A Fearghal's Resolve.

Oritais had gotten even more beautiful, its people even more bountiful. Stone walls now loomed high at its edges and guards and soldiers marched through its streets.

All this and more Hilde noted as she stood at the highest balcony with the entire royal family and hers behind her. Their feeling of unease amongst themselves and with her was something she disliked and didn't need.

The gods needed to readily forge their paths down here and would need help from some mortals. Which was what she had intended to use Oritais for once she came here.

A city no god could control simply because she had marked them as hers. A city for the gods here on Vaustaris but owned by no one god.

So she began. First, she introduced her children. From Haero the first, Godking of the Realms, and that was all they needed to know, to Ozai the second, Blood God and watcher of the mortals. His introduction got the expected reaction from the royals as they smartly linked him to the blood star.

She pushed Tora the prideful forward, Skywalker and Queen of the Divine Realm. Then Freyja, Lady of the dead. Of course, as expected the royals were quite frightened. Having to explain that her daughter didn't bring death but rather guided those already in her lands back to their new lives annoyed her but she pulled through and smiled at the new look of gratitude in the royal's gazes.

Finally, she introduced Freyr. There was only one problem. Said God was gone. A look at Freyja had her shrug. It seemed the god had been bored and snuck off.

Telling them about him she finally hit the nail on the head.

Telling them about a coming crisis. One that she let happen not because she couldn't stop it but because she wouldn't always be around to save their asses. While she kept the fact that she was the true instigator she made sure to make them realize that this was to prepare them to work in hand with their gods.

The truth was never to leave the ears of the royals and to only be shared amongst each generation. As a boon. Each generation would be chosen by each of the five main gods depending. While their people would be chosen by whoever of the other gods decided to choose from them.

Oritais was never to interfere in anything across Vaustaris and its sole purpose was to make sure that it aided wherever it could when the crisis began.

Then without as much as a word of goodbye, she whisked Daena away with her vanishing.

*****

Two women strolled down a hill of green grass with the far-off beautiful city of Oritais laid out before them. One was a raven-haired beauty that was otherworldly. The second was a black-haired princess with the fiercest of gazes.

"With all due respect why my lady?"

Hilde paused as she turned from the sight of the magnificent city and to the sea that lay to their south, stretching to the southeast and southwest. She wondered if it curved on the south or later stretched up north on both sides.

"This land, this world, it is beautiful isn't it?" she asked.

"Indeed my lady" the girl sounded confused.

"We all have our battles to face Daena. Even I. Even the gods." she murmured her eyes never leaving the ocean. An air of seriousness surrounded her now. Gone was the humored and amused being of before that Daena had prayed to.

"Do you believe the gods need your faith?"She asked again. Daena of course further confused answered.

" According to your words, I believe so. Yes".

"True. We do. Your faith Daena is an armor to protect your world from the immense energy that is our divinity. Without your faith, we can still do as we wish but it would have adverse effects on Vaustaris".Her eyes turned to Daena as she asked yet again.

" Do you understand?"

A shake of the head. A smile and an exhale.

"You sound like you're leaving my lady". Daena finally spoke her mind.

" Not leaving. There are beings and Eldritch creatures your mind would never be able to comprehend just yet beyond the realms. Each one vying for a piece of what I have made. My fights are constant and endless. Yours are only beginning".

"You and Oritais have the fates of an entire world rested on your shoulder. Don't cuddle them nor cuddle your brother, strength is earned through blood and sweat. In the end, those you love are safest when they have the power to slay their demons."

" Demons..?"

The female smiled but said nothing more about the name.

"The gods are not here to cuddle you either. In the long scheme of things, they're here to learn to socialize. My other younger children are busy with wars amongst themselves. It gets annoying when you realize it's all games to them since they're immortal."

"How many do you have?" the goddess was surprised at the question before tilting her head.

"I didn't count. " she chuckled scratching her head. While Daena would believe the goddess was embarrassed at having so many kids she was only really embarrassed that she hadn't counted the number of gods in her universe.

