The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

The first immortal to stay behind in Avalon was Hestia, who was still weak. Since I had no idea what they could do or even what they needed, I decided to give her a VIP suite. However, one room was not sufficient, so I assigned them an entire complex for their use. Stella informed me that the barriers of Avalon were strengthened significantly, so the immortals kept their part of the deal. Time would tell if my decision was right. I took a deep breath and went to the window. The fourth day of persistent darkness started a few hours ago, but the people in Everlight didn’t seem to care about it. The streetlights successfully dispersed the darkness, allowing them to attend to their business normally.

"Theon?" Luna put away her fountain pen and fixed her wonderfully soft wool blouse.

"Yes, Luna?"

"Do you think the immortals will succeed?" She stood up as well and stretched her body, purring like a kitten.

"I wish to hope so... But..." I shook my head. "I hope they manage to reconstitute themselves, which should help us minimise the recoil if we win the war. The first skirmishes will start approximately in three weeks and that's when I'm going to gauge what we are against in practice. But I don't believe they have time to stop this war."

"This is depressing..." She snuggled herself to my side, and I patted her head almost automatically.

"It is... They are supposed to be gods, or they call themselves that. I can be merciful and generous to simple people who hardly have anything, but with great power comes great responsibilities. If they fail, those without power will suffer the most."

"That's why you were so strict with the gods?" She giggled. "But you know it was not entirely their fault?"

"Si vis pacem, para bellum, Luna." I looked into her eyes. "If you want peace, prepare for the war. They lived long enough to understand this."

"That's why you are expanding your legions, am I right?" She kissed me on the cheek and yawned. "Let's take a break, Theon. Let's find Amber and Irene and take a free afternoon."

"Sounds good..." I looked at my to-do list and smiled. Finally, it was just a few entries.

•••

Irene sighed and ruffled her long, black hair when we teleported into her office. She smiled at me, but Luna and Amber quickly grabbed her arms.

"Sister! Let's go!" Amber's determined voice surprised her even as she was lifted from her chair.

"What? Where? I still have so much to do..."

"Can't it all wait?" Luna grinned.

"I suppose so..." Irene forced a smile. She was tired as well.

•••

We decided to spend some time in the greenhouse, where lush greenery and wonderful flowers forever held their blooms in the never-ending summer. We walked the alleys between the roses' vibrant colours, towards the secluded area near the swimming pool. After just a few moments, we reached our destination, and we sat down on a thick blanket so we could enjoy our prepared picnic. I finished lunch quickly and laid down on the green grass. The pool was shaped to look like a pond in the middle of the forest, with a small waterfall that splashed the water with pleasant, muffled sounds. The rivulet leading from the pool meandered throughout the entire greenhouse, allowing plants to access its water.

I looked at my Queens that joked and laughed during the meal, and I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and smiled as well. I felt so lucky I had them; Amber, my first friend and the first person who trusted me. The wise Irene, who loved me so much, and Luna. You were right, Eriar. I have to thank you for her. I loved them all so much. When I opened my eyes, I saw Amber approaching me with a lazy smile.

"I love this place, Theon. It's so relaxing." She sat near me and gathered her long copper-red hair in front of her.

I started delicately stroking her back when Irene and Luna started laughing and took off their shoes and put their legs into the pool. Amber, seeing this, took my hand. "Let's join them!"

We sat down on the natural embankment and submerged our legs in warm water.

"Thank you, Theon." Irene tilted her head and rested it on my arm.

"Oh, no problem. This was Luna's idea..."

"Haha! No, you silly!" She giggled. "I thank you for what you are doing for us all."

I laughed and tried to hug them all. "And I must thank you for your help as well. Without you all, I would drown in work."

"It's satisfying, being useful and having the power to change people’s lives for the better, Theon." Amber laughed.

Luna stood up and started slowly walking, balancing on the edge of the bank of the pool while humming a pleasant melody.

"Excuse me. May I join you?" Hestia smiled at us from the alley. She was wearing a light flowery dress, evidently made by Wendy. Her shoulder-length, brown curly hair was now hanging free.

"Of course, Lady Hestia." I smiled at the sleepy immortal.

