The Last Experience Point

"Gods-dammit, Kal," Zach said with a groan as she began tearing drawers open, then closed, then open again. "We'll only be gone three days, and we're not leaving for another two. Why are you going crazy packing already?"

"It's 'cause I don't wanna procrastinate. This is the first time in our entire lives we're gonna see the Orc continent—and the queen!" She made a happy, glee-filled snicker. "Baby, we're gonna take so many pictures."

"Kal," he replied, punctuating his words with a sigh. "This isn't a vacation. It's some bullshit I accidentally forced myself into doing."

"Nah-uh. It's also a vacation." She pointed to him. "Queen Lurk-Muhr personally offered to give us a tour of the capital, and she invited us to dinner with the Head-Basher Clan."

"Wait, we're actually doing that?" Zach asked, exasperated.

"Yah, we are!"

"But, Kal, it's optional."

"So?"

Zach groaned again. But still, he tried to stay positive. If there was even one upside to all of this nonsense, it was that the Elves had also been invited along, though for entirely separate reasons. Given that it was only humanity that had been blocked off from the rest of the world, most of the other races had already invited the Elves to establish diplomatic relations, and in the case of the Orcs, the timing happened to work out such that Zach and Kalana could stay together and share a room.

It's not a coincidence, though, is it? Zach wondered.

The Orcs were a very, very, VERY emotionally sensitive people—to the extent that they could cause annoyance and aggravation even among the merfolk for how self-righteous and holier-than-thou they could often behave; on the flipside, the Orcs were considerate and compassionate on a level that few other races in Galterra could rival, and so it was very unlikely that the timing here was a coincidence. They had most likely acted with Zach's wishes in mind.

I'm just so glad she's going with me, he thought, feeling actual gratitude to the Orcs for arranging it so. This would be so much worse without her.

Frustratingly, but also humorously, his relationship with Kal created a whole bunch of opportunities, problems, and circumstances for the various ruling guilds of North Bastia. Given his position and stature in the Royal Roses, and given Kal's role as the sole and only princess of the Elvish people, there were now political considerations with many of the things they did, and Zach was no longer able to ignore them.

And to think…they could've enjoyed a simple, private relationship if only Zach hadn't gotten involved with Ziragoth. Or even if he had, if he only hadn't continued to wind up in situations that raised his profile. Although uncommon, adventurers did end up in the news with infrequent regularity, and during these times, one of the political guilds would claim that adventurer as their own just as a matter of formality before eventually their existence was forgotten by the public.

But in Zach's case? Well, he'd simply appeared one too many times in the public's notice until, what had begun as a standard, but fake affiliation of the sort that was routine, had instead morphed into something very much real.

But Zach had finally stopped resisting it, too.

Now, as Zach watched Kalana excitedly packing, he couldn't help but notice how cute and happy she was, so he grabbed her, pulled her into him, and kissed her. At first, she seemed confused, but then she wrapped her hands around him. "Baby, what's gotten into you?" she whispered.

"I'm just so glad I get to see you again. I missed you a lot while I was away."

"I missed you too," she said, returning the kiss.

"Honestly, Kal? The more I was away from you, the more I—KAL GET DOWN!" he screamed, shoving her to the side and then reaching behind himself for his sword—only to realize he didn't have it on him. He fumbled, uncertain of what to do. Terror and confusion collided into one powerful bout of emotion, and he opened his eyes widely as Kal stared back at him.

"Zach! What's wrong?" she shouted.

"B-behind you, Kal!"

"Behind me?" She turned around—and then she too screamed.

Fear, alarm, and a protective instinct burned throughout his entire being as, right before the two of them, a young man around his and Kal's age exited from a black, swirling portal. He was tall, and from his short-sleeved shirt, Zach could see that he was extremely well built. He had medium-length black hair with pointed ears that were distinctly Elvish. His hair, however, was wavy with a slicker sort of appearance that looked human.

Alongside this man, a woman Zach recognized also exited this portal, and as she entered their bedroom, she made a sorrow-filled, partially embarrassed, and nervous expression. "I'm so, so sorry about that," she said.

"P-Prila?" Both him and Kal exclaimed.

"But wait…" Zach looked over to the young Elvish man. "If you're Prila, does that make you…?"

"It's good to meet you face to face, my child," the unmistakable voice of Adamus said. He bowed his head as though in apology. "I am terribly sorry to interfere in your private life this way. Know that I'd do no such thing should it not be for an issue of grave importance to us both."

Of all the things Zach could say in reply to that, the one thing he managed was to ask, "Aren't you supposed to be, like, old or something?"

Adamus laughed. "I've chosen to rejuvenate myself. It's no different from that which Eilea does routinely."

