Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everyone knew the old gods.

Those were the stories that were handed down, generation to generation, about gods and monsters and heroes. Different from most fairy tales though, the old gods were very much real. Cold, calculating, merciless. They created the world and destroyed it, made kingdoms and leveled them. Humanity could only watch in fear and awe as they created complete chaos, killing everything in their path and threatening to take the whole world down with them.

Then, one day, they vanished.

Not all of them, that is. Just the more- violent ones. The God of Destruction, a deity so feared that no mortal dared to speak their name. The Goddess of Death, Phantom, who could kill anyone with a single touch. And, of course, the God of Chaos and Fear. Vex. 

No one knew where they had gone, but humanity decided they were better for the disappearances. They continued on, thrived even, under the absence of these gods. Over time, the few remaining gods vanished too, choosing to seclude themselves in forests and caves then live among the mortals. Some thought it was out of pride. Others thought it was because, the older the gods grew, the less they were able to stand watching everyone around them die. 

Even with the gods’ absence, their stories were still shared, in gossip and whispers in the dead of night. Everyone knew about them. No one would admit to it. Not until the whispers of war began. They spread like wildfire through the kingdom, carrying their dark message of doom. The king was looking for the Chaos God. A new, powerful weapon, he said. He put a bounty on the god’s head, promising riches and great power to whoever brought him the god. That had been three years ago. 

There had been no sign of the god.

Until suddenly, there was.

………………………………….

Kat sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before glancing back down at the map in her hands. Had it been stupid to steal a map from an ancient archivist on the whim that it might lead her to the lost god? Yes. Did Kat care very much? No, not really.

“This is a load of shit,” Kat muttered, flipping the map over to look at the back. A single set of coordinates had been scrawled messily onto one of the corners of the map, pointing to what Kat had managed to pinpoint as an old cave system. She rolled the map up, sighing again as she turned her attention back to the problem in front of her.

The cave was blocked.

“Load of shit,” she muttered again, slipping the map into her belt before reaching towards the sword strapped to her side. The hilt was gold wrapped in dark blue leather, the blade a deep black that glowed in the dim light of forest. It had once been her mother’s sword. But now it was Kat’s. 

Raising the blade, Kat moved forward, jamming the tip in between two of the bigger rocks blocking the cave entrance. She leaned her weight against it, grunting as the rocks shifted ever so slightly. After a few more shoves, one of the rocks came loose, rolling off of the pile and revealing a hole big enough for Kat to crawl through. Which she did, with as much grace as she could muster with a three foot sword in her hand.

Jumping down on the other side, Kat landed softly in the cavern beyond, holding up her sword and glancing around to take in her new surroundings. The cavern was large, bright blue crystals hanging from the ceiling all around the room. Lichen grew out of small ponds spread throughout the space, glowing a soft green in the dark cavern. No matter how often Kat interacted with magic, she thought distantly, it never got old. Turning, Kat caught sight of a pile of stones in the center of the cavern, looking almost human sized in the way they were stacked. Curiously, Kat stepped forwards, lifting a hand to the rocks. They were burning hot. Kat jumped back, pulling her hand to her chest with a hiss, glaring at the rocks.

“Fucking pebbles,” she spat at them. The rocks said nothing. Because they were rocks. Letting out a sigh, Kat stepped forward again, hefting her sword and carefully placing it between a crack in the pile.

“Please work and don’t spill burning rocks all over me.”

With that, Kat pushed, tumbling the rock pile to the ground all around her. A cloud of dust and smoke spilled forth as the rocks fell, making Kat step back, coughing. As the smoke began to dissipate, Kat caught sight of a new figure. They stood where the rocks had been, one hand pressed to the side of their head and they straightened to their full height, towering nearly a foot over Kat herself. 

The person stepped through the rocks, and Kat caught sight of glowing red eyes through the dust as they approached. Then the person was standing right in front of her, breathing heavily and eyes fixed on Kat. Neither of them moved, so Kat took a moment to examine her opponent. Nearly six foot, three pairs of black horns twisting out of bright red hair. Gold jewelry and strands of chain hung from the horns, dangling around the person’s hair. 

Smoke trailed off of the deity’s shoulders as they stepped out from the rubble of steaming rocks, moving into Kat’s space and forcing her to take several steps back. 

“Who the hell are you?” The god growled, their voice low and gravely, threatening. Kat gripped her sword tighter, raising the blade and resting it against the god’s throat. A warning.

“The one who’s getting the fuck money,” Kat replied, a grin slowly spreading across her face. The god titled their head, a frown pulling at their lips. 

“What money? What even-” 

Before they could get out another word, Kat was leaping forward, pulling her sword around to smack the handle into the god’s gut. They stumbled back, coughing, and Kat jumped forward again, reaching into one of the pockets on her belt and wrapping her hands around the thick metal cuff she found there. Pulling it out, she grabbed one of the god’s wrists, slipping the cuff onto it and snapping it closed.

The god stumbled back again, their back hitting a wall of the cave. The smoke had all but dissipated, leaving the god looking much less threatening. Their eyes were still a bright red, but they were no longer glowing. Kat watched with distant fascination as two sets of the three pairs of horns on their head shrank, disappearing into the god’s hair. They blinked, straightening and reaching up to feel around where their horns had been.

“What- what did you do? What the hell did you do?” They growled, sharp teeth bared as Kat fought back a laugh that tempted to spill out. 

“That’s a magic suppression cuff. You can’t take it off unless I tell you you can, and until it comes off, all of your powers are tamable.”

The god snarled, pulling on the cuff before turning to glare at Kat. “Tamable? I am not tamable, mortal. I’m a god, the God of Chaos and Fear-”

“Ya ya, whatever,” Kat said quickly, cutting them off before they could speak any farther. “Vex, right?”

Vex frowned looking like they wanted to continue speaking, but instead they just nodded, straightening and setting their shoulders. The white and black robe that fell over one of their shoulders was tucked into a belt around their waist, leaving their arms bare to the cool air of the cavern. From all the steaming though, Kat guessed they would probably be able to warm themselves up just fine.

“Do I get the pleasure of knowing your name?” Vex grumbled, crossing their arms over their chest and raising an eyebrow. A single strip of gold was painted across the bridge of their nose and cheeks, splitting their face into two halves. Kat wondered how she hadn't noticed that before.

“Depends,” she hedged, moving to sheath her sword, not taking her eyes off Vex for a second. Just because they didn’t have any godly powers didn’t mean they weren’t dangerous. “Are you going to trick me into making a contract with you?”

Vex sighed, throwing their hands out in frustration. “That was one time, and it was funny! Why does everyone have to always bring that up?”

Kat rolled her eyes, moving to cross her arms over her chest. “I don’t know, maybe because it was kinda a big deal.”

“It was one time-”

“Kat.”

Vex paused in their rant, turning to frown at Kat from across the room. “What?”

Kat sighed, pushing her bangs out of her face. “My name. It’s Kat.”

“Oh.” 

Vex seemed to deflate slightly, like they didn’t know what they were supposed to do with this new information. Kat just rolled her eyes again, gesturing towards the entrance to the cave.

“While this is fun and all, there’s a king that would really like your powers and I would really like my money, so can we get going? It’s gonna be a long walk to the kingdom.”

Vex frowned, their eyebrows pulling together. “Why does a king want my powers?”

“I don’t know, war or something,” Kat said, shrugging. “Don’t really care, honestly. Just in it for the bounty.”

Vex just rolled their eyes, waving towards the entrance to the cave.

“What makes you think I’m gonna just go with you?”

In a blink, Kat was moving, pushing Vex roughly up against the wall of the cave, a small knife suddenly in her hand and pressed harshly against the god’s throat.

“Because,” Kat said in a low, dangerous voice, “I’ve killed enough gods to know exactly how to take you apart without even breaking a sweat.”

Vex blinked, swallowing hard against the blade of the knife. 

