This was all her doing, he thought. If this was her twisted way of getting even, then he had figured it out. Perhaps she had given clues beforehand, but he had failed to notice. Sylvain recalled her suggesting he enter the service of the Reaper if he found handling exchanges too boring. This time, she sent him and another soul she had gathered into her books as an employee to the new realm of a goddess most had heard of at least once: Angela Rose. A week's worth of time away from Antikythera for 'a change of scenery', under the guise of occupational training. The deity's attempts to familiarize with him and lull him into complacency wouldn't work on him. Not when he knew the means by which she held him under her thumb. She herself openly said she didn't care if he hated her, all she wanted from him was a job well done.

The realm of Elysia was bright, but not as cold and sterile as Antikythera's interior halls. One of the so called boons the Overseer of Luck and Misfortune had bestowed upon him when she forced her mark was the reduction of his weakness to sunlight, degrading it to a simple light sensitivity. Taking the path described on the visual diagram Shiloh had equipped them both with before their departure, he arrived at the circular garden where the mosaic of life was depicted. Here he awaited for the carriage that would lead to the Weaver of Life's palace. The other person sent with him was a Rosenite woman. The circumstances which she came to know their employer was unknown, and he himself did not care to ask. He was sure the Steward had swooped down like a bird of prey, taking advantage of her when she was in a state of weakness to coerce her into a contract. Why else would she have the deity's mark on her hand?

"Nerine, I know it's really sudden but I'm thinking of sending you to see somebody." Hours ago Shiloh had come to her room and knocked, asking her if she wanted to go somewhere for a change of pace. "What place did you have in mind?" Nerine had asked, and the deity told her she was considering on sending her and another person to see the Goddess of Life. "In the future we'll start getting more people working here, and at the moment we don't have a dedicated doctor. Back before you came and joined, it was just me and the automatons. I'm no expert on fixing living, breathing things–so it'd be best that I send you to someone who is." She accepted, and was happy to get the chance to learn from another deity. Having lived in Sularia, she had known about the famous queen of the Red Court and her title as the goddess of life and earth. Back when she was called the Mother, Nerine once dreamed of becoming a healer too. But soon she found her talents were more in favor for the elements, and pursued her studies in magic in Iria. 

"I'll let her know you're coming. Here, can you give her this letter when you see her? I know you won't open it to sneak a look at what's inside, so I'll be entrusting it to you." Elysia was truly paradise as Shiloh had described. Beautiful and full of natural beauty, it was like she was home. Antikythera was a safe place, but it lacked color or any of the comforts of a garden. The plant conservatory was still being built, so the only place where plants could grow was in her own room in the Machinarium. The other employee she was coming with was a rather tall and sullen man. He certainly was intimidating at a glance, and she was quick to note that he and the Steward were not on the best of terms. Shiloh said he was a noble from Kurayo, but kept mum about anything else. Venturing into the rainforest, it was a stiff and stifling walk. The silence between them was worse than the humidity. Her eyes lit up when she saw the circular garden Shiloh had pointed out in the small map she had given her. So many beautiful flowers in all shapes and colors, and all in bloom! She missed Arri and Sularia's rose gardens. Though the sky was slowing transitioning into dusk, she took her time to admire the handiwork of the mosaics while waiting for their ride to the palace.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” words from the ever recluse Shiloh that Angela never thought she would hear. So she listened and she agreed to do as the woman had asked. Oh boy, would this be fun.

She ran her fingers through her red hair as she waited and watched for the newest arrivals to Elysia. Once the guests had arrived in the circle Angela hopped into a carriage and road down to greet them. The door of the carriage swung open as soon as it was parked in front of them. “Come on Young Ones. No time like the present besides I only have you for a week you are lucky I didn’t drop you into the clinic on your heads.” There was a smirk as she leaned over to see them out the door of the carriage.

Once they were all boarded into the carriage Angela had them sit on the opposite side of her. “I do believe that is for me,” it was more like a tickle as she spoke. The letter appeared in her hands and she read it intently. “What an odd woman you both work for… If that is what she wants.” The letter disappeared in brilliant color as she smirked at the both of them.

