DESTINY;DIVINE

# Chapter 4: Artisan Lane

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“Alright, alright. Enough of that. This is your first time on Beacon Street. Let’s not let them ruin the experience for you.” Rhea said, excitedly gesturing around.

“Here you can find just about anything. And if it’s not here, you can pay someone to find it for you.” 

I took in the sights as she led me down the main street.

“So there are crafters, right? I promised Pandora and Eve that I would look into getting them weapons and armor, and I have celestial phoenix feathers and void dragon scales as materials.” I asked, trying to comprehend a fountain that created a map in midair using multicolored water.

Reluctantly, I was forced to recall those overly aggressive immortal legendary beasts that nearly destroyed the entire forest realm and took Aoife’s life. 

They forced me to confront my past and achieve apotheosis. But even after gaining the celestial phoenix bloodline, talon, feathers, origin source, and the void dragon physique, fangs, scales, and origin source, it still didn’t feel like a fair trade.

“My, my, how gallant. But of course, there are several metalwork and blacksmith gods on Artesian Lane. And it just so happens that your big sister Rhea knows some of the best.” She said, shooting me a playful wink. 

“Come, come. Let’s see Uncle Vulcan first, he’s the armorer that the Ivy clan works with. I assume you want armor for Eve and a dress for Pandora, yes?” She asked.

“Yes, I think that makes the most sense, Pandora isn’t a martial combatant but if at all possible, I’d like some sort of armored plating in her dress as well,” I answered, concerned about ranged and blunt magic.

“Of course, of course, I know just where to go, follow me.” 

She guided me along through the busy white stone streets until we came across a segmented block of pagodas. 

They were pristine and uniform aside from unique colorations. We walked into a deep, dark red pagoda with a large flaming sign that read ‘Vulcan’s Armor’ out front.

Upon crossing the threshold, I was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the storefront. 

Towering shelves, crafted from a glittering white stone stretched towards the space-manipulated skies, laden with an astonishing array of armors and adornments boasting their own divine auras. 

“**Uncle Vulcan, it’s little Rhea!**” She bellowed with a divine inflection. 

A booming grunt echoed throughout the room. 

“He’s coming, don’t stand too close, he gets a bit warm.” Rhea insisted.

I didn’t understand what she meant but I took a few steps back anyway. 

As soon as I did, a lumbering mountain of a god, surrounded by a scorching hot divine presence stepped through an archway. 

He was fifteen feet tall, tan-skinned, and his hair was made of literal fire. Even his eyebrows were flaming. On his left shoulder was the sigil of a solid red ember.

“Hiya, hiya, Uncle Vulcan. The Ivy clan's new disciple, Aeon, has an armor request,” she said glancing back at me.

“Right, ah nice to meet you,” I said, still shaking off my awkwardness around powerful deities. “Eve, if you would.”

Eve stepped out of my soul holding a bundle of immortal void dragon scales.

The martial elf stood proud in her fitted armor. What she currently wore was merely a memory fragment and she would need real armor once I created her physical body. 

“Tidings.” She said, dipping her head to the fiery mountain of a god.

“I want to have armor crafted for her using these scales,” I said, growing my confidence. “They should look like what she’s currently wearing.

Vulcan analyzed Eve heavily before grunting loudly. 

“No, no, she’s just an immortal soul now. Little brother Aeon is going to get her a physical body soon. We’re just making preparations beforehand.” Rhea said, somehow understanding him. 

Vulcan nodded and opened his hand. All the dragon scales disappeared from Eve’s grasp and instantly appeared floating above his giant palm where he began inspecting them.

“Adamant,” he grunted. “Leather.”

“Yes, yes. That’s fine, that’s fine. Something similar to what she’s wearing but can grow with her.” Rhea chirped.

The large god nodded once more and stepped back through the archway with the void dragon scales.

Eve stepped back into my soul realm with an excited gleam in her eye. I could tell she couldn’t wait to see what Vulcan created for her.

