Ruby, Nexus and Genis all hit the ground dully within the forest where the deities had left. Safe on Teralu once more. Ruby hoisted herself to her hands and knees, letting out a small pained grunt. "I scared the shit out of you, didn't I, Nex?"
Nexus's brow twitched, snapping in irritation. "Don't you start that shit too! My name is Nexus! If you weren't going to go through with your threat, would it have been so catastrophic to let me know?! I thought we were all going to die!"
Ruby chuckled in barely contained amusement, clambering to her feet to crack her stiff back. "While the fake-out was intentional, I could not have let you know. We couldn't risk Serina finding out. In all honesty, I'm surprised you believed the thinly veiled threat. Genis got the idea."
Genis gleamed proudly, returning to his feet with a satisfied groan. "Yeah, Nexy. It was pretty obvious that your mortal union wasn't going to wipe everyone off the face of existence. Not until she finds out what's lying underneath Odeen's clothes."
Ruby rolled her eyes, her lips pulling up into an amused smirk. "I know what it is, unfortunately. Bright, obnoxious rubber duck underwear, and... fairly impressive muscles, which don't interest me in the slightest. Even if his figure is that of a Greek god."
All sounds halted around them when a dull snorting sound came from Nexus himself. He began to shake and quiver, desperate to hold the sounds back. Ruby sputtered in shock. "You can laugh?!"
Nexus held his hand across his mouth, choking on the noise he attempted to contain. "I can't believe that's still going! I dropped one of those novelty toys into Teralu to see what would happen. They built a castle around it and formed a religion, but I thought it'd die out after a few years!"
Ruby burst out in hysterics, having to hold her sides with the information. "You did that?! Because of you, Ocerania is now a crazed, duck-worshipping kingdom with marble statues and a firm belief in the Rubber ducks being sacred! You fucking maniac, I thought you weren't supposed to meddle!"
Nexus's calm broke, joining in on Ruby's laughter. "I was bored! You try holding portals apart for centuries and tell me how you cope with the whole thing! That was nearly two hundred years ago!"
Genis chuckled dully, averting his gaze nervously. "Har har, very amusing to mess with the mortals. You could have done anything else, but you chose to drop something so stupidly comical into the other dimension to make them look like fools."
Ruby's brows furrowed in confusion, her attention now entirely focused on Genis in seriousness. "Hey, are you alright? You're normally the first of us to laugh when something odd happens. Don't tell me that you and Nexus swapped personalities."
Genis sucked in a harsh breath, brushing back his hair. "No, just seeing Serina after all these years, and remembering the situation that separated my brother and me was a trigger. I'm sorry if that was rude and out of character. I'm just glad that we're all still alive thanks to your mercy, Ruby."
Odeen followed the sounds of hushed talking, coming across Ruby and the deities. He sighed in relief, breaking out toward them. "Good, you're all back. I do believe that you left something of great importance behind."
Ruby backed away while Nexus and Genis stepped in to protect her. Behind Odeen, Aram stood, playing with Odeen's hair in amusement. Nexus clenched his jaw, growling darkly. "Unhand the human and leave quietly. I do not wish to hurt you, but for the protection of Ruby, I will?"
Aram merely shrugged, lifting up a fiery red strand to watch the sun gleam and shine against the strand. "I'm not interested in her anymore. My only mission was to find you and send you all to the Inbetween. Seeing as Serina called for help, I guarantee that you ended up there without me. This one, though." Aram threw a weighted arm around Odeen's shoulder, grinning wildly. "I like him. I'm gonna keep him as a pet."
Ruby stared at the situation, confused and slightly disturbed. Odeen was watching her expressions to understand what was happening. He could not see or hear Aram, so that left him entirely blinded to what the deity wanted from him. Nexus's defences fell fast with a relieved sigh. "He's not going to be an awfully big problem. More of a slight inconvenience. Is there something in the water that has made these mortals like honey to deities?!"
Genis's defences fell beside Nexus, merely nodding in agreement. Ruby scoffed, crossing her arms as understanding took over. "Really? It's that easy for a deity to form a mortal union? Hey, Odeen! You've got a clingy bastard of your own!"
Nexus's eye merely twitched, choosing to ignore Ruby's taunt. "Yes, unfortunately, it's something out of our control, wherein we meet a mortal who aligns with our values, our personalities and our preferences. But once again, I would like to state that we are entirely Asexual beings."
Ruby raised a brow, snorting at his explanation. "Asexual people can still fall in love, and contrary to popular belief, they can have sex, too. You're more than likely aro-ace. But I'll forgive a deity for not knowing that."
Nexus shuddered at the thought, having to physically hold himself. "Alright, that one, then. Such complex terms for don't fucking touch me. Regardless, I don't think solidifying my stance to a know-it-all mortal would hurt."
Ruby rose a quizzical brow. "You picking a fight with me, you punk? Have you already forgotten that I hold the power now, by myself?" Ruby raised her hand, causing Nexus to take a step back. "That's what I thought."
Odeen shuddered when Aram ran his hand across Odeen's scalp, merely enjoying the sensations of his soft hair. "While we do not form romantic or sexual desires, some of us genuinely enjoy the sensations of touch. Speak for yourself, Nex."
Odeen took a step away, only to find Aram's hand remained connected. "What are they doing? Why are they touching me so frequently? Please get the deity to stop, or at least find a way for me to be able to view them."
