A/N: I'm back! Not a whole lot to say right now, except that I hope you like this chapter! I know I left you all on a bit of a cliffhanger last time. I really hope you enjoy the resolution of that particular incident!

As always, my responses to your comments and questions are at the bottom of the chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Hearthfire

Chapter 46

Freya

Standing within Torrhen's forge, Freya smiled, pushing the full force of her godly charm against the Dragonborn demigod. She could see him fighting against it, which only inflamed her interest. Nobody could resist her, so seeing him fight against it was thrilling.

"You do this a lot, don't you?" The dark-haired man grimaced, his voice showing just a hint of strain. "Tell me, how many of your members joined you without your charm?"

Freya was honestly confused. Sure, her dear children were subject to her charms, but that was what serving her was all about. Honestly, she didn't even have to try most of the time. This was the first time in… well, quite a while that she'd deliberately used her charm on someone. Most gods and mortals just… did what she wanted. She didn't even have to think about deliberately using her charms.

"Whatever are you talking about?" She put a hand on his chest, knowing it would make her power even harder to resist.

"MUL QAH DIIV" Torrhen let out a thunderous shout, shaking the very foundations of the building. A golden, ethereal light coalesced around him while Frey's godly senses were simultaneously bombarded. The divinity within Torrhen's blood was usually so dormant, you could only find the barest hint of it even if you knew what you were looking for. Now though? As the ethereal dragon scales formed around the demigod, the power of the divinity in his blood surged outward like a wave. His very presence was almost stifling.

Freya gasped, eyes wide with shock. She hadn't known he was capable of channeling his divinity like this. As her senses were bombarded, she realized that his divinity was different from her own. Somehow older. Ancient and angry. Within him, she could feel the echo of Akatosh. One of the oldest and most powerful of the Et'Ada. Within that energy, she could sense hunger, ambition, wrath, and an all-encompassing need to dominate. A force of will that refused to bend at the whims of another. In that instant, the power of her charm snapped, causing her to stumble backwards a step.

A low, ancient, animalistic growl echoed from Torrhen's chest as the demigod stalked forward. "Tell me, Freya." His voice was deeper and somehow sonorous. The very sound caused her body to vibrate. "Do you even care that you strip others of their free will?" It was hard for her to breathe. "Do you ever wonder what it feels like for them?" She wanted to reply. Obviously, she hadn't. What did she care about their feelings if they were so weak willed that merely standing in her presence put them under her spell? "Perhaps I should show you?"

Freya scrambled backwards. "What?" She finally gasped out. It shouldn't be possible. She was a goddess. It was impossible, even for a demigod, to control her! "How…" She didn't get to finish the question.

"GOL HAH RAH"

An ethereal wave of gold accompanied the shout, barreling from Torrhen's mouth and colliding with Freya's form. For a brief moment, she felt like she was floating in a sea of ethereal light. All her cares, wishes, and desires suddenly seemed so distant and unimportant. Then… understanding came. Why was she so surprised that Torrhen was so powerful? Obviously, he was more than worthy of her allegiance.

Why had she been trying to control him when he was clearly the one who should be giving the orders? Freya felt herself kneel on the ground. "Master." She gasped out, almost in a state of euphoria.

'Wait…'

"How does it feel, Freya?" Her master's voice asked. The spellbound goddess gazed up into his eyes. Had he gotten more handsome? "How does it feel to have your free will stripped away from you?" The golden energy surrounding her master whirled and surged with power.

'Let me go...'

"It is wonderful, Master." Freya heard herself say. But… that wasn't… what was that voice…

"You are under my control now." The Master said. "I can make you do anything." He circled her kneeling form. "I wonder what I should have you do first. Humiliate yourself? Kill yourself? Give me all your money? Perhaps we can start by making my life easier, hm?"

"I will gladly do anything that will contribute to your ease of living, Master." Freya replied, bent in supplication. Something shivered in the back of her mind. Was that fear? No. Couldn't be. Why would she fear her master?

