The apartment was small but well-kept and conflicted with the surrounding District. "Thank you, Aunt Melody, for the breakfast," I told my aunt as I leaned back. Melody gave me a slight smile, which reminded me, and I pulled out the gifts I had purchased for them. "This is for you' I handed over the rolled-up tools before producing the ring and handing it over to Naomi, 'This is for you," I told them.

  Melody gasped as she looked at the fine tools, based on her reaction I could only assume the old jeweler hadn't been lying, "How could you afford this?" my aunt absently asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders, "Yes I am a trouble magnet, but here in this world that means it's lucrative if you survive." I told them as I watched Naomi studying the ring and me.

  I shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny which caused Bast to chuckle in my mind, 'You could do worse than her as your Queen-Consort.' the cat Goddess asked as she jumped up onto the table.

  Melody moved to remove Bast, but Thursk stopped her, as I gred at the cat. 'We have never been like that, and I doubt her mother would want me marrying her daughter.' I thought towards the Goddess.

  If a cat could smirk, Bast would be right now. 'You remember we can read your mind and see your memories, correct? That was not the first time your 'cousin' kissed you like that. From what I can read from her you two were well on your way to creating a real retionship when you were drafted into the army. As for Melody, she thinks you have grown into a fine young man and would be proud to be your mother-in-w.' the Goddess expined.

  I winced, "Bast, that crossed the line!" I chastised her which earned me confused stares from the other women. The Lion-Kin had a bemused grin on his face as he sat back, "Not helping dude." I told him as I considered how to tell them the truth.

  Melody frowned, "What is going on Alex?" my aunt asked.

  Naomi gnced at the cat who id down and began to purr as smug satisfaction rolled off the Goddess, "How did your introduction to this...world go?" I asked the two.

  Naomi shook her head, "What does that have to do with anything?" the Firebrand pressed me.

  I sighed and began my story of encountering an old man in the desert and the Chaos-Warped, it took time, and I was stopped and asked questions to crify events, but when I ended my tale neither woman looked convinced. I had edited out any mention that the Gods were from our former reality since I didn't want to burden them with that knowledge yet, "You don't believe me?" I asked them.

  Naomi smiled slightly but shook her head, "Do you have an idea of the chances of a single pyer encountering one God, much less multiple Gods? That doesn't even include that you are now a Demi-God..." Naomi pointed out.

  I sighed, unsure how to prove the truth. "Summon the Crook and Fil." Bast's comment caught Naomi and Melody off guard as she spoke out loud for the first time and drew their attention immediately.

  I chuckled and stood up, "How can you form words with that body?" I asked her as I stepped back from the others and concentrated since I didn't want to activate the Mantle of Divinity ability as well.

  It took a moment, even with Bast hammering the training into me over the trip, but the weapons appeared in my hands. "These belong to Ra; I am his heir and will be Pharaoh if I pass the Trial of the Gods. Do you still doubt my words?" I asked them before dismissing the weapons back to wherever they came from.

  Naomi and Melody were stunned, but Naomi quickly shook it off. "Where is this Trial?" my cousin was always shrewd.

  I grimaced, I had connected the dots soon after I was issued the Quest, "The Duat." I told her.

  Naomi jumped to her feet which drew Bast's attention, "NO! That's a permadeath zone! You go there and die, it's for real Alex." Noami practically screamed which drew Melody's attention.

  I could see that Naomi was afraid and angry as she switched her gre from Bast and me, "I know." I softly responded. Before either woman could explode, I held up my hand, "Currently Ebia is a failed state, without a central figure to unite the people, without the Compact, it will steadily get worse over time. You have no clue what that is like, I do. I lived through it and if I can prevent it here, I will." I told them.

  Naomi shook her head as she sat down, "What are you talking about?" Melody asked.

  I sat back down, "The Ilithians are making another push south, if they take New Thebes, they will continue to expand south. In a few years, a decade at most, all of Ebia will be under foreign occupation. They will ensve, loot the nd, destroy its historical sights and cultural history, and the Compact will be all but impossible to restore and Ebia will return to what it was before the Gods appeared. A barren wastend almost devoid of all life." I told her.

  Naomi opened her mouth to object, but Bast spoke, "He speaks the truth Naomi Mills, he would not lie about this, and you should know being one of the Architects of the Creator of this reality, that the bond between the Gods and Ebia is crucial for the nd to continue to be fruitful. For three hundred years, Ebia has slowly slipped back into the dried-up husk before we appeared, while civil war and invasion broke the people. If Ebia and its people are to survive, we need a Pharaoh." she expined.

