearing a wide, toothy grin and nodding, so there was little question what she wanted, but her smile slipped when she saw her friend, Shi'Jax, looking uncomfortable.

"I feel like I'm letting you all down!" the healer said sadly.

"I said there are no hard feelings, and I meant it. If you're looking for a less stressful occupation, I'm delighted for you!" Alex insisted.

Shi'Jax hugged Alex and rubbed her face against his chest. "It's been the most amazing experience of my life, but I've realized I'm not suited for the life of an adventurer. As my healing abilities have become so much stronger, I can now set up a clinic in my neighborhood in Shalazar and make a difference on a smaller scale."

"Your contributions have never been small-scale," Alex said with a smile and kissed her.

His eyes widened as he hadn't expected to do that. Pulling back, he saw she was giving him a dreamy look, and her ears were trembling. His face reddened, and he slowly stepped back to put space between them.

"Ah... right. Well, you should definitely collect something from the habitation level, then."

He glanced at her friend and saw Ti'Nah grinning with delight. She locked eyes with him, and he had to look away before his face ignited.

Was he under the influence of those peeping Gods again? Or was he truly this much of a horn dog?

He allowed himself to cast his mind back to his younger years when he and Laura dated. He remembered how much she excited him to the point where he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

He also remembered how much he excited her! She was equally guilty of grabbing his ass when the mood struck.

"What's got you smiling now?" Lyra asked with a cheeky grin of her own.

When he saw her beautiful face, it was enough to short out his ability to speak. All he managed was an unintelligible mumble as he pointed toward the elders and quick walked away. His drone shadow followed loyally.

When he reached her side, Bas'Reen stared at him oddly.

"What is wrong with your face? It's all red!" she asked.

He cleared his throat and waved off the question. "Nothing. It's fine. Have you determined the first group to bring down?"

Bas'Reen nodded. "Azri'Lain and I will alternate as council representatives, and Gor'Dem and his two will take turns joining the groups. The first six have gathered and are ready."

With a nod, Alex led his drone assistant back to the elevator with Azri'Lain, Hex'Ray, and the six Beast-Kin party members.

"May I call you Noah?" Alex asked the maintenance bot, as the name popped into his head.

"Yes," it replied.

"We'll need ten of your team to assist in protection duty while we are on the seventh level collecting the artifacts for study," Alex suggested.

Noah made a brief squeak, and the ten closest drones joined their group.

They stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed. Shortly, they reopened onto the entrance chamber of the seventh level.

"It's incredible how much simpler that is!" Azri'Lain said enthusiastically

The drones spread out until they encircled Alex and his group as they moved toward the habitats.

"Noah, can you tell us what field of study the inhabitant of this first unit followed?" Alex asked.

"They were studying horticulture. They were inventing devices that measured the health of plants, the factors required for each species, and how current conditions affected their viability," the Drone explained.

"Thank you. Could you enter and determine its safety for biological species such as us?" Alex asked.

"Certainly," Noah responded and moved to the door.

Alex turned to Azri-Lain and Gor'Dem. "Such devices might assist Shalazar with their horticulture. There might also be documentation that could be studied for the secrets of how they've maintained their gardens for so long." Then he turned to the six party members. "The original inhabitants also created art and music as hobbies in their homes. If you have any questions about what you find in there, just ask me, and I will get answers from the drones."

Noah returned from its inspection. "No hazardous materials found within the habitat."

"Thank you," Alex said, then gestured to Azri'Lain to proceed.

With an excited smile and nod, the elder walked into the unit, followed by the others.

Alex turned to Noah. "One of the mysteries I am attempting to resolve is the cause of the demise of the populations of the cities. Do you have records of this for the people who lived in this city?"

The drone paused for a moment. "I have access to the information on when each of the Masters was brought to the reclamation centers when their life signs ceased being detected in their habitats."

"Can you infer any patterns from that data?" Alex asked, falling back on conversations he'd had with his father.

After another pause, the drone finally responded. "No patterns are detected."

"Cause of death categorization patterns?" Alex asked.

"Ninety-eight-point-eight-nine percent reached the natural end of their life cycle. Point-seven-six percent died of accidental causes. Point-three-five ended their lives intentionally upon reaching a quality of life that was unsustainable." The drone's matter-of-fact delivery of this information sent chills down Alex's spine, and he had a sudden need to be near other living beings.

He stepped into the unit and watched the group moving through the living quarters, picking up and examining items. Azri'Lain was near the back of the unit, reviewing some equipment that Alex couldn't determine the purpose of. He led the drone to Azri'Lain's side.

The ex-Chief turned to Alex. "Is there any way to determine what this does?"

Alex turned to Noah. "Did the Master leave any documentation on the function and operation of this device?"

There was another pause from the bot, and then it responded. "Yes. It is a device for analyzing horticultural species. It identifies the plant, runs tests to determine its health, and reports any environmental deficiencies. There is documentation for it recorded in a personal journal. This Master preferred to make verbal notes as she worked. These recordings are available."

Alex looked excitedly at Azri'Lain, then turned to Noah. "Please play a thirty-second clip of one of these recordings chosen at random."

For the first time in millennia, the voice of a Master could be heard within its dwelling.

Her voice was clear and smooth, but it lacked emotional cues. It might as well have been from a drone. Still, it was an exciting moment.

"Can you provide a written transcript of her journals that pertain to this device?" Alex asked.

"One moment," the drone replied.

Azri'Lain gave Alex an odd look. "You're speaking in a very stiff and formal way. It seems almost as dry as the female voice we just heard."

Alex grinned. "Yes, it's something my father taught me to do when speaking with people who deal with technology or business systems."

The large male fixed his eyes on Alex. "I'd been told your father was a warrior."

Alex wondered if that tidbit of knowledge came from Ti'Nah. He nodded. "He was, but technology and information analysis play a large role in modern warfare. You need to understand how to communicate effectively with your intelligence officers who use a great deal of technology."

The former Chief nodded, as that made sense to him.

There was a whirring noise from the side of the room, and Noah moved to its source to collect a thick scroll of what looked like plasticized paper. On it was printed text and a few diagrams. It looked like a manual for the device!

"Thank you!" Alex said as he received the roll from the maintenance bot. He handed it over to Azri'Lain, who seemed rather excited.

"Council members Mio'Fantu Pibbler and Lia'Will Bronte will be especially excited about learning of such a device!" Azri'Lain exclaimed.

That made Alex recall the limitations of tech in the cities. He looked at Noah. "Within the documentation you just printed, is there any reference to the device needing to be within the city's network to function?"

Another pause as the bot analysed the documents. "No, the data required for the working of the device is preloaded, and the power comes from a rechargeable battery within the unit. Sunlight exposure can charge the device."

Alex looked at the bot curiously. "Solar powered? Are the grow lights in the agriculture levels sufficient to charge the device?"

"Yes, but implied in the documentation is the fact that this device was designed to be used on the surface. Scanning the city's public forum archives, this Master was one of the proponents of returning to the surface. She was not successful in her campaign, as few of the Masters participated in society by that point."

Alex and Azri'Lain shared bleak expressions.

"For a civilization to reach such a pinnacle only to disappear so unceremoniously is a frightening concept," the senior councillor admitted.

"This is confirming a pattern. The people of GreenTree Dynasty lost touch with each other and withdrew into themselves until they expired one by one," Alex said. "This is going to make the Gods sad."

Azri'Lain watched Alex closely. "Is that how they responded to your finding in the first city?"

Alex just nodded as he thought about how they'd take this news.

He tore his thoughts from that and looked at the others. They seemed like they'd all collected several items, so he gave the senior councillor a questioning look as he nodded in the direction of the other Beast-Kin.

Alex got a nod in return. Azri'Lain turned to the group. "We're heading back up for the next group. Let's head out."

Noah waited for all of them to leave the unit, then closed and locked the vault door once more.

Their drone guards led them to the elevator, and they went up.

When they reached the entrance chamber, Alex pulled Azri'Lain aside for a moment and gestured for Bas'Reen to join them. The other senior was close by and seemed a little impatient. Her eyes widened as she saw the apparatus in her fellow senior's arms with the large written scroll.