"I see…"

Zach looked at Kal, and she looked at him. He could see she was just as confused and surprised as he was. His mouth having gone dry, Zach tried to wet his lips and voice a question, but he was unable to get so much as a word out as the bedroom door slammed open with enough force that it fell off its hinges.

"My princess!" Trelvor shouted. "What's happened? Are you and Zach oh…oh…oh my Great God!" he shouted, backing up suddenly and beginning to pant. His back hit the wall, knocking a piece of art down, and following this, Trelvor fell down to his knees.

"Hello," Adamus said to him. "Please forgive the rudeness of my untimely intrusion. I am Adamus Vayra, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young Elf."

"Y-y-y-y-your majesty!" Trelvor screamed at the top of his lungs even as he threw himself forward onto his belly and planted his face—and almost his lips—onto the floor. "YOUR MAJESTY! THE GREAT LORD ADAMUS IS HERE!"

"W-what?" shouted the voice of Fylwen from somewhere in the kitchen.

One, perhaps two seconds of silence lingered in the air, and then Zach moaned in embarrassment as the sounds of smashing and destruction echoed from all over Kal's home as what sounded like ten Elves ran in a straight line towards the bedroom, disregarding anything they broke along the way.

"Not again. Gods-dammit!"

******

"How many more songs before I can move?" Zach whispered to Kalana nearly two hours later. Kalana ignored him and continued to sing.

I could've sworn she hated Adamus, he thought bitterly. I thought she agreed he was the bad guy.

If the Elves had overreacted to Eilea's appearance, then this was a thousand times worse. Once again, Zach was on his belly and forced to go along with this absolute joke of a ceremony. Even Adamus, to his credit, looked impatient and uncomfortable, but this didn't even begin to compare to the absolute misery and hatred that Eilea displayed all throughout. The scowl on her face was so profound that she had not stopped baring her teeth for the past two hours. Her eyes were also damp, and Jascaila had to hold her hand just to keep her calm.

"I hate him so much," she hissed. She was seated next to where Zach was lying prone. At the moment, he was the only person close enough to hear what Eilea was saying to Jascaila. "I want him to die."

"Remember when we talked about this?" Jascaila whispered back. "He does not rule your life anymore. You are letting him have power over you."

"It's just…he dishonors me with that harlot." She sent a murderous look towards Prila.

"Haven't you also found someone?"

"Yes, I have found my dear Francis, and he is wonderful."

"So…what's the issue, then?"

"I just hate the idea of Adamus being happy."

The two continued their whispered therapy session as the Elves showered Adamus with gifts and words of praise and reverence. There had to be about fifty of them stuffed into this kitchen, and it was honestly becoming unbearable. They'd broken down walls, which meant all the hot air and humidity was getting inside.

Why do they have to do that? Zach wondered. Would it kill them to use a door? What a waste of gold.

The ceremonial welcome continued on as songs were sung and prayers were offered. Finally, however, Adamus seemed to have had enough. "Children of Elvadin," he said. "Were it so possible, I would remain among you as my wife does, but alas, I've far too many tasks that require my attention."

At once, the Elves quieted down, and after they'd done so, Adamus turned his head to Fylwen. "The last time I spoke to you, I believe I told you, my child, that it was unlikely you would ever hear from me again. And this, I did mean. For that reason, I am truly sorry to have disturbed you and your people."

"G-great Lord!" she shouted, her forehead touching the kitchen floor. "All that is mine is yours to command and take!"

He again showed a brief, obvious sign of distress at her words, which Zach could tell from how he recoiled; he doubted anyone else noticed it, though. They were seeing him through the haze of religious worship.

Adamus looked around. "Please, at least be seated. You needn't keep your faces plastered to the floor." He gestured with his fingers, and at last, Zach was able to rise into a sitting position. He was also the first one to do so, as the other Elves hesitated as though reluctant.

Why's he here? Zach wondered. I can't imagine he'd show up like this without a very good reason.

Wanting to find out for himself, Zach addressed him directly. "Adamus," he said, "why have you—mpfph!"

The question died before he could get half of it out. Trelvor and Seiley dove across the floor and clapped their hands over his mouth while Fylwen glared at him with an intense sort of anger written all over her face. Zach, annoyed, merely gave up and rolled his eyes. There was no winning this kind of contest with them.

"Zachys Calador!" one of Fylwen's aides roared at him. "Do you actually think that just because you have been blessed enough to speak with the Great Lord in the past, it means you can casually speak to him whenever and however you wish?"

"No, sorry," Zach replied with an exhausted sigh as they released his face.

"It is fine," Adamus said. "Please, allow the boy to speak."