“What was that at the end there?” I asked Rhea curiously. 

“He just said he would have to use adamant and leather with the scales to make proper armor. He’s not a god of many words, but you can expect something truly special. Now on to the weapon smith!” She sang.

We walked a short distance to a pitch-black pagoda with what looked like a distillery in the back and a sign reading ‘Ogun & Oya’s’

“Is this the right place?” I asked dubiously.

“Hmm? Oh yes, yes. Uncle Ogun likes to make rum in his free time,” she said before her voice grew grave and the light around us dimmed. “Whatever you do, do not drink anything he’s made.”

“Ah okay, is it that bad?” I asked, feeling the weight of her words.

Her smile returned and the atmosphere lightened, “Oh no, no. The rum he makes is quite delicious, it’s also extremely potent and can induce hallucinations in deities.”

That was crazy to me. I had assumed that my enhanced constitution couldn’t be affected by alcohol or poisons. Leave it to the gods to find a way. 

We entered the pagoda to find a swelteringly hot desert. There were only two structures inside—a mundane-looking single-family home, and a stone forge. 

“Welcome to Ogun’s weapon shop warriors! Where weapons are forged with heart and power!” A deep, raspy voice yelled. 

Just in front of us, a very muscular, bald god with dark skin and a dark-red divine presence materialized. He had a black hammer sigil on his right hand and was wearing a simple tunic and an enormous smile.

“Ah! Is that little Rhea I see!? It’s been so long, **Oya, my love! We have company!**” He bellowed in a deep, rattling divine voice.

I had to cover my ears and spin my energy just to endure it.

“Coming my love!” A smooth melodic voice called back.

Next to the strong god, a beautiful goddess with long dark hair appeared. There was the sigil of a white whirlwind or tornado above her chest. 

She had a pristine white divine presence but gave the feeling of turbulence and tempest to my third eye.

“Hey, hey Uncle Ogun, Aunt Oya! It has been a while!” Rhea shouted, hugging them both. 

“Hi little one, how is that know-it-all all elder of yours?” Oya asked with a warm smile.

Rhea laughed. “She’s great, still telling everyone what to do but not why. Speaking of, I’d like you to meet the Ivy clan's newest disciple, Aeon.”

“Greetings to you both,” I said, remembering to bow.

Ogun laughed boisterously and slapped me on my back, causing me to nearly fall.

“None of that now. We’re all family here! Tell me, little brother Aeon, do you like rum?” He asked with a devilish grin.

“Absolutely not! Do not corrupt the young, my love. It’s very nice to meet you, young deity. Please ignore my husband. He can be rather eccentric.” Oya said, smiling warmly. 

“Yes, ma’am. I’m not actually much of a drinker.” I said amused.

“No one’s perfect but, we can fix that!” Ogun shouted, laughing loudly. 

Finally, I met some deities that seemed normal other than Rhea. I found myself smiling at their banter. 

Oya just shook her head. “So what brings you to our little shop?”

“Yes, yes. Little brother, Aeon, is looking to have some weapons crafted for his denizens.” Rhea answered.

“Right, and I have some materials as well. Ladies?” I said.

Pandora and Eve stepped out of my soul holding the celestial phoenix talon and the void dragon fang.

“Greetings”

“Tidings” 

They both greeted with respectful bows.

“Ah! Protecting your people. Not many faith gods would go through the effort of having a divine weapon specifically crafted for their denizens. I knew I liked you!” Ogun said, his deep laughter rumbling my bones. “Isn’t that right my love!” 

“Yes, of course, my love. I’m sure we can make something worthy for the two of you.” Oya said, waving her hand through the air.

As she did, the sun retreated and was replaced by stars as racks and racks of gleaming weapons appeared around us. 

She had created a nighttime showcase of an astonishing array of divine instruments, each one more breathtaking than the last. 