"A horticulture analysis tool, with documentation!" Azri'Lain exclaimed softly to her. "Oh! We got to hear the recorded voice of the unit's inhabitant! Incredible!"

Bas'Reen's eyes were almost glowing with excitement.

"It's your turn to guide the next group?" Alex asked with a grin.

She actually smiled, and Alex couldn't help but return it.

"Have you thought about what Jhaan suggested the other night? The idea of setting up a university of your own?" he asked, and the two seniors nodded as their expressions became serious.

"We will discuss this with the Council of Elders when we return. Everything that the two of us collect will be given to the council. I believe they will support the idea, but we'll have to let you know later," Azri'Lain said.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Ready to go?"

Bas'Reen nodded with a grin.

-=-

They called it a night after the fourth group, as it was getting late and Alex was wobbling on his feet. The drone guards had to exterminate a pack of larger rat-like creatures who'd tried to attack while the third group was inside a habitat.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen chaperoned each group and collected artifacts for the Council of Elders on each trip.

Lyra's party would be the first one tomorrow. He asked Noah to prepare a list of the research being conducted by the Masters in the nearby habitations. He'd choose the most promising one for his friends.

When he finally managed to stretch out in his tent, he was under before his head touched the pillow.

Almost immediately, Alex felt himself soaring into the skies, caught up in a sensation of elation, and he remained there, drifting on tangy lemon zest and crisp frost.

He knew the Gods needed a report, so he envisioned the collapse of the second portal.

Ullentra protected Alex from the crashing wave of satisfaction that threatened to sweep him away.

Ffornexa was intensely pleased as well, but showed restraint. His cool approval still came close to overwhelming the man.

Alex knew Agron was thrilled that another goal in the plan had been achieved, but beneath the surface, there was an odd... anxiousness?

Next, he put together a series of images depicting the inhabitants sealing themselves off in their solitary habitations and expiring until they were all gone.

A wave of sorrow swept over him from the Gods, and he struggled to breathe.

Before he completely lost control, Ullentra bathed his mind in a flash of relief, and he had the oddest sensation of comfort from being pressed against the biggest bosom ever.

"What's with the boobs?" he thought to himself.

Did the Goddess even have breasts? Then he realized she was likely picking his brain for comfort concepts.

Smiling to himself, he drifted down from the heavens into dreamless sleep.

Chapter 16

They spent another day in the entrance chamber of Wave Crest as the remaining party members were led down to the habitat level to collect artifacts.

Another monster emerged from the depths, angry and desperately hungry. Like a shark-mouthed hippo covered in super-hard armor and sporting equally sharp claws, it passed through the seventh level drawn to the voices of the happy Beast-Kin. The combined firepower of the maintenance drones could only slow its progress, and the Beast-Kin members found their attacks ineffective. Agron had no helpful hints for this one, so Alex transformed into a giant slime, pinned it in a narrow corridor, and slowly suffocated it.

Ullentra healed the damage the beast's claws caused him. Then he took a snooze in the camp before taking the last group down.

It was too late in the day to begin their trip back to Shalazar, so they agreed to leave in the morning.

Before calling it a day, Alex had a long talk with Noah and managed to convince the maintenance drone to produce another city map. When it arrived, they keyed to the biosignatures of Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen. They were delighted with their new map!

One thing the drone would not agree to was opening the habitats without Alex's presence. As discovered earlier in the day, Alex was able to defeat monsters that the drones could not. Their programming would not allow them to take responsibility for the Master's guests without him.

Noah agreed to produce documentation for the two elders as requested, allowing them to collect knowledge from the city without needing to go past the entrance chamber. The maintenance drones would keep an eye out for Alex or either of the elders with the map. Should they arrive at Wave Crest, the drones would return to the entrance from their charging stations in the lowest level.

With this settled, they called it a day.

The Beast-Kin super party was in a very good mood and feasted on the extra food they'd brought along, when they believed the mission would take much longer.

Alex certainly didn't mind them gorging themselves, as it meant less weight to haul on the wagons for the return trip.

He stood just inside the entrance, staring out at the plateau, and took some deep, slow breaths to loosen his chest muscles, which felt a little tight as he contemplated his future.

He wondered if his task would be easier or harder in the Dwarven Kingdom.

He felt slim fingers slip into his hand, and he looked down to see Lyra's graceful hand holding his.

He glanced at her in surprise and saw her looking at him shyly.

"H-hi?" he managed.

"You were standing here alone, and you looked a little sad. Can you tell me about it?" she asked with a little head tilt that sent sparks through him.

"Ah... sad? I don't think I'm sad," he said, but his fingers tightened on hers unconsciously, betraying his true feelings.

She noticed, so she waited for him to complete his answer.

Finally, he let out the breath he'd been holding, and his forced smile slipped away.

"I mean, I really have no reason to be unhappy. I'm surrounded by friends. I get to eat delicious meals. I'm in the best shape of my life... physically, at least. The Gods seem happy. They're in my dreams every night now," he sighed.

She gave him a worried look, but he shook his head. "Ullentra is taking much better care of me these days. Maybe out of guilt? I don't know."

Lyra nodded. "I think our exposure to your hands-on Gods is making us all more aware of our own links to the Gods." She smiled. "I even had a dream last night with Hallestra in it, and I've never dreamt of her."

Alex looked at her cautiously, but she dismissed it with a smile and a shake of her head. "Mine was just a dream. It felt nothing like what I felt when I saw your Gods," she said firmly.

He saw her conviction, so he let his surge of anxiety go.

"So, she just appeared in your dream?" he asked.

She lifted her free hand and held up her finger and thumb with a tiny gap between them.

"Just this much. She seemed to want to meet the three you have," Lyra replied with a grin.

"Huh," Alex sighed. Then he hid a yawn behind his free hand.

"Come on, sleepyhead," Lyra said as she tugged him toward his tent.

"Get some rest. You have some wagon pulling to do tomorrow," he said with another of those breathtaking head tilts.

She pulled him into a hug, then kissed his cheek before turning and walking away, throwing him a smile over her shoulder. All he could do was smile in return, then climb inside to drop onto his bedroll.

Once more, his mind was spinning with the sensations of Lyra's body against his and her soft lips on his cheek.

Not fair to do that to a guy just before he tries to sleep!

-=-

Luc'San had set a new personal record for traveling between Genthale and Wave Crest region. He met up with the mercenaries and learned they would be in place within a day. Then he flew to the underground city to survey the scene and was shocked to see the Beast-Kin party was camping in the entrance chamber!

Had they finished, or perhaps they hadn't even entered?

They shouldn't have returned to the surface this soon, so either they'd failed or something unprecedented had occurred.

Watching the comings and goings of the largest adventurer party he'd ever seen, and the excited expressions on their faces, led him to an unescapable impression. They were done!

How they came and went in the entrance chamber defied his understanding. Small groups were stepping into a hole in the back wall of the chamber, which closed on them. Later, it reopened, and they rushed over to the others to show them what items they now had.

At first, he couldn't see what they were holding, then he saw one of the adventurers carrying an object as large as his head.

There was no question that it was an artifact from the city.

Suddenly, Luc'San understood. They'd reached a city level no one else had, faster than anyone ever had, and the score was enormous!

He was aware that the success rate for adventurers was minimal. Just enough to keep them hungering to find their own fortune. Artifacts brought to Genthale's university could bring the finder enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. While most Beast-Kin cared little for that kind of wealth, those who chose to live outside the Beast-Kin Territory needed it.

Luc'San wondered what would happen if this much treasure arrived in Genthale all at once. Was there enough money in the entire Kingdom of Thale to pay for them?

An arrow slammed into the branch next to him, causing him to jerk back and fall through the branches. Spreading his wings, he caught himself before he struck the ground, reoriented, and beat his wings powerfully until he was able to break free from the trees and fly in an evasive pattern until he was sure he was out of range.

His cover was blown, so he wouldn't be sticking around.