Zach looked around nervously. Were they going to actually let him speak now? Probably, since Adamus had asked them to do so. He decided to phrase his question carefully so as not to get tackled again.

"Great Lord," he began, "is there something you need from me?"

"No, my child," he replied. Though the whispery quality to his voice lingered, it was different from how it'd been before he'd "rejuvenated" himself. His tone was now much stronger and more forceful, which was interesting because this was the first time Zach was hearing it through his ears as physical sound.

"I have not come here for you," Adamus continued. "I simply happened to coincidentally arrive where you and the princess were dwelling. Once again, I apologize for this disturbance."

No one spoke. Zach opened his mouth to ask the obvious follow-up question, but the queen glared at him threateningly. Was this because Zach needed permission on a per-question basis? Or was it because she didn't like the way he was acting? Was he supposed to raise his hand like he was in class? This was all just so fucking insufferable.

"The reason I have come," Adamus said to a room filled with more than fifty quiet, subservient Elves, "is because I have endeavored over the past week to make contact with my wife, Eilea Vayra, and she has ignored me."

"Because you're a prick!" Eilea spat—literally. She spat across the room at him.

"Great Goddess!" Fylwen shouted at her. "That is the Great Lord! I know you have your marital issues, but please, Great Goddess, you mustn't speak that way of him!"

Wow, so even Eilea's not allowed to disrespect Adamus despite being a Goddess to them?

"I hate him!" Eilea yelled, tears running down her eyes. "I hate him so much!" Jascaila hugged her as she began to sob into her chest. "I want him to die!"

"Do not punish her for this," Adamus said as the Elves began sending her wary looks. "As a favor to me, I beg of you, Children of Elvadin, forgive each and every word she utters, as I have been callous towards her, as I am known to be."

Her whimpering and crying filled the sound of the overstuffed kitchen as she continued to repeat to Jascaila how much she hated him. Eventually, Zach went over to her as well and held her hand and squeezed gently. He could not deny that he cared for her as well. Adamus had abused her viciously. He really despised the way Adamus had treated her. Sure, Eilea wasn't perfect, but Adamus clearly had not been good to the woman.

"Are you okay, Eilea?" he whispered.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm fine."

Kalana joined him and grabbed her other hand, whispering words to her as well, though Zach could not hear what she was saying. "Thank you, beautiful princess," she said. Kalana asked for a napkin and she then used it to dab Eilea's eyes.

Following this, Adamus cleared his throat, and once more, all attention fell upon him. "I will not linger here a moment longer than necessary. It was never my intention to appear before you this way or to cause a scene." He paused a moment, and a genuine hesitation crossed his features. It was as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should. Eventually, however, he began to speak.

"What I am about to tell you is forbidden knowledge that cannot ever be repeated. If I did not have complete confidence in all of you, I would not even consider sharing this. But I suppose it is best you hear it from me, as lately, the boy known as Jimmy has been attempting to leak this information." At this, he looked directly at Zach, and said, "To that end, let it be known that I saw the interaction between you, James Green, and these two Elves at the library." He pointed to Trelvor and Seiley.

With that, the both of them threw themselves forward and began pleading for mercy. "We were told nothing!" they cried. "Forgive us, Great Lord! Please!"

Trelvor pressed his palm to his chest. "I did my utmost to prevent Jimmy from speaking a word of his forbidden knowledge."

"I know that you did," Adamus said quickly. "My children, please, you have not disappointed me in any way. I saw that you prevented James Green from leaking the forbidden knowledge. You should both be commended."

"Th-thank you, Great Lord!" they shouted, their expressions quickly shifting from one of fear and trepidation to pure joy.

An awkward moment of silence passed, and then Queen Vayra seemed to break her own rule as she spoke up. "May I ask a question of you, Great Lord?"

"Of course you may."

She shifted her eyes to Zach. "Did my future son-in-law also prevent Jimmy from sharing forbidden knowledge?"

"No. If anything, he encouraged it."

Fylwen narrowed her eyes at Zach. "Let me assure you, he will be punished, Great Lord."

"W-what the fuck?" Zach shouted, having been caught off guard. Now, about a hundred enraged eyeballs turned in his direction. "Bullshit! He's lying!"

"Of course he's lying," Eilea said. "That's all he ever does, Zach! He lies and lies!"

"I mean, it's true I didn't stop Jimmy, but I didn't encourage him, either."

As a number of Elves looked aggressively at Zach as though they were on the verge of attack, Adamus, if nothing else, dissuaded them from taking any hostile action against him. "I ask you all to forgive the boy's conduct and not to punish him," he said.

"As you wish, Great Lord," several Elves replied enthusiastically.

