Putting my clothes back on, I tried to ignore the look Renn was giving me as I did.

We had bathed together a few days ago, before leaving Lumen. Why was so acting as if she'd never seen me naked before?

"So… proof is it?" Lilly asked as she studied the dull heart she was holding close to the candle.

"It is. Though… I'm still not sure if what it proves is something positive or negative," I said as I tied my trousers.

"Why didn't you let us know what you were going to do, Vim? I had been caught off guard," Renn asked as I grabbed the shirt I'd been wearing earlier off the bed. Lilly had brought my clothes to this inn for me, after I'd taken them off right before jumping into the ocean. I had swam to the island where I'd left Pinchie the monarch, the colorful crab, as to verify if Stance had actually done what he had said he had done.

He had.

"Forgot to, I'm sorry," I apologized as I put the shirt on.

Renn sighed at me, and I wasn't sure if it was over what I'd said and done, or if because I was now fully dressed again.

"You know, I'm really not sure what to think of this. I mean… it makes perfect sense that a god can kill a monarch, especially one of its own creation, but at the same time…" Lilly said with a sigh as she shook her head and stepped over to Renn, to hand her back the heart.

I watched it move hands, and wondered if I should still call it a heart or not. After all… was it? In theory it was, since it had been Pinchie's heart indeed, but at the same time it was now devoid of any and all traits that made it a heart in the first place. It had no divinity anymore. At all. Now it was basically just a glass bead, or a polished stone or gem, at best.

"It means they could kill us the same way, doesn't it…? With but a snap of their fingers? Makes me wonder how Vim kills them, then," Renn said as she studied the dull orb.

"They can kill you in that way, but not with the same methods," I said.

The two glanced at me, and I realized I probably should explain it a little better. They deserved such truth and honesty. Both of them did.

So…

Renn smiled gently as she looked at Lilly. "I had expected him to say they'd not be able to, since he was here to protect us, instead," she said happily.

Lilly scoffed at that. "That's because you're a romantic. Vim may be able to kill gods, but that does not mean he is one himself. I've myself buried countless people who perished during his battles with monarchs back in the day, so I know full well that Vim can only do so much no matter his desire to do more," she said.

A little hurt by the way Renn glanced at me as she took in, and processed, Lilly's words… I nodded gently. "Yes. There's a reason I ask, and tell, you all to keep your distance when I fight them. Also, the reason I had said that is because a god can only extinguish a life in that way if they themselves had been the one to create it. However they don't need such an authority over your life, they can kill you a million different ways with that same snap of the fingers or a wave of the hand," I said, explaining a little.

They both studied me for a moment as Renn's tail twitched behind her on the bed. I was trying my best to not notice she was sitting on my socks, and was likely doing so on purpose. Not that I really needed them, of course. Not yet anyway. It was too late for me to need to really go anywhere or do anything. It was one of the reasons I'd been able to come back into this village without more than just a cloak. I had left a cloak on the rocky cliff I'd dived off into the sea earlier, and had worn it back here under the cover of darkness. It was now hanging in the corner of our little shack, dripping quietly.

"So? What of the girl?" I asked, feeling tired all of a sudden. As if I'd just swam miles through a storming ocean, and then did it again.

Renn and Lilly looked like they wanted to sigh at me, but didn't. "She's a good-hearted girl. She firmly believes you're an angel though, which makes her… well…" Renn hesitated to continue, and I knew why without having to be told.

"It affects her decisions. Yes. It was why I wanted others to come and invite her, not myself," I said. I've dealt with such people a lot more than I wanted to admit, so had expected it to a degree.

Renn nodded and sighed. "Yes. I've not outright invited her yet, Vim, because I wanted to talk to you about it first but… She'll say yes. Without hesitation. Because of her…" she then frowned and her ears fluttered. "Affection? Of you? It influences her."

Lilly chuckled at that. "It's not affection it's worship. She's not in love with him; she's just awed and enthralled. I'm surprised this is the first time you've encountered it, to be honest, since it's not just humans that do that. A lot of our own do it too," Lilly said.

"Right…! And I've encountered it already; of course, it's just never been a cause for concern. Her mistaken belief that Vim's something special will influence her choices, ones that could affect her whole life in ways beyond her understanding. It worries me," Renn said.

I smiled at that. "Yes. We're not meant to play god. However, now that we are here and have made contact with her the question must be proposed. Does she actually work in a fishery by the way?" I asked.

Renn nodded. "Yep. She cleans barrels and stuff, basically just spends all day scrubbing and cleaning."

