Finally, he jumped off the stream and landed us atop a mountain. It didn't matter where we were—we were floating in the Internet—but it did matter that there was a tunnel of Internet shooting into the Aether here. It was a brighter gold than the trail we were following and although it was misty, it was more solid than the god trail too. It seemed to be a free-standing ring. There was nothing beyond it if you viewed it from the back, but from this end, I could see into the Aether. I swallowed roughly. Torrent and I stepped into the tunnel and everything changed.
The landscape of Earth was gone; replaced by the chilled blackness of the Aether. It would have been dark—like walking in outer space—but it was so full of things emitting light that it wasn't. Every time someone crafted a spell, an image of their goal remained in the Aether, and every time someone traced, a copy of one of their memories was taken in payment. So, in the space around me, there were hundreds of symbols, items, and memories that played out like 3D hologram movies.
“Do you remember the direction the trail was in?” Torrent asked.
I tried to orientate myself from where we'd been and where we'd traveled to; generally, of course.
“I think it's that way.” I pointed to the left.
Torrent started walking toward the side of the shaft of Internet; pushing it outward as he went. It didn't so much stretch as extend. Torrent simply brought more of the realm along with him. It was a good thing too because we had to travel a long way before we came across the god trail again. I was certain that if the Internet had simply been stretched, it would have broken. Or maybe just snapped; bouncing us back inside like a trampoline.
“There!” I pointed to the golden haze.
“Lead on, V; you know I can't see it,” Torrent said; his bright green eyes alight with Internet energy.
That's why we had to work as a team; I could see the trail, and Torrent could help me follow it. And follow it we did; for about a hundred feet. In case you don't know; that's not very far when you're traveling the Aether, just a second or two of floating. When we came to the end of the trail, Torrent let go of the Internet, and the Human Realm took form around us again.
We were at the base of an indigo mountain; its sides painted with swaths of burnt orange and moss green. Further back, there was another mountain range; this one capped with snow. It reminded me of the Big Island of Hawaii—as did the tropical plants I spotted nearby—but that's where the similarities ended. There were several varieties of tree that I was certain I'd never seen before, and they were mixed in with fir and pine.
“Where are we?” I asked Torrent.
He consulted the Internet and then said, “We're back in Argentina.”
“Odd,” I murmured as I followed the trail to a hill.
I stopped and stared at the grass-covered mound. I suppose a small hill at the base of a mountain isn't that unusual, but this was the only such formation I could see, and it had a strange look to it.
“Is that hill glittering?” Torrent asked. “Like gold dust?”
“I believe it is,” I said as I stepped closer.
The trail ended at the crest of the hill, and as we climbed, the glittering in the earth collected and condensed before us. It took the shape of a woman; a beautiful woman with shining, mahogany hair that flowed all the way to her ankles. She was lounging on a large rock; patiently working through all that hair with a gold comb. The woman was humming to herself; her face downcast as the sunshine warmed her deeply tanned skin. She behaved as if she didn't know we were there when I was certain that she had specifically appeared because she did.
“Hello,” I greeted her.
The woman stopped humming and combing and turned to face us. Her eyes were gold; a shade lighter than Re's. They were beautiful against the background of her dark skin and hair, and Torrent started smiling at her in a way that would have gotten him smacked by Artemis if she were there.
“Hello,” she said with a soft accent that I couldn't place. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“We followed your trail,” I said. “My name is Vervain and this is my friend, Torrent.”
“Hello Vervain and Torrent, I am Orco Mamman,” she said warmly. “Welcome to my hill.”
“Thank you.” I glanced at Torrent in surprise; this wasn't what I expected to find.
“Where did you follow my trail from?” She asked curiously.
“A gold mine,” I said. “One that belongs to Athena.”
The woman's demeanor changed instantly, and she jolted to her feet with righteous anger. “The Goddess who steals from the Earth! Yes; I know her. How dare she take and take; ripping apart my land and stealing my gold? She has stolen too much, and has ignored all my entreaties to stop.”
“You've asked Athena to stop mining?” I asked with wide eyes. “She didn't seem to have any idea who was behind the attacks.”
“Attacks,” the woman scoffed. “I was defending myself. Athena wouldn't listen. She acts as if she doesn't understand the call of magic; the way gods are required to submit to it.”
“And your magic wants you to attack the mines?” I asked with a frown.
“Defend the Earth,” she corrected. “I gave Athena many warnings; pushing the mining equipment into ravines, ruining the generators, and crumbling little tunnels in the mines. But she didn't listen, and I had to
