From Ashes To Scales

Two weeks had passed since Magnus and Rose's private conversation, and things were moving smoothly in Ephiria. The construction of the tree-castle was coming along at a steady pace, its towering form already beginning to take shape against the skyline. The village, too, had started to expand, morphing into a proper city with streets bustling with new activity. Rose's shrine was being built in the center of the marketplace, a grand monument rising to the Goddess of Lightning, though Rose’s true interest still lay in managing the funds that poured in.

However, inside Magnus' dimensional storage, things were far less serene.

“Magnus, you blithering idiot!” The booming voice echoed, followed by a sharp yelp from Magnus as he was caught in a headlock.

Iseria, the Goddess of Lightning, had him in a rather uncompromising hold, her long black hair crackling with faint electric sparks as she tightened her grip.

"W-What did I do this time?" Magnus gasped, his voice strained.

Iseria's red eyes flared with irritation, her lips drawn into a thin line as she responded, “You know exactly what you did.”

Magnus winced, trying to recall if he’d done anything to provoke her recently. "Is this about the shrine? You gave me permission to build it!”

Her grip didn’t loosen, though her scowl deepened. “That’s not the issue!”

“Then what is?!” Magnus asked, his patience starting to wear thin, though it was hard to sound indignant while being crushed.

Iseria glared down at him, her voice rising. "You want to spread my teachings, but you don't even know what they are!"

Magnus blinked. “Oh… that.”

“YES, THAT!” she roared, sparks of electricity flickering across her body.

"Look," Magnus said, half-choking as he tried to free himself from her hold. "You’ve helped me a lot, and I’m loyal to you for everything you’ve done, but you know I’m not exactly the religious type! How was I supposed to know your teachings?!"

Her grip tightened even more, and Magnus felt his vision start to blur. “Maybe if you’d asked, you wouldn’t be in this situation now!” she snapped.

Magnus desperately tried to wiggle out of the headlock. "Could you, uh, maybe let me go? Your… uh… breasts are kind of… pressing into me."

That did it. Iseria’s face turned a deep shade of red, her cool goddess demeanor breaking for a split second. “Wha—?!” She immediately let go, realizing how close she had been to him, and in a flustered motion, she tossed him like a ragdoll across the room.

Magnus crashed into the wall with a dull thud, landing in a heap. “Ow…” He groaned, rubbing his head.

Iseria, now beet-red, crossed her arms and huffed, trying to regain her composure. “Y-You idiot! Don’t say weird things like that!”

Magnus picked himself up slowly, a pained chuckle escaping him. "You didn’t have to throw me, you know. Could’ve just let go."

Magnus couldn’t help but smirk. "I thought after all this time we were friends."

"F-Friend?!" Iseria sputtered, glaring at him with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. "Who said anything about being friends?! Don’t go assuming things! I’m a Goddess who's just doing her duty!!"

Magnus laughed. "Fine, fine. My mistake."

Iseria’s embarrassment turned back into frustration, though she didn’t deny it. “Just—just listen up,” she stammered, throwing a large book at him, which he barely caught.

“What’s this?” Magnus asked, flipping through the thick tome. It looked ancient, full of unfamiliar symbols and texts, all radiating an energy that felt distinctly… electric.

“This,” Iseria said, her voice more measured now, “is the Codex of Storms. It contains my teachings. The real teachings of the Goddess of Lightning."

Magnus flipped through the pages, skimming over passages that detailed discipline, balance, and power—all focused around the element of lightning. “Huh. So this is what I’m supposed to be spreading?” he asked, a bit sheepishly.

“Yes,” Iseria said firmly. “If you’re going to have people follow me, they need to know what I stand for.”

Magnus nodded, the weight of the task starting to sink in. “All right, I’ll read through it and make sure the people know.”

“Good,” she said, her tone finally softening. “I’m counting on you to represent me properly, Magnus.”

"It's just… You wrote this in an ancient language… You know I can read it, but it’s going to take me forever."

Iseria smirked. "You’re a quick study. Figure it out."

"Couldn’t you have just written it in a common language?" he muttered, flipping through the pages.

"You want to spread my teachings or not?" she shot back, arms crossed. "Besides, this is sacred knowledge. If it’s too easy to read, it wouldn’t carry the weight it deserves."

Magnus let out a small sigh but nodded. "All right, fine. I’ll read it, though it might take me a while."

"Good," Iseria said, her expression softening for a moment before she quickly recovered her usual confident demeanor. "You better make it count. I’m not going easy on you just because you’re my frrr… -ally!! I meant to say ally!!

And don't forget, my statues have to be accurate. You know how ook so I won't accept any cheap knock-offs!!"

Magnus smiled. Although she did her best to cover it and change the subject, he could always count on Iseria’s… tsundere nature to lighten the mood.

He sighed in relief, thinking the storm had passed. But then Iseria’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.

“Now,” she continued, “there’s something else I want. A match.”

Magnus blinked, suspicious. “You want another chess match?”

Iseria laughed. “No, no. I want something much more exciting.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “What, exactly?”

“A fight,” she said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “I want to see how strong you’ve become.”

He groaned. “Really? Are you still upset? Why do you suddenly want to beat me up?”

“Oh, come on,” she teased. “It’ll be fun. I’ll even make it interesting. If you can injure me—even a little—I’ll teach you a new technique.”

Magnus narrowed his eyes, though the promise of learning something new piqued his interest. “A new technique, huh?”

Iseria nodded. “Something only I can teach. But you’ve got to earn it.”

"Actually, I’ve been thinking... After everything that’s happened… after facing Yridian, one of the Demon God’s generals… I’m curious about how strong I’ve really become. He pushed me to my limits.”

Iseria’s grin turned into a smile. “That's the spirit. It’s been a while since I had a real spar, and I’m curious to see if you’ve learned anything from your battles.”

“Alright then. I guess we have ourselves a match. But won't this storage space be destroyed? I don't want to lose all my books.”

“Don't worry about that. Leave that to me. I’ll handle it. You just come at me with everything you got. No holding back, okay? Let's see if you got what it takes to handle a true storm!”

“Fine. Let's do this then. Here I come, Iseria!”