Bows that shone like the sun quivers that seemed to hold an endless supply of arrows, shields that glowed with soft, pulsing lights, and every type of sword imaginable with complex patterns, hilts, and dazzling gems. 

Every item, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, was imbued with a power that I could feel from a distance.

“It’s amazing!” Pandora shouted. 

“There’s so much,” Eve added.

“Oh, course ladies! Only the best at Ogun’s.” He boomed.

“Eve uses spears and Pandora is a magic caster familiar with wands,” I said, looking around at all the different types of weapons.

Oya waved her hand and several racks of spears and magic wands moved directly in front of us.

“We have several designs to choose from.” She added.

Eve immediately began browsing, but I noticed Pandora's face twisted in thought.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered.

“I don’t know.. Do I really want a wand? I mean they just look so small compared to those big, long spears.” She said, glancing at Eve who was viewing the spears.

“I thought the wand was your weapon? Have you practiced with anything else?” I asked.

“Well staves can act as magic fulcrums as well, plus I would have the option for physical attacks if needed.” She thought aloud.

That was a good point. They had begun to expand their paths with me, we shouldn’t limit her weapon to what she knew, but find something she could train and grow with.

“Do you craft magic staves as well?” I asked Oya.

“Of course,” she said, bringing a rack forward.

The staves came in all kinds of complex designs, aged woods, and mystical metals. But they all had one thing in common, none of them were below five feet long.

“Is it possible to make the design her height?” I asked, glancing at my four-and-a-half-foot fairy. 

Pandora huffed cutely. 

“I have just the thing!” Ogun shouted, waving his hand.

A black fire lit in front of us and a small chest appeared before the fire dissipated. Ogun opened it, revealing a magnificent royal scepter.

It was four feet tall, with a large sparkling gem floating inside a cage of some sort of divine metal.

The petite magical fairy immediately swooned. “That! I want that!” 

“Magic scepters. We don’t get many orders for them, which is a shame because they work perfectly as a middle ground between a magic wand and a magic staff.” 

“You see wands are best at focusing magic for accuracy and staves are best for boosting magic for power, but scepters are a balanced mix of both while also being a traditional symbol of royalty,” Oyo explained while Ogun nodded along joyfully. 

“It’s perfect. She’s actually a princess and she never lets me forget it.” I said, smiling at the excited fairy. 

“Perfection! We can use the talon as the core, but scepters are usually made of metal and we will need some sort of amplifying gem.” Ogun said.

I walked by the combat staves monetary before my third eye stopped me. I got an immediate headache that throbbed every time I looked at the rack. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but clearly, I shouldn’t pick one of them.

The headache cleared as soon as I moved away and I felt nothing looking at all the other weapons. It was something I’d have to meditate on later. 

Back with the group, we discussed materials for a while before finally leaving. Ogun ended up offering rum twice more and Oya invited us to stop by for dinner sometime.

It was a fun experience that Pandora, Eve, and I enjoyed immensely. Ogun was loud and boisterous, but also kind and welcoming. Oya was warm and friendly. 

I would be visiting them again. They made me feel like a part of their family within a single hour.

“Now to the weavers, don’t you just love shopping?” Rhea exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement as she practically glided toward our next destination.

We arrived at an off-white pagoda, its wooden beams adorned with intricate carvings, and a sign swaying gently in the breeze that read “Weaver’s Hut.”

Stepping inside, I was assaulted by a kaleidoscope of colors and the strong scent of natural dyes. 

My eyes danced over shimmering weaves and dizzying tapestries that wrapped one wall, each piece telling a story of celestial scenes, mythical creatures, and nature's beauty in vibrant hues.

The back wall was lined with bolts of fabric and threads of divine silk, wool, and cotton that reflected light, creating patterns that seemed to dance and shift in intervals.

On the other wall was a display showcasing finished garments—flowing robes, intricately patterned shawls, and delicate scarves—each one a work of art, imbued with the divine aura and creativity.

“**Aunt Zhinu, it’s little Rhea!**” Rhea shouted, her voice echoing through the room.

