Aperio gently brushed her hand over Caethya's stomach as she let a bit of her mana dance around Maria. Her youngest follower had gotten quite good at sensing her mana, letting her spheres of fire and water follow along the path the All-Mother made with her own. Why did she say she was bad at this?

"Will you and Ferio get a Class?" Caethya eventually asked, tilting her head back to look up at Aperio. "You won't, right?"

"Ferio might," Aperio replied with a small shrug of her wings. "I doubt I will get one. The System cannot give me something, as it derives everything from me." I think.

"I never had a Class before," Ferio said, tapping her chin. "But I think that was because I am your daughter and already a divine without the System's help."

"But so were the Elder Gods," Aperio added, looking at her daughter while holding onto her love just a little tighter. "They had a part of… me that gave them their divinity."

"Yes," Ferio agreed. "But they still relied upon the System to manage that. It takes centuries for a mortal to acclimate to their new powers."

Caethya shifted slightly in Aperio's lap, directing her eyes at the Goddess of Life and Light. "Everything seems fairly normal to me so far," she said, retreating a little further into Aperio's embrace. "That I don't notice the change is honestly scary."

Ferio chuckled at the Elf's action, shaking her head slightly. "I doubt it will take long for you to get used to your new powers. Your blessing is quite a bit different than that of the other deities."

"I wouldn't call what the others had a blessing," Aperio mumbled, the knowledge that they had possessed her memories causing her to wrap her wings around Caethya and herself. "And what I took from Natio was a bit of the System that enabled him to draw on more mana than before. Something I assume the Classes will do to everyone."

"They should," Ferio agreed. "A boon for someone like Caethya or Maria who can control their mana fairly well already, but a hazard for all those that rely on the System's help."

"Hazard?" Maria asked, stopping the dance of her magic to look at the group. "Will it hurt people?"

Aperio looked at her daughter, the force of her stare silencing her before she could answer Maria. A thought accompanied the silence, asking Ferio to please be a little more considerate while Maria was present. The All-Mother held her gaze for a moment longer before she turned slightly, retracting her wings a little and motioning for the girl to come closer.

"The ability alone will not," she said, reaching past her love to brush her hand over Maria's head. "But mortals have a… tendency to abuse their powers." Her eyes flicked over to the countdown. Ten hours… "I will do my best to stop the worst, but people will use their powers how they see fit." And stopping them would be much the same as enslaving them.

It was a problem Aperio was not sure how to deal with. On the one hand, she knew people would die because of the Classes. But she also knew that they would die without them. It would just be the method that changed. Stopping that would, of course, be good for those that now continued to live, but to effectively stop all those that intend evil, she would have to subsume their will to some degree; something she would never do.

"Why?" Maria mumbled, tilting her head ever-so-slightly, the question mostly directed at herself. She looked up at Aperio, moving a little closer still. "Can't you just stop them from doing that?"

"I could," Aperio replied, taking her hand off of Maria's hand. "But that would require me to take something from them I am not willing to take from anyone." Or I kill them all…

For some — probably even her own daughter — that was the obvious solution. She had just killed a large swath of deities after all, what would a few mortals mean in comparison? To Aperio, not a whole lot. She did not know them, nor did she feel much for any of them. She knew that many of them would die — were dying right now — but it garnered no reaction from her. The knowledge that some of them were enslaved and did not get to live or die, however, made her blood boil. If I had any. What flowed through her veins was many things, but blood it was not.

"Could you not just tell them not to do it?" Maria asked. "Wouldn't they listen to you?"

"If I tell you to never paint again, would you do that?" Aperio asked, gently resting her chin on Caethya's head again while also letting a touch of her magic flow around the Elf. Despite the timer still counting down towards the implementation of her changes, she could already feel a small shift happening within the Demigoddess.

