Chapter 9

The Cosmos branch in Triven was into the festivities as much as anyone else. More so than its sister buildings if the overcompensation of decorations was any indication.

Most buildings added a mannequin or two in the shape of monsters, maybe some paper mâché with depressing colors. This one painted the whole damn place with depictions of heroes and monsters and decorated its walls to the point that it didn’t even look good. Like it wanted to show itself off but didn’t know the meaning of modicum, only obnoxiousness.

Roesia, Nora, and Yvain found Nelimir looking at such a spectacle with clear distaste.

“Been waiting long?” Yvain asked as he approached, Selt’s food in hand inside a wooden container.

“A bit. Didn’t really eat much. I left right after to wait here for you guys,” Nelimir said as he looked away from the building’s walls. “Shall we get this over with?”

“After you,” Yvain said as he gestured for the door.

Everyone moved inside.

Nora swung her head from side to side trying to take everything in at once.

“What’s wrong? You don’t have Cosmos branches back home?” Yvain asked.

“We do,” Nora said. “I’m just curious to see if I’ll find anything standing out or missing. Clearly guilds in Empryon are treated differently on many levels.”

“If there’s one thing that might be different it’s that there’s no one here,” he said.

Out of the way branches like these usually had little traffic, but they were never so empty. There was a single woman at the other side of the room managing one counter out of three. She didn’t notice the group walk in, instead shuffling papers in a hurry and quickly writing on them.

As they walked closer, Yvain made out makeup that was probably meant to be a monster of sorts. Yet somehow the way she put it all together made her look like a sheep. Her twitchiness and glasses detracted even more from her already inadequately intimidating look.

Nelimir stopped in front of her and waited for any sign of recognition, none came. The girl kept to her nervous work.

“Hello?” he said.

“Ack!” the girl screamed and dropped half the papers on her hand into the floor. “Oh no, oh no,” she said as she quickly bent and picked all of them up before organizing them again. She then looked angrily at their leader.

“What do you want!?” she yelled.

The sudden outburst took everyone aback, but Nelimir quickly recuperated and stated his business.

“We’re here to add someone into our guild,” he said.

“Now of all times? Can’t you come tomorrow?” the girl practically begged.

“It has to be today, we’re on a tight schedule,” Nelimir said.

That’s weird, Yvain thought. He couldn’t remember a single time where they were turned away. What was she busy with anyway? There was no one there besides them. The papers in her hands weren’t that many either.

“Stars smite you, Cristina! Where are my damn files!?” a loud grating voice burst out from the door behind the girl.

“Coming!” Cristina said and rushed to the back of the building, going out of view.

“Where are the rest!? Are you insane!? Do you want me to look bad!?” the voiced screeched rapid-fire questions to which Cristina stuttered out answers trying placate the angry man.

“I-I’m taking care of some guests out front,” she said.

“Why should I care!? Send them away!” the man said.

In the silence that followed the tapping of the girl’s shoes rang sharp as she came back to her station teary-eyed.

“I guess tyrants can be found anywhere,” Nora muttered with distaste.

“Please come back tomorrow,” Cristina said as she went back to the files that were still left.

“What’s his name?” Nelimir asked and the girl confusedly looked at him.

“His name,” he repeated, pointing to the back of the building.

“Eddie?” she said.

“Eddie!” Nelimir yelled, startling Cristina into dropping some more of her files. “Come out here!”

“Do I need to call the guards!?” Eddie threatened as he came barreling out the back door.

Cristina quickly picked up her work and moved out of the line of fire with her head bowed.

“We need to add a member to our guild,” Nelimir said.

“And why should I—” the heavy-set man began as he wiped his brow of sweat with a dirty napkin. But then his eyes bulged out as they registered who he was talking to.

“Oh stars I’m so sorry sir-umm prince, majesty, how may I be of service?” Eddie said as he quickly waddled up to the front.

“I said we need to add a member to our guild,” Nelimir said, ignoring the fawning of the fat man.

“Of course, your majesty, of course,” Eddie said as he bowed several times as far as his stomach allowed. He then turned and in front of everyone slapped Cristina across the face, sending her glasses sliding on the floor.

