"I tell you to go get your sword and you let Robby just run out."

"Hey, Susan it's just me and Layla," shouted Kurt.

He couldn't blame her; from her perspective, this would be something to cause alarm.

"Lord Kurt?," said Jerry, "Is that you? What are your thoughts on here?"

"I would like to hear the answer to do that too," said Layla.

"Me too!" said Robby. "Me too!" Robby was barely able to speak and walk. But he was growing fast.

"I'm here to see Susan."

"Me?" said Susan. "Why would you think I was back there?"

Jerry, Susan, and Robby came closer.

"That is a very strange object you put in there. And how did you change," said Jerry looking at the room Kurt came from. "And…"

"Why were you looking for me?" said Susan.

"We just wanted to be informed the next time Ishtar came by for some sweets."

"Is it about that?" she said pointing at the room.

There was really no stopping it, they lived right down the hall it's not like he was going to create a door for them.

"No," said Kurt, "I don't know what happened."

"It's mesmerizing, I can't quite follow how it works," said Jerry.

"Let me see," said Robby, and Susan picked up her child. "Whats that?"

"I don't know."

"It's weird."

"Very."

"I like it."

"Well don't touch it, okay."

"Kurt," said Jerry, "this mural, this is Lich isn't it, and this part is me? Is this like your story, finally turning around to see the vile squirrel's eyes and the killing of Mordor that surrounded the entrance? "I'm not going to ask."

"This is you," said Layla, finally taking an interest in the room herself, and this is me of course. And… It's like a whole timeline." Layla turned back towards Kurt with her eyes widened.

"What is it?"

"I know what this is."

"Why is it?"

"It's your temple Kurt, or ours maybe," said Layla.

"Huh?"

"Lkke the damn strawberry bush."

"I didn't …"

"Of course you didn't mean to," said Layla, "how could you?"" But she was smiling.

"The goblins did say this used to be a major part of the temple of Neptune," said Susan. "They are going to notice this by the way. So tell Ishtar to meet you here maybe?"

"Yes," said Layla.

After a bit more discussion Kurt still had to tell Boris. However, he decided to make a bit of a detour. And went the opposite direction towards the elven village.

He was greeted as usual and led to Victor's house. The disgraced elven lord was about to lose the disgraced part.

"Sir Kurt," said Victor, "this is unexpected."

"Well," said Kurt, "a few unexpected things happened."

"Is Stacy?"

"No, no she's fine."

"Ohh, thank the gods."

"It's just that, Sylvain."

"Yes."

"Sort of submitted to me, and now it is under our control."

Victor gave Kurt a blank expression. "I must have misheard you."

"I'm sort of King now, so that banishment. Well, consider it no more. Everyone else too of course."

"I'm not following."

After a lengthy explanation of what happened. Victor seemed overjoyed with the news.

"But I would prefer you stay here," said Kurt, "you can visit, but I think it would be better. So I will not be putting you in charge of Sylvain."

"I understand. I did forgo my claim personally," said Victor. "And I had nothing to do with it. It wouldn't matter anyway, you'd still be in charge."

"That's true. So why come here yourself?"

"I'm sending Borie for now, I haven't decided who. He will need some help navigating your culture."

"I see," said Victor.

"We will be sending some goblins, you can take the wyverns."

"So we are treating it as a simple clan takeover?"

"That's my understanding, I wasn't trying to but what else could I do?"

"No it makes sense," said Victor. "In a weird way, it's not typical that the King has no clan. But you have one, basically all of Wellspring."

"It seems that Governor James had shadow allies during your fight."

"What? That bastard. That explains…" said Victor.

"So keep a lookout for them, he seems to have seen the error of his ways."

"If they witness you kill a god in front of them you'll have many challenges especially now, you have the whole other kingdom you can point at them. It's actually a bit easier."

"Easier?"

"Well, otherwise they would have to go to war."

"And they'd lose."

"Yes, they would."

They continued to discuss what Kurt was thinking about Sylvain. Bringing a train to connect the kingdoms. And how he would probably need to conscript their troops for the war effort.