Luckily, it was not her Soul that was changing, just the connection it shared with her love's body. It seemed to reinforce itself, undoubtedly preparing for the increase in strength and therefore mana Caethya would experience when she got her Class. I hope it doesn't hurt… She was not sure on that front, but if her own changes were anything to go by, it would not be a pleasant experience. Better stay the night and watch over Maria.

"I would try," the girl eventually replied. "But why would you do that? It's not hurting anyone."

"Mother was merely trying to make a point," Ferio said. "If she only tells people to do something, most of them won't do it; and if she forces them to do it, she is breaking her own most essential rule."

"You have rules?" the girl asked, taking a step closer to Aperio. "Who made those?"

The All-Mother let out a sigh, gently shifting Caethya to one leg and lifting Maria onto the other with a touch of her magic. Despite the topic, the girl still giggled as she briefly floated through the air and tried to grab hold of Aperio's wing.

"I made those rules," she said eventually, raising a brow as Caethya picked up Maria and shuffled herself more properly into Aperio's lap. It would seem that the Demigoddess did not want to share her almost-Elven chair. "There are a few things I am not willing to do, and those rules outline them."

"Like what?" Maria asked, turning herself and looking over Caethya's shoulder. "I know you dislike hurting people, but you still do that when you need to."

Aperio gave a half-hearted smile in reply and shifted her wing a little to shield her youngest follower from the annoyed glare of one of the maids. "I will not force my will on others just because I can. If the only way I can stop them is through manipulation of their mind or Soul, I will not do it.

"Often that means I have to… kill the people that stick to their ways," she continued, not quite sure if the topic was something she should be discussing with Maria. "But even that is a last resort. In most cases, noninterference is the best solution." I just want to be left alone to spend some time with Caethya…

Simply sitting in her Void with her love was already better than most other things she could think of — the only downside was that it would likely bore the Demigoddess. But that did not matter, as Aperio was happy to do most anything as long as she could do it with Caethya. That also included sitting around and somewhat performing the duty of being the literal Creator of everything that ever was, is, or will be.

The back and forth continued for a while longer, Maria sometimes returning to practising her magic before asking more questions again. Eventually something came up that Aperio had expected, but had hoped would not be asked.

"So will you help the Council of Ebenlowe with the Remembrance Party?" the girl asked, as if Aperio knew who those people were. "They really like touting that Humans are better than anyone else."

Almost all of the maids stiffened at their charge’s words, a few even putting their hands on the weapons they had hidden beneath their clothes. Aperio merely tilted her head, her hair falling over her shoulder and onto the steps she sat on. She was no fan of divine or mortal politics, but she owed the Terenyks — and maybe even the people of Ebenlowe as a whole — a debt that she wished to settle.

"I have no problem with helping. If my help is wanted, that is. I know very little of what is happening in Ebenlowe."

"Nobody knows what is happening here," Ferio mumbled. She shrugged as the All-Mother extended her wings slightly to give her daughter a gentle tap. The motion was not nearly as stealthy as Aperio had wished but the point was still made, even if Aperio was certain her daughter's utterance had a certain truth to it. With a city this big, it would be impossible to keep track of everything. And if they call it a council, it probably means that not much gets done.

"What?" her daughter continued. "I am telling the truth. Just ask Lord Terenyk. Or your Scion." She eyed Caethya for a moment, the Demigoddess not paying much attention as she was braiding Maria's hair while the girl giggled happily. "Maybe even your girlfriend, but I think she knows more about the politics of Spicor than Vetus."

Aperio drew her wings a little closer, covering herself as well as Maria and Caethya a little more fully. "We will see," she said, a part of her mind always looking at the clock that was steadily ticking down.

It had certainly not felt like so much time had passed, but that was nothing new for the All-Mother. She had once spent three days motionless in a carriage while she was first trying to figure out her aura, after all. To think I didn't know how to use it… Now it was a part of herself, like an extra set of eyes that could see everything if she wanted it.

"My Lady," one of the maids — Amelia, if Aperio remembered correctly — said. "It is time to get ready for bed."

