The familiar scents of sweet decay layered beneath vibrant nectar and pollen continued to tickle the nostalgia of a memory just out of reach. I had climbed through the evening and now night

  had fallen, though the rivers of glowing golden sap continued to illuminate the scenery in a psychedelic looking haze. Full forests and ecosystems grew within the cracks and depressions of the branches, and massive cave systems

  sprawled within the hollows left by ancient fallen limbs. Life flourished, though no creature had approached me as of yet.

  I pulled myself up with a heave, launching up the remaining dozen or so meters to a point where I could stand on the surface of yet another titanic branch. There was enough room to support

  a small city up here, if the ruins of the small city up here were anything to judge by. As the great limb grew up and away from the trunk, the ruined city resembled one built into a hillside. The meandering collection of medium sized buildings carved from solid amber and overgrown with fragrant soft moss sat silently as if frozen in time. This wasn’t the first such discovery

  I had made on my way up the Heart Tree. It was, however, the first place where I could feel the presence of something alive that didn’t flee from me. No search was necessary to determine the location

  of whatever it was.

  A low rumble followed by an extremely loud, dry cracking echoed between the golden structures. A stiff breeze, scented with flowers and earth rolled past me. It was a comforting smell,

  and I could feel instinctively that the breeze contained high tiered healing magic. Something rose up slowly, and soon towered at least five times my own height. The lanky wooden form was decidedly feminine, and the aura it emitted somehow conveyed a sense of great sadness, but also excitement. Green flames glowed dimly in its eye sockets, and a network

  of golden rivulets of sap ran over its body with pulses of light shooting through them like a faint heartbeat. Small white flowers grew in a cascade from the majestic avatar’s crown and down her back like a glorious

  mane. I recognized her appearance from the same primordial forest abyss in which I had fought the giant bear for my gloves.

  “Wooden Queen.” I acknowledged both out loud and in my thoughts with a respectful bow. This was the highest evolution of dryad, and a being deserving of my utmost respect.

  “Please.” Came the weak, desperate plea in my thoughts. “Our Souls are barren, and withered. We can no longer observe the fallen. Too many lost. Too many.”

  “Your souls…?” I repeated quizzically. I then remembered that it took a single point of Soul Energy to help out that little bunny’s soul. “You ran out of Soul

  Energy trying to keep up with my job, didn’t you?” I didn’t remember ditching these guys, but some part of me still felt like an asshole for it.

  It was now that I studied her more intensely, and noticed the cracks in her body, and the many wilted flowers in her mane. No one with any good in their heart could avoid a stab of despair

  at the sight. She had suffered beyond any sense of time, toiling at a task that a version of me had in all likelihood dumped in her lap.

  I walked quickly to the ancient dryad, pulling several high tiered Soul Energy potions from my Astral Vault as I approached. Beyond that, I pulled out a curio obtained from the Wooden Queen I

  had once defeated in EG.

  It had been a corrupted version, but the fight had been incredible, lasting more than twenty straight hours. Had I been fighting a true, uncorrupted Wooden Queen, I doubt I could have ever

  won. This spirit of nature was a wellspring of life itself, with innate knowledge of restoration magic that no mortal mage could ever hope to even glimpse.

  I imparted my understanding of the consumables mentally, and dozens of tiny vines snaked out from her limbs urgently to entangle the various flasks and the crystallized amber heart. They shattered,

  and their contents were directly absorbed into the fading dryad’s golden veins, which flared suddenly with blinding light.

  “I… am…” She began haltingly as her power surged, and it took every ounce of control I possessed to both stay on my feet and not interrupt with a certain famous comic

  book tree-person’s name. “…invigorated!” the Wooden Queen finished, and indeed her aura had multiplied by a huge factor.

  Golden furred squirrels scampered all over her body, chasing each other and chattering happily. Nature itself sang and the resurgence spread out from her like a wave with the Wooden Queen as

  its epicenter. Flowers burst from everywhere, and hundreds of forest creatures finally overcame their fear of me to get close to the legendary dryad.

  “This core is mighty enough to resurrect many of my children. At last, we may once more bring peace to the lost.” She held the amber core high in celebration, and the tree itself seemed to vibrate with joy.

  “Glad I could help. I’m truly sorry you had to suffer so long all alone.” I gave another bow and dumped a small mound of Soul Energy potions onto the moss between us. “This

  is the most I can give for now, but I promise to do everything I can to straighten this place out.”

  With that, I turned and made my way back to the trunk which spread beyond sight in both directions - its curvature no easier to discern than that of a small planet. I had just crouched

  down for a great leap, when the Wooden Queen’s voice in my mind made me pause.

  “Godspeed...” The mental voice faded to a tiny whisper as it finished speaking two words that were just barely perceivable. “Dear husband.”

  I slowly rotated my head, mouth falling open. By the time my eyes could focus on the spot where the dryad had once stood, she was gone.