"Yes. Let's begin with… disbanding your Familia. I think that's a good place to start, don't you? Perhaps we can exile a few of the more irritating ones."

'No!'

"But… master… what about my plans?" Freya asked, confused.

"Oh? Are you disobeying me? Are your plans more important than my commands?"

'Yes!'

"Of course not!" Freya replied, terrified of failing her master. "Your wish is my command. I will disband them if you wish me to, but wouldn't they be of more use to you if the Familia were unchanged?"

"Perhaps. But then again… I think not. They have been a thorn in my side for quite some time. They might be more trouble than they're worth."

"No! Let me go!"

"I… I…" Freya's hand flew to her head. Her skull was pounding. Torrhen was her master. No, SHE was the master. But she was supposed to serve him…

"You can feel it, can't you?" Torrhen asked, sinisterly. "You're trying to fight it. I've asked you to do something you don't want to. You know it's not what you want but… you just don't have the strength to fight it. You are completely under my control now.

"I…" The goddess fought briefly but it just wasn't enough. Her resistance faltered and collapsed. "Yes master. I am yours to command." Freya bent her head in deference once again. Inside, she wanted to weep. She'd gone too far. Gambled, lost, and now she stood to lose everything. Torrhen would take it all from her as payment for her trespasses, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Then, to her surprise, the golden light vanished. Along with it, suddenly the control over her mind cracked and… shattered. The silver-haired goddess stumbled to her feet, backing as far away from the demigod as possible. Looking up, she could see him standing there, arms crossed and a defiant look on his face.

"Unlike you, Freya," he began, "I do not enjoy stripping others of their free will. It may be in my nature to dominate, but I do prefer those who serve me to have a choice in the matter. That is why, despite having the power to do so, I will not keep you in thrall."

Freya didn't understand. "Why… why do this, if you were not intending to control me?!" She shouted, furious.

"To teach you a lesson." Torrhen replied. "Do not forget how that felt. The fear and helplessness that come with having your free will stripped away from you? That is what the members of your Familia feel every day. You take free will away from every person you have charmed. You make them feel the same way you did just a moment ago."

"I…" Was that… really what her Familia felt like? She… didn't know what to think…

"Go." Torrhen dismissed her, gesturing to the door. "I have agreed to take your members as clients if you sign a peace agreement but remember this." His eyes narrowed at her. "Just because I don't like to control others, doesn't mean I'm not willing to if you push me. Keep the peace, and keep your schemes away from the Hestia Familia or I will take your will from you again and this time… I won't let you go."

Torrhen

Once the silver-haired pain in his ass shakily left the property, Torrhen sighed, rolled his shoulders, and cracked his neck. Using Dragon Aspect, plus the godly variant of Bend Will always made him feel stiff.

"I know you told me you could handle it but… I wasn't expecting that." Hestia's voice said. Out of the shadow of a nearby doorway, the short goddess stepped into the light. She'd been hiding out there during his entire interaction with Freya, just in case he wasn't able to fight her. "That's not a shout you've told me about…"

"No." Torrhen shook his head. "It's technically one of my own invention, but I don't exactly like using it."

"You… invented a shout to control gods?" Hestia looked torn between being impressed and worried.

"Well, not really." Torrhen explained. "The Bend Will shout was originally designed to control dragons. I learned it when I was tracking down Miraak." Hestia nodded, familiar with the story. He'd told her pretty much his entire life story by this point, so she was familiar with his exploits. "The original version of Bend Will is different though. It's specifically designed to deal with dragons, not gods. I wouldn't exactly call it simple, but the basics of the change was that I simply switched out the word for dragon, Dov, with the word for gods. Rah."

"But… why would you do that?"

