"I'm sorry that all happened, but glad you found a path forward from it. Now this girl Babylon, I certainly haven't read everything in the archive and no, I haven't ever heard it prior." Tyrland answered the question I had given him as we sank into the water.
"That's a pity, if any mortal tale deserved to be remembered it's that one. I admired it so much after my first life. I couldn't truly feel the kinship I do with it now, but I respected the ideology behind it."
"Now I have a question..."
"How unlike you, you have me intrigued."
"You seem to have a fondness for the girl, will she be adopted as well?"
"I don't pick up children like strays. I did bring Quatal into this world in a sense and Cosmael's father and I are two books in the same anthology. I want to help her if I can, though some scars never heal, I wouldn't dream of making her immortal unless she can overcome that and have no intention of doing so at all."
"Who mentioned making her immortal?"
"I'm flattered you think I am strong enough to risk adopting someone I would have to watch die, but I'm not."
"So what if the child born between Eve and yourself is mortal? You aren't full gods and even if you were, no one knows if it would be hereditary. I'm not-"
"No, you don't need to explain. I know you only wish to ensure Eve and I have considered that potentiality. We have, we haven't openly discussed it, but I know we both have. I would honour the child's wishes."
"Truly? I admit, I'm surprised."
"I see life differently. Existence is potential, possibilities both wondrous and tragic. To create life is a selfish thing, we wish to so we did. I think that all I will be able to do in the end is give them everything I can, what they do with it is up to them as are the consequences and rewards both."
"I simply don't understand you sometimes... Well, I have a century or two left, hopefully I can get at least halfway there before I croak." He finished as he stretched himself further into the water.
When we were done, Tyrland and Parcella had to return, but the girls looked much happier. Eve ran over and checked my time piece. "Six hours left. Why don't we hog our daughters until Fala gets back to steal Quatal?"
"That sounds lovely, but I need to spare Babylon one, so why don't you get some snacks ready, I'll come back when Babylon has a home of her own."
"No, I-"
"I told you he would say that, he won't take no for an answer, get it over and done with." Eve laughed, as she picked up Quatal and led Cosmael by the hand.
I asked what kind of setting she would most love, what kind of home, how big? She thought for a moment. "I-I still have nightmares sometimes, I'd like to be remote but not isolated. If the space is too big, I'll think someone could be waiting, even here for now. I like the sound of water, it calms me. Sorry, I don't need all that, I just wanted to give you an Idea."
"Hahaha! Babylon, I created this dimension in minutes, I gave you an hour because I could create you a perfect kingdom with walls and defences no phantoms could penetrate in that time. I would give you your own dimension, but if I create another, I may draw the anger of The White's creators so I would rather avoid doing so until I can kill them for whinging about it." I then led her to a river bank, the same one where Eve and I once intended to go skinny dipping to clean ourselves.
I created a small run-off and a watermill connected to a generator for power. "Stone or wood for the building?"
"Could I have stone walls, with a wood roof?" I didn't answer, just nodded and created on request, encouraging her to make sure she was perfectly happy. We then moved into the interior, where I lined the stonework with smooth plaster and wooden beaming for cosiness as requested.
"How about windows, maybe one for the roof as well, I love watching lightening storms personally."
"Windows on ground floors make me nervous when I'm trying to sleep."
"Babylon, on this, trust me... I will prove you needn't deny yourself them and if I fail I will remove them."
"Ok, sure. I like watching the lightning myself." With her confirmation I added the glass panels to give the place natural lighting then continued touching the place up, furniture, a hearth, kitchenette, privy and a mural of the Babylon I knew.
When I was finished I stepped outside with her and asked her to smash the glass, a little shocked when she punched it, then a little guilty when I healed her broken wrist. "Let's not tell Eve about that.. Please.."
She giggled, then frowned. "Sorry, please don't be offended..."
"I understand, that doesn't make you feel safe because I'm here. Well take this wand, it will let you change anything in the house to you vision, in time you will learn to exert your will over it naturally." I released my divinity fully. "Now, by the will of the heir to The Black. Make it so I have no power in these walls and turn them into a weapon against me should I break them."
The black oozed out of me, seeping into the building. "Now... Don't tell her this bit either." I punched the glass which shattered inward. The shards then froze midair before returning and piercing through me, then returning and restoring themselves to the perfect pane it had been before.
Babylon panicked for a moment, then jumped back as I took a long wheezy inhale before rolling to the side and coughing up blood as the wounds healed. It took a full fifteen minutes to heal completely, then I looked at her. "Well?... Feel safe now?" I coughed up more blood, then stumbled to my fit as I shook it off. "Oh thank The Black I was outside, if I was in there I'd have died, wow I didn't think that through."
Then she actually hugged me, sobbing gently, though brief it conveyed the gratitude she wished it to. "Thank you... I can't... I don't know. Thank you." She spluttered, wiping her eyes. "No one ever bled to make me feel safe before, but you nearly killed yourself just to do it."
"I prepared something else, inside at the last second as well. Want to see?" She nodded, even more moved by the fact I disregarded her thanks like it was a normal thing to do.
As I stepped inside, The Black and my black pulsing sun of power waited at the door and I stumbled as I suddenly felt infinitely heavier. "This portal will take you to either the cabin or the main house. From the cabin, you will be able to take supplies and just get about easier, from the main house, if you didn't see it, there is a teleporter and if Eve or the deva go with you, you can teleport anywhere without a receiving pad."
"Why do so much? I get it, you feel so-"
"I do not pity you girl." My voice becoming firm for the first time I had spoken to her put her on edge a bit until she remembered I was weaker than her at that moment. "I know suffering, not the same as you. I'm pretty sure it is equal though."
She got offended by my statement, a natural reaction, who was a god to claim to know a mortal's suffering. "I intended to give you more time before this, the final step in joining our family is learning my truth. You are far stronger than I gave you credit for though, so here take it." I held out a memory orb, the same most complete one I could muster, minus several times with Eve.
"What is it?"
"Take it and you will be able to see my thousand incarnations, I need to have a lot of mana for it to be used though so it won't activate until I leave and reclaim my power. You will see many awful things though, so make sure you are ready and if you decide you want me to... I will step back inside and let you kill me, but I think you may understand more than most."
I then turned to leave, walking slowly to give her the chance to drop it, but she sat cross-legged and waited for whatever was about to happen.
I stepped outside, then silence then, sobbing. "How? How did you keep going after all that with such focus, your body may not have felt but you must have been consumed by it mentally as well."
"Of course I was. I destroyed that world. I didn't keep going, I shattered and in that sense you are far stronger than me. If I can come out the other side, so can you. The first step is making you stronger... You will feel much safer when no one could harm you even if they wanted to and at the same time we need to build up your confidence around a couple of men in particular."
"I won't say no to growing stronger, but I don't know if I can."
"Did you forget about the hug already? No wonder I like you, your memory is worse than mine. We'll do this one step at a time."