He'd met with the mercenaries as per the stinky man's orders. They were setting up the ambush, but they believed they had loads of time. He'd return to their camp and let them know they'd need to be ready much sooner than expected. Then he'd find a safe place to observe the attack.

Considering the size and number of Orc warriors, he wondered if the Beast-Kin party stood a chance.

-=-

Dystra watched one of the Beast-Kin archers walk from the plateau back into the camp.

"What were you firing at?" he asked.

The male shrugged with a frown. "Someone was watching us. I gave him a warning shot, and he took the message and left."

Dystra's frustration flared. "We should have captured him to question him!"

The archer gave Dystra a skeptical look. "Unless you know how to fly, there wouldn't be much chance of you doing that."

"The watcher was avian?" Dystra asked and got a nod. "If you see them or any other watchers, don't do anything until you inform me!"

He spun and walked back to the area where Dale and the others from the party were preparing to sleep.

Dale got one look at his expression and signalled for the rest to gather around.

Dystra wasted no time. "An avian Beast-Kin was watching us from outside the city. It might be the one who delivered orders to the assassin. One of the Beast-Kin archers scared him off with a warning shot."

"Damn! I wanted to question him!" Dale cursed, and Dystra nodded.

Yellsbeth frowned. "If he was just the courier who brought the orders to the hitman, why is he still watching?"

"Another good question we might have been able to ask if we'd captured him," Dale growled.

Dystra nodded. "Someone is keeping tabs on us—"

"Jalviere!" Joah growled.

The others nodded in agreement. Even this far away, the bloody fingers of the King's man were trying to control them.

"When we get back to Genthale, that man is going to die," Dystra vowed.

"Does anyone have any idea which God blessed him?" Thorn asked. "It would be nice to know what skills that man might have before you try."

Lyra scoffed gently as Jalviere was a secretive brute who played his cards close to his chest. A thought popped into her mind, and a smile appeared on her lips. "Tell you what, the next time I dream of Hallestra, I'll ask her."

Instead of laughing, Thorn's face showed her shock. "You've dreamed of the Goddess? Recently?"

Lyra watched her curiously. "Yes, just last night."

"I dreamed of Phyrrenz last night!" Thorn said softly. "It was the first time I've ever dreamed of them."

Yellsbeth was watching her sister with a frozen expression. "I dreamt of Saphra last night."

"Me too," Joah exclaimed and looked to Ti'Nah, who was trembling with wide eyes. "You as well?"

The Tigress nodded silently, then looked at Shi'Jax, who was also wide-eyed as she nodded.

"What does it mean that we're all dreaming of the Gods who marked us?" Devya asked nervously.

"I didn't," Dale insisted.

"Nor did I," Jhaan said.

The hair on the back of Dystra's neck was standing on end as he looked at the group before him. "Wavesh wanted to speak to the three who blessed Alex."

Exclamations of shock erupted from the group.

"That's what I dreamed about Saphra!" Yellsbeth exclaimed. The others nodded to indicate their dreams had been the same.

"The Gods want to speak to the three?" Lyra mused. "Three Gods who stopped sending New Arrivals."

"What's different about Grolex and Macrus that made them not send us dreams?" Dale asked.

Lyra's expression showed her confusion. "Why are the Gods telling us they want to get in contact with the Gods that blessed Alex? How can they not do this themselves?"

Dale blinked as the question captured his thoughts. "How?" His voice trailed off as he struggled to grasp the concept of a group of Gods potentially hiding from others.

Yellsbeth voiced another worry. "Are our minds going to fracture because the Gods are speaking to us through our dreams? Just like what happened to the original Dwarves when they were creating the Guide?"

"We don't have Ullentra restoring our minds after every contact!" Thorn added.

"What power do we have to make them stop?" Dystra growled.

"We could refuse to pass the message to Alex," Joah said stubbornly.

Dystra frowned at him. "Really? Do you think that would make the Gods give up?" Joah didn't miss the sarcastic tone and frowned back at the man.

Lyra returned from her spinning thoughts. "The three Gods stopped sending New Arrivals a long time ago. Now we have our Gods sending us messages to pass along to Alex, who was blessed by the three. This suggests they can't reach them directly. We know nothing about the environment in which the Gods exist, but our dreams seem to hint at some structure or environmental conditions that allow them to separate themselves. So, it's possible the three Gods stopped sending New Arrivals and became separated from the others! We don't know if that was intentional or not."

"This happened a long time ago, but I've never heard any stories about the Gods asking their Blessed to contact these three Gods," Dystra insisted.

Jhaan nodded. "In all my travels, this has never been mentioned to me, and I've asked each of the different races about direct contact with their deities. It was especially interesting to hear the stories from the Dwarven Kingdom."

"So why now?" Thorn asked. "What's common to this situation?"

Lyra smiled at Thorn. "Alex and his three blessings."

Thorn grinned. "Yes. He's the first occurrence of the return of the three."

Ti'Nah stood. "Give me a moment to ask the Beast-Kin if they've had any dreams of their God."

She trotted away, and they saw her gathering the super party, the elders, and the Guardians to speak to them.

"But why didn't Jhaan and I have the dream?" Dale asked.

"Maybe your Gods don't like the three," Yellsbeth teased.

They saw Ti'Nah hustling back with the elders and the Beast-Kin swordman who'd almost lost his leg to the thorny lizard monster.

"Ullentra!" Lyra, Yellsbeth, Thorn, and Devya suddenly said in unison, then grinned at each other excitedly.

Dale frowned at them. "Care to enlighten the rest of us?"

"Everyone who's received a Restoration Magic treatment from Ullentra also received the dream. This makes Ullentra the common element," Lyra said.

"Only if Ullentra's magic left some kind of trace that the other Gods could detect!" Dystra asserted.

"How would we know?" Dale asked in frustration.

Bas'Reen looked at the gathered people. "Where is Alex? Why haven't you informed him that the other Gods want to speak to his?"

Lyra locked eyes with the elder. "He's sleeping. He needs his sleep. We can tell him in the morning."

Bas'Reen frowned. "Did he not say that he speaks to his Gods while unconscious or sleeping? Why are you delaying the request from the Gods?"

Lyra moved to stand before the tall Beast-Kin senior and glared up at her. "Do you know if there was intent behind the three Gods' separation?"

"How could I know that?" Bas'Reen snapped.

"But you're ready to jump to the bidding of your God?" Lyra asked.

Her eyes widening in surprise, Bas'Reen gaped at Lyra. "Of course, I am! They're a God! They gave me their blessing!"

"What if they asked you to do something morally reprehensible? Would you do it?" Lyra asserted.

Bas'Reen's mouth dropped open in shock, but she gave no response to that.

Lyra continued. "We have free will. We decide what's good and bad for us, and we decide what we're willing to do. We have no idea what the situation is between the Gods. We can make no judgment calls on that. The dream I had did not indicate an urgency. Alex is a member of my party. I can make decisions on matters regarding my people. The morning will do."

With a frustrated huff, Bas'Reen spun and stomped off. The Beast-Kin swordsman smiled at Lyra and left as well.

Azri'Lain's face held a troubled expression. "I certainly don't want to get involved in an issue between the Gods. Currently, we lack sufficient information to gain a comprehensive understanding of the big picture. My dream didn't convey urgency either. We'll speak in the morning?" he asked, and Lyra nodded. With a final look, Azri'Lain joined the other elder.

"Ooo! Our leader is a badass!" Yellsbeth chuckled happily.

Lyra smiled and bowed slightly to acknowledge Yellsbeth's praise.

Chapter 17

The Beast-Kin super party was in high spirits as they left Wave Crest, but they were very much aware that this phase of the mission could be as dangerous as their journey through the levels.

Many adventurers faced ambush by bandits upon reaching the surface once more. These bastards would rather face weary adventurers than the unknown creatures of the city.

Their numbers made them a difficult target to subdue, but there was always the chance that an equally large group of bandits might be waiting for them, especially as their departure from Shalazar had been witnessed by so many.

The party members were also very much aware of the value of the items they'd collected.

