Chapter 64 - The Birth of the Healer (Her POV)

Chapter 64: The Birth of the Healer (Her POV)

Morning in Malvor's realm was strangely quiet. No glitter storms. No illusions screaming for attention. No chaos constructs dancing on the furniture. Just warm light drifting through the windows and the smell of coffee curling lazily through the air. Malvor stood at the foot of the bed, staring into the open wardrobe with the haunted expression of a man being forced to file taxes. "Asha… I don't know what to wear."

"It's Ahyona's birthday. Not a rave. Not a runway. Not a ritual sacrifice. Just… show up."

He turned, scandalized. "I always show up."

"No." I pointed at him with my mug. "You arrive. Dramatically. Usually via confetti or some sort of highly unnecessary explosion."

He gasped as though personally attacked. "I am a god of flair."

"And today is not about you."

He wilted. A little. Only a little. He stood at the mirror adjusting the collar of a soft cinnamon-colored sweater, the knit hugging his shoulders unfairly well. His hair was perfect. Voluminous, glossy, styled like he was attending a divine photoshoot instead of a casual gathering. I don't even know how he does it. My own hair a red bird nest needing tamed. I slowly brush out the curls. He stepped closer to me. A thin line of gold eyeliner framed his eyes, subtle but devastating. 

I squinted."…Are you wearing glitter?"

He sniffed, offended. "It's barely a dusting, Asha. I'm dressed down."

"You sparkle."

"Casually."

I laughed under my breath and pulled on my own simple outfit: fitted dark jeans, a cream sweater, a light jacket. Nothing flashy. Nothing enchanted. Comfortable in a way my body still didn't entirely know how to process. Malvor turned from the mirror to look at me and actually softened. "You look… grounded."

"Is that your way of saying boring?"

"No," he said, stepping closer. "It's my way of saying you look like you could walk into any world and still feel like yourself."

My throat tightened a little. He patted his hair once more and cleared his throat. "Important note for tonight: Ahyona doesn't stay one age on her birthday. She cycles. Child, teen, young adult, adult, elder."

"That sounds… chaotic."

"Don't insult me, that's her thing today. One year she aged backward and lectured me at age ninety before hiding in a tree."

"…Are you saying she's going to be unpredictable?"

"Yes. That's why I dressed in layers."

The portal opened beside us, warm with amber light and carrying the scent of cedar, sage, and autumn smoke. Malvor offered his hand, glitter catching the glow. "Ready for the calmest birthday in the Pantheon?"

"Absolutely not."

"Perfect, you'll fit right in." He said beaming. Together, we stepped into her realm.

Ahyona's realm felt alive the moment we stepped through the portal. Not alive like a heartbeat. Fall colored leaves swirled around us without wind. Lanterns glowed gold and red, hanging from cedar branches. The air smelled of sweet smoke, berries, sage, and something warm I couldn't name. Malvor inhaled dramatically. "Ahh, autumn. The season where everything dies beautifully."

I elbowed him. He grinned. But the realm shifted before he could say anything worse. A ripple of childlike laughter echoed between the trees, and then Ahyona appeared. Or rather, she bounded into existence. A barefoot preteen version of the goddess burst into the clearing, hair braided with feathers and tiny beads, eyes bright with mischief and joy. She skidded to a stop in front of us, breathless and glowing. "YOU'RE HERE!"

The young goddess spun in a circle, arms thrown wide. "We're playing hide-and-seek! But the realm plays too! The winner gets the Blessing of Clear Sight!"

The gods groaned in unison. Luxor grumbled. "Oh for the love of dawn, not again."

Yara laughed. "Last time she hid inside a tree, Luxor."

Tairochi grunted, which for him was practically a laugh. Ahyona stomped her foot. "This is a NEW version!"

The ground politely trembled under her enthusiasm. Malvor wiggled his fingers and whispered, "Oh goodie, the 'let's get lost in a maze for six hours' tradition."

I elbowed him again. Harder. Ahyona clapped her hands. "Ready set go!"

The realm exploded outward. Trees elongated. Pathways twisted like playful serpents. Spirits darted across the clearing. Foxes made of ember-light, owls made of smoke, wolves formed of leaves and wind. It was breathtaking. It was chaos. Malvor sighed happily. "Feels like home."

He vanished in a swirl of glitter, only to reappear twenty feet away, conjuring twelve copies of himself, all combing the forest floor with exaggerated seriousness. Another Malvor peeked through a spirit. Another climbed a tree. One opened a tiny chaos portal to spy from above. Ahyona's voice instantly yelled. "NO CHEATING!"

