The Pillar had been poisoned by their own arrogant actions. The Gods had ruined the balance the Pillar had needed to renew itself. They had claimed this seat of Power, eliminated anything displeasing to their fantasy and condemned their world to stagnation. And the Pillar had simply tried to free itself, break loose the stone and metal shackles that had suffocated it. It was a humbling thought because Chronos knew that if the Greek Gods alone had tried to fix this situation, they would not have broken the Pillar as Ananke had done. No, Chronos knew his sons and daughters well, they would have built more walls and binding prisons, burying the infected Pillar until its rot had spread too far to be cleansed. They would have perished for their selfish ways and the Pillars of Time were an interconnected chain. Weaken or destroy one link and the others suffer as well. It would have been disastrous.  
                              
“So how do we find Mnemosyne?” Ananke asked out loud, still not understanding the properties beyond the Veil. 
                              
“We walk out of the entrance and arrive at the destination.” Herald answered simply. It sounded enigmatic but was plain truth. Despite the strange, riddle like quality to Herald’s words, Ananke simply nodded, once again just accepting that there would be nothing simple or straightforward about her duties. Then again, after cohabitating in her body with a God, it wasn’t hard to just take the strangeness in stride. 
                              
Metis was left behind; a new caretaker for the Pillar who had reason to love the stone, while Herald and Ananke left with Chronos. This time there was no distraction nor unconsciousness to disguise the changes that the Veil underwent. Ananke could see the landscape as plain as a scenic painting while they stood in the entryway, the ruins and rubble from the destructive tremors moments ago already being replaced by the same forces from the throne room. Earth, green and growing and abundantly alive was taking over. It consumed the dead stone and metal, providing new living for all the places that had been sterilized. The strange sight blurred the moment they crossed the entrance though, as if great distance was being travelled in a single step. Ananke didn’t look disturbed by it, instead she took a single step backwards, testing to see if it worked with direction of movement or intent. 
                              
“Curious.” Was all that the mortal said out loud. Internally Ananke asked herself, I wonder how that works. Is it like the land folding itself for us to step across the distance? And if it is, what about those that are in the folds in between? Do we just appear to the end destination or do they see us for a long distance coming? 
                              
Chronos didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to hear her silent inquiries and simply responded. The fold analogy is a good one, but flawed. The Veil takes the spaces between away, removes them from your path so that you arrive without being in the same space as anyone else. It’s complicated.
                              
Because doing things that are normal, like walking, is just too mainstream for you. Ananke said in response, a shading of actual humor in her internal voice. 
                              
Chronos couldn’t resist that humour, it was one of the few almost emotional responses this frustrating mortal had given. Precisely. You mortals walk, we better beings simply arrive where and when we mean to be. 
                              
The destination that these two immortals and Ananke found themselves at now was as ruined as the rest of the Greek Pantheon. It was undergoing the same, strange organic restoration that everything else was enduring. What had probably been marble or obsidian frame stones before were now large redwood trunks, the trees stretching far overhead and dwarfing the entranceway. Vines roped and hung across the top of the archway, the buds of flowers visible but not yet revealing their beauty. Already there were furred animals scampering in the branches, and birds serenading the area while concealed in the foliage. The area concealed behind the curtain of hanging vines was much larger than Metis’ ruined  shack, this Goddess didn’t live in self exiled hovel.