The previous night, Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen sat down with them to discuss the artifacts they collected. While they were still welcome to bring them to Genthale to sell to the university, they were also made aware of the possibility that their items could be greatly devalued if a flood of artifacts hit the market. The university would have to do this due to the limited funds it had available. This was something Lyra's party discovered when they returned with their artifacts.

The two leaders indicated the Council of Elders would meet to discuss a new venture for the Beast-Kin nation. If they reached an agreement on how to set up and manage it, they would create the Shalazar University dedicated to enriching the lives of everyone in the Beast-Kin territory. It would collect and study artifacts collected at Wave Crest. Professors from Genthale University would be invited to come to Shalazar to study the new artifacts, provided that new Beast-Kin citizens were trained in their scientific methods to become professors and researchers.

This was an exciting change for the Beast-Kin nation. Having a university promised to elevate everyone's quality of life, as the study of artifacts here would lead to innovations that would be implemented for everyone, not just the elites, as it was in Genthale.

Human university professors were almost certain to come to Shalazar to see the flood of new artifacts, and to do so, they would need to train Beast-Kin citizens who also wanted to learn. New skilled positions would be created in Beast-Kin society, leading to even greater status for its citizens.

Few believed the Council of Elders would reject such a beneficial plan.

With the promise of having their names associated with the items they collected, only five of the Beast-Kin Adventurers chose instead to keep their artifacts to sell them in Genthale.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen agreed that this limited sampling would act as proof of their new collection in the capital. The Beast-Kin traveling to Genthale promised to wait for the Council's approval and to pass along their leader's official invitation to the professors to visit the new university.

So, the energy levels amongst the super party was soaring, and their vigilance in watching for bandits was at its highest.

As they neared the area they would use as their campsite, the trail narrowed, with dense forest on one side and a rocky cliff on the other. They shifted positions as Dale called out instructions when they stepped into the short section.

Alex's keen eyesight picked up motion all around, so he gave a loud squeak to warn of the attack. This seemed to catch the attackers by surprise, and then they engaged from both sides of the trail.

The enemy didn't find a worn and weary group of survivors but slammed into the quickly organized and furious response of the super party.

As orders were called out, lightning crashed down upon the Human and Orc bandits, quickly followed by a wave of arrows, rock bullets, and ice spears. The two Sorcerers finally had decent targets for their curses, and the Orcs found their vitality dropping fast. Two became disoriented and struck the Human bandits and each other with their clubs.

Even the toughest of the Orc Warriors were no match for the buffed swordmen who slashed their way through the bandits like a steel wind. Yellsbeth's axe was devastatingly effective.

A few of the Beast-Kin super party were hit by arrows from bandits dug into a cliff wall. These snipers quickly found themselves pounded against the rocks of their hidey-holes by a massive wall of water slamming into the hillside from above, courtesy of Devya. Several drowned, and a few were broken and mangled after they fell from the heights.

As Lyra's warriors and the Beast-Kin fighters ensured no threats remained alive, Lyra and Shi'Jax made their way through the aftermath with the other healers. Shi'Jax dealt with many of the most badly hurt Beast-Kin, now that her strength was approaching Lyra's. As a result, none of the super party members died in the attack, and the injured were quickly brought back to almost full strength.

As none of the bandits had escaped severe injury, a coup de grâce was given to all surviving bandits as Gor'Dem, his two underlings, and Dystra made a final sweep through the bandits looking for evidence of who they were and, more importantly, who might have sent them. Two had guild cards from Genthale, likely newbies, but most were experienced bandits who'd hidden their personal items elsewhere.

The bodies were dumped in a large pit dug by the Macrus blessed adventurers, then immolated by the Phyrrenz blessed. The ashes were then buried by using Earth magic.

When they rejoined the elders, Gor'Dem held up an ornate pin, which, based on its material and design, had to have come from one of the underground cities. It was an artifact, but they had no idea what its function was. He reported that the bandit carrying it had been better dressed and equipped than the others, though there was a surprising uniformity to the Human's equipment and dress.

"Mercenaries, not bandits, possibly," Dystra suggested, and the others nodded as that made sense. It did raise questions, however.

"A Human leader of a mercenary team with an artifact suggests they were in the employ of one of Genthale's nobility, perhaps even the King," Joah suggested. "I suggest we keep that artifact separate from the others. We may need it when we return to Genthale."

"I think Gordier Jalviere is a more likely culprit," Dale asserted, "But even he might have difficulty getting his hands on artifacts from the university." He slipped the pin into his pocket.

Yellsbeth frowned. "What about the Orc Warriors? There was one who was larger and more elaborately decorated. Fought like a bastard, too! Not that it helped." She grinned as she recalled cutting him down. "He was probably their leader. Why would he be willing to work with a group of Human mercenaries?"

"They were probably told to take the artifacts as payment. That's how Jalviere would justify hiring these two teams," Dale suggested.

"It does sound like more evidence of Jalviere's involvement," Lyra agreed.

Alex's sharp Therrax eyes caught distant motion and a flash of white as a witness flew away at speed.

"The courier was watching," he called out.

"What?" Dale responded and spun to see what Alex had. Several others craned their necks to spot the flying spy.

"They're gone," Alex sighed. "They were on the far side of this choke point and fled back toward Shalazar."

"Dammit! Is no one in our party capable of flight?" Dale asked.

Dystra smirked and hooked his thumb at Alex. "He can become a Fire Dragon."

Alex looked at the assassin in surprise. "Do Fire Dragons fly?" he asked incredulously.

Dystra laughed in delight. "You can become one, but you don't know what they can do?"

Therrax beaks can't pout in annoyance, so Alex settled with a glare, which looked very intimidating from his huge eyes. Unfortunately, it just made Dystra laugh harder.

"Don't tease Alex," Lyra scolded Dystra gently and turned her lovely eyes to Alex, who immediately released his scowl.

Azri'Lain gestured for the party to move forward. "Let's get to the camping spot. I'm assuming that such a large group of bandits would have ensured any other groups stayed away. That said, we'll do triple shifts of sentries tonight."

Everyone nodded and moved forward with pride in their movements. They'd faced a strong enemy, but they'd crushed them as they'd worked as a cohesive team. They'd all have tales to share at the taverns for years.

It didn't take long to reach their stop for the night, and a secure camp was set up. Sentries were assigned, and Lyra's party ensured they were included in the schedule.

Bas'Reen was marching purposefully toward Alex when Lyra stepped into her path. The two moved to the side, arguing as Alex watched with relief. He just wasn't up for another confrontation with the prickly senior.

He finished setting up his tent and joined the others, making the evening meal for the group. He saw smiling faces all around as he'd been the one to spot the enemy and give the early warning call. He knew their success was mainly due to the drilling Dale and the elders had insisted upon.

Taking turns, they found spots to sit and ate their meals, then took watch as the others had their turn.

"I miss having the city maintenance drones acting as our security detail," one of the Beast-Kin healers sighed, and the others sitting with her chuckled.

Alex smiled as he walked over to where Lyra and her party were gathered. Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain saw this and quickly joined them.

He looked curiously at Bas'Reen's intense expression, then turned his face to Lyra. "What's up?"

She smiled at him, but he could see some tension in her eyes. "We were speaking last night after you went to bed and discovered most of us had experienced something we'd never had before."

Alex's eyebrows rose as he smiled curiously.

She smiled again. "We had dreams with our Gods in them."

Alex's smile dropped away. "That's not good." He looked at the super party. "Everyone?"

She raised her palms to calm him. "No. We determined it was only those of us who've experienced Ullentra's Restoration Magic."

Now, Alex's expression showed definite concern. "Shit! Are you okay?" he gasped as he took Lyra's hands in his, then passed his eyes over the others he'd shared her magic with.

"It's okay! The dreams didn't hurt us. They were short and gentle. Just an impression of our God making a request."

Alex frowned again. "The same request?" he asked, and his jaw dropped as everyone nodded.

"What... what do they want?" Alex asked quietly.

"They want to speak to your Gods!" Bas'Reen jumped in to assert.

Alex looked at her in shock, then stumbled back from the group as he heard a distant roaring, growing in volume quickly.