"And these rowdy children will also be coming here?" Daena asked with a narrowed eye. Hilde paused before sighing

"Haero will put them in place. If he cares not then Tora will. You have nothing to fear".

" This crisis my lady. You couldn't avert it?"

"I could. But as I said, I won't. You will get no cuddling from me. I'll give you swords, sharpen your arrows and bolster your morale, but there will be no avoiding your tempest. Like the boats at sea you will fight your storms and either get wrecked or learn from it". Lightning flashed through the still gray clouded sky.

Daena bowed her head making Hilde's eyes soften.

" Come let me show you something,"

The world blurred as Daena ft her vision warp, then she was within a forest. It wasn't one she recognized.

But she did recognize the beast. Two beasts. A vaustari wolf and a new kind of eight-legged creature.

Both fought and soon she saw why. Hidden in the clumps of bushes was a litter of cubs. The wolf won chasing off the eight-legged beast.

She watched the scene replay with a new variation. This time the wolf fought smaller eight-legged beasts while the cubs hid. It killed the little eight-legged creatures before carrying off its cubs.

Such scenes played out until finally, the old wolf died. The cubs now grown were attacked. With their defender gone, they stood no chance. The wolves while naturally strong stood no chance and were massacred.

The scene changed, it was the same old wolf and she fought the bugger eight-legged one. Another scene was of the smaller eight-legged beasts. This time though the old one stepped back, guiding the cubs to battle and kill the things. She let them be wounded and afterward nursed them, let them lose and the ones that survived hardened.

Daena could see the will to survive in their eyes. With each scene, the fights continued. The old one took the deadlier threats while the growing cubs fought what they could and at times even larger foes.

She watched the old one die. But unlike the first time the cubs prevailed. Sure one or two fell in fights that were way tougher than the previous. More survived though.

All stood as powerful wolves, marred by their scars, pride, and intelligence in their gazes. The auras of true predators surrounded them. She understood.

The scene blurred and Daena stared at the sea rolling in white waves to the shore. She turned to look at the lady before her eyes cast to the sea herself.

"I am honored to have your trust my lady" her knees to the ground she bowed her head.

"As you saw, there wasn't one cub. Just like there can't be one fearghal. You won't have to bear the burden alone and even before you gain your ally your kingdom and brother will stand by you."the lady assured.

" I also see there is a church now. That explains the excess faith reserves. I have no need for it beyond this realm so I will put it to use for something beneficial. Be mindful though. Grow not complacent or your fall will be near. Even still when your time comes accept the Star chariots. For I promise your fights will be unending. Dylaeria and the Lunar Castle await you Daena Jorkston".

Daena would never realize that for the next half a millennia she would never set eyes directly on her lady again. Many said she could still feel her though, as the winds in the air. The land beneath her feet. As the gray clouds of the stormy days or nights. Her will always follow her and her mark always burned hotly on her back. A reminder that somewhere out there the being who pulled her out of the embrace of the Star river, the one who brought her entire city back to life, the mother of gods and creator of all she could lay eyes on was waiting.

Waiting and watching. Eagerly awaiting the fall, no, the ascension of her first Fearghal. For Dylaeria, for the Lunar Castle, and all the Star Rings.

Daena sighed as she stared at the spot where the female once stood. It would be a lie to say she didn't miss the being. As limited their time had been it had felt just as close as it felt to her mother.

Her eyes moved to the sea again as her fists tightened. Whatever her lady had warned them off, she had to be ready for. There was no use fearing death anymore though she would not studiously fall into it or grow complacent as her lady warned.

She knew she would fall. Her lady had confirmed it for her. The when and the how were inconsequential. Mortals we're never meant to live forever. Maybe they could last for long due to evolution but to become undying and immortal would wash you off the tag of a mortal.

"And when that end comes I promise you, my lady. It will be an end fitting of your first Fearghal."