“Good point. Lead the way, if you’d be so kind.”

Chapter Text

Vex was, understandably, confused.

First of all, the audacity of this bitch. This short angry mortal woke Vex from their hibernation, almost stabbed them twice, and then threatened to murder them if they didn’t do what she said. Vex had decided that Kat was certifiably insane. 

Kat was not helping Vex change their mind on the matter.

“Why anteaters?”

Vex blinked, looking up from where they were fiddling with the gold cuff on their wrist to watch Kat walking in front of them. The human was walking backwards so that she could face Vex, one hand resting naturally on the hilt of her sheathed sword. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, but several strands still managed to hang into her face, causing her to blow them out of the way of her green eyes. 

To say she was objectively pretty would be a slight understatement. Not that Vex cared. Nope. Vex’s only thoughts regarding Kat were how to kill her so Vex could get back to sleeping. Should they care that Kat was bringing them to a king who would likely abuse their powers for evil? Probably. Did they? Not particularly. Mostly because Vex knew they would be long gone before they got to whatever king they were headed towards.

“What do you mean, ‘why anteaters?’” Vex asked, crossing their arms over their chest as they continued to walk. Kat just rolled her eyes, throwing her arms out and nearly smacking a tree. This part of the forest was denser than it had been when Vex had gone into hibernation, and it was strange to see it so different when they felt like they had just been there. 

“I mean, you created them right? Why? They suck ass.”

Vex frowned, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with anteaters?”

“Literally everything,” Kat responded, like it was obvious. “They’re gross, their babies are nasty and pink, and they literally eat ants. Also, who needs a nose that long?”

“Well I think they’re cute,” Vex huffed. “And yes, I did create them. If you must know, it was because of a dare. Eden bet me I couldn’t come up with an animal weirder than sunfish. So I proved them wrong.”

Kat pinched the bridge of her nose, looking in pain. “Wait, let me get this straight. The literal god of mischief dared you to do something, so you just did it?”

Vex blinked. “Yes?”

“Life was a mistake,” Kat whispered to herself, turning around to walk forwards again. Vex watched the way she moved, curious. Not because they hadn’t seen people walk before, but just because of the weird gate that Kat seemed to move in. It was like she was trying to keep her lower back from moving as much as possible, but Vex couldn’t tell why. Apart from the small corset covered in belts that Kat wore, there wasn’t anything noticeable on her lower back. Vex brushed the thought away, deciding to save the questions for another time.

Right now, they had to figure out how to lose their ‘guide.’ Vex glanced around surreptitiously as they walked, looking for anything they could use to escape. A low hanging tree branch, a root sticking out of the grassy forest floor, anything.

Vex caught a flash of orange to their right and turned their head ever so slightly, hoping against hope- oh hell yes.

Just a few dozen yards through the forest to their right, a small lava pool bubbled, embers sparking off of the surface and dancing dangerously close to the nearby trees. Vex cut a glance back towards Kat, who was still walking along in front of them. They had to act quick if this was going to work.

Moving quickly, Vex picked up a nearby pebble, tossing it at Kat’s back before turning and sprinting full speed through the trees. There was a curse from behind them, and then the sound of footsteps, pounding through the forest after them.

“Dammit Vex! Get back here, there’s nowhere for you to go!”

Vex suppressed the smirk that threatened to pull at their lips, instead making a beeline for the lava pool. About a foot from the edge of the pool, Vex came up short, spinning to watch as Kat continued to run towards them, seemingly not noticing the lava right behind Vex. At the last second, Vex dodged a swing from Kat, moving to the side and letting the mortal stumble past her. 

Vex watched as Kat’s eyes went wide, her hands reaching out as if to break her fall. At the last second Vex reached out, grabbing the front of Kat’s shirt and spinning her around so that her back was to the lava instead. Kat reached out, wrapping her hand around Vex’s wrist, glaring up at them through harsh breaths.

Vex grinned triumphantly. Now all they had to do was let go.

…

Why couldn’t they bring themselves to let go?

Kat frowned, her grip around Vex’s wrist loosening ever so slightly. 

“What are you waiting for? Just kill me and be on your way. Isn’t that what you gods do?”

Vex grit their teeth, their hand twisting deeper into the fabric of Kat’s shirt. Still, they couldn’t let go. Vex watched in annoyance and mild horror as realization seemed to dawn in Kat’s eyes, a wide and wicked grin breaking out across her face.

“Ohhhh, you can’t do it, can you? Did all that time asleep make you go soft ?”

“I am not soft!” Vex hissed, gripping the fabric of Kat’s shirt tighter and shaking her slightly. Kat just laughed, throwing her head back. 

“Woooow. Some god of chaos you are.”

“I- I want to make a deal,” Vex gritted out, frowning at their own words. A deal? This was stupid, why couldn’t they just let the idiot fall and be done with it? 

“Oh?” Kat said, raising an eyebrow as her grin returned. She reached up with her other hand, wrapping it around Vex’s wrist as well. “What kind of deal are we talking about?”

“I- I’ve been asleep too long, I don’t know how to get around this land anymore. If you guide me somewhere, I’ll go with you willingly to the king.” 

Now both of Kat’s eyebrows were raised, her eyes curious. “Where exactly is this ‘somewhere?’” 

“The Flower Forest,” Vex said, refusing to provide anything else. Kat let out a breath, patting Vex’s hand patronizingly. 

“Well, that sounds like a great plan, Vexy, but I think I'm gonna need more than your word for this one. I have a better idea.”

“Oh?” Vex asked, unable to hide the curiosity in their voice. Kat’s grin went, if possible, even wider. 

“I want to make one of those deals you’re so infamous for. I’ll take you to your ‘somewhere,’ you go with me to the king.”

“Fine.”

Carefully, Vex stepped back, pulling Kat with her so that her feet landed back on stable ground. Kat brushed herself off before reaching out, offering her hand for Vex to shake.

“Do we have a deal?”

The glint in her eyes worried Vex, but they simply nodded, reaching out and taking Kat’s hand. The palms of her fingers were calloused, probably from her sword, and Vex could feel rough skin from where scars had been cut into the flesh. 

“Deal.”

There was a bright flash, then the air around them settled again. Kat dropped Vex’s hand quickly and stepped back to turn towards the path they had been following. 

“Now, shall we get back to our little trip?”

Vex sighed, feeling as though they had just made a terrible mistake. Probably because they had. After a moment they followed, walking through the forest after Kat, in what Vex hoped was the direction of their ‘somewhere.’

Now all Vex needed to do was figure out how to break an unbreakable contract. 

Lovely. 

Chapter Text

“We’re probably still about a week out from the Flower Forest, but we can shortcut through the mountains and get there a day or so earlier.”

Vex hummed in response, glancing around the forest as they walked. Kat rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop a small smile from tugging at the corner of her mouth. Vex must have really been asleep for a while. They kept looking around like they had never seen trees or grass or dirt before. It was kinda endearing. 

Wait. No. No it was not. 

“Hey, what year is it?” Vex asked suddenly, thankfully pulling Kat from her thoughts. She turned around, walking backwards to watch Vex as they moved through the forest. 

“It’s 2064 I’m pretty sure. Don’t take my word for it though, that’s not exactly something I keep track of.”

Vex paused, blinking. Kat stopped as well, watching the god curiously. After a moment Vex seemed to reboot, turning to stare in horror at Kat.

“I’ve been asleep for 1000 years??!!?!”

Kat blinked. “I- I guess. I mean, it was an awful long time ago that you and the others disappeared. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had been out longer.”

Vex had started pacing, running their fingers through their red hair in distress. “I can’t have been asleep that long! What if they aren’t there anymore? No they will be, they have to be. Dully wouldn’t abandon their home like that-”

Kat stepped forward, snapping her fingers in front of Vex’s face to get their attention. “Hey! There’s no point freaking out about something you can’t change. What’s passed is passed, and no one can change that, not even a god.”

