She was helping him walk into the village, the villagers made a human corridor to the middle of the village as Katie held him up by allowing him to lean on her. She was soon joined by Killian, who helped Vidian walk, under the cheers of the villagers. They carried him into one of the houses, seemingly a sort of hospital, where there were several soldiers already there.
"Hail Sir Vidian," One of the soldiers said weakly from his bed.
"Don't hail me more than your comrades," Vidian said as they sat him on one of the beds, "We won, you'll be in peace."
"We won? You were a major factor in that victory, don't be humble."
"I can be humble if I want."
"Okay, I'll still praise you then," One of the soldiers laughed, "I never knew that a shield wall could do that in a battlefield."
"Nothing can beat a shield wall," Vidian said as two nurses began checking his body, "Halvard the Dark just tried to beat it with sheer numbers, it doesn't work," He spread his wings and laughed, before grabbing his ribs, "He definitely laid the hurt on me though."
"How did you beat him?"
"That gal right there," He gestured to Katie, "Magic is rare but powerful, having it on your side, it helps a lot."
"What did I do?"
"Apparently you helped him beat Halvard the Dark."
"I didn't do that much, he did most of it, and I wasn't hit once."
"Yeah you did, you allowed me to kill him."
"Don't exaggerate that much."
"You don't like receiving compliments, huh?" She shook her head, "Come here," He patted the bed with his hand, "Sit next to me," She sat down and leaned against him, "Thank you for today, you saved me," He whispered in her ear as a nurse bandaged his arm, "Don't bandage my arms, they will be fine, focus on the rest of my body."
"Yes, Sir Vidian."
He walked slowly into the Altar of War, where Krranus was still sitting on his throne, "Lord Krranus, I have returned from my work, the one you gave me."
"So I have heard, I did appreciate your strategy, with a lower number, you used a shield war tactic to defeat Halvard the Dark, I must ask, who taught you that strategy?"
"Oh, um," He scratched his head, "I had some help."
"That doesn't bother me, I am only asking, for the completion of my work didn't only depend on the tactic, but the outcome was also very important, and from the bandages on your body, Halvard the Dark showed himself as a real test, didn't he?"
"He did, Lord Krranus, I never expected to be so easily beaten in strength, and his intensity was deafening."
"I know, I have fought him myself before," All his gods turned to him, "Yes, long before, when I was only a half-powered god and-."
"He empowered the Death of the World and you have been showing him pity ever since, giving him an empire and saving his power until you would need a test for Eternum's Trusted?"
"Yes, I assume you heard that from Orn, he had the same problem, but his gods were aware of it, mine were not."
"Lord Krranus, why have you hidden it from us?"
"I felt no need to tell you, and I only told Vidian because it fit, well, enough chit-chat, I, Lord Krranus," He got up from his throne and walked down to the floor of the Altar, "In the exchange of completing my work, will now grant you the possibility to be blessed with my blessing, do you accept it?" Vidian nodded, "This is the Blessing of War, the blessing that will allow you the power to regain energy and heal wounds through damaging or killing opponents," A small sickle-shaped jewel appeared in his hand, "Place it in its spot and the amulet will do the rest, you have now, officially completed my work, the work of war."
"Thank you, Lord Krranus, I will use it wisely."
"Your next stop is in Glacialtarus, the frozen city of the Icekin where Fryida resides, I bid you good luck."
"May I, Lord Krranus?"
"Of course, Tridanmer, what will you give him?" Tridanmer walked down from his throne, dragging his large sword in his right hand. He held out his hand to shake Vidian's hand. Vidian took it and Tridanmer squeezed it, "Ah, I see."
"This is the gift of bloodlust, it will allow you to see pain in enemies or allies, and where it is, regardless of its type, points of pain will appear on them, then you do what you want with that."
"Thank you, Lord Tridanmer, I thank you all for the chance you have granted me in my quest, I hope that I will not fail you in my quest, Lord Krranus, Lord Tridanmer, Lady Violenta and Lady Resiliencia, thank you for this chance."
He nearly fell on the bed he had been using in the village, closing his eyes to sleep, it had been a long time since he had actually slept. He had closed his eyes when he heard footsteps walking towards his bed, Katie had tried and failed the days before, but today, he didn't care about what she was doing, he was too tired to do anything about it nor did he dislike her attention. She lied down next to him and moved very close to him, holding him even, before whispering to him, as if he was sleeping, "You fought well today, thank you, you saved the town today, thank you, and you saved me today, thank you," She kissed his cheek and snuggled next to him, holding him as she closed her eyes to sleep.
"I did most of it for you."
"Y-Y-You were awake?"
"Yeah, I heard you walk over here as well."
"B-B-But you-you didn't say anything."
"Because right now I don't care," He moved his arm around her and held her closer to him, "Without you, I would've died."
"No, don't exaggerate."
"The bruises all over my body say otherwise," He chuckled, "Are my wings not annoying?"
"No, especially not these ones," She said, poking the feathered ones, "They are really soft."
"Are you really sure about the thing you told me earlier today?"
"Which thing?"
"Um, the one, the one about, you know."
"Oh, I remember," She paused, "I am sure about it, but if you want to wait, I can wait for a while, however long you need."
"Okay, then definitely not today."
"Is it fine if I sleep here?" She said holding him. He nodded but said nothing, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep, "Vidian? Oh, you're asleep, you must be tired, thank you for today," She kissed him once more and smiled, "You did so much for me and this town, I love you."
He slowly blinked his eyes and yawned. He noticed that Katie was no longer next to him, "Katie?"
"Yes, Vidian? Are you okay?" She asked walking out from behind the wall that separated the bedroom from the rest of the house."