Adamus paused a moment as though waiting for things to settle down, and then he continued. "As I was saying, I wish to now tell you what, precisely, this forbidden knowledge is. But as I grant all of you here with me this knowledge, I do ask that it spreads no farther than Elvish ears."

Once more, all fell silent as Adamus spoke. "My wife, Eilea Vayra, has likely told you that she rescued James Green from Earth. This is the truth. But she did not rescue him from a colony, as she has claimed. No, that was a fabrication she concocted to conceal her sin. For you see, she broke apart the fabric of reality and ripped the boy against his will from the ancient past. James Green, contrary to what you've been told, is not from our time. He is, in fact, thousands of years old and hails from a day when the Earthen sky was as blue and beautiful as the one here on Galterra."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The gasps that came from around the room contained shock, outrage, and disbelieving stares. "B-but the law!" one of the Elves cried. "Among the most heinous of crimes is to inflict harm upon the fabric of reality!"

"Indeed it is," Adamus said. "And my wife has broken it. For this, too, I ask you to forgive her. No, I command it."

"Yes, Great Lord," Fylwen said, bowing her head. "I ask you to please punish me in her place. The Great Goddess is a sweet, caring Goddess, and if this sin was committed under my watch, I personally take re—"

"You misunderstand me, Queen of Elvadin," Adamus said. "I've not come here to punish anyone, but to explain the pretext for why I felt it so prudent to appear before you. To that end, I wish to clear the air on an incident that took place in Shores of Wrath some weeks ago. Do you recall the boy, Zachys Calador, becoming involved in an altercation with two mysterious, vanishing figures?"

The queen nodded slowly. "Actually, yes. It was quite odd. One of them fired exploding discs, and the other had bladed gauntlets."

"Those were my men, and I apologize for the trouble they have caused you. You see, I had sent them to eliminate James Green as, despite it being no fault of his own, his existence here is one I had considered to be sinful and unjust, as he contains a power within him that violates our laws."

The queen again bowed her head. "I understand, Great Lord. If that is your reason for coming here, then I shall abide your command, and I will eliminate the boy myself."

Zach blinked, confused. Then he erupted in anger as everything sort of dawned on him at once. "Hey…wait, what? Hey! Like fucking hell you'll—mvhvgh!"

Now, three Elves had to hold Zach down as he began to thrash and struggle. If Queen Vayra touched so much as a hair on Jimmy's head, the animosity between them was back on, and he'd revoke his forgiveness of her previous heinous actions against him. He'd seek the revenge he'd given up on. He would go nuts! How could she even think he'd be okay with that?

"Zach, please!" Kalana begged. "Just calm down! Maybe we can work this out."

"Yes, please, be calm, my children," Adamus said. "And release the boy. I have not finished speaking. Let me assure you that, as of this moment, I no longer feel that the death of James Green is necessary."

Upon speaking these words, Zach was released, and Fylwen exhaled, and to Zach's surprise, he realized her eyes had become damp, which meant that this was not a task she would have done happily. If nothing else, the relief that now flooded into her face told him that she would have suffered over the harm and friction it would've caused between herself, Kalana, and Zach.

But she'd have done it anyway.

Deciding not to dwell on the implications of what might have been, Zach put his attention on the here and now. Confused and seeking clarity, he said, "I don't get it. You told me he had to die. I even tried to make a deal with you to leave him alone, but you refused."

"Alas, that was before I understood my wife's intentions. You see, the boy has certain powers within him that I consider to be a violation of this world. But they are not such that he can discover them on his own. From the outset, I had always assumed my wife's intentions were to use these powers to promote her own aims. But it seems her motivations were far less nefarious. I have now come to learn that she merely sought to use the knowledge in his brain to aid you in your conquest of the dungeons."

Zach, utterly floored, had to repeat the words several times in his head before he could begin to understand what he was hearing. "Wait, Jimmy has special powers?"

"Yes, my child, for he is not like the races on this planet. I cannot say more, for that is knowledge forbidden to all but the Great Ones. Suffice to say, as long as he does not ever seek to activate this power, I will never have a reason to attack him."

"Th-thank you," Zach said cautiously, actually bowing his own head with genuine gratitude. "I've been worrying every day about when he was going to get attacked again. I've been thinking of you as an enemy ever since."

"Do you see now?" an Elf asked him, speaking up. Zach did not quite recognize the man. "You, much like the Great Goddess, misunderstand and misjudge the Great Lord!"

There were murmurs of agreement, then chants of praise for Adamus. Fylwen shuffled over on the floor and grabbed his wrist, then leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "He was testing us, Zach," she whispered. "This is his way. Please do not lose faith in the Great Lord. He is fair and noble."