Maria's giggles ceased as her shoulders slumped a little, then tapped Caethya's arm to let down. The Demigoddess obliged, patting the girl’s head before standing up herself. Aperio followed the trend, briefly stretching her wings to their full length before draping one over her love. The sun had begun to set, and while Aperio was fairly certain Caethya would not be bothered by the cold that had begun to creep in, it still felt like the right thing to do.

"Will the Lady stay for the night?" one of the other maids asked, her voice barely remaining steady as Amelia ushered Maria into the mansion. Aperio did not reply, instead directing her gaze at Caethya and her daughter instead. She wanted to stay — and had told her love as much — but the decision was still up to Caethya.

"Thank you for the offer," Ferio said, offering the maid that had asked a small nod, "but I will return to my temple." She turned to face Aperio and Caethya, offering a bow. "Mother. Caethya. I hope you are prepared."

Before Aperio could reply, her daughter vanished in a small swirl of leaves, something she was sure was not her doing. It had not felt like her daughter, and most certainly did not look like it. Roots? she asked herself, a thought reaching out to the ancient tree to confirm her idea.

As Caethya gently pulled on her arm to follow the maid inside her mansion, and Aperio obliged by taking her love's hand into her own, the All-Mother could practically hear the rustling leaves of Roots-Beneath-All as it informed her that it had indeed brought Ferio home to her temple. Probably a wonder she stayed as long as she did...

The relationship between Aperio and her daughter was still strained at best, but the Goddess of Life and Light had just spent the better part of a day with her, mostly just sitting around and letting Maria learn how to use her magic by chasing the mana of a literal Goddess.

Aperio pushed the thought from her mind as the maid that had lead them tried and failed to open a set of heavy-looking wooden doors for them. "Is this our room?" she asked, stepping up next to the Human and opening the door with a gentle push. "It looks nice."

If she did not know better, Aperio could have thought she was back in her own temple. Aside from being made of less sturdy materials, this room featured nearly everything she had in her own.

"Thank you," Caethya said as she practically danced into the room, pulling the All-Mother along as best she could. "We will be sure to call for you if you need anything."

The maid bowed in reply to the words, letting out a sigh of what Aperio thought was relief that she probably thought nobody would hear. Why is she so scared? I did nothing scary all day…

Her thoughts were stopped in their tracks, for as soon as the doors closed behind them she was enveloped in her love's arms. There came a muffled, heavy sigh as the Demigoddess leaned her entire weight into the embrace. "I think that timer is wrong."

"So you noticed it too?" Aperio asked, letting a touch of her mana flow through Caethya's body to soothe any pain she might be feeling. "But why did you not tell me sooner? …And act like we are a married couple off to their first night?"

"Because that is what the maids expected," Caethya replied, her voice muffled by Aperio's dress. "You either show no affection, or all of it, and that is not something that you usually see in noble families." She pulled away slightly, offering a slight shrug that did not quite work as she still had her arms wrapped around the All-Mother. "So I just let them think what they want to think."

---

The All-Mother remained quiet for a moment, her eyes fixed on something Caethya could not see. "So should I not show how I feel?" she asked. "I felt like it was the best way…"

"I enjoy it, and if you do too that is all that matters, no?" Caethya asked, shifting a little as she felt that slight pull at her very being again.

A quick check of the timer showed that there were still a little more than eight hours left before the Classes were supposed to come. I guess they will hurt… She hoped that the suspected intensity of her own impending experience would be because of her connection to Aperio, and not the case for everyone who was to be gaining a Class.

She froze, causing the All-Mother to lower herself while more of her mana flowed into Caethya. The Demigoddess gently shook her head as Aperio's face twisted further into concern, likely not being able to find anything that should cause the current reaction.

"I just realised that if I will be in pain when getting a Class, Maria might too. She might not be a Demigoddess, but her Soul was still touched by you."