The entire clearing glowed. There was a fwip like a leaf being plucked from a branch. Malvor… was gone. I looked down. A shiny gold-speckled leaf drifted slowly onto my shoulder. It vibrated violently. "ASHA. DARLING. I HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO VEGETATION!"

I snorted and covered my mouth. "It's your own fault."

"I AM A GOD, NOT SEASONAL DÉCOR!" I pocketed him before he blew away. "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. ASHA PUT ME DOWN. NO WAIT DON'T, THE SUN IS HOSTILE."

I muffled him with my hand. Ravina's eyes twitched and she turned away. Maximus wandered toward the feast tables. Not the game. The feast tables. "I search best on a full stomach."

Tairochi remained exactly where he started, arms crossed, gaze steady. "She will come to me," he murmured.

Ahyona yelled from somewhere far away: "NO SHE WON'T!"

I laughed. Actually laughed. Lighter than I had felt in months. Malvor vibrated proudly from my pocket. I started walking, not because I wanted to win but because standing still made everything feel too big. The forest was soft here. Dirt like velvet, leaves whispering around me. Spirits peeked from behind trees, giggling before darting off. I followed them because following anything was easier than thinking. A breeze brushed my skin and a feeling tugged behind my ribs. Like someone humming a tune on the other side of a wall. I frowned. Took another step.

The tug sharpened. A vibration under my skin. A faint echo of laughter that wasn't mine, wasn't near me, wasn't anywhere, and yet I felt it. Malvor-in-my-pocket whispered, "…darling…? That's not normal…"

But it didn't hurt. Didn't overwhelm. It felt like following sunlight through fog. So I followed it. The path curved, then curved again, until I walked straight into a tree. But not a normal one. The bark shimmered like it was breathing. Leaves shook with barely contained giggles. A moment later the tree popped, and Ahyona stumbled out of it, feathers crooked, arms flailing. She froze when she saw me. Her mouth dropped open. "HOW—? NO. NOOOO. YOU CAN'T FIND ME FIRST! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YET!"

I blinked at her. She stomped her tiny foot so hard the dirt shook. "I HID IN A TREE, ASHA. IN. A. TREE."

I shrugged helplessly."…I followed a feeling."

Her eyes narrowed like I'd personally betrayed the laws of childlike whimsy. Luxor burst into the clearing, panting, "I FOUND YOU! Oh gods no I didn't."

Leyla arrived silently and stared. Yara slid in as a puddle and reconstituted with a splash. "Did the newbie win again?"

Ahyona groaned, dragged her hands down her face, then burst into laughter. "Fine! FINE! The Asha wins! AGAIN!"

Malvor leaf-squeaked from my pocket. "I AM SO PROUD AND ALSO VERY JEALOUS."

Ahyona marched toward me and tied a bead-and-leaf charm around my wrist. The moment it touched my skin, I felt a flash of clarity, like everything in the world snapped into focus for one heartbeat. Ahyona beamed. "Blessing of Clear Sight. Use it wisely!"

Then she clapped again. "NEXT ROUND! I get older now!"

She vanished. One blink. That's all the time it took for Ahyona's laughter to warp into something sharper, older. Leaves swirled around her like a miniature cyclone, and when they settled. She wasn't a child anymore. She was a teenager. All limbs, attitude, and simmering emotions waiting for a spark. Her braids unraveled into a wave of dark hair streaked with copper. Her clothing shifted. Traditional patterns stitched in bright thread mixing with modern touches. Her expression?

A perfect blend of I know everything and don't talk to me unless you want your soul judged. She popped her hip, crossed her arms, and said flatly, "Okay. Everyone shut up."

The entire forest obeyed. Even the spirits froze mid-flutter. Malvor whispered loudly, "This is the scariest version."

She snapped her fingers at him without looking. "You. Leaf. Stay a leaf."

The leaf in my pocket vibrated with outrage. "ABSOLUTELY NOT—"

Ahyona said, "Leaf," in the tone of a teenager tired of arguing with her parents. Malvor went silent so fast I almost snorted. Ahyona rolled her eyes at everyone. "Ugh. Adults."

Then she clapped, and the entire realm changed. Lanterns dimmed. Pathways stitched themselves into a loose ring. A small stage rose from the ground. A platform woven from roots and glowing runes. Ahyona pointed at it dramatically. "We're doing expressive trials. You all will create something that shows who you are."

Calavera stared at nothing. Maximus immediately reached for food. Tairochi… existed stoically. I stared at the teen goddess, feeling the shift in her magic. The intensity, the vulnerability hidden under attitude. Ahyona turned her glare on all of us. "This is a vulnerability exercise. Don't make it stupid."

