A friend, a king, a father

It was hours until Maya finally calmed down, at least enough to stop herself from crying. She pulled back from Seth’s arms, wanting to see his face again and ensure she was not dreaming.

“Thank you.” She muttered softly, sniffing once before continuing: “Thank you for coming back to me.”

Seth bit the corner of his lip and nodded. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Are you alright? Is everything with you alright?” asked Maya again, staring straight into his eyes.

“I am.” Said Seth, his eyes also never leaving hers.

“Good.” Muttered Maya, closing her eyes and bringing her lips up in search of a taste she had not felt for long but had never forgotten.

Seth also bent down, and their lips met for the first time in the last five years. None of them moved, rejoicing in the warmth and comfort of the other’s lips.

After a few seconds, they split apart, and their eyes opened again. Maya pushed Seth to sit down and slowly stood in his lap, hugging his neck and resting her head on his shoulder: “Tell me what happened.”

Even with all her attempts to act normal, Seth could feel her body still shaking non-stop.

Seth nodded and slowly told her about what happened in Hope, not leaving a single detail out. The deeper he went into the story, the colder the air around him became, but Seth didn’t stop and finished the story.

In the end, Maya sighed and canceled the energy she’s been gathering in her source.

“Please don’t ever do that again. I don’t care if the entire world has to end as long as I have you.”

Seth sighed and didn’t say anything. He wanted to promise her, but he knew life would not always give you a chance to do what you wanted. Maya also knew this and didn’t say anything after that.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head from his shoulder and said: “Let’s go inside. I’ll tell you what happened while you were gone.”

Seth teleported them both to Maya’s chamber and shook his head: “I only want to spend some time with you before letting the others know. Sorry Maya, but - .”

Maya smiled and lowered her head as she interrupted Seth by asking: “You came here first?”

“Of course I did.” Said Seth, gently rubbing her back.

“Then I’ll forgive you.” Said Maya, moving her hands under his shirt. “Can I be a bit greedy today?”

Seth smiled and allowed her to push him back into the bed. Maya softly traced her hands over his body under the shirt, rejoicing in his warmth.

Using her energy, she removed their clothes before laying her naked body over his. Resting her head on his chest and sandwiching his body between her legs, she took a deep breath before heaving a content sigh.

Seth looked down at her happy face and didn’t say anything as he rested his head on the bed and started rubbing her back.

“You should go and see Henrietta first. She’s been….” Maya didn’t continue and just sighed again.

“I know she has, but I’m not leaving you.” Said with a smile. Maya looked up at Seth with a confused face, and Seth chuckled as he flicked her nose: “You think I didn’t see the poles around? You have a way of communicating. Telegraph?”

Maya smiled and nodded: “But they will be mad if you don’t go.”

“They will be mad either way. I want to make it up to you first, but I want to let them know I’m fine and have returned.” Said Seth with a sigh."

Maya nodded and closed her eyes. “I’ll have a few more minutes of this and call them.”

Seth nodded, and the two took comfort in each other’s arms until late into the evening. They didn’t cuddle and barely spoke, just content in being together.

As the light shining through the room’s windows started to die down, Maya sighed and stood up. “I’ll go inform them you’re fine and here. Can you please see Iris and make some lust vials for Katy?”

“I already prepared some for her on the way. After dealing with Iris and informing the others, we’ll wake her up.”

Maya nodded and walked towards her closet. “Also, there’s Caitlin. The poor girl has been spending all that time failing breakthroughs to the seventh shell, wishing to come and save you...”

Seth frowned and asked the system: ‘Is she fine?’

<Affirmative. Her source is damaged at the moment, but nothing more. Hollie has refused to help her, and she’s been working with Maya to break through based on the knowledge you shared with Maya.>

Seth looked at Maya with a raised eyebrow: “Didn’t I tell you to hold on breaking through to the seventh shell?”

Maya’s hands stopped as she was wearing a pair of pants and turned towards Seth with a wry face: “I was desperate… we all were.”

“Hollie could keep a clear head, apparently.” Said Seth back.

Maya scoffed and didn’t say anything as she resumed dressing up.

‘Did anything happen with them?’

<…>

‘Speak.’

<Maya beat Hollie for not agreeing to help Caitlin break through and, in the end… banished her. That’s why she’s been conducting her research in Loss.>

Seth looked at Maya’s back with a stunned expression as he asked hesitantly: “Did you fight Hollie and banish her?….”

Maya shook and stopped again, lowering her head. “We were scared, Seth… scared you were not coming back to us, and she refused to help us grow stronger so we can come for you. Caitlin and Iris were the only ones that could break through, but without the knowledge to do so, we could only work blindly by modifying the knowledge you gave me.”

Seth sighed and rubbed her face: “She was right… even if every single one of you reached the ninth shell and charged north, you would have all died for nothing.”

Maya turned around and frowned: “But we still had a chance.”

“No. He’s also borrowing power for a destruction demigod. There’s also one of the treasures of the human race in his possession. Henrietta should have told you about them.”

“Using the power of that treasure, he’s stronger than a demigod. The only reason this continent has not fallen into his hands is that he can only move so far from the source of his power. The treasure’s physical form can’t be moved from the Death Kingdom where it was corrupted.”

“The further south he travels, the weaker he will get, and with the Council threat hanging over his head, he can’t risk getting ambushed, but if you were to enter his land….” Seth sighed and said nothing further.

Seeing Maya stay there with her head lowered, Seth teleported behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist.

“I understand you were all scared, but Hollie has already seen Thanatos’s strength in my memories and understood the situation the best… why didn’t you listen to her?”

Maya placed her hands over Seth’s and said: “Because we wanted to find you and bring you back… we knew you were alive because your marks had not disappeared, but we were scared he captured you or something.”

“If we were to move all ascended in a frontal assault, we might have been able to keep him busy enough to find you.”

Seth sighed again and shook his head: “You wouldn’t have… He would have killed you all before you even knew what happened… You owe her an apology, Maya. We’re all family.”

Maya didn’t reply and continued dressing up, leaving Seth with no choice but to sigh and move back. Once Maya was fully dressed, she went to send all the messages about Seth’s return.

“Don’t tell Caitlin yet.” said Seth and teleported to a room inside the royal chambers.

Iris was sitting at the window, looking at the garden under her window with a sad look. Feeling Seth’s arrival, she parted her lips and said: “You could at least use a door.”

“Says the one always flying through windows.” Replied Seth, moving to sit down on her bed. “How are you?”

Iris sighed and turned around, looking at Seth with mixed feelings in her eyes. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Because I promised Maya I won’t. Do you still want to die?” replied Seth.

“I don’t know. At first, I wanted to, but Maya was already devastated, and I didn’t want to make her worry anymore, so I pushed through that misery….”

“And now?”

“Now I don’t know. She has explained everything to me, and I understand why you did what you did, but it still sucks… I couldn’t even bring myself to go back to Oath. I’ve lost everything I ever had. My power, my oath, my reason to live….”

“But you still have Maya, and while the royal family rules Oath no more, the place Aidan loved so much still stands and is now thriving, more than it did in his time. Did you not understand he cared more about you and that place than he did about his family?”

“But that isn’t what I promised him that night.’

Seth smiled and shook his head: “Do you remember what he last told you?”

“Of course, I do: ‘This kingdom and my kids. Once you finally ascend and gain the power to, please watch over them for me.’”

“Those are not his final words. What he said with his dying breath.” Replied Seth while shaking his head.

Iris frowned, and Seth continued,"‘ There’s no need for you to…’. He didn’t get to finish his words, but you now know what kind of man he was. Can you not understand what he wanted to tell you?"

As Iris fell deep in thought, Seth stood up and said: “He loved you more than his children. He wanted to tell you there’s no need for you to put them over yourself. He didn’t get to tell you that you must also take care of yourself.”

“He wanted you to protect yourself, the kingdom, and his children. He was there with you and traded his life for yours because he cared about you the most. He asked you to protect the kingdom second because he was the type of king that would always put the kingdom before his own family.”

“As for his children, that was the request of a father. He was first a friend of yours, then a king, and lastly, a father. You might have failed the father, but you can still carry on the will of the king and the friend.”

Seeing that Iris had remained silent, Seth didn’t say anything else and teleported in front of an underground room whose door was covered in ice. Maya was already there, resting her back on the wall.

“It’s done. They all said they are rushing here, but it will take them a while to arrive.”

Seth nodded and walked towards the door.

“Alright. Let’s wake up Katy.”