The girl gave a startled whimper as Roesia gave a low gasp and Nora’s body violently shook; her hand quietly venturing to crush Yvain’s as she stared death at Eddie.

“Did it slip your rotting mind that our guest is his majesty!?” he screamed. Cristina didn’t say anything as she choked back a sob and held her reddening cheek. The quickly changing colors of her new bruise revealed what were bruises covered by cleverly placed make-up Yvain hadn’t noticed before.

“Go grab the blasted application before I send you back to your family,” he said, looking away from her and pasting another dishonest smile for the audience as Cristina grabbed her glasses and left.

“An application?” Nelimir asked.

“Only a formality your majesty, your new member will be added to the registry immediately,” Eddie said and moved his eyes over the rest, “may I ask who you’ll be adding?”

“Me,” Nora said as she walked up next to Nelimir. Yvain had tried to hold her back by the hand but only half-heartedly. He released it soon as she made the slightest effort.

Eddie did his best to keep his eyes from making conscious decisions, but it seemed difficult to ignore the goddess’s massive breasts.

“I’ll need to ask for a few details,” he said as his eyes attempted to remain on her face.

“What is she to you?” Nora asked.

At first Eddie showed a questioning stare, but soon after he realized what the goddess referred to and rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Please stay out of our matters,” he said with practiced ease and raised his hand to show off a beautiful ring, “we’re married to each other, not you.”

“The moment you—”

“Nora,” Nelimir interrupted, “don’t forget that we have no say on what goes on between two married individuals.”

The goddess looked at him with incredulity, but he shook his head seriously.

“You’d do nothing?” she asked.

“It’s not our place, and we have an important mission, remember?”

The goddess kept silent for a second or two.

“I do,” she said, and looked back at Eddie with barely masked rage, making the fat man unconsciously take a step back. His cloth going up to his forehead again to wipe his brow.

“Thank you, your majesty,” he said.

“Just make sure to add her into the registry with haste,” Nelimir said and soon after Cristina appeared holding a single sheet of paper which she handed to her husband before standing a bit behind him.

Grabbing a pen, he asked, “Full name?”

“Nora Genesis,” Yvain said.

“From the Genesis family?” Eddie asked as he wrote down the name.

“Not yet,” Yvain said. “We’re to be married soon.”

Eddie’s pen stopped and he peered at Yvain, “Ah, I should have known. The right-hand man of his majesty.”

“Not officially,” Yvain said but still nodded.

Cristina slightly lifted her head and gave the couple a demure smile, “Congratulations.”

Eddie quickly backhanded her. Not as strong as before, but still with enough force for it to be audible.

“No one asked for your opinion,” he said.

Cristina slumped her head and remained quiet.

Then, before anyone could understand what happened, Eddie flew over the counter and toward the building’s exit. His body heavily slammed against the wall next to the door, several of his bones giving a sickening crack before he fell on the ground.

Cristina, who had had her head down, didn’t see what happened. But with the loud crash she looked up to find her husband on the other side of the building clutching his chest and doing his best to breath.

The poor girl fainted, and Nelimir rushed to catch her over the counter.

In that time Nora appeared next to Eddie and slammed her foot down on his head.

He grunted and attempted to speak through what was probably broken ribs.

“You bitch,” he rasped, “do you understand what you’re doing?”

“More than you do,” she said.

Eddie laughed, “Anyone who attacks a Cosmos agent will automatically receive the penalty of death.”

Nora looked to Yvain for confirmation, which he gave.

“And why should that matter to me,” she said as her slitted pupils pierced the fat man again.

Eddie gasped a few incredulous incoherencies as he stared up from under her shoe.

“Release him Nora,” Nelimir said as Roesia quickly took Cristina out of his hands with ease. “You of all people should understand the consequences of doing something like this.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Nora said as she pressed her foot harder on Eddie’s head and his breath became panicky.

“Your majesty, save me!” he yelled.

“Yvain why in the stars haven’t you stopped her yet?” Nelimir asked in frustration.

“Because I know what she’s feeling right now,” Yvain said, “I will not deprive her of this.”

Nelimir bared his teeth, but he wasn’t going to divulge any more than that without Nora’s consent.