Zach, obviously, did not believe a word of this, but he could see that this "trial" had really shaken Fylwen, as she hugged him very tightly. The idea of killing Jimmy and putting her at odds again with Zach must've terrified her.

Kalana also seemed relieved. "Thank you, Great Lord," she said. "I'm sorry I harbored so much resentment towards you. Umm, I just think sometimes you can be really mean."

"Kalana!" Fylwen snapped, releasing Zach and scowling at her.

"Sorry!"

Zach, breathing several more sighs of relief, said, "I really appreciate you being willing to put this whole 'Jimmy' thing behind you. He's a good friend of mine, and I know what Eilea did was dangerous and unacceptable, but what's done is done, no?"

"That's precisely the case, my child. Continuing to punish the boy any further would be an act of cruelty. And despite how much my wife tries to taint me as such, I am not cruel."

At this, it became Jascaila's turn to angrily open her mouth to say something, but to Zach's surprise, it was Eilea who grabbed her arm, shook her head no, and got her to back down. Fylwen, clearly noticing this, seemed to want to deflect attention away from the two of them.

"I appreciate you coming to us in person to inform us of the situation," she said. "On my word as Queen of the Elvish people, I do swear an oath that I shall not allow Jimmy to engage in whatever evil sorcery it is you fear him capable. To that end, I will not allow the boy or Eilea to meet anywhere in private."

"That is for the best," Adamus said. "My beloved is not to be given private, one-on-one audiences with the boy. That invites disaster, and can only result in the boy's death."

As he listened to this exchange, Zach also realized this was probably for the best. Though, it would definitely come with some complications. Knowing the Elves, they would now probably ban Jimmy from Elendroth. They would take the command not to allow the two to meet with a seriousness they would be willing to kill for.

But at least he'll be safe from Adamus.

So, yes, if that was the compromise to be made, Zach was fine with this—or at least he was until Adamus decided to complicate things even further.

"I must also request, but not demand, that Zachys Calador refrains from any further private meetings with my wife as well. This is not due to a lack of trust in the boy, but due to the simple fact that she seeks to entangle him in her schemes. It is for his own sake as well, for I do not wish to find myself in a position where I must destroy the young man, but that is exactly the sort of outcome my wife brings about."

"How dare you?" Eilea shouted at him, reacting immediately. "You monstrous, evil, cold-hearted devil! How dare you ask something like that?"

Fylwen once again took upon a look of sadness, but she nevertheless bowed. "I will not allow those two to be alone ever again."

Gripped with a sense of unfairness, Zach tried to reason with Fylwen, as she clearly hadn't heard Adamus correctly. "Wait, hold on a second," he said. "Adamus only said he was requesting this. He even went out of his way to say he's not demanding it."

"Who do you think I am to refuse a request from the Great Lord!" Fylwen snapped at him. "And young man, you've admitted to scheming against the Great Lord on numerous occasions. You have no idea how lucky you are that he has been so merciful towards you. I'm afraid I cannot allow you to remain on this island any longer."

Zach, outraged, opened his mouth to protest, but Adamus actually stepped in before he could. "Queen of Elvadin," he said, "that will not be necessary. Perhaps I have not sufficiently highlighted that there are different levels of urgency at play here. In the case of James Green, it is best that he not be permitted within fifty nautical miles of my wife. But for Zachys Calador, no such extreme measures are warranted, and he need not be outcast. I simply wish for him to have no private audiences now or in the future. But certainly, I've no issue with him being in her presence if there are Elves around to ensure that no scheming takes place."

Following those words, Adamus looked directly at Trelvor and Seiley. "You two are friends with Zachys Calador, are you not, my children?"

"We are," Seiley said, bowing.

"I would like to personally entrust you two with ensuring that no more scheming takes place between the Great Goddess and your friend."

"We swear an oath to uphold your command!" Trelvor barked out with absolute seriousness. Now, he too, bowed. "Thank you for entrusting us with such an important mission."

"Thank you for entrusting us!" Seiley yelled in agreement.

Oh boy, Zach thought. Those two always go so overboard when it comes to God-missions.

Already, they were standing up and rushing over to where Zach was seated, which forced him to slide over and make room so that they could sit between him and Eilea. They were already getting started. And of all things, Zach laughed, because how could he not? It was all just so ridiculous.

"I don't even get why any of this matters," Zach said. "These restrictions make no sense. Eilea can just speak to whoever she wants through her mind, anyway."