Vex furrowed their eyebrows, but they nodded, glancing up at the bits of sky they could see through the tree canopy above them. “You’re right, you’re right. We should probably stop for the night, set up camp.”

Kat nodded in agreement, giving Vex one more mildly worried look before moving to a cluster of trees to the side of the path. They set up a small camp quickly, starting a small fire and unstrapping their various weapons. Well, Kat unstrapped various weapons. Vex didn’t seem to have any on their person, but that didn’t mean Kat could let down her guard. 

“You sleep, I’ll take watch,” Kat said quickly, laying her sheathed sword down next to the fire and leaning back against a tree. Vex raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Don’t you need, like, sleep? I’m a god, I can stay awake as long as I need to. You can’t.”

That’s what you think.

Kat just laughed, giving Vex a look. “One, I don’t trust you not to run off or try to slit my throat in the middle of the night. Two, I can stay awake for as long as I need as well. It's one of my many talents.”

Vex rolled their eyes, but they didn’t try to argue, just laying down against the soft grass and letting their eyes fall closed. Kat turned her attention to the sky above, taking in the expanse of deep blue that she could see through the trees. Stars dotted the darkness, creating swirls and shapes against the canvas of the night. 

Kat was starting to second-guess her deal with Vex. At the time she had been panicking, blurting out the first thought that had come to her in the moment. Now, Kat shifted against the tree, feeling the heavy weight of the contract’s magic on her shoulders. Magical contracts with anyone were considered stupid and dangerous, but a contract with a god? That was just asking to be screwed over. 

Sighing, Kat readjusted herself against the tree, closing her eyes and focusing on the sounds of the forest around her. Small animals rustled through the bushes around her, squirrels and mice and magical creatures hurrying through the trees above. In the distance, Kat heard the familiar call of a nightingale, and her back ached painfully. Reaching back, Kat rubbed a hand up and down the bandages that were pulled tight against her lower back, trying to soothe the ache underneath. Vex was asleep, there weren’t any other people around for miles, and besides, she hadn’t unbound them in days, maybe-

A twig snapped and Kat was on her feet in seconds, sword in hand and staring around nervously. Kat watched, trepidation filling her chest, as several figures walked slowly out of the trees towards her, torches held high and illuminating the weapons in their hands. 

“Vex, get up! We have company.”

 Vex blinked their eyes open, still looking half asleep, but they bolted to their feet after taking a lazy look around. Turning back to face the newcomers, Kat caught a flash of red light out of the corner of her eye. When she glanced back, Vex had a large, ornate bow in their hands, a quiver of arrows strapped across their back. Kat made a mental note to ask about that later.

“Who are you?” Kat called to the strangers, taking a step closer to Vex. The sound of a bow being drawn came from behind her, and Kat didn’t even have to glance back to know Vex had notched an arrow. 

“We’re here for the bounty,” one of the newcomers called, a torch held up in one hand and a battle ax clutched in the other. Kat couldn’t help from shooting a look at Kat, noticing the way their shoulders had stiffened from the statement. 

“Hand over the god,” the person continued, lifting their ax to point it at Kat, “and you can leave here alive.”

“Over my dead body,” Kat spat, raising her sword into a fighting position. A shoulder bumped into her from behind, and Kat barely stopped herself from spinning to swing at the person. Only Vex’s voice in her ear made her pause.

“Take the ax and the other one, I’ve got the two with the knives.”

Kat nodded as conspicuously as possible, gritting her teeth and looking over her new targets. “Ready?”

They moved in sync, Vex dropping to a knee and firing off a shot, Kat leaping forward, swinging at the person with the ax. The sound of an arrow hitting its mark came from behind her, followed by a scream, and Kat grinned, moving to knock the ax out of the person’s hand before swinging up, connecting the hilt of her sword with the side of their head. The person behind them called out, running towards Kat with a sword in hand, and Kat’s grin widened as she rushed forward to meet him. She made quick work of her second opponent, cutting their sword hand off before smacking them on the back of their head, sending them to the ground in a heap. 

Kat flicked a bit of blood off her sword, turning to grin at Vex, who was standing over the other two attackers, bow still in hand and eyes fixed on Kat. It was hard to tell in the dark of the forest, but Kat could’ve sworn that there was a slight dusting of pink across Vex’s cheeks. 

“You good?” Kat called, sheathing her sword before making her way over, making sure to step on the ax wielder's hand on her way. Vex jumped, turning away to glare down at the bodies at their feet.

“Fine. You’re having too much fun when you fight, if you focused more on being efficient than on just having a good time, you’d win in half the time you do now.”

Kat raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “Really? You were watching me fight that closely?”

Vex’s eyes widened slightly and they stuttered, “Wha- no, no. I just think that, if I’m gonna be fighting with you for the foreseeable future, you should be trying just a little harder to keep us both alive.”

Kat scoffed, reaching up to pull her hair out of its ponytail, letting the blonde curls settle around her shoulders. “Whatever, it’s not like you need the help. Where’d the bow come from anyways?” 

Vex snapped out of whatever trance they had been in, turning to look at the bow still in their hand. “Oh, all gods can do that, no matter if our powers are cut off or not. We’re all born with a weapon bonded to our essence, and we can create it or send it back into the void it’s stored in at any time.”

Kat nodded, reaching towards the bow curiously. “Can anyone wield it? Or is it, like, just the god who’s connected to it?”

Vex snatched the bow back, holding it above their head so it was out of Kat’s reach. “Anyone can use it, but no one touches my bow.”

Kat frowned, glaring up at where the bow was being held above her head. “Whatever. Boring weapon anyways.”

Vex just snorted, flicking their wrist and making the bow and quiver vanish in a flash of red. “Whatever you say. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna get some more sleep.”

……………………………

It was the early hours of the morning when Vex spoke up, startling Kat out of the daze she had been in, listening to the morning birds. 

“How many people are looking for me?”

Kat shifted, turning to look at the god. Vex was laying on their back, one arm pillowing their head and the other laying across their chest as they looked up at the slowly fading stars above. Shifting, Kat suppressed a wince as her back ached harshly. 

“A lot. Out of all the gods that disappeared, I don't know why people seem the most hellbent on finding you. What’s so special about chaos? I mean, I’ve seen enough of it to last me a lifetime.”

Vex frowned, looking like they wanted to ask about that, but Kat continued.

“In a weird way, I think you give people hope. Ya, you’re the god of fear and chaos, but struggles that can be overcome. People don’t like thinking about things like death and ultimate destruction, but they feel like they can understand chaos and fear.”

“So you’re saying I’m popular,” Vex supplied, shooting Kat a shit eating grin. Kat just rolled her eyes, failing to stop a small smile from forming on her face.

“Whatever you say.”

Silence fell for a moment again, and Kat was half expecting Vex to roll over and go back to sleep. But instead, they turned back to her, speaking.

“Hey Kat?”

“Ya?”

“Thanks for- thanks for being the one to find me.”

Kat snorted, looking increadiously at Vex. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Vex frowned, looking like they were searching for the right words. “I don’t know, it’s just- I think you care more than you let yourself think. I mean, sure, you’re taking me to a king who will probably use my powers for some big evil, but you’re letting me see my friends- my family first. So just - thanks. And stop trying to convince yourself that you don’t have a heart.”

“I never said-”

“Nah, but it was implied.”

Kat huffed, turning away from Vex. Her face felt weirdly warm, but she ignored it, sighing.

“Whatever you say, Vex.”

Chapter Text

Another day passed before they finally cleared the forest, and the sun had already begun to set when the village had come into view. Vex couldn’t hold back a grin as they looked out at the small village below them, nestled in the flower covered hills that seemed to stretch on for forever.

“I have a friend who runs a bar here, we can crash there for the night,” Kat said, pulling the small bag she carried on her back down and pulling a large piece of fabric out of it. She tossed it to Vex, who caught it easily and looked down at it with a frown.

