Even after a week, Karla was still suspended in my realm, drifting within the currents of divine power that coiled around her like a cocoon. I had told Tekla she was with me, though I spared her the details. There was no need to explain why the Elf remained here, only that she would be staying for some time.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Tribe prepared for their move. They packed away what they wouldn't need during the winter and only consumed the food that couldn't be taken along. Their efficiency in conserving resources was admirable, though I disliked the tension that their arrival was certain to bring.

"I still don't understand why you had to give up your place…" Freya muttered, biting into a piece of meat her husband had just roasted. I had no sense of its flavor, but from how the texture looked, it seemed tough. Perhaps that was because of the type of meat the mammoth-like beast had, or from the way they stored it - dried through a magic that drained it of moisture. Before eating, they soaked it in water to let it rehydrate again. To me, the process seemed to ruin both taste and texture, leaving the meat leathery. Though for Velmoryns, especially the Yellow Tribe, the practicality of things always took priority.

"Now that you've promised the Priestess you'll give up your seat of Vael, our tribesmen complain that the Yellow Tribe might be left without a voice in the leadership, even though we're clearly the strong…"

"Freya, are you certain we are stronger?" Dariel replied evenly, scratching at the frostbitten skin that peeled along his nose. "Did you not see their warriors? Did you not see what the Priestess herself did?"

"But the Priestess… she isn't an ordinary tribeswoman. She used our Lord's power…" Freya's voice trailed off as she avoided her husband's gaze. Dariel was smiling faintly, as though humoring a child's stubborn complaint.

"She is still of their tribe, is she not? And even if she weren't - Mirion, Lucas, Ninali… the other two as well. Each of them is stronger than most of ours. And we know at least one more, Aria, should be Gold Rank or perhaps even above that." He lowered his eyes back to the food, granting Freya the comfort of eating without his stare. "I've also heard they have another frontliner among them, and Mirion spoke of a Drukyr master blacksmith."

"Dariel, you've lost hope in our tribe…"

"No, Freya, I haven't." Dariel set down his food and looked at her. "I'm only weary of pointless wars between Velmoryns. I don't want to put at risk our one chance at a peaceful life. I know why you wanted me to remain a Vael. You believe that if I hold high status, our child will have a greater chance of receiving High Father's blessing."

Freya said nothing, but her silence spoke plainly enough.

"I thought of that as well," Dariel admitted, smiling when Freya's eyes softened with relief, as though grateful to see her guilt shared. "But I realized it was wrong. Would our Lord truly favor those with more influence, or those whose devotion shines brightest?"

"I know, but…" Freya rose to her feet and moved to him, her eyes drawn instead to the child sleeping soundly on the fur nearby. "Was I always like this? Scheming, reaching for power?"

Dariel laughed and drew her into his arms.

"Yes, and isn't that a good thing?" He guided her chin gently with his broad hand. "I always loved that you worried for our family, that you never stopped protecting us. But now it's time to live in peace. Time to enjoy what you've earned for the tribe. Besides, even without my Vael's seat, are you not already the new Priestess?"

"Don't say that!" Freya pressed her small hand against his mouth, silencing him in fear. Though as her cheeks colored and her hips shifted playfully at the compliment, they betrayed her true emotions. "The Priestess only asked me to guide our tribe. If we claim I'm also a Priestess, High Father might punish us…"

If only she had known how angry I was with Tekla at that moment.

Her impulsive choice to let Freya preach had planted the wrong ideas in her head. I understood that in time there would be many priestesses, or those beneath the title, spreading my faith and guiding the faithful. But I disliked the thought of Freya shaping my doctrine, deciding what I was to become. Wrong ideas, once planted in believers, would inevitably affect me in negative ways. That was why Tekla's decision displeased me so deeply.

Still, there was little I could do. I couldn't simply forbid it. Tekla was only beginning to make her own choices, and I had no wish to frighten her back into passivity.

I shifted the Window toward my Priestess. She was speaking with Avenor, who, for once, seemed to be in a good mood.

"For how long?" Tekla asked, not sparing him a glance. She was occupied with polishing the altar using a white, soft cloth more luxurious than the dress she wore. Hunting had ceased under the dreadful weather, and the altar had gone unused. Dust had gathered across its surface, demanding Tekla's attention.

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Many Velmoryns, men and women alike, had offered to assist her with cleaning the temple, but she rejected them all, insisting that only the Priestess was permitted to handle the sacred relics.

"I don't know," Avenor replied, smiling in contentment. "But I doubt it will be longer than a week. High Father only commanded me to retrieve… something. Nothing beyond that."

For him, a direct order from me was like a reassurance - confirmation that his place was secure. That was why he came to tell Tekla. He wasn't obliged to ask the Priestess for permission, but by doing so, he made sure everyone knew he had received my command. It was a convenient way to elevate his standing further, cementing his image as my chosen.

