Haumea had been sleeping, or whatever best approximated sleep in this new form, when the earthquake roared through the rift. Snapping awake, he painfully moved himself from his makeshift nest within the Tower, terrified that all the hard work that had gone into uncovering this place would be undone by the earth's capriciousness. Stumbling out of the Tower, he watched as the Rift danced and swayed. And then felt his stomach drop as a surge of energy swept through.

From where he knew Portunus to lie, with all of its fascinating little mysteries, he heard the roar of earth and rock as the quake engulfed what was left of the town in a massive landslide. Unless he found an excavation crew, there was no point in going back. And he had far better things to do with his time than play in the dirt.

Still, Haumea wondered. Had this quake been Metallia's work or simply a reaction to what he had managed to accomplish here? He strongly suspected that he would never know. It was not his place to question his Goddess, after all. Merely to act as Her hands and mouth as required. And right now, if he were to be completely honest with himself, he was still weak. Not as much as when he had fallen from the podium. But his new body still required rest.

As he turned and headed back towards the Tower, he stopped to rest a cracked hand on the outer wall in a most proprietary manner. Alkaid had found this place and set events in motion. But it had been his work that had ultimately repaired and improved the place. Even know he could see that there was still work to do to improve upon and protect the Tower.

He would not allow the only means to create new Ascended to be lost. And thanks be to Metallia, he still possessed the original Tower Keeper's notes and journals. Those had not been lost and would help him to keep this place safe. And even as he thought of those musty old logs, he smiled. The original Keeper had called this place the Traveler's Tower and the name certainly fit.

Leaning in until he could rest his cheek against the outer wall, Haumea closed his eyes.

"I am ever at your call, my Queen," he murmured, knowing that Metallia would hear him. "I will always be your most obedient son, but this place must have a new Keeper and no one else is as qualified as I am right now. I can and will help to guide others to find their true selves here. And someday, when there are more of us, oh, the hunts we shall have in your name!"

A smiled curved his cracked lips at the thought. To feel that blessed connection with other Ascended again. And without it being a dream...

A soft, crumbling noise caused his eyes to open in alarm, wondering if the quake had affected the Tower after all. Instead, he saw a small, black vine winding its way up and through the wall to where his hand rested. Before his astonished and awe-filled eyes, he watched as the vine swelled gently, pushing its way into the wall only to emerge again just under his resting hand. Moving quickly, he continued to watch as the vine paused and grew, swelling and writhing as leaves and a bud formed. Then, the bud grew before unfurling into a palm-size black flower streaked with lurid pinks and oranges.

Breathing in the faintly sweet scent the flower emitted, Haumea smiled, eyes lighting up in pure joy. Metallia had chosen to answer him, to reward him for his faith! Plucking the flower with a gentle hand, he marveled at his sturdy it was. And plucking didn't seem to effect it at all. The vine went still and shrank only a little, dead now, but not before having woven itself into the Tower wall.

The flower, on the other hand, continued to emit it's scent and showed no signs of wilt. Reverently, Haumea tucked the flower into his hair. Metallia has chosen to grace him with this gift. It would be churlish to refuse it. And even worse to not see it as a sign that She approved of his plans.

And was secure in the knowledge that he would seek only to do Her will.

"Thank you, Mother," he whispered. Then, moving carefully, he re-entered the Tower. He still required rest and recovery from his earlier ordeal. But once he was back to full strength, he would show Metallia that Her gifts were not going to be squandered!