Side Story - Kiro 2: Teatime Deliberations

 AN: Get yourself a cuppa.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Jerien asked as she looked at the rather unassuming door that had appeared in the middle of Kiro's room.

"I told you a million times already," he replied. "She specifically said I am free to bring you along."

"But, she is a Goddess and I am not one of her followers."

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to," Kiro said after a slight sigh. "But I have to. Mayeia said it is important."

"What could be so important that she'd relent and bring you to her Dominion? Didn't you say that she spends most of her time lying around somewhere trying to figure out how the System works?"

Kiro nodded at the question. "Yes, that's why it is doubly important for me to go. Mayeia has never sounded so stressed."

"I mean, Natio, Vigil, and Inanis fell from grace," Jerien said as she stared at the door. "Perhaps she thinks whoever did that is after her as well?"

"I doubt that. She probably wants to meet whoever accomplished that. The chances that they know the one who made the System should be pretty high if they can remove Gods from their position. Two major ones at the same time, too."

"But what if she wants to offer us as a sacrifice to appease whoever did that?" Jerien asked, nervously fidgeting with the buttons of her robe.

Kiro just stared at his companion for a moment. Seeing as how she wasn't about to change her mind about coming along, he shook his head and opened the door. Behind it, a long hallway lined with bookshelves and various paintings could be seen, a sight he would never forget.

It was the first thing he had seen after he had chosen Mayeia as his Patron-Goddess, after all. The Goddess had greeted him with a cup of tea and some cookies in her library, a gesture that had confused him at the time. The fool that he was, he had believed he had been summoned to rid a world of Demons or something along the lines.

What he encountered instead was a Goddess clad in what he could only describe as a glorified bathrobe, wearing a pair of glasses he was certain she did not need. She also had a book that contained every detail of his life, something he still was not sure he liked the sound of. Does it also know what will happen to me?

He doubted it did, otherwise his Goddess would not have reacted with such surprise after he relayed to her what the Elf had caused him to experience. Thinking back to the fight still made him shudder; feeling himself being torn apart and stitched back together was not something he wanted to experience ever again.

Suddenly, Jerien's head came into his field of view, peering cautiously around the edge of the doorframe. Kiro stepped through it, trying his best to distract himself from the prickling sensation that split his body apart like... like... He mentally shook himself. "Are you coming or not?" Kiro asked.

Jerien hesitated for another moment before she stepped through the door that led to the Dominion of the Goddess of Magic. "This feels weird," she said as a small light appeared in her hand. "Like the entire place is full of mana."

"That's because it is," a voice called from behind them, causing both to turn around.

The door they had used to enter the Dominion had disappeared, revealing yet more shelves and a woman with auburn hair that, for reasons Kiro still did not understand, wore a pair of glasses. The ears peeking out from her hair pointed at a potential Elven heritage, something Kiro was unsure about as the woman was a Goddess. Who says they can't just change how they look on a whim?

"Come now," Mayeia said as she turned around, motioning for them to follow. "We have much to discuss."

Kiro followed without question, grabbing a cup of tea from the tray that had floated over to them. A few other people looked up from their books or scrolls as they passed, bowing slightly at the presence of their Goddess. Does every God make their Dominion their main temple?

He had asked himself that question countless times by now, and had even asked Mayeia herself, but had never gotten an answer. She did not know, and he had no other way to find out. Unless I find a way inside another God's Dominion.

The thought was dismissed as soon as it had formed. He might be strong compared to most others, but the encounter in the dungeon had undeniably shown him that there were things that were yet beyond his capabilities. Could she fight Mayeia? He did not know how strong his Goddess was, but he doubted she would have much trouble with any mortal.

"The woman you fought, do you happen to know her name?" Mayeia asked as she sat down behind her desk.

Kiro shook his head, trying to ignore the panic that rose up at the thought of her as he let himself down on the other side of the ornately decorated desk. "No, the description I gave you is the best I can do."

"Well," his Goddess said, producing a painting with a wave of her hand. "Is this her?"

Kiro swallowed as he laid eyes on the canvas. The dark wings with their blue edges, the silver hair flowing behind the woman in an unseen wind, and the blue and silver eyes that seemed to stare right at his soul even in their painted form.

"Y-Yes," he managed to stammer out, taking a shaky sip from his cup to rid himself of the cold roughness at the back of his throat. "That's her."

"Good!" his Patron-Goddess exclaimed, seemingly uncaring for the turmoil in her chosen's mind. "You know who else saw her? A good number of Vigil's once-followers. They claimed that she came to his temple on the moon and killed their God.

"She was also accompanied by two others. A Human with fiery red hair — the same one you described as well — and an Elf. The description of the Human matches what I know of Ferio, which also means her ignoring my inquiries was because she knew who I was seeking! ...Or knew someone that does, at least."

"Is she always like that?" Jerien whispered, leaning closer to Kiro.

He absentmindedly nodded as the true scope of his previous faux-pas slowly set in. It would seem that his feeling that the woman was not an Elf had been right. If what Mayeia said was correct, he had tried to fight something that could kill Gods. What have I done?

What would he do if she ever sought to properly reprimand him for his insolence? The only reason he was alive now was because the fiery-haired woman — another Goddess, apparently — had stopped her. Who knows what else she could have done? She had split the very space he had occupied like it was nothing, just a wave of her hand... and he was dead.

"Kiro?" Mayeia inquired. "You still with us?"

The youth did not respond immediately, staring instead into nothing for a while longer. Hearing his Goddess speak about what his previous foe had supposedly done had caused the detailed memory of their fight — if he could even call it that — to resurface.