“What’s this for?”

“It’s a cloak, you’ll want to pull the hood up over your horns before we head into town,” Kat replied, checking through her bag quickly before throwing it back over her shoulder, one of her hands moving to rest on the hilt of her sword. 

Vex frowned. “Why do I need to hide my horns? What’s wrong with horns?” 

Kat snorted, shooting Vex an amused look before stepping closer, taking the cloak into her own hands and throwing it around Vex’s shoulders. “Because, like most places in this kingdom, this village isn’t very hybrid friendly. Or god friendly, for that matter.”

Vex blinked, trying not to get distracted by Kat fastening the cloak at their neck. “Hybrids are still a thing?”

Kat stepped back, surveying her work with a nod. “Of course they are. What, did you think they would just die out while you were asleep? People are just a lot… less tolerant of u- them now.”

Vex frowned, opening their mouth to ask what Kat had been about to say instead of them, but Kat turned away from them, facing back towards the village. 

“Anyways, we can spend the night here and continue on tomorrow into the mountains. Does that sound good?”

Vex simply nodded, watching Kat for a moment longer before following the human down the hill and into the bustling streets of the village below. Townspeople were everywhere, selling goods and buying food and talking and laughing. A few spared the newcomers a glance, but no one tried to talk to them or anything. Vex made sure to keep a tight hold on the hem of their hood.

Kat turned down a side alley, rounded a corner, jumped a fence, and finally stopped in front of an old wooden door. Vex glanced around the street they had finally stopped on, frowning at the view. The buildings were old and crumbling, and the few people out on the streets gave them wary looks before quickly turning to walk away. Vex swallowed, turning back to Kat, who had one hand raised to the handle of the door.

“Kat, I don’t know-”

But before Vex could finish their sentence, the door was swinging open, spilling warm light, the smell of food, and the sounds of music and laughter out into the street. Kat glanced over her shoulder, giving Vex a grin before moving inside.

“Welcome to a hybrid bar, Vex.”

Vex stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind them. The small pub was packed, full of people eating and drinking, laughter bubbling from every corner. The whole space was washed in a golden glow from the lanterns overhead, and a band was playing an upbeat tune to one side of a dance floor. People were dancing in pairs, all of them laughing and talking and shouting to be heard over the music and everyone else. It wasn’t the environment that pulled Vex in; no, it was the people. Or, more specifically, the people’s unique features.

One couple was spinning on the dance floor, the shorter woman sweeping a catlike tail around behind her as she moved, the catlike ears sticking out of her puffy hair twitching in time with her laughter. The taller woman spinning her laughed back, the small wings poking out from her short hair flapping in time with the music. A group was sitting at one of the tables in the corner, curled rams horns and dragonfly wings and deer antlers catching Vex’s attention. Almost everyone here was a hybrid.

Vex wondered distantly how Kat had discovered a place like this.

“Ellio!”

Vex turned around, catching sight of Kat who had made her way across the room and was now leaning against the bar, grinning at the man who stood behind the counter. He grinned right back, the large brown and white wings on his back swaying slightly to the music.

Vex hurried over, giving the man a smile which he easily returned.

“Hey Kitkat, it’s been a while!” Vex thought she caught Ellio shooting a glance over Kat’s shoulders, the corner of his mouth twitching down like he didn’t find what he was looking for. But a moment later, the expression was gone and he was smiling brightly again. “What’s the occasion?”

“I was just passing through and was wondering if I could have my usual room,” Kat said, looking more laid back than Vex had ever seen her. She was leaning on her elbows against the counter, her shoulders relaxed and her face open.

Ellio raised an eyebrow, smiling. “You know the rules. The room for a song, just like we agreed.”

Kat made a big show out of sighing, but a grin was still pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Fine, fine. But I want to sing my song.”

Ellio just laughed, waving over to where the band had taken a break, talking amongst themselves as the dancers paused too. “Ya, ya. Just give us a show. And Kat, if you ever want to take me up on that offer-”

“Ellio, you’re really kind for always offering, but you know I don’t use them anymore,” Kat cut him off, giving a tight smile before turning and walking away without another word. Vex watched her go, frowning as Kat began to speak to the band members, who were grinning and nodding quickly. 

Ellio sighed, turning away from the counter and busying himself with the drinks. Vex opened their mouth to ask what that had been about, but before they could, the sound of strings started up again. Glancing over, Vex did a double take, staring at the person who was now standing next to the band. Kat had positioned herself on top of a box and was grinning, waving at a few of the dancers who called greetings to her.

Then Kat began to sing.

“Like carillon bells, the house of Augustus rings

With the echoing hymn of my fellow passerine, they took to it

Like a fox to a burrow, like an eagle to an aerie 

And my god, it’s getting hard to even hum a single thing

Cause you were the song that I'd always sing

You were the light that the fire would bring

But I can't shake this feeling that I was only

Pushing the spear into your side again.”

Vex watched, completely fixated on Kat as she sang. The dancers had started back up again, and everyone was still eating and drinking and laughing, but the only thing Vex could see was Kat. Her eyes were closed as she swayed, a smile spreading across her face with each new verse. The melody reminded Vex of the sea, the sound of waves crashing against a warm beach, trees swaying in a summer breeze. It reminded them of birds flying through a blue sky, calling to each other as they dove and circled. It reminded them of a smile hidden behind a hand and a spark in Kat’s eyes as she leapt into a fight, her grin so wild and so real. 

Oh, Vex was so, so screwed.

“ When he comes a knocking at my door

What am I to do, what am I to do, oh lord

When the cold wind rolls in form the north

What am I to do, what am I to do, oh lord.”

The song came to an end and the dancers erupted into applause, yelling and cheering as Kat jumped down from her box, grinning sheepishly. She hurried back through the crowded pub, coming to a stop in front of the counter and quickly catching her breath, shooting Ellio a triumphant grin.

“How was that?” She asked, looking like she already knew the answer. 

“As amazing as always, Kitkat,” Ellio said with a smile, sweeping an arm toward a door to the left of the bar. “The keys are already inside.”

Kat gave Ellio a quick thanks before grabbing Vex’s wrist, pulling them past the bar and through the door. Kat led them up a flight of stairs, pausing at the fifth door on the left. She turned the handle, which gave a small click before releasing the lock, letting the door swing inwards into the small room. The room was almost entirely bare except for a nightstand, a coffee table, and a full bed in the corner. 

Oh shit.

“I can sleep on the floor if you don’t want to share,” Kat said quickly, averting her eyes and grabbing a key that sat on the coffee table. Vex opened their mouth before closing it again, trying to find words that would actually make sense together in a sentence.

“It’s fine if we share, I don’t- I don’t mind. As long as you’re comfortable with it,” Vex rushed out quickly, feeling their face heat up. Kat gave them a small smile, turning the key in the lock with a click.

“Alright. But you better not kick me, or I’m pushing you off the bed.”

If Vex smiled, even as their face turned hotter, no one had to know. And if, late into the night, Vex awoke to a small body pressed up against theirs, one of their arms wrapped around Kat’s waist, well. 

No one had to know but Vex. 

Chapter Text

Kat sighed, craning her neck back to look up at the imposing mountains towering above her. Sure, Kat had crossed this mountain range plenty of times, but it never failed to look intimidating. The peaks stretched into the clouds, disappearing into the layers of white and gray that swirled overhead. 

“A storm’s coming,” Kat muttered, more to herself than to the person next to her.

“A storm? That’s… not ideal,” Vex mused, reaching up to tug at a curl of red hair, a worried expression pulling at their face. 

Kat raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “What, afraid of a little thunder?”

“No,” Vex said quickly, shooting Kat a glare before turning back to look up at the clouds. 

“The rain though… that might be a small problem.”

“What, are you allergic to rain?” Kat asked, laughing a little. Vex didn’t respond.

