As the God speaks, any sense of embarrassment or self-consciousness fades away, and he finds himself standing taller as though swelling beneath the great man's praise. Although inherently arrogant in nature, Volterra rarely receives such compliments, and somehow these seem to mean more than any superfluous comment about his fighting ability or formidable build. These reach deeper than that, into the very bones of what makes him a man. "Your words honour me, Father Earth," comes the thick baritone of a voice, its tone humble as he absorbs the words like a child accepts the gentle head-pat of a father. Deep inside him, there's that little boy who first met the Earth God during somebody else's quest, who stood in awe before the mammoth tribrid and vowed to worship him for the rest of his days. There's that little boy who held the amulet given to him so tightly, who wore it with pride, who felt that little bit stronger when he had his piece of Earth with him. That little boy sings inside the great bulk of the man he has become, and he knows that the youngster made the correct decision when he chose to follow this God out of all the others.

"I confess that I always imagined myself wearing the crown of the Hidden Falls, but the Throat...I have grown to love it, and I will do everything in my power to protect it and strengthen it in the name of your brother Sun." Such a vow weighs heavy on young shoulders, and it's sometimes easy to forget that Volterra is not even four years of age yet. "But know that whilst the Sun has my undying respect, my devotion will always lie with yourself." Again the admission makes him feel exposed, uncovered, but this time he revels in the sensation. There is no shame in admitting what everybody knows - that Volterra is the Earth's man through and through, and has been ever since that wide-eyed colt first gazed upon the magnificent giant that now stands before him.

The God continues by blessing his promised ability onto the Indomitable, and he feels the magic whistle through him like an errant wind. He wonders what beast he will become; he knows that this new power is lying in hands far more capable than those that first asked for this quest. He is about to utter his thanks, when there's more - earth and wind embraces him and he absorbs the touch like that of a lover, whilst his eyes widen in awestruck surprise and his ears desperately inhale those precious words. A gift - the resistance of his body against forces of earth, a boon that he does not take lightly. "Thank you." He wishes he were a more scholarly man, who could weave his words into something more profound, more poetic, but this act of kindness has left him truly speechless. Mumbling his thanks sounds insufficient compared to what has been given to him, but he knows that he can add another emotion to his completed quest - gratitude, all-consuming awe towards this great man.

The little boy inside him smiles, and says I told you so. Apparently his younger self had had more sense that he'd given him credit for - in choosing the Earth as his patron, he's made one decision that he knows he will never regret.