Chapter 1.39 A Talk Between Gods
I sat alone, a cup of fragrant green tea in one hand as I stared out into the Void. For the first time in a long time, my thoughts were blissfully empty, devoid of pressing need to act or do anything. My incarnations were running about the Realms, doing work still, of course, but my main body? It was taking some time.
And I was waiting for someone.
I saw it before it reached me. It was just a flicker, a glimmer of light, a vague shape flying in out of the corner of my eye from some point unknown, but I still saw it. And I greeted it before it could greet me.
"Tea?" I asked, conjuring another cup for Boxes. For a moment the air before me flickered, as if trying to make itself into something, but I focused through it. With the new sight granted to me I could almost see through it, to the truth of what it was…and I would prefer to have a true conversation, rather than a text-to-speech style chat like what we usually had.
"You can sense my coming now." Boxes said, voice oddly monotone. It took shape as a little white ball of light before me, flickering and sparking with each syllable like a little nerve ending. "Congratulations are in order. You survived the Shadow of the Realms – though its nature varies from universe to universe, the fundamental trial is something all universes go through."
"So it is a trial? One of the [Stages]?" I asked, frowning and sipping at my tea. I hated the idea of this being some sort of stage in a game. "I swear, if you tell me something like "quest complete" I'm going to be livid." The ball of light that was Boxes chuckled, sparks flying off its form. My eyes burned just looking at it, but I continued my focus to peer through its veil.
"It is a trial, but not a [Stage]. To put it in your game terms, this would be more akin to a hidden side-quest, albeit one necessary to overcome. Most origin deities don't notice its presence until much later in the trials, let alone resolve it in [Stage 2]. I do believe that puts you in the top point-five percentile." Boxes explained, voice remaining monotone and tinny to my ears.
"So it is resolved, then?" I asked sharply.
"You will always feel its echoes, and as it is a creation of cause and effect it will, to some degree, always be lurking…but it is as resolved as can be expected from an Origin Deity so young." I grunted in acknowledgement at that, taking a bit of time to digest that information and sipping at my tea. "Now, I do make it a point to visit every young god – be they an Origin Deity or a replacement – that makes it through the 'Shadow,' and give them a gift."
"A gift?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, mind immediately whirring in suspicion.
"It's nothing crazy, like I am sure you are thinking." Boxes said, flickering as the burning sensation in my eyes intensified. I took a deep breath and refocused, Boxes pausing to allow me that moment to collect myself. Was it really so hard to look at it? Even this tiny sliver of their being? What kind of a monstrously powerful entity was it, to be so…impressive?
Then, just like that, a box appeared before me, a little tag taped to the top that read; To Statera Luotian. It was maybe as tall as my forearm, and four times as wide, wrapped in blue wrapping paper and tied together with a pink bow. I set aside my tea and carefully gripped the box, gently tearing open the paper and opening the top flaps with a perfectly healthy amount of suspicion – only for the contents within to well and truly shock me regardless. A small gasp escaped me despite myself, a little thrill of excitement running up my spine as I tore the top off the box to behold three, glittering bottles of liquor and a bag of leaves.
One was clearly whiskey, its amber liquid shining despite the absence of light; another was a bottle of red wine, the label written in the spiritual language of my home universe; the third was a bottle of some kind of fermented energy that I didn't recognize; while the bag was stuffed full of tea leaves that practically hummed with positive energy.
"Oh, you shouldn't have!" I cried in delight, pulling out the bottle of wine, the corners of my eyes crinkling as I recognized the handwriting of one of my old bosses. The bottle itself wasn't made by them, but clearly Boxes had gone out of its way to get an old friend of mine to sign it for me. That wasn't what I was going to drink first, however, and put it back in the box.
"The third bottle is fermented Primordial Chaos, one of my favorites, for a time. I wouldn't drink it until you're a few billion years older, and far stronger. One whiff will knock you off your feet." Boxes helpfully supplied even as I pulled out the bottle of whiskey. I cast a glance at that third bottle suspiciously, truly not seeing it as Primordial Chaos, before promptly popping out the top of the whiskey and taking a deep whiff.
I immediately sighed happily, waving one hand to conjure two crystal glasses, a singular, square ice-cube sitting in each. With deliberate slowness I poured myself and Boxes a glass, extending it to the entity.
"Care for a drink?" I asked hopefully. A flash of light that I read as incredulity shot through the being, followed by a hum of amusement as it reached out, and the glass was taken from my hand. I raised my own glass, clinking them together before taking a long, slow sip. The liquid fire that burned down my throat – no, it was much more than liquid fire, I'd tried actual liquid fire before and this was so much better – forced a pleased groan out of me as I savored that one small sip, closing my eyes appreciatively.
Boxes did the same, coming to sit beside me.
"Any questions?" Boxes asked. "I am willing to answer a few."
"How are the others doing?" I asked, mind drifting to the other origin deities supposedly out there, making their own universes.