“Vex. Are you fucking allergic to rain?”

“Ok, it’s not really an allergy,” Vex said quickly, fiddling with the fabric of their cloak. “It’s more like- if I’m out in the rain too much I die.”

“WHAT??!”

Vex threw their hands up defensively. “It’s not my fault, ok? I’m a fireborn god, I’m good with heat and stuff. But water…”

Kat dropped her face into her hands, letting out a groan. “Oh, we’re so screwed.”

…………………………….

They had barely cleared the first range before the drizzle began. Kat glanced up, closing her eyes as she felt the tiny drops land on her cheeks and forehead. Vex, on the other hand, hissed, wrapping their arms protectively around themselves while glaring upwards. Everywhere rain landed, Vex’s skin let off a sizzling sound. Steam had begun to rise from the god before they managed to find a cave to crash in for the night.

And by crash, Kat meant that literally. The moment Vex stumbled into the cave they fell over, landing in a heap on the cold ground. Kat rushed forward, hovering awkwardly over them, not sure what to do exactly.

“Is there anything worth hunting up here?” Vex croaked, slowly turning over to lie on their back instead of their stomach. “I should be fine in a few minutes, but we should think about dinner.”

Kat nodded quickly, turning back to look out at the world outside. The rain was coming down in sheets now, limiting visibility and turning everything gray. “I think so. I don’t have a hunting weapon though.”

There was a flash of red, and Kat turned to see Vex, their bow in their hand and held out towards her. Kat stared, mouth slightly open.

“But you said-”

“Take it,” Vex insisted, pulling the quiver off of their back as they shifted to lean against one of the walls of the cave. They were looking better already, but they definitely wouldn’t be able to go out and hunt themselves. 

Kat nodded slowly, taking the bow carefully in her hand and securing the quiver over her shoulder. She stood up quickly, shooting Vex one more look before making her way back to the entrance of the cave.

“Just remember,” Vex called after her, “you damage it, I’ll know.”

Kat just rolled her eyes, taking a moment to steel herself before stepping out into the rain. She shivered as the cold water soaked through her hair and clothing, covering her head to toe as she crept through the trees beyond the cave. 

About an hour later Kat found herself drenched, crouching behind a bush, bow held tightly in hand and eyes scanning her surroundings. Her back was screaming at her to lay down, to stop moving and bending at the waist, but Kat ignored the pain, spotting a single squirrel hurrying through a tree over her head. Ever so slowly, Kat reached over her shoulder to grab an arrow. 

A pained cry escaped her lips as her back stung in pain, and Kat dropped to her knees on the soggy forest floor, hissing as she dropped the arrow back into the quiver. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. Thinking back, Kat couldn’t remember the last time she had kept the binding on for this long. It probably wasn’t good for them…

Gritting her teeth, Kat moved to stand, stumbling into a tree and nearly falling over when pain arched through her spine. Kat’s grip on the bow in her hand tightened as she slid down the tree, landing in a heap on the ground. Everything hurt, and she could barely move through the pain. 

I’ve got to get back before I freeze to death.

Kat tried to push herself to her feet again, but every attempt to get back to standing proved pointless. She rested her head back against the tree trunk behind her, blinking raindrops out of her eyes and letting out a rattling sigh.

The bow in her hand seemed to warm under her palm, and Kat moved her head ever so slightly, glancing down at the weapon. It was made of dark wood with a red leather wrapping for her hand. Intricate patterns were carved up and down the wood, creating circles and waves and shapes Kat didn’t even know.

Suddenly, an idea pushed its way through her foggy brain, catching her attention through the pain filling her head. 

Vex’s words floated through her head, the last thing they had called before Kat had left. 

“You damage it, I’ll know.”

Slowly, her hand shaking, Kat reached into one of her pouches, pulling out a small, thin knife.  Gritting her teeth against the jolt of pain that had gone through her back at the movement, Kat moved the tip of the knife carefully towards the wood of the bow.

She managed to slit a small, thin cut into the dark wood before her hand spasmed, the knife falling to the forest floor as she held back a pained whimper. Kat could feel her body giving out, spiting her for the bad treatment and lack of attention she spared to any of her physical needs. Her vision had begun to fade when a bright red flash blinded her. Blinking through the white, Kat realized she was no longer being rained on. She was in a warm space, and strong hands were wrapped around her arms, keeping her  from falling over.

“I told you not to- oh my god, oh god-”

Kat managed to snort, swaying on her feet as Vex panicked. The moment Vex let go of her, Kat slumped to the floor, nearly hitting her head on the stone if Vex hadn’t caught her at the last second.

“Oh my god, Kat, what happened? What can I do?”

Kat managed to point towards where another knife was strapped to her thigh, gritting out, “take it. Cut the bottom of my shirt off, and cut through the bandages underneath.”

When Vex just stared at her in confusion, Kat managed a small, weak, “please.”

That seemed to Vex out of whatever stupor they had been in and they jumped into action almost immediately, moving Kat so she was leaning on her side against the cave wall, her back to Vex and the knife. Kat felt the moment the bandages were gone, felt the moment the small wings on her lower back stretched out, twitching and fluttering in the cold cave air. Kat heard Vex let out a small gasp, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“You really never guessed? I wasn’t really very good at hiding it, you know?”

Instead of answering, Kat felt a warm hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. “How long have you had them bound?”

“Mmm maybe a week? Longer?”

Vex gasped again, and Kat resisted the urge to flinch away. That was just what she needed right now, disappointment. But instead of making any comments, Kat felt Vex shift behind her, the sound of rustling cloth filling the cave for a moment. A second later, a warm cloak was being draped over Kat’s shoulders, the black and white of it all too familiar.

“Vex-”

“Lean back.”

Kat didn’t argue, just leaned back until her back was pressed against Vex’s chest, the god’s arms coming to wrap around Kat’s waist carefully, hesitantly. Kat opened her mouth to ask what they were doing, but then Vex began to glow.

Kat watched with wide eyes and a fire seemed to leap into existence under Vex’s skin, warmth slowly trickling into Kat’s body from where she was pressed up against the god.

“We can talk about it later. I’m not mad that you didn’t tell me, I’m just a little upset that you’ve had them bound for that long. What if you make them unusable?”

That started a small laugh out of Kat, though there wasn’t a bit of joy in the sound. “I don’t even know how to fly, Vex. How can I use them if I can’t even fly?”

Vex just sighed, and Kat felt them rest their chin against the top of her head.

“Oh to sleep, Kat.”

“But what about dinner-”

“Sleep.”

Well. Kat couldn’t really argue with that. She leaned farther into Vex’s chest, letting out a sigh as her eyes fluttered shut. Maybe there were a few upsides to having the god around. For one, now Kat had a built in fireplace. 

For another - she didn’t want to dare think it, but maybe… 

Maybe it meant she had someone around who cared about her. 

Chapter Text

The first thing Kat noticed when she woke up was how warm she was. A heavy weight was resting around her waist and she was leaning back against a solid yet soft thing. The second thing Kat noticed was that her wings were free. 

Kat shifted, groaning slightly as her wings jostled against the thing she was leaning against. A moment later, the thing moved. 

“Mornin’ bitch,” Vex’s voice muttered from behind her, startling Kat into a yelp. 

“Goddammit don’t scare me like that,” Kat grumbled, craning her neck to glare over her shoulder at Vex. She froze almost instantly, intaking a sharp breath. Vex’s face was barely a few inches away from her, their eyes blinking sleepily down at her and their mouth slightly open. Kat could feel Vex’s warm breath on her face and she made herself pull away quickly, rolling off of Vex’s lap and landing with a groan on her back on the ground. Vex laughed softly, rubbing the last of sleep from their eyes before pushing themselves to their feet.

“Come on, we should get going. The rain’s stopped, and if we leave now, we can probably get to Haven before dusk.”

