Circe hesitated before deciding against the offer, she placed her hood back on her head and moved to the door of the inn, waiting for the storm to pass. Her eyes were focused on the Runethors braving the storm. The carriage behind them had been destroyed and the brown light shining on their bodies was like a beacon.

This sight gave Circe hope. Their struggles and bravery in adversity gave her hope, perhaps she should learn from them when facing great storms, and perseverance would pay off.

After a while the black cat on her shoulder stirred, before muttering out loud, “Is it finally over? Can we get off this godforsaken planet? My master is awake and I want to be by his side, no matter how much I enjoy staying beside you.”

“Your master?” Circe scoffed, “You and I both know that Rowan is not your master. Whatever he is, that man is on a path that is beyond us. Archimedes, if you return to his side at this time, then our destiny will no longer be our own. You know in your heart that I speak the truth. We are better off on our own.”

Archimedes sighed, “You are still a very young child, and sometimes I forget that. There are things that are far greater than us, vast events and plans on a scale that would leave your mind in awe if it doesn’t crush you underneath its weight. Child, you should see this as an opportunity to be part of something greater than you could ever be, or dream to be.”

Circe gritted her teeth, “No! I have lost too much due to my trust in a higher power, even my own family cannot be trusted, the road I will take will be all on my own.”

She looked down in a downcasted manner, “Yet, I know I cannot do this on my own. You promised that you would follow me to the end, Archimedes. Are you breaking that promise? Rowan is now awake, will you leave me now?”

Archimedes looked conflicted before she sighed, “Your potential is unfathomable Circe, and you are dying because the heart beating inside of you is not yours and it cannot hold your powers. I am a lightning Kirin that is on my last life after all the years of fruitless battle. Individually we are a pair of losers whose only destiny is to die a pathetic death forgotten in a lost corner of space, but together, we can make miracles happen. I will stay with you to the end, and if we fall, do not say I did not warn you.”

“It is better to fall on your feet than to live on your knees Archimedes. Going to Rowan would be exchanging one leash for another, even if his own is made from silk. I have a bad feeling about what I will find inside this box, but I will never flee from it, I have spent the last three years doing that, and I’m tired of it. Even if we fail, I will no longer hide or run. Look at the Runethors Archimedes, see the way they brave through tribulations, we can be like them.”

Suddenly even through the commotion caused by the storm, a loud bang that seemed to herald the beginning of creation sounded, Circe’s frightened eyes looked up and something that resembled a red and black meteor was blasting its way from outer space into the planet, tearing through the atmosphere and impacted the sandstorm, where it tore it apart, and the world seemed to be divided from one horizon to the other.

Archimedes groaned and covered Circe in a shield of lightning. Inside that shield of lightning, Circe’s eyes opened wide and her fingers began to dance as she took the lightning energy that filled up the inside of the shield and weaved it together as she created thousands of Runes in a few seconds, and the shield steadied as its strength increased by three folds.

The lightning Kirin watched in wonder as Circe worked with such raw energy, such talents could not go to waste, and every time she saw Circe display her talents, it left her stunned. Given enough time this woman would bloom to become a powerhouse that could rival the gods, and she wanted to be by her side.

With the power from Archimedes and the control from Circe, they were both able to stand firm. The descent of the red and black light agitated the sandstorm and it grew more tumultuous, over the edge of her vision she saw the two Runethors being blown away by the storm, their sorrowful neighs could be heard fading and combining with the storm.

The red light burst open and a sleek shape emerged from it and vanished, before Circe could blink a man stood before them.

No, not a man, a god!

He stood at eleven feet tall with braided red hair that reached his waist. Mysterious runes and tattoos covered his body and he held a great ax made from bone with one hand. He looked at Circe and the lightning Kirin on her shoulders and dismissed them with a glance before turning to the woman behind the counter, his leather boot making a loud booming sound with every step he took as he moved toward Myrdas who smiled at him,

“Urroghat, how can we be of service.”

The god Urroghat growled, “Someone stole my **ing Berserker Tribulation, I want to know who is responsible for that ** and I want their heads in a **ing spike.” 𝘦𝑎.𝒸ℴ

Myrdas laughed, “That is a heavy accusation, please sit Urroghat, I shall summon the Seer to attend to you.”

The descent of the god had torn apart the storm and it had slowly died down. With the urging from Archimedes, Circe hurried out of the inn and took to the skies in a flash of lightning. Three thousand miles away she crashed to the ground where she began to bleed from every pore in her body.

Archimedes supported her for as long as she could, but the Lightning Kirin was also in pain as her skin was peeling off, she endured long enough to wrap them in a long-distance Teleportation Circle that gathered energy and shot them into space.