Nick sat on Brinn’s thigh, lost in thought. He could feel the Titaness’ fingers idly playing with his hair, attempting to comfort him. It was working, a little, but his mind was still in turmoil. 

“Nick?” Brinn’s soft voice cut through his thoughts and, with a start, brought him out of his daze. He looked up to find her staring down at him, her eyes, looking more blue than green in the light, reflected her worry as clear as if she’d spoken it out loud. “Nick, please talk to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

Nick shuddered. He couldn’t blame her, she just wanted to help, but he just couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. Not with her. 

“I… I can’t.” His whispered voice was barely audible to Brinn’s ears. “I know you want to help Brinn, but I just can’t.” 

Brinn felt crushed. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. It hurt so much to see him in pain, and be completely unable to help him. Her instinct was to take him in hand and never let him go. To keep him safe, even if that meant keeping him on her person at all times. 

However, her conscious mind was fully aware that that wasn’t a very good idea. Smothering Nick wouldn’t help him, not at all. She had hoped he’d be willing to at least talk to her, but he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. She suspected the fact that it had been her sister that had tried to kill him played a significant role in his reluctance. And in that case she could hardly blame him. She was honestly surprised he could bear the sight of her face. 

She sighed and stroked Nick’s hair, gently. The human winced for a second, but then leaned in to her fingertips. “I just wish there was something that I could do, some way I could help you, Nick.” She muttered, more to herself than to him. “But I’m more trained to heal your body; I can’t really do a thing about your mind.”

Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said. “Nick… would you like to talk to someone about what happened? I understand why you feel you can’t talk to me, but what about someone who’s a little more versed on this sort of thing. Someone who’s had training, like a professional?”

Nick turned to look up at her, his expression incredulous. “What, you mean like a Shrink?”

Brinn blinked. “What? No, I mean like a psychologist. Someone who could help you heal from what you went through. I can’t do it, as much as I want to, and… and I just want you to be okay.” Her voice went soft at the end, so soft Nick barely heard it. Suddenly a drop of water splashed on his head. 

“Sorry.” Brinn sniffed as she wiped the moisture from her cheeks.

Nick laughed as he shook the water from his hair. The sound was hollow and raspy but it was a genuine laugh all the same. “Okay Brinn.” He smiled softly up at his giantess. “I’ll try it.” 

Brinn’s face lit up like a sunrise, and with a squeal of happiness she scooped Nick up in her hand and brought him to her face, where she pressed him against her lips. It was about a half second later she realized what she had done and pulled him away. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” 

Nick chuckled and shook his head, but his eyes were very wide and he was panting for breath. “I already told you… it’s okay.” 

Brinn shook her head. “Of course it isn’t, look at you!” mentally cursing herself for her stupidity, Brinn set him on the table in front of her. “I don’t blame you for being afraid. But that’s why I want you to talk to someone about this.” 

Nick smiled. “Okay Brinn.” 

“I just want you to get better.” The Titaness stroked the side of his face with one finger. “Do you mind if I leave you alone for a second?” 

Nick shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine.” 

“Good.” She pulled herself to her feet and left the room. She needed to do something, and she didn’t want Nick to be there when she did.

As she walked down the corridor, she passed Rixie heading the opposite direction. The two of them exchanged greetings, but Rixie looked like she was in a hurry, so didn’t stop to chat. 

In a few moments she was standing outside the room she’d been told Trell was being kept in. she took a deep breath and then pressed the access panel. The door in front of her whooshed open. There was no turning back now, so she stepped inside.

Trell was sitting on the floor with her knees pulled against her chest. There was a fresh bandage on her leg, with a small dark red splotch in the center. Its presence was a little disconcerting to Brinn, because it hadn’t been there before, but she decided to ignore it for now.

Trell looked up at the sound of the door opening. “Gee, another visitor, must be my lucky day!” She turned and saw that it was her sister that had entered, she sneered. 

“Oh. It’s just you.” Trell lowered her head back onto her knees, pointedly ignoring the presence of her sister. 