Kat frowned, pushing herself to her feet and picking her sword up off the floor. “Haven?”

Vex winced, frowning. “Oops. Ya, Haven’s the place we’re heading.”

Kat just nodded, wrapping a small cloak around her shoulders that she had pulled from her bag, settling the satchel over her shoulder and readjusting her sword at her hip. Turning, she gave Vex a raised eyebrow, grinning.

“You ready?”

………………………………..

Vex really didn’t know what to think about what had happened the night before. If they were being honest, they really didn’t want to think about it at all. Because thinking about it meant acknowledging that the interaction had happened, and Vex would probably die from embarrassment if they had to accept that. Kat had fallen asleep on them. And stayed there. 

Vex shook themselves, stealing their nerves and making their way out of the cave, following Kat as the human walked along the path they had been on the day before. The rain had truly gone overnight, leaving the forest due covered and bright from the morning sun. Birds called and flew overhead, and Vex didn’t miss the way Kat’s wings fluttered every time one of them passed. 

“What kind of hybrid are you?” Vex blurted before they could truly think through the bluntness of the question. But Kat just sighed, shooting vex a small frown as the god hurried to catch up to her, walking along beside her. 

“I’m a nightingale, it’s a type of passerine. Normally they don’t come in blue, but…” Kat just gestured over her shoulder, ruffling her wings under the short cloak. The azul blue feathers peaked out just under the edge of the cloak, catching in spots of sunlight like jewels. 

“They’re really something.”

Kat just scoffed, adjusting the cloak tighter around her shoulders. “They’re what got me kicked out of my family. So ya, something.”

Vex wanted to ask about that, but caught sight of Kat’s closed off expression and thought better of it. They walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the rustling of the leaves and the birds in the branches above. Vex started to notice a pattern between the bird calls and Kat’s wings, how only certain calls and chirps made the feathers rustle and puff out. Vex guessed they were probably nightingales or other passerines making those sounds. 

After a long moment, Kat let out a sigh, turning to glare at Vex. “I can practically hear your thoughts.”

Vex blanched, looking quickly away and focusing intently on the dirt under their feet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m the only hybrid in my family.”

Vex looked up quickly, trying to meet Kat’s eyes again, but Kat was staring resolutely ahead of them, her back straight and her shoulders forcibly relaxed. Vex didn’t dare speak, waiting for Kat to continue.

“When my wings manifested, my parents were… less than pleased. They had a small fortune and were popular in a kingdom that I refuse to go back to, and I was supposed to be their heir or whatever. But the moment my wings appeared, they tossed me to the side. Their next kid, my little brother? He’s their new heir. And once they got sick of seeing me around their house, they just- kicked me out. Tossed out their door and then shut it in my face. Been on my own since.”

Vex nodded, not sure what to say to something like that. Well, might as well trade trauma for trauma.

“My mom tried to kill me when I was a baby.”

Kat nearly tripped in surprise, turning to stare wide eyed at Vex. “What?”

Vex laughed, rubbing their next awkwardly. “Ya, that’s a fun story. You know not all gods just, like, appeared? Some of us came from people who simply manifest such a raw power throughout their lives that it was enough to make their children full immortals. My mother was a pretty… shit person, honestly, so it was a shock to absolutely no one that her kid turned out to be the god of literal chaos and fear. I feel like she should’ve seen that one coming. Anyways, she tried to stab me the moment she realized what I was. She couldn’t of course, because, ya know. God.” 

Kat nodded, looking thoroughly confused but too scared to ask. Vex just smiled, feeling a little accomplished. They had managed to shift the conversation to a more lighthearted note, and Kat seemed to be appreciative of that. As they walked, she started listing off the bird calls that sounded from the woods, occasionally mimicking the calls back and smiling softly when the birds replied. Vex couldn’t help but smile whenever she did this. The look of pure joy and relief that flashed across Kat’s face every time the birds responded made Vex’s heart ache, and they wondered distantly how long it had been since Kat was able to be this open with someone. 

Suddenly, a twig snapped in the forest to their right, and Vex froze, turning to stare into the trees around them. They didn’t realize how long they had been walking for, but the sun had already begun to set, casting thick and thin shadows through the forest and cutting the trees into strips of light and dark. Vex caught sight of a shadow moving slowly towards them through the trees, the figure lean and tall, seeming to sway slightly as they crept closer. More shuffling sound from their other side and Vex felt Kat move behind them, pressing their backs together to face both threats at once. 

The two figures converged on them at once, and Vex blinked, finally getting a good look at the person in front of her. It was a young woman, dressed in a loose blue tunic and brown pants. Her deep pink hair was woven into a loose braid over one shoulder, and Vex realized the swaying they had seen were ears. Rabbit’s ears, sticking up out of the woman’s head and twitched slightly as she surveyed Vex warily. 

Another figure came into view from behind them, and Vex nearly jumped out of their skin if not for the familiar features of the person. They couldn’t help the grin that broke across their face as they opened their arms towards the newcomer.

“Dully!”

Dully grinning in surprise, their orange hair shifting falling slightly into their face as they tilted their head to the side. Their eyes were hidden behind a white blindfold, as they had always been, but their smile was as visible as ever.

“Well I’ll be damned. So you are alive, V. This sure is a surprise.” Dully frowned, nodding towards Kat, who was now standing at Vex’s shoulder and staring down the hybrid in front of them. 

“Who’s the human? Also, where the hell have you been?”

Chapter Text

Kat was, understandably, a little fucking confused.

She tightened her grip on her sword, glancing warily between Vex and the two newcomers in front of them. The woman with the rabbit’s ears looked a little bored, glancing around and bouncing on the balls of her feet. The person next to her was… a little more confusing. 

Dully, as Vex had called them, had bright orange hair cut short and framing their face, curls going every which way. A white blindfold covered their eyes from view, and what looked like goat ears were flicking on either side of their head, the fur a soft green, matching the single leaf that was somehow sticking up out of their hair. They were dressed in green and brown robes, a small white shawl throne over one shoulder and a tight belt around their waist. Their energy was… strange, to say the least. Kat couldn’t quite figure out what they were. 

Dully turned their attention from Vex, who was muttering excuses about comas and hybernations, to Kat, grin widening as Kat’s grip tightened on her sword.

“You’re a nightingale hybrid, right? It’s been a while since we’ve had any of your kind around here, welcome! I’m Dully, this is my partner Kinny. Who might you be?”

Kat frowned, not quite sure whether to answer or not. Luckily (or maybe unluckily), Vex answered for her.

“This is Kat, my- uh- my guide, I guess.” 

Kat just nodded, slowly sheathing her sword. “If guide means kidnapper, then sure. I’m that.”

Dully just smiled, nodding quickly before turning around and walking away down the path, Kinny following close behind. Kat exchanged a look with Vex, who gave her a comforting grin before moving to follow. Taking a deep breath, Kat followed behind as well, walking after the three deeper into the forest.

…………………………

“Wow.”

Kinny grinned over at Kat, raising an eyebrow at her. “Cool, right?”

Kat schooled her expression, settling for a nonchalant shrug. “I guess.”

The truth was Kat was almost struck speechless. Haven was a small village, carefully tucked into the forest and completely hidden from view to anyone who wasn’t looking. Small houses dotted the grassy clearing in front of them, farms and gardens and flower pots placed haphazardly around. Tree branches reached high overhead, creating a slotted canopy over the entire clearing, shading everything in a cool green.

Vex nudged Kat’s arm, shooting her a grin. “Welcome to Haven, the only safe place left. Apparently.” 

Kat snorted, moving to speak, but a yell cut her off. The sound split the scenic clearing in half, startling Kat into reaching for her sword again, but neither Dully or Kinny seemed to move, not looking at all startled. 