A typical life really. In this era, even in the more modern towns such as Lumen or Telmik it wasn't uncommon for children her age to already be in the workforce. Though usually they were working with their parents… "Does her family work there?" I asked. I assumed, based off the poor conditions of their home and selves, that they didn't own it.

"No. Most of her family are fishermen. They work two different boats, alternating out on the sea. Some of them are gone for weeks at a time, I guess," Renn said.

Another thing that was common amongst such peoples.

Lilly shrugged a little. "A typical poor human family, Vim. She's not abused as far as I can tell, though it's obvious she's a burden. She works so she can buy her own clothes and some extra food, not just to support the family," she said.

"Poor does not mean unhappy. Nor does it mean her life will be one of hardship or sorrow. Most people are poor, in relativity, and most live full lives all the same," I said.

"Is that the protector talking, or the immortal man who would be content walking around naked without a care in the world if he could?" Renn asked.

I smirked at that. "That had been the man who has seen the greatest of empires and the lowest squalors. You might not believe it Renn, but some of the happiest people I've ever met had been living in the worst conditions you can imagine. As my mother would say, a rich man can hire a legion as to search for happiness and never find it. Yet the poorest soul can find it under any random rock," I said.

The small shack got a tad quiet as they both stared at me for a moment, and I once again felt tired because of it. Why had they been looking at me lately as if I spoke in riddles? That hadn't even had been one of my father's riddles, but instead one of my mother's teachings. Even a fool could have understood it.

I sighed and gestured lightly at the two, who seemed unable to say anything. "So? There's no denying inviting her into the Society would grant her a steadier life, but is it actually what she needs?" I asked the two.

Lilly didn't answer, but I hadn't expected her to. I knew she honestly didn't care. The only reason she had even paid attention, and or involved herself on any level, was because of her friendship with Renn. She glanced at her friend, who was rolling Pinchie's empty heart in her hands as if it was a toy pebble to fidget with. "I'd argue instead, Vim, that if we didn't invite her… that if we didn't take her into the Society, we'd be the ones committing an act of cruelty. I'd argue that point more than I would if she'd be better off with or without us," she said.

Although I was glad that Renn was obviously starting to form her own opinions on such matters, and doing so very well, it was also worrying. She really was a gentle soul, and I didn't mean it in the way everyone else did. Did she even realize what she'd just said? She was basically arguing the same thing my mother had so long ago.

I was blessed. We were blessed. And because we were so blessed, it was our duty to help those less fortunate.

"If that's the argument, the whole world needs to be invited into the Society," Lilly said plainly, exposing one of the biggest flaws in such logic.

I nodded. "Yes, Renn. If that's your argument for your decision, then it is regrettably a flawed one," I said.

Renn nodded. "I know. It's hypocritical. But it's the truth, isn't it Vim? In this case she is someone that you personally got involved with. You could argue you already did your good deed, by saving her from the monarch that attacked her family, but I'd say that's only half the battle. It'd be one thing if she was a fully grown adult, with a life already built for her to support herself with, but she's not. She's just a child, and the only support she has right now is a family that although accepts her does it with much reluctance. They only do it because they have to. What if something bad happens soon, before she can find a way to support herself? What if another famine or plague comes through? The family would choose to not feed her, if it meant choosing between her and their own children. And you'd not be able to blame them," Renn argued.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

Lilly groaned. "Not only does she speak like Celine and the rest, she does so with not just surety but common sense and truth," she said as she shook her head and turned away.

Renn frowned at that, but I smiled at it. "She's praising you," I said as Lilly went to sit down at the table nearby. As she did I noted a pair of boots not far from the table, resting against a large trunk. They weren't any of ours, nor were they mine.

The shack they had rented for the night was just a small hut. We weren't far from the center of the town, and odds are this was someone's home. Likely one of the fishermen or maybe even captains, or boat owners, who were currently out at sea. And their family had happily rented it out, since it was being unused. I didn't mind it, since although an inn would have been cheaper this was more private. But there was an odd feeling that I was in someone else's home… intruding, since I kind of was.

"Am I wrong, Vim?" Renn asked worriedly, likely thanks to Lilly's comment.

"No. Not really. As you know I myself have my own rules and morals concerning such things. But as you also know, my line is… drawn much closer than yours is. I've grown calluses over my long life, ones many would argue are too thick and need to be sanded down," I said.

"Those who would are fools," Lilly said simply as she pulled out a small knife. She went to using it on her nails, either to clean or cut them.

"Ah, Lilly, I told you not to do that!" Renn complained as she hopped off the bed and hurried over to one of her bags. Lilly sighed as Renn hurriedly dug out the little leather pouch which held her nail-cleaning set.