"Not after today, she cannot. Now that I have rejuvenated myself, I am far stronger in both body and mind. I will no longer tolerate her psychic interference. But primarily, I will be ensuring she does not communicate with James Green, for it is him that I most worry she'll—"

"But I owe him!" Eilea interrupted, raising her voice. "I brought him here! He is a confused, frightened young man, and I promised him I would speak to him and explain why I—"

"He knows why!" Adamus shouted right back at her. "Do not play the fool, Eilea. You know perfectly well that James Green has already deduced your reason for bringing him here. And having witnessed him for myself, he is anything but frightened or timid. In fact, right at this very moment, the boy is dancing in the halls of a dungeon and using profanity to refer to the lack of courage among his fellow adventurers." Adamus closed his eyes a moment. "For thousands of years, I have observed Galterrans. And in all that time, never once have I seen a man or woman who appreciates our creations as much as this boy you have found."

Adamus is definitely telling the truth about that, Zach thought. He made an unintentional and loud guffaw, which caused Kalana to look at him askance.

"There is nothing left for you to say to him, Eilea. All that your words can do now is bring about needless harm. If I am forced to do so, I shall return here and call upon the Elves to eliminate him."

"Do not!" Eilea begged. "Please!"

"Then say nothing more to him. Let him exist as a citizen of this planet, and on my word and honor, I swear that I will not interfere in his life, nor will I lift so much as a single finger to harm him."

The queen, Jascaila, Kalana, and Eilea all looked at one another, and each seemed to have something to say. But it was Zach who spoke first. "Adamus," he said, ignoring the groans from the Elves at him referring to the man by his first name.

"Yes, my child?"

"I'll make sure Jimmy doesn't learn about these 'forbidden powers' you think he has, especially if it means I can stop looking over my shoulder. Let's consider this a bargain between us."

"Very well," Adamus said.

For some reason, this caused the queen to gawk at Zach. All the Elves did, actually. "Zach!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what it means to enter into a bargain with a God? You will be damned to an eternity of fire if you break it."

"I won't break it," Zach assured the queen. Not that it mattered, as such a thing was clearly bullshit. To Adamus, he smiled and said, "I feel really good that we had this conversation. This is actually a huge relief. I guess, craziness aside, I'm glad we could meet and work this out."

"As am I," Adamus replied. "But this is not the reason I have come before you all today."

"It's not?" Zach asked, genuinely shocked.

"No. As I said, it is merely the pretext."

Zach attempted to follow-up with another question, but again, Fylwen grabbed his hand and whispered, "Zach, please, let him speak. He is showing you extraordinary grace. That you can even speak freely to him this way—that any of us can—it is a blessing not seen for thousands of years. Let us not abuse it. Wait for him to speak."

The desire to roll his eyes was strong, but stronger still was the desire to have this done with, so he nodded and waited. Thankfully, Adamus was quick to address his actual reason for coming here, and when he did, it sent a jolt of incredulity right through his heart.

"The reason I have told you all about James Green," he began, "is to put into perspective the dilemma we have today." Adamus, surprising everyone, sat down on the floor as if to be one of them. Prila also sat beside him. "Eilea knows why I am here, don't you, Eilea?"

The woman looked away, and she began to shake.

Zach, confused, asked, "Eilea?"

"Great Goddess?" Fylwen whispered to her.

She said nothing. So Adamus continued to speak. "As I have just explained to you all, my wife did a very awful thing. She risked a collapse of reality itself in order to bring James Green to Galterra. And her sole motive for doing so was to have him guide the adventurers through the dungeons, particularly those on higher-tier worlds." He looked around. "Does everyone understand what I have said so far?"

There were nods from all around, though by "nods," they were more like deep, affirmative bows, in which faces subserviently touched the kitchen floor. And now, as though pleased by their response, Adamus drew a breath then released it.

"So, my wife," he continued, "having done this foul deed, succeeded in bringing James Green to Galterra, and fortunately, she did so without consequence. And the boy here, Zachys Calador, likewise succeeded in summoning the gateway that leads to a higher-tier world. By all means, this would seem to be quite the victory in my wife's favor, would it not? For she has achieved all of her objectives." Adamus regarded Fylwen. "Queen of Elvadin," he said. "I believe the boy has already filled you in on this much?"

"He has," Queen Vayra said, again bowing by leaning her body forward in a seated position. "He told me last week about the island in the sky during a meeting with other world leaders. At the time, I was quite upset, but I beg your forgiveness, as I had no idea that this was related to such a holy purpose."

"You've nothing to be sorry for, good queen, I merely wish to ensure we are on the same page."

"Of course we are, Great Lord!"

"That is good. Because it is through such that it brings me to why I have come before all of you today."

