Mother Earth

"Kind god of emotions, god of flames who quelled the harm of the earth's fires, god of courage who helped all beings escape Uranus's atrocities, Your Highness Nairmis of the beautiful soul..."

Nairmis abruptly raised his head.

"Your Highness Nairmis of the beautiful soul, what has made you so sorrowful?"

Nairmis frowned. The voice was excessively gentle, yet it sent a chill down his spine, because he could not sense any presence.

Somewhat uneasy, he took half a step back. Flame divine power surged, and a flame sprang into his palm. He tossed it upward, and the fireball soared into the air, illuminating the entire area.

The firelight also illuminated a figure slowly emerging from the shadows at the edge of the woods. Nairmis's eyes widened slightly.

It was a goddess, tall and possessed of a mountainlike steadiness and weight. She wore a dark green robe whose hem trailed along the ground without picking up so much as a speck of scorched earth.

Her face was dignified and graceful, glowing softly in the firelight, with a serene smile at her lips.

Mountains, rivers, the sky, and the ocean were reflected in her eyes, as though the entire world had settled within them over countless millennia.

Her long brown hair, tinged with golden chestnut, fell loosely over her shoulders, with tiny petals scattered through it. And her belly was slightly swollen.

Nairmis recognized her, even though she looked somewhat different from when chaos had first parted, even though the curve of her swollen belly made her figure a little fuller than he remembered.

Gaia, Mother Earth, the foundation of all things.

A storm surged through Nairmis's heart. He had only just been wondering how to find her, how to contact her, and how to persuade her to cooperate with him, yet she had actually come to him herself.

Wasn't this far too much of a coincidence?

He did not believe there were any true coincidences in this world. A Primordial God would not appear before a Second-Class God for no reason. Since Gaia had come in person, she must have a purpose.

But whatever her purpose, he had to observe every courtesy. Nairmis quickly concealed his surprise, stepped back, crossed his hands over his chest, and bowed slightly in a respectful salute.

"Honored Mother Earth, origin and resting place of all things, backbone of mountains and plains, cradle of sky and ocean, great Gaia, I, Nairmis, god of emotions, offer you my sincerest respects."

"From the moment you rose from chaos, I witnessed your glory from the void. To behold your true countenance here is my greatest honor."

Gaia looked very pleased, her eyes curving slightly.

"Your Highness Nairmis certainly lives up to your reputation. No wonder even Uranus likes you so much."

The corner of Nairmis's mouth twitched. Was she mocking him? He had just had his divine nature extracted today.

Gaia did not pursue the subject. She conjured something and held it in her palm.

Nairmis's pupils contracted slightly. This must have been the legendary Bottle of Life, Mother Earth's supreme treasure, the source power behind the growth of all things. He had only heard of it and had never seen it with his own eyes.

Without another word, Gaia leaned forward slightly and tipped the mouth of the Bottle of Life downward, letting the blue mist flow out.

Nairmis witnessed an awe-inspiring sight. The blue mist spread as though alive, drifting along the scorched black earth.

Wherever the mist passed, the blackened soil began to loosen. Withered grass roots put out tender shoots again, fresh green emerged from the ends of broken branches, and green life sprang up from the scorched earth.

The burnt smell in the air was completely washed away, replaced by the fragrance of soil, the crisp scent of grass, and the sweet perfume of newly opened flowers.

Nairmis stared at it all in a daze, the miracle of death turning to life reflected in his eyes.

His healing divinity warmed faintly within his chest as it sensed the fluctuations of that primordial law. It was a power more ancient and profound than his healing power, the rhythm of life itself.

Gaia crossed the newly grown grass and came before him, holding out the Bottle of Life.

"Your Highness Nairmis," she said gently, "this Bottle of Life contains the primordial law of healing. Uranus is about to tend to his injuries, so the sky will temporarily be unable to watch the earth. Use it to heal the earth tomorrow, and it will raise the rank of your healing divinity."

Nairmis looked at the Bottle of Life held out before him without immediately reaching for it.

His mind raced. The Bottle of Life was one of Mother Earth's most essential divine artifacts, precious enough to drive any god mad.

He was a mere Second-Class God who had never met Gaia before, and she was offering him something like this to use right away?

There was no such thing as goodwill without a reason. Surely Gaia had not fallen for him, so she could only want something from him.

Nairmis lowered his eyes, his thoughts racing. What did Gaia want him to do?

It had to involve Uranus, but to what extent, exactly?

"Are you worried about the price that comes with this bottle, Your Highness?" Seeing his hesitation, Gaia spoke softly. "The Bottle of Life can guide you to the Earth Divine Domain. I cannot remain on the earth for long."

She paused, looking earnestly at Nairmis.

"I believe you have realized this as well, Your Highness Nairmis: Uranus's atrocities will not end tonight. If he remains God King, the world will never know peace. I ask that you bring the Bottle of Life to the Earth Divine Domain, where we can discuss in detail how to keep this earth from shedding any more blood."

"Once it is done, the earth will not forget your kindness."

Nairmis's heart stirred sharply. He had just been racking his brains over how to contact Gaia, yet not only had she come in person, she had also placed the very invitation to cooperate that he wanted directly before him.

In truth, his original intention had not been to become deeply involved in Uranus's downfall.

The course of history in Nairmis's memories was clear. Uranus would be overthrown by Cronus, the Titans would emerge victorious, and fate would find its own way to where it belonged. But those memories contained nothing about an outsider god like him.

There was no need for him to interfere. What if Uranus flew into a rage before dying and killed him with a slap?

His original plan had been even sneakier: let history take its course and wait for Cronus to ascend the throne.

Then he would take that prophetic painting to the new God King and bluff his way through, reaping the rewards of backing the victor and trading for the vitality godhead as his future self had instructed.

Even if Cronus did not believe him, there was still that curse. There was room to maneuver in all of it.

But now he had changed his mind, for a simple reason. Tonight, Uranus had extracted his flame divine nature, thrown him out of the Sky Divine Domain, and burned his home to ruins. There were also those living beings who had died because of him.

He could not swallow this insult. Not only would he become deeply involved, he would take the lead in everything.

He would make Uranus see clearly that the being he regarded as an ant had, in the end, personally destroyed everything he cared about most.

Thinking of the expression Uranus would wear then, Nairmis felt it would certainly be very entertaining.

He reached out and accepted the Bottle of Life.

The bottle was smooth and warm to the touch, its blue light shining on his palm as warmth flowed through his entire body. He tightened his grip on it and gave Gaia a sincere smile.

"Mother Earth Gaia," he said solemnly, "I am honored to have earned your regard. Tomorrow, I will bring the Bottle of Life and visit the Earth Divine Domain."

Gaia smiled, more deeply than she had in any of her previous smiles. She had finally obtained Nairmis's promise.

Everything would take a turn for the better. She could finally rewrite her own fate.

"Thank you, Your Highness Nairmis."

Gaia spoke softly, her dark green figure beginning to turn transparent.

Holding the Bottle of Life, Nairmis stood on the grass that had regained its vitality and watched her figure dissolve into the night.

Then he raised his head and looked toward the Sky Divine Domain.