His eyes rolled back, and darkness swallowed him.

-=-

Cool velvet, black and soft, enveloped him. He smelled licorice and orange but tasted ash.

He tried to calm his thoughts, but realized the chaotic thoughts weren't his.

Agron was in a rage, and Ffornexa was doing his absolute best to keep the other God from rampaging.

Alex wondered where Ullentra was, but he suddenly realized the cool softness he was leaning back on felt suspiciously like a bosom, again. After a moment of embarrassment, he realized the sensation was soothing, so he relaxed against it and tried to grasp the concepts pouring from Agron. Most were just violent and frustrated, but he did get the idea that the issue was that their interference might jeopardize the mission.

It felt like Agron suddenly took a deep breath as Alex comprehended the God's concern.

Warmth spread through his body from Ullentra, and he felt Ffornexa's gratitude.

Red light flared, and his mind recovered from the interaction.

Alex considered the issue from his perspective, which lacked crucial information. Maybe he could get some answers.

First, the facts as he knew them.

One: The three Gods were not in touch with the others.

Two: The other Gods could not find them.

Three: Somehow, the Gods detected the three Gods through Ullentra's Restoration Magic when it was applied to people not blessed by her.

He passed these concepts to the three and felt their agreement.

For number one, Alex guessed this was related to the Gods ending their participation in the New Arrivals program, so long ago.

He felt a swelling of pride from Ffornexa, so he assumed he got that one right.

Fact two was interesting as it suggested some spatial separation between the two groups of Gods, but that didn't necessarily convey a physical nature for them. A metaphysical separation, potentially?

The magnitude of Ffornexa's enjoyment of this was beginning to weigh on his mind, so Ullentra threw up a barrier between them. The God of Order immediately calmed its thoughts, and the pressure diminished.

Agron was quiet as well, but Alex could feel his desperate worry, threatening to turn into frustration and rage.

Not knowing what else to do, Alex sent the God the impression of a warm hug.

He felt Agron's sudden surprise, and warmth returned through their connection.

Alex pulled back before he fried his brain and returned to the issue at hand. Firstly, the mission. They were on track. Two of the seven portals had been shut down. While he didn't understand the significance this had for the three, he saw it was a good thing for the people of this world. He showed his intent to head for Pinnacle Reach next and felt the gratitude of the three.

He didn't know what he could do about his friends having these dreams from the Gods. When he tried to get a response from the Gods about that, Agron's anger flared, and Alex could tell it was directed at his friends.

That wasn't cool, so Alex slammed the concept of his friends forming a pyramid under him to lift him higher to reach the button to shut down the portal. It was a clumsy image to represent his need for their help. Ffornexa grasped the meaning and soon Agron calmed down.

He created an image depicting the three in contact with the others and posed it as a question.

Agron slammed that idea, sending Alex tumbled in the void and into consciousness with a gasp and wide eyes as he struggled to get his breathing under control.

"Alex!" Lyra gasped from his side. His senses were overly sensitive, and her voice overloaded his hearing. He brought his hands up to cover his ears, but touching them sent more sensory overload into his head.

He tumbled back into unconsciousness.

-=-

Dale pulled Lyra back from Alex just before red light flashed over his head once more. He stared at the unconscious man in concern, then looked up at the others gathered around. "I think someone isn't happy about the idea of reconnecting with their... peers."

Azri'Lain was nodding. "Yes, that would be my interpretation as well. Until Alex wakes up to tell us otherwise at least."

Dale released Lyra, who immediately went to Alex to scan his body for injuries. As expected, there was nothing physically wrong with him, except that he was unconscious.

Ti'Nah immediately scooped him up in her arms and carried him to his tent. Lyra and several others moved with her. Yellsbeth slipped inside the tent first and helped guide him onto the sleeping pad. The Tigress slipped back outside, and Lyra immediately took her place to lie down next to him. Yellsbeth glanced across Alex's body, but Lyra just nodded to her, so she stretched out next to him on his other side.

They were quiet for a minute, then Lyra whispered a confession to the other woman. "I wish there was something I could do to lighten this burden for Alex."

Yellsbeth grunted quietly in frustration, then whispered back. "I feel the same way, except... we're faced with Gods as our opponents. We're nowhere near strong enough."

Those thoughts raced in their heads until sleep dragged them down as well.

-=-

Azri'Lain sat across from Bas'Reen and held her eyes with his. The other elder wore a guilty, annoyed expression.

"Do you agree now that Alex Frost is not an enemy of the Beast-Kin people?" he said quietly.

Her eyes flared, then she gave herself a shake.

"He's not an enemy, but his connection to these Gods is dangerous. Definitely for him, and potentially for us. I've never witnessed the behavior of Gods so close to the surface as these three appear to be with him.

You and I have received the blessing of Saphra, but this means we have skills we can call upon. Agron gives Alex battle advice on how to use his skills during combat! Ullentra constantly monitors him and restores any damage he receives, including the damage their close connection creates. Ffornexa's connection grants him the ability to master any skill, given practice. He's overpowered and a young Human male. That's a dangerous combination!"

Azri'Lain couldn't argue with her concerns as he felt them too.

But he trusted Alex, and that was the difference.

-=-

Luc'San beat his wings desperately as he flew from the scene of the slaughter as quickly as he could. He hadn't expected to see a trained Human mercenary squad, backed up by a fully blooded troop of Orc warriors, destroyed so viciously and rapidly by a mere Beast-Kin adventurer party. It seemed the mercs and warriors hadn't expected it either. None had escaped.

The stinky one had suggested the possibility and had given him yet another contingency plan.

He was to hide in the city and follow them until he could determine which city they were going to next.

Then he was to return to Genthale.

He really wasn't looking forward to giving that report.

Chapter 18

The second day of their return trip to Shalazar was uneventful. No further bandits attempted to rob and murder them, and once they reached the outer fields of the agricultural district, the field workers there cheered for their success. Returning with most members accounted for on a mission of such importance was reason enough to celebrate, but reaching a level never before explored and returning with a massive collection of artifacts was beyond exciting!

By the time they reached the smaller towns circling the base of the ancient volcano, the streets were lined with citizens eager to see the successful adventurers.

The main gate, located before the switchbacks leading up the side of the volcano, was a chokepoint for the large party and the citizens crowding the route. It took a concerted effort from both city elders and the Guardians to give the group space to enter through the gauntlet and begin the climb.

Alex was tired when they reached the plateau before the tunnel leading into Shalazar, so he remained quiet and let the elders do the talking.

Lyra joined him as they waited and leaned against the soft fur of his shoulder.

"How are you doing, Alex? You've been very quiet today," she said softly.

He recalled waking this morning between the soft bodies of Lyra and Yellsbeth. He'd managed to slip out of the tent without waking either.

His mind had been buzzing with his memories of his conversation with the three Gods. It was clear that Agron wanted nothing to do with any other Gods, except the two.

End of discussion.

This left Alex with no clue how to help his friends if their Gods continued to push them to establish a connection. Once more, he felt like a helpless go-between.

His thoughts were troubled by this all day, but he still had no idea how to address it.

"Stuff on my mind," he said quietly.

"About last night?" she asked.

"Yup," he sighed.

"We're here for you if you feel like talking," she added, then patted his side and turned to walk away.

Alex wanted to talk with her about his mixed-up feelings, but he just couldn't find the proper words. Instead, he bent his neck and gently pressed his face to the top of her head.

"Thank you."

Lyra looked up at him in surprise as he pulled back. A smile appeared on her lips as she nodded and continued onward.

Permission to enter the city was granted, and they set off to travel through the tunnel.

The scents of Shalazar were welcome to the travelers as they finally reached the inner exit and stepped into the ancient caldera. The cheering was almost deafening as they made their way through the streets back to the embassy.

This time, a Guardian perimeter was established around the building, also encompassing both the streets above and below.

As Alex pulled the wagon train into position in the courtyard parking lot, he spotted Dio'Lorn standing at the building's entrance with a broad smile on her lovely face. Her ears were poking through her fur and trembling cutely.