"Avenor, may I entrust you with a quest as well?" Tekla's eyes lit up. "Father granted me seeds of the Sunbeam Tree. Could you plant them?"

"What is Sunbeam… I know nothing of planting. And with snow this deep, how am I supposed to…"

"I will send Ninali and Vivien with you," Tekla interrupted, smiling brightly. "Ninali will handle the snow, and Vivien can tend to the plant."

"Verde, did you put her up to this, you bastard?" Avenor groaned inwardly. Outwardly, however, his expression was so serene Tekla must have thought he was delighted by the idea.

Serves you right for flaunting in my name.

I had nothing to do with it, though I couldn't deny I enjoyed it. That gave me an idea - in the future, I could use Tekla to have some fun at Avenor's expense. But this time, without my involvement, she had chosen to twist his departure to her own benefit.

"I would gladly accept the quest, Priestess," Avenor said, pressing his hands together and tilting his eyes heavenward as though in prayer. "But High Father must have had His reasons for sending me alone. If I were to take Ninali and Vivien with me, I fear I might anger Him."

Should I tell Tekla that I don't mind? If only it were anything but Cellia's body… I disliked the thought, but in this case, I truly needed Avenor to go alone. I was merely having fun before; I planned to tell Tekla that Avenor needed to go alone if he truly failed to persuade her.

"You are correct. Forgive me," Tekla answered quickly, her smile fading. "Then I shall go myself. I no longer wish to delay planting the Sunbeam Trees."

Sunbeam Trees? Where did that come from?

I couldn't help but chuckle through my Casper-like mouth. Tekla had a way of naming everything I gave her, doing it with so much confidence that even I sometimes doubted whether she had invented the name herself or if it had been passed down for centuries.

"If you are still here when I return, I will join you as well," Avenor added magnanimously. He knew perfectly well he would not be leaving for at least another week - plenty of time for Tekla to complete her task and return.

When he comes back from the mission, I'll reward him with another one, I decided, already amused at the prospect of toying with him.

Then the realization struck me - this feeling, this delight in mischief, was new. Humor, playfulness, that sly urge to tease… all of it had been greatly dulled when I became a god. Did this mean the system's grip on me was loosening? Was I even like this when I was still Brian? I could no longer recall what I had been like as a human. My perfect memory covered only my existence as a god, not my previous life.

Either way, I'm glad I can begin to enjoy my life in more ways. Perhaps, in the future, I might even taste food and drink… if Dionysus could savor wine, why shouldn't I?

The thought amused me, but I had no intention of losing myself in idle dreams. Winter still lingered, and I wanted to use what remained of it to refine my religion. Because after that, once the snow was gone and the Velmoryns could freely move, I'd have so many more things to do… but for now, my religion was the priority, and I already had a method in mind.

Writing a book like a bible or drafting a new set of commandments felt wrong. Interpretations would twist whatever I set down, and endless rewrites would only hurt my image. Instead, I had decided on visions. From time to time, I would show Tekla a revelation, each one addressing a matter that concerned me.

At present, I disliked how women were pushed almost exclusively toward magic. Some clearly had talents for other paths - assassins, archers, or roles outside of war. Yet from birth, they were set on a magic path, whether it suited them or not. That would be one of the first visions I revealed. And within those visions, I would also show her mundane knowledge - how to make candles, how to process fat.

The winter was long, and waiting idly for spring, when I could finally strike at the spider's nest, felt like waste. Using every moment was the only way forward.

So, when Tekla and the rest of the tribe settled to sleep, I prepared to grant her a vision. This time, I waited until she dreamed, rather than sending it while she was awake. Each time I bestowed a vision, her consciousness faltered, and in deep snow, where Velmoryns rarely abandoned their homes, that seemed an unnecessary risk. At night it was safer, less strain on her body, and more efficient.

But just as I shaped the vision, the tribe was suddenly bathed in white light. At first, I thought it was the moon, but the sky was thick with clouds.

What the hell is happening?

The careless amusement drained from me at once. This was no moonlight. It was divine energy.

Not as pure nor as potent as mine, but sheer in volume. A deity willing to appear in such a way wasn't trying to remain unseen. They were making a spectacle.

So, I waited.

And I didn't wait long.

The radiance pulled inward into a single point, writhing like tentacles as it shaped a circle. From within, a figure emerged, as though lifted slowly by some unseen platform.

It looked… Velmoryn. Gray skin. Pointed ears. Silver eyes, cold and still. White hair falling neatly down its back. Even the leather tunic was the same one most of the male Velmoryns wore. The only thing missing was the crimson markings. Yet I could see beyond the guise. Velmoryn was only its facade.

The creature bowed deeply, right hand pressed to its chest, left lowered in formality.

"Your Lordship," it said, voice smooth and theatrical, "may I visit Your kingdom?"

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