The Contract.

"The contract," Ikaris began while they exited the booth, she was fully dressed and blushing while Sol had a serious and attentive stare directed at her.

"Go on,"

"Do you remember my two year absence in the war?" She asked, and his attention turned sour as he stared at her head while she refused to look at his own expression.

"You abandoned us, how can I ever forget, half of humanity died because you turned your back, goddess,"

"What if I told you, it was meant to be that way?" She added, and Sol stopped at the desk waiting for the women to finish packing everything that they had packed, and turned to her taking her shoulders.

"If you had been there, none of that would have happened, people died because you turned your back, my entire party, my fiance, the seventh and eighth years of that holy war were hell, what do you mean by it was meant to be that way?" He slightly shook her taking mind of the fact that they were in public. "What does that mean?"

"It was meant to be that way, in my home dimension, I see all and know all, for you, a mortal, death seems like the end, but for me, who has been living for Eons before we even met, death; whether it be myself, or the death of others, it is merely a door through which one leaves from one life to the next-"

"Get to the point, what are you trying to say?" Sol grew dark with anger. "Stop beating around the bush and come out with it," He demanded.

"The only thing I could not change was destiny, even for a goddess as powerful as myself, it was impossible to do anything, for the two years that I was absent, I spent my time studying and preparing to bring you back home-"

Sol slammed his card on the desk, startling the clerk who was about to start listening in on their conversation. "Please, understand, it was not my will, but that of a higher power than myself," She tried calming him down, but he only seemed angrier with every word.

"You want me to calm down, but you're also saying to me that you who brought me to your world was powerless to do anything in the first place, no... No, forget that, I said tell me about the contract!" He snapped at her, and she flinched away from him, as did the clerk and the manager who was coming over to see them off.

"I learned that your world had a reliable system of reward for services, much like my own, essentially, I am your medium, as you are mine, we only work together," She held her head low from his gaze while he took the bags from the desk and started walking.

"Take my hand and keep explaining,"

"Yes," She held on to his arm and kept pace. "My world is currently in the process of destruction; a Ragnarok of sorts, all the remaining creatures, the lands, the seas, everything is being purged, this will take a few years, maybe a decade, and after the purging, new life will be reborn, even if you did not want to leave, I would have still spent all my power to send you back home-"

"Stay focused," Sol warned her.

"I am the medium by which you gain power from my world, all the magic of my world resides there, but through contact with you, I am able to access and then gift that power to you, the sigils on my body are the bridge, I am the vessel, and you are the key, without me, you will run out of magic, despite your enormous reserves, and if I do not remain in contact with you, the supplies I have will dry up as well turning me into no more than an immortal human woman, though," she paused and finally looked at him again. "I do not mind being powerless if I have you by my side, I chose to be by your side for this reason," She admitted, and Sol sucked in a breath and turned to her.

"What reason?"

"You are strong, Sol Vestic, in mind and body, and most importantly, despite your many bad habits you are pure of heart, you are a kind and caring man, this is why I saved your soul from the abyss of this dimension, and brought you to mine," Ikaris hugged onto his hand tighter. "To me, there is no wrong in you, you are perfect in my eyes, a perfect mate."

"Mate?" Sol sucked in another breath. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," She leaned her head against his arm. "I am smitten by the man that you are-"

"Don't lean on me,"

"Ah... As you wish, my lord,"

"About the riches you mentioned before," Sol looked at the bags hanging from his grasp, they were numerous.

"You have access to every bit of wealth that you left behind, and mine,"

"What does that even mean?" Sol shook his head.

"In your currency, the money you had should be several hundred million of the strongest currency, for myself, the number is uncountable, but I could not give it all to you so for the time being you only have the mere few hundred millions," She explained, and Sol nodded with a trickle of sweat, no wonder he was being bombarded with messages, this idiot had suddenly transferred hundreds of millions into his empty bank account.

"Well, you did well, good job, Ikaris," Sol praised her with a wyry smile.

"Thank you, my lord," Ikaris blushed and hooked herself to his arm again. "By the way, where did you plan to go with these?" She asked, staring at the bags of new clothes.

"Oh, these," Sol released them and snapped his fingers causing everything to vanish in a thwip of light the moment they exited the mall grounds. "I wanted to visit my old college and possibly meet some old friends before I leave," He answered, causing Ikaris to stare up at him with a sharp gaze.

"You intend to leave?"