The New God's Of Avaricia

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Ava pulled her hands away, her eyes snapping open to reveal irises that swirled with the color of fresh blood. The energy that had been pulsing through her veins now lay dormant, the crimson light dissipating into the cold air like embers from a dying fire. Her voice, when it came, was weary but firm. "I am done," she said, her words cutting through the quiet like a sword through silk.

Millie took a tentative breath, her eyes fluttering open to reveal the vibrant spark of life that had once again been granted to her. She stared at her feet, her trembling toes flexing in disbelief. "Good as new," Ava murmured, a gentle smile playing at the corners of her mouth. It was a smile that contained the warmth of a thousand summers, a smile that promised salvation in the face of the relentless winter that had befallen them.

With a sudden jolt of strength, Millie sprang to her feet, her once-frail body now suffused with vitality. She took a step, then another, the crowd holding their collective breath. The woman's eyes widened, and a laugh that seemed to hold the very essence of joy bubbled up from her chest, echoing through the cold streets of Sovereign.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice a gentle breeze in the frosty air. The words were directed at Ava, but they carried to every ear in the gathered crowd. The Goddess of Sovereign looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and offered Millie a nod of acknowledgment.

Lilly, who had been quietly watching from the periphery, sprang up behind Arteus, her eyes wide with wonder. "Amazing, isn't it?" she breathed into his ear, her voice a stark contrast to the solemn silence that had settled over the scene.

Arteus nodded in response, his eyes never leaving Ava's form. The girl was a woman of power, a goddess in the flesh.

"Do you think she's truly a goddess?" Lilly asked, her voice a mix of wonder and skepticism. She had seen Ava's power, felt its warmth and terror, but the concept of divine intervention was still a stretch for her practical mind.

Arteus was silent for a long moment, his gaze still locked on Ava. He had seen her raise arms from the ashes of her own destruction, had watched her crush monsters with a fury that seemed to come from the very earth. Yet, in that moment, as he took in the soft glow of her healing aura, he was torn. "I don't know," he finally admitted, his voice gruff. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

With a deep breath, he stepped forward, his booted footfall heavy on the icy cobblestone. The crowd parted for him, their eyes following him with a mix of fear and hope. The whispers grew softer, the air thick with anticipation as he approached Ava and Millie, who were now surrounded by a sea of townsfolk. The two women looked up at him, their expressions a mirror to the emotions swirling within the crowd.

"The Goddess has truly blessed us," Millie exclaimed, her voice carrying a newfound strength that seemed to resonate through the very air. She stepped closer to Arteus, her eyes shining with an intensity that belied her years. "Look at me," she said, her voice a command that held the power of a benediction. "I am as good as new."

Arteus's gaze swept over Millie's restored form, his expression a complex tapestry of relief and skepticism. He had witnessed Ava's power before, had seen the destruction it could wreak. Yet, this gentle, healing warmth was something new, something that spoke of a different kind of strength. He offered a somber smile, his eyes never leaving hers. "Indeed, welcome back, Village Chief," he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to carry the weight of his own tumultuous journey.

Millie's eyes searched his, reading the doubt that lurked behind his guarded expression. "You've come to speak to the Goddess," she said, her tone firm but not unkind. It was not a question, but a statement of fact, one that held a hint of understanding.

With a grace that belied her newfound vitality, Millie turned away from him, her movements a silent testament to the power of Ava's gift. She waded through the parting crowd, her gaze finding Lilly, who was still hovering at the edge of the gathering. With a beckoning gesture, she called out, "Lilly, child! I have need of you!"

The girl's eyes snapped to Millie's, a look of shock and disbelief flitting across her features. It was a moment of reckoning, the reality of her granny's healing sinking in. She had lost so much, watched as the world ravaged and took the people she loved, and now... hope had returned, wrapped in the form of Ava, a girl she knew so little about.

With a tremble in her voice, Lilly approached, her boots crunching through the fresh snow. The crowd, having witnessed the impossible, began to disperse, their whispers turning into hushed conversations that grew in volume as they retreated into the shadowed alleys and warm homes of Sovereign. They spoke of miracles and gods, of a new dawn that could rise from the ashes of their despair.

Millie wrapped her granddaughter in a fierce embrace, her restored limbs surprisingly strong. The warmth that radiated from her was not just from the healing magic, but from the love that had been rekindled. The world had tried to tear them apart, but here they were, reunited under the watchful gaze of a woman who had been dubbed a deity.

As they pulled away, Lilly's eyes searched Ava's, seeking answers to questions she had held in her heart for too long. Yet, the emerald-lit eyes offered only a solemn nod, a silent promise that she would not abandon them in their quest for truth. With a heavy sigh, Lilly turned to follow Millie, who was already speaking to the dispersing townsfolk with renewed vigor.

...The silence that lingered between Arteus and Ava was palpable, the air charged with the electricity of unspoken words. Ava was the first to break it, her voice a soft, soothing balm in the frigid air. "Anything i can help you with?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

"I hope so," he replied, his voice gruff with the weight of his doubt and hope intertwined.

"Well, out with it," Ava said, her emerald eyes meeting his with a firmness that brooked no argument. Her gaze was unyielding, a silent demand for truth that seemed to cut through the very fabric of his soul.

Arteus took a deep breath, his heart pounding like a blacksmith's hammer in his chest. "I need to speak to you about the pledge of your birthright," he said finally, his words a declaration that hung in the air like a storm cloud pregnant with rain.

"And mine too," He adds with a stern tone.

-To Be Continued-