“So what happens now Trell?” Brinn finally asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Trell placed her finger against her cheek, rolling her eyes skyward as if in thought. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll send me to a penal colony. Wouldn’t be the first time for me, though. I seem to recall Rura Penthe being rather nice this time of year. 

Brinn’s mouth fell open in shock. “What is wrong with you Trell?” 

Trell grinned. With her wan complexion and ratty sweat-soaked hair, it was a rather gruesome expression. “Oh… so much.” She laughed. “You really have no idea what I’ve gone through in the years since I left home.” 

“Tell me…” Brinn whispered, a dull ache forming in her chest. 

Trell laughed bitterly. “Like you actually care.”

“I do.” Brinn sighed. “I don’t know why, after everything you’ve done; to our family, to me… to Nick. You tried to kill him! And yet, for some stupid insane reason, I still care about you. I wish I didn’t.” 

Trell rolled her eyes, sneering. “You are so pathetic.” 

Brinn sighed and shook her head sadly. “Goodbye Trell.” Brinn turned and began to walk out of the room, wishing that she’d never entered in the first place. 

“You want to swallow him, don’t you?” Trell asked just as she was about to step over the threshold of the door.

Brinn turned back around. “Don’t be disgusting. I’m not sick like you.” 

“He was delicious. You should try it sometime.” 

“Stop it, Trell.” 

“Mm and the way he squirmed in my stomach, after he begged me to eat him.”

Trell…”

“We’re not so different. I’d bet you’d enjoy it. One quick swallow and he’s yours forever…” 

“I SAID STOP!” Before she could stop herself, Brinn lunged towards her sister and cracked her across the face with the palm of her hand. There was a pregnant pause as the two sisters gaped at one another. Then Trell spat on the floor and began to laugh.

“I told you we aren’t so different…” 

Brinn stared at her hand in shock, still feeling the sting in her palm. How could she have done that? She’d never been violent before in her life, not even with Trell… and yet… 

“Next thing you know, Nick’ll be slipping down your throat. Don’t worry, I bet he’ll enjoy it.” 

She grinned ghoulishly. “And then you’ll be just… like… Me.”

Brinn’s mouth worked silently, her face a horrified mask. Without thinking, she fled the room, with Trell’s mocking laughter echoing behind her.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

“What do you mean you ‘started new religions’?” Pryvani narrowed her eyes and looked at Zara’s projected image. 

“Just what I said.” Zara sighed. “You have to understand, the people here were frightened. They’d just been attacked and were dealing with the aftermath of their first real disaster as a people. Their only real leader is gone and the goddess they’d been raised to believe protected them had gone missing. There was a vacuum and something had to fill it. Neither Taron nor I asked for this, of course, but it just sort of happened.”

Pryvani nodded and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I was afraid of this. All right, we’ll be there as soon as we can. Just try and hold it together until we get there, okay?”

“You got it!” there was a click and Zara’s image disappeared. 

“What’s the matter Pryvani?” Sophia asked. “Did you tell the people of Avalon ‘thou shalt have no other gods before me’?” 

Pryvani waved away the question. “Of course not, I don’t care about the idea of them founding new religions in and of itself… but the fact is my family has tried to keep the culture on Avalon as homogenous as possible, and there was a reason for it. Multiple cultures means multiple civilizations, which means competing for resources, which means war.” 

Sophia blinked. “There’s never been a war on Avalon?” 

Pryvani shrugged. “There’ve been minor skirmishes here and there. A fight will occasionally break out between the various groups for whatever reason. A fishing village and a farming community will fight over who has the right to hunt in a specific area, or whatever… but ‘the goddess’ was always able to step in and diffuse the situation and keep it under control. 

“That’s the point, really. It was bad enough when they felt a kinship with one another. If they begin to fraction into separate tribes and nations…?”

She pressed a button on her desktop. “Rixie?” 

“Yeah?”

“I need you to push us as fast as we can go; it’s just become extremely important that we get back to Avalon as soon as possible. 

“Understood. I’ll give it all she’s got.” They heard an increase in the background noise of the ship, but otherwise there was no way to tell the ship had increased its speed. “At maximum velocity, we should be back on the moon in just a few hours.” 