“It’s not about what she feels damn you!” Nelimir said and pulled Yvain toward him by the scruff of his shirt, “I gave you both a chance, I promised my assistance in her matters, but if this is what we’re all going to get from it then she will not join Draconian’s Tavern, regardless of who she is and the benefits, do you understand me? She can go find her daughter on her own.”

Roesia worriedly looked at them from behind, but she remained surprisingly calm midst all the violence.

What should he do? His friend was serious. Was he willing to give up Draconian’s Tavern for Nora? They could both go on their own to try and find her daughter, though it would be more difficult.

“Release him.”

As fast as Nora had appeared next to Eddie, she appeared next to Nelimir holding a sharp dagger close to his neck—a weapon the Cosmos agent probably had concealed in his person.

Everyone froze, all their eyes focusing on the goddess.

“The only reason I haven’t pierced you yet is because of who you are to him, but I will not accept this type of treatment toward my master,” she said.

“What in the stars are you talking about?” Nelimir asked.

“Nora,” Yvain said as he raised a placating hand, “stand down.”

The goddess did as told immediately and released Nelimir at the same time as he released Yvain. She then threw the dagger toward a staggering Eddie who was about to escape through the exit.

It embedded itself deep in the fat man’s back, right where his hear was.

With a barely audible gasp his body fell forward and slid against the door before crumpling, his stomach holding him up.

“Damn you Nora,” Nelimir said as he rubbed his neck.

His friend looked as out of sorts as Yvain felt. Neither of them had expected the goddess to suddenly change her target so quickly, much less toward a companion.

But there was a more pressing matter lying dead on the floor, a pool of blood growing fast.

“You will not survive outside the walls like this,” Nora said calmly.

“By not breaking the law!? By not endangering my friends!?” he yelled.

Nora unexpectedly laughed.

“What laws?” she said between chuckles. “You are the law, that’s the type of mentality that will be required of you,” she said and looked at Roesia, who still held Cristina, and Yvain, “all of you.”

Nora then went to Eddie’s corpse and lifted it before carrying it back.

She stopped in front of the trio and said, “My decree is that this piece of excrement reminded me of my late ex-husband. I will not stand by as I watch the same acts I suffered play in front of me.”

Thus, she effortlessly jumped over the counter and hid the corpse behind it before jumping back.

“And the moment you decided to change Empryon was the moment you and all your friends forfeited their lives. It’s too late to worry about endangerment.”

Nelimir looked like he wanted to say more, but Yvain set a hand on his shoulder, “What’s done is done, what use is there in arguing about it? And deep down you must know she’s right. Regardless, none of us liked the asshole anyways.”

His friend brushed off his hand and gave a defeated sigh.

“What should I do with her?” Roesia asked Nora.

“Leave her by the exit,” Nora said.

“That’s it? We murder her husband and leave the crime scene like nothing?” Nelimir asked.

“Yes,” Nora said. “She didn’t see what happened, and I doubt anyone has the type of carriage we use. It’ll take too long for them to piece together information, spread the news, and even find us. By that time, we should have found my daughter.”

The goddess headed for the exit where Roesia waited, Cristina soundly unconscious against the wall next to her.

“What if we haven’t?” Nelimir asked.

Nora stopped, a hand on the door handle, “Then I will rally my subjects and force Arthur to give me answers.”

Nelimir left soon after the group evacuated the Cosmos branch without saying much, only that he would go buy meat, vegetables, and fruits.

Due to the Day of Terrors not much attention was paid to the guild building. It was already afternoon and even the guards were happily leaving their posts to partake of the event.

As the trio went about buying clothing for Nora, a new bed frame, and sweets, Yvain replayed in his head his girlfriend’s words.

What did it mean to create one’s own laws? It sounded like an oversimplification of very complex matters. Yet at that moment, who could have stopped her out of every normal human in Empryon? And what if she had been at full strength? Could anyone from Draconian’s Tavern do anything? Even Nelimir had to ask for his help, despite being the leader.

Not because Nora was Yvain’s responsibility, but because he wasn’t strong enough to do so himself. There was no catching her off-guard like with Elly, and her strength when she defeated the tall woman was already returning.