Vitaria raised a hand. "Do we follow a prompt or—"

"NO!" The forest shook with her exasperation. "You take something from the realm. Only one thing and make something that represents YOU." A beat. "And no chaos portals!" she snapped at my pocket.

The leaf trembled threateningly. Ahyona rolled her eyes with teenage precision. "Gross. Stop vibrating. You look desperate."

We scattered into the trees. Spirits giggled from branches. Leaves glowed faintly under our steps. A warm hush fell over the realm, like she'd told the land itself to behave. We were meant to choose something. Yara immediately stripped down a vine and braided it with seashells that shouldn't have existed in a forest. Calavera drifted by silently, collecting a fragile bone-white blossom that grew only in shadow. Tairochi picked up a rock. Just… a rock. He looked deeply satisfied with it. Maximus returned with a bowl of berries. "Mine will be edible art." Vitaria sighed lovingly. Ravina picked a single dark feather. Leyla crouched beside a tree root, tracing a small knot of tangled sticks and silver thread. With a flick of her fingers, the threads formed a tiny, intricate charm, half dreamcatcher, half warning sign and she pocketed it without a word.

I wandered deeper, letting the quiet settle around me like a blanket. No screaming emotions. No overlapping senses. Just calm. A small spirit fox trotted up beside me, its body made of flickering amber light. It nudged my leg and darted away. Following it felt natural. We stopped at a low cedar branch where a cluster of smooth wooden beads hung together humming with softness. I touched one. It warmed under my fingers. I took it. We reconvened around the stage. Ahyona sat cross-legged with her chin in her hand like a judge on a talent show. "Okay. Impress me. Or don't. I'm prepared to be disappointed."

Luxor went first, holding up his golden leaf. It immediately burst into radiant light, spinning into the shape of a miniature sun that warmed the clearing. Ahyona blinked. "Basic. But that's hot."

Yara's vine became a shimmering wave that crashed and reformed around her body like a living accessory. Ahyona nodded. "Okay, very fetch."

Maximus presented his berry art. It was… extremely berry art. Ahyona stared. "That's food."

"It is edible expression."

She groaned. "Goddess Mom, come get your husband."

Vitaria chuckled as she pulled Maximus off stage. Ravina stepped forward with her feather, which lengthened into a sharp quill that drew shadows in the air. Ahyona's arms dropped, face softening for a breath. "Ravina…"Her voice softened further. "Are you okay?"

Ravina froze, mask cracking for only a second. She looked at me. Her expression flickered with something sour before she smoothed it away. "I'm fine."

Ahyona didn't believe her, but she didn't push. She shifted her attention. Tairochi placed his rock on the stage. Nothing happened. Ahyona blinked. "Are you… done?"

"Yes." She stared. He stared back. She eventually sighed. "Fine. Whatever. You're perfect."

My bead felt small in my palm. Unimpressive. I stepped onto the stage anyway. The realm seemed to lean closer. Ahyona studied me. "Okay, Asha. Show me yours."

I held up the bead. Ahyona tilted her head. "What did you make?"

"I didn't make anything." I rubbed the bead between my fingers. "I just… chose something that felt like me before everything else."

Her breath caught. The realm went still. "That's… actually the most honest thing anyone's done."

Malvor vibrated in my pocket with outrage. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HONEST? I COULD MAKE A CHOIR OUT OF SPECKS OF DIRT—"

Ahyona snapped her fingers and muted him. Bless her. She nodded slowly and hopped off the stage. Her body glowed like embers under wind, limbs stretching, face sharpening. Teen fading into something older, wiser, steadier. "Okay, okay, okay. Enough emo vulnerability." A smirk. "Next phase."

Malvor suddenly un-muted himself just in time to scream from my pocket: "SOMEONE TURN ME BACK BEFORE I MISS THE SNACKS—"

Ahyona snapped. A burst of golden smoke, Malvor dropped onto the forest floor in a heap of sweater, eyeliner, and indignation. "LEAF FORM WAS A VIOLATION OF MY RIGHTS—"

Ahyona ignored him. Her form shimmered again. Teen vanished. Young adult stepped forward. The trees brightened in recognition. Ahyona reappeared, she was no longer the sharp-edged teenager judging all of creation with a single sigh. This version was… radiant. Mid-twenties maybe. Confident without being overwhelming. Her hair was longer now, braided down her back with herbs and thin strips of bark threaded through. Her clothes shifted into soft layers. Woven patterns, autumn oranges and deep reds, textures that looked hand-made. When she smiled, the entire realm glowed brighter. "Come on," she said, slipping her hand into mine without hesitation. "We're cooking."

