#27

Geo'rgge had returned to the encampment, and for two rotations of the great fire, he had remained silent, his presence hovering near the cave face that he and the great goddess called home. In those silent days, Zobi would visit him, and to the tribe, they weren't just the great god and goddess but also a brother and sister, an uncle and aunt, a mother and father.

Every day, Zobi sought to understand the burden Geo'rgge carried. The loss they faced was unexpected, and yet it granted the greater God the means to defeat the mother of the Ghezzak.

The rhythm of Geo'rgge's days was disrupted when the girl, the one Hen're'it saved, came to see him. His gaze fell upon her, noting the striking resemblance to his life mate. In that moment, he peered into the girl's past her basic code and saw the reason for her transformation. Hen're'it had subtly altered her codex, mirroring the changes Geo'rgge had made with the marauder and Ghezzak codex. Unbeknownst to him, the code was bleeding through, binding and changing.

Recognizing the need to separate them, Geo'rgge began his work, meticulously untangling the intertwining codices. Days passed as he worked to isolate the girl's code, leaving it suspended before him.

"~Could you use me, father?~" she asked.

"~No, little one. Your mother would be very upset if I caused any change to her precious child.~"

Father – a word carrying unexpected weight for him.

"~Child, please head back to the others.~" He insisted, and as she hurried away under the influence of his presence, she wondered if he had always been that tall.

Geo'rgge took a deep breath and drove his index and middle fingers into his side. Skin and tissue gave way as he probed his body, extracting a rib with a dull snap and crunch. He placed it on the ground before him, and as his fingers moved, Hen're'it's codex soaked and seethed its way into the rib. Bones, organs, tissues, muscles, and tendons regenerated simultaneously, and before he knew it, she lay before him.

Moments stretched into eternity before her eyes slowly opened.

"~It took you long enough, my shining star.~"

He pulled her tightly to him, and as destiny ordained, this moment removed her from death, witnessing the great goddess defy even the odds of death and return.

Unknown to anyone, a presence watched them, its anger swelling with every moment, witnessing these sheep defy the rules that governed existence.