Ash smiled slightly at being called his daughter, though she still wasn't sure if anything was supposed to change between them. He remained silent for a little while before he held out a hand and a small goblet appeared in it. It was dark as the night sky with small gemstones set into it that seemed to sparkle with an internal light.
"It is high time you return to your routines, Ashterra," he said gently. She pulled away from his side and took the goblet with a slight nod, putting aside her thoughts for the moment. Unlike most gods, Sidus went to great lengths not to read her mind most of the time but he could still read her expressions, "Once you are done, we will talk about what troubles you."
As a Starborn, she was one of very few able to not only safely handle the waters of a starseeing pond but also drink from them. Most creatures and people alike were naturally reluctant to even touch the waters. Their reluctance was well-placed, considering the water was icy cold and radiated magic in quantities that made it dangerous to most.
She leaned over, her shadow on the water allowing her to see the stars reflected within it and moved to dip the cup into the water. As she was straightening pain overtook her, she'd lost track of time and wasn't prepared. It was dusk and the pain of her broken magic tore through her sharply.
Normally, she'd have been braced for the pain at all times considering how often it struck. Having been assured it would only be once a day and having gone the majority of the day with no pain, she'd let herself relax. She dropped the cup into the water and followed as her legs gave out. She heard Sidus shout, felt his warm arm wrap around her waist and haul her from the pond before she could force her muscles to cooperate again or inhale the water.
The pain felt far stronger than it had the previous day, likely because she'd been paying close attention to the passage of time and had braced herself as dusk approached. Feeling as if she was being torn to pieces, she couldn't even find the strength to speak. Instead she focused on breathing, slowly and carefully.
Sidus had rescued both her and the small goblet, making sure to fill it with the pond's water before he moved back to the center of the small island to seat himself once more. She shook with cold, her elven form was not quite as suited to the cold waters of the pond as her true form was. Holding her close, he watched over her and regretted that there was nothing he could do to keep her from hurting, that his own decisions had been what caused her pain.
Still, part of him wouldn't change things. His decision to make the Starborn had granted him the closest thing a god could have to a child. It was a gift that one couldn't put a price on, one that very few gods had.
When she seemed to have a handle on the pain, he offered her some of the water, watching over her carefully as she took small sips. It took the better part of an hour for her to finish the cup of water and for the pain to subside.
"I lost track of time, I'm sorry," her voice was small and cracked with pain in a way that made his heart ache.
"I am just glad you are safe," he said quietly, "Let us talk about what was troubling you before."
"Should I keep calling you Sidus?"
He smiled lightly and laughed a bit, startled at the simple question, the simple worry, "That is quite fine, dear Ashterra," his smile faded a bit as he watched her, as he contemplated all she'd been through in such a short time, "I wish you had called upon Luna before having your horn trimmed."
She shrugged slightly, "I didn't know."
"And you still do not know a fair bit as Luna has not yet remembered to speak with you. Remind her this evening, when she and Yarrow return. I do not want to see you dealing with another challenger," he said the word with disgust, "Though his oath to challenge strong opponents seemed to not actually be what was on his mind at the time. He should not have been able to cast a spell on you within the town, but Virtus made an error," he saw her eyebrows raise curiously and explained, "He remembers how strong you were before we were sealed from the world. He left you open to challengers because of that even though combat is supposed to be prohibited in towns save for those that choose to be able to accept such duels."
Curious, Ash asked if there was a way for her to fix that and Sidus guided her through the screens to do so. His guidance led to another curious question from her, "Has this world always been like this?"
He gave a slight nod. Fantastoria was a world where Prudentia held some of the strongest power and the status system and everything attached to it were her creations. It had existed for a very long time, working its way into video games in Ash's own world as people with forms of clairvoyance saw the world in their dreams.
As she touched the button to turn off the ability to accept challenges automatically, essentially PvP mode, a small notification appeared to ask if she was certain. It stated that Virtus believed she would once more be a worthy challenger for many of his worshipers before long. She had no desire to be constantly hunted down by people wanting to improve their combat abilities. She selected that she was quite certain. If someone wanted to challenge her, they could do it directly and she would decide then whether or not she wanted to accept.