“Good.” 

Rixie sat in the cockpit and switched off the intercom. 

“What do you think that was about?” Alex asked from where he was perched on the console in front of her. 

“I don’t know, but given how the rest of this little adventure has been going, I suspect it will ultimately be a pain in my ass.” 

Alex snickered. “It’s so cute how you’ve picked up human slang from me.” 

“I have not.” 

“Yes you have.” Alex laughed. “I’ve totally corrupted you.” 

Rixie narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond. Instead, she snatched Alex off the console and shoved him down her shirt.

“I don’t know why you seem to think this is a punishment…” Came the muffled response from under her clothing.

Rixie rolled her eyes, only allowing the amused smirk to show on her face because she knew Alex couldn’t see it. “Just shut up and let me fly, okay?” 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Several hours later, the crew arrived at the Valhalla station. Rixie left with Trell in tow to make arrangements for the prisoner’s transportation. Pryvani and Brinn, along with the humans, met Zara and Taron at the transportation pad. 

“Oh, am I glad you all are back.” Zara grinned as she took Sophia into the palm of her hand and placed the little woman on her shoulder. 

“How bad is it down there?” Pryvani asked, concern showing on her face. 

Taron shook his head. “It could be worse. Right now the various factions that are vying for control are just getting into shouting matches and a few minor confrontations… but it’s a volatile situation, and it could get messy very quickly.” 

Pryvani nodded. “I need to get down to the surface and see the situation for myself. No time like the present.” 

“Pryvani, wait.” Brinn spoke up, “There’s something back on Archavia I need to handle, personally. I need to go home.” 

Pryvani eyes glanced down at Nick, then back up to Brinn. She smiled softly. “Of course. You’re not my employee, after all. Head down to Berth 67, there’s a ship docked there, the Rhea. She’s my second fastest ship, after the Elysium. I’ll let the captain know you’re coming and tell her to take you wherever you need to go at the fastest speed possible. They can have you back on Archavia in just a few days.” 

Brinn smiled and nodded. “Thank you.” 

Pryvani acknowledged the thanks with a nod of her own. “You’re welcome, good luck.” 

Zara turned her pouty sadface on Brinn. “You’re leaving? But you just got back!” 

Brinn giggled. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay. I just need to… fix something. Keep an eye on my things will you?”

“Of course. Good luck with whatever it is you’re doing.” 

“Thanks sweetie.” The two women shared a quick hug, and Brinn gave Sophia an affectionate pat on the head, and then quickly turned to head down to the Berth to her transportation.

*.*.*.*.*.*

Two days later, Brinn was back in her home on Archavia. 

“I’ve spoken with several psychologists about you Nick.” She spoke to the little human, standing on the table in front of her. 

“Yeah, and?” 

“Well… none of them seem particularly interested in treating… um… ‘a mere human.’” 

Nick glared at her.

“Hey!” Brinn said defensively. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t say it.” 

“Okay, fine. What do we do now?” 

“Well…” Brinn scooped Nick up into her hand. “I reached out to the psychology department of my old college to see if there was maybe a student interested in taking you on, as a project maybe.” 

“And..?” 

“There is. I’ve met her a few times. We had a few classes together when I was in school. I think you’ll like her.” 

“Okay sounds good.” 

About an hour later, Nick found himself standing atop a desk looking up at the woman the Brinn said was willing to talk to him about the issues he’d been having. 

The giantess in front of him had perfect tan skin and long dark hair that seemed to hang like a curtain around her face. Her burgundy lips were pulled into a smile that was pleasant enough but didn’t quite reach her deep brown eyes. Eyes which seemed to watch him with an analytical coldness, as if she were trying to measure out the atoms in his body by sight alone.

Nick looked up, a slightly nervous feeling developing in the pit of his stomach. Brinn had said this woman was nice, but Nick wasn’t so sure. 

Her lips parted just enough to let out the tip of her tongue to wet them before she spoke. “Hello Nick,” Her voice was low and smooth, but with a professional tone that matched her analytical look. It told him she wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense. “Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Kiri Mirropi.”