“For the next week, you both will be in Healer Hell. I will make herbalists out of you both for better or worst. Should you not get it the first time I will make you do each exercise you miss ten times over until you get it right. Because both of you are not humans there will be little sleep for you. Eating will be done morning and at night when I say so. I’m giving you an education that normally takes fifty years to complete for people like us. Prepare yourselves.”

Once the carriage arrived at the temple she took them out and walked with them. Greeting them at the door were two clergy members both with simple robes in their hands. “These are for you. You don’t want to wear your everyday clothes for this.” She took the robes and put them in each of their hands. “There’s room to change just over there… Once you are done changing we will begin immediately. Try not to think of me as rough as I’m only doing as Shiloh has asked me to. If there's one thing you must know about me it is that I do not go back on my word."

She did a shooing motion. "Let's go hurry. Go get changed now! Leave your personal clothing in there and my clergy members will take them to a room for you."

The goddess came to see them in personally, and welcomed them in. He had heard of her; who hadn't heard of the former goddess of Earth and Life? She took a letter from the other person who was sent along by the Steward, and read it before she gave a smirk.–something he was seeing far too often. The ruler of the Machinarium did not give him the graces of knowing why she had sent him here, only that it was for training. That woman had a way of throwing him off his guard, from appearing next to him as soon as he looked away, to stalking him in the halls and grabbing him from behind…before bending backward and slamming his head into the cold stone floor. She even dropped down out of the ceiling like a spider and pinned him to the ground before disappearing and running off. And just when he thought he knew where she would appear, she would emerge from somewhere else.

Right away the Weaver of Life did not mince words. Simply put, she was going to put them through the grinder until a week was over. Right away he was feeling something rise within him, and though he didn't say a word his sullen countenance darkened. This wasn't the first time his freedom had been hampered by a deity, but it was no less more infuriating. To add to his ire, she even said this was being done at the Steward of Antikythera's behest. So it was all because of her! Anger burned like a slow simmering boil as he did as told and changed his clothes.

The letter Shiloh had entrusted to the blonde woman who had come along was short and direct, written on crisp clean parchment: 'I have a favor to ask of you. There are things you can do which I cannot, and I know my abilities as a deity are limited. I will be sending you two of my newest additions to the Machinarium for a crash course on healing and medical knowledge so they'll be able to handle themselves in an emergency. The first is Sir Sylvain Albaret. He's a vampire and used to live in Kurayo so you probably get the idea. The second is Nerine. She's a Rosenite from Arri, so you might know about her already. You'll only need to keep an eye on the first one, I softened him up a bit but go ahead and work out the kinks in his personality if he gives you trouble. Since I owe you, if you ever need my help for something I'm all ears. Just don't ask me for something weird or something I can't do.'

During the ride to the Dashuri Palace, Nerine was both nervous and excited. She was here, sitting right in front of the famous queen of the Red Court–the best herbalist and healer of their nation. Her excitement was met with anxiety when the goddess gave them a brief explanation of what they would be doing in the next week. It was an intense session of training, almost non-stop. Could she make it to the end? Taking a deep breath, she told herself she'd do it all. Regardless if she succeeded or failed, she would learn whatever she could from the goddess and make herself a better herbalist in the process.

Accepting the new change of clothes, she set aside her things and was ready to go. She would have to thank Shiloh when she was back in Antikythera. As the Steward once said to her, 'Don't think about it too much, just do what you can. You're better than you think you are.' She needed to have faith in herself and focus. Unlike Sylvain she had at least a solid foundation on the basics when it came to herbalism, so it wasn't as daunting to the scholar. The main issue she'd run into might be her precision or speed, but she had a fairly strong grasp on what things were and how to perform procedures. When they were both ready, it was time for their boot camp to start. The man beside her looked like he wanted to strangle something, so she inched away from him as discreetly as she could.