"Thank you, Lord Theon." She gracefully went towards us, and I noticed she was carrying a small fruit basket. She was barefooted and laughed at me upon seeing my face. "You shouldn't be this surprised, King Theon. This garden's fresh and the soft grass is so wonderful that it would be a sin not to enjoy it under my feet." She grinned and sat on said grass. "Miss Annika, your skilful chef, told me I can find fresh fruits and vegetables here. By chance, I found you here as well, which is fortunate because there is one thing I want to talk about with you."

"Of course, however, we’re enjoying a little break, so if that one thing leads to more work..." Luna smiled at the goddess still hopping on the smooth stones adorning the pool bank.

"Hahaha! On the contrary, Lady Luna. I simply wish to become more acquainted with you, Lord and Ladies, if you will allow for that. So, please don't mind me." She warmly smiled, successfully covering her yawn. "When I empowered the barriers of Avalon, I sensed three souls that are void-touched. But these people are unwilling to succumb and continue to fight the dark influence. I want to cure them."

"That's great! Thank you, Lady Hestia!" Irene turned so abruptly towards the goddess that she almost fell into the water. "Thank you, Theon."

She smiled at me while I helped her regain her balance. Hestia took out the apple and bit into it with pleasure. Her brown eyes shined as she tried to eat it quickly, but with dignity.

"No problem, Lady Irene. I will try to teach you how to remove the void taint." She nodded and finished her fruit. "Oh, my... Apples! How I missed them."

Luna finished the circle around the pool and sat on my lap. "Everything seems to be slowing down again."

"Not for long though..." I sighed. "How bad was the war with dark gods, exactly?"

"They attacked us first. But contrary to what Hera told you, I don't believe that Zeus's presence would have changed anything. They attacked us with malice and fury that disorganised us at the beginning. I remember that Hephaestus ordered me to hide and to not die in vain. But the fact was- we and our mortals were hit first. We gave time to the other gods to organise. So... It was quite bad." She shrugged, eating another apple. "But I am the last goddess to ask about what happened back then. To me, it was like a fever dream."

"A fever dream?" Irene smiled. "Since when do gods have fevers?"

"Don't forget who I am. I saw enough people asking to cure them or their children back in my day." She winked at Irene, showing her tongue. "Besides, yes, we can have a hangover or fever. And while it certainly won't kill us, sometimes we feel like we are about to die."

"So it's not necessarily your lazy attitude that caused all this disaster we see around us?" I still couldn't let go of that topic.

"I can return that ball and ask you why dungeons act so bloodthirsty and can't be reasoned with." Hestia took out a pear and put it on the plate, where she started cutting it into pieces. "But despite being a dungeon, you wouldn't be able to tell me the full story, right?"

"Sorry, Lady Hestia." Yes... Now I'm a bit embarrassed.

"But don't worry, you are partly right. Our laziness and neglect caused most of the problems. The fact is, that for thousands of years, we never faced any true danger or enemy, which dulled our attention. We were attacked while we were the most vulnerable, and our enemies were almost successful. Hera told me that Apollo went to the Norse Gods to warn them about the danger and he returned with the thousands of warrior spirits who wanted to fight." She finished her pear, and I started wondering how she was devouring it- she clearly eats but I couldn't see her actually doing it. "So others probably managed to mobilise their believers, but the war was disastrous anyway. Plenty had died, and even more of us were sealed. Those who survived lost their influence over their people. The servants of the Dark Empire, who mixed and deformed the beliefs of people, probably did that deliberately to even further weaken us."

"That's... Actually, this might be an answer to why you can't do anything." I nodded politely. "I'm sorry to bother you during the meal."

"Don't worry. I commend your urge to gather all the information that might be useful. Better to bother me now during the meal than do that when the sky turns again into a battlefield." She yawned and stood up as her basket and plate disappeared. She sat near us and put her legs in the water as well.

"I hope the room we provided is suitable." I decided to change the topic to not make this even more awkward.

"Oh, the room is magnificent! Being able to stay in Avalon is a blessing." She giggled.

"A blessing?" I looked at her in shock.

"Oh yes! We normally don't have any physical form, and just maintaining a voice that mortals can hear is very draining. Even simply existing drains one's energy." She masked another yawn. "Excuse me. However, when we are in a neutral dungeon, these costs are cut in half. But now we have an allied dungeon! So while we are here, we don't use our energy at all! This is fortunate, especially for me."