"Is it late?"
"Around noon, I let you sleep, since you seemed like you needed it," She smiled at him and then return to whatever she was doing, "How are you feeling?"
"Sore, I don't know if sleeping actually helped or not, I am going to go for a little walk, the sun on my wings should help me out a little."
"Okay, if you are hungry, I can make something."
"I'll see, but thank you, see you later then," He said walking out of the house.
The sun beamed against his skin, pummeling his wings as he felt the heat make his body feel lighter and less sore. There was a soft breeze as he walked, he wanted to explore what the Gorge of the Deep actually was. He walked past bowing warriors and villagers, smiling and greeting them. He was in the middle of the town square. He spread his wings and lowered his body as markings lit over his body and he propelled himself into the air, before he began gliding.
Landing in front of the entrance of the hill made him begin to wonder what would be in there, nothing seemed to be worse than the creature that had fought him, but if there was something down there, he wouldn't be able to fight as well as he had before, and he wouldn't get any help. Two boulders had rolled into the entrance of the gorge, seemingly blocking it. He tapped one of the boulders and his wings wrapped around him, creating an armor. His body lit up with markings as he placed his hands on the stone.
"Don't! Vidian! Don't!" Inventaariy shouted in his ear.
"What? Why not?"
"If you do, you will never be able to think on your own, this is the Gorge of the Deep, if you want to doom this world, open the gorge, if you don't and you want to stay alive and finish your quest, leave, now."
"What is behind there?"
"I can't, I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Lord Eternum, has, has, has told me not to."
"Tell me."
"The gorge is the direct door to the soul domain."
"You broke quickly, then I won't, simple as that, I don't need another Halvard the Dark, I don't need to see my parents, nor do I need to see every man I killed," He turned his back to the Gorge of the Deep.
"Even if you can tell the future if you reach the center of the Gorge."
"Is this one of those tests? Temptation?"
"I don't know, that is what it is," Vidian turned back to the stones, slowly walking towards them. His hand tapping the stones, then checking how heavy they were, the stones were heavy, heavier than anything he had ever lifted or moved, maybe even seen.
"What could this future hold?"
"Anything, I cannot access the future, only Lord Eternum and the creature in the Gorge can see it."
"Creature? Would I have to deal with a creature to see my future?"
"Yes, you will need to, these things will not come for free, the price might be great," Inventaariy added.
"No, I can't do that, I can't, thank you, Lord, for that addition," He turned his back to the Gorge and began walking, "I hope that no being can open this gorge, or even get that temptation."
Vidian's armor unformed as he entered Katie's home. He pushed open the door and she was there, sitting on her knees, wearing nearly nothing, only an apron, covering herself a little, "Welcome home, Master"
"M-M-Master?"
"Do you want to eat? Do you want a bath? Or maybe," She smiled blushing, "You, want, me?" Vidian had wide eyes as he couldn't say a single word, "Master?"
"Um, I-I-I don't know," The door closed behind him as he kept hesitating, he then began to smile, realizing what she wanted, "Ah, I know what you want, but you know what I want?"
"What do you want, Master?"
"I am a little hungry."
"I will cook for you."
"My body is a little sore?"
"Then I will massage you."
"How far will you go?"
"How far do you want me to go, Master?" He walked around and sat done on the straw weaved chair, "Master?"
"What do you cook?"
"I can make a lot of things, living alone forces me to, Master."
"What do you like cooking?"
"I'll make something for you then."
"You assumed well, thank you, Katie," She smiled at him as she began putting things on the stone counter and lit a fire under the heat stone, "You are pretty cute."
"Only pretty cute, Master?" She said as she had her back turned to him as she cooked, "I thought I was a little more."
"You are, you are sexy."
"That sounds more like what I believed you thought, Master," She said as he chuckled, "What is it?"
"You can stop saying master, it is kinda getting weird."
"Okay, Vidian, but do you like how I am right now?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Where did you go, like for your walk? You were gone for a little while and I didn't see you in town," He opened his mouth then hesitated, thinking of what Inventaariy had told him and didn't know what to say, "Vidian?"
"Um, aaah, um, well, um, how do I explain this?"
"What did you do?"
"I went to the Gorge of the Deep, but decided not to enter it, the passage is sealed, so I decided to return instead."
"That's it? Okay, that's fine, I thought you were with someone else."
"Like who?"
"Helena? I don't know, I am probably not the prettiest woman he-"
"I think you are," He said cutting her off, "Why wouldn't I think that? And why do you doubt me?"
"I don't know, here," She placed a plate in front of him and sat down, with nothing in front of her, "I hope you like it."
"You, aren't going to eat anything?" She shrugged and then he heard her stomach grumble, "Sit here," He said, tapping his lap, "Come on," She shyly walked over to him and sat down on his lap, she was blushing brightly because of her shyness, "Say ah," He said as he held a fork with food on it near to her face, "You are hungry, right?" She nodded and opened her mouth as he moved the fork into her mouth, "There you go, good girl," She squinted at him as she chewed, "Am I not your master?" She sighed and nodded, before eating for himself, "This is really good, thank you, Katie."
"Of course, I wouldn't give you something bad," She said before he fed her again, "Do you enjoy feeding me?" She said with a mouth full of food.
"Why not, but the next part is the thing I hope I enjoy."
"What is the next part?"
"Let's finish eating first, then we will talk about it."
"Mmmm, that isn't fair, I want to know."
"Shhhh, just eat and then we'll get to it."
"Fine," She sighed, "Did you get your blessing?"
"I did, finally, now I'll have to be moving on to Lady Fryida's city, Glacialtarus."