"That is why I wanted to stay," the All-Mother said, tilting her head slightly. "I thought I told you that?"

"You gave me your thoughts and feelings," Caethya corrected with a smile. "I can get a lot from that, but not everything. I thought the worry in there was for the Classes in general."

"A bit of it, yes, but I am mostly worried about you and Maria," the All-Mother replied, gently nudging Caethya towards the bed. "I will do my best to ease any pain, but I am not sure what will even happen."

Aperio let herself fall onto the bed, the wooden frame groaning for a moment before Caethya could feel her love's magic run through it. She quickly followed suit, resting her head on Aperio's chest as she closed her eyes.

"It was still the right choice," Caethya said. "Classes would come back sooner or later anyway, and now the return itself has at least distracted the people enough that they stopped trying to start a world war over dead Gods."

The All-Mother let out a long sigh which, considering that she did not breathe, left Caethya wondering — not for the first time — how such an action worked. "Perhaps." She wrapped her wings around Caethya. "I just want it to be over…"

"It will be soon," the Demigoddess said, stifling a yawn. Why she was so tired all of the sudden was not something she knew, but chalked up to the Class she would receive in a little while. Sleeping through it doesn't seem like a bad idea…

Her love, too, seemed to notice the tiredness that Caethya felt as she remained silent, beginning to gently run her hand through the Demigoddess' hair while wrapping her wings just a little tighter around the two of them. 

The sweet calm of sleep followed shortly after, her love giving her a feeling of safety and comfort that Caethya had never quite known she needed. It was not the dreamless slumber she had hoped for, as her vision was filled with flashes of light and colours she was quite certain did not actually exist. In a way, it reminded her of the space beyond reality she had caught a glimpse at every now and then.

Luckily, the deluge of colours and shapes left as soon as it had come, replaced by blurry images she could not properly discern. A floor polished to a shine that did not show any reflection. The sound of what might have been cutlery scraping against a plate, though there was no accompanying conversation to be heard. The feeling of falling ever faster, only to suddenly be underwater, completely dry and free of the need to breathe. A figure holding her up, faceless yet still somehow looking at her lovingly, then she was plunged back into the ocean she had just been in.

Caethya awoke to the sensation of molten rock in her veins. Of her own bones breaking, flesh squirming beneath her skin. As soon as the searing pain had come, a flood of soothing mana washed it away to be replaced by the soft embrace of her love. Though she was vastly more comfortable, she could still feel herself being systematically broken and being rebuilt, feel the swelling of her inner well as more and more mana entered her body.

Only once she opened her eyes did Caethya see the System window hanging in front of her, informing her that her body was insufficient for the Class she was to be granted and would be 'adapted'. The class she read there was almost the same as the title Aperio had inadvertently given her not long ago, but [Avatar of Creation] vastly differed in effect.

 

With a not insignificant mental effort Caethya tried to summon her status, but a sharp pain that cut through the soothing mana of Aperio stopped her. Another notification quickly followed.

 

The Demigoddess let out a sigh as the pain faded again, relaxing into the embrace of her love. Aperio said something to her, but Caethya did not hear the words. Her ears had begun ringing, then all sound abruptly vanished. Before she could worry, her auditory senses reasserted themselves louder than before. Then all was muted again, the cycle repeated, and an entirely different worry started blooming in her mind

As words did not work, Caethya felt the worry of Aperio in her mind; the pain the All-Mother herself felt at the fact that she had brought this upon the one she loved. Caethya turned in Aperio's embrace as best as she could, though she did let her love do most of the work. With all the strength she could muster with her breaking, squirming limbs, she hugged.

Aperio followed suit, wrapping her arms and wings tightly around her as, despite Caethya’s inability to hear, she continued to speak. A small smile spread across the Demigoddess' face as she gave herself over completely to Aperio's embrace. She had made the right choice and, once this was over, she would be able to finally help her love. Carry some of her burden.