While flying through the Fae, the 5 of them were hit by a quick rainfall. The water was sweet like honey and gently warm on their skin."This place makes no sense." Sebastian said while having fun. "Rain falls up, the sun seems to be alive, I think I’ve seen colors that don’t exist."
"Don’t try to make sense of it. Physics’ laws don’t work the same here." Matthew said.
"There." Matil then pointed to the distance. "Titania’s palace."
Floating in the sky, in the distance, they all saw a huge construction made of crystal. Dozens of white blueish towers and trees of multiple colors pointed in every direction. Its glassy surface reflected the dusk sun onto them. As if reflected on a mirror, the downward side of the palace was a perfect copy of the upper side. It had only one front gate made of silver and gold that had a pair of willow trees with yellow leaves and dark brown trunk as posts.
The palace had no security. There were no guards, no servants. It was mostly empty other than some critters that wandered around the crystal halls and room.
Walking through it was worse than a maze. Stairs that went up suddenly brought you down. Straight lines turned into circles. Matthew felt dizzy just by being there.
Matil walked on the ceiling guiding them with the naturality of someone who’s lived there.
On the other hand, Ffyr had no idea where she was going.
"You lived here?" Sarah asked Ffyr, while holding onto her shoulder trying to control her own dizziness.
"No. I never liked it here. No one actually lives here. Mom is always up here alone." Ffyr explained.
"Why?" Sebastian asked, also feeling dizzy by the palace’s strange architecture.
"Mom is overwhelming." Ffyr answered. "Not many people can stand being near her for too long."
"Is she that powerful?" Sebastian shuddered.
"No. She’s unbearable!" Ffyr protested like a child. "She’s mommying us all the time. Treating everyone like a baby." The fairy complained.
"And the constant pranking!" Matil added. "Everything has to be a joke or a game or something! It’s too much even for the other Fae."
"That’s no way to speak about your mother!" A female voice said echoing through the halls.
Immediately, Matthew, Sarah and Sebastian were taken aback with the taste of honey. It was a weird sensation. The way the voice hit them, made them taste honey on the back of their throats.
Matthew knew that sensation, that voice. It was Titania.
"Be careful of what you say to mommy. Pay close attention to everything she says and think long and hard before speaking." Matthew warned Sarah and Sebastian.
"And who are you calling mommy, son of Eve?" A wall shifted like water and solidified in a doorway from which Titania came out. "Who gave you the permission to refer to me as so?" The goddess’ voice was stern, but still sweet.
Sebastian and Sarah looked upon her in awe. A literal goddess stood in front of them. Her silver hair reflected the crystal walls around them. Her skin shifted colors as she moved from pale rosy, to tanned and gold. Four long elven ears. Two pairs of butterfly wings, one gold and one blue. A semi-transparent green dress and jewelry made of plants and multicolored crystals decorated her body.
"Mommy did." Matthew answered. Because of how he met her before, he wasn’t as dumbfounded as the other two were.
"Me?" Titania feigned ignorance.
"Yes, Mommy." Matthew insisted.
"That’s so cruel. Why would I force you to do that?" She asked with a smile almost losing her regal composure.
"Mom..." Ffyr moaned like a teenager. "Just undo the deal. It stopped being funny 2 years ago!" She added talking as if she was tired.
Titania patted Ffyr’s head.
"You’re big now." She noted with a smile.
"Yeah, Matt changed my physical body." Ffyr explained.
"And Matil... Get out of the ceiling, you’re confusing our guests." Titania added and the nixie floated to the floor.
Titania faced Sarah and Sebastian. Even though her eyes were always closed, she seemed like she could see through her eyelids.
"Who do we have here? More children of Eve." She smiled and patted both of their heads. "You share Matthew’s blood. But you..." She turned to Sebastian. "Why are you here?"
Sebastian recoiled. Feeling intimidated by the goddess in front of him. She was right. He had no reason to be there. He was just a friend who tagged along. He shouldn’t be there.
At this moment, Ffyr gave a light slap on Titania’s ears.
"Stop playing with them." The fairy admonished her mother.
