After his chat with Hephaestus, Aaric returned to the girls by forming a portal directly to them.
They were with Hestia, who had also left the coliseum once the orgy began, choosing quiet company over the chaos.
"My Lady," Aaric greeted her with a warm smile, receiving a gentle, welcoming hug from her in return.
"Come, child. The girls have made some food for you." Hestia took Aaric's hand and guided him toward a kitchen they had arranged beside a glowing hearth that radiated gentle heat and comfort.
Luna and Daphne had prepared several pies for Aaric, which they placed before him with bright, eager smiles lighting up their faces.
Aaric settled at the table with Luna and Daphne seated at either side, while Hestia sat across from them, watching the scene with soft fondness in her eyes.
Luna and Daphne fed him bite by bite, laughing quietly as they chatted with Hestia. The goddess shared stories from her about her life and small tales from the worlds she had birthed.
"I… know what Hephaestus asked of you," Hestia said at last, her voice gentle, carrying a sigh.
Aaric nodded slowly while Luna and Daphne clung to his arms, their heads resting comfortably on his shoulders after he finished the pies.
"Will you?" Hestia asked quietly.
"Well… we have time until the next time I visit here," Aaric answered, his tone had a suggestion in it, and Hestia nodded with a contemplative expression.
"I will take him with me to visit some mortal worlds as avatars, and a few places in the dreamlands, to help him change his mind," Hestia said as she reached out, caressing Aaric's cheek before offering him a soft, knowing smile.
"Thank you, dear." She whispered the words tenderly and leaned in to kiss his forehead before leaving them.
Aaric wrapped his arms around the girls as they rested beside the soothing warmth and comforting glow of the hearth Hestia had personally shaped.
"Can I bring Fleur with me and show her the dreamlands?" Daphne asked quietly, her head still nestled against his shoulder.
"Of course," Aaric replied with an easy nod.
Daphne rose, leaned down, and gave him a quick kiss before leaving with a wide, genuinely happy smile on her face.
"Well… it seems it is just us two now," Luna murmured, placing her hand on Aaric's chest as she shifted from his shoulder to the crook of his neck, nibbling softly with clear intent.
She created a portal behind them, and the two fell into it together, landing in their bed in the cabin on their private island.
Meanwhile with Daphne,
Daphne went straight to the golden tree on the island and laid her hand on its trunk.
"You are connected to the dreams of Aaric's friends, right?" she asked the tree politely after greeting it.
"Yes," the tree replied with a happy rustle, its branches shaking as it formed an opening for Daphne to enter.
"Thank you," she said before stepping through the shimmering portal.
She arrived in a beautiful garden in front of a mansion, where Fleur stood watching a younger version of herself playing joyfully with a group of friends.
Little versions of herself, Aaric, Luna, and other students ran through the garden alongside the child Fleur, the scene filled with innocent laughter.
The real Fleur sighed at the memory-like vision before jolting slightly when Daphne placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She turned and found Daphne smiling at her with an unmistakably playful grin.
Fleur reached out to poke Daphne, then pinched her own arm lightly.
"Quoi…?" (What?) she whispered in French, confused when she felt real, unmistakable sensations.
"Come on now," Daphne said mischievously as she tugged Fleur along.
"Explain," Fleur demanded as they walked across the soft grass toward wherever Daphne was guiding her.
Daphne nodded and began explaining everything about the dreamlands as they moved, describing the way it functioned and how one traversed it.
"What…?" Fleur muttered, stopping abruptly as the information sank in. Daphne halted too and turned to face her.
"Daphne… this… higher realms? You know what that means, right?" Fleur asked, her frown deep with concern.
Fleur had read enough about dimensions and realms to understand the implications.
She knew how overwhelmingly powerful even a lesser being from a higher dimension could be.
She knew that even the strongest individual in a lower realm would be nothing more than an ant before some from a higher realm.
She speculated as least, the books did not have concrete information and were more philosophy and not a guide.
She explained that danger to Daphne, who listened patiently and nodded since she already understood perfectly.
She had experienced it firsthand. She was not at the top of the dreamlands, and yet in the waking world she had met gods and found out they were far weaker compared to her.
"You will be safe. We have allies and our own lands there," Daphne reassured, explaining the gods and the island's protection to Fleur.
Fleur nodded after a moment of careful thought. She understood Daphne's intentions, understood also that Daphne had no desire to put either of them in danger.
They walked back toward the portal Daphne had used earlier and stepped onto the beautiful island again, the massive golden tree standing behind them like a pillar.
"Wow…" Fleur whispered as she took in the phoenixes soaring gracefully and the small animals darting through the forest with bursts of gentle magic.
Daphne glanced toward a familiar direction, her lips pressing into a thin line as she released a quiet sigh.
"What happened?" Fleur asked.
"Well… I was thinking we would explore with Luna and Aaric, but…" Daphne sighed again.
"Horny rabbits. I leave them alone for one moment," she muttered under her breath.
"Are they alright?" Fleur asked, unable to catch the muttering.
"Yes… they are just… idiots. We are better off without them," Daphne said with a small nod.
Fleur raised an eyebrow but let the comment pass.
Daphne spotted a silver phoenix perched nearby and beckoned it toward her.
"Would you be willing to give her a ride?" Daphne asked softly, stroking the phoenix's head and gesturing toward Fleur.
The phoenix approached Fleur and lowered its body in clear invitation.
Fleur stroked the phoenix's neck, hesitating slightly as she glanced back at Daphne.
"She is fine with you riding her," Daphne assured her and helped Fleur mount the phoenix.
"What is that?" Fleur asked, looking back toward the shimmering metal city atop the golden tree as they lifted into the sky.
"What does it look like?" Daphne replied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
Fleur looked back at the city once more before letting the question go as they crossed beyond the island's boundary and soared over the vast ocean.
"Where are we going?" Fleur asked, stretching her arms wide and enjoying the pure, intoxicating magic in the air.
"We can go to the Olympians or to the Egyptian pantheons…" Daphne suggested.
Fleur knew about pantheons and their gods well enough. Well.. she had an idea from the mythology she had read.
"Which one are you connected to?" Fleur asked after a brief pause.
"The Egyptian pantheon. I was blessed by them, and I have full access to their worlds," Daphne explained simply.
"Well… let us go there, then," Fleur murmured.
She looked at Daphne as she wondered what it felt like to be chosen by an entire pantheon, what she herself might achieve if she ever gained such a connection.
Daphne recognized the thought instantly. She waved her hand and opened a portal before them.
'I will show her in the waking world,' Daphne thought as the two of them entered the portal.
A/n: Give me your thought on the chapter and reviews on the fic.
And.. you got any power stones? Well, hand em over then.