"Melody, where did you put the eggs?! I need them to make a dish!"
Mom's voice rang out from the kitchen, echoing through the cramped living room. She was elbow-deep in the fridge, tossing aside produce in her frenzy.
A lone carrot flew over her shoulder and clattered against the tile, but Mom didn't even blink.
Not that Melody was any calmer.
"Not now, Mom! I'm also trying to find something!"
Her voice was muffled by the closed bedroom door, followed by a loud thump—
"Gah! Dammit!"
Raka winced at the yelling, eyes darting between Mom's vegetable cannon in the kitchen and Melody's meltdown behind her door.
Everyone in the Wright household was on edge, and who could blame them? They only had three hours to prepare a gift for a literal goddess who'd decided to drop by unannounced.
Three hours. To impress a deity.
'I'm so done with this bull.'
He was sprawled on the couch, arms crossed, watching his family scramble around like their lives depended on it.
While he was just sitting on the couch, minding his business.
Because, well, he hadn't even decided on a gift yet. And he didn't exactly see a point in flailing around for it.
He let out a heavy sigh.
Leaning back, he tapped his foot against the carpet, trying to wrestle with the question that'd been spinning since the announcement.
What does a god even like? Trinkets? Rare metals? A heartfelt letter? The world's finest gold bars?
He pictured offering Karthzion a shiny mug with the words "WORLD'S BEST GODDESS" in gaudy letters. That mental image alone made him snort. But then again, who's to say she wouldn't appreciate the joke?
All these thoughts circled without a conclusive answer, and all the noise started hurting his head.
'I can't think like this—'
Crash!
He jerked upright at the sudden noise. Across the room, Sarah and Dad were lugging two big boxes, each stuffed with random mementos, half-wrapped gifts, or who-knew-what.
One box had taken a nosedive onto the floor.
"Oops…" Sarah shot Raka a guilty look, cheeks reddening. She frantically scooped the box off the ground. "Sorry—!"
Before he could respond, she and Dad hurried off toward the hallway. More frantic rummaging, presumably.
Raka shook his head. The stress in the house felt like a tangible force pressing against his temples.
He needed to breathe.
Slipping on his shoes by the front door, he cast one last glance at the chaos. Just in time to hear another crash in Melody's room.
'Yeah, a walk sounds perfect right now.'
Fresh air might be the only way to clear his mind.
Walking down the embassy's winding street helped calm his nerves, at least a little. Yet, each home he passed, he heard the same commotion as his own. The compound had gone into a complete meltdown over Karthzion's arrival.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and muttered, "I mean… I could just not give her anything…" But he quickly shook that thought away.
Karthzion. She was the one who'd indirectly saved him and his family from the chaos of the Merger by creating this embassy. She'd given them a safe haven when they basically lost everything.
No more sleeping in a school gym, defenseless while waiting for the next disaster to hit. As much as Raka disliked 'groveling' before any so-called god, as a person, it felt wrong not to thank her.
So the gift wasn't about worshipping a being because of their divine status. This was about showing thanks to someone who helped him in his time of need.
But how do you even start repaying someone who changed your life without ever meeting you?
'Okay, let's think this through. How do I express thanks to a god… or to the person behind the title?'
He let that question simmer for a few beats, then thwacked the side of his head with a palm.
'No, I need to change how I think about this. What do you give someone who effectively saved your life?'
Because let's be real.
Handing over a bunch of gold coins or shining jewels felt hollow. Sure, that was what most people would do. It was fancy and impressive, but it wasn't a personal or thought-out gift.
And his gut told him that Karthzion didn't help build this embassy for a pile of shiny trinkets. To build relations, probably, but Arche is a place with literal magic stones.
Earth had nothing that could compare to their resources. Giving her something "expensive" to him might be just some knick-knack for her.
He rubbed his chin, remembering one particularly goofy idea he'd had earlier that morning.
The goddess might find it offensive, or maybe she'd get a laugh out of it. Hard to say. But it was his style, something that was genuine from the heart.
"Fuck it, I'm doing it!"
