Aia bends forward as she rides on the back of the shapeshifter.

Hroc flew higher. They do not wish to attract the attention of any human who might look up at the sky. Since deities no longer had the right to stay in that world, she needed to prevent getting attention, which she was already good at. Besides, it could be odd for humans to see an immortal.

Aia hid her sword by transforming it into a pendant and a necklace. She wore it and hoped she would not need to use it again. Behind them, she can still see the smoke that seemed to mix in the clouds as they left behind the village where she used to dwell.

There was nothing she could do with the survivors. Aia faces forward. The wind was strong but not enough to make her lose her balance. She holds on to Hroc, who is sure where to take her.

During their journey, Aia cannot help but recall when she last saw Raven.

She left him in a cave within a thick forest. Back then, only a few lands were under the four kingdoms. Now, she doubted if they would not be entering a territory.

“I’ll be gone for a while,” she told Raven before deciding to take on a human form. “Go wherever you please.”

“Where?”

“Go anywhere you like.”

“No. Where are you going?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Raven looked at her and was about to hop forward when she turned her back. It was the way he used to act when they first met.

“Do not follow me,” she instructed while smiling.

Raven remained standing as she walked away.

She never told him what she intended to do from that day onwards. She wanted to disappear for a while. But the gods and goddesses had no other place to go. Oddly enough, she thought during that moment that immortals should have their own homes away from humans. Now her idea became a reality.

When immortals agreed to the Departure of Deities, they no longer needed to walk in that world. The otherworld is now their new home, and their maker is summoning them.

However, as Klaus said, few gods and goddesses are still in the human world. It was not a violation of the agreement if they hid as Aia did. No one could prove they were not in the otherworld if they remained invisible in the human world.

Klaus was right. The immortals were learning to disobey the god of the gods.

When they landed in the thick forest, Aia went down from the back of Hroc. He then shifted to his human form and guided her near a cave. Unlike, Raven, Hroc could not speak.

Aia stopped walking and stared at what was ahead.

“Are you certain Raven is in there?”

Hroc nodded.

“But this is where I left him.”

Hroc nodded again.

“Did he ever leave this place?”

Hroc moves his head sideways.

Aia could not believe it.

Only Raven can surprise her that way. Her pet will follow her command. But Raven and Hroc are still free to do whatever they please.

As decades passed, gone are the days when people feared hurting the pets of the deities. Now, the shapeshifters need to hide. Otherwise, they might end up like monsters that were hunted and killed.

Aia entered the cave. There were a few drops of water that helped form the small spring. But other than that, she knew no animal should live here for a long time.

In one corner, she found Raven lying asleep. His feathers are uncleaned, his head covered by its wing.

Raven maintained his form as a large bird, but his breathing was weak. When the goddess tried to touch Raven, it remained cold, as if he was frozen. She can still hear his slow heartbeat and slow breathing. But it no longer reacts to her presence.

“What happened to him?” she asked while looking around the cave. Old stains of blood were near Raven. Something tried to attack him. But whatever it is, it runs with an injury.

“Raven… Raven…” Aia tried calling him.

When she tried to remove its wing from covering its head, she saw that Raven was not asleep. He was dying. He no longer has the strength to open his eyes to see her again.

“Raven…” she called again. And then she hugged him.

Aia placed both of her hands on his back. She gives him warmth and energy to regain his strength.

She eases his hunger and pain. And once she felt she had given enough, she stopped holding her pet.

The power of the gods and goddesses knows no end. But they know how much to use in a given situation. They can yield their strength to transform a weapon or to create destruction. Or to heal their pet before death takes its place.

But deities cannot return something from the dead. Once something is declared dead, it becomes the property of the god of death. And if they tried taking it back from Klaus, no one knows what could happen next.

Raven stirred and opened his eyes.

Hroc and Aia stayed near him.

Suddenly, Raven flapped his wings as if he was panicking. Strong winds blew them away. Hroc held Aia on her shoulders while he stood his ground behind her.