  Just one more awkward revelation to add to the pile, I supposed. Although, if a Wooden Queen was always a representative spirit of the tree itself, didn’t that make this whole giant tree

  the wife of Polemios? Had I once been the ultimate tree hugger? I shook the line of thoughts aside, and focused on reaching the top as fast as possible. A sense of something serious happening in the world below was gnawing

  at me, and drove me on with even greater urgency.

  I passed several more wondrous sights over the next few hours, including a nest belonging to a pair of enormous jet black gryphons and a single dangling fruit the size of a small hotel. That

  wouldn’t count as one of my kids, right?

  As midnight approached, I spotted what had to be my destination. As I broke through the top of a final cloud formation, the sky suddenly opened up wide all around me. Infinite stars and celestial

  bodies glowed within the velvet black dome, and the light of a blue moon illuminated something incredible.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  A single branch jutted above the tree at an angle just gentle enough to walk up without using my hands. Stairs were a natural feature, grown into the bark and not carved. At the peak of the

  limb, stood a small cottage. It couldn’t have been any larger than a one bedroom home on earth, and yet to me it seemed like the most luxurious thing ever built.

  “Location, location, location.” I muttered as I jogged up the thousand or so natural stairs.

  Finally, I stepped up onto the wide deck that wrapped around the entire cottage. A bolt of nostalgia hit me like a hammer blow. The view around me was limitless, and yet I couldn’t pry

  my eyes from the well worn door before me. An anxiety I couldn’t begin to describe took root in my heart as I reached out for the little brass handle. My memories were blank, but my feelings apparently didn’t get

  the memo. This was the feeling of coming home after being gone for far too long.

  The door opened inward easily with only a slight creak. To my simultaneous relief and disappointment,

  the humble abode of a total stranger greeted me.

  There were a few pieces of simple but high quality furniture, an empty fireplace with a beat up antique halberd hanging on a pair of hooks over the mantle, a book shelf with around ten dusty

  leather bound books, and a single door leading to what was probably a bedroom.

  I sighed, not sure what I was expecting. I dragged my fingertips across the back of a wooden chair and rolled the dust between my fingers as I approached the bedroom door. It was slightly open, and a gentle touch opened it the rest

  of the way.

  My mind went instantly blank, and I dropped to my ass in complete shock. This was not a stranger’s room, it was my old room. The smell of body odor and old pizza boxes assaulted my awakened

  senses, and almost made me gag. The unnatural blue glow of the single led bulb in the shadeless lamp made my eyes instantly hurt. And there sitting in my chair, watching me with amused eyes, was me.

  “Told you I was a bit of a god, didn’t I?” He asked, his tone the same sly and cheerful one the god had used before Ariel had reincarnated me.

  “Oh shit, so it’s you again. Shoulda figured.” I pulled myself into a better sitting position but didn't stand right away. “Gods really love their gotcha moments don’t they?”

  Thankfully, the room dissolved away then, and a different scene took its place. We were now in a blank, beige void. The god in my old flabby skin also changed as he stood up. He now looked like a towering

  version of my current self, dressed in faded blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and comfortable looking leather boots. Thankfully, he hadn’t gone overboard on earth fashion like Ariel.

  “Well, it’s not ALL a trick. I am sort of you, and I am sort of here.” He stuck out a huge hand to help me up. “Polemios, god of Struggle and occasional reluctant god

  of War. Pleased to meet you once again, my most promising of seeds.”

  “Uh, charmed I guess.” I took the hand and stood up. “Is this where I get a huge dump of exposition? I'm not complaining, but that’s just plain lazy.”

  “That’s exactly what I said too!” The god nodded fervently in agreement. “Unfortunately, you moved about ten years faster than any of us expected and got some balls

  rolling that we weren’t expecting. We need to catch you up.”

  “The dagger and world boss stuff?” I asked.

  “The dagger and world boss stuff.” Polemios confirmed. “You were expected to spend decades unraveling the situation with the Crusibilis knights, and Gespar was supposed

  to inherit the throne of Gault. When you gained the ability to start Soul Branding people, you unwittingly tapped into my Stelae and recreated some entities that Ariel’s planet was frankly unprepared for. See, this is

  why I prefer digital realities over these old analog ones. I could have patched this whole mess easily in Exiled Gods.”

  “First things first. What’s up with the tree-wife?” The non-sequitur question jumped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

  “Really?” Polemios laughed. “All of these existential revelations, and that’s what you open with? Fine. Her name is Viridienne, Goddess of the Cycle of Life and Death.

  Unlike us, she’s a proper big shot. I married way above my station. The Heart Tree is one of her main branches but her primary form is still happily with me.

  She does thank you for reviving that little Wooden Queen, and also for assisting the Celestia Dryas whom is one of her distant nieces, or something to that effect.”

  “Okay, fair enough. Second question: what the hell is Exiled Gods? I mean really. Why are actual deities running a live service MMORPG on earth?” I finally asked the question that had haunted me since my death.

