The suit of armor, now a Goddess in my eyes, straightened and took a step towards me. The parts that made up the Divine being produced a soft sound, almost like sand against skin. E'er didn't shift, move, vibrate, or shake in response to her abrupt movements. She leaned towards me until the helmet, which I assumed was her head, almost touched my nose.

My nose was assaulted with the smell of blood.

I searched for anything resembling eyes, but there was none. The 'face' I was looking at had nothing resembling a person: it was a perfectly polished helmet with hundreds if not thousands of weapons engraved on its surface.

A chuckling voice that seemed to echo through a long metallic tube came out of her, then said something in a language I had never heard before. It sounded like bells, a choir of very deep bass, and metal striking metal.

The only way for me to explain how E'er reacted to the sound is to say it giggled.

Definitely a Power Tongue. Is that Celestial? I wondered, arching an eyebrow. How the fuck did people get Halve and God from those sounds? “I don't understand what you're saying,” I told her in Orkish. “If you're saying something, that is.”

Shorvanna was quiet for a few seconds, standing so still she looked like a statue.

Okay... this is awkward, I sighed deeply in my mind.

“You did not consume the Sentinel,” Shorvanna pointed out in Orkish, using a tone that implied curiosity. “Why?”

So she speaks other languages, too. Well, duh! She's a Goddess, I concluded and shrugged. “Should I have?” I asked back.

“We speak all known languages, Natasha,” she replied to my thoughts in a matter-of-fact tone, then went back to curious, “Were you not hungry when you woke?”

My eyes widened. “You can read my thoughts?!” I inquired in shock, taking a step back.

“Hear thoughts,” Shorvanna corrected me, taking a step towards me and making that sand-on-skin sound. “You think too loudly, young Halve. I ask again: were you not hungry?”

“I ate dumplings,” I quickly replied, pretty confused. “Why does it matter, anyway? Also, the fact you can hear my thoughts is pretty creepy.”

“Sentinels carry knowledge,” the Goddess informed me, closing into me again. “Knowledge imparted upon consumption. You should have eaten the Sentinel to learn Celestial. If you are bothered by me hearing your thoughts, then think quietly.”

The Unreasonable indeed, I thought with a smile, then winced at her probably hearing that. “Anyway,” I waved it away. “Hi, I'm Natasha Novak. Nice to meet you,” I introduced myself and offered a hand.

Shorvanna turned her head at my hand and shook it. “Shorvanna. Not Shorvy,” she introduced herself in an amused tone, then lifted her head to look at me. “I like your anger, young Halve.”

Her hand, or more accurately the armor gauntlet, felt hot to the touch and incredibly familiar.

My eyebrows joined in concern. “My anger? Why?”

“Great fuel,” the Goddess pointed out. “Powerful, abundant, and... under control. You are most intriguing.”

“Well, I went to therapy,” I chuckled.

“A process of self improvement?” Shorvanna inquired in a puzzled tone.

“Yes,” I confirmed with a nod, bumping her forehead.

“Commendable,” the Goddess praised. “A Warrior needs a sharp and unclouded mind, after all.”

“That's right,” I agreed.

Shorvanna took distance from me and turned around, facing the obelisk. “I would like you to answer a question of mine, young Halve,” she spoke in an even tone.

“Sure,” I tentatively agreed.

She turned to me and pointed a finger at my forehead. “Why have you come here? I sent a letter your way with instructions to grow in power. Your arrival is a full year sooner than expected.”

I scratched my right eyebrow. “Yeah, about that. I broke Elena Pazh'Khun's mind, causing her to forget around two thousand years worth of memories. Also, I don't have the faintest clue as to what Class to go for when I reach 1500 level total. I was hoping you could offer some guidance,” I explained.

Shorvanna lowered her arm and went back to being silent and still.

I resisted the urge to sigh.

“You broke her mind?” the Goddess asked for clarification. “I do not see how that could have happened, nor why does it matter. A mortal fell to the might of a Halve, even though your skills shouldn't allow for that to happen. In any case, is that not the natural course of events? People drown because they can't breathe underwater. Elena met that fate because her mind was weak. I fail to see an issue.”

I nodded and pointed out, “I didn't come seeking your help about Elena. Opinion aside, she's Yulianna's partner.”

“I am well aware of who Elena Pazh'Khun is,” Shorvanna said back with an even tone. “Still, how is it that you broke her mind?”

I checked my fingernails and replied in a quiet voice, “I spoke Abyssal.”

“You're a fool,” she scolded me, then walked to me and closed in. “Do you even understand what that does?”

“A little,” I admitted.

“Have you spoken it before? Or after?” Shorvanna demanded in a dry tone.

“Only once after my trial ended,” I replied, placing a hand on her chest plate and moving her back. “And I'm trying to fix that mistake, so chill,” I added. “I learned what it does after I spoke it. I had my suspicions, but no proof. I don't remember with great detail.”

“We'll teach you how to use it, then,” the Goddess decided. “Along with a Class that will suit you.”

“Now we're making progress,” I sighed. “So, do you think Danuva can heal Elena? Also, could you teach one of my companions? She's a Goliath Warrior, uses sword and shield.”

“What are her Classes?” she asked.

“Battlemaiden, Shield of Bog, and Legged Fortress,” I tried recalling. “I might remember wrong, though. She's going full tank, that's for sure.”

“A Goliath Warrior tank,” Shorvanna commented with a chuckle. “Pretty common. We'll see what's best for her. As for you,” she sighed with a bit of disappointment.

I arched an eyebrow. “What?”

“Your Classes have incredible synergy, and are the peak of prowess,” she sighed. “Hoplite, Lancer, and Dragoon...”

“You can see the three?” I inquired, pretty interested.

“Obviously,” the Goddess of the path of the Warrior answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “They are a bit... mortal-ish, though. You should merge them in the future if you want anything of actual value.”

My eyebrows almost fused with my hairline. “I should what?” I blurted out.

“Merge them,” Shorvanna repeated. “At level 2000 total. You are a Halve. Those Classes are... below you.”

“What's wrong with them?” I demanded, offended by her words.

“I like what you did with Initiation, but... it's still weak,” the Goddess sighed again. “Your might should be absolute. There are too many conditionals in your skills. We'll go over them in the following months.”

“MONTHS?!” I shouted in disbelief.

“Yes,” Shorvanna confirmed, closing into me again. “You want Danuva to revert what Abyssal did, no? That will take time if we don't want to erase Elena's ego.”

I sighed and moved her away from me. “Fine. I guess we'll be staying here for a while.”

“What did you expect?” she scoffed. “You can't learn a new Class in a few days, Natasha. Sure, you're a Halve and learn quicker, but things have a limit.”

“Fair,” I agreed.

Shorvanna turned to the Obelist and started walking. “Come, Danuva and Saravia are waiting,” she told me, then passed through the wall of the obelisk like it was made of water.

“Of course,” I sighed and followed. “At least she's chill. Family benefits, maybe?” I mumbled to nobody in particular. “Think quieter, Natasha... whatever the fuck that means.”