"Hermaeus Mora." Torrhen replied. "Well, him and a few other Daedra who thought they had a claim on my soul. The only one with a legitimate claim was Nocturnal, but we were able to make a deal. She let me go, but only after I found someone to replace me and did a few jobs for her. Though, her knowing that I had the shout in my back pocket certainly helped my side of the negotiations…"

"Well." Hestia sighed. "I can certainly see why you'd want insurance against the Daedra. Most of them are… rather crazy if I remember rightly. Meridia is alright though. We're friends,"

"She's just about the only one I never had any problems with. Well…" Torrhen looked up in thought, crossing his arms. "The whole thing with her beacon and her scaring the crap out of me didn't help. She's the first Daedra I met, and she just wouldn't shut up after I found her beacon until I cleared out this abandoned temple of hers. Got a good sword out of it though."

"Yeah," Hestia looked a bit sheepish. "Meridia can be a bit… pushy but she's alright. A bit of a stick in the mud sometimes."

"True." Torrhen nodded. In fact, the only Daedra he never really had any problems with whatsoever were her and Azura. Sanguine and Sheogorath were both dangerous, but not in the same way as most of the others. At least those two were good for a laugh and an entertaining evening.

"So, what do we do now?" Hestia asked, hopping up onto a workbench.

"Nothing." Torrhen replied, shaking off his memories. "Freya is kowtowed for the moment. If I'm right, she's got a lot of reflecting to do. Get her and Loki to the negotiating table and work out an agreement while we have the upper hand. Freya should stick to it, so long as the threat of losing her free will is hanging over her head."

"True." Hestia nodded. "Maybe this'll get her to reflect a bit. Make her a more understanding goddess."

"I wouldn't count on that, Hestia." Torrhen told her. There was always a chance, but he wasn't convinced that Freya would suddenly have a change of heart, just because he'd taught her a lesson.

"Don't worry. I'll be cautious when dealing with Freya." The short goddess gave him a smile before hopping down and walking out of his workshop.

Ais

"nmmmm" Loki groaned and stretched as their carriage trundled up to the gates of the city. They'd decided to stay an extra day in Melen to just recover and take in the sights. Actually have a day of vacation instead of dealing with all the nastiness that'd come from tangling with the Viola, the branch head, and the Kali Familia but now they were approaching the gates to Orario.

Ais stretched too, though she refrained from groaning like Loki. The blonde was glad to be home, and eagerly awaiting a chance to sleep in her own bed. Looking around, she let her eyes roam over the gaggle of people waiting outside the gates. The line for entry was never short when the sun was up, so there were a fair number of people standing there. She could see adventurers, merchants, and other various travelers of half a dozen different races all gathered together.

"Papers please." A guard said as Riveria directed their carriage forward.

"Yo!" Loki saluted, sticking her head up behind Riveria's shoulder. She, along with Ais and the twins were lounging in the back of the cart while Riveria drove. Lefiya had taken up a seat on the bench next to her mentor.

"Oh, goddess Loki." The guard nodded in greeting. "Welcome back to the city."

"Here you go." Riveria cut in, handing the member of the Ganesha Familia their documents. Residents always needed to bring documents with them that proved their citizenship when leaving the city so that they weren't charged an entry fee whenever they returned.

"Hey, look!" Tiona shouted, springing down from the cart and running up to one of the nearby billboards. Reaching up, she ripped a piece of paper down. Ignoring the protests of the guards, she bounced back up into the carriage and shoved the paper into Ais' hands. Her blonde eyebrows widened as she took in the symbol of the Hestia Familia boldly emblazoned on the sheet.

"The Hestia Familia is hosting a recruitment day." Ais read out the flyer to her companions. "Slots open for twenty new members."

Loki let out an impressed whistle. "Twenty? That's a huge bump to their numbers. Good for them. They're gonna have quite the turnout."

"The Guild must be nervous." Riveria said from up front as they began moving through the gates. Off to one side, Ais could see the Ganesha guards waving them through. "When one of the top Familia holds a recruitment drive, it can cause a bit of an uproar."

"Yeah," Loki nodded, "and with Hestia's popularity right now, they're gonna have a lot of hopefuls. I'm guessing they'll get at least a hundred."

