There is a short ceremony after Mateo and his party are healed. Chrissima is ‘wheelchair bound” though it is less a chair and more a luxurious wheelbarrow. The citizens offer their homage to the adventurers granting them what they call ‘prime citizenship’ of Heroldin. When they present a small silver band inscribed with glyphs that translate to ‘Heroldin’s Heroes’ they get a fifteen percent discount at stores and a free night at the inn once a week.

  Stitches, being the healer, immediately buys the entire stock of health and mana potions. She then pours all of them into small intestinal pouches. If she tosses one of these pouches at an ally and it hits them it will apply the effect of that potion. After leveling to ten talons like Mateo she chose a skill called ‘lamb skin’. That allows her to store consumables in the intestines of, well just about anything, and then toss them at allies activating their effects.

  The ceremony ends with them crowning Juliana Stormveil as Heroldin, the Herald of a New Dawn. A title that makes her the leader of the settlement of Heroldin. Which raises the question. What was the name of the previous Heroldin, if it in itself is just a title. She accepts the title thanking Mateo for everything he has done for her and casually offering him her hand in marriage, which he respectfully refuses. She smiles seeming grateful that he wasn’t so hasty to take her hand knowing they are not well acquainted.

  “I wish my father had been here to see this,” Juliana says holding the small tiara in her hands.

  “He would be proud, I’m sure he is proud,” Mateo says patting the strap of her brightly colored summer dress.

  “If you see lady death again, tell her I am grateful that my father passed quietly in his sleep, unravaged by the cruelties of this world.”

  “Kind of hoping not to see her for a while, I’m usually dead when we meet,” Mateo replies with a smile.

  A commotion draws Mateo’s attention away from their conversation. Which is still somewhat awkward after his refusal of matrimony.

  “Hold on, you have a death essence too?” Stitches proclaims loudly.

  “Yes, it’s how I wield the Harbingers of Gore, Permafrost and Wildfire,” Hera says plainly.

  “Can I see them?” Stitches asks.

  “Show me yours and I’ll show you mine,” Hera replies.

  “You’re fairly informal for a queen,” Stitches says as they swap weapons.

  “I wasn’t always a queen sweetie.”

  Hera looks over Stitches weapon with the eyes of someone who has seen their fair share of adventures.

  “Oh my, a Harvester of Gore, and on a full charge nonetheless,” Hera says examining the staff.

  “I’m saving it for someone special,” Stitches chuckles.

  They both laugh and no one gets the joke but them. Natalia floats over landing on Stitches’ shoulder as she examines the twin blades.

  Permafrost: Harbinger of Gore. Sister blade to Wildfire. Permafrost is a medium blade with a reverse curve like a sickle. Targets hit by Permafrost will accumulate stacks of glacial causing frost damage until frozen. Glacial stacks up to five times. If opponent is inflicted with two or more stacks of glacial and is hit with Wildfire it will cause shatter inflicting; two stacks- one hundred and fifty percent damage, three stacks- two hundred percent damage, four stacks- three hundred percent damage, five stacks- shatter insta kill. Stacks dissipate quickly and can be removed by spells or avoided by resistances.

  Wildfire: Harbinger of Gore. Sister blade to Permafrost. Wildfire is a medium blade with a reverse curve like a sickle. Targets hit by Wildfire will be inflicted with scorched annihilation stacking up to ten times. One stack of scorched annihilation causes two percent burn damage for thirty seconds stacking up to twenty percent burn damage per second for thirty seconds. Timer for burn damage resets with every stack inflicted. Burn resistances still apply for this item.

  “These are really powerful, how did you get them?” Stitches asks.

  “Your staff is equally impressive, perhaps we can have a longer conversation about these later, your group needs rest, and you should depart as soon as possible, time is of the essence,” Hera replies avoiding the question.

  After a good night’s rest and a vigorous reprimand from Serenity.

  Mateo stands at the edge of the continent of Vitas and stares down into an empty space separating it from Aramas. Below he can see the massive golden sphere that is the core lands. As it has its own atmosphere separate from the rest of Terramundus the minerals and mana in the sky give off a golden glisten.

  Tendrils of blue energy radiate from it rising to the continents above.

  In the far-off distance below Vitas. Mateo can see several large vessels that seem like they belong in the sea docked at a large floating station that resembles a port.

  “Triremis, an astral port, most likely owned by the Astral Duchess,” Stitches says.

  “The Astral Duchess?” Mateo asks.