Thorn brought him a blanket, tunic, and kilt. He quickly switched back to his Human form and got dressed. Then he gave her a tender kiss, which brought a smile to her face.

He stepped into the sandals she dropped at his feet and joined the others as they collected their bags.

A team of the oxen-like beasts was brought into the courtyard to be hitched to the wagons. Bas'Reen and Azri'Lain stopped before Lyra and Alex to grasp hands with them.

"Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the people of the Beast-Kin nation!" Azri'Lain said solemnly.

Bas'Reen bowed toward Alex. "My sincerest apologies for treating you with mistrust. You have proven yourself to be a champion of the Beast-Kin."

Alex could see how sincere she was being and how much it had cost her pride to acknowledge her mistake. He wouldn't squirt lemon juice on that wound.

He returned the bow, then looked her in the eye. "You are a vigilant protector of your people. It was an honor to work with you."

The elder's surprised expression showed her embarrassment, but she smiled at him anyway. His glance at Azri'Lain showed the male was struggling to hide his amusement.

They turned to the task of preparing the wagons and their huge load of artifacts to bring to the Council of Elders headquarters.

The super party came forward to shake the hands of Lyra's party.

Alex soon found himself surrounded by excited and happy Beast-Kin, and love swelled in his heart for these people. He felt an echo of this from the back of his mind. Suddenly, Agron's presence rushed forth and flowed over the crowd.

He went still as his eyes locked on infinity. Everyone went silent as their skin prickled with the electricity of the moment.

Feeling the change from across the courtyard, Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen hustled over to see what was going on.

Alex's body twitched and moved, odd yips and growls coming from his lips, as Agron gave his people a new message of pride and love.

Red light flashed strongly over Alex's entire body, then he collapsed into the arms of Lyra and Ti'Nah, who'd moved closer in preparation.

The witnesses to Agron's message hugged each other and cried out joyfully.

Seconds later, Alex's eyes fluttered open. "What?" he muttered as he felt the two ladies keeping him on his feet.

"Agron shared a new message through you," Lyra said. "Considering the healing Ullentra hit you with, he may have done some damage before she intervened.

Ti'Nah nodded as her eyes sparkled joyfully. "Agron was able to complete his message, but I agree that Ullentra seemed to be using a tremendous amount of Restoration Magic."

Dio'Lorn was suddenly in his arms. She'd been watching from the edge of Lyra's party, so she'd caught Agron's message up close.

When she pulled back, her ears were still trembling, but she seemed embarrassed by her outburst. Seeing the elders returning, she released him and slipped away.

Azri'Lain and Bas'Reen each took one of Alex's hands and smiled at him. "Thank you for sharing Agron's message with us. We will ensure everyone is made aware of it," the ex-chief said, and his fellow elder nodded. They turned and walked back to the wagons, shaking hands as they went.

Lyra and her party headed for the embassy entrance, where Dio'Lorn waited to welcome them officially.

Alex fished an item from his kit as he reached the diplomat and placed it in her hands as he stood before her.

She stared in wonder as the fist-sized glass and steel object she held caught the sunlight, casting rainbow hues. Looking up at him, he saw the question in her eyes.

"An artifact for you from a habitation unit on the seventh level of Wave Crest. As a thank you for making our visit so welcoming," he said.

Her jaw dropped open in shock, then her eyes went back to the priceless object she was holding. She seemed lost for words, so Alex let her off the hook. "It's yours to keep, or you can speak with Azri'Lain or Bas'Reen about a new initiative the Council of Elders may choose to set up for studying Wave Crest artifacts: the Shalazar University."

Dio'Lorn's eyes widened further as excitement raced through her. A university? Here?

Alex grinned at her, then found himself wrapped in her arms. She rubbed her face against his sweetly.

He was caught by surprise and wrapped an arm around her to regain his balance.

This just made her press her body against his more firmly, and her rubbing made part of his anatomy begin to stand up and take notice.

She paused her gyrations when she felt this new stiffness between them. She looked into his eyes and pressed her pelvis harder against his.

Alex couldn't stop the little gasp that slipped out as his tingles flared.

"Uh, we, uh, we're blocking the doorway—" he began when he felt himself pulled into the embassy lobby by strong hands gripping his shoulders.

He turned to see Ti'Nah smiling at him in amusement. "You were blocking the entrance."

Alex glanced toward the doorway and saw Dio'Lorn's eyes gazing back at him with hunger.

He nodded and looked away to continue inside, clearing the way for others.

"Thank you," he whispered to Ti'Nah, as she grinned with a nod.

Once everyone from Lyra's party was inside, Dio'Lorn joined them and smiled at the group. "Welcome back to Shalazar, and congratulations on your successful mission! Your rooms have been refreshed, so you may use the ones you previously had." Her eyes flicked to Alex momentarily, then went to the others. "We have Guardians protecting access to the building now, but we haven't installed locks on the patio doors yet. They're on order."

"Alex gets a roommate," Dystra said firmly, but there was a teasing glint in his eyes, earning him a frown from the man in question.

"I volunteer," Ti'Nah asserted.

"Anyone quieter?" Shi'Jax asked the group, and laughter erupted. Ti'Nah just pouted.

"I-I would be honored to protect the emissary," Dio'Lorn offered, and smiles spread across the faces around Alex.

"Settled!" Dystra stated firmly as he enjoyed the flustered expression on Alex's face.

"Let's put our baggage away and meet in the embassy dining room to discuss our plans for moving forward with the mission," Lyra said, and Dale nodded. The group moved down the hall to find their rooms as Alex glanced at Dio'Lorn, then moved to the door to his room.

He went inside and placed his bag on a chair next to the bed. When he turned, Dio'Lorn was standing in the middle of the room, watching him hopefully.

She was so lovely, but his heart and mind were out of sync. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. While the thought of sharing his bed with this beauty intrigued him, another part of him argued that it was too soon for his heart to open up.

But he knew it was already wide open for... someone else.

But that someone hadn't protested the idea of Dio'Lorn being with him tonight.

Was his expectation that she would protest... wrong? Did it even mean the same thing on this world?

Fuck! He was a mess!

"I... I can't promise I'll be the best company tonight. This mission for the Gods sometimes has me feeling like a puppet." He paused. "As Agron just clearly demonstrated."

She moved closer and looked into his eyes as she placed her hands on his chest. "I have no expectations from you. I want to be with you tonight, but I won't make any demands. I can see you are trying very hard for your friends and the Gods who blessed you. You don't have to do anything for me. I'll keep you safe tonight."

Alex pulled her close and pressed his cheek to hers as he allowed himself to enjoy the softness of her fur, the feel of her svelte, muscular body against his bulkier one. Her aura of calm seemed to seep into his body, putting him at ease.

She seemed to enjoy the embrace as well.

When he pulled back, she smiled at him. "You should join the others for the meeting. Come find me in my office when you are ready to call it a night."

Alex nodded to her, and she moved to the door, leaving with a sweet smile.

The dining room was filled with the voices of his friends. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy the energy and happiness in that sound.

He joined them and took the offered chair between Lyra and Dale.

"How are you feeling after that demonstration in the courtyard?" Lyra asked.

"Just a little tired," he admitted. Then he noticed someone was missing. "Where's Shi'Jax?"

Ti'Nah spoke up. "She's gone home to be with her family. She's telling them that she's staying to be a healer for their neighborhood. She promised to come by to say goodbye when we leave."

"Ah. Good," Alex said, but he felt a little unsettled by how quickly she'd left the group. He gave himself a shake, knowing that was unfair.

He knew she'd discovered that adventuring wasn't for her after nearly dying on her very first mission.

Wasn't this exactly what he was striving for? To make it possible for people to escape the need to put their lives on the line just to survive here.

Dinner was served, and conversation fell into a lull as the tired, hungry adventurers enjoyed the meal and the company in a comfortable silence.

Once the meal was over, the embassy staff removed the dishes.

Alois Charette had joined them for dinner and the meeting, and he seemed a little dazzled by the artifacts they'd brought with them to show him. Most would remain behind with the Council of Elders, but Alois was allowed to select one for himself. His face glowed with excitement.