From the ceiling, a massive, white spider descended gracefully on a delicate thread of silk, her movements fluid and mesmerizing.

I couldn’t help but compare her to the fire spider I had fought in the forest, a real creature of nightmares.

Aside from their eight legs, they were worlds apart.

Zhinu had long, slender legs that seemed to glide effortlessly on her thread, a shiny, reflective carapace that caught the light, and eight deep, black eyes that sparkled with intelligence.

As she lowered herself to us, her body radiated a blindingly bright light, and she transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman with mature and elegant features.

Her hair framed her face like a silken waterfall, half black and half white, with a solid black spider sigil in the center of her forehead. 

She wore a gleaming white qipao, trimmed in black, and if not for the multiple irises swirling in her eyes, I would have sworn she was an ordinary goddess.

“Rh’er! How are you, little one?” Zhinu said, enveloping Rhea in a huge embrace.

“Great, great, Aunt Zhinu. How are you? It looks like you’re busy,” Rhea replied, her gaze wandering over the vibrant tapestries that littered the room.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just a big order for one of the clans. They can wait. What have you brought me?” Zhinu asked, her eyes shifting to me.

“This is little brother Aeon; he’s the latest to be sponsored by the Ivy,” Rhea said cheerfully, her pride evident.

Zhinu’s smile widened, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. “That old bitty is up to her tricks again, isn’t she?”

Rhea laughed musically. “Something like that. Anyway, little brother Aeon needs an armored dress made for his denizen.”

“Hello, ma’am,” I said, bowing respectfully. “Pandora.”

At my side, Pandora stepped out of my soul, her presence dainty as she held the celestial phoenix feathers.

“Greetings,” she said, offering a respectful bow that mirrored my own.

“Well, aren’t you two just adorable? You want better protection for your little doll here? I can do that,” Zhinu said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. 

“Celestial phoenix feathers, quite rare.. I’ll have to talk to that old fossil Vulcan for some adamant plates, but I can get it done.”

“”Thank you,”” both Pandora and I said in unison, bowing once more.

Zhinu’s smile grew wider, her warmth enveloping us. “Oh, how polite! And I do adore young love. Come, and see some designs.” She led Pandora and me to one side of the room.

“I can make anything you can think of, but these can give you some ideas,” Zhinu stated.

I stayed to myself as Pandora and Zhinu discussed patterns and designs. Fashion wasn’t exactly my thing, especially women’s, well goddess fashion. I mostly stuck to solid colors, really only black and white.

After mulling over some patterns and asking me to choose from basically the same shade of white twice, Pandora made her selections and before long, we were ready to go.

“Come see me again soon, and Rhea, tell her to stop by for some tea; it’s been too long,” Zhinu said, waving goodbye. 

“Yes, yes, Auntie Zhinu, we’re actually heading to the greenhouse later today. She should be in,” Rhea replied as we turned to leave.

Zhinu was kind, especially for a giant spider. The fire spider from the forest was a haunting memory, one that I had not yet let go of. 

Her human form was a wild surprise, however reminding me to keep my mind open when it came to divine beasts.

Before we left Artisan Lane, Rhea spent what felt like an eternity searching for a tea set for me. 

She insisted I learn the art of tea to serve her when she came to visit.

Finally, we stumbled upon a set that we both liked. Crafted from matte black stone, it was intricately etched with delicate white orchids that seemed to bloom with every glance.

Rhea purchased it from a charming pottery stand run by a kind-hearted elderly goddess.

Rhea paid with an odd purple stone. After I asked about it, she explained that it was a transfer stone, capable of transferring large amounts of faith crystal.

Before I could voice my curiosity, the elderly goddess offered us a black transfer stone for me, a selection of dishes, and a luxurious white marble watering can.

Rhea adamantly insisted on the maintenance of the garden she had planted in my courtyard before purchasing all of them immediately, leaving me reeling.