  “Everything between the lands is known as the astral, it is a plane made from mana and gravity that creates a sort of ethereal ocean, you can travel through it, but you cannot touch it, nor can you be touched by it, the space between the core lands and the continents is just that, space, where mana flows to the continents unabated,” Stitches replies staring off into the distance like a scholar sharing sacred wisdom.

  Mateo steps over to her placing his hand on her shoulder as he too stares off into the distance.

  “And how do you know that?” He questions.

  “I asked Okami,” she says holding up her rune tablet.

  Mateo grabs the tablet from her holding it infront of both of them. The projection buffers before an image of Okami and an injured Chrissima appear on it.

  “Okami, how is Chrissima?” Mateo asks.

  “She’s well, I’ll move the tablet closer so she can hear your voice,” Okami replies.

  Okami moves the tablet closer, and Mateo can see dried blood running from Chrissima’s pointed ears. A large gash runs across her left cheek, and she reaches up with a bandaged hand only displaying a thumb and two fingers, her pinky and ring finger absent. A cold tear runs down Mateo’s right cheek as he feels a slight tremor in his hands.

  “Hey Chrissima, it’s Mateo, sorry I’m not there to check on you, we have an important quest and it’s kind of time sensitive, how are you doing?”

  “I can’t feel my toesss, but I alssso don’t have toesss, ssso maybe I’m ok?” She jokes.

  Mateo coughs subtly trying to hold back anger and remorse. His fists clench as rage seeks to control him. His breaths turn to a frozen mist and small bolts of lightning dance around his clenched fists.

  “How are the childrensss, Okami won’t let me out of bed,” she asks weakly.

  “Safe, thanks to you, but I need to ask-,” she cuts him off.

  “I would have chosssen you over Rick, he’s far too immature for a woman of my experienccce.”

  “Wait, what does that mean?” Mateo says confused.

  “My apologiesss, Okami turn it off, I’m feeling frisssky again,” she says pushing the tablet away.

  Okami moves the tablet back to him.

  “Stitches says you’re portalling across the astral to Aramas, take care my friend, and stay in touch.”

  The hologram fades and Stitches stores her rune tablet away. They turn toward Yasmina and Serenity who are creating a portal from elven glyphs. They used the time Mateo was conversing to construct an archway to contain a large portal that will transport them across the Astral to Aramas.

  Mateo steps up to Julia, the Hoaram, and pats her main gently. She whinnies rubbing her curled horn against his chest as she claws at the dirt with her talons.

  “It’s ok Julia, we’ll be back soon.”

  Bolt bunts her with his large, curled horns also whinnying.

  “Bolt will keep you company while we’re away, and Queen Hera has promised to take good care of you two,” Mateo says pressing his forehead to the large hoaram’s.

  Julia raises her head bunting Bolt back, and they head toward the woods to hunt. Before they disappear among the trees to savagely murder their unsuspecting prey Julia turns back toward Mateo snorting at him. He gives her a wave, and they disappear under the shadowy canopy of the Greenveil woods at the edge of the continent of Vitas.

  “I’ve never seen a Hoaram so emotionally connected to anyone before,” Stitches says.

  “Terror thinks, creatures of the night long for Mateo’s attention.”

  “I know you aren’t calling me a creature of the night like Okami,” Serenity yells.

  The archway fills with a swirling darkness as Serenity and Yasmina back away from it.

  Reality rips open merging one destination to another via a mana bridge cutting through incorporeal space. The journey is instant, but daunting. Traveling through incorporeal space leaves the adventurers feeling a familiar nothingness. Something that brings up forgotten memories from Mateo’s time where his soul wandered the void.

  In an instant; Mateo, Rayo, Yasmina, Charlotte, Terror, Jade, Serenity, Stitches, and… Beatrice? Appear in a massive swamp that reeks of hot ass.

  “This is the best that you could do?” Yasmina asks.

  “There is only one intercontinental portal point on this side of Aramas, and it’s in the Slog, sorry, elves don’t exactly like visitors, they usually come looking for trouble, or worse, help,” Serenity says adjusting her bra irritably as her boots sink into a thick mud.

  Rayo hisses loudly shaking mud off his large claws. Charlotte pats him on the back with her mud covered claws a large, scaled smile running across her frightening maw.

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  “Seems your dragon is a bit of a diva,” Yasmina chuckles.

  “It’s true, he’s delicate, needs a woman’s touch, that’s how your cougar dragon seduced him,” Charlotte turns glaring toward Mateo, Mateo glares back, “don’t pretend you aren’t a bad dragon, Rayo has told me all about you, and I can not unhear it, it is forever with me until this mortal mind withers and dies.”

  “Mateo, maybe we should concentrate on making it through this hole of shit and reaching the Twilight Everglades where the elf king resides,” Yasmina says.