"Yes," he eventually croaked in reply, quickly gulping down the rest of the tea. In all his time on Verenier, nothing he had done had made such a lasting impression. Almost getting killed by monsters somehow didn't stick, the memory of it somehow hazy; almost dreamlike. The same could not be said about his encounter with the Elf. Or, which was increasingly likely, his encounter with an Elven-looking Goddess.

No matter how much he tried to push the memory from his mind, it always came back. There was no haziness to it, the sensation of being split apart always distressingly sharp in his mind. Did she do something else to me? With the amount of magic she had so casually thrown around, and her potential nature as a Goddess, Kiro wouldn't put it past her.

A finger jabbing against his chest took Kiro out of his reverie. In front of him stood his Goddess, looking rather concerned. "Anything on your mind you want to tell us?"

He shook his head in reply, but then another shudder ran through him and he found himself speaking despite himself. "It's the fight. Every time you mention… her, I feel like I am being torn apart again."

Mayeia narrowed her eyes as she focused on something Kiro could not see, presumably a System window that was reserved for the Gods. Perhaps one day. It would be a lie to say that Kiro did not want to be a God one day, but he doubted that he would be able to do it. The amount of power it seemingly required was far beyond what he currently had, after all. Can a God sponsor another one? Is that the whole point of this?

"Weird," Mayeia mumbled as she swiped at something Kiro could not see. "It would seem she left a bit of an impression on you. I did not know you could mark someone like this."

"Mark?" Kiro inquired.

"That's the only thing I can think of," his Goddess replied. "There is a bit of mana still in your body that is not your own. Nor is it from my blessing. It is also purer, for a lack of a better word. Not something I, let alone a mortal, could have made.

"It doesn't do anything," Mayeia added as she noticed the slightly widened eyes of her Chosen. "It's just... there. Like a mark. Now the question is if we can use that to find her. ...Maybe she left it for that purpose?"

In the corner of his vision, Kiro could see how Jerien started to fiddle with her robe again. It was something she did when she either wanted to say something, or was exceedingly nervous. It only took a moment longer for the Beastkin to step closer to the Goddess and her Chosen and speak.

"Are you sure you want to find her? The only reason Kiro is still here is because that other woman stopped her. What happens if you catch her and she is alone?"

"Well… First of all, you shouldn't challenge her to another duel," Mayeia said. "And if you find her, just call me and I will come as fast as I can. I just know that we are so close to finding the Creator, and I think this woman is the key."

"But..." Jerien's voice trailed off as she directed her gaze at the cup resting in the hand of the Goddess. "Isn't she the one that just killed three Gods? Vigil and Inanis, no less. They are stronger than most others in the pantheon."

"You think those old fools were strong?" Mayeia shook her head. "They might have been around for a while, but deities like Diskrye and Roots are way beyond what those two could've ever hoped to reach. Ferio, too, is stronger than both of them were; as long as they fight outside their Dominions, that is.

"Then there is also Lor'Kem, that old Dragon could've probably fought them too. Point is, there are lots of others in the pantheon that could have done what she did. It's not even certain that she did it alone. We only have the accounts of a few shocked mortals and, as much as it might hurt you, mortals are easily fooled."

And very fragile, it would seem, Kiro thought with a huff. While his Goddess did not look like it, she had done more than a few things he himself would not have survived. Despite my levels. They could only survive in her Dominion because she allowed them to. The mana that surrounded them would drown them otherwise. If she didn't lie.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Kiro asked. "I would avoid her if I could, but I doubt that is what you have in mind."

The Goddess dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand. "I did not plan on forcing you to do anything; simply keep an eye out and let me know if you find her. Though, from what I have been told she is in Ebenlowe at the moment and I should have more than enough people there to find her."

"So, the only reason you called me here was because you wanted me to identify her?"

"Not quite," Mayeia replied, a bundle of cloth appearing in her hand. "As your old one broke, and you said that you were unable to retrieve the one the other person left behind, I wanted to give you this."

Kiro very carefully took the offered bundle, almost dropping it as his Patron-Goddess removed her hand. He already suspected what it was, of course, but he doubted he could use this new weapon as effectively as the old one for a while yet.

Gently, Kiro unwrapped the gift he had been given, hesitating briefly as he saw the greenish-golden sheen of the sword's blade shimmer in the omnipresent light in his Goddess’ Dominion. It was made from the same material as the sword the winged Goddess had first used but still felt different to him. The weapon that was still embedded in the ground behind the tavern seemed stronger somehow. Almost like it's alive.

Removing the last bit of cloth, he paused as he took in the intricate runes that had been carved into the blade. He did not know what they meant, but he could feel them; eager for his mana. Easing a bit of his magic into the blade caused the blade to burn in an icy-white fire that sucked the warmth out of their surroundings. The weight was also significantly lessened when he channelled mana through the sword, some of the runes obviously altering how much it weighed.

"I hope it is to your liking," Mayeia said as she stood up. "It's most certainly better than that cheap one you had before."

Kiro ignored Jerien's mumbling that the Mithril sword he had previously used had not been cheap by any stretch. Instead, he bowed slightly, a habit he had yet to rid himself of. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome. Should you wish to stay a while longer, you are free to do so. If you want to leave, just let me know." The Goddess' words were accompanied by a slight wave of mana as she vanished.

"She really is not like a Goddess," Jerien mumbled.

Kiro simply nodded absentmindedly as he inspected the runes on his sword again. For the briefest of moments he felt something shift inside him, the feeling gone before he could pin it down.