Titania gave them a teasing smirk.
"I’m sorry. I should welcome you all. After all, you’re the first friends my little Ffyr brought home since she was born." The goddess said and pointed to a wall.
The walls of the palace shifted and turned until the way she was pointing led to a beautiful garden with thousands of different flowers a white marble gazebo and a table with chairs and tea.
Titania guided them to the table and sat down, crossing her legs.
"So... What brings you to me today? I see that your soul is whole again." Titania said to Matthew as he sat down. "You took my daughter on quite the trip." She smiled.
"I need some help. At least guidance." Matthew said in a sigh.
Titania simply smiled as Matil served her tea with reverence.
"Mom. Please. Don’t play with this." Ffyr pleaded.
"But how can I not? You are so fun to play with." Titania smirked mischievously.
Then Matthew brought Belial’s dark sword from his inventory and placed it on the table.
Titania’s face immediately changed and got serious.
"Belial wants me to worship them." Matthew was succinct.
"I see." Titania was serious for once.
"This too, mom." Ffyr pulled Matthew’s shirt collar until Belial’s mark showed to her mother.
"I saw that already." Titania said.
"What do I do? I can’t face a god on my own." Matthew asked, lowering his head.
Titania opened her eyes. Behind her eyelids there was nothing. A deep darkness that seemed to surround those that looked into it. Sarah and Sebastian quickly avoided staring into it, but Matthew met those empty eyes.
"Belial is... Complicated." Titania said, picking up the sword in her hands and having a hard time finding the words.
"What can I do?" Matthew asked again.
"You either obey..." Titania said and paused. "Or you find a god who is willing to fight for you."
"And I doubt you want to." Matthew was sarcastic.
"That depends. What are you willing to sacrifice, son of Eve? Are you willing to worship me? Are you willing to let go of that which you love the most?" Titania was intimidating, seemingly growing in size.
"I won’t sacrifice anything." Matthew challenged her.
The goddess leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes, playing with Belial’s sword in her hands.
"Good." She smiled and gave the sword back to Matthew.
"So what can we do, mom?" Ffyr asked.
"Well. We can serve your pact and you’ll be safe." Titania smiled.
"I don’t want that." Ffyr took an angry tone.
"Then we do nothing." Titania sighed. "Let the godling play his games."
"But Matthew..." Ffyr protested.
"Matthew is fine." Titania waved her hand, dismissing her daughter’s worries.
"Mom!" Ffyr insisted, getting up and slamming her hands on the table.
"Ffyr!" Titania was stern. "I have said!"
Ffyr sat down with force and huffed in anger.
Matthew patted her shoulder and smiled at her.
"Thank you anyway, mommy." He said.
Titania giggled.
"You don’t need to call me mommy anymore." She said.
"Titania." Matthew experimented with the name. He got so used to calling her mommy that it became natural to him.
"See?" Titania said.
"I guess we should go back." Ffyr said, getting up still angry at her mother.
"Alright dear." Titania walked to her and kissed her forehead. "Come back whenever you want."
Ffyr just scoffed and flew high in the air.
The others soon stood up as well and thanked her for the hospitality.
Before they could fly to Ffyr waiting for them in the sky, Matil pulled Matthew by the hand and made him kneel in front of her.
"Take this with you." She said, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Whenever you want to play again."
Matthew’s head was flooded with voices after he was kissed. Images of circles and instructions for summoning. He realized very quickly that Matil just gave him the means to use his Summon Lesser God skill and call for her when needed.
"Are you sure?" Matthew asked, looking her in the eyes.
"I can’t help you with Belial. But I can help you when you are in need. Also, I want to play more with you. So call me whenever you have time!" She smiled and placed another kiss on his cheek.
Matthew then flew up to where Ffyr was and the fairy guided back to the portal they came through.
The path looked completely different from when they came. The portal was now on a floating island, upside down in the night sky. They meant to question the fairy about the accuracy of her guidance, but she didn’t give them time. Ffyr passed through the portal fuming in anger about her mother.
They quickly followed her.