  “Ah yes, we must find the king of the pointy ears,” Mateo replies.

  The group find some solid ground only to realize that everything for miles is just swamp. Serenity knew that there were swamps surrounding the Twilight Everglades, but the swamps seem to have expanded. They never reached out this far. Natalia appears on Mateo’s shoulder staring up at the sky.

  “What is it, Natalia?” Mateo asks.

  “A triple lunar approach, three moons will pass each other in the orbits of, Daedalus, Terramundus, and Zoi, the three planets of the triplanetary ring, passing over Mundus they won’t have a strong effect on the tides like they have on Daedalus and Zoi because it’s gravity is so heavily combined with mana,” Stitches says.

  “And how is that going to effect Serenity?” Mateo asks.

  “We should probably spend the night in your void palace,” Stitches replies.

  Reality fractures and a large swirling portal opens. Mateo and his party head through it appearing just outside of his void palace.

  Jade steps up to the main gate rubbing her hand against it. The palace has changed since they were last in it. Or should Jade dare say, the domain. The gates open and everyone steps in inconsequentially.

  “Jade, are you ok?” Stitches asks.

  “Terror thinks she is scared,” Terror says.

  “Well then shouldn’t you be comforting her?” Stitches asks.

  “It’s ok, I know he loves me, he doesn’t have to coddle me,” Jade says.

  Stitches tenses up and the hair on her ears raises along with her tail. An instinctual reaction to the presence of a god.

  Though the domain is under Mateo’s influence, he is too weak to own it. That makes it susceptible to outside influence. Something the gods often exploit in amateur void lords.

  All feeling and presence of everything around Mateo erodes into an endless darkness. Mateo can no longer feel the presence of his friends or Natalia, though she floats at his side.

  Mateo: is this working, I can’t message anyone else.

  Natalia: it’s just you and me; the god has cut everyone else out.

  Mateo: the god, what god?

  Natalia: Garren, the god of foresight.

  Mateo: is this god of foreskin your ex or something?

  Natalia: the god of foresight! And no, he isn’t my ex, well technically, I mean it was just a few times, and we were young, but then Kat had to show up and make him some kind of god knight or something and he got really boring after that, also, when he ascended he didn’t need his bright beautiful brilliant youthful sexy pixie anymore, so he cast her into the void so he could be with his stupid godsdamn orc slut, Godsdamnit mateo, do you even know what it’s like to get hugs from someone with four arms, it’s twice the hugs, grrrr, it’s like that moonslut Ranni is giving you a hug.”

  Mateo: you mean from the souls game?

  Natalia: don’t tell me you prefer that melanoma chick.

  Mateo: her name is Malenia and the same guy has been soloing her for decades, it’s sweet to see that they’ve been together for so long.

  Milfhuntergarr has entered the chat.

  Mateo: Natalia, who the hell is this guy?

  Milfhuntergarr has ended the chat.

  “Lord Ryusane,” an empowering voice says.

  Mateo stares at the figure standing in the empty yard of his palace.

  “What do you want?”

  The world around them is frozen as the blue skinned four-armed Garren approaches Mateo.

  “If you’re here to hurt Natalia then I have bad news for you because I will find a way to counter this god bullshit you’re doing and fucking end your existence,” Mateo says angrily.

  Garren slaps Mateo then grips his jaw pointing his eyes toward him. “That was unwise for you to speak aloud being in the position you are, you should be glad I came to your domain,” he pauses letting off a long breath, “I didn’t come here to fight though, I came for information, and I shall share some with you.”

  Garren pauses again giving Natalia a long glance. Something unspoken erupts between them in sparks of blue and gray before he turns back to Mateo.

  “Just one question, did you kill Destiny?”

  “You mean the god of Destiny?” Mateo asks.

  Garren clutches his fingers like an angry mortal cracking his knuckles.

  “Do you know how absurd that sounds, and why would I hurt her?” Mateo asks.

  Garren stands tall towering over him, he crosses his bottom two arms as he points at Mateo with one of his top two.

  “Don’t fuck with me mortal, answer the question!”

  Garren’s voice echoes through Mateo’s domain with an absolution that sends tremors through the darkness of the void.

  Mateo stands brushing himself off. A wild look inhabits his eyes as Natalia perches on his shoulder.

  “No, I haven’t killed any gods… yet.” He replies.

  “Good, see that you don’t,” his eyes shift to Natalia giving and he gives a slight bow, “lady Starbreaker.”

  “Garren,” she replies.

  “You look well, it’s good to see you again.”

  She motions her hand like shooing a varmint.

