Reika shoved Kei into my arms, and all but demanded I watch her for a time. I wasn’t complaining, of course, I loved watching the rambunctious little fox-girl, it was just surprising. I’d been shaping a new sun in the Physical Realm – the idea was to create a galaxy, with the Tree and Pangaea as the galactic center – when Reika popped by, shoved a squirming Kei at me, and promptly vanished. Which left me alone in space, a just-finished sun before me and a half-divinity that was still figuring out her powers under my care.

  What was Reika thinking? As if I wasn’t going to use this as an excuse to act like a child.

  I looked at Kei. She had grown, looking nearly ten now, despite actually being closer to thirty.

  She looked back at me, framed against the light of the sun as she was, and grinned. Then she vanished in a soundless teleport.

  For anyone else, a teleporting child must sound like a nightmare. At times I, myself, questioned whether Reika knew what she was getting herself into when she made one of Kei’s tails out of elemental space-time, giving the little rascal nominal powers over it. She had certainly complained about it enough that I didn’t think so. For me, however, it just made our little game of “chase the brat” fun. I stepped forward and appeared right behind her as she crouched in a tree on Pangaea, giggling to herself as she tried to hide beneath a tree, well and truly convinced I had lost her.

  Oh, the sweet summer child.

  One shouted “boo” and a shriek of surprised glee later, and the chase was well and truly on.

  We hurtled through the Physical Realm, Kei leading and myself always one step behind. I kept back just enough to keep things fun, as you do with kids; matching her jukes, following her teleports, pretending like I’d lost her at times and catching her when necessary – only to let her squirm and slip away, so the chase could resume.

  We sprinted up mountains, Kei digging through the snow like a fish through water, creating intricate tunnel systems until I started pelting her with snowballs from a mountaintop away. She used illusions in increasingly creative ways to try and confound me, and I played along – waiting until she tried to sneak up on me to pounce on her, or until she had sufficiently hidden herself. Her mad giggles never ceased, even when I would catch her, squirming wildly before teleporting away.

  The only time I really admonished her was when she tried to hide in a small village of Karae, the young people wholly unsure of what to do with her presence. Even if they couldn’t see her, they could feel her, and that made them nervous.

  I promptly plucked her out of the village, reaching through a portal to drag her back to the jungle we’d been playing in, giving her a stern look that had her smiling sheepishly. A being as powerful as her, especially one who only had nominal control over her powers, was no less than hazardous to a young, impressionable people like they. I was positive my small lecture about it largely went over Kei’s head, but the way her ears and tails drooped made it clear she got the message. And then I promptly tossed her in a lake, to her delight, and the game resumed.

  The game of chase only ended when she tried, and failed, to set a trap for me. It was during one of the times where I let her think she’d given me the slip; I’d give her a few minutes to play around, hide herself, I’d find her, and then the chase would resume. Only this time, instead of hiding right away, she set about making a trap.

  I watched from a treetop, lounging on a tree branch and munching on a piece of fruit I’d picked up while Kei carefully crafted a pit of pink snow, covering it with branches arranged in a way that looked natural, but would collapse fairly easily. Then she cast her illusions around the entirety of the forest, no doubt an attempt to make me look everywhere but the innocuous pile of branches she was now standing on, perfectly balanced so that if anyone else stepped on the pit cover it would collapse, and send them hurtling into the pit of pink snow. And she, presumably, would leap away in time to avoid it – she’d gotten the hang of sensing my own teleports in the time we’d been playing.

  For a brief moment I debated rewarding her ingenuity by purposefully falling for her trap.

  Then I decided it would be far more amusing to make her fall in on her own.

  A snap of my fingers and a rumble in the earth set the pit to collapsing and Kei to tumbling into her own trap, falling face-first into the pink snow with a yelp. My laughter rung out through the forest as I descended from the treetops, devolving into a fit of uncontrollable giggles as Kei looked up at me, face painted pink.

  “Unfair, Grandpa!” she protested. I did the mature thing and stuck my tongue out at her. She wrinkled her nose, wiping her face off. “Rude! Now you have to help me get cleaned up, or else mom is gonna be mad at you!”

