That One Time I Married A Crazy Goddess

Xyenn, startled, replied, "How convenient."

'Is that why the Lysfødt and the Prophets lost track of him? Is the cursed region that powerful to even conceal someone's presence and location from godly beings? If that's the case, then Ezrael is strong as hell. But if we're able to summon Kassius in the crypt, then we might be able to skip the entire cursed region. But knowing Yuuna..she'll want it cleared. How much time do we even have left? We still need to kill King Haldrek, avoid the Lysfødt, and just survive. But every single second there's something in our way. And on TOP of that, we just killed a dragon sun god that escaped the Cycle of Rebirth using cursed runes from Hell. It's fine it's fine, we got this, its a lot, but we can handle it. Can't let it overwhelm us.'

Mertha added, "Ohhh that's awesome. He's in some cursed place. Piece of cake."

Gorran asked Yuuna with his arms folded and eyes closed, "We can skip all of the cursed region if we just summon Kassius from the crypt. But clearing the cursed region of the abominations of war needs to be done."

Kivorn said to Gorran, "Oooh…never heard of you..wanting to save people..and be some kind of hero."

"Tch! It's none of your business."

'I'm only doing this to confirm these feelings I have, the feeling I get from showing mercy, saving a life and helping someone who isn't myself. Satisfaction…redemption…happiness…selfishness?'

Quinara said to Kivorn, "Oh yeah he's a TOTAL hero now. And gets flustered every time I get close to him. Watch." She got close to Gorran, and Gorran's cheeks were flustered as he looked away, saying, "Gross. I'll end everyone."

Draeven almost laughed, "Impossible.."

King Alaric stated, "Summoning Kassius could work for you all if you say so, I can show you all the way to the Velmires old sanctuary. But it's not going to be easy gaining access to it."

Yuuna asked, "And why the hell is that?"

"It's not a physical place. It can only be accessed through solving answers and aligning constellations to unlock its territory. It's a spiritual place."

Yuuna thought, 'Is it connected to the Astral World..?'

"Show us. Now. We don't have time to waste." Yuuna demanded."

"Wait a minute." Alaric stood, his wound still bleeding

'Sethrak and Zyphira were sure he was dead. Though I'm sure they knew he would survive. He's tough. The dragonic vessel of gold and wealth, right in front of my eyes and his neck in the grasp of my claws. I could kill him and all of his—.'

"Yuuna!" Xyenn exclaimed.

Yuuna gasped, and looked at Xyenn. Xyenn said to her, "You're burning up."

Yuuna looked down at herself, and released a sigh, thinking even more, 'It's like my old self is trying to pull me into the darkness again. Born from it, grew out of it I did, but it wants me back. Those thoughts are coming back again. Thank you, Xyenn, for being with me. I know he felt what I was feeling, that dark urge. But that armor on him is what's keeping him from falling for its lies of damnation, but he can feel when I'm swelling up inside from it.'

Alaric said, "While you're dealing with the crypt, I will begin preparing for the cursed region expedition. You all are powerful, yes, and I know my daughter and son Zyphira and Sethrak are strong too now, but—."

"—Do not say their names." Gorran interrupted.

Alaric nodded, and continued, "We will be putting half of the kingdom's funds into this expedition. You all won't be going alone, I will be putting a registration sheet on the notice board in the city, and there will be a huge gold reward for the hunters and adventurers. There will be deaths, and bloodshed. But this is for the fate of the continent. This continent is known for its value. But not just the value of gold, but the value of everyone who is here. That is why people come here from all over for a better life. The value of everything is what makes Jörvaldr the city of dreams and wonder. One of the largest continents in Kyrrin, the value of lives and freedom is the largest cost. Which is what took me years to realize my wrongdoings in trying to turn my children into adults early. They're worth more than that. Damn I was greedy."

Yuuna narrowed her eyes, "Then get prepared for the expedition. And if any of your automatons try and fuck with us, we're destroying them and you early."

"I understand. Please enjoy your time here in Jörvaldr until the expedition."

Yuuna immediately turned around and walked away; Quinara, Gorran, Mertha, Kivorn, and Draeven followed.

But Xyenn stayed behind, he and Alaric were staring at each other in silence.

Xyenn said, "I can feel you staring at me. What do you want?"

"It's a weird feeling that I get from you. You're not like any other draconic vessel I've come across. It's a different feeling, like you're not—."