Suddenly, a small shape burst out of a bush near the edge of the clearing, screaming and running straight at Kinny. It was a kid, Kat realized, dressed in a loose gray tunic and pants. His feet were bare and his white hair blowing into his eyes from the speed he was going. Suddenly, a burst of bright blue flames appeared in his right hand, contrasting drastically with his deep umber skin tone. Before Kat could move, the kid was yelling another war cry, throwing the ball of fire right at Dully with a manic grin spread across his face.

Dully just sighed, reaching up and smacking the fireball out of the air. The flames sputtered out before they could touch the ground, and the kid came to a skidding halt, glaring with dual colored eyes up at Dully. 

“That’s unfair, how do you always manage to know when I’m coming?” The kid asked in annoyance, his red eye flashing slightly brighter than his blue eye for just a moment before returning to a soft glow again. 

Dully just laughed, crossing their arms over their chest defiantly. “Cause I’m awesome. Phelpe, where’s your-”

“Oh my gods Phelpe, not again!”

Another voice cut through the clearing, a second figure hurrying towards them from deeper in the village. They were tall, their white hair hanging in curls around their head. Large red horns like a bull stuck out of either side of their head, framing their face alongside matching bull ears. They were dressed in a white open neck poet shirt and blue pants, a thick red belt tied tightly around their waist. They looked almost the exact same to how Kat had seen them so long ago, except they were missing the distinctive black tricorn hat that used to sit on top of their white curls.

“Shou?”

The person looked up, eyes passing over each of the people in front of them in confusion before landing on Kat. Their eyes went wide and a grin slowly spread across their face as they hurried forwards, arms outstretched as if for a hug.

“Oh my gods, Kat, is that you? It’s been so long!”

Kat couldn’t help but grin, allowing Shou to wrap her in a tight hug before pulling back. “Ya ya, it’s been maybe four years? Where have you been? I stopped hearing from your ship and I feared the worst.”

Shou sighed, glancing over with a smile at Phelpe, who had gone back to arguing with Dully. 

“It’s… a long story,” they said, smiling sadly as they watched the kid laugh at something Kinny had said. Vex had gone over to stand near the other two, looking over to give Kat a small smile before turning back to them. Kat turned back to Shou, smiling.

“Well, I have time. Why don’t you give me a tour and we can talk about it?”

………………………………..

“I found him on one of my routine scouting trips.”

Kat hummed, glancing around the village as they walked through it. Shou waved to the few people who passed them, a smile still on their face as they went. 

“He was… well, he was like no kid I’d ever seen, you could see that much,” Shou continued, chuckling softly. “He looked about the same back then as he does now, if maybe a little smaller. Just as powerful back then as he is now too. He’s… well, I realized quickly that, not only had he been abandoned to die, he was also a god.”

Kat sucked in a breath, turning to Shou with alarm. “A new one? How is that even possible?”

Shou just shrugged, shooting her a wry grin. “I don’t know, but that’s just how it is. I can only assume that he was born the same way Vex and a few others were. Sheer human will.”

Kat nodded, watching one of the passersby as they walked past. The woman had long black hair that had been pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore a black dress that flowed around her ankles as she walked. She looked almost ethereal, not even real. Almost like a ghost.  

“Anyways, I couldn’t just leave him there,” Shou continued, pulling Kat’s attention away from the passing woman. “So I brought him onto the ship. Then, the next time I happened to stop by Haven, Dully offered me a place to stay. I’ve been here since, raising him and making sure he doesn’t burn the whole forest down in a tantrum.”

“Why here though?” Kat asked, frowning as they reached the end of the nestled cottages. “What’s so special about this place?”

Shou smiled out at the village spread out in front of them, a soft look in their eyes. “The old gods? What’s left of them at least, they’re all here. Haven isn’t just a safe place for hybrids, it’s the last safe hiding place for the most dangerous gods of our world.”

Chapter Text

Phelpe eventually wandered off to find Shou, leaving Vex alone with Dully and Kin. 

“Soooo,” Vex said, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over them. “Who else is around? Anyone I know?”

Dully grinned, a look of pure mischief that Vex hadn’t seen in ages. They raised an eyebrow, nodding towards one of the houses near the edge of the clearing, pushing right up against the barrier of trees. 

“Potentially.” 

Vex followed Dully as they started off in that direction, Kinny excusing herself before heading towards a different house farther into the clearing. Studying the house in front of them, Vex realized there was smoke rising from a chimney set into the thatched roof, familiar purple and red sparks dancing in the smoke before fading into the sky. A smile rose to Vex’s lips as they made their way to the front door, Dully pushing it open and walking inside without waiting to see if Vex had followed.

Vex stepped into the small cottage and was immediately enveloped in the familiar scents of lavender, honey, and smoke. Glancing around the space, Vex couldn’t help but grin, taking in all the familiar books and trinkets lying on every available surface space. Of course Disaster never got around to cleaning. 

A thud and a curse rung through the small space, making Vex jump. Turning, they watched with a grin as a small figure pushed themselves to their feet, scowling as they brushed dust and ash off of their tunic. When they finally looked up, the god’s bright purple eyes went wide, looking between Vex and Dully several times before laughing giddily.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Disaster murmured, walking quickly around the cauldron set up in the middle of the room and stopping in front of Vex, pulling them into a tight hug. Vex just laughed, hugging back and grinning into the smaller god’s black curls. 

“I’m surprised you’re still alive,” Vex said once they pulled back, raising an eyebrow at Disaster. Disaster just glared back goodnaturedly, the corners of their mouth twitching up into a slow grin.

“Bold of you to assume anything can take me out.”

The sound of tapping made Vex look up, their body stiffening as their eyes scanned for the cause of the noise. Disaster just grinned though, walking over to a small window set in the wall, pulling the glass open and stepping back. Before Vex could question this, a crow had flown through the opening, landing on the edge of the cauldron and fixing Disaster with an appraising look.

Disaster through their hands up indignantly. “Don’t give me that look! It’s not my fault the window always closes when I’m working.”

The crow gave a grumpy huff before there was a burst of feathers, smoke briefly encompassing Vex’s vision before clearing, revealing a figure standing next to Disaster, arms crossed and a glare fixed on the god.

“You know you could actually prop it open like I suggested,” the newcomer huffed, switching their glare from Disaster to the cauldron next to them, carefully picking up a few stray lavender buds and tossing them into the boiling mixture. “It needs more spice or you’re not gonna get it right.”

Disaster sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose before seeming to remember the others in the room. Vex shot a glance at Dully, who had been watching the two with barely restrained amusement. 

“Em,” Dully spoke up, catching the person’s attention. The witch - because she was clearly a witch, no other type of person could shapeshift like that - looked up with a frown, gaze bouncing from Dully to Vex, where they paused.

“Oh. Hello.”

Vex offered a small wave, shuffling awkwardly in place. Em returned the wave before moving back to their potion, carefully filling bottles with the deep purple liquid. Dully laughed lightly, patting Vex on the shoulder and turning back towards the door.

“Don’t worry about Em, they’ll warm up to you eventually,” Dully said easily, letting the door fall shut behind them as they left the house. Vex hummed noncommittally, giving Dully a searching look. Something was off. The other god’s energy wasn’t how it used to be, almost like-

 “Dully.”

“Hm?” Dully said easily, moving to pick an orange poppy from a small patch near the trees. Vex hesitated, unsure of how to phrase their question.

“What happened to you?”

Dully paused, the poppy held loosely in the hand. Then they straightened up, fixing Vex with a tired smile. “That’s a long story. You might want to sit for this one.”

Vex complied, leaning back against a tree and watching as Dully did the same, spinning the poppy idly in their hand as they sighed. 

“A few years ago,” Dully started, “I met Kinoki. She was… unlike any mortal I had ever met before. I was in disguise at the time, so she didn’t know I was a god, but once she found out she just- didn’t care. We became friends and eventually… more. She proposed about a year ago now.”

