Jenn said, "Sorry to stare, you're—."
A knight pointed his sword at Jenn, saying, "Watch your distance, boy—."
Gill pointed his crystal scythe at the knight, "Threats will not be tolerated."
Jiyu was on top of Jenn's head, saying, "Damn right it won't."
Jenn tried to calm everything down, saying, "We don't want to fight, knights."
The knight replied, "Are you fearful of death?"
"Not really. Won't happen anyway."
"I like your confidence. Move along."
The band of knights and the princess kept going, and Aria turned around looking at Jenn, and Jenn waved, "My name's Jenn by the way!"
"Don't care." She responded.
As Aria and her knights continued, one knight said, "Hmph. You don't have time to speak to kids in a sackcloth."
"He's around my age isn't he? That beast tamer? He's cute. My familiar seems to be drawn to him in a good way. Damn near impossible for me to be drawn to anything."
"Cute? He's a distraction. You know why we're here."
"I only came because I hate sitting in the house. Boring."
"We disobeyed the king by sneaking you out here with us to explore the abandoned churches of The All Mother. The king of Cairn even has one of her children in a statue in the middle of their city."
"Crazy."
"Is that not interesting to you?"
"Not really, no. Why were we exploring again?"
"To find answers, clues. Something that could help us since the gods aren't as present as they were before. They just happened to vanish."
"Yeah that's weird. Crazy."
"That's boring to you, isn't it?"
"Yep."
One knight to her left stated, "Maybe…maybe the gods vanished and became the familiars! It makes sense!"
Another knight added, "It could, but a god's power is too much for us to contain, alongside Heavenly Convergence and Absolute Resonance, taking in a deity's power is too much for us humans."
"Oh that makes sense."
"Oh, there's an indented church over there."
"Damn it's tall."
Aria sighed, "Finally."
She then thought about Jenn, remembering that smile he had.
'He's odd. But my familiar...she's usually tense around strangers. Is it just because he's that known beast tamer? Or is it something else?'
Jenn asked Jiyu, "She likes me, doesn't she?"
"Yeah totally."
Gill explained, "Do not be alarmed by princess Aria's attitude, she likes no one. But she should be thrilled to be in the presence of a divine god like you."
Jenn chuckled, "I'm not a god or whatever. I'm just Jenn."
"So humble.."
Jiyu was licking his own paw, explaining, "Yeah, I heard about her too. She's kinda mean to everyone, besides her pet familiar which lives in her heart. The king and queen had brought many princes from other lands to her for marriage, but she refused them all."
Gill exclaimed, "There's no way she can reject Jenn!" He grabbed Kenny by the throat, saying, "Don't you agree?!"
Kenny gagged, "Y-Yeah! Can you let me go?"
"Apologies. Jenn would not want harm to come to you."
Jenn asked Kenny, "So, Kenny. Show us the king. Let's do this deal of yours."
Kenny nodded, "Got it! I'll lead the way!"
"Alright."
"Oh, and thanks.."
"For what?"
"Even though I lied about working with you, you gave me a chance. No one really ever took a chance on me."
"Well….everyone deserves a chance right?"
Jiyu heard those words, and remembered that Jenn said the same thing to him.
'Heh. Kid won't ever change will he? Such a nice guy.'
The Griffith was hovering over Jiyu, just looking down at him.
Jiyu kept looking up at him, over and over and looking away at the same time. Then Slowly slid over to the left.
"Maybe if I just slide a liiiiitle bit to the—."
FWOOSH!
The Griffith wrapped its body around Jiyu, snuggling him with a passionate gesture.
Jiyu yelled, "Agh! Jenn! It's trying to consume my soul!"
Jenn kneeled to him, "Haha! You're being over dramatic. The Griffiths are affectionate, you know that. He won't hurt you. They can't even 'consume' souls."
"How long do I have to stay like this?!"
"Mmmm, I guess until he gets tired. They don't like when their love is rejected."
"Dammit!"
The trio resumed their journey towards Cairn, the kingdom also known for its deep integration of nature and magic. The ancient trees along the roadsides seemed to hum with a silent power, rumored to be rooted in enchantments cast by the first settlers. Despite its known reverence for tradition, Cairn had embraced innovation, becoming a beacon for scholars and alchemists drawn by its famed Arcane University and the Great Library of The All MothersLore.
The city of Cairn itself was a masterpiece framed by hills and a winding river that gleamed under the afternoon sun. Stone walls overgrown with ivy marked the outer boundaries, and within, the streets buzzed with life. Markets filled with spices, silks, and artifacts from as far as the Eastern Deserts sprawled out below colorful canopies. Mythic beasts of burden, like the six-legged Groffels and winged Seraphawks, moved among the crowd, their presence as normal as the horses and dogs of other realms.
At the heart of the city stood the grand palace, an exquisite example of ancient architecture enhanced by magical preservation. Its tall spires, etched with runes of protection, caught the light and shimmered against the sky. It was to this magnificent palace that Jenn, , Gill, Kenny, and Jiyu were headed, summoned by a message delivered by a silver-winged messenger—the emblem of Cairn's royalty.
In the middle of the city, stood a large statue of The All Mother's child, one of her sons, a brother of Queen Maliah. It was a large stone statue with a stone halo hovering over its head.
A philosopher standing near the statue said, "All visitors! Feast your eyes on ONE of the sons of the All Mother!"
A child nearby asked, "How many children does the All Mother have?"
"She has hundreds! The All Mother and the All Father were quite busy!"
"Is it true when a child of the All Mother goes bye-bye, they're closed in a stone!"