At that moment, Yuuna came up with a smile and grabbed Xyenn softly, turning him away from Alaric, saying, "Let's go, darling!" 

Xyenn followed, thinking 'What was he gonna say..?'

Yuuna said, "I wonder why the Prophets told Alaric we were coming."

"Probably so he wouldn't be startled. So we wouldn't fight unexpectedly. He probably was gonna avoid using us to help him. He probably didn't want anything to do with Zyphira and Sethrak again. A lost memory of his own children in the back of his head. The Prophets definitely said things to him that would convince him for our help."

"And we're walking right in the line for what the Prophets had intended for the fate of the world. Haldrek, an anomaly, needed to be dealt with like the Sun-Drake."

"But we defied fate before, we can do it again."

Yuuna smiled, and she pulled Xyenn's cheeks, laughing, "Awwww! You sound like a brave hero!"

"AGH! What else am I gonna say?!"

Quinara, walking beside Gorran, asked, "Yuuna was just mad a second ago, and now she's happy?"

"It's how she does it. She doesn't like showing us her sad side. You'll get used to it."

"And that boy that pinned me against the wall while I was pregnant, are he and Yuuna like, romantic partners?"

Xyenn dashed up to Quinara, saying, "D-DON'T MENTION THAT—."

Yuuna rose above Xyenn, saying with a malicious smile, "Now why did you have to go reminding me of that? Xyenn pinning you against the wall?"

THWACK!

Yuuna's tail wrapped Xyenn's throat, pulling him closer to her.

Quinara stuck her tongue out at Xyenn, saying, "That's what you get."

Draeven had grabbed Xyenn's hand and started pulling, and said, "I-I help you.."

"She's actually choking me!" Xyenn struggled to say. "Pull harder, Draeven!"

While that was going on, Yuuna asked, "So, where's Sethrak and Zyphira?"

Kivorn raised a finger, "I can show you all..they went to an alchemist…to change their appearance.."

"Hmmm. Where? And I guess there's no point to them trying to change how they look now. But I would understand it if they didn't want to show their face to their father or anyone else they don't wanna show their faces too just yet."

"Brass Vein Market. It's…around here somewhere.."

"Well let's go then!"

Xyenn walked, but he kept his head down, thinking deeply, 'What was he gonna say..?'

Yuuna asked Xyenn, "Are you okay? What did he say to you back there?"

"Nothing it's fine, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

The group descended into the winding alleys of Jörvaldr's Lower Quarter, the air thick with the metallic tang of rust and the sour stench of mildew. This was the "Brass Vein", a labyrinth of twisting alleyways and crumbling tenements where crime and desperation carved out their kingdoms. The cobblestone paths beneath their feet were uneven, slick with filth and spilled liquids that no one dared to identify. The walls of the narrow passageways leaned inward, as if the buildings themselves were suffocating under their own decay. Faint amber light seeped from cracked lanterns affixed to the walls, casting long, jagged shadows on the ground. 

The group walked in a loose, disorganized line, each member keeping a wary eye on their surroundings—or in Kivorn's case, no eye at all, his half-lidded gaze fixed lazily ahead as though he were sleepwalking. 

Xyenn thought, 'I can definitely feel some rebellious tension here. These are the people who haven't made it to the top in Jörvaldr yet. City of dreams and wonders and shit like that. Where I'm from it was similar, but it was common. No one went there to make their dreams come true, but to escape from their shitty lives. Crazy…it's a place I escaped to escape from my own depression, and then ended up here. Do I love my life right now? Sorta. Yuuna is the best thing that's happened to me, I even have a son. I want to see him and hold him, hopefully I survive so that could happen. I really am a sad. 19 year old dad.'

Mertha playfully bumped into Xyenn, "Yo! You good kid?"

"I'm alright, something is just bothering me."

"What is it? You know I'll listen to anything, even if it's boring."

"That's a damn lie."

"You know me too well, but nothings ever boring with you. So spill it."

Xyenn sighed, "I can't tell Yuuna, but that man told me something, but he was cut off. Said I was not like the other draconic vessels he's sensed before. He just kept looking at me. It has to be because of Yuuna's origins right?"

"Could be. Could be something else. Something about you is causing their brains to be scrambled up and all that. You're a little important brat."

"Thanks, and you're a giant oaf muscle woman."