Watching Renn and Lilly as Renn acted motherly as she made sure Lilly used the set to take care of her nails, and not just a plain knife, I wondered what I was to do with them. With Renn, more specifically.

I was happy that Renn was getting along with Lilly, and so too by extension Merit and so many others… but another part of me was kind of worried over it too. Not that I didn't trust Lilly or even Merit and the rest, but instead that I didn't trust Renn.

Renn's heart was a massive thing, and as beautiful as it was… it was also concerning. She was getting very emotionally invested in her relationships with others, to the point that it made me worry. I couldn't even count the number of people I'd seen perish, wilting away to nothing, all because they lost those they considered friends and family. More than I wanted to admit, or count. Renn was like such people. If she lost too many of them, too quickly…

"You should do yours too," Lilly commented, making me glance at Renn's hands. Sure enough her nails were a tad longer and pointier than usual.

"I know, but I was hoping to wait until Vim noticed first," she said with a glance at me.

Huh? Why? "Even if I did notice, I'd not say anything. I actually like them that way," I said. The only reason I had gotten it for her was because we were traveling so much through human towns. Her longer than usual, and pointier than usual, nails would have been noticed if she hadn't tended to them. Otherwise, if she had lived alone or at a non-human only location, I'd have never even thought of giving her such a gift.

Renn smiled at me, blushing a little as Lilly sighed. "Can you not flirt, please? I'm here too you know."

"That hadn't really been flirting, had it?" I asked.

"To me it had," Lilly said.

"Me too," Renn said happily.

I shook my head at them as I went ahead and stepped over to the bed. I took ownership of my socks, before Renn could keep them captive again, and went to putting them on.

"So? I'll not give you time on this Renn. It's something that needs to get done, and I vowed to do it, but I… we have many responsibilities. Ones that are more important than a human child. We cannot linger here," I said.

Renn sighed at me. "I know. I'll invite her tomorrow. She can't work the rest of the week anyway, so I invited her to breakfast."

I nodded, glad to hear she wasn't just willing to invite the girl but also was going to do so post-haste. We really did have more important things to address, after all.

"I'm glad you're both willing to be prompt about this… but can we go back to talking about the gods coming back and killing off their creations?" Lilly asked.

Renn's ears made loud noises as they fluttered and she looked at Lilly, and then glanced back at me with a quickness that told me of her concern.

She too wanted to ask about the topic, but obviously was trying her best to not pry. It was rather obvious, considering she now looked worried.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I looked away from my disgruntled wife and the concerned Lilly. I glanced to the nearby window, a smaller one with very heavy drapes and shutters blocking it. The kind that I knew hid even a shadow from prying eyes.

"Vim?" Lilly spoke up again, and with it came Renn's soft whine.

"She has a right to ask Renn, and so do you. You need not be so gentle with me, especially when it concerns something so serious," I said as I kept my eyes on the window.

I heard Renn shift, the kind of shift that told me she was unsure of herself. I heard her grab her own tail, like she usually did when either really embarrassed or stressed and worried. "You've been… slowly explaining it, Vim. I know you will tell us what we need to know, when we need to know it, so…"

"What…? Renn this was the perfect moment for you to push, not get all passive!" Lilly said.

I nodded. "It had been. But it'll work all the same," I said as I turned to look at them. Although I had meant to include Lilly in my focus, my eyes of course honed in on Renn and Renn alone. "I can't explain it. I've always expected there were still gods wandering this world, but had figured I'd never see them again. Not even a hint of them." For obvious reasons.

"Merit said you encountered one near her kingdom," Renn said.

"Yes. I had. He had been losing his mind, going insane. He wanted me to end his life, since he feared what it was doing to him. I think there was a high probability Stance was going through the same thing, in some way at least. He had acted very oddly, even for him," I said.

Renn's ear twitched as she glanced carefully at Lilly, who only met her eyes and nothing more.

"My current assumption, until I find more evidence, is that the remaining gods… the ones who have escaped me all this time, have been living in hiding. Keeping to themselves, as to not be noticed by the world or me. The last few have all been similar. Before Carson, the one who had been living near Merit's Oasis, I had encountered a pair of siblings. I had killed them… swiftly, but now that I recount the encounter I believe they too had been suffering some kind of malady of the mind. Just as Stance had, though his had been very… odd. I believe the reason they reveal themselves after all this time is because they don't realize what they're doing. They're acting rashly, because their own minds are working against them," I went ahead and told them of my current thesis, and how I had gotten there… and then I went ahead and explained why it mattered. Turning a little, as to face them a bit better, I gestured lightly at Renn. "Any god who has survived this long is one who knows better. They know not to alter the world, or mess with its rules, to any great degree. Because if they do, if they did, I'd be able to track them down. I'd notice them. So any who do now, after all this time…" I shook my head. "That could only mean they are not in their right mind. Since it goes against everything they've been doing for the last two thousand years," I said.