"Why is Zephyr... how do I say it? Healthier? Stronger than you, Lady Hestia?" Irene asked curiously. "He said he has three or four worshippers..."

Two of the slime maids showed up from nowhere, carrying the silver trays with jugs full of different juices and glasses. Silently and without interrupting anyone, they served the refreshments and left as fast as they appeared. Hestia watched them with unhidden pleasure but as quickly as they vanished, she looked apologetically at Irene.

"You have extraordinary servants. *Ekhm* Zephyr. Yes." She focused. "It's not exactly that he has only three or four worshippers. He is a god of the winds, so many people pray to him. Farmers ask him to use his wind to bring rain clouds during droughts. Sailors beg for auspicious winds. He doesn't need worshippers because he is an elemental god."

"This is fascinating!" Irene summoned a small notepad to make a note, which shocked Hestia.

"You have access to spatial magic?!"

"Yes, and our master artificers recently learned how to craft mana storage items as well." Irene shrugged, but then smiled apologetically. "Not so long ago, such magic was unthinkable for me, but now I treat it as something natural."

"King Theon, may I later visit this craftsman? I would like to share some of my knowledge in exchange for some items. Would that be acceptable?" She asked carefully.

"I am sure we will reach an agreement." I smiled, already thinking about how to convince her to teach us everything she knows in exchange for the items for her use.

"Excel...iiiik!" Hestia went to clap her hands but ended up falling into the pool.

With Luna still sitting on my lap, I decided that the most diplomatic solution right now was to look away.

•••

After taking a few moments to allow Hestia to change her clothes, we met at the entrance to the underground quarantine centre, where we were met by Lanka and Gloria. This time, the personnel were present on the site, but even so, I really should assign someone as an inspector. Lydia, Fjorla and Cédric were sitting in the examination room, much calmer than the last time I saw them. They stood up immediately when they saw me and bowed their heads.

"Greetings, our King" Cédric smiled at me and quickly added when he saw Amber and Irene. "And our Queens!"

"Hello, Cédric, Lydia and Fjorla. You have a special guest who wants to visit you." I smiled.

Before they could even ask who that was, Hestia entered the room, making them kneel. Interesting. She was waiting just behind the doors, but her hmmm...godly presence? Anyway, whatever makes people kneel in her presence influenced only those in the same room she was in.

"Goddess... Goddess Hestia!" Fjorla covered her lips with one hand and very slowly outstretched her second shaking hand toward Hestia.

"That's right, children of Nilmerthis. I am Hestia." She smiled and walked closer towards the kneeling woman before slowly closing Fjorla's hand in her hands. "And I am here to save you. You were void-touched by the seeds of chaos. But do not despair!"

A bright, golden light covered Fjorla and from her shadow, a twisted and wriggling silhouette writhed in anguish. The golden light immediately focused on it, quickly dissolving it to nothingness. Fjorla smiled and started sobbing.

"Thank you! Thank you, Goddess!" She wiped her tears, but Hestia just warmly smiled and let go of her hand.

"Lady Irene?" She caught Irene's hand, who was standing nearby, and looked at Cédric. "Please give us your hand." He raised his arm as asked, and Irene and Hestia touched him. "Now, Lady Irene, focus on the evil that is trying to corrupt his soul. A void parasite always looms somewhere at the edges of perception."

"I..." Irene closed her eyes and bit her lip, but soon her facial expression changed into one of understanding. "I feel it!"

"Excellent! Now call the light of Eriar to banish it!"

The light that covered Cédric was like a laser beam of gold. This time the shadow started screaming as it was banished and Cédric started crying as well.

"That was... Excellent, Lady Irene!" I could swear that Hestia was in shock but she was speaking normally. "Now please, try to cleanse this one on your own."

"Lydia?" Irene, as always, was willing to learn something new.

When Lydia gave Irene her hand, it took my Queen much longer than before to find where that void parasite had hidden. But something went wrong. Instead of being banished by golden light, the shadowy figure emerged from the ground behind Lydia. Its claws reached towards the wolfkin woman, but Hestia was much faster. She conjured some sort of golden beam in the shape of a spear and pierced the parasite in a flash.

"Phew... Sometimes that happens."

•••

I think Hestia just gained three more worshippers.