The senior statesman smiled at Alex. "Are we visiting the Dwarven capital of Kharnthiad next?" he asked with a glint of eagerness in his eyes.

Alex caught the expressions on Yellsbeth and Thorn's faces and glanced at them in question.

Yellsbeth held up her hands. "We're fine if that's our next stop. We're not as enthusiastic about visiting, but it's not an issue for us to do it."

Lyra and Dale locked eyes with the Dwarf sisters, then nodded. "Yes, Pinnacle Reach is our next subterranean city to explore," he said.

"After the original inhabitants disappeared, they were the first new arrivals the Gods sent to this world. Numerous firsts mark their history with the Dwarves. They are the most established race, and all others looked to them for guidance."

"Set in their ways. Stubborn. Calcified values. Fearful of new ideas and change. There are plenty of ways to describe the Dwarven leaders," Yellsbeth grumbled.

Lyra gave her friend a worried look. "That doesn't sound very promising, as we'll be asking them for permission to mount and lead an unprecedented mission into the city they control."

Thorn put a hand on her sister's arm. "We can get permission... if we have the right support."

"Fffuuuccckkk!" Yellsbeth groaned as she squirmed, then slumped back in her chair.

Eyebrows rose on faces all around the table. Everyone wanted to know who could have this effect on their axe-wielding powerhouse.

Thorn watched her sister, then sighed as she saw it was up to her. "Her fiancé—"

"EX-fiancé!" Yellsbeth barked at her sister, then frowned.

"It was an arranged marriage between the King's son and the Killgrave Clan Leader's daughter," Thorn explained.

Yellsbeth put her hands on her face as if trying to hide from her past.

Thorn continued. "Father was thrilled to have Brakt Cragborne promise his son in marriage to Yellsbeth, who was our clan's undefeated warrior. Brakt's only child, Steev Cragborne, was blessed by Deshna. This was a disappointment to his father, who values strength above all else. He wanted Yellsbeth to father a son for Steev, hopefully blessed by Saphra."

Dale listened to this but was confused. "And how does all this get us the right support?"

"Yellsbeth could ask Steev to present a petition to the Dwarven committee for permission to lead a mission in Pinnacle Reach. They are not likely to deny the King's son. I doubt he's ever been in the city."

The older sister groaned again.

"Do we have any viable alternatives?" Lyra asked.

"Fuck. No. I'll do it," Yellsbeth said softly.

Alex leaned forward and locked eyes with Yellsbeth. "You're not going to have to marry him, are you?"

Yellsbeth chuckled and looked at Alex fondly. "No. Steev had less interest in me than I had in him." She sighed. "He's still the only son of the King, and he hasn't achieved any great feats to make his father proud. Leading the expedition to a level of the city never before reached would make his father take notice of him. It may even give him enough merit on his own to be recognized as a valued citizen."

The group shared looks. Dale nodded. "This seems like a good option unless a better one presents itself during the time it takes us to reach Kharnthiad."

Lyra nodded. "We'll need to resupply before we leave. I'll ask Bas'Reen to assist with that."

Ti'Nah got their attention. "Uh, there has been considerable interest from the people of Shalazar in joining the Gods' mission. You have only to say the word, and they'll follow you anywhere!"

Everyone looked at Alex, and his face burned with embarrassment.

"That's... incredibly generous! As much as I'd like to have them with me every step of the way, I think it'll be easier to convince each of the nations to allow us into their cities if we don't show up looking like an invasion force," Alex said, and saw nods of agreement.

Alex's expression became grim. "That said, there will be one city where we'll need all the help we can get. The last one we'll attempt is Shadow Cape, in the land of the Goblins.

There will be no negotiating with the Goblins. We will need to invade their territory and kill any we meet. We'll need a massive army, and there will be huge logistics issues with that."

Dale looked at Ti'Nah. "Can you thank those interested and pass along that there will be a time when we may call on any who can help."

"I will!" Ti'Nah assured him.

"It shouldn't take long for us to provision ourselves for the journey, so we can probably set out in a day or two," Lyra said and looked over at Alex, who was feeling some background impatience. He gave her a weak smile, and she nodded to him as she understood.

Dystra indicated that he had something he wanted to discuss, so they turned their attention to him.

"We've collected quite a few artifacts from Wave Crest. I understand we'll be leaving most of them with the Council of Elders if they decide to proceed with the construction of their own university. If they don't, we won't be swinging by Genthale to sell them off any time soon. Would we consider selling them in Kharnthiad? Or we could purchase a storage locker in the Kharnthiad Bank to keep them safe."

Dale frowned at Dystra, then he grasped what the man was alluding to. He turned to Alex, who still seemed confused.

"What's your plan for after you've completed the Gods' mission?" Dale asked, and Jhaan smiled as he picked up the thread with enthusiasm.

"Were you mentioning some dissatisfaction in regard to Thale's society and preferring the Beast-Kin way?" the blond elf recalled with a sly smile.

"I recall you saying you wanted to find a way for people to live without being forced into adventuring." Devya nodded with a huge grin.

Joah was smiling now and leaned forward to catch Alex's eye. "You have two options to make that happen.

First, build a new city where the citizens can live by a new set of rules. You'll need land to set up this new nation, and the only large, uncontested area is currently the neutral zone between the Dwarven Kingdom and the Human nation of Thale, where GreenTree Dynasty is.

If you claim it, you'll need to build everything from scratch and defend it. That's going to take a lot of money, resources, workers, and soldiers.

Alternately, you overthrow the Monarchy in Thale and define new rules for Human society to follow. This will also require money and soldiers, but perhaps less if you can enlist the Genthale Knights on your side. I think you can win the people over if you're going to make their lives better. You'd probably need to eliminate the Royal Knights, as they work exclusively for the monarchy and the nobles.

I'm just putting those ideas on the table as food for thought."

Alois Charette was aghast at hearing open discussion about tearing down the monarchy he'd worked for his entire life. He stared at Joah for being the one to bring it up.

Everyone was a little wide-eyed as they realized the magnitude of the stakes involved.

"Well, that's... quite something," Alex managed. He turned to the ex-regent. "I'd certainly want to ensure a bloodless transition should the... alternative method become the chosen route for bringing personal freedom of choice to the citizens of Thale."

Joah grinned. "He's sounding like a politician already!"

That broke the tension, and the party burst out laughing.

"On that note, I think I'll head back to my room. Thank you. You've given me something to keep me up at night," he said, giving Joah a fake scowl. This just made the man chuckle harder.

The meeting broke up, and everyone headed back to their rooms.

As Alex approached his, he spotted Dio'Lorn stepping out of her office. She caught his eye, and his face warmed up as he nodded to her.

He suddenly realized he was looking forward to spending time with her. He needed the closeness of another to keep his fears at bay, to help him remember why he was willing to go along with this madness. The Gods' task ahead of him was suddenly looming so large, it felt like he was totally out of his league.

Tonight, he needed to think of smaller challenges, like could he be with another after the ugly reality of what he'd done. It suddenly wasn't feeling like a smaller challenge.

She moved to join him at his door, and they went inside.

Dio'Lorn immediately tied a bell to the inside handle on his door, then walked over to the patio door and added one to the handle there as well. They were different sizes and made two distinct tones, so they'd know which door was being opened.

Alex smiled and nodded in appreciation of her quick thinking.

"Your meeting went well?" she asked.

He nodded with a little smile, then it widened as he recalled the good spirits around the table. "Yes. They're good people, and we have a good start on a plan for the next part of our mission."

"Ah," she said gently, then looked into his eyes. "When are you planning to leave Shalazar?"

Alex saw that she was trying to be casual about it, but her trembling ears gave away her true emotional state.

"It won't be for a couple of days at least. I'm sure we'll be asked to speak with the Council of Elders again, and we need to restock our supplies for the trip to Kharnthiad. Besides, I never got a chance to finish my tour of the city with you," he said with a smile.

This brought a joyful smile to her face, and she nodded as she moved closer.

