Chapter 31

Mirri gave me a clean bill of health, though she still worried about how the necrofire had affected me. I couldn’t help thinking back to what Yveth had said - about me being a god. None of it made sense. I’d been born. I’d never had a swarm form. I didn’t even know what I’d be the god of. And yet I’d survived things that should have killed me, and my recovery bordered on the impossible.

Mirri agreed it was best to let Grams know I was awake. She took Lilae with her and promised to be back around nightfall. She didn’t want to leave and made Ashlara and Serah swear to keep an eye on me. I promised I’d take it easy.

As soon as she was gone, I went out to chop wood.

We were going to need plenty of it for the winter, and I felt… good. Better than good. No aches. No lingering pain. The cold air was sharp and clean, the sun warm on my skin. So I set to work, splitting logs while Serah watched from nearby, making sure I didn’t do anything stupid.

When I finished with what we had, I went out to gather more. Ashlara helped, breaking apart and hauling back fallen trees that had already seasoned where they lay. I was once again struck by her strength. Some of the logs she carried must have weighed a thousand pounds or more - logs I could barely shift - but she hoisted them onto her shoulder and carried them home without complaint. By the time we were done, we’d cleared most of the fallen timber around the house and stacked more wood than I’d ever seen in one place. I’d have to build another woodshed just to keep it from rotting.

We broke for lunch and some combat practice, though Ashlara hesitated at first. After I reassured her - again - that I was fine, she agreed. After a slow start to gauge my readiness, she came at me in a blur of motion, a whirlwind of strength and grace, and as usual I struggled to keep up. Still, I grinned as we traded blows. I felt alive, free in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I caught her smiling more than once, and not just when I ended up flat on my back. She was enjoying this too.

We finished with the wood and afterward, I turned my attention to Adhaneth.

When I’d broken Lilae’s chains, the end of the staff had distorted to fit the iron ring that bound her to the floor. The first time I’d seen it, it had been a sword. And when I’d wedged it back into the stone where it had rested for centuries, it had become a sword again. Jacob had said it was whatever Miralis wanted it to be. Had she wanted it to be a sword all those years? Did she want it to be a staff now? Had she willed it to fit that ring?

Jacob said Miralis had chosen me. But he’d also said Adhaneth chose me. Were they the same? Or something separate? Yveth had called it an old bone - did that mean it wasn’t Miralis’s rib at all?

I had plenty of questions and no real answers.

I pressed the staff against the ground, trying to bend it. It didn’t give. I tried to drive it into the earth; it left only a shallow dent. I swung it at a tree - it struck with a solid thud, but nothing more.

Then I hurled it like a javelin.

I barely had time to leap aside as it reversed direction and shot back toward me.

I looked from the staff to Serah. She smirked, an almost approving half-smile tugging at her lips.

I got back up, dusted myself off, and picked Adhaneth up again. I spun it in my hands, tested the balance, brought it to my shoulder, and threw it once more. It reached the apex of its arc a hundred feet out, stopped, and then flew back. I stepped aside and caught it cleanly, the staff going dead still the moment my hand closed around it.

I grinned and tried again. And again. And again.

I found I could call it back sooner, with just a thought. I could also coax it to finish its arc, though that felt more like a negotiation - like I had to convince it not to come back early. Eventually, I set it down, walked away, and willed it to leap back into my hand.

It did.

Whatever Adhaneth was, it was listening now.

* * *

As the sun dipped low, I caught sight of Grams, Lilae, and Mirri moving through the trees toward the house. I leaned Adhaneth against the wall and walked down to meet them. I hugged Mirri and Lilae, then gave Grams a smile. She looked me over, clearly surprised to find me on my feet and uninjured, even though I was sure Mirri had warned her what she’d see.

“That’s… a lot of wood,” Mirri said as we came back up the slope. She eyed the stacked logs and then me. “I thought you were going to take it easy,” she added, one brow lifting.

“It was mostly Ashlara,” I said with a smile.

“Uh-huh,” she replied, not believing me for a second. She turned to Serah. “Did he do anything stupid while I was gone?”

“No,” Serah said. “Though it’s been an interesting day.”

Mirri paused. “Interesting how?”

“Let’s talk inside,” I said.

I reached out with a thought and called Adhaneth to me. The staff leapt from where it rested, streaked through the air, and settled neatly into my hand.

I smiled at Mirri.

She just stared.

* * *

I’d meant to start dinner before Mirri returned, but I completely dropped the ball on that. I’d been too involved in experimenting with Adhaneth and lost track of time. And while I offered to make something, the goblins shooed me out with practiced efficiency.

I felt bad about that, so I made myself useful where I could - hauling water from the well, washing up, and setting the table.

