Chapter 17: Upheaval.

Rayder White P.O.V.

After getting saved by Aya, (who I even saw smile at me for an instant! Aya! Smile! At me! .....Maybe I am going a bit crazy after all.)

After Aya managed to make a hole large enough to drag me through, I was then promptly dragged out of my stone tomb and marshalled off to the medical tent to get checked up on.

After a quick check up to make sure there were no life threatening wounds, the medic then focused on my dislocated shoulder and quickly yanked it back into place.

Let's just say that it hurt. Like, really hurt. But hey, I'm a man and I don't cry; or scream, for that matter, y'know? I was just like… “It's all chill man.”.

…

… …

Ok, so I may have screamed a little bit. But the tears? I got dust in my eyes and it stung something awful. No really. Honest!

Sigh… So much for being the alpha male and everything. Aya was even there to see it all.

My manliness points are undoubtedly down in the negatives now, if they weren't already… Oh well, at least I'm alive.

That said, I was quickly sent away after the medic had popped my arm back into place again, and with that done, Aya quickly led me to a strange building with a slanted roof and a solid metal door, of all things; all the while not saying so much as a word to me. Once we arrived at the building she quickly disappeared inside without so much as a glance back at me.

I mean, I can't blame her for it; it has been a very long and gruesome day and I too want nothing more than to fall into a soft bed and sleep it all away.

Walking inside, I close the door behind me and give the interior a cursory inspection. Seems to have been a forge of some kind, one with a particularly large smelter.

There seems to me 3 seperate rooms connected to the main forge area, perhaps more, if they are connected through the other doors.

Having gained an elementary understanding of the house and feeling my head getting fuzzy as sleep tries to forcefully take me, I randomly pick one room.

Walking in, I practically throw off my armour and gear off and then proceed to promptly collapse onto the bed. At least, I think it was the bed.

------×+-÷

Suddenly awakened from my slumber by a sudden slap to my face, squinting my eyes awkwardly as the morning sunlight that filters in through the window burns my tired eyes.

'The hell? I haven't had even close to enough sleep yet...'

Utterly disoriented and confused, I sit up as my gaze wanders aimlessly around the room as they search for the culprit of my rude awakening.

Long seconds pass before I manage to lock my eyes on the most likely target for my rude awakening. Standing next to the bed, Aya glares at me angrily with crossed arms.

“What? Why'd... you wake me?” I say sleepily, even yawning in the middle of the sentence.

“What makes you think you could sleep together with me in the same bed?!” She says angrily while scowling at me.

Blinking the bleariness away, I look around the room slowly.

True enough, all of Ayas gear is neatly piled to one side of the bed and in the corner is a table and chair which has various items arranged neatly on top of it. There's even a mirror hanging just above the table to complete the set.

“Oh…” Scratching my head awkwardly, I turn my head back towards Aya. “Sorry, I was so tired I didn't even notice the room was taken or that you were already using the be...d.

… Oh. Wow.”

As my eyes fall onto Aya, my eyes finally register all that is Aya in her full glory.

Standing tall at barely 150 cm tall, she is currently wearing what I assume is nightwear; a shirt with torn off sleeves which makes it look like a tank top, and since bras doesn't seem to be a thing in this world, two perky buttons can be seen poking out seductively.

The bottom half is (barely) covered by a pair of loose, fluttery lacy shorts that gives the illusion that you could just, maybe, catch a glimpse of something; yet doesn't actually let you.

Following my gaze, Aya’s face goes red as she does her best to cover her chest and behind from sight.

A few moments pass in silence as I lose myself as I stare at her.

The moment is lost when she stomps her foot loudly.

“Stop gawking and get out already!” She says irritably as she glances around for something to cover herself with.

“Sorry, I couldn't help it. It was such a captivating sight, so... ” I reply as I stand up slowly while looking around for my gear while muttering “Where’d my gear go…?” beneath my breath.

I am currently only in my armor underclothes as sleeping in full armor isn't very comfortable. Believe me, I've tried it.

Spotting my gear, I make my way over and start putting my armour on. Aya, however, quickly interrupts me.

“What are you doing?” She asks pointedly.

“Putting on my armour…?” I reply tentatively.

Scowling at me, she replies irritably with: “I can see that! What I want to know is why you are doing it in my room! Get out already!”

Sighing, I pick up my gear and awkwardly make my way to the door while trying to hold on to everything.

Barely outside the door, the door quickly slams shut behind me and a clicking sound comes from the lock half a moment later.

‘Really…? You'd go as far as locking the door?’ I retort to myself then shake my head disapprovingly as I continue to put on my armour.

A few minutes later I am fully geared and ready to go, so I walk out to the common room. Or well… it used to be a smithy, apparently, so what would you call it then? The smithy? I dunno... Either way, while it's technically not a common room, it is the closest we have to one.for now

Walking into the large open room, I notice Raven sitting in a chair by the forge window and looking out the window.

“Raven! Good to see you alive and well.” I say as I sit down on a chair by a table in the middle of the room, where a tasty looking loaf of bread, butter and a few different kinds of cheese and meat are laid out on a large platter. There is even a pail of milk by the feet of the table.

‘Wonder where they get milk from… surely they don't have cows, right? Some kind of monster? Monster cow?’ I ponder absently as I stare at the liquid, inspecting its consistency. 'Hmm, it looks like milk, it behaves like milk, so it must taste like milk; right?'