With a fresh surge of determination, he started jogging back home. The stone path clacked under his footsteps.
As he passed Thalya's small house, though, he noticed something weird. The windows were unnaturally dark, which was strange considering two suns were out in full force. Normally at this hour, he'd spot at least a lamp or some faint silhouette inside.
He hesitated. Should he check on her? Her standoffish vibe usually said "No thanks," but ignoring it made him uneasy. Besides, they had gotten much closer in the few weeks he's been here.
Close enough to call her a friend? Probably not, but they were at least friendly.
After (not) much deliberation, he walked up the short flight of steps and rapped on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Thalya! You there?!"
…
…
…
There was no response.
The place felt oddly empty. He tried again, louder this time, and still got nothing.
Eventually, he shrugged. "She's probably out for a walk, too… Now that I think about it, that would be in character for her," he muttered, turning on his heel. No point waiting around for a person who wasn't there.
Picking up the pace, Raka jogged the rest of the way home, thinking of how he was going to make Karthzion's gift in under three hours.
If he'd glanced through the dark interior, he might have noticed a faint, pulsing glow of runes etched along the walls, a dead giveaway that something else was happening.
But he didn't.
Now, back at the meeting point, everything looked considerably more organized and fancy. It was especially compared to the messy state just a few hours ago. The random crates, half-fallen banners, and leftover trash from the morning rush were gone.
Now replaced with rows of neatly arranged chairs, padded floors, and columns draped with thick red cloth emblazoned with Dravareth's crest, which was shaped like swirling fire.
'How did they get the columns here?' Raka thought as he looked at the massive columns.
Only to then remember that Earth manipulation was a thing.
He let out a low whistle, weaving through the milling crowd as he followed his family to the spot they'd been assigned.
"They sure cleaned up fast," he muttered.
This morning, the meeting point was just a concrete floor with trash. Now, it felt like a grand auditorium.
His mom, wearing a nicer blouse, glanced admiringly at the new additions. "They must've had a whole team of magicians to get something like this done so fast," she mused. "And maybe they used some magic to help."
"I bet they vacuumed all the dust with a giant vortex spell," Melody joked, shoving her hands into her jean pockets.
Despite being the family jokester, she looked uneasy right now. Her eyes kept flicking to the newly erected stage at the front, which was now draped in purple and black banners, each bearing that same swirling flame crest.
Standing near them, Dad gave a low chuckle. "Wouldn't surprise me if they did. Anything's possible in Dravareth."
Sarah clutched Dad's sleeve with one hand, an anxious but excited grin on her face.
"Mom, is this where we're supposed to sit?"
She asked, pointing to a cluster of chairs in the second row. They were arranged in neat rows behind a roped-off area presumably belonging to Karthzion's trusted.
The guards had offered them a seat at the front, but none of his family wanted to take it. His mom would probably faint from being so close to a god.
And if he had to be honest, he'd probably faint too.
"Looks that way, sweetie," Mom replied. She checked the little pass a soldier had handed them earlier. "Row B, seats 16 through 20. Let's not wander too much, they want us to stay together."
Raka tried not to roll his eyes. "I'm pretty sure we're going to be stuck here for a while anyway."
He scanned the throng of refugees, diplomats, and Dravareth natives all shuffling about to find their seats.
The sheer variety of species—humans, dwarves, a handful of fairies, and even a couple more lizards—once again reminded him just how weird life had become since the Merger.
He caught sight of a stagehand (well, presumably a stagehand) floating overhead, adjusting a massive Dravareth banner with a flick of the wrist.
Another spell probably.
Even from a distance, he noticed the swirling lines of faint mana trailing after them.
The fact that nobody else seemed fazed by it said a lot about how quickly everyone had gotten used to "the new normal."
They made it to their assigned spots without too much bumping or confusion. Sarah plopped down first, letting out a huff like she'd just run a marathon.
Her arms still crossed, Melody dropped into the seat next to her, quietly bouncing her knee. Dad took the far seat on the right, Mom the far left, leaving Raka in the middle with his sisters.