Kurt soon left to inform Boris.

He was a bit worried about Boris's reaction after Maliki. So after telling him what happened. Boris snorted.

"And Kitsune?"

"Fine, I checked after. He wanted to stay or that was my impression."

It was unlikely Boris would challenge Kurt, they had fought the first time they met. Kurt had won that duel easily, but now Kurt was a much different force.

"And Maliki?"

"He's confused about what he is to do."

"He was a witness to the death of a god," said Boris. "Even a lower one."

"A lower one?"

"Mordor is not known to be a particularly strong god."

"But your duty is to the Kitsune," said Kurt.

"Clearly."

"I want you to bring some of the elves to help you, and there will be some goblins that will help on their end."

"So we should head out in a few days?"

"As soon as you see you are ready," said Kurt. "For now we have the old King settling affairs."

"Anything else?"

"We are looking for someone who would be more permanent, if there is someone among your clan, I would be open to that."

"Hmm, I will see," said Boris.

"I think you'll like it there."

"Why is that?"

"Well they have altars to most of the gods, I would expect that would be welcome to you."

Boris nodded. The Minotaur was very spiritual when it came down to it.

Kurt then went to see Arthur. Travel had become much easier with his flight.

After a general report, the refugee situation had actually improved vastly.

"If we could open a few gates from the places we've already secured," said Arthur. "I think we would have a manageable amount remaining."

"Remaining?"

"Some towns were destroyed, others survived for the most part."

"We can set that up in the coming days actually, I can do it myself, make a schedule. And run it by Betsy."

"Can do."

"Are there some that want to stay?"

"Yes."

"And we started putting many to work?"

"Yes, money is a bit tight but food and shelter are being provided. Once we have things a bit more together and the masses start going back home."

"Good."

"Any trouble?"

"Nothing major, some personal arguments, a couple of outbursts. A few of them went through a lot. I think once we are really moving, we will have a lot less trouble."

What about leaders?"

"Leaders?"

"People are willing to come aboard fully."

"You mean swear loyalty?"

"Yes."

"A few, not many."

"We'll open up some flying lessons to people willing to give a month's service or something."

"Hmm," said Arthur, "that's not a bad idea. Especially if it's paid lessons."

"That's fine," said Kurt, "We have the ability, we are still moving products around. Make sure that we get people for things we need, not just fighting. If we carpenters, miners, metal workers, and farmhands."

"I can talk to Betsy about positions."

"Good idea."

It had seemed things had started to settle. The shadow was sitting and waiting. But they had decided they could sit in their position. They had developed a system of communication through the wyverns that would make most advances susceptible to a flank from another fortification.

As far as Kurt was concerned if they came and said that was the line he'd be fine. It was starting to feel that way, but they had no real contact.

The next few days Kurt kept track of the situation and started moving the refugees. In the middle of those days, Kurt felt something very strange.

It was not a pull hit like a realization that something was trying to communicate with him. He heard an unfamiliar voice, it was definitely a minotaur though, their language was distinct.

"I sacrifice my blood to join you, may our enemies fear us. In one, there are many, Lord Kurt may you show us the way."

That was a particular thing to say. But he had to concentrate on the sensation. He felt something else, a freeing of a direction, a slip he could take.

Taking the step Kurt appeared in the room where he had made his temple, and before him stood a Minotaur. Kneeling.

"What did you do?"

"I gave a drop of blood, I thought about what it was implying."

Kurt looked at the object on the pedestal, the drop still hadn't fallen. But as it fell Kurt felt a deep connection to the Minotaur. Kurt decided to allow the pull, he knew he could ignore it, but instead, he pushed it.

The Minotaur grunted and stretched his neck. And then the feeling stopped, the splatter of the blood remained this time. He waited and another drop fell as it had before, and that drop folded back into the pedestal but the one stain remained.

"I feel different, better but different," said the Minotaur. "Thank you, a blessing is more than I deserve."

A what? Is that how that works? What did it even do?

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