Startled out of his brooding, Raven turns and looks at me tiredly. “Oh, Ray! You're ok! Thank god…” he says, trailing off towards the end.

Getting a better look, I now notice the dark bags under his eyes and his normally sun-kissed light brown skin has taken on a slightly paler colour.

“You look like shit… Have you not slept any?”

Shaking his head slowly, he looks back out the window. “No… I had to scout our surroundings for threats. It gave me too much time to think and now I can't fall asleep, even though I want to.” He says, still looking out the window. Falling quiet, he keeps staring out the window.

Unsure if I should wait for him to continue or if he is done talking, I decide to make myself some breakfast; It leaves both options open to him.

Minutes pass in silence as I eat quietly while looking around the room, forge, smelter, tools and all. By the way the milk? It was NOT milk, not as far as I know at least, that's for sure.

That said though, it wasn't half bad anyway, in a "I-have-no-idea-what-this-is-but-sure-let's-drink-it" kind of way.

After a half an hour or so of breakfast and yet another half hour of going through everything interesting, twice, I decide that it's time to speak up instead.

“So… Where is Jacen and Jana? I haven't seen them yet.”

Wincing at my question, Raven slowly turns towards me, opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it again.

… ...

“… They are ok, right?” I ask tentatively, an ice cold feeling growing in my stomach.

“Ray… There's something you need to know.” he says and looks me straight in the eyes. A moment passes before he averts his gaze and lets it fall down to the floor.

“Jana… she... didn't make it.” he says slowly and carefully, as if he is testing the words.

The world stops as the words meaning hit me.

‘Didn't make it? … Didn't make it… as in, dead? That Jana? …’

The world blurs out of focus as I lose myself in my thoughts, and I find myself standing on a lake beach, under a brightly twinkling starry sky.

Utterly confused, I spin around as I look around my surrounding.

“Hello?” I ask tentatively. “Is this your doing again?” I ask towards the night sky.

But no answer comes.

“Riatos…?” I ask again, uncertainty growing.

“No. That had never been my name, nor will it ever be.”

Spinning around at the sudden voice from behind me, I am faced with the sight of a golden haired and green eyed beauty.

Standing at around 170cm tall, she is neither tall nor short and while she has an impressive amount of muscles, they are very lean and not at all bulky and give her a very balanced body. Age wise, she doesn't look more then maybe 20.

Confused by this suddenly appearing girl, I ask the first thing that comes to mind.

“Ok, I'm losing my mind, aren't I? I must be going batshit crazy..." As an afterthought, I add: "Who are you supposed to be by the way?”

Unamused, she gives me a look that says she is disappointed before shaking her head disapprovingly.

‘Why do all the girls I meet here do that?!’ I retort to myself.

‘Oh, wait… Correction, almost all. Jana did… n't. Shit. Jana...’

Still giving me the look, she keeps it up for another moment, but then she continues speaking calmly.

“I am one of this world's guardian gods, Shiva is my name and I am the god of balance, my element; Ice.”

‘A god…?’ I remark to myself, utterly unconvinced by her statement. 'Yep, I'm totally bonkers. Shit.'

The look returning, she narrows her eyes and squints irritably at me ‘Yes, a god; More specifically, a goddess, actually, in case you didn't notice my breasts.’ A feminine voice sounds in my head. ‘Got a problem with that?’

“Woah!?” Taken by surprise by the sudden intrusion into my head, I do a little involuntary skip.

Giggling, the “goddess” looks totally satisfied by my reaction.

“Hey! Mind reading isn't cool! God or no! What about my privacy!?” I retort heatedly to the giggling girl, who is supposedly a goddess.

Reigning in her giggling, she coughs into her hand for emphasis before replying. “Of course privacy is to be respected above all; with certain exceptions, of course.

Gods, and goddesses mind you, however, can bend those rules, just a wee bit. Teehee” She says and acts cutesy at the end, sticking her tongue out and striking a pose.

“... … are you sure you are a god? Because I'm starting to think you're just a figment of my imagination.” I say aloud in a clear monotone voice, totally unamused by her antics. “Although, that would beg the question: “What in the hell is wrong with me?” wouldn't it?” I ponder aloud to myself.

Cheeks puffing, the goddess pouts at me. “Not funny. Don't go and deny my whole existence as a crazy figment of your imagination.

I rarely get to interact with humans more than once a few hundred years, so you could at least let me have some fun while I can.” she says sulkily.

“How old are you, again?” I retort to her bluntly.

Gasping, she covers her mouth with her hands, acting utterly shocked.

“You would ask a fair lady of her age?! Insolence!”

Sighing, I can only throw my hands up in the air at the antics of this “goddess”. Having had enough fooling around, I cut straight to the point. “Fine then, Shi-chan. Can I call you Shi-chan?" I ask rhetorically before continuing with: "Yeah, I think I'll call you Shi-chan; So Shi-chan, why, exactly, am I here? Where ever here may be”

The goddess mirth quickly drains as I hit a home run with my straight ball. A moment later, all signs of mirth are gone, replaced by a carefully neutral face.

“To make your pledge.” She says in a tone that says that it is a matter of fact, with a voice totally devoid of feelings.

End of chapter 17