"Why not more?" Tiona asked.

"There aren't that many unaffiliated adventurers in the city." Ais reminded her. "Most people find a Familia within a few weeks. Either through meeting members or applying at their home. Drives like this are rare, and most hopefuls in the city will be looking to join."

"Not to mention," Riveria added, "most of those who are looking to join are new to the city. Level 1, 2, or maybe even completely new. Any from within the city that are looking to switch are more likely to approach a new Familia quietly so that they don't embarrass their current god by appearing too eager to leave their Familia."

"Mhmm." Loki nodded. "Some gods I know get real prickly when their members wanna swap Familia. Better to handle it quietly rather than out in the open."

Ais nodded in understanding. It was always good practice to avoid angering or embarrassing a god. Especially if they were the god of your Familia and you embarrassed them by publicly searching for a different Familia to join. It was not a good look for the god. Or for the adventurer, really. It usually implied that either the god didn't take care of their members or that the adventurer didn't care about the god they served. Either way, not a good look.

"We should stop by there soon." Ais spoke up. "Let them know we're back."

"Wouldn't be the worst idea in the world." Loki agreed. "I need to let Lil' Bit know about what happened in Melen. Plus, we can talk to Torrhen about getting a few more spellbooks."

"I'll speak to him about it while you talk to goddess Hestia." Riveria chimed in from the front.

Torrhen

Torrhen walked leisurely up to the desk where Eina sat, doing her usual paperwork. The brunette half-elf appeared not to notice him until he was right on top of her. Leaning forward, he tapped her desk and let out a little cough.

"Oh! Master Torrhen!" Eina looked up, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you, Eina. I'm sorry, but I don't' have time to catch up. I need to have a little chat with your boss." He told her, ensuring nobody else could hear him. "There is a rather sensitive matter I wish to discuss with the head of the Guild. Is he available, or should I make an appointment?"

"Oh, um." Eina hesitated. "I'll go ask him. Please wait right here." The young woman stood and rather swiftly made her way into a back room.

Torrhen knew, of course, that the head of the Guild, one Royman Mardeel would absolutely be available to meet with him. Rumor had it that the elderly, not to mention portly, elf was exceptionally arrogant but not stupid. He would never take a chance on offending a high-class adventurer but by pretending to ask for an appointment, Torrhen allowed the Guild head to act as though he was being generous by agreeing to a last-minute meeting. He was also reported to be very greedy, having somehow acquired the nickname the 'Guild's Pig' behind his back. A fact that would make Torrhen's task infinitely easier considering the absurd amount of money he'd brought with him.

Sure enough, he'd only been waiting for a few minutes when Eina came back looking a little flustered. She quickly ushered him through a door and led the way to the headman's office. It was lavishly decorated, but the most impressive part was that, despite the obvious greed on display, the office was far from impractical. It gave off the air of a space created for one with both inexhaustible wealth and an impressive dedication to their work.

The centerpiece was a gorgeous wooden desk situated in front of a tall window. The chair behind it was almost throne-like, with golden trim and plush red cushions. Seated upon the throne-like chair behind the desk was an elderly, and very portly elf. With short white hair and green eyes, the man was dressed in an expensive-looking black and white suit with a red vest and a green bowtie. He was also… rather short for an elf.

"Ah, Master Torrhen." Royman Mardeel exclaimed, standing up and walking around the desk. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, at last!"

Torrhen gave Eina a nod of thanks before stepping into the room. As the door closed behind them, he moved to accept the guild master's limp-wristed handshake. He was almost distracted by how weak the man's grip was. It was pathetic! If he'd been in Skyrim, half the province would know this man for a coward just by how pitiful his grip was.

"The pleasure is mine, Guild Master." Torrhen lied. He didn't want to be here but, needs must. "Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice." The fat elf perked up at the compliment to his supposed 'generosity.'

