Once she was gone, Undine's smile became etched into the hearts and minds of the people. She may not have been there at the very beginning, but no one could possibly deny the benefits she had on Tus Nadair. She was the mother of many of the other gods and goddesses, she was loved by so many, and yet, for all her power, she was still human. And having been able to live a physical age of over 100 years old was nothing to sneeze at. In the end, it was simply her body that gave out.
The next several weeks were full of sorrows and celebrations. Nadarians knew that being sulky forever would only sadden the late goddess. Though their feelings couldn't be drowned out completely, and so there were those who struggled to come to terms with the loss, while others helped to uplift them. The very next week, the roles swapped. Until…
Night Silver, floating before her beloved people, spoke. "My wife may be gone. But her memory will always be carried within the hearts of all Nadarians. She would be embarrassed that I did this. But, I spent some time making these…" She pulled out four gigantic statues made with the likeness of Undine. "Each of the lakes we made together, connected through the mountain path, will have one of these statues placed at their center. Let us honor her life in our traditional style!"
Soon the statues flew to their rightful places, standing tall as watchers over the water, and the people. A gesture that Night Silver had basically wrestled Undine's approval out of her. The wounds in everyone's hearts from this kind of event would only be healed by the passage of time.
That said time, passed by, and Tus Nadair was back to full throttle. Living their lives with their freedom to live, and love. Basic necessities were no longer an issue ever again. However, there was one thing that did cause a little worry. And that was, well…
A young man, one of the mages with an odd set of spells and other abilities, had spent his free time with others. All of them were farmers in some form or another, and thus had a common issue. One that all of Tus Nadair had to deal with. "It's good you were able to help me with my experiment. I'm grateful. And so now, I'll tell you-"
"It didn't work, did it?"
The young man smiled. "Nope, It was actually a fantastic success! The magic item was able to keep food fresh within a certain… Uh, Radius is the word I think… Yeah, a radius! I tested the limit of the range, and even the effects of a larger density of food. The effective range of this item is rather small, only a few meters in radius-"
"Ah, so that's what you were doing with all those extra supplies. Not a bad idea."
"Huh? Mother Goddess!"
"Pfft, there's no need to be so uptight. I'm curious about this magic item you made. I get the feeling it will be quite handy. Show it to me."
The Young man showed, and explained all about the item. It was a rather lengthy and spirited explanation, which showed that he had no lack of passion. The motivations for this project were clear as well.
"... And that's the whole of it, my Goddess. So, what do you think?"
"I think I should have you make more of these things. How many can you make on your own?"
"If I work really hard I can make one every week."
"I see… Well then, I want you to start by presenting Tus Nadair with 10 of these magic items. Keep in mind I don't want you to over work yourself, so don't do anything stupid like work yourself to death. It's fine if you make 1 at a rate of every month. I'd rather you do it right, than have any of them not work properly."
"Such a loving goddess. I will follow your order, my Goddess."
"Good. I'm satisfied with this achievement. You've done a fantastic job, one so great I can grant you any reward with my power. So, what do you want?"
"Goddess, my invention may be great, but surely you could have made something far better."
Night Silver shook her head, giggling. "Even though it's true that I could do it. You still don't understand the real reason behind why this invention of yours is so powerful." She patted the young man's head. "With such a brilliant mind, I'm sure if you think about it you'll understand. But I'll save you the effort, just this once. It is true that I can make almost anything now that I've gained full control over runes and nature, but that is all my own power. What you did was create something that can perform one of my many abilities. It will inspire others to search for similar results. Just like the style of dress our fair country has, it was inspired by our culture, and the freedom to love ourselves and others. I'm beyond thrilled seeing this new magic item."
One of the farmers remembered hearing from his family a secret he had to confirm. "My Goddess, is it true you'd even reward the individual with the opportunity to-"
"Yes, and this is one of those times." She gently placed a finger under the young man's chin. "I can give you anything. You're a married man, so I'll let your wife help with making the decision. But, let me tell you right now, I can even give you a night in my bed, and even carry your baby."
"Huh? Wha- wha- wha-"
"Oh wow! Way to go! You're going to be the first man to receive such a grand reward from our goddess!"
The young man was clearly confused, but intrigued. "As much as I'd like to receive the reward, I really can't make a decision without the woman who supported me through all of this. I love her and we have a couple of beautiful children together."
That same woman was also standing there, her cheeks red as a tomato. "Husband, you'd better take that night and the baby! I want another baby too!"
"Oh, excellent, we can carry together!" Night Silver smiled.
The first person to receive the honor of having the goddess bear their child, was a young man, one who created a magic item that would keep food fresh, regardless of how prepared it was. Truly a grand achievement.