Did all this mean that it should be that easy to take a life? Yvain wasn’t unwilling, but only when it was another opponent. Someone he considered equal. He couldn’t imagine killing someone weaker than him for no reason.

Was Nora’s reason enough, then? He felt no remorse or guilt when she killed Eddie, so maybe that meant that it was. Regardless of how weak he was, or how they didn’t hold a grudge against him, he was a piece of shit that deserved to die. And he couldn’t imagine how Nora felt when confronted with a reminder of her past.

“Should we have really left her behind?” Roesia asked between bites of her candy apple.

“There wasn’t any other choice, we have no idea how she’ll react once she wakes up and we can’t simply carry her around,” Nora said, taking a bite out her own apple.

“Exactly, so let’s head back already,” Yvain said. They had bought everything they needed—he carried the materials for the new bedframe, along with Selt’s food, while Nora held her new clothing inside paper bags—but both women were running around eagerly trying sweets.

“One more stop!” Roesia said.

Said stop was a stand selling cotton candy. The sorceress bought two, one pink and the other blue, and showed them off to Nora.

“Which one do you want?” she asked. By this point Nora didn’t even bother to ask what she was being handed. She knew it was candy, and that she could eat it. That was all that mattered.

“Pink of course, you like blue, don’t you?” his girlfriend said.

Roesia bopped her head up and down happily as she handed Nora the pink cotton candy.

Yvain was glad the sorceress didn’t seem affected by the death she witnessed. Before her transformation he couldn’t imagine her not entering a catatonic state if it ever happened.

The trio left the town and made their way to the carriage.

The trees it hid in made the surroundings darker than it currently was, but the inside lights illuminated things enough for them to make their way.

Nelimir, Elly, and Selt were already sitting at the table when the group made it inside.

“Put away your belongings, then come back so we can start the meeting,” Nelimir said.

Selt, who was wearing an oni mask, copied his mannerisms and gave a somber nod toward the group standing by the doorway.

At least Elly didn’t seem one way or the other. Did Nelimir not tell her what happened?

“Here’s your food you dunce,” Yvain said as he set down the wooden container.

“How am I supposed to heat this up!?” he asked.

“That’s not my problem,” Yvain said as he and Nora took their new bedframe and clothing back to the room. In it, Nora undid the hair tied to her horns and gave a satisfied sigh. She then lifted her skirt and swung her tail around wildly.

“Much better,” she said.

“We’ll ask Elly later to make it so you can more easily put these on,” Yvain said. It had been a challenge to have Nora try out new clothing. Not impossible, but it would be a hassle to wear in everyday life without any modifications. “Now let’s go before Nelimir screams at us again.”

Nora turned, and jumped into his arms with a smoldering kiss.

“From now on my name is Nora Genesis,” she said with a grin.

“Sorry for jumping several hoops at once,” Yvain said, though he couldn’t help an excited smile from coming out.

Nora kissed him several more times and rubbed his cock before jumping back smilingly.

“Let’s go,” she said with an offered hand Yvain took.

When the couple excited the room Roesia was already at the table with her hair cascading down her body too, her hand on top of Selt’s food.

“I’m not your personal heater,” she said. Her hand had a crimson glow coming out of it.

“What else are you good for?” he said innocently.

The sorceress glared at him but finished heating up the kids food.

The couple took their seats.

“We have several items to discuss today,” Nelimir began, “of which our two friends, Elly and Selt, know nothing of yet. And they go as such. First, Nora killed a Cosmos agent and threatened my life in defense of Yvain when things got heated between us. We didn’t have any other choice than to hide the body and leave the late agent’s unconscious wife immediately.”

Selt, still wearing his mask, nodded several times to Nelimir’s every word with crossed arms.

Elly remained surprisingly quiet, even when hearing that the goddess had threated their leader.

“Second, Nora will be giving us a detailed account, or at least as detailed as she can make it, of Empryon’s outside. And lastly, it seems that my father might be the so-called god of humans.”

Selt had kept up his charades while Elly clicked her nails incessantly.

“Who wants to start?” Nelimir asked.