"Aww thanks. Or you know what it could be? You and Yuuna killed the dragon gods of the sun, so that's probably what he's sensing."

"Yeah that's one option."

"Whatever it is, don't worry about it too much. You're strong, you said yourself you're not gonna let so much overwhelm you, you said you'll push through it all before you had ripped your arm off. We've been doing good so far, and I still have to train you. And now since you've got Gorran to train with us, you're gonna get fucked up."

"Oh I can't wait. I'm tired of doing reckless things to win, risking my self like a child."

"Good you noticed. You want to be a man? Getting stronger to control your urge to be foolish is a step."

"Finally some good advice from you. Thanks—."

Mertha put Xyenn in a headlock, saying, "I ALWAYS GIVE GOOD ADVICE!"

"Ow! Ow! Okay!"

"Now I have to ask, Was the sun god tough? How badly did you kick his ass in the sun?"

"I meannnn it was okay. He started pulling magic out of his ass and he was winning at one point. Kind of back and forth."

"What was the kill move? Tell meeee."

"The entire time I was in Yuuna's back and she was in her dragon form. I kicked off of Yuuna and separated us, and cut The Sun God's head off."

"And now you lost an eye, and lost an arm. How does it feel?"

"My left arm you know it causes me pain if anything hits it and it's ten times worse. For my eye though, it's hard for me now to see on that side so I can get caught off guard. But thanks to my senses being heightened, I can easily sense power on that side, but it's not as effective as my peripheral that was there before. I feel like that increases my chances of doing reckless things to win, risking myself, but—."

"That's why you're gonna get stronger now, duh." Mertha pushed Xyenn jokingly, and Xyenn shrugged it off in a joking manner.

 Mertha inspected Xyenn, looking at how his left eye is gone and his arm a dragon arm now, and she thought, 'My son was reckless, and never wanted to fix it. Never wanted to grow from it. He was hot headed, but I loved him. Through Xyenn, I'm doing things I wish I could've done for my own son. I didn't want my son to hate me if I tried to make him change, so I didn't pry into his life and try to help him. I'm sorry. As for Xyenn, I see him as my own child, seeing how he was a cute innocent boy with a few bruises on him before, now looks more and more like a man.'

The alleys were alive with activity despite the suffocating atmosphere. Fires burned in makeshift barrels, surrounded by clusters of ragged men and women, their hollow cheeks and bloodshot eyes betraying lives lived in hunger and desperation. Children with dirty faces darted between shadows, their small hands quick to snatch up anything left unguarded. A pair of thieves—one portly and sweating, the other wiry and sharp-eyed—haggled loudly over the price of a stolen dagger, their voices echoing off the walls. 

Yuuna, strutting at the front of the group with her fanged grin wide, threw her arms behind her head as she looked around. "I LOVE this place!" she declared loudly, startling a nearby homeless man who was gnawing on what looked like a rat skull. She pointed at him with a clawed finger. "Hey, nice snack! Are those teeth crunchy? Never had rat teeth before. Bet it's like eating tiny pebbles!" 

The man blinked at her in confusion, then scurried away, muttering something under his breath. 

"Yuuna…could you…y-you know, stop scaring people," Draeven said softly, fidgeting nervously as his smoke coiled tightly around his legs.

"Target?!" Yuuna laughed, throwing her arms wide. "I wish they'd try something! This place is full of weirdos. I'd fit right in!" 

"'Weird' isn't the word I'd use," Quinara muttered, walking just behind Yuuna with her usual smirk. She gestured toward a hulking figure leaning against a wall up ahead, their body wrapped in layers of patched leather, their face obscured by a metal mask with jagged, uneven holes for eyes. The figure was sharpening a cleaver the size of a small child, the metallic scrape echoing through the alley. Quinara tilted her head toward Gorran, who walked beside her, his arms crossed as he brooded silently. "Hey, Gorran, think that guy likes hugs?" 

Gorran didn't even glance at the figure. "Why don't you go find out?" 

"Maybe I will. You won't get jealous right? Seeing how you've been giving me googly eyes.," Quinara shot back, her grin widening. 

Gorran looked away, "Pft! I wasn't! You were looking at me…"

"Yeah? I like the way you look." She started to take a step toward the cleaver-wielding figure, but Yuuna grabbed her arm and yanked her back. 

"No way, that one's mine!" Yuuna said, pointing at the figure. "I wanna see if I can make him flinch!" 

