Mother was not having any of it, she angrily took me inside to treat my wounds, "I just had you sent to get berries, how far did you go? Botuskar don't ever come close to town!"

She was right, they don't. It's strange, what was it doing on the edge of the town forest?

"Honestly Alfred, I don't know what we are going to do with you." She scorned, "For now go to your room, we'll discuss this when your father arrives.

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"You know exactly who I am Nilish, or have you forgotten in the last 100 years?" The grey-skinned man brushed some of the settled ash off his shoulders, looking down to Nilish who is a whole foot shorter than himself.

"What did you do with Deirdren?" She angrily replied, pouncing upon the man, knocking him over and preparing to start a fight.

"Deirdren is safe, just, Predisposed. This little accident has caused quite a commotion among the gods."

"A commotion? A god growing weaker has happened many times in the past, how could my Deirdren cause such a commotion that you had to take him?" Nilish protested, disbelief causing her voice to waver slightly.

The man sighed, gently pushing the no longer fighting Nilish aside. "It's because he's done something to the World Stream, his hand exploded, and his fingers have ended up in the worlds in which he has domain."

"So he is being tasked with recovering his fingers?" Nilish responded, her confusion overcoming her sadness.

"If only it were so simple Nilish, Deirdren's fingers split the realities in which they reside, Burying themselves in the hearts of the Locals. Reality itself has been split, an infinite number of new realities have been spawned from this incident. Your husband has been given the responsibility to observe them." his words shocked Nilish, not just by their content but from how calm he sounded, "His domain has been split far and wide suddenly, he has more power now than ever in the past. He must deal with the consequences of his actions, and guide these new realities."

Nilish's response was short and angry, sick of hearing the man speak she growled out, "Very well, Meshgan, get out of my forge now."

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The sky from my window looked blue as I gazed at the Clouds, wondering when the Festival would be held this year. Last year it was canceled by order of the Bishop, so I got to spend more time training my body with Father, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it. Ernice and I definitely would have won the Sling tournament last year.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my father walking inside the house, and Gasping upon seeing the Creature I killed earlier. "Grein, dear? Why is there a Botuskar on the floor?" he asked, his voice sounding confused with a hint of worry "Ask your son." My mother said, she likely wants him to deal with me.

I was right, I heard him opening my door as I flicked a small twig that had fallen inside out the window and turned toward him with a sigh. "What did you do Alf? You know you aren't supposed to be hunting yet." He said, Scornfully, though his lips curved into a slight smile.

"I was gathering berries on the edge of town when that thing charged me!" I showed him my now bandaged hand, "It was big but I was fast, I made it run into a tree and killed it before it could hurt me again."

Father sighed with relief, "I suppose you weren't out there looking for it, but still. You should have run away, I taught you climbing a tree can keep you safe from these things." "I know, but there was no time. It was too fast!" I protested I thought I would be praised, but what happened next surprised even my mother. "Alf, you're not to leave this house until I return on your birthday."

"WHAT?" I was shocked, I saved myself and I'm being punished? "I had to kill it why?" "Alfred, I can't protect you while I am gone, and clearly you aren't able to tell how far you go into the forest so I can't trust that you'll be safe without me." He said it with such a firm tone, I didn't argue just nodded silently. "Tonight, I'll show you how to skin and butcher the Botuskar." My eyes lit up, and we walked into the main living area together and prepared for dinner.