Over another excellent meal, I explained what I’d discovered about Adhaneth. Grams asked careful questions about how I felt, what I remembered, what seemed different. Serah described the sparring she’d watched earlier in the day.

“He’s stronger now,” she said. “Faster. Ashlara too.” Her gaze shifted between us. “I’ve seen her fight before, but today was… different. I could barely follow her movements.”

Mirri looked to Ashlara, the question unspoken.

“I didn’t feel any different,” the orc said with a shrug. “We were just having fun.”

“Yveth said something about Seth infusing us with faith,” Mirri said, turning to Grams. “Have you ever heard of that?”

The older goblin shook her head. “That’s not how it works. At least, not as far as I know. Faith is inherent to the gods. It’s what brought them into being. What they’re made of. Like mana is to us.”

“How do we know it isn’t mana?” I asked.

“I don’t,” Grams admitted. She sighed. “I’ve never met a god myself. But what my mother told me about Lunythera-”

“Wait,” Mirri cut in. “Great Grams met the Watcher?”

A slow, knowing smile crossed Grams’s face. “Did I not mention that?”

Her tone made it very clear that she had not.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Mirri demanded.

“To protect you,” Grams said plainly. “Do not trust the gods. Just because one showed kindness to my parents does not mean she would show it to you. Or that any of the others would.” She fixed Mirri with a firm look. “You already idolize my father more than you should. He was a good man - but he had his faults. I did not want you chasing his legend and getting yourself killed.”

“But-” Mirri began.

“You’ve already met a goddess,” Grams interrupted. “Did she seem kind to you? Compassionate?”

“She gave us shelter,” Mirri said softly.

“She gave him shelter,” Grams replied, her eyes shifting to me. “You were only there because of him. If he hadn’t been, she would have let you freeze. I don’t know what her interest in Seth is, but no good will come of it.” Her gaze sharpened as it settled on me. “Don’t you forget that either.”

* * *

We didn’t speak of the gods again that night, out of respect for Grams.

After dinner she took me aside for a more thorough examination. Her hands were firm and practiced as she felt along my arms and shoulders, testing muscle I still wasn’t used to having. It had been about two months since I’d arrived, though I couldn’t say when my body had changed - or when it had grown younger. When I first met Ashlara I’d been soft, out of shape. It took weeks before I could spar with her without gasping for breath.

“Hey, Mirri,” I asked, glancing over. “When did my hair change color?”

“I didn’t know it had,” she said. Then she tilted her head, considering. “But now that I think about it, you were absolutely filthy when we met. I figured the ash and dried blood were doing most of the work. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what race you were.”

I rolled my eyes.

“If it helps,” she added, lips twitching, “you clean up very well.”

“Thanks,” I said dryly. “What about the muscles?”

“Oh, those definitely came later. But not much later.” She paused, thinking. “You lost a lot of weight while you were ****. Then training put it back on fast. A couple of weeks, maybe?” She stepped closer and, without warning, grabbed my dick. “Though I think you’ve bulked up again,” she said with a smirk.

“Hey!” I jumped back. “Grams is right here!”

“I’ve seen it, kid,” Grams said flatly. “Or at least what was left of it.”

I shot her a look.

“I’m old, not dead,” she went on. “I’ve had twelve children. I have ninety-seven grandchildren-”

“Elspit gave birth?” Mirri interrupted, eyes lighting up.

“Yep,” Grams said. “I heard this morning.”

Mirri clapped her hands. “Boy or girl?”

“Boy. Named him Moget, after his da’s da.”

“I can’t wait to meet him!” Mirri squealed.

My embarrassment faded as I listened to them talk, their easy warmth filling the room. When the conversation slowed, I asked, “Do you have siblings, Mirri? I probably should’ve asked before.”

She nodded eagerly. “Seven. Four sisters, three brothers. I’m the youngest.” She smiled at me. “What about you?”

“A younger brother and sister,” I said, a heaviness creeping in. “I’m the oldest. We don’t talk much. They both moved across the country. I think the last time I saw Danny was his wedding. Mae was… well, I wasn’t invited to hers. And she didn’t come to mine.”

“I’m sorry,” Mirri said softly, hearing the regret in my voice. “Pik lives in Pinefall - that’s close. Emissi’s in Twinfurrow - that’s nearby too. The others moved farther off, so I don’t see them much. We all get along. It’s just hard to get everyone together.”

“I understand,” I said, and kissed the top of her head.

Grams resumed her examination. She pressed an ear to my chest, then to my back, and had me take a few deep breaths. She tossed a ball at me without warning - I caught it easily, to my surprise. Then she had me lie down and placed a few crystals on my chest. When I asked what they were for, she muttered something about gates and elements and waved the question away.

In the end, she gave me a clean bill of health as well - though she warned me to take it easy for a few days.