The stage was maybe thirty feet away, empty except for a podium and a wide backdrop. Raka squinted, noticing extra banners behind the podium.
…
His foot tapped lightly against the polished floor. Part of him wasn't sure how to feel about the upcoming event.
He was curious, who wouldn't be, with an actual deity showing up? But he was also uneasy.
This wasn't some random wizard or local official. This was Karthzion, a being powerful enough to gain the title "Fire Incarnate".
'That's such a cool title though.'
She'd given them a safe haven and indirectly saved his family. But that kind of power still tied him in his stomach. He really hoped that she was nothing like the gods from Earth's mythologies.
'Especially the Greek! Anything but the Greek Mythology!'
His wandering thoughts were interrupted by a sudden hush that fell over the crowd. One by one, people turned to face the stage.
The robed lizardkin from this morning, the one with the oversized crimson robe, had just stepped onto the platform.
The lizardkin raised his hands, and the subtle murmur of the crowd died down to near silence.
Raka couldn't help noticing how the embroidered crest on the lizardkin's chest seemed to glow with each breath he took, as if channeling magic.
"Attention," the lizardkin announced, his voice carrying through the air without any visible microphone.
"Citizens of Earth. Residents of Dravareth. Honored guests. I welcome you to this momentous occasion. We gather here to receive the presence of Her Excellency, the Divine Flame of Dravareth—Karthzion!"
A ripple of excitement (or fear) passed through the rows of onlookers. Raka heard a gasp from someone behind him. Melody exhaled a shaky breath, and Sarah gripped Dad's hand tighter. Even Mom looked pale, though she tried to stay as calm as possible for them..
The lizardkin continued. "We owe her our safety, our alliance, and for many of you, a second chance at life. In a few moments, she will step upon this stage to address us all."
Raka's pulse quickened. He swallowed, looking back at the gift he'd stashed under his seat.
A small box, wrapped in regular birthday wrap. He couldn't help wondering if it looked ridiculous next to the elaborate offerings he'd seen others hauling around. But hey, it is what it is.
The lizardkin lowered his arms. "Remain in your seats, please. Your cooperation ensures everything proceeds smoothly."
He paused, flicking his reptilian gaze across the crowd. Then, with a small bow of his head, he stepped aside.
No one moved. It was as if the entire assembly held its breath, waiting for something to happen.
It was so quiet that he could hear his heartbeat. The stage lay empty, the big Dravareth symbol catching the overhead lights in an almost hypnotic swirl.
Then he saw it.
Or rather, he felt it first. A slight ripple in the air that made his skin tingle, like the heat you would feel from putting your face in front of a hot oven.
Behind the curtains at the far left of the stage, a faint glow started to shimmer, tinted purple with flickers of red.
Slowly, a tall figure began to emerge, her silhouette cutting an imposing shape against the bright backdrop.
Raka's heart drummed. The crowd collectively leaned forward.
She stepped fully into view, 'Holy crap, she's enormous!'
The first thing Raka noticed was the long, scaly tail shifting behind her like a serpent. It trailed behind her, easily twice his height. The tail lifted just above the ground, making it look even more majestic.
The scales shone with a glossy black finish, but if you looked carefully, you could see subtle undertones of dark red flickering along the ridges.
Next came her hair, which was deep purple, streaked with subtle red and styled loosely. He could have sworn that even her hair was giving off heat.
But her eyes were the most mesmerizing.
Slitted pupils, glowing with the color of molten rock, were so intense that Raka felt she could burn a hole through anyone she glanced at.
They reminded him of fresh magma, something so deadly yet at the same time breathtaking.
She momentarily surveyed the crowd with a steady gaze before resting one hand on the crest near her collarbone.
She wore a fitted outfit with scales layering across the shoulders. Tiny runes flickered along her sleeves, echoing the patterns on that lizardkin's robe, but looked far more intricate.
Raka didn't realize he was clenching his fists until he felt his nails dig into his palms. "So that's Karthzion…" he whispered under his breath.
After all the stories, rumors, and hype, seeing her in person was another experience.
A Goddess in the flesh.