Malvor immediately groaned. "HER cooking tests are always emotional traps, Asha. Beware the soup."

Ahyona flicked her fingers. Malvor's lips sealed shut like someone had pressed the mute button on chaos itself. He made offended muffled noises. Ahyona tugged me toward a wooden doorway tucked between two cedar trees. A warm, fragrant breeze rushed out, not magical, just comforting. Inside was the coziest kitchen I'd ever seen. Clay pots bubbling. Wood counters worn from years of use. Jars of dried fruit, herbs, spices. A big stone oven radiating heat. Lanterns glowing soft amber overhead. It felt like stepping into a memory I didn't know I needed. Ahyona pushed a bowl into my hands. "You cook with me."

I blinked. "I don't know how to—"

"Good. I can teach." She laughed. We washed vegetables together at a basin that filled itself with warm water. She chopped herbs with a stone knife, the rhythm comforting. I peeled roots whose names I didn't know but whose scent reminded me faintly of autumn markets and childhood comfort. Ahyona nudged my elbow with her own. "You're quieter here."

I paused. "…It's easier here."

She nodded as if she already knew. "My realm softens noise. Not just sound. Noise in the heart." My throat tightened. Ahyona brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and handed me a wooden spoon. "Stir clockwise until the broth thickens. Counterclockwise if you want it sweeter."

"That… actually matters?"

"Very much."

She moved with a grace. We worked side by side. Her elbow bumped mine. Her hip nudged me so I didn't burn myself. Once, she pressed dried lavender into my hand and said, "Put some in the stew. It helps people breathe easier."

Lavender. Of course it did. She glanced at me again, softer this time. "You did very well today. In the game. In the expression circle. In calming yourself."

"I felt like I was falling apart."

"You were," she said simply. "Then you didn't. That counts."

The statement sank deep. We finished the dish. An earthy, warm, fragrant stew thick with vegetables and herbs. Ahyona leaned over the pot and inhaled. "Perfect."

"Because of you."

"No, because we made it." She handed me the bowl, warm and heavy in my hands. "Let's go feed the hungry gods before Maximus eats a chair."

I snorted. "Has he done that?"

Ahyona tilted her head thoughtfully. "Define 'done.'"

We carried the stew out together. The moment we stepped back into the clearing, Ahyona aged again, smoothly, gently, into her adult form. She stood taller now, features more refined, power humming under her skin like late-summer heat. Her presence was still warm, but deeper. Like someone who had learned to carry the weight of others without letting it crush her.

With a clap of her hands, the entire realm responded. Lanterns brightened. A long wooden table appeared, carved from living cedar, leaves woven into a natural runner. Bowls, plates, pitchers, and baskets filled the surface in a cascade of autumn colors. Roasted roots, steaming breads, berry-glazed meats, sweetened nuts, fragrant teas.

Maximus immediately gasped like someone had proposed marriage. "A FEAST."

Vitaria dragged him back by the collar. "Wait for everyone, dear."

Malvor had been unmuted at some point because he immediately pointed at my stew bowl and declared, "Asha made that, I helped emotionally, so she gets the head seat."

Ahyona ignored him and waved everyone in. Tairochi sat with unshakable calm. Luxor radiated sunshine and bragged about how his contribution was "aesthetic guidance." Yara arrived drenched in dew, leaving a wet circle wherever she sat. Calavera and Leyla sat next to each other. Not quite touching. Ravina joined silently, her gaze darting to me, then away. Ahyona served first. She ladled stew into bowls, murmuring blessings over each one. Small, quiet things about clarity, peace, warmth, and strength. When she finally reached me, she rested her hand on my shoulder. "You brought heart to this meal."

I swallowed hard. Everyone ate. Something I hadn't expected washed over the table, peace. Real peace. Not silence. Not stillness. Not the absence of panic. Just… warmth. Malvor nudged his bowl toward me and whispered conspiratorially, "Darling, you made Tairochi smile. SMILE. That's worth ten divine points."

Tairochi did not smile. But his eyebrow moved upward approximately half a millimeter. Luxor leaned back dramatically. "Asha, whatever you put in this stew, I want it every week."