Vex nodded, glancing down at the ring on Dully’s left hand. They had never noticed it before, but the small band of gold shone in the sunlight, winking up at Vex as Dully’s hands continued to spin the poppy around. 

“Then, a few weeks after that… Kin was stabbed.”

Vex sucked in a breath, their gaze snapping up to Dully’s face, but the god’s expression remained passive. 

“Dully, what did you do?”

“Did you know that we have the power to bring mortals back from the brink of death?” Dully said instead, their veiled gaze set resolutely on the flower in their hands. “It’s easy, really. We just have to push our own immortal power into them to bring them back to life.”

“You didn’t…” Vex whispered, dread pooling in their stomach. Finally, Dully looked up, meeting Vex’s eyes from behind their blindfold. 

“I would do it again. For the person I love, I would do it a thousand times over.” There wasn’t an ounce of regret in their voice as they spoke, only cold certainty. 

‘’How long do you have left?” Vex asked, not wanting to hear the answer but needing it all the same.

“I’ll probably live to a decent human age, maybe 90,” Dully replied conversationally, like they weren’t talking about their death. “I’ll get to spend the rest of my shorter life with Kin. I wouldn’t have wanted anything else anyway.”

Vex exhaled, leaning back against the tree and closing their eyes. This was too much, too quickly. Dully, one of Vex’s oldest friends, wouldn’t even live another hundred years, while Vex might be living for another two millenia. 

“What are these people gonna do without you?”

Dully just smiled wryly, reaching out and tucking the poppy behind one of Vex’s pointed ears. 

“They’ll do what humans have always done; they’ll keep on going. It’s their nature. Now come on, we should get going. We gotta find your little mortal before Phelpe tries to set them on fire for talking with Shou.”

Vex huffed out a laugh, getting to their feet and following Dully away from the trees, leaving the small patch of orange poppies swaying in the breeze behind them. 

Chapter Text

By the time Vex found Shou, Dully had left to find Kin. To their surprise, Vex realized Kat wasn’t with Shou anymore, instead Shou was watching Phelpe as the boy was playing with a stray cat. Shou glanced up at Vex’s approach, smiling warmly before turning their attention back to the kid. Phelpe was stroking the cat gently, smiling almost sweetly as the cat purred in response.

“I didn’t know the menace could be sweet,” Vex joked, moving to sit next to Shou, back resting against a tree trunk. Shou laughed, reaching up to brush a few stray curls away from their eyes.

“It’s always fun to see him happy,” Shou replied, their eyes softening as they watched the boy. Vex followed their gaze, watching the young - god? Immortal? - whisper to the cat in his lap, grinning with sharp teeth. 

“How- I mean, I know that gods can come from anywhere, but there hasn’t been a new god in centuries. How is he here?”

Shou sighed, gaze not leaving Phelpe. For a second, Vex thought they weren’t going to answer, but then they spoke.

“I have a theory, but… I don’t know, I don’t have any way to prove it.”

Vex frowned, waiting for Shou to continue.

“Dully told you about how they gave up their immortality to save Kin, right?” At Vex’s nod, Shou sighed. “If I have my timing right, it was only about a few days later that I found Phelpe.”

Vex frowned, looking back towards the kid. Was Shou implying…

“You think that he got Dully’s gift,” Vex said suddenly, eyes widening at the thought. “Like, when Dully lost their immortality and godly power, it reincarnated as another god?”

Shou nodded, running a hand absently through their white hair. “I think that the universe likes everything to be balanced. One immortal dies, another must be born. A god loses their powers, a new god will take their place.”

“The circle of life,” Vex murmured, looking back at Phelpe. Now they didn’t only see a little boy though, they saw the future. Hope, even.

“Of course, I can’t confirm anything yet,” Shou said quickly, waving a hand through the air. “We don’t really know what Phelpe’s godly powers are. If they’re anything like Dully’s, well… we’ll be in for a treat.”

Vex snorted, leaning back so their head rested against the tree trunk as well. “Ya, no shit. I’d like to be far away when that shit show happens.”

Shou snorted, and the pair fell into a comfortable silence, watching the small god as he played with the stray cat. Suddenly, Vex jumped to their feet, remembering why they had come to find Shou in the first place.

“Kat! Where did she go?”

Shou smiled knowingly up at them, raising an eyebrow. “She wanted to talk with Phantom, I’d assume they’re in her cottage.”

“Phantom?” Vex asked, blinking. “Phantom is here too?”

Shou rolled their eyes, turning their attention back to Phelpe and making a shooing gesture at Vex. “All the gods are here, idiot. Now go find your girlfriend and stop bugging me.”

Vex didn’t even bother to argue with them, just turning on their heel and making their way back through the village. Why would Kat have gone to see Phantom of all people?

………………………………….

Kat looked up at the dark wood door in front of her, hand raised as if to knock. She hesitated only a second longer before steeling her nerves, wrapping softly on the wood. There was a faint shuffling from inside, then the door was swinging open, and Kat was face to face with the woman she had seen earlier. Same deep black hair, only now it was hanging loosely around her shoulders. She had changed her long black dress out for a gray tunic and black pants, and she frowned as she took in Kat standing in front of her.

“You’re the new mortal.”

The woman said it more as a statement than a question, but Kat nodded anyway. The woman let out a sigh, stepping back and gesturing for Kat to come inside.

“I suppose we have a lot to talk about, huh.”

Kat snorted, letting the door shut behind her and looking around the space. The room was comfy, pillows and blankets and soft carpets, floating lanterns bathing everything in a soft orange light. Black flowers sat in a vase near the door, and ash seemed to fall from them as Kat passed. 

“You’re the goddess of death, aren’t you? Phantom?”

The woman - Phantom, Kat supposed - just nodded, dropping into one of the piles of pillows with a sigh, gesturing towards a small table in front of her. 

“Indeed. And you want to know about your family. Care for some tea?”

Kat made her way farther into the room, sitting across the small table from Phantom and eyeing the teacups arrayed there. She finally settled on a small blue one, a chip missing from the top as though it had been dropped at some point. Phantom picked up a cup of her own, taking a small sip of tea before focusing on Kat.

“I need a name. Who am I looking for?”

Kat swallowed, clutching her teacup a little tighter and she steadied her nerves. 

“Sam. My brother.” 

Phantom nodded, taking another sip of her tea before setting the cup down. She stared into it for a long minute, as though she could read something in the swirls of liquid and steam. 

“Sam is alive. He is… well, I can’t really tell, something’s off. But he’s definitely alive.”

Kat let out a long breath, her eyes closing for a moment. Sam was alive. Which meant she hadn’t failed him yet. 

“Thank you.”

Phantom smiled, her black eyes showing an almost warm shine to them. Suddenly, she tilted her head, frowning.

“Someone's coming- oh.”

Before Kat could say anything, the front door swung open, revealing Vex standing on the other side, grinning as their eyes landed on Kat. Kat couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her own lips at the sight of the god. 

“Kat! There you are, I thought we lost you for a second. Come on, we should get settled for the night.”

Kat nodded, getting to her feet and making her way towards the door. She paused right before stepping through, turning to look back at Phantom.

“Thank you, again. You don’t know how much this changes things.”

Phantom smiled knowingly, glancing between Vex and Kat before getting to her feet and picking up her teacup. 

“One last bit of advice, Kat. Listen to your heart, don’t try to ignore your emotions. I never got the chance to tell my love how much I cared about him, and he’s gone now. Don’t waste your chance just because it might be scary.”

Kat nodded, her mouth dry and her cheeks feeling slightly pink. Phantom smiled again, shooing them out the door with a small laugh. 

“Now get lost. And get some sleep, you two!”

Kat followed Vex away from the cottage, refusing to meet the god’s eyes. She could feel Vex’s eyes burning into the back of her head, but she ignored it, glancing around instead.

“What was that about?” Vex asked, sounding more worried than curious.

“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Vex nodded, dropping the topic, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.