"Aros has returned to normal, Master." Nuri said at her ear. She sat up in bed, cradled Aila in her arms, and against her chest. With furs around them both, she quietly hugged and kept Aila warm.

"Rirn has returned, and opened his stall. I managed to make utensils, wooden ones, as well as bowls, plates, and cups. Elena smooths them out with her element to help." She said softly.

"Nadya and Alara are outside, bundled up, absorbing the sun in the courtyard. Elena has found that the ground pressure has eased off a lot. She went out for large stones and brought them back to make bricks. She even made a pool for Ellie in the courtyard. She wants to make an underground pipe to the spring, but even when the pressure is off, it's not gone. It will be difficult for her to make it. She brings her water every day, and keeps working. Shaala makes us clothes, and sits up in the window to absorb the wind elements. Ivadra is stronger too. She absorbs the dark elements around the manor, and even weakened a boar enough for Elena to kill it. Kaala keeps working on bacon, and sucks up the flame elements from any core Elena gets for her." Nuri hugged her. "We're doing well, Master. Don't worry." She sniffed.

"We miss you, Master. Recover so we can feel your warmth again." Nuri let a tear roll down her cheek.

"Don't you dare drench her with your salty tears again, Nuri." Nadya sat down on the edge of the bed. Nuri sniffed.

"I can't help it." She said and hugged Aila to her chest. "She protected us, and fought a volcano. Now, she's asleep, and exhausted. I want to listen to her voice, feel her inside my head again, and see her gentle smile."

"She will wake up again, Nuri. Go on. Take care of your personal needs, shower, eat, and go make some firewood. I'll watch Master for an hour, then the twins will take care of her." Nadya smiled gently at Aila. "Can you believe how much things have changed for us? We now have choices, abilities, healthy food, strong companions, and a wonderful Master." Nadya slid into the bed and took Aila from Nuri's arms. When she stood up, Nadya blushed a bit.

"You're taller, Nuri. You look slimmer in the belly and butt again too." Nadya said. Nuri snorted.

"Not eating so much fatty pork has fixed a lot of my problems. I didn't think life elements would make me larger though." She hefted her breasts in her hands. "I'm bigger up top too." Nadya grinned.

"You'll make the perfect mother." Nadya said, which made Nuri blush. When she left the room, Nadya sighed softly, and hugged Aila to her belly.

"She's so attractive now, Master. She's probably seven foot tall now, with even bigger breasts than before. She's still a bit soft in the belly, but she's more firm everywhere else." Nadya murmured a bit as she felt a bit of light elements tickle her core. "You would love her figure. She'll make the perfect mother for all our babies."

That was the impression she got from Aila. Although all of them would bare children eventually, Nadya and Nuri would be the ones to nurture them. They weren't meant to be the ones who would fight with strength and elemental power.

They were Aila's choices to love all their children, and raise them with warmth, and love. They would give their babies the most important things they had been deprived of.

A warm, loving, and safe environment to grow up in.

* * *

Aila floated around her space, surrounded by the gray colored fog that brought her to Imera, with occasional peeks out into the waking world. Her people were safe, and well fed. They were healthy, and growing stronger.

She looked at each place around her. At one time, there was a blank space here, surrounded by twelve empty spaces meant for something specific. After a while, gems appeared, in the color of the elements they represented.

Now, the gems were undergoing fundamental changes, and the space between each elemental gem had rivers of essence that traveled between each.

"Now I see. Those weren't gems. They were cores." Aila whispered.

Stellar cores. She was trapped in outer space, and surrounded by twelve stellar cores in the initial stages of celestial body formation.

Before she closed her eyes sleepily, if one looked closely, they would see something so terrifying, it would melt their sanity.

The rivers of essence that traveled between the stellar cores all met in the middle. Where she slept.

* * *

Nuri had changed over the last month. The winter months were harsh, but they obeyed their Master completely. Someone always kept the main fireplace burning, while they continued to absorb the elements in much the same way their Master had.

The method of absorption was one that others could not copy, even if they were able to witness it. Only someone who had felt the natural movement of the elements could manage to emulate their absorption method.

Imera did have strong people upon her surface, but nothing like Aila expected. She thought there would be sects, powerhouses, and godlike beings.

She expected immortals, demigods, and rampant pantheons that had no regard for mortals, like on Earth back in their ancient histories.

While her people grew in strength, the few kingdoms around them grew nervous about the recent events. Some wanted to invade, but had their ambitions put on hold when the volcano appeared.

The Teshele kingdom had a new king that fancied himself as an emperor. He wanted to conquer the surrounding nations, but held back after Aros emptied. His plans were on hold, but not stopped. His disposable pawns and spies had been in place for a long time already, but the volcano gave him a reason to pause.

He was smarter then the Silver King, and didn't want to waste resources to conquer a kingdom that might become another part of the adjacent wasteland.

His spies even related a story about a small horde of zombies that had been destroyed, which would make his soldiers a little more wary. Morale was important to an army, so he made a responsible decision to wait, and let things cool down a bit.

The Silver King was not aware that some random events saved his kingdom from an invasion, and didn't seem to care anyway. The small horde was destroyed with simple cavalry stakes and fire pits, while the rumors of the volcano went in one ear and out the other without a response.

The Queen kept him so beguiled and occupied with carnal pleasures, all he could think about was her exquisite figure, even when he should focus on courtly manners.

The Silver King, King Kohl, was so smitten that he ignored reports that his Queen had relations with others in his own bed. None of the Queen's sons were even his, but they were treated like princes, and spoiled rotten.

Only a few could feel the noose tighten upon the kingdom, and see the enemies approach their door. However, they were incorrect. The Teshele kingdom was not their greatest threat, nor were spies, or rebels even a threat worth mentioning.

An even greater calamity was on the edge of their awareness, like a spider's web, felt but unseen.  The hand that reached out to cover the land did not do so from within any kingdom known to the kingdom of Thules, or even Teshele.

Soon, everyone would know whose hand it was, and how much death it would bring.