The approximately fifty Elves gathered here became perfectly silent as Adamus looked around at each one of them. As he did so, Eilea began to shake and quiver. Something was wrong. There was something going on here that wasn't quite right. Eilea began to mutter to herself as tears fell down her face.

"So now, each of you knows that my wife has committed such a dangerous, treacherous sin, and you also know why she has done it: to give the adventurers a guide, someone she believed could increase their chances of survival on Albion-4."

Eilea began to shake even more fiercely.

"So imagine my surprise," Adamus continued, "when not twenty minutes after the island spawned in the skies of Whispery Woods, my wife, Eilea Vayra, teleported herself there, destroyed the gate keeper boss, shattered the teleporter, and rendered it impossible for James Green—or anyone—to enter the dungeon that leads to Albion-4."

Even before he'd finished speaking, Zach felt like he'd been dropped off a building and was plummeting to his death. And yet, the sensation of falling was second only to the mind-blowing level of confusion that detonated in his brain as he turned his head to Eilea and saw her whimpering and weeping.

"This can't be true," Zach said, a feeling of sickness and dread spreading through him. "Eilea wouldn't sabotage us that way."

"Oh, but she has!" Adamus said, raising his voice.

"Great Goddess?" Queen Vayra whispered to her, her tone more concerned than angry.

Eilea began to weep even more fiercely. "You don't understand, Zach," she said.

"Eilea, is it true?" Zach asked her.

"You don't understand! The thing about Albion-4 is that—"

"Eilea!" he snapped, interrupting her. And to his surprise, none of the Elves intervened to stop his disrespect, for many were now themselves glaring at her despite having no idea the sheer importance of this mission. It was as though they could sense the awfulness of what she was accused of having done.

Eilea, continuing to cry, said, "Please, listen to me!"

"First tell me if it's true!"

"It's…it's true. But listen to, me please! You don't understand."

Zach, overflowing with disappointment, stood up, grabbed the sides of his head, and had to do everything in his power not to scream at her. "You sabotaged the portal? Why? Why would you do something like that?"

"I'm trying to tell you, Zach! Please!"

Jascaila, seemingly taking her side, gave Zach a look of warning and said, "Let her speak."

"Fine. Go ahead." It took everything he had to hold back the rage he felt in his heart. "I want to hear this."

Eilea, wiping her eyes with the tissue, began to explain. "Albion-4 is treacherous. I did a lot of thinking, and I realize that Jimmy is going to die if I let him go, and so will you. So I decided to change the plan. Instead of relying on Albion-4, I—"

"Gods-dammit, Eilea!" Zach screamed at her. "Why do you do this every fucking time!"

Having completely lost his cool, the other Elves moved to intervene—but then they stopped immediately as Adamus held out his hand and gestured for them to halt. "Do not interfere, please," he said. "This human has every right to be furious. I ask that no Elf admonish him for his behavior, as this outrage is one that I myself have experienced endlessly over the course of thousands of years, as Eilea goes back on all that she vows to stand for, never able to set a course and stick with it."

Zach didn't want to agree with Adamus. Who would? But Gods, he was right. This was too much. She'd gone too far. She'd fucked them! And with Adamus's command, no one here was going to stop him from really letting her have it, which was unfortunate, because he had lost the ability to stop himself. And so, scowling, he lost control. He pointed at her, his finger shaking with rage, and he began to scream.

"Eilea, do you have any fucking idea what you—"

"Zach!" Jascaila yelled at him, shooting up to her feet and grabbing his finger tightly enough to hurt. "No matter what she's done, it does not give you the right to treat her this way! Control your anger!"

"B-b-but you don't understand just how badly she fucked us, Jascaila. Everything we've been working towards. She just blew it all up!"

"Because she cares about you."

Zach gritted his teeth. "That doesn't make it okay."

"And nothing makes what you're doing okay. When you've been abused for thousands of years, maybe you can have the right to criticize her. You don't know what she's dealing with. I do. And I'm asking you to please back off."

The sheer urgency in Jascaila's words broke through to him, and he forced himself to calm down. He once again took a seat. And now, with each moment that his temper cooled, his guilt rose in tandem. He'd hurt her. Badly. Very, very badly. He could feel her pain as the connection between the two had not severed. And it was in this moment that Adamus chose to speak up.

"It can be repaired," he said. "All it requires is a simple early-reset. But for that, Eilea must consent to what is known as a hotfix. It requires the act of two Great Ones working in tandem to reset a dungeon early. Otherwise, you will need to wait a year and discover another dungeon for the first time."

At this, Zach felt himself regain some of his hope. "Wait, really?" he asked. "How complicated is this process?"

"It's not," Adamus replied. "It can be done in under a minute. It also requires no expenditure of energy. It's merely something Eilea must consent to."