  “That she will.” I agreed, making a grabbing motion with one hand. She floated out of the pit, the snow melting and draining away as together we flew to the shores of a large lake, easily dozens of miles across, its waters crystal clear and pure. I could sense a myriad of spiritual plants growing within the waters, keeping things clean, their thriving no doubt a result of the crossing ley lines beneath the lake proper. A water spirit rose up to greet me as I lowered Kei into the water, poking its fishlike head above the surface to see if I needed anything. I waved it off with a smile, and promptly dunked Kei in the water.

  She spluttered. I cackled. And the pink came off.

  Ten minutes and one water-fight later, Kei and I sat just before the sandy beach, on a bed of mossy loam. She lay sprawled across my lap, eyelids heavy as I ran a comb through the orange fur of her tails. The water spirit watched us curiously, and Kei leaned into my touch, practically purring. I’d had many furry pets in a few of my previous lives. This felt a lot like petting a cat, especially when she yawned sleepily and sprawled out on the ground, her tails fanned out over my lap to give me easier reach. I shot her an amused look, ignoring the soreness of my own soul – too much work for this little incarnation, chasing Kei and forging suns – and continued to brush.

  “Someone’s coming,” Kei murmured, her ears flicking as she settled further into the soft, green, mossy ground. I nodded, setting aside the brush and admiring the scenery. It was peaceful here. The waters of the lake lapped gently at the shoreline, multicolored fish swimming in the dark waters. Birds flitted in the trees, singing happily, while bugs buzzed pleasantly, never bothering me despite their simple inquisitiveness. A snake watched us from the grass, its soul gleaming with the light of spiritual energy – it was close to awakening, and becoming something more…sapient. I smiled at it.

  “Indeed they are.” I’d noticed them a little bit ago, but hadn’t expected them to come our way. Actually, now that I thought about it…I traced back mine and Kei’s path through Pangaea and hummed thoughtfully. “It’s still weird,” I muttered.

  “What is?” Kei asked, rolling over to look at me better.

  “Being the one who karma guides people to, rather than the other way around.” I said, watching as Dei and Celene burst through the undergrowth, looking haggard and ready for a fight. Kei popped upright, staring at Dei with narrowed eyes, while I cast my senses outward, feeling his people nearly twenty miles away. They had been nomadic ever since the city fell, travelling where they could and even absorbing a few new tribes. There were even other races among them, elementals, avians, and a few karae mixing in with the fae. Pride tickled my heart; good for Dei. Even despite the chaos, he managed to still look out for others, despite being different species.

  I’d been worried about that.

  Something touched my hand and I looked down, smiling at the little snake that had come up to me, its eyes blinking slowly. I scratched its chin fondly, glad for its boldness.

  “Who…are you?” Dei asked, gripping his spear and eyes scanning the surroundings.

  “I am as I am,” I replied, restraining my aura to the maximum amount possible. Dei and his people visibly relaxed the second I did so, though they didn’t seem to notice.

  “Should we disappear?” Kei stage-whispered.

  “Not this time,” I told her with a slight shake of my head, layering the words with my power so only she could hear them. “They were guided to us through strings of karma. There is a difference between that, and hiding in an unconnected village.” My appearance in that village of Karae Kei had tried to hide in would have done far more harm than good – I could practically see the religious zealots that would appear out of it, their sight of the divine twisting and warped by their own…smallness.

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  The snake flicked its tongue out, distracting me from my thoughts as it curled into a ball by my leg, watching Dei warily. The man didn’t have any eyes for the spirit beast, however. He only stared at me, and Kei.

  “You…” Dei said slowly, meeting my eyes. He held my gaze for a brief moment, brows furrowed as if he recognized me. In an instant his eyes grew wide and his posture relaxed, glancing up at the boughs of the Life-Giving Tree above. A scar could still be seen on the Tree’s trunk, the bark cracked and broken, though mending. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Them? Dei, you know this man?” Celene asked, the black-haired woman stepping to stand beside him. She had grown far colder ever since her lover died, her blue eyes distant and frigid, her qi as white and wintery as a snowstorm. Frost curled around her hands reflexively, and it physically pained me to see her like this. Her fated lover was scheduled to be reincarnated in the next five years – having chosen to skip much of the afterlife in favor of reuniting with her – but it would probably be nearly another twenty after that before they really met again.

  She had so much growth to go through before their reunion could be a happy one…

  “I met one just like him, just before the Tree was attacked. She had his eyes,” Dei said, holding my gaze. Him? I glanced down at myself. Huh. I was a guy this time. Wasn’t I a woman last time I met him? I should really try to stay consistent for some of these meetings, it might be less confusing for the mortals.