"It was lavender," Ahyona said proudly. Yara hummed. Maximus devoured. Vitaria sighed in happy approval. Leyla and Calavera spoke quietly to each other. Ravina glared at me. But tonight wasn't about her. Tonight was warmth, community, comfort. Tonight was a goddess becoming many ages and inviting me into each version. Tonight was a new memory that didn't hurt. Ahyona raised her cup of autumn wine. "To new connections. To old wounds healing. To the people we are becoming. To those who return… And those who should not." A shadow flickered behind her eyes at the last line, something cold and knowing, but she smiled again, and the moment passed. She lifted her cup higher. "Eat. Laugh. Rest. You are safe tonight."

Malvor clinked his cup against mine with a grin that softened into something real. The feast dwindled into soft conversation, laughter fading into embers of sound. Lanterns dimmed. The air cooled. When I blinked, Ahyona stood at the head of the table as an Elder. Not "old." Not fragile. She was ancient. Her hair long and silver-white, braided with feathers and tiny polished stones. Wrinkles carved her face like rivers. Beautiful, earned, powerful. Her eyes held centuries. Her posture was the kind that required no force for respect; she had lived enough to be her own authority.

A hush fell without her asking for it. Even Malvor sat straighter. Elder Ahyona lifted her hand. "Come, Asha."

My heart thudded. She didn't ask anyone else to follow. She didn't explain. She simply turned and walked toward the tree line, leaning on a long carved staff. I followed before I even realized I had stood. The forest swallowed us in warm shadow. The air smelled of cedar and smoke. A circle of stones waited in a clearing, a gentle fire crackling at its center. Elder Ahyona lowered herself to sit, gesturing for me to take the place opposite her. I obeyed. The moment I sat, the fire changed. Burning low and steady, flames curling blue and gold, as if recognizing her presence. Ahyona studied me in silence for a long moment. "Child," she said at last, voice soft but heavy with weight, "you carry too much. Still you stand."

I swallowed. "Barely."

She nodded. "Barely is still standing."

The fire cracked gently between us, sparks lifting like fireflies. Ahyona leaned forward, elbows on her knees, fingers tracing patterns in the air. Her age showed only in wisdom. "There is something you must understand, Asha. Healing is not the absence of pain. It is the ability to hold pain with gentleness." My eyes burned. "You have lived a life where every wound was reopened. Every kindness had teeth. You survived by bracing. By hardening. By disappearing inside yourself."

I looked away. The fire blurred. Her voice was a soft, warm ember. "Now, for the first time, you are allowed to soften. And it frightens you more than pain ever did." I let out a quiet, unsteady breath. Ahyona's gaze didn't waver. "Strength without softness is imbalance. And imbalance, for a being like you, is danger."

"Like me?"

She nodded. "You are becoming more. Balance is not optional for you. It is survival."

The fire shifted. A slow wind swept through the clearing, rustling leaves overhead. Ahyona raised both palms toward the flames. The fire lifted, swirling upward in tendrils of gold and white, illuminating the carvings in her skin, lines that looked like history itself. "Tonight, I offer you a blessing, not one of power, but of grounding." My breath stilled. "You have people who will anchor you. Tairochi with earth, Malvor with devotion, Luxor with light, Yara with fluidity, Calavera with memory…"Her eyes softened. "But you need an anchor that is yours."

The fire dimmed again, as if bowing. Ahyona extended a hand across the flames. "Give me your palm, child."

My fingers trembled as I offered my hand. Her skin, wrinkled and warm, wrapped around mine gently. The connection wasn't magic. It wasn't a surge. It wasn't pain. It was a tether. Ahyona inhaled deeply, her voice carrying an old rhythm, prayer or spell, I couldn't tell.

"Let the fire remember your courage. Let the earth remember your breath. Let your heart remember its shape." My throat tightened painfully. She opened her eyes, glowing faintly gold. "When the noise becomes unbearable, when the gods' voices drown your own, when chaos or memory threaten to break you. Place your hand over your heart and speak this word: Return."

The wind stilled. Ahyona's voice lowered, intimate and soft. "Return to yourself. Return to your breath. Return to your name." My breath shuddered out. She squeezed my hand gently. "You are not losing humanity, Asha. You are becoming its guardian."

Tears slipped down my cheeks silently. Ahyona smiled. The kind of smile that had weathered centuries and still found gentleness. "Now come here. Let me bless the part of you that still believes she is alone."

She opened her arms. I moved without hesitation. I knelt beside her, letting her wrap me in an embrace that felt like firelight around bone, like autumn winds around grief, like a home I'd never had but always hoped existed. She whispered into my hair, "You are not broken. You are becoming."

The fire flared, surrounding us with soft light, sealing the moment into something sacred. When we rose to return to the feast. She blessed each god and goddess after me. I carried her warmth in my chest like a new heartbeat.