"Oh, it was no trouble at all." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I am happy to accommodate the high-class adventurers. Especially yourself." The man seemed almost giddy as he sat himself back in his throne-like chair. Torrhen sat down in one of the decidedly cheaper seats that were positioned in front of the desk. "Why, I feel honored to meet the demigod that's taken the city by storm!"

"I thank you, Guild Master." Torrhen gave him a nod of respect. "Though, I'm sad to say that I'm not here just to introduce myself. In truth, I believe I am in need of your assistance."

"Oh, but of course!" Royman nodded, scooting closer to his desk. "I am happy to be of assistance. Anything you need, I am happy to accommodate you!"

"Oh, really?" Torrhen raised an eyebrow. "In that case, I shall be blunt. I need the Gale Wind's blacklisting to be removed or, barring that, I need the Guild's help in faking their death."

"Of course, we can…. Wait, what?!" The Guild head shouted in shock and alarm. His eyes were wide and his triple chin flapping as his jaw moved. "You… Master Torrhen, you do know that the Gale Wind is a murderous criminal, yes?"

"I do." He nodded, "but I am also aware, as you no doubt are, that there are… extenuating circumstances surrounding their crimes. That is why you've neglected to track them down, is it not?"

"Well… yes." Royman reluctantly admitted. "We are aware that her victims had ties to the Evilus organization, but we could never prove it. But that still doesn't excuse the fact that she murdered adventurers and terrorized our streets!"

"Perhaps not." Torrhen agreed. Technically, since the Guild had no evidence implicating Ryuu's victims, they were still counted as innocent. The kind of innocence where everybody knows you're evil, but they just can't prove it. "That's why I'm speaking with you. I'd like us to come to an agreement on how to handle the situation that's beneficial for both of us. I am willing to make a generous… donation to the Guild to cover the costs of this no doubt exhausting endeavor."

Torrhen could see the gleam of greed in the man's eyes but, rather impressively, his sense of duty seemed to win out. "It's not a question of money." Royman admitted. "We can't just remove the blacklisting. If we did that, then the people would begin to lose faith in the integrity of the Guild. No. If the person behind the moniker is to go free, the Gale Wind must die."

"Of course." The Dragonborn nodded. He'd already had a feeling they'd be faking Ryuu's death. "It's been some time since they were active so, perhaps it can be solved simply. A quiet announcement that the Gale Wind has been caught?"

"No, no." The Guild head waved his hand in the negative. "Truthfully, there have been sightings of the Gale Wind recently. A few adventurers reported seeing someone wearing her gear fighting during the debacle on the 18th Floor." He gave Torrhen a bit of a suspicious glance. "I can only surmise that this is when you met her. Those who follow her case more actively have taken it as proof that she's still in the city. What's more, she was a fairly powerful adventurer. Level 4 if I recall correctly. Nobody would believe that a powerful, not to mention notorious criminal could be apprehended without some kind of commotion."

"I see." Torrhen hummed, his thoughts churning. "Tell me… have you identified all the bodies recovered during the battle?"

"The one on the 18th floor?" Royman asked, surprised. "Well, yes. Of course. The list hasn't been released to the public yet, but the remains have been claimed and buried."

"Could we announce that the Gale Wind was killed in the fighting?"

"Hm." The Guild head rubbed his chin in consideration. "It's possible but… no." He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's been far too long since the battle on the 18th floor. If the Gale Wind had been killed, we would have announced it long ago. It would stink of a cover-up."

"Damn." Torrhen cursed, disappointed. That would have been a perfect solution, but the elf was right. "So, then our only option is to fake a confrontation?"

"Ah." The portly elf looked nervous. "Yes," his ears drooped, "that would be best, and…" he hesitated. "If you are intending for the person behind the moniker to join the Hestia Familia, it would be best if neither you nor your other members were seen anywhere near the confrontation. She will need a completely new identity."

"Hm. That's not a bad point." Torrhen agreed.