"So… There could be a lot of gods out there…? Just waiting for their minds to break?" Lilly asked.

"I hope not. But… there could be a few, yes," I said.

"How many is a few to you?" Renn asked.

Rolling a shoulder, I wanted to groan. "I don't know… maybe a couple dozen?"

There hadn't been that many, even back during their golden age. A few thousand at most. It was hard to imagine any more than that still living to this day, especially after everything I'd done.

"Uh… what about, you know…?" Lilly asked.

Renn and I both glanced at the owl, who suddenly sat up straighter and got all wide-eyed. "Oh. Um… you know, kids? If it's been two thousand years, even if they only have a few like we do that would still end up being a whole lot more than a couple dozen, right?" Lilly asked, specifying what she meant.

My wife must have found the idea interesting for she smiled as she nodded. "Yeah?" she said as she glanced at me.

Why was Renn seemingly so ready to believe such a thing? What with her perfect memory and all? Hadn't I ever… Wait no. I might not have ever told her. "No. Gods can't give birth. They're infertile," I said. The two shifted at that, and I couldn't help but notice the look on Renn's face. I felt my tense shoulders relax a little as I smiled at her. "I told you, Renn, I'm not a god," I said softly.

She blinked at me, and her ears fluttered as she opened her mouth to say something in response… but nothing came. At least, not right away. Lilly chuckled, speaking up before Renn could find her words. "Renn tells everyone you're not, but deep down she was kind of hoping you were," she said.

Renn's face went red as she grabbed her tail with both hands and started to twist it. "No…! I mean… I was just… I thought your parents were special, Vim. Very special. So…"

So you thought I was a god, because you had assumed they were gods. "Thus why I can confidently say there can't be too many left. They can't procreate," I said, choosing to switch topics ever so slightly.

Renn of course noticed, but it didn't seem Lilly did. "So… other than a god going insane, and possibly doing terrible things all around because of it, is there no other concerns then? Why the fascination with the hearts going all… dull?" Lilly asked as she gestured to the heart that still laid on the bed. It had rolled a bit closer to me, what with me sitting down on the bed, but it was still on the other side of the bed where Renn had left it.

"The hearts are confirmation that Stance had not lied to me. He had ended the monarchs he'd given birth to. It's also… an oddity, to me. I've killed many gods, and have with my own eyes watched many times as their creations are sent back to the abyss. Never before have I seen a heart lose its connection like these ones have. It makes me wonder if something else is going on too, or if maybe Stance had just been… that far decayed in mind and body. It is possible the hearts going inert is simply because of Stance's condition at the time of his death," I said as I reached over to grab the heart.

Picking it up, and feeling no divinity at all, only further enforced to me how odd it was. There wasn't even a lingering presence of divinity, not even a hint of it.

I glanced at my wife, and for a moment felt the feeling coming from her. She called it a tingly sensation; I'd call it the feeling of warmth. Her heart was forming very well, and as such it only made Pinchie's heart being devoid of any divinity all the more alarming.

A heart being empty when near a half-formed heart of pure divinity only further made one aware of both how odd it was for a heart to be empty… and how noticeable divinity was in close proximity. Renn's heart was pulsing already, though I doubted anyone else noticed or heard it. Not even Renn. It was almost distracting, especially since her heart, her actual organ, had synced up with it. They thumped in unison now, just as all monarchs did.

Although I was very glad she was doing so well, it was also… terrifying.

My wife was now, and forever would be, visible. To all the world. To any who had eyes that can see, and ears that heard.

Though… maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe all the rest will be like Stance. Broken. Blind. Deaf.

Renn smiled at me, since I'd been staring at her for a moment… and I went ahead and smiled back. I was worried, more than I wanted to admit even… but at the same time I knew better than to let that worry ruin me.

Plus it felt good to smile at her, and get a smile back. I don't think anyone, not the world itself or anyone in it, knew what I'd do for that smile. No one had any idea the price I'd happily pay just to see it for a moment.

So, to see it for the small price of my own smile…? Talk about a no-brainer. Especially since it gave me a sense of pride too, as to receive her smile in return for my own.

"Why do I feel like suddenly all of the Society's problems are now not worth worrying over…?" Lilly said with a sigh as she went back to dealing with her nails.

Seemed us smiling at each other hadn't been considered flirting to Lilly, which was funny… because it was to me.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.