"Absolutely…not," Draeven snapped, his voice trembling as his smoke clung to Yuuna like a desperate leash. "We're just passing through. No fights. No weird… whatever it is you're planning.l

"Boring," Yuuna muttered, crossing her arms. 

The group continued down the alley, passing by more of the Undervein's colorful inhabitants. 

A woman with wild, tangled hair squatted beside a pile of discarded metal scraps, her hands darting with inhuman speed as she assembled something that looked like a cross between a clock and a bomb. She glanced up at the group, her bright yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Hey, you lot got any spare gears? Springs? A toothpick? No? Bah, useless." She returned to her work, muttering under her breath. 

Draeven gave her a wide berth, his shoulders hunched. "Why is everyone here so… weird?" he muttered. 

"Because…normal people don't live in places like this," Kivorn said in his slow, emotionless drawl, not even bothering to look at the woman. 

Ahead, a pair of street performers juggled flaming torches, their faces painted with grotesque smiles. The taller of the two, a gaunt man with skeletal features, tipped his hat as the group passed. "Care for a show? First act's free. Second one costs a finger!" 

Yuuna stopped, her grin widening. "How about I juggle you instead?" 

The performer's grin faltered for a split second before he recovered, bowing deeply. "Another time, perhaps." 

Quinara laughed, nudging Gorran. "I think he likes her." 

Gorran didn't respond, his brooding silence unbroken. 

He looked over at Xyenn, and said, "You, boy."

Xyenn looked over at him, "What is it?"

"…Nevermind. I'll ask later."

"Alright…?"

Farther down the alley, a group of children with hollow eyes crouched around a makeshift dice game, their movements quick and furtive. One of them—a scrappy boy with a mangled ear—glared at the group as they passed. "You lot got coins? I'll fight you for 'em!" 

Yuuna crouched down to his level, her golden eyes gleaming. "Oh yeah? What would you do if I said yes?" 

The boy froze, his bravado wavering under her predatory grin. "I—uh—" 

Before Yuuna could say anything else, Mertha grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt and hauled her upright. "Yuuna, that won't be a fair fight."

"Aw, come on, Mertha," Yuuna whined. "I could've taken him!" 

"You're enjoying this too much, Yuuna."

"You know me, Mertha."

Finally, the group arrived at the shop, a crooked alchemist shop wedged between two crumbling buildings. The shop's sign, a tarnished brass plaque engraved with a bubbling cauldron, swung creakily in the faint breeze. The wooden door was warped and scratched, and the faint smell of chemicals and burnt herbs wafted through the cracks in the walls. 

Yuuna kicked the door open without hesitation, striding inside as though she owned the place. The interior was cramped and chaotic, shelves lined with mismatched bottles and jars filled with substances of every color and consistency. Strange contraptions bubbled and hissed on the countertops, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of alchemical brews. 

But it wasn't the chaos of the shop that caught their attention. 

Standing in the center of the room were two small children, a boy and a girl. The boy had wild black hair that stuck up in every direction, his fiery red eyes wide with confusion. The girl, with long silver hair and piercing blue eyes, crossed her arms and pouted, her tiny frame radiating an air of authority that seemed absurd for someone so small. 

The group froze, staring at the children in stunned silence. 

Finally, Draeven broke the silence. "Um… are we in the wrong place?" 

The boy glared at him, his voice high-pitched but undeniably familiar. "Draeven, you idiot. It's us." 

Draeven's jaw dropped. "S-Sethrak?!" 

The girl sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in an eerily adult gesture. "Yes, it's us. Don't ask. Just fix it." That was Zyphira.

Yuuna burst into laughter, doubling over as she clutched her sides. "Oh my gods! You two look *adorable!*" She crouched in front of Sethrak, poking his chubby cheek with a clawed finger. "Look at you! You're like a little angry potato!" 

Sethrak swatted her hand away, his tiny face turning red. "Agh! Don't touch me!" 

Quinara leaned against a nearby shelf, smirking. "This might be the best thing I've ever seen." 

Even Kivorn, usually too tired to care about anything, raised an eyebrow. "Potion accident?" he asked slowly. 

The entire group burst into laughter, the tension of the alley forgotten as they took in the sight of their now-miniaturized allies. 

Gridd and Illyana were there as well, and Illyana smiled, "It's good to see you guys."

Gridd, his arms folded, "Aye', took you lot' long enough."