Drum and Time

"V-V-Vreta-Chan!!" Horus got flustered by the sudden appearance of the loli goddess. He quickly rummaged through his things in panic. He even dusted his shirt to look 'presentable' to the small goddess.

"Partly correct." Yubis said as he nodded in agreement with Vreta.

"You mean?" Sefie looked confused but based on Yubis' words he is implying that Ryuji is not a simple demigod. She glanced at Hades with a worried look.

"Yes Sis-in-law. He might be not a simple demigod but rather a Lesser God or even a Greater God. Remember when we transferred Ryuji here, there was some problem? That may explain why there was a seal within him." Yubis explained as he picked up some of his files as if cleaning the conference table where Vreta was slowly walking.

"I also felt something when we invited him to enter the Divine Realm. Although I did not pry on it further because I thought you knew. But his presence is like peering into the abyss and his soul was like a cat playing pounce that moved like it blended in the surroundings, but you can really see his presence." Vreta explained as she went to one of the seats and moved some things over to the table so she could take a seat. Yubis snapped his fingers, and the files flew over to the table and stacked themselves in an orderly manner.

"It is the first time that we are hearing it. How did you do it, Vreta-Chan?" Sefie curiously asked.

"Hun, Vreta has her own realm. Everyone who enters the realm has a signature. Ours here, we use the divine power while hers is using something similar because her realm also hosts dreamers." Hades politely explained to his wife.

"Back then did you notice the capability of 'his' time Lady Vreta?" Morticia inquired. She could not help her curiosity.

"No." Vreta answered then paused. "However, what I can tell is, his soul essence is like a pitch-black void. It's like if one would stare into an abyss." Vreta described how he looked at Ryuji at that time. Yubis waved his hand again and a tea set appeared in front of Vreta while he himself was looking at the screen in deep thought.

"Thank you, Lord Yubis." Vreta politely bowed.

Morticia was confused listening to the words coming from the Goddess of Dreams. She was there when they did the transfer but what confused her is, she did not notice what Vreta was pertaining to. After all she and Yubis were the one who accepted him to transfer to Zariya.

"Isn't time a rare attribute of a god?" Horus raised his hand as if he were a student reciting a class discussion. It was a valid thing.

"There are few aspects that are concerning time. However, there are a lot of gods that control time despite it not being their main aspect." Yubis explained. "Our greatest example is our very own, Hades. I also have a time related power but it's more related to memory. Vreta also has a time related power which pertains to night as she is the goddess of the night back in medieval Lithuania."

"That is why the concept of time seemed negligible in the Realm of Dreams." Vreta sipped some tea after she explained. She then slowly turned her head towards Yubis and stared at him as if waiting for something.

"But we also have to consider that the control of time isn't as obvious as the one manifested here." Yubis explained as he waved his hands then pointed at the screen. Everyone looked at the projector except for Horus and Vreta. A simple assortment of cookies appeared in front of Vreta at the same time while Horus glared at Yubis.

"But what about the drumbeat?" Horus asked again and he also raised his hand when he spoke as if this was a class recitation. He really wanted to take this smartass jackal god, but he needs to be polite and behave in front of the loli goddess at the same time.

"This may sound far-fetched but as far as I can recall, drums are more of instruments by gods. It is like a manifestation of their power. Like mine I have the scales of life and death. For example, Raijin which Raiji is named after has drums. One of the sons of Bathala also has drums. However, they both have an aspect of lightning."

"It may possibly allow us to narrow down amongst the gods in Cosmos of whom Ryuji is considering the connection of the power of time and drums…" Hades said as he poured the contents of the fancy teapot gracefully to a tea cup then passed to his wife. "However, there are still a lot of things that we need to look into…" Hades continued.

"And we could not ask him directly because we are still yet to be certain of his nature." Sefie sipped her tea.

"But I think that that will have to wait." Yubis was waving his hands on the projector as if navigating to some program on the screen.

"Why?" Horus asked in surprise as he looked at Yubis. He knew this jackal knew something again that he did not tell him.

"The threat on our son is far from over." Hades replied. He glanced at the screen and took a sip from his teacup. The projector screen is showing the yellow alert that was connected with the programming from Yubis' alarm system that he bestowed along with the blessing on Takehiko a couple of years ago.

"It only downgraded to a lower level and it may possibly go up anytime soon." Yubis said matter-of-factly as he stared on the screen.

"Of course, the mortal who planned it all has not been dealt with." Horus suddenly realized what Yubis was talking about. "We can just strike her with the G.W. then!" The falcon god was ecstatic.

"That is why you called us here to plan, isn't that right Yubis?" Sefie excitedly asks. Despite her excitement, she felt anxious and worried inside as a parent but if this means eliminating the woman who dared to harm her child, she is beyond excited. She can't wait to get back at her.

"Indeed Sis-in-law." Yubis smirked towards the boss couple who were his friends since the ancient times. Yubis felt Sefie's excitement to get back at the foolish human and he also felt the underlying malice. Aside from Hades, the whole Tartarus knows how this woman gets mad. It may not be a fiery one, but that human should shiver because she will experience soon the revenge of gods from the underworld.

"Well, in my opinion, Ryuji would be better off affiliated with us but whatever entity he may be, I know he will be useful." Vreta took another sip. She has full confidence in Ryuji's identity. She felt that he or whoever resides in him seemed to be not as malicious as the other gods. There is malice, greed but there are also good qualities like equality, morality, and omniscience in that void that she peeked at. The void itself has complex values like humans which can be good or evil but at the same time it's far from human. "It would probably be best if we give him equal treatment moving forward." She added noting the value of equality that she felt when she first met Ryuji in her own realm.

The gods were silent, but everyone saw Yubis nodded. This would mean that Yubis does certainly agree with Vreta's last statement. If Yubis' theory turns out to be true, then the possibility that Ryuji's identity as a major god is very plausible. Hades smiled at this thought as he sipped his tea.

"By the way, did he already wake up?" Hades asked after he took a sip from his cup of tea.

"Not yet but probably soon." Yubis confidently replied.

***

"It's weird… why is it so quiet…" Ryuji mumbled. Then he felt something soft, and he could not help but utter, "…so soft…" as he rolled over.

Ryuji felt something was definitely wrong. He moved his hands, and he felt some softness and hay. 'What is going on? Where am I?' These questions filled his mind. The last thing he knew was that some man with the golden hair stabbed his brother, the ten-year-old black haired elf child. Then the next scene was blurry in his memory, but he remembered pitch black darkness and the golden-haired man being crushed by the same darkness and a voice of a child that they will play again soon. So how in the world did he get to this place? He tried opening his eyes and saw a roof with several holes on it. He moved his hands at his sides like a guy feeling the bed trying to search for his phone. He realized he was lying on a bed.

"Master! You are awake!" A familiar voice resounded.

"I will call young master Takehiko, brother!" Another voice resounded.