At the very least, the elf was good at thinking on his feet. The Dragonborn's mind churned with possibilities. He could probably ask for Finn's help in dealing with the coverup, but then again… he had leverage on Freya. They could probably get one of her higher-level adventurers to participate. As for Ryuu's new identity, he had a few ideas.

"Thank you for you time, Guild Master." Torrhen said, standing. "I only have one more question and then I'll be on my way."

"Of course." The elf nodded, sweating slightly.

"Would it be possible for her to join us now, under her new identity, and fake the death of the Gale Wind later? Let her new name and identity be fully established in the city so that she doesn't just… show up a few days after the Gale Wind 'dies.'"

"Ah" The man grimaced but eventually nodded his head. "Yes, I suppose that would be best. Probably better to have young Tulle handle the paperwork. She handled your case well enough."

There was some kind of distaste in the elf's voice when speaking about Eina. Torrhen could only surmise that it was the Guild head's well-known distaste for half-elves. The inborn arrogance of elven kind rearing its ugly head again. Ignoring the racism for the moment, Torrhen shook the man's hand. At least he was willing to set aside the elvish distaste for touching other races when dealing with powerful adventurers.

"Of course. I'll let her know about all this and that we have your approval." Torrhen said. Moving to the door, he thanked the head of the Guild one more time before opening the door and leaving to find Eina, but not before he was stopped by the Guild master's voice.

"Master Torrhen, you do know that you will owe the Guild for this?" The Guild master's voice was cautious. "Once all is said and done, there will be a debt to be paid."

"Money is of no importance to me." Torrhen replied, smirking. "If it is something other than that you desire then… well, I suppose we can discuss it when the time comes." With that, he shut the door and left to find Eina.

Lili

The Pallum Vice-Captain sighed and leaned back in her seat. Next to her, Chigusa, Haruhime, and Cassandra were all either fidgeting in their seats or trying to tidy up the desk they'd set up in front of the gates. Today was the day. Recruitment time. It was supposed to start soon, so they'd been up since dawn getting ready. Now, they only had to wait for their first hopefuls.

"How many do you think will show up?" Haruhime asked, with no hint of hesitation in her voice. The Renard girl had certainly grown both in confidence and in skill since she'd joined them. If Lili was right, she was pretty close to hitting Level 2. Her progress wasn't as impressive as their borderline Level 4 captain, but it was still impressive.

Hell, they were all improving insanely fast. Lili herself had progressed faster than she ever could have imagined. She was already halfway through Level 2, according to her most recent Status update. The Pallum ranger/supporter didn't know how far she could go, but Torrhen and Bell had lit a fire in her she didn't know existed. She felt an intense desire to improve now. To show that Finn's power wasn't a fluke and that other Pallum could become high-class adventurers.

"A few dozen." Chigusa replied to Haruhime. "Perhaps fifty or sixty?"

"I would honestly expect more than that." Cassandra chimed in. "These events are rare. We might hit somewhere in the 80's or perhaps a hundred."

"I'd guess somewhere in the 80's too." Lili agreed. That seemed like a good number to her. It would be a nightmare to get through them all, but that was her guess on how many hopefuls they'd have come through. The group of four adventurers were pulled from their musings by a voice shouting from down the street.

"Salutations!" A cheerful, redheaded half-dwarf girl called, sprinting up to them.

"Penny! Slow down!" Running along behind the redhead were two other girls. A dark red/black-haired Cienthrope and blonde human. The three looked to be roughly the same age.

"Is this the home of the Hestia Familia?" the redhead asked.

"That's right." Lili replied, putting a smile on her face. "Are you looking to join?"

"Hehe." The girl giggled and saluted. "Yes, ma'am! My name is Penny Polendina, and I'm combat ready! Oh! And I have a letter here from Lord Miach." Lili raised an eyebrow in surprise, taking the envelope from the girl. If this was how their day was starting, she was a little terrified of how it would go from there.

A/N: There we go! Freya dealt with, Ryuu's situation on its way, and recruitment begins! I'm excited! Please leave a comment with your thoughts and ideas on what will happen next!