"Well enough. It is still early, though soon enough I will have you all meet. [Stage 2] is almost over for all the universes; I'm dilating time in some places, to make sure everyone is mostly on the same page. Once that is done, we'll hold a meeting." Boxes mused. I really should come up with a better name than Boxes, especially since I am actively trying to see through its messaging system now. "You have a little bit of time to recover, before then."
"How am I doing?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to. Just keep on moving, as you have been, and you will be fine."
I chuckled a little at that, taking another sip of whiskey. It was true, though. A part of me did want to know how I was doing, but another part of me was afraid of a more specific answer to such a question. More importantly, I was afraid that hearing the answer would make me make a mistake. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss. And sometimes, ignorance was key in getting people to make the correct choice to move forward. I would learn about it in time, probably at the meeting if I'm being honest.
"Well, that's all I've got to say," I said with a shrug. "Care to sit and drink with me for a bit longer?"
"Only if you quit looking past the veil of the boxes. It's causing unnecessary strain." Boxes said. I smirked and took another sip, letting my energy and eyes relax as I turned my attention out to the Void, past Boxes. The little flashing light faded into obscurity, its voice falling silent. And immediately the budding headache that had been building in the back of my skull vanished, the burning of my eyes fading away with a few quick blinks. I took another sip of whiskey and groaned appreciatively. Oh yes, I would have to savor this stuff.
"Hit me with it, then, oh great and mighty Boxes, so we can sit together for a while yet." I drawled, sitting back casually and setting the box of liquor and tea to the side. And, finally, I allowed Boxes to show me the stats they'd been waiting so patiently to show. And I thanked it for waiting, this time. I would not have appreciated these popping up in the middle of everything that had happened.
Ding!
Creation!
The Lunar Star: You have successfully created a counterbalance to the Realm Sun, dubbed the Lunar Star, or Moon. As the Realm Sun circles the Four Realms, it provides light and heat to only half of creation at a time. The sheer weight of its presence, both in a spiritual and gravitational sense, was distorting the Realms, pulling them in one direction at a time.
The Lunar Star counterbalances that, reflecting light so even in the darkest of times, the light of the sun may come to guide those who look for it, as well as evening out the Sun's pull.
Yet it is not heat. It is cool; a soft light, to the Sun's harsh. A cold gust to the Sun's burning winds. A Yin to the Sun's Yang. A balance, added to the scales. A light, for those whom find the Sun too bright.
Growth of the Four Realms will increase significantly following this creation.
Ding!
[Stage 2] complete. Congratulations!
You have successfully completed [Stage 2] of the [Deity Trials] – the individualized planning stage. With a clear goal of how the base internal structures of your 'Pantheon' will look and interact with each other in mind now, as well as much of the foundational structures being laid out, you are ready to move onto the next [Stage]. [Stage 3] will begin once all Origin Deities complete [Stage 2], and will kick off with a meet-and-greet between all Deities. In the meantime, continue to solidify the foundations of your universe, promote its growth, and guide mortals.
Ding!
Hidden Trial Complete! [The Shadow of the Four Realms]
All universes face their respective Shadows, at some point. 60% of all destroyed universes fall due to the actions of their Shadow, and 75% of all slain Origin Deities are killed by their Shadow. Just as Ymir was slain by Odin, thus setting Ragnarok into stone. Just as Ra was banished from the earthly realm by Isis, was forced to merge with Atum, and is forced to drive off Apophis each night. Just as Phanes was eventually slain by Zeus, who consumed his power, or the tragedy of Izanagi and Izanami.
Betrayal is a common theme. So is destruction.
Some gods overcome their Shadow but are forced to accept uncertain terms. Some Origin Deities, such as Pangu, willingly give their lives to keep the Shadow at bay and stabilize their worlds. Only time will tell how your Shadow will turn out, but know that the worst of this trial has been overcome.
Congratulations! You are [2nd] among the Origin Deities of this trial to overcome your respective [Shadow].
"Second?" I asked, pointedly raising my eyebrows. I thought I was in the top one percent of speed for the Shadow. Yet someone else beat me to it? The answer did not come as a box, but as a voice.
"Indeed. That is solely due to the nature of that Origin Deity's universe, however, effectively banishing the Shadow through its conception. It was a sacrifice." Boxes replied. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to say to that. With a quick shake of my head I banished all those thoughts and sat back even further, taking another drink.
This was enough, for now.
And together, we sat there, two gods drinking fine whiskey and staring out into the Void.
The Overgod of the Multiverse was a busy being. The number of incarnations it could create was unfathomable. The amount of power at its fingertips unimaginable. The amount of information it received in a single attosecond simply inconceivable. Its perception of time was simply ludicrous; a billion years could go by in the blink of an eye, while a nanosecond could take an eternity to pass.