  I could tell both women disliked what Bast had told them, "Ok, but why Alex?" Melody demanded.

  Bast gnced at me, "Ra evaluated me before I became a Demi-God, I passed his tests, how and what those tests are so don't ask me. He told me I was the only one to pass the tests to his standards, which was why I was changed into a Demi-God and given the chance to become Pharaoh. I have already decided to go through with this, I am telling you all this because if I succeed your lives will change because of your proximity to my own." I expined.

  Naomi looked confused but Melody quickly understood, "You will be a head of state for all intents and purposes, what will change for us?" my aunt asked as Naomi shook her head.

  I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, but if I pass the test and defeat the Ilithians up north and secure New Thebes, I will probably expect you to move up there so I can make sure you two are safe. There will be plenty of work to restore the city and surrounding area, so don't worry about work you will have it." I told them.

  Melody frowned, but my position would put them in danger and that wasn't acceptable to me. They were the only family I had, and I wasn't going to lose them. Naomi opened her mouth to respond but Bast jumped to her feet as she looked towards the door. 'Ware!' the Goddess hissed in my mind.

  I moved towards the door and cracked the door open; the courtyard was a mess as the people scrambled out of it a half dozen men were doing their best to intimidate and corral people while breaking any possible resistance. "Those fuckers are from a pleasure house on the edge of the district, they work for a guy called Seb, who stylizes himself as a pimp," Naomi expined. I heard Thursk growl, "They tried to recruit my mom and me, I set a couple of them on fire in reply." I gnced over at the Lion-Kin.

  He met my gaze, "Feel like tanking and sending these bastards to Osiris to face judgment?" I asked him. The other man gave me a fanged-filled smile as he moved to retrieve his sword, "Give me a minute to get into position, then made a scene. Bast, please don't interfere unless you have no choice." I told her as I disappeared into Stealth before she could say anything.

  The situation was getting worse, more blood had been spilled as the intruders crushed any resistance. I quickly sent a message to Hakim with the guy's name and asked for any information about him if the Order had it. I made my way down the steps and skirted the growing pandemonium as I moved into position to strike at them from behind.

  I ignored the comments as chains were produced and a growing anger filled me, I had pnned to spare them and just cripple them, but this changed things. 'Are there not ws that prevent ensving free people like this?' I furiously thought towards Bast.

  Her voice was cold when she replied, 'Yes Alex, there are. Kill them or my children will.' Bast's voice, while cold, was resolute.

  I agreed with her, while I could understand ensving enemy combatants and possibly even criminals if the w allowed it, just grabbing people was a different thing altogether. I noticed Thursk exit the apartment with Naomi and Melody surprisingly, armed with a crossbow of all things, remained on the second floor while the Lion-Kin walked down the steps his sword already drawn. "Stay out of this cat!" one of the svers yelled at Thursk.

  The Lion-Kin just smiled at him as I moved behind the nearest man as [Unknown Thug] appeared above his head. My hammer smmed into his head with a satisfying crunch as I triggered Backstab. Critical Hit fshed across my HUD as the man crumpled to the ground his Health dropping into the critical range as the others let out shouts of surprise.

  Two of them moved to intercept me while the remaining three moved towards Thursk, I thrust my hand towards the nearest oncoming thug and triggered Light Bolt. A white and gold bolt of energy smmed into the onrushing man's chest and caused him to stagger as about 15% of his Health disappeared. I ducked under the other man's sickle sword as he tried to remove my head, I smmed my hammer into his knee as I triggered Savage Strike.

  The man went down screaming as his leg was bent the wrong way, I heard faint explosions as Naomi entered the fight flinging melon-sized fireballs exploded against the others engaging Thursk. The Lion-Kin was good, covered with fish-scale armor, the other man was probably the most heavily armored figure I had seen since coming here.

  I turned my focus back towards my opponents, as the man I had blinded with a Light Bolt tried to skewer me with a dagger. I managed to parry the attack with my forearm and drove the head of my hammer into his throat, the man choked and clutched at his throat as I wound back and smmed the spiked end into the man's temple causing his body to convulse before going still as he died.

  I ripped the spike out of the man's skull and walked over to the crippled man I had gimped and brought the hammer down on his head as he tried to crawl away. I gnced over at Thursk, but they were done with their trio as well, ending the fight.