"He's not causing you any harm, sire." Odeen nearly shrieked when Vatic passed him quietly. "Yes, yes. The bell you requested I wear is still in the making." He taunted, turning toward Aram. "Will you harm my king?"
Aram merely scoffed, pulling Odeen closer to lay his head on top of Odeen's, towering over the already intimidating king. "Hell no. I like his hair. I'm not going to harm a strand of it. Why? If you want me gone, I'll be taking him with me."
Nexus sighed in exasperation, nodding in agreement. "Deities who attach themselves to mortals as swiftly as Aram did with Odeen are considered dependent mortal attachments. While Genis and I can leave our mortals sides for short periods of time, something like that would send a deity, in Aram's case, crazy for the first few weeks. It appears that Odeen now has an invisible shadow."
Ruby seemed almost relieved, but Odeen was beyond enraged, continuously trying to shove Aram off. "That's not fair. Why did he choose to attach himself to me? I haven't said a thing to him!"
Nexus grunted, starting his way back toward the others. "That's not going to help your case. Most of the known cases of mortal unions have been from deities who have bonded with humans who can't see or hear them. Genis and I are the outliers. Your bond is more documented."
Ruby hummed, following behind Nexus closely. "That makes a lot of sense. If you think about it, the paranormal experiences from the past might have been deities that attached themselves to humans from my world. Come on, Odeen. There's no undoing what's been done."
Odeen let out a disgruntled grumble, following as he was commanded. Genis began to walk alongside him, shooting Aram a warning glare before he sped up to match Ruby's pace. Vatic did not miss the glare, raising his brows in intrigue. "Hmm, deities seem messier than some of the mortals that I've met. How interesting."
Once Ruby returned to Jasher and Safire, she found them wrapped in a secure embrace, still calming from her display of power. Safire sniffled weakly, turning her pitiful gaze up toward Ruby. "It seems that you no longer need me."
Ruby frowned deeply, sitting beside Safire to wrap a supportive arm around her. "Are you kidding me? I still need you more than ever. Remember, you're the one person on any plane that can make me feel whole. Not to mention, with you, the power might be twice as strong."
Safire sighed weakly, leaning in to lay her head against Ruby's chest. "While that's a nice sentiment, that power that you took from me was my one defining trait that made me special without my family's influence... or Odeen's."
"You're kidding me, right?" Ruby pulled Safire back, staring deeply into her eyes. "You are half of a soul. You have badass scars from fucking black magic, you escaped an arranged marriage and lived with a murderer. May he rest in peace. What I'm saying is if you compare us, you're the cooler one here. I have these powers only because of you. I still need you, Fire. More than you'd believe."
"Fire?" Safire's breath hitched before she pulled Ruby into a sudden hug, fighting back tears. "You gave me a nickname. And it means the world to me. From now on, whoever dares to address me as Safire will be ignored entirely." She pulled away, finally smiling again. "You really do know exactly what I need in the moment. Thanks, Rube."
"Please no." Ruby snorted, ruffling Safire's hair up adoringly. "While I appreciate the sentiment, that does not go well. We need to get going again. Are you alright to continue walking? We can't stay for long."
Genis chuckled, moving to scoop Safire from the ground. "No need. Your legs probably hurt a bit. Consider this your personal deity ride. Let's hit the road! We somehow managed to survive the first attack because Ruby became scary!"
Ruby chuckled, attempting to continue forward until Nexus knelt before her, offering his back to her. She scoffed, stepping around the deity. "My legs still work. If you want to carry someone, I'd suggest the person who has a dagger at your back. That's my warning. Watch it, there's someone around here plotting your end."
Nexus turned his gaze toward Jasher, who followed Genis closely. He merely let out a soft grunt, nodding his head. Odeen rubbed his temples, stepping forward only to stumble over something blunt. He felt the ground being removed from beneath his feet, yelping with the sudden upheaval. Vatic snorted, turning his head away. "How undignified. Sire, your new companion has chosen to carry you."
Aram strutted forward proudly, ignoring Odeen's struggle with a massive grin on his face. Every time Odeen hit his head, a shield projected around them. "Great idea, keep a forcefield around us! Nothing can harm us now!" Aram began to sprint ahead of the group, leaving Odeen to shriek obscenities at the laughing deity.
Vatic merely shook his head, catching up to Ruby. "Are we positive that this deity won't be the cause of Odeen's certain death? He seems a little overeager to please, and I must admit, while I am enjoying the free entertainment, Odeen is not."
Ruby chuckled, shaking her head. "It's fun to watch him squirm with the weird obsession the deities have for their mortals." Nexus threw his hands up in defeat, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "But I think Aram sticking around is a good idea. At least we know that Odeen will be protected no matter what comes for us. Plus, it is so funny."
Vatic couldn't help but agree. Their stride halted when Ruby's phone buzzed twice in her pocket. Her heart nearly jumped from her chest when she felt the vibrations. Her steps halted entirely, causing Nexus and Vatic to stop beside her. Nexus tilted his head in confusion. "What is it? Do you sense danger?"
Ruby fished her phone from her pocket, turning it on to find the notification she dreaded since her phone was returned to her. "No... no, this can't be happening!" Tears welled in her eyes, reading the low battery notification in silent panic.
-End of chapter 32-