Chapter 37 Kiss of a Goddess

Jolthar nearly stopped in his tracks. "A child of Inadrys? Here?" His eyes widened as he looked back toward the courtyard, seeing Myron in a new light. "I've never met anyone with divine bloodline before." "Few have," Pascal nodded sagely. "Though you might be seeing more in the days to come. The world is changing, young master. The recent visit from the Elven emissary proved as much. They brought troubling news of the Nyphorites rising again in the eastern lands." "The Nyphorites?" Jolthar's brow furrowed. "I thought they were just legends—creatures of darkness and chaos." "Would that they were?" Pascal's voice grew grave. "But no, they're all too real. It's why the Patriarch himself has ridden to war. These are dangerous times we live in, young master. Dangerous times indeed." And that's when Jolthar remembered fighting against the Nynthralls, their appearance, and this war—was it related?—A thought crossed his mind. They arrived at Jolthar's assigned chambers, and Pascal pushed open the heavy wooden door. The room was spacious yet modest by the estate's standards—a comfortable bed with crisp linens, a writing desk beneath a window overlooking the mountains, and a small sitting area near a crackling fireplace. "I'll come for you in the morning," Pascal said, bowing slightly. "Rest well, young master. You'll need your strength in the days ahead." With that cryptic remark, he closed the door, leaving Jolthar alone with his thoughts. When he was about to leave, Jolthar stopped him. "Ah, could you bring cow's milk with sugar in it for tomorrow morning's breakfast, please?" Pascal furrowed his brows, but he nodded. "I shall do so, young master, well then." With that he bowed and left the room. The young warrior took advantage of the adjoining washroom, grateful to shed the dust of travel from his skin. The hot water seemed to wash away more than just dirt; it carried with it the weight of the day's revelations. A demigod in the clan, Nyphorites rising, the Patriarch at war... the world seemed to be tilting on its axis. Clean and weary, Jolthar sank into the bed, his muscles relaxing into the soft mattress. But just as sleep began to claim him, an otherworldly sensation prickled at his consciousness. His warrior's instincts surged to life, and he leaped from the bed, every nerve suddenly alert. The air in the room grew thick with swirling mist, taking on an opalescent quality that defied natural law. The very fabric of reality seemed to bend and ripple, and through this dimensional distortion stepped a figure that Jolthar knew all too well from his dreams and memories. "Goddess Qalena!" The name left his lips in a reverent whisper. It had been more than a couple of years since he last saw her live, other than the visions in his dreams. She was beauty incarnate, power made flesh. Her form seemed to shift between states of reality—sometimes solid, sometimes translucent as moonlight on water. Her hair floated as if suspended in an invisible current, each strand shimmering with colours that had no names in mortal tongues. Her mature figure radiated an allure that transcended mere physical attraction, speaking to something deeper and more primal in the soul. Jolthar's heart skipped a beat. He had always assumed his transportation to this realm was unique. Until now, he didn't have the assumption that there were various others like him. He was busy with his own life here. "Others?" he managed to ask, his voice barely a whisper in the mystical atmosphere. "Yes," Qalena's ethereal form shifted, creating patterns in the air that reminded Jolthar of constellations. "Like streams flowing into a great river, multiple souls have been drawn from other worlds to this realm. Each chosen, each blessed by different gods." She raised her hand, and in the mist appeared shadowy figures—silhouettes of people, each crowned with different divine symbols. "Some were brought here by gods who seek to protect this realm," her expression darkened, "others by deities with far more sinister purposes." "How will I know which is which?" Jolthar asked, his warrior's mind already analysing this new threat. "That is the cruel jest of it all," Qalena said, her mature features showing a moment of sympathy. "Those blessed by dark gods may not even know they serve darkness. Some believe they fight for justice, for right, when they are merely pawns in a game of divine conquest." "We are just puppets in your show." She shook her head, denying him that all gods aren't manipulative beings. Jolthar scoffed. She moved closer, her presence making the air thick with power once again. "You must be cautious, child." "Are there signs I should look for?" Jolthar's mind raced through all his past encounters, wondering if he'd already met any of these other chosen ones. "Trust your instincts." Qalena's hand touched his chest, right above his heart. "You will see light around them when you come across them; my power will be able to help you identify them." She waved her hand through the mist, and Jolthar saw brief flashes of faces—some peaceful, others twisted with malice, all bearing the same otherworldly aura he now realised he possessed. "Some have been here longer than you, building power, gathering allies. Others are newly arrived, as lost as you once were." Her voice grew urgent. "Some will seek to unite the chosen ones, to pool their power. Others work to eliminate any they see as competition for divine favour." Jolthar's mind reeled with the implications. "How many-" "Enough to change the fate of this world, should they work together," Qalena interrupted. "Or enough to tear it apart should they turn against each other."