For those who think I should have kept Freya under control, I did consider it, but it just felt too out of character for Torrhen to do that. He doesn't like controlling people. That's why he fights his draconic nature and that's why he never did anything like become emperor or become a god. It's just too far out of character for him.

Answers to Questions

On FFN

ShotgunMaster: I'll consider it. There are a few interesting shouts in there that I might use later. Not sure yet.

Bauxite Glue: I am considering a few of the Orario Rhapsodia characters but not a lot of them. They're all girls and I want to have some semblance of gender balance in the Familia.

Fachloch07: I hope you enjoyed what followed!

VirusZyX: Thank you!

Guest: No, not really. I'm still thinking about it! Haven't settled on a Lili ship.

Frost2wolf3227: I will be changing up Ryuu's armor and weapons! As for Freya, I hope you liked what I did!

LionLordEscanor: No, not really. This was more to teach her a lesson.

FAKE-ROB: I tried to avoid making it sound too far in the kinky direction. Not my style of writing.

HiroRanger: Hewg may show up in a Hephaestus cameo. Not sure.

Christalm: Your reviews are always huge! Love it. And the speculation. I decided to go with more of him teaching a lesson than an interrogation. After all, he's pretty much confirmed already that she was behind the whole Ishtar situation and a few other things. As for him and Riveria… we'll get there!

M1stmix: What makes you think basic Dragonrend won't work on a god? I haven't ruled that out completely yet, I'm just saving it for another moment.

OniTenshi500: I thought about it, but I didn't think he'd want to control her for too long. It leans a bit too much into the whole 'domination' thing that he's always trying to fight.

NinjaFang1331: Just a taste though. We'll have to see where she goes from there.

Petrox: It was a bit reminiscent of that. As for Miach setting up an infirmary near the dungeon, that's a great idea! Unfortunately, Dian Cecht would pitch a massive fit if they did do that. Better to deal with him first.

Santiagosquina762: Perhaps not berated but… I think she got the message.

Clagann: I hope I cleared up the confusion in the chapter but I deliberately altered the original Bend Will for a new 'godly' version. Since Rah is the word for god.

The Disquieting One: I love your take on it! Especially since that's what I'm going for. I want a more lighthearted tone. I hate overly angsty stories. They're depressing.

Monkey D. Conan: No repercussions yet, but we will see about her reaction. Suffice to say, she's been humbled a bit after all this.

CortaxPapeles: Nope! Not dead! I was just moving.

Walkmanapprenticewordsmith: Thank you very much!

Selet: I feel like that idea would force me to up the rating on the story. Would be funny though.

On Ao3

MagnustheRed: Pretty much! We'll get back to Airmid soon-ish. Also, thanks for letting me know.

Cleddyf: She did indeed!

SlugerErmine1: She's certainly been humbled a bit.

SoraGreen118: Romance is not the focus so I don't focus on it much but there will be a little progress soon.

FrankTHaddock: A little justice, sure, but we will see if more follows.

KeeltheSwift: Yeah… she is exactly this direct in canon. That's why I went in that direction. Freya tends to let her desires win out over her logic.

CoffeeBeans14: She hasn't felt mortality…. Yet! We shall see if she does!

Rider09: Just a taste of Karma!

Phoenix_Warehouse_Productions: I haven't decided on if they'll show up yet. Although Winry joining Miach does sound interesting…

Danaheim: I hope you liked the resolution!

Alex3773: Looks like I covered a bit of your question in the chapter!

Bigtime12: Bend Will variation

Haziq Saffari: Pretty much! We'll get back to Naaza soon.

HapaLander: Freya can control gods, so she definitely thought she could control him.

RoAKingofShadows: Yeah, it seemed like the best option.

ShadowOfZaraline: Glad you like it! Thank you!

Khavros: When it comes to pairings, I think I'm gonna stick with Torrhen x Riveria. I like that one best. As for Hestia, I keep coming back to her and Loki being an interesting dynamic.