  “Shoo shoo, I’ve no time for the bullshit of gods, got my hands full with this mortal.”

  “Perhaps another time would be better, until then,” Garren says taking another bow as he disappears.

  “Godsdamnit that insufferable ass monger, I can’t believe he came all the way down here to accuse us of murdering a god, look, maybe I blew up a star, but that was like ten thousand years ago,” Natalia turns to Mateo, “you didn’t do it right, kill the goddess of Destiny while I was taking a nap?”

  “No, my goddess body count is zero,” Mateo replies.

  “Good, keep it that way, those celestial sluts carry some very nasty inter-dimensional venereal diseases,” Natalia says scoffing.

  “Hey Mateo, are you okay?” Stitches asks.

  “Yeah, just zoned out,” Mateo replies as time in his domain unfreezes.

  He follows Stitches and the others into his void palace to find Sapphire, or several Sapphires, cleaning and cooking. They stop what they’re doing bolting in his direction. Before he can flee to safety he is tackled by one very lonely seductive slime.

  “I’m sorry Sapphire I didn’t mean to leave you alone so long.”

  “Chocolate!” she yells gazing up at him with expectant eyes.

  “Oh yes, of course,” he says opening his inventory to store a mass of chocolate bars he bought at a fifteen percent discount from Heroldin.

  “Chocolate!” She cries with glee.

  Sapphire, resting on top of him, rubs her slick moist membrane against his cheek. He wraps his arms around her holding her fluid body close. Sapphire clings to him as he returns to his feet. Jade steps over wrapping her little goblin arms around them the best she can.

  “Group hug for Terror!”

  Terror grips them all in his muscular arms pressing them together. They all gasp for air as he releases them with a smile.

  “Terror upstairs if you need violence,” he says disappearing up a flight of shadowy stairs.

  “Chocolate,” Sapphire says with a viscous smile as she exits the living room leaving Mateo alone with Jade.

  “Hey,” Jade says nervously clutching a small notebook in her hands.

  “What you got there?” Mateo asks.

  “Just some drawings,” she replies avoiding eye contact.

  “Can I see them?” Mateo asks.

  “Not yet,” she replies.

  “Is there something else you want to show me then?” Mateo asks.

  Jade flips through her book stopping on a single page and holds it close to her chest. She gives Mateo a crooked smile before staring at the floor and twisting her foot nervously.

  “Ok just one, but promise not to tell anyone.”

  “I promise, you have my word,” Mateo replies.

  She opens the book revealing a very detailed drawing of a blue skinned horned girl holding a microphone with a guitar slung over her shoulder. She stands atop a mountain of corpses screaming at an unseen foe.

  “Is that Azul?” Mateo asks.

  She nods her head yes closing the book. Mateo moves closer to Jade pulling her to a large table surrounded by pillows in the floor. The pillows are large enough to be meant for sitting.

  “Why are you drawing Azul?” Mateo asks.

  “She’s strong, young like me, but brave and strong, talented too,” Jade replies.

  “And pretty.”

  The words ‘and pretty’ linger in the air for a few moments as Jade tries to ignore them. Mateo ruffles her hair with his hand and smiles.

  “You like her.”

  “I’m scared, what if she doesn’t like me back?” Jade says desperately gripping Mateo’s arm.

  “Then you’ll still have me and Terror,” Mateo replies.

  “What about me you dipshit, I love Jade too,” Natalia says appearing over Mateo.

  “Natalia, language!”

  “Yes daddy,” she replies.

  “Godsdamnit Natalia!”

  Natalia disappears as Mateo takes a seat at the table. Jade moves close to Mateo laying her head on his lap. Mateo runs his fingers through her soft dark hair gently as she curls into a ball in his lap. He grooms her for an hour or so before Terror steps downstairs to retrieve her.

  “Terror has come for Jade, you can relinquish her now.”

  “Thanks Terror,” Mateo stares down at Jade brushing her hair gently, “I didn’t have any children in my world, after holding Jade and feeling her love, the love of someone who looks up to you and cherishes you, I wish I did.”

  “Don’t lose that opportunity here,” Terror says in an unfamiliar perspective.

  “Terror?” Mateo asks confused.

  “The Broodmother has given you the chance to attain the things you didn’t have, Terror can never have the things he lost, Jade needs love, she needs us, Okami is not with us for the moment so I must rely on you my brother to help her discover who she is, to grow into the woman she is meant to be.”

  “I understand, but you know you can just message Okami with your rune tablet.”

  As soon as Jade leaves Mateo’s lap Serenity finds her place in it. She wraps her legs around his waist draping her arms over his shoulders as she stares into his eyes.

  “Oh, hey Serenity,” Mateo says placing his hands on her hips.

  “Don’t hey Serenity me, how soundproof are these walls?” she asks.

  “I don’t guess sound travels far in the void,” Mateo replies.

  “Good cause I feel like being loud, now carry me to our room,” she says biting her lip.

  The Slog is a giant cesspool of bullshit. A massive marsh surrounding the Twilight Everglades. It helps to prevent travelers and adventurers alike from entering, but at the edge of this mote is a tavern, or an inn, or an orphanage?

  “Settle down now children, by the gods what is Ra’sheana to do with all these kids, they wine until you feed them, then they shit and you have to clean them, they won’t go to sleep, Ra’sheana is so tired but they are so full of energy, if Ra’sheana could just drain them like little batteries,” she pauses as Mateo approaches her, “you, do you want some children, at this point I don’t care what you do with them as long as you take them off Ra’sheana’s hands,” a tired Ruksha maiden asks.

  “Sorry, not looking for any kids,” Mateo replies.

  “Drat, you don’t know how hard it is taking care of all these little parasites when you don’t even have any crotch goblins of your own, my apologies traveler, Ra’sheana is just so godsdamn tired.”

  “Terror will watch them,” Terror says entering the tavern like a towering mountain of muscles.

  The children pause starring at him in awe.

  “Terror watch children, and if they cause problem, Terror solves with violence,” he says cracking his knuckles.

  The children flee in, well, terror as he approaches the young Ruksha maiden. Jade steps up to them clutching her notebook close.

  “I can watch the kids, but we need beds until the moons pass, our friend is, unwell,” Jade says.

  “Anything that grants Ra’sheana a moment of peace,” the ruksha maiden replies.

  Terror pulls her into a room alone locking the door behind him. He runs his hands over her cobalt scales gently as she purrs clutching a feather pillow in her arms.

  “Are the children,” she stops as he presses a finger to her scaled snout.

  “Terror knows children are fine, you are not, you need rest, Terror helps you rest.”

  The ruksha woman relinquishes the feather pillow wrapping herself around Terror’s large bicep. In a few short moments she is sound asleep purring by Terror. Jade enters the room after putting all the children to sleep. Seeing Terror dozing off with a ruksha woman clinging to him she exits the tavern to find Mateo sitting on its doorstep staring toward the stars that envelop the night sky and a blood red moon.

  “Hey Mateo,” Jade says.

  “Come here Jade, you don’t have to be nervous around me,” Mateo says patting his lap.

  Jade moves to him sitting in his lap and laying her head back against his bare chest which is covered in bruises and shallow cuts. He points toward the sky highlighting a star with his finger.

  “You see that star in the sky, way off in the distance shining so bright?” Mateo asks.

  “Yeah,” Jade replies curiously.

  “Of all the stars in the sky do you know why you noticed that one?” Mateo asks.

  “Because it shines brighter than the others?”

  “No, because I pointed it out to you,” Mateo replies.

  “I don’t understand,” she replies.

  “Azul wants to speak to you, be that star sweetie,” mateo says handing her his rune tablet.

  Azul- is this Jade?

  Jade- yeah, you wanted to talk?

  Azul- this Andy guy has been acting pretty sweet on me lately and I don’t know what to do about it.

  Jade- what’s he like?

  Azul- just another fireball throwing meat head I suppose, though he did bring me a bouquet of snow lilies.

  Jade- do you like snow lilies?

  Azul- yeah, but I’m not looking for someone to give me things I like, I want someone to be something I like, I don’t really know how to explain it.

  Jade-…

  Azul- how about you, been swatting any boys away lately?

  Jade- yeah, beating them off with a stick.

  Azul- uhm…

  Jade- oh sorry, not beating them off, I haven’t been beating off any boys.

  Azul- haha, Terror scaring them off then?

  Jade- no, more like drawing them in if he thinks they are worthy of my attention.

  Azul- any of them notable?

  Jade- I’m not really interested in, I gotta go, Mateo needs his tablet.

  Azul- alright, stay chill babe.

  Jade- cold as a winter stone.

  “So, how was it?” Mateo asks.

  “She wanted to talk about boys, and it was awkward and then she said stay chill babe, and I said cold as a winter stone,” Jade says grabbing at her dark hair.

  “Calm down, I’m sure she didn’t think it sounded as dumb as you think,” Mateo says patting her head gently.

  “Why don’t you rest with me tonight Jade, Terror has his hands full.”

  “Are you sure Serenity won’t be mad?”

  “I think she’s had her fill,” he says rubbing one of the bruises on his neck.