  “His eyes?” Celene asked, meeting my gaze. She recoiled, bringing up her hands defensively, and Dei laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “They’re unmistakable, are they not? Sir, do you mind if we join you?” Dei asked slowly, gesturing toward us. I glanced at Kei; this was her time, not mine, but she was distracted. An illusion had fallen over her as she stalked forward, sniffing the air around the two Fae like a curious cat. Dei looked down at Kei, who appeared as little more than an orange fox to him, and frowned. “Seek nothing outside yourself.” He chanted, qi flaring and dispelling Kei’s illusion. He stiffened, clearly unsure what to make of her sudden change in appearance. She, however, just grinned at him, caught in the act of doing…whatever she was planning. Nothing good, I presumed.

  “You’re fun!” she chirped, dancing away.

  “Yes, you can sit,” I said with a chuckle, waving my hand. A fire sprung to life before me, the flames flickering merrily as it hung in the air. Another wave of my hand, and a pot of tea started warming itself over the flames.

  Dei carefully approached, sitting in a respectful, kneeling position across the fire from me, laying his spear to the side. Celene was far more cautious, even as she copied Dei. Both did their best to not react to Kei, who had taken to poking Dei with a stick like he was a particularly interesting animal. Considering these were the first mortals she had ever interacted with, that was probably not a far-off assumption.

  “How can I help you?” I asked.

  “We came running because there was a lot of power being thrown around. I thought someone was getting into a fight with a spirit beast and might need help. There were…a lot of illusions guarding the place.” Dei admitted. I huffed in amusement, glancing at Kei who shrugged helplessly.

  “That would be her fault, I’m afraid. She’s still learning to control her power.” I accused. Kei stuck her tongue out at me. Like the mature adult I was, I stuck my tongue out in retaliation.

  “…right.” Dei said. “…is the Tree alright?”

  “Quite alright. A little damaged, but it’s on the mend.” I replied, taking the teapot off and pouring myself a cup. The snake at my side flicked its tongue out, and I, after a brief moment of hesitation, set the cup down in front of it before making myself another cup. Ah, the little joys of being a god. I can never run out of cups. Or tea! Or booze, but that’s beside the point.

  “Good.” Dei said, nodding his head and shifting awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. I glanced at Celene, wanting to help her, but…her heart was closed off to me, and to anyone else. There was little I could actually do for her – even if I were to reincarnate her lover immediately it would likely send her into a spiral. No, she had to accept things herself, in her own time, at her own rate. I could give her little nudges, but nothing like how I wanted to. Dei, on the other hand…

  “You don’t have to tiptoe around me. Unlike Kei, I won’t bite,” I said. Dei flinched at my words and Kei bared her teeth dangerously, then fell over giggling, unable to hold the expression for too long. “But I can’t help you.”

  “What?” Dei asked.

  “From the moment you saw me, Dei, some part of you has been hoping for advice. For me to say something like ‘Seek nothing outside yourself,’ and give you a new power or understanding into the world.” I said, shaking my head. Dei sucked in a breath, leaning back, while Celene’s eyes snapped to me. “But you don’t need that. Those words? They mean nothing. You gave them meaning. You gave it purpose. And your understanding of them is constantly evolving. You expect me to say something that will give you enlightenment, when those words have already been said to you. You have everything you need to succeed right there.” I said, punctuating the sentence by jabbing a finger toward his chest. “You just need to start listening to it, now.”

  “Listening to it?” Dei asked as I stood. Things were starting to get a little sketchy here, Kei was getting restless and I needed to leave. My presence here would do nothing more for these two; it had introduced them to the Light, in their own ways. They need to absorb it in their own time.

  “Yes. Guidance is always given to those who ask, not with their mouths, but with their heart and soul.” I said, moving over to pick up Kei. She squirmed a bit but ultimately relented, pouting at me. I quieted her complaints with the promise of ice cream.

  “But…” Dei started, but I quieted him with a look and a soft smile. The angel Fu Hao, the one assigned to the physical realm, had been by to try and help Dei three times since her creation. All three times Dei had rejected her guidance. If he wanted to be the man he wanted to be, sometimes he needed to listen to people and things beyond himself and those directly around him. Ironically, seeking nothing outside yourself did not mean shutting out everyone else, after all. It meant all changes could be made by one’s self.

  The true trick was figuring out which advice to follow. Sometimes the mind tricked people into thinking its advice was correct, and came from the soul, when said advice was, in fact, clouded by emotion. Sometimes the soul was quiet, and sometimes you just weren’t ready for the answer. It was a constant game, and a frustrating one at that. I would know. I’d lived through it in multiple lifetimes. But then again, who was I to talk about guidance? He had gotten this far by himself, walking a fine line to be sure, and yes he’d made some mistakes along the way but I was still proud of him and his progress. But like a parent watching a child ride a bike, taking off the training wheels for the first time, I worried.

  “Fine. I can…accept that.” Dei ground out, even though I could clearly see he couldn’t. Frustration swirled in his chest like a black plague, the iron wall of his heart impenetrable to all forms of guidance. “Then would you be so kind as to guide me to where I can build a new city for my people? We cannot be nomads forever.” He said simply. I smiled patiently at him, but it was Kei who answered.

  “Isn’t here alright?” she asked innocently, cocking her head to the side. “There’s a lot of energy in the middle of the lake,” she pointed in that direction, across the lake.

  “That’s impossible. There are crossing ley lines here, but it’s in the center of the lake,” Celene said.

  “Make a flying city. Ooh! That’s a good idea! A flying island would be so cool!” Kei giggled, bouncing up and down in my grip. I chuckled fondly at her, booping her nose with a finger before turning my attention back to Dei and Celene.

  “From the mouth of babes,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Stand tall, Dei. You are allowed to be proud of yourself. You have gotten this far on the virtue of your own soul, but even I cannot help you with what you seek. Farewell, Dei, Celene. May we meet again soon,” I said with a slight bow, and teleported away.

  Only once we were back in my palace, bowls of ice cream sitting in front of me and Kei, spoons clinking merrily against the bowls, did Kei finally speak.

  “You like them, huh?” she asked.

  “I like all my children.” I replied. “But something does draw me to Dei and Celene. They have potential, and I would love for them to realize it. Plus…” I frowned. There was something there, in that thought train, that I was missing. I had been talking about guidance, connections, and the power of the soul for a while now, and it felt like I was missing some connection that needed to be answered…

  I frowned. I needed to talk about this with someone. Now where were my children?

  Dei stared at the spot the man had been, the only proof anyone had been there being the fading warmth of a fire and the lingering scent of good tea. Leaves drifted from the trees, the snake the man had been kind to flicking its tongue out at him calmly. It wasn’t just any snake. That was a Hundred-Step Viper; it was notoriously vicious, its poison deadly enough that almost any man, be they cultivator or mortal, only had time to take a hundred steps before they perished. And the man had been petting it.

  Like a gods-damned pet.

  “What in Keilan’s name just happened?” Celene asked. “What in Mother Statera’s name just happened?” she amended.

  “Curse all you want, that won’t change that I have no clue.” Dei replied reflexively. The woman beside him was easily the strongest cultivator among his people besides himself – well, that was a lie. Based on qi alone, and stage of cultivation, Celene was strong. Undoubtedly. Indubitably. In fact, Dei had not advanced in cultivation since the city’s fall, and that had been nearly thirty years ago.

  Yet not once had he lost a spar to her.

  Not once did she deny he was stronger.

  Whatever strength the woman’s words had led him to discovering, it was…unknowable. And only recently had he thought it something different than true cultivation.

  “Let’s go back.” He said, wondering what in the Karmic Hell that man with the woman’s eyes had meant by accepting guidance. Celene nodded and spun on her heel, immediately stalking away. Dei lingered for just a moment longer. He could not be seen showing weakness. He was the leader. He was a great and powerful being, all knowing and confident to his people – even if he had no damn clue what he was doing.

  For thirty years he’d kept the mask up.

  For thirty years, he’d struggled under the weight of his responsibility. And he was tired.

  And in the first time in well over thirty years, he bowed his head, and asked for help. It was a brief thing. Barely qualifying as a prayer. But its message was heartfelt, and pure in its intent. Some part of him knew that he would not like the answer to his plea. So with a quick shake of his head he started off after Celene, only glancing back once to look at the lake, Kei’s suggestion rattling about in his mind unbidden.

  The part of my being that was watching, paying attention, heard it all the same, just as it heard all heartfelt prayers. He was right. He would not like the answer. But since he had finally asked, help would be given all the same.