"Woahhhh that's a little graphic isn't it? And yes, that is true, once a deity dies off, they are encased in stone and even their halos are encased in stone over their head!"
Jiyu said to Gill, "Wasn't his explanation a little more graphic then the question?"
"Indeed it was. But knowledge is impotent to know, no matter how it's told."
"Of course you'd say that."
On entering the palace, Jenn's notorious feat as a beast tamer seemed to precede him, for the guards recognized him with a mix of wariness and respect. They were led through a series of elaborate halls, decorated with tapestries depicting historical battles and mythological scenes, into the grand throne room of Cairn.
"I've heard of the kid. Never seen him in person."
"Me too."
The throne room was a vast space with ceilings so high they seemed to touch the heavens, supported by columns encrusted with luminous gems. Stained glass windows painted with the feats of past kings and queens cast a mosaic of colors onto the polished stone floor.
King Alexandrex, who presided over this realm, was a figure of imposing wisdom and authority. His attire was a regal ensemble of deep blues and golds, reflecting the colors of the kingdom's flag. The mantle around his shoulder bore the emblem of Cairn—a roaring lion encircled by stars. His beard was neatly trimmed, peppered with grey, telling of years in rule, and his eyes, sharp and discerning, surveyed his visitors with interest.
As Jenn and his companions were ushered forward, the king rose, his voice echoing across the chamber, "Welcome to Cairn, travelers. I've heard tales of your exploits. It seems we have much to discuss. Oh, Kenny?"
Kenny, ever the businessman, assessed the room for potential allies or threats, while Jiyu, more fascinated by the architectural beauty and the whispered magics that seemed to vibrate through the air, absorbed every detail with wide-eyed wonder.
He took a deep breath, and stepped forward, saying, "Behold! I've brought the Griffith!"
"I see that. And you also brought the beast tamer kid with you, the last member of that tribe! Guess your not all talk."
Kenny gulped, and continued, "I've..finally landed on a good deal. With Jenn as my business partner, and his familiar and his guard, I can show you all that im not just some wanna-be business man."
"And it seems you're doing well. Though you weren't known to be the most trusting because your experience was lacking."
"With this group…" Kenny turned around, seeing Jiyu, Jenn and Gill giving him a thumbs up and a grin.
Kenny continued, looking back at the king, "With them, maybe I can be better than what I once was. Really just wanted to p-prove myself. Though It's Hard for me to trust myself much now..maybe I can when I prove my worth to myself.."
"So what do you expect to hear from me? An approval?"
"…No—."
SHHIIIIING!
A large red and dark green bear with two hands and deer antlers on its head blasted from behind Alexandras, and large sword came out of its mouth from the roar, darting wards Kenny, and Kenny didn't budge.
THOOM!
Jenn, stopped the sword with his hand, Jiyu was growling in front of Kenny, and Gill had his scythe out, covering Kenny.
Jenn said, "You're testing him. Why?"
Alexandras laughed, "Haha…haha…HAHA! That's what I like! My pet familiar may seem intimidating, but he meant no harm. This place thrives on businessmen, women, those who wish to make a name for themselves to make Cairn a place of riches. This kingdom used to be known for its poverty, but once people decided to stand up and make money on their own, Cairn started getting back on track. Children are born to learn to make money from anything, even a STICK! Haha! But Kenny had trouble, doubted himself so much that he didn't thrive like others. And he was despised. And I admit, I despised him. But seeing now that he's with a beast tamer, and a group who's willing to have his back, I don't doubt he'll be successful."
Kenny let out a sigh of relief, "Phew. For a second there I thought—."
"Don't ruin it or I'll jail you forever."
"What?!"
"Haha! Your funny."
Kenny turned around to Jenn and the others, saying, "Thanks."
Gill replied, "I only moved because Jenn did."
Jiyu said to Gill, "Liessss."
Jenn said to Kenny, "Don't worry. You're one of us now. And you're gonna make us more money. We'll be good partners. You unlocked delivery orders for familiar pets, that's progress."
"Yeah, And then next, we can hire more people and that leaves room for more—."
Kenny stopped talking, as he and everyone else turned to the left, seeing King Alexandras standing right beside them, taking notes.
Jiyu commented, "Is he…trying to steal our ideas?!"
King Alexandras dashed back to his throne, saying, "Don't know what you're talking about."
Gill said, "Yeah he definitely was."
"I wasn't."
Minutes later, the Griffith was sold to the king, and Jenn, Gill, Kenny, and Jiyu were riding horses also gifted by the king to travel back safely to Kalhalla.
Kenny said, "That felt good.."
Jenn smiled, "Damn right it felt good. The business will thrive, and you'll stop being scared of things! Even if things might get violent."
"Might?!"
Jiyu chuckled, "Gotta toughen you up."
Gill suggested, "I'll train him. But I won't make him stronger than Jenn. That's tyranny."
Jiyu fake barfed, "Gross."
(30 minutes later)
(Night time)
Jenn pointed, "Look! It's an abandoned church of the All Mother! Never seen one up close."
Gill asked, "Are we resting there for the night? We still have a long way to go until we're back in Kalhalla."
Jiyu yawned, "Yeah, I'm pretty tired."
Jenn responded, "Guess we can. Come on Jiyu, let's check and make sure it's clear."
"Got it."
Their horses stopped near the abandoned church of the All Mother, which was a tall stone cylinder shaped tower that was at least 40 feet tall, and weathered, and even hollow.
Jenn and Jiyu started walking towards the entrance, with Jiyu sitting on Jenn's shoulder.
As soon as Jenn walked in, shadows rushed from under his foot, splashing like water.