For a brief moment, Zach felt his mood becoming restored. "Okay, well, whew. Problem solved. Eilea, reset the dungeon with him, please."

"No! I will not!"

And just like that, Zach's temper flared to its worst point. "Gods-fucking dammit, Eilea! You reset that fucking dungeon right now or I'll—"

"Or you'll what?" Jascaila asked him. "Is this who you want to be, Zach? A man who threatens a woman with violence if she doesn't do what you say?"

"W-well, no, but—"

"Zach, please," Kalana said. "Eilea's crying really hard, and umm, you've made your point. You don't gotta keep hurting her."

"Oh, fucking hell," Zach said grumpily. "I'm being double-teamed here."

Thankfully, he soon found someone in his corner as Fylwen stood up and put her hand on his back. "Zach's anger is not misplaced, Jascaila," she said. "From what the boy is saying, it sounds like he had embarked upon a sacred mission given to him by the Great Lord, and the Great Goddess sabotaged it. I cannot imagine anything less infuriating than that."

Although Fylwen's understanding of the cause of his anger was completely, wildly inaccurate, Zach nodded along anyway, because he was just glad to have someone on his side. In truth, he didn't give a rat's ass about whether or not he was fulfilling some Gods-given duty. He only wanted to save Galterra, and Eilea seemed to want to make that impossible.

"Eilea," Zach said, meeting her eyes. She averted her gaze as though ashamed. "This whole plan…this was your idea. You brought Jimmy here for this. You spoke to me in my dreams for this. It's too late to change your mind. You can't just do that to us, Eilea!"

"That's not all she's done," Adamus said.

Now, Eilea shot up to her feet and began to beg. "Husband, please, don't."

"No, they should know," he said.

"Husband, please!"

Adamus ignored her. "Do you remember the truth I revealed regarding Peter IV?" At this, the queen recoiled, and so too did many of the Elves. This seemed to prompt Adamus to continue and say, "I did not think you'd have forgotten that. Most likely, you chose not to dwell upon it, for it is painful and there is no good to come of it. And in most regards, I would agree. My beloved's intentions were always pure."

Queen Vayra spoke softly as she replied, "I don't want to think that the Great Goddess's actions are the reason why my mother and father…why my son…"

"I know, kind queen," Adamus whispered. "I'd ask you to forgive her, for such pain was never her intention, though I fear asking that of you is more than I have any right to do."

Fylwen shook her head. "No, of course I'd forgive her. Of course I would."

"Then you are a good woman, queen of Elvadin. Yet I do not bring this up to remind you of her past, but to inform you of her present. For right now, as we speak, the Great Goddess is currently hunting for the very same Book of Elemental Chaos that inflicted Peter IV with madness and led to the near-extinction of Elves on Galterra."

Eilea, weeping, shook her head. "It's to stop you, Adamus! It's to destroy your World Eater before it eradicates all life on Galterra!"

"Oh? Mine, you say? An interesting choice of word, my beloved. Hmm, would you care to remind us who gave the book to Moldark? How was it he came across it such that he was able to channel his hatred and rage into an unstoppable virus that can no longer be disabled?"

Eilea said nothing.

She probably didn't have to.

"Queen of Elvadin," Adamus said, once again addressing Fylwen. "My beloved's mischief, scheming, and plotting have now risen to a level I can hardly ignore. I am on the verge of destroying her. But I will give her one final chance, as I know what she means to you all. I know that everyone in this room cares for her. But if she continues to meddle in such a destructive way, I will have no choice but to erase her from existence."

Fylwen's bottom lip quivered. She looked horrified. Nevertheless, she nodded. "I will do all in my power to watch her and ensure that we do not lose her."

"That is good," Adamus said. "With that, I will now leave you in peace, my children. But know that I have already done my part to reset things properly as they should be. Thus, I leave it to you to convince Eilea to do her part." He turned his eyes towards Zach. "For the moment, the only thing separating you and your friends from advancing is Eilea. I ask that you, the queen, and all those on this island find a way to convince her to let you progress."

Zach nodded. "I'll talk to her."

"Talk alone will not suffice," Adamus said, his voice becoming stern. "I also require action. To that end, please let me make myself clear: If you are unable to convince her to accept the proposed hotfix by tonight, I will return here once again at one minute past midnight. In this event, I call upon all Elves to vacate Elendroth, and I will give you one hour with which to do so, for at that point, I will destroy this entire island with my beloved on it. On this matter, I have spoken."

Following those haunting, chilling words, Adamus vanished inside the same black portal he'd arrived in, Prila hurrying after him. And just like that, all eyes fell upon Eilea.