“Well, that’s certainly a lot to take in,” Elly said. “I guess my first question should be,” she looked at Nora, “why did you threaten our leader?”

“He insulted Yvain,” she said.

So not master? Yvain wondered.

“And why did you kill the agent from Cosmos?” Elly asked.

“He was abusing his wife. I’ve been through a similar experience. I will not allow something like that to go unattended,” Nora said.

“There you have it,” Elly said, sitting back on her chair. “Don’t look so riled up, Nelimir. These things happen.”

“They do not just happen,” Nelimir said with disbelief. “My life was just threatened by someone we consider a member of the guild, am I supposed to gloss over that?”

Yvain agreed. He would side with Nora’s choice to kill the agent, but it would be unreasonable to expect nothing to come out of an attempt at a life between companions. Why would Elly react so, after she managed to stop him from taking things with Selt too far a few days back?

“Was it?” Elly asked, “Nora, would you really have killed Nelimir?”

“No,” the goddess said.

Elly nodded in an ‘I rest my case’ manner, “It might be hard to believe, but I can tell when these things are true or untrue by instinct. And right now, Nora is being truthful.”

Nelimir searched the tall woman’s expression for any lie, but none was found. He touched his neck absentmindedly, right over the miniscule dagger cut and asked, “And the rest? How do you all feel about this?”

“Doesn’t this type of thing happen between us all the time?” Roesia said. “Stars look at Elly’s arm. If anything, this is the least of offenses.”

“Yvain even threw me off Great Divider,” Selt said. “I could have died.” The kid then narrowed his eyes, “Actually isn’t everything that’s happening his fault to begin with?”

“I thought you couldn’t die as long as you had the favor of all gods,” Yvain retorted.

“Why would you believe something so idiotic?” Selt said.

This brat.

“Alright, I got it,” Nelimir cut in with a sigh and looked to Nora, “Regardless, I will not have it happen again. This will be the first and last time, understood?”

“I am still but a guest here,” Nora said, “I can only defer to your verdict.”

“Let’s hope that holds up,” he said and stood from his chair impassively. “Now onto more exciting matters.”

Nelimir went into his office and rolled out a chalkboard along with chalk and eraser. He moved his chair aside to make space and walked up to Nora before handing her the items she’d need to give her presentation.

The goddess grabbed the equipment and gave Yvain a questioning stare.

“What?” he asked.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

Seriously?

“It’s chalk, you’ll use it to write whatever information you need to convey to us there,” he said as he pointed at the black board.

“Oh! Like a quill,” his girlfriend said with a smile of realization.

Yvain couldn’t remember anyone ever using a quill anywhere, but he humored her and nodded with a smile of his own.

“The soft rectangle on your hand is an eraser,” Roesia added.

“I figured as much,” Nora said as she stood and walked to the front.

Selt bent forward and whispered, “She’s not very bright, is she?”

“You’ll have to excuse my lack of understanding,” Nora proclaimed loudly as she stared at Selt, “in matters regarding human culture and technological advancements.”

The kid sat back with an air of dignity, “You are excused.”

Nora didn’t reply and instead turned toward the chalkboard. She then drew a misshapen circle which began to be filled with many details—mountains, rivers, lakes. It was insanely comprehensive, and every drawing seemed to pop out of the black backdrop.

“You’re clearly an artist,” Yvain said.

“I dabbled in the hobby from time to time,” the goddess said without turning.

Eventually she pulled back and, apparently satisfied with her work, faced her audience.

“This is the land we reside in called Astros,” she said and looked at everyone for at least half a minute.

“Does this name ring any bells?” she asked.

It didn’t for Yvain. He looked to those around the table, but they were as clueless as him.

“You guys really don’t know anything of the outside, do you?” Nora said.

“What we do we had to scrape together,” Nelimir said.

“We aren’t even allowed to leave Empryon, neither do we receive news from the outside,” Roesia said.

He should have known that Nora would not know of their situation. Meeting her back at great divider as a human had given him a subconscious perception that she would in fact understand Empryon’s culture and rules, even after learning of her true nature. And they had been too focused on their relationship, training, and mission to have this much needed conversation.

