Kire shook her head at Ruli’s question. “Not necessarily, but given how I’m getting those visions unintentionally and without your conscious control, it could maybe get past whatever block the Goddess is giving you.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know. Just thinking about options before you decide whether or not to shut her out.” 

Daryll, who looked like he was still eager to pursue the matter about the woman in his vision, nevertheless perked up when Envy and Ruli had gone back and forth for a short while about the role of the divine and magic. “I’d have thought magic in the world springs from divinity, or is made of the same stuff gods are made of. The very elemental energies that had formed the world. Sometimes I wonder if Kire’s portals and world gates are that raw elemental energy that separates one world from the next and is also the building blocks of its existence,” he said, pausing from his meal to rub his chin in thought. “And the Ring acts as a funnel, a conduit, that converts that energy into different things: into a tunnel cutting through the divide between worlds, or drawing out the dormant magical energies in Wyvern blood. No wonder it burned your skin when you overexerted your portals, if its raw energy that’s coursing through your body unregulated.” Narda grunted at the talk, not at all comforted by the thought of magic being described that way.

“How even are the gods born?” Gavin wondered. “I’d have thought that gods are just—well just [i]are[/i]. Not like some other life form, like you or I, or the animals and plants and whatnot. Talking about gods like they are made of the same stuff everything else is, isn’t that kinda implying they might be just a higher form of creature or something?” 

“Somehow, the question of what or who had given birth to a god makes for a dizzying thought,” Kire muttered. “I’m already not very fond of gods. I don’t want to meet their parents.” 

They continued with their meal, with Narda telling Envy more about Amrian lives and habits, Gavin and Daryll debating lazily on the nature of gods, and Ed badgering Kire in Taakalon about the matter of her resignation, or if he had actually understood her correctly about that. Kire sighed. 
“It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about stepping down from ruling, you know,” she said finally, switching back to the common speech. “I was just looking for a sign.”
“What sign?” Ed asked, undeterred. His gaze flickered for a moment to Ruli. Kire caught the look and frowned.
“Not what you think, Ed.” She shook her head, going back to her meal and muttering in Taakalon under her breath. 

After they had eaten, the party got ready for the next task of placing the wards. As Ruli, Gavin, and Envy began their preparations, some curious onlookers from the Palace staff would look in now and then, both out of curiosity and wariness, though more of the former, now that they were at peacetime. Kire and Narda observed, the giantess, like Ed, prying Kire for more information about her recent revelation. At some point, the two youngest cousins sauntered over, having heard that the visitors were back and in the middle of a strange ritual.

“Hello, you two. Etta, has your fever gone down?” Kire asked. “If you’re still not feeling well, we’ll fetch Elva.” 
The blonde Wyvern girl shook her head, her curls bouncing. “I’m doing better now, thanks, Kay.” 
Kire gave her a mock frown and bent towards her. “Why do you smell like strawberries, hm? Have you been nicking them from the pantry again?”
Etta looked indignant, while Pres laughed behind her. “I didn’t!” Etta insisted, pouting. 
“What are they doing, Kay?” Pres asked, clearly more interested now in the men’s work. She tilted her head at them as she watched, funnily echoing the tilt of the head Daryll had as he stood nearby to observe. 
“Wards, Pres,” her brother answered her, grinning. As Daryll explained some more, Etta looked up at Kire, then touched her hand.

“Can I ask something?” she whispered. “Is Ruli your suitor?” 
Kire’s cheeks colored. “Uh…why do you ask that?” Etta shrugged.
“Just a feeling. Is he?”
“Sort of. But before that, he’s a good friend,” Kire answered back. 
Narda snorted, playfully tugging at Etta’s curls. “If anything, my little goldie lass, your cousin here did the wooing.” Kire slapped the giantess’s arm with a pout, and Narda laughed, rubbing the spot.