Even despite that, or perhaps because of it, its workload was almost overwhelming. And was why it had chosen to pass off many lesser duties to other beings or powerful origin deities, to give itself some time to take care of matters that were actually important. Yet it still always managed to oversee the [Deity Trials]. Even if other divinities could take the reins, it didn't want that. This was one of the things that kept it sane, the small duty that felt important simply because the Overgod enjoyed doing it. Even if the only part of their being that could be spared to watch over them, especially in these beginning stages, was a little incarnation of nearly-minimal power – a sliver that was almost too powerful for baby Origin Deities to view.
"The batch this go-round is looking good," the incarnation muttered, unable to appear as anything other than a ball of light, so little of the Overgod's true essence as it contained. Screens of various different projections and predictions filled its vision as it settled back in its spot in the middle of the twelve budding universes; its workshop. Which was, in truth, little more than a blank room filled with data sheet. "We've got a good variety of universes, too. The selection process was quite thorough, and Statera developing such deep True Sight at such a young age is remarkable...oh, the Four Realms is looking like it might be able to grow into a Heart-verse. Fifty percent chance; that's pretty high for a young universe. Do we need more Heart universes?"
A quick connection to the Higher Consciousness confirmed that yes, in fact, they could always use more Heart universes. They tended to be a lot harder to destroy, as they filled the Heart of the multiverse and therefore weren't as open to threats like the Void, but on the flipside were a lot harder to raise, too.
There was a fairly good chance the Four Realms might not even grow into a Heart-verse though, as there was a lot of time left before it could be merged into the multiverse at large. With a hum it continued to go over the data; in fact, there were quite a few universes amongst the twelve that could fill in key spots in the multiverse…this really was a good batch! The Overgod's incarnation paused, then, as a new command came flooding down to it. Carrying with it strange new orders. But orders it agreed with, because they still came from itself.
"Well, we haven't done that in a while. Might even promote some exceptional growth in the young ones." It mused, going over the projections and agreeing with the results. It was high-risk, high-reward, but in the end, all things were. Reaching out it connected itself to a different function; accessing a specific series of data entries from all across the multiverse. A list of souls appeared before it, and it mused for a second. "Yes. Let's give these little ones a Monkey Wrench or two. They have the potential…so it could turn out quite well."
Selections made, the Overgod's incarnation returned to pouring over the data from the twelve universes, taking great care to watch for any inconsistencies or rapid changes. That was its job, after all. To keep things stable until they could stand on their own.
Chapter 2.1 I Have No Point
I peeked into Morgan's chamber to find the wolf sleeping on its side, just beneath the window which let light from the Realm Sun in. It hadn't been too long since the Sun War ended, so its injuries still showed, though it was starting to look better. The spidery legs it had lost were slowly growing back, it had filled out a little bit, and the myriad bruises and injuries across its hide had since faded. It had come a long way, even from the mangy mutt it had first appeared as.
Like Morgan, the Realms themselves were well on their way to healing now, and I stepped fully inside the prison.
"Great One," Morgan drawled, opening half of its red eyes to glare at me. I could still sense the hatred and malice radiating off of it in waves, but none of it was directed at me. I smiled at it.
"Hello, Morgan. How was your sleep?"
"Excellent. I dreamt of slaughter and mayhem – the darkness was delicious." Morgan said in a snarl. I chuckled, then paused when I figured out it wasn't joking. It truly had enjoyed whatever dream it just had…I reviewed what had been scheduled for it in the dreams. A warlord, slaughtering dozens. Not once did he enjoy swinging his sword, but each inch of bloodshed brought him closer to a goal. Peace? Wealth? Victory? It was all of the above – he hated everything he did, but the goal, in his mind, would be worth it.
"Which part did you enjoy?" I asked slowly, walking forward to sit before the wolf, adjusting my size so we could be eye-level. Morgan bared its fangs.
"Why do you care?" It snapped.
"Because I want to know." I said simply. Morgan huffed and closed its eyes again, remaining silent. That was fine. I stayed quiet as well, not moving a single inch, simply staring at Morgan. We stayed like that for quite a while until Morgan finally broke, cracking one eye open and giving me a sharp glare.
"The pain. Them killing each other, and saving me the hassle. There, happy?" It barked out.
"I would be if I believed you." I drawled, crossing my arms. Morgan scowled at me, huffing. "But let's assume, for a second, that you're telling the truth. You enjoyed watching them killing each other, because you hate them and wish everything to return to the chaos. Because they are…what was it? Underserving of the gifts I have given them, and they twist it into their own goals and ends. Why would I show you that dream, then, if that is what you were going to take away from it?"
"Because you're foolish, and think that if I understand their pain and the pain I caused, I'll come around to being nice." Morgan practically spat the word nice out as if it was something distasteful.
"You're smarter than that, Morgan. You understand pain and chaos better than my other children – it's what you thrive off of, feed off of, and you weaponized it to create dark gods and foul beings to challenge all of creation." I countered. