Impossible.

Yet. Not.

"You sure Vim?" Merit asked with an odd tone.

I didn't take my eyes off the house, afraid to do so, as I nodded.

"Yes. Go back Merit. Now."

"But…"

"Return to your Oasis, Merit. I'll not be able to protect you. Do what I told you, quickly," I told her again.

Merit groaned, but she must have finally heard the seriousness of the situation in my voice. She spun on a heel and ran off, running at full speed back to her lake.

Taking a deep breath, I felt a strange shiver run down my back.

How far were we from her kingdom? Twenty odd miles? Was it far enough?

It'll have to be.

I didn't have the luxury to wait for them to escape. Even if Merit only took her and her fellows, it'd take too long. It'd take them days to get far enough for it to make a difference, and even then it might not matter.

And I could not afford to wait. At all. It was a miracle the fool was still here… especially since Merit claimed they had arrived years ago.

How had I not noticed? How come it had taken this long for Merit to say something?

A part of me had wanted to yell at her, but I knew doing such a thing would have just made me an asshole.

It wasn't like Merit had been sure, after all. It was amazing she had even noticed the house was odd enough to be noteworthy as it was. If anything I should be praising her. If not for my own misgivings about it, I'd almost be willing to fulfill her recent request about an heir for this. If it was even possible.

Too bad for her, I suppose.

Still… how long has it been since I'd seen a god?

Before the Society. Before my return to these lands.

Before running off I had found that group of them. Alongside Miss Beak. I had genuinely thought them to be the last. They themselves had claimed themselves to be so.

But here before me was proof. Validation.

Terrible reality.

"How come…?" I wondered as I studied the house. How had I not found them until now? How come I came upon them in this way? As happy as I was that Merit had noticed, and had the mental wherewithal to let me know even on a hunch, it was ridiculous all the same.

Though in a way it was obvious the house was unique.

It was unmistakable.

At least to my eyes.

The wood was too flat. The stone cut too perfectly. The gleam of the windows, the glass they were made of… the shingles on the roof… the lights that glowed all around it; hanging on little lamps of black metal. Every piece of the house was made out of material not found in this world.

And that was before taking into account the lush gardens all around it. There were flowers, green grass, and even a tree with apples sprouting from it. And we were miles from the lakes. The rest of the area around here was dry as a bone. Decrepit, even. There were cracks in the earth, some wide enough someone like Merit could get stuck in them.

It was why Merit's kingdom was so lusted over. Why when we had founded it we had to deal with three separate invasions from the surrounding nations. They had been jealous, severely. Her lakes were a true oasis in a desert constantly in drought. And even she had to be careful sometimes with her lake's water volume during the long streaks of lack of rain.

There were of course other houses out in the middle of the desert. People were sometimes desperate, or didn't know any life other than the one they had been born to. Some lived off as little water as the cacti and desert plants out here did. But I'd never seen one so perfect, so lush, so…

Out of place.

The house was resting on the edge of a plateau. I wasn't sure what it was overlooking, but I knew it wasn't a lake or river.

It looked… small, really. Maybe only two or three rooms big at most. Just a house. A home. If not for its location and the stuff it was made out of, and the out of place gardens, it would likely be something I'd not even notice. Something Merit wouldn't have deigned to notice either.

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Just a common house out in the world, hidden away from most onlookers. A place of comfort. A hearth.

Yet I felt no comfort at the sight of it.

I'd rather be facing down untold armies back in the north than this.

There was a monster inside of that quaint little home, after all.

And not one of the fake ones made as their pets, either.

I squinted at the sight of the glow in the air around the building. Something akin to a desert's mirage, the shimmering of hot air, was all around the house… but it was not from the heat. It wasn't from the angle I was looking upon it, or any other trick of light.

The very air was infused with divine power. To the point it was thick. As if hazy from a fog.

Risking a look away, I glanced behind me… and was glad to not see Merit. She had ran with all her might it had seemed. The world around me was bumpy, with rocks and hills, so it was likely she was just a mile or two away already and slightly out of sight. I didn't linger on the horizon though as I looked back at the house.

Okay.

Stepping forward, I braced myself as I approached the house.

What would it be? What kind of method would this one use to try and kill me?

Was it one I have faced before? Would I know how to handle it? Or will I need to spend the next many years figuring out how to handle them?

Hopefully the Society could survive without me. It just had to happen while we were in the middle of war.

My eyes narrowed as I chastised myself.

Ignore the current world Vim. Ignore it all.

You have a god to slay.

And distractions could not be allowed.

My heart thumped heavily in my chest as I neared the house.

Old instincts kicked in. A lifetime of hunting them took over, as I forgot the world around me and focused on the possibilities.

I kept looking all around, expecting something to happen without warning. A hand bursting out of the ground made of metal or stone. A flash of light from above. A screech that popped not just eardrums, but organs too. Maybe giant creatures, or sudden explosions of great heat and force.

Yet nothing came even as I drew closer… even as I reached the gardens and grass.

I paused at the edge of the first patch of grass. It swayed a little in the desert wind; the hot air didn't seem to even bother the blades as they flowed back and forth. They even seemed to have a slight gleam of moisture on them.

The grass was perfect. Each blade as flawless as the last. The line where the grass ended was cut so perfectly that not even I could have nurtured it to such exact form. The hard, dry, ground around the grass looked almost fake next the lush green.

Just beyond this patch of grass was a row of colorful flowers. Large things with many petals, with thick stems and leaves. Around them were small bushes, all formed and fashioned into little shapes. Circles, squares and more.

It looked like a garden found in a true castle. Not like Merit's, but one in the north. A place that needed dozens, if not hundreds, of servants constantly working on it all to keep it in such a perfect and healthy state.

This place was off-putting. Even if it had been in the center of a lush forest it would have seemed out of place. I didn't even have a name to give to most of the flowers. Why was that one glowing?

My upper lip twitched as I looked away from the gardens and at the house. Although the windows looked clear, and I could see within them, I saw no one beyond them. I saw something of a kitchen. Maybe a shelf. But nothing more.

Stepping forward, I entered the threshold… and suddenly felt cool.

My first breath of the divine infused air was one of refreshment. The world had immediately become cooler. There was now even a slight breeze, one that was gentle and nothing like the dry one I'd been feeling since entering this region. I felt as if I was now standing on one of the beaches to the north, but not so far north the breeze was freezing or damp.

I recognized the temperature. The moisture in the air. My lungs felt at home as I took another breath.

A perfect environment.

A mockery of the environment around me.

A mockery of the world.

Taking another step forward, I strode deeper into enemy territory as I approached the house. I paid no heed to where I walked, even though there were perfect paths laid before me. I cared not to stay on the dirt paths littered with colored stones, and just walked through the grass and flowers.

Usually I tried to not destroy or harm the environment around me, but that was only because I felt pity for the little lives I usually destroyed when doing so.

There was no life to pity here in this fake environment.

Reaching the house, I stood before a very unique door. It looked wooden, but I could tell it was some kind of metal. There was no peephole, or glass window, upon it… but I knew better.

A god did not need such human tools.

Turning my head a little, I steadied myself as I readied for pain.

This would hurt. It always did. Always will.

But it was the price I paid to do what I had to. What my parents had demanded of me.

About to kick the door in, I hesitated as I heard a sound. I blinked as a heavy lock clanked, and then the door slowly opened inward.

Going still, my mind whirled as I assessed my situation.

A man had opened the door. An old man. One with gray hair, at least what was left of it. He was balding.

He wore attire I was used to seeing upon a god. He seemed alone, at first glance. His house was as small inside as it had looked outside. I didn't sense anyone else as the man finished opening the door, and then smiled at me.

A tired smile.

"Hello Vim. I figured you'd show up, though I'm surprised it took you this long."

My stomach fell as I panicked.

I didn't know who he was. I'd never seen him before.

And I never forgot a god.

And a god he was.

"Well? Come on in."

A god was inviting me into his house.

I blinked as he turned, and gestured deeper into his home. A small table was now sitting in the center of it, though it was bare of anything.

With unsteady feet… I stepped forward and accepted his invitation.

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