“Stars have mercy,” Nora said as she shook her head in wonderment, “Well all this changes now.”

The goddess stabbed the chalk on a spot to the southeast and outside of the landmass, “This is where Empryon is located.”

“It’s not part of Astros?” Nelimir asked. What Nora pointed at was much smaller and disconnected from the larger land.

“It is,” Nora said.

“And what’s between it?” Yvain asked. Could it be open dark space? Just like the one found inside him between the outside and his Galaxia?

Nora looked at him, dumbfounded, “you don’t know what an ocean is?”

Yvain shook his head.

“It’s obviously a large body of water surrounding us, dumbo,” Selt said.

“That’s ... correct,” Nora said skeptically.

“And how exactly do you know that?” Yvain asked.

“It’s common knowledge,” Selt said with a shrug.

No, it wasn’t. But this was just another random outburst by the kid; many had come before it, this one being the least confusing. And Yvain already knew what the answer would be to questioning. Silence. Selt never answered the first ever question the guild ever asked him, ‘where did he come from?’. Neither would he answer anything that might reveal his past.

“In any case, Emrpyon is set apart from the mainland by the ocean which surrounds Astros itself,” Nora said. “I won’t go into geographical detail, but while we’re on the topic,” the goddess wrote four names on the chalkboard, one on each of Astros’s cardinal directions.

To the North there was the Starless Ocean.

To the South the Darkened Hollow.

The West and East had the Weeping Gulf and Inflamed Tides respectively.

“Why are all these names so depressing,” Roesia asked.

“Ask the cartographers who named them,” Nora said with a shrug. “I don’t have much to say about them except that you are right next to the Inflamed Tides.” The goddess circled Empryon.

“How are we supposed to crossover to Astros?” Nelimir asked.

“Before I knew the extent of your lack of outside knowledge, I assumed you all had a plan. Now? I’m not sure,” Nora said.

The goddess began to turn for the chalkboard but stopped and looked back, “You wouldn’t happen to know what boats are?”

“We don’t,” Yvain said, beginning to feel like a child.

He always imagined himself gleaming off this type of information from a book or some random more experienced personage on the outside.

Which I guess is what we’re doing now, Yvain thought. Yet never did he imagine how mortifying it would be.

“Actually, isn’t that what we use to tread waters?” Roesia asked.

“Yeah, I remember my family using a pair during one of our vacations as a kid,” Nelimir said.

Are you kidding me? Yvain thought.

“Where would you even use this boat?” he asked.

“There’s a lake all the way down south from Allsworth,” Elly said.

Of course she would choose to talk now.

“And why exactly haven’t I heard of it?” he asked.

Elly shrugged, “Maybe you should get out more.”

As the group talked, Nora was once again drawing something on the chalkboard.

The goddess spun and addressed the group, “This is what you would need if you wanted to cross into Astros. It’s called a ship.”

On the board a white outline of what looked like a very detailed basket with two sticks coming out of it was drawn.

“It follows the same logic as a boat, only, its much bigger, it can fit as many more people, and it can cross the ocean,” Nora said.

Nelimir dragged his hands across his face and sighed, “More things we’ll need to deal with later on.”

“I understand your frustration,” Nora said, “now that I’ve lost a large percentage of my starlight, I’m good as stuck here until I gain most of it back or a ship presents itself.”

“Which begs the question,” Roesia said, “how did you get here?”

“I flew here,” the goddess said nonchalantly.

The group fell silent.

“What?” the sorceress asked, mirroring Yvain’s incredulity.

“We’ll deal with that tidbit of information later,” Nelimir said, “Please continue.”

Nora nodded. “To expand upon the conversation we had on the nine powerhouses inside the Tairos rank,” the goddess began to write down another list, this one containing nine names, “these are the nine most powerful races in the continent.”

On the right most corner of the chalkboard, right next to Empryon, they read as such: Dragons, Humans, Bulls, Vampires, Elves, Demons, Werewolves, Angels, and Starchildren.

“There are other, much weaker races that fall under the influence of these groups, but they are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things,” she said. “As I’m sure you can deduce, each one of the powerful races have a Tairos combatant.”