  “It’s a tool meant to prepare as many souls as possible for what’s coming. Earth isn’t the only one experiencing it either.” Polemios answered, his face settling

  into a more earnest expression. “A merger between various pantheons and their realities is set to happen soon, and there are champions like yourself running around the affected worlds, jockeying for better positions

  for their gods. Beyond that, it’s just a really kickass video game.”

  “Are you telling me that Earth and this world are going to collide at some point!?” I asked, a myriad of emotions swirling at the thought.

  “Yes and no. Earth is going to experience a total extinction event. It’s then going to be stripped of all raw elements and sold off as part of a bigger deal. In a cultural preservation effort,

  all active souls with sufficient records in the Exiled Gods system will be reproduced here as refugees with brand new flesh vehicles just like you.” Polemios answered. "Guess Ariel's little prank was a tiny bit true, that does make you a sort of beta tester after all."

  “Shit.” I breathed, surprised that I wasn’t more devastated by the news. “It's really all real?” I asked

  more rhetorically than anything, realizing that I had still been harboring skepticism even after everything I had been through.

  “As real as anything else, but the Tenth Realm, Ragnofheim operates a little differently than Earth. It has many layers, each of which contain their own systems of space, time, and even

  cosmos.”

  “And here? Where are we in relation to the world I was dropped in?” I asked.

  “It’s an upper layer known as Bl?dgard, reserved for mortals that chose to struggle up until the very end. At least it was once, now it’s been taken over by that scumbag Corpse and his little

  Worm.” Polemios spat the two names with disgust.

  “How’d they manage that?” I wondered. “According to the people I’ve met, you were pretty damn strong with a home field advantage.”

  “Most of me was away building the framework that would become Exiled Gods. The man I trusted to run things in my absence was actually a spy sent by my enemy. He turned three of my Ring Guardians against me, and all he had to do at that point was sever my connection with the Nexus Queen,

  preventing my physical return. Even this is just basically a video call.”

  “Even Ariel, or I guess I should say our sister couldn’t do anything about it?” I asked, not totally convinced.

  “What do you mean?” He asked. “Look where you’re sitting right now.”

  “Okay, point taken.” I said, realizing what he meant. “So the main quest finally reveals itself. Take down Kutris, clean up my former house, and prepare the world for millions

  of Earth refugees. That about cover it?”

  “Not just Earth refugees.” Polemios said, suddenly grim. “Every Abyss was a world containing the records of creatures that will also be vying for control of the Tenth Realm.

  Some will be recreations like the humans, others will be direct invaders. All except for one. You brought the Only King way ahead of schedule.”

  “Hooly Shit. That’s actually… He’s the REAL deal from an actual real place!?” My mind began to spiral as I remembered some of the true nightmares found within the Exiled Gods

  Abysses.

  “Yeah. And he is extremely dangerous, even to me. Now focus up, we don’t have much time left.” Polemios snapped his fingers and I calmed down enough to pay attention. “That old halberd on my fireplace, take

  it with you. You’re gonna run into an old friend of mine down there that’s being forced to fight for Kutris. His name’s Orfan, reunite him with that halberd as soon as you can. Rely on little Ug’gut,

  she’s stronger than you probably can even imagine. One last thing, and it’s important. Do not lose control when you get down there. Keep your head on straight at all costs. Being in Bl?dgard is starting to

  awaken my Stelae within you, even if you can’t see or access it consciously. In your terms, there’s an invisible nuke on your back, and if you go berserk, it will too.”

  “Ok, that’s the second time you’ve used that word.” I said. “What the fuck's a ‘Stelae’?”

  “It’s sort of like DNA on a cosmic scale - a blueprint of everything a being has done, and who they are. Gods hoard Stelae like humans hoard wealth. We use it to determine a pecking

  order, and also as a bargaining chip when it comes to making offspring with eachother. Your Stelae is unique to you, but also contains a huge amount of my Stelae as your progenitor. Stelae only flow downstream, so I don't get any of yours, but anyone you Soulbrand or any of your offspring will get some from both of us.” Polemios

  obliged with the helpful definition but then swore. “Shit, well hope that was worth it, good luck little me! And remember to keep your cool!”

  The beige void vanished, and in its place was a plain rustic bedroom with sparse furniture that was a much better match for the rest of the cottage. Polemios was gone as well. No matter how

  hard I tried, I couldn’t really identify the god as myself. I guess he wasn’t exactly me in the same way I was never my father on earth. I was just a product of his, what did he call it? Stelae?”

  “Seems like that could have been an email.” I grumbled, reflecting on the climb that had ultimately just yielded a five minute conversation. “Guess there’s this.”

  I said to myself as I passed the fireplace, remembering the antique halberd.

  I reached out to grab it and my face scrunched in confusion. I couldn’t budge it at all. I heaved with all my might, to no avail. After a few moments of struggle, I decided to store

  it in my inventory and it vanished from the mantle.

  Finally, I stepped out onto the porch to find that most of the night had somehow passed in the short time I was in the cottage. A flash of light from the far distant ground drew my attention.

  That had to have been a huge explosion to be visible from here. I extended my wings, and prepared for the longest glide in history.