He accepted her into his arms and held her against his body, enjoying the softness of her fur and the strength of her sleek muscles underneath.

A fleeting thought passed through his mind. Was it Alex the Human she was attracted to, or Agron the God who used him as a puppet?

He pushed that aside as she felt good in his arms, and there really wasn't anything he could do about it.

Her purring increased as she pressed herself against his body, waking his anatomy once more. She did something with the collar of her dress, leaned back from him briefly, and it slid down her body to pool at her feet.

She tugged at his tunic to pull it up and over his head, as he dropped his kilt.

Now his naked body could truly appreciate the softness of hers.

It felt blissfully decadent, and he couldn't prevent a little moan from sneaking out. She pulled back to look into his eyes questioningly.

He smiled self-consciously. "You feel so incredibly good!"

She suddenly tugged him onto his bed and rolled him onto his back. She stretched out over his body, and he smiled, impressed by her incredible flexibility. Did she even have bones? Definitely a feline anatomy, though far less muscular than Ti'Nah.

"You will teach me the kiss?" she whispered to him hopefully, and he looked into her eyes, which seemed to have become all pupil.

He nodded as he couldn't trust his voice. Her undulating over him had succeeded in making him very stiff, and she hadn't stopped her movements.

He took her face between his hands and stroked his lips against hers. She sucked in a sudden breath as her body pressed more firmly against his. Her eyes widened when the tip of his tongue teased her lips, then stroked her tongue as it ventured out. He captured her tongue delicately and sucked the tip.

"AAHH-Mmmmmm!" she moaned as her body began to grind against his. The sensations were becoming too intense for her, and he felt a tremble run through her body from head to toe.

Her movements became desperate, and he suddenly found his cock enveloped in silky smooth, wet heat as it plunged deep into her pussy. She threw back her head as she was enjoying her first release.

Alex was surprised at how close he was to his. Her body was continuing to undulate against his, and her inner pulsing was adding a delicious counterpoint to his thrusts. Suddenly, it was too much, and he clung to her as his heat surged deep inside. It felt like it was going on and on, and she rubbed her face against his in contentment as she enjoyed the sensation.

He wanted to talk to her about what they would do together in the remaining time they had, but Dio'Lorn was so soft and warm in his arms, and her purrs were gentle and soothing.

The day caught up to him, and he drifted off to sleep.

-=-

Lyra's party left Shalazar as it had arrived, except now, the crowds that lined the streets to watch them pass were cheering and waving happily.

The huge, black Therrax pulled the carriage and wagon through the narrow streets toward the entrance to the tunnel that would take them to the outer slope.

Alex realized he was going to miss Shalazar and its people. The Beast-Kin had been wonderful, aside from a few notable exceptions. He would miss them on his journey to the Dwarven Kingdom.

Ti'Nah was joining them, though Shi'Jax was not. She'd said her goodbyes to Alex and the party the day before. It was a teary goodbye, but Alex made sure she understood he was fully supportive of her decision and promised to visit her the next time he was in Shalazar.

Gor'Dem wanted to join them, but as a Guardian, he had duties he could not set aside. He would only accompany them as far as Vastella Station, where he, Hex'Ray, and Tan'Shee would say their goodbyes.

The Elders said theirs the night before. Today, they were working diligently to establish Shalazar's University. Most of the super party traded their artifacts to the university in exchange for standing in the community they'd enjoy for years. Many wanted to work at the university and were eager to see if the invitation to Genthale's University professors would yield any suitable teachers for them.

A day earlier, a group of adventurers had left Shalazar for Genthale. They were escorting and protecting the super party members who'd be delivering the invitation and selling their artifacts.

As Lyra's party stepped into the tunnel, Alex wondered again about Dio'Lorn's odd behavior. She'd been missing from his room when he woke after their night together and was notably absent from the embassy until they left.

When he'd pulled the carriage from the courtyard, he glanced back to see her watching him from the embassy's entrance. All he could do then was nod to her, and she smiled before turning and rushing inside.

He would remember their night fondly, but he wished he understood how the female mind worked.

The trip to Kharnthiad would take them roughly two months, and Alex had prepared himself for the journey. He was feeling much better after his night with Dio'Lorn, and his friends seemed happy to see him smiling more often. Their looks of relief hadn't gone unnoticed, and he regretted putting them through that pain.

He still had moments when he felt unworthy of their friendship and times when his guilt for what he'd done to Laura rocked his world, but he was getting through those moments. His friends rescued him from that darkness.

He hoped the future held more smiles for everyone, but he recognized there might be challenges ahead.

Still, with his friends, it felt like they could do anything.

Epilog

Dio'Lorn arrived for her appointment with her mother and older brother escorting her. They seemed more anxious than she was, but she'd received their pledges of silence. They took seats immediately as she approached the desk.

"Dio'Lorn Mellos?" the female in the small outer office asked as she looked up at her.

"Yes," she responded, controlling the tremble in her voice.

"He'll see you now," the assistant said and gestured to the next door.

Dio'Lorn knocked and stepped into the office to smile at the older male who stood up to greet her. She closed the door behind her and pressed her cheek to the male.

"What brings you to my clinic today?" the doctor asked.

"Two things," she said with a smile, and watched his curious expression as she turned her back to him and dropped her dress.

The shock on the doctor's face was priceless. He'd been her doctor since he'd helped her mother bring her into the world. He knew her body more intimately than any male.

"H-how?" he gasped as he leaned down to get a close look at the God's mark on her lower back. The fur had been removed from the skin where a new mark resided, but she expected the fur to regrow and hide the mark she'd never had before. From what she understood, no one had ever received a blessing after birth, aside from New Arrivals.

"Ullentra? This is Ullentra's blessing!" the doctor gasped. "She hasn't blessed anyone for ages—"

His face froze as he looked at Dio'Lorn. "You met the Agron blessed Human!"

Dio'Lorn nodded and smiled as she turned to face the doctor. "I met him. We mated, and I'm carrying his child." Her hands rested gently over her lower abdomen.

The doctor frowned in confusion. "That can't be. Humans and Beast-Kin aren't compatible."

Dio'Lorn smiled gently. "There has never been a resident Beast-Kin post-birth blessing either."

The doctor paused and nodded, knowing that as well. "Please get onto the table and lie back. I'll do my examination now."

She did as he asked, and the older male called upon his Hallestra blessing to enter the trance he needed for a deep tissue scan of his patient's body.

Dio'Lorn watched his expression change as his eyes were closed while he looked deeper and deeper. She felt nothing, and that was a relief.

Moments later, his eyes opened, revealing wonder and confusion. His smile trembled for Dio'Lorn.

"It's true! You're carrying a child! It's healthy and in its earliest stage. I could tell it had a blessing, but it's too soon to determine which one it is." His voice stopped as he struggled with the concept. "I don't understand how you could be pregnant from a Human! There has never been a Beast-Kin birth from a Human! Never! Even from an Agron-blessed Human!"

Dio'Lorn felt a warmth spread through her body as she thought of their child. She didn't know how it had happened, but it had, and she was deeply grateful for the miracle.

She couldn't wait for Alex to return to meet his child.

"I had a special dream the night I conceived. Ullentra wants the existence of the child to be kept a secret until after its birth," Dio'Lorn said.

The doctor choked on the idea of keeping such a secret, but he suddenly saw a dim red glow in Dio'Lorn's eyes.

His protest froze in his mouth.

"Yes... yes, of course. I guess... congratulations?" the doctor ventured, and his patient's face became a joyous smile.

"Wondrous days ahead! Thank you!" Dio'Lorn said as she slipped her dress on and bowed to the doctor.

He returned the gesture and watched as she left his office.

He needed to sit down.

Dio'Lorn smiled at her mother and brother, who immediately stood and followed her from the doctor's office.

When they were alone, walking back to the Mellos homestead, Dio'Lorn turned her face to her family members. "The doctor confirmed the child is healthy and has received a blessing."

They pulled her into a hug, and her mother wept tears of happiness. It was a wonderful day for the Mellos family.

They would keep her secret until the special day.