CH536

Evening had fallen in Stonewall by the time Ben and Thera passed through the small gate back to Falk’s shop, but for both, it felt good to be home. As happy as she’d been with it, some of the reveals Thera had dealt with had proven surprising enough that having a bit of time where she could process it all was going to be a healthy positive, while Ben was just tired. It was easy to try and place the blame entirely on his students’ backs, both for how much of a pain they’d been at first, as well as how hard he’d worked them after, but he’d also spent an unnatural amount of time in the archive decoding dead languages and now had an entire new mysterious spell to investigate. Even if he’d just finished a couple tasks, his plate was still full.

But this is fine. I’m home so I can bother Falk and… I guess get back to producing an insane volume of equipment for the war effort on top of all of my other projects. Okay, whatever, I can rest when I’m dead. Which is probably going to be way too soon.

<You’re being a downer.>

I’m being realistic.

Still, he wasn’t dying in that moment, nor was he working beyond what at that point was basically passive training to him so he let himself enjoy the cool air during their short walk home before they opened the door and let themselves in.

“Aunty, we’re back!” Thera called out, about to walk into the living room but was stopped by Ben as he grabbed her arm and shook his head, getting a questioning look in return.

He didn’t say why though, trying to have just a little bit of tact and consideration for Sonya who came rushing out just a beat later, her cheeks flushed and clothes slightly disheveled with Falk following behind, the yeti a lot harder to judge the condition of given his thick fur hid the subtler aspects that might give away his emotional state.

Saved you guys from embarrassment this once, but we all use the living room, have just a bit of consideration about that in the future.

<They were only kissing.>

Well, I guess that’s fine.

He’d stopped Thera because he’d picked up on the sounds of rustling but if that was all then he didn’t particularly care, even if the two were sure to have appreciated the consideration if they had known.

<Though it does seem like one of them was planning on moving things to a different room.>

And I did not need to know that second bit, thank you Myriad.

“Thera, Ben, welcome back,” Sonya told them happily, same as she always did when they returned from a trip. “I must have lost track of the days, it’s good to have you home.”

“It’s good to be home,” Thera told her, giving her aunt a warm hug.

“Even better to be home to good news,” Ben added, with Falk breaking into a grin.

“I take it you got word?”

“Ha, I was training your god’s granddaughter when it happened, it was hard not to, but that wasn’t necessarily the news I was talking about,” Ben grinned back, his head nodding to Sonya, leaving his teacher to give him a dirty look.

“Not exactly fond of you pokin’ ‘round in my head, boy.”

“I didn’t, it’s just obvious.”

Plus I kind of spied on you as it happened, but for my safety, I’m keeping that bit to myself.

He was expecting a bit of bashfulness from Sonya about it, but instead she came off mostly as smug.

“Not that it didn’t take some work. I finally managed to tell him how I felt and he tried to reject me, can you believe that?” She laughed, giving Falk a teasing look that left the yeti looking properly bashful.

“Well, looks like it turned out fine in the end,” Thera told her, doing her best to not give away her own part in the spying either, making a mental note to get her aunt to tell her everything by herself later so they could talk about it to her heart’s content.

“And does this mean I should be cooking breakfast for four tomorrow?” Ben asked, getting elbowed by Thera as her uncle coughed at the side.

“Ahem, it’s getting late so I should probably head back for the night.”

“In that case, I’ll walk you,” Sonya told him, taking his arm and not leaving room for him to decline. “Ben, I don’t think I’ll be needing breakfast so no need to worry about that in the morning, but you’ll both have to tell me all about everything over dinner tomorrow, okay?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

“Good, in that case, I’ll see you both then.”

She pulled Falk out after that, barely giving a wave goodbye and leaving both Ben and Thera to take in that small parting.

“So Sonya’s just eating him alive, huh?”

“I think aunty’s just trying to make up for lost time. Anyway, I don’t know about you but I want to pretend I don’t know what’s about to happen so I’m heading to bed. Coming?”

“Absolutely.”

He was happy to lay down and enjoy a bit of peace after all that their trip had brought them and it was almost instantly that Thera was asleep beside him, leaving him to close his eyes, only to be left debating with himself in the end.

I kind of don’t want to go to Myriad’s realm but if I don’t I’m literally wasting hours being unconscious but at the same time being properly asleep feels really really good and oh man do I want it.

…But I’m on a planet that’s going to be ending soon so I really need to enjoy every bit of life I have and maybe try to improve myself a bit more so I can hopefully contribute just a little to making sure that doesn’t actually happen, plus I need to keep working on deciphering those spells to help the grey. Damn it, I guess I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

Resigned to that thought, he brought himself up to his god’s realm, where another guest was already waiting.

“You know, I really wish you weren’t so convinced that we’re going to lose,” Myriad sighed. “It doesn’t hurt to be optimistic.”

“I’m optimistic enough that I haven’t just straight up given up and am doing everything I can to raise the odds a little, that’s about as positive as I can be against the face of raw data.”

The other in the realm, the goddess Anailia, gave a small chuckle at that. “Not giving up is already admirable enough Myriad, and despite his thoughts, your apostle seems to carry a good attitude most of the time. As long as he doesn’t spiral into a depression thinking about it then we’ll just have to hope the next wave works out enough to give him some real faith in the future. And speaking of, now that he’s here, we can bring my child up as well.”

Thera appeared in the realm when she’d said that, left confused as she was pulled from her dream into the present divinity before making sense of what happened and muttering to Ben.

“You really could have given me a heads up about this.”

“I had no clue anything was happening tonight. What’s going on guys?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Nothing to be concerned about,” Myriad told them. “If you’ll remember, after what happened in warriors tower, the gods as a whole were put in charge of telling everyone what points you’d be going to so here we are.”

“…Great.”

“If you don’t like it, just tell me you won’t do it. I know you’re not shy about that.”

“Ugh, you know I’m not going to do that.”

“Then no complaining about it.”

Anailia couldn’t keep a small laugh from escaping during the back and forth as she watched god and believer bicker.

“Perhaps the two of you could save this for after we explain things, given the uniqueness of the request we’re making them?”

“Uniqueness?” Ben asked, with his god explaining.

“We’re asking you both to serve at multiple gates.”

“That kind of seems like it might be less efficient than just sticking to one.”

“It would be if you weren’t a genius. Ben, for the time being, we’ll be asking you to put your weapon production on hold to instead focus entirely on making mini-gates.”

“Okay, I see where this is going. How many?”