"You were just trying to get me killed a few hours ago, so forgive me if I don't cuddle into your arms," I growled, but my mother just shrugged.
"That creature could not kill you, and she didn't even push you that hard. No one was even killed because she was too focused on you, and you rescued everyone. You know I don't have any choice in these matters. I love you, but I have to work against you to make sure that you keep growing," Nemoria said, and put a hand to my cheek, brushing over my beard. "You should really trim this; it is starting to get out of control."
I sighed and then looked away. I rubbed my chin and felt my beard was getting a bit long, but that wasn't important right now.
Things had always been complicated between us, but even when we fought, I felt closer to her than I did Kadeon because how he was always so positive that it became annoying. He always made things seem like they would work out, but there were a million things a person needed to do to get the exact results that he stayed optimistic about. Nemoria would at least give it to me straight, even if I didn't like it, but she would actively try to interfere with my work. People died, and I was just told to believe that she couldn't control herself, but it was hard to do.
"It's fine, but I am not here to talk about my beard. What exactly do you want?" I asked, and she smiled.
"I have no real reason; I just thought this was a perfect time to talk to you since you are almost always surrounded by women. There was one thing that I wanted to come to talk to you about," Nemoria said, but she seemed to get a bit excited when she said the last line.
"Hmm?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"I noticed that you figured out your ability to create children," Nemoria said, and I furrowed my brow.
"And? What about it? Do not tell me you are going to fuck with that as well?! If you even think about coming near one of the girls, not even The Guides will be able to keep you safe!" I growled, but then my mother patted my head and scratched behind my ears, expertly disarming me.
I was almost forced to close my eyes and lean into my mother as she wrapped her other arm around me.
"I wouldn't dream over even doing anything to my grandchildren, nor have I ever in the past. Your spawn are off limits, and so will the mothers. I have spoken to The Guides, and they also confirmed that my... curse, for a better word for it, will not activate when I am around them," Nemoria explained, but then stopped scratching my ears long enough for me to pull back, and open my eyes back up, but only to the narrowed position. I knew what this was about.
"So, let me guess, you want to be able to visit your granddaughters?! Do you know how messed up that seems?!" I asked, but Nemoria shrugged.
"Regardless, that doesn't make me want to see my granddaughters any less," she said, and I groaned.
"You are actively trying to kill me," I growled.
"Not my fault," Nemoria replied.
"You are constantly trying to make my life harder," I added.
"You sound like a broken record. Do you see that useless father of yours trying to come to see your children? Did he ask the same thing when he visited you recently?" She retorted, and I shook my head.
"We are not talking about the useless one. I already know that he is up to something, but that doesn't mean I am just going to roll over for you," I said, and then got up, but offered my mother my hand. "That being said, you did give Tallia, the shadow cat, Umbra, to help keep me from hurting the people that I care about, and I can't overlook that. There is still time before the first girl is born, but if you do come, they will be supervised visits with me and all available goddesses," I said as I helped my mother up.
"That seems a bit excessive, don't you?" She asked with a small smile, but I shook my head.
"This is not just about what I want. The girls are all going to have choices in this, and I will talk to them all tonight about it," I explained, and Nemoria nodded, but I put up a hand. "Hold on. If I am doing something for you, then you need to do one thing for me."
"Oh? I suppose that is fair, but there are things that I can't do. I can't tell you where my witches are," She said, and I shook my head.
"Not what I want to know. I just want to know who fucked with my two girls. You don't have to tell me where they are because I will find them on my own. I want the name of the one that imprisoned Olivia, and that forced Tessera to betray everyone. This one is going somewhere special where I am done with here," I said in a level voice that held back the raging sea of rage within.
"Their Leader, Annihilatia, but you will not find her so easily," Nemoria said, and I shrugged.
"Time and space mean nothing to a God. I know her name, and it is burned into my mind now. Thank you, and like I said, I will talk to the girls about this tonight, but I should get going," I said, and my mother nodded.
"I look forward to seeing my granddaughters," She said, and then waved as I opened a portal to Eliza's.
"I will see you around," I said, and then stepped through the portal, but something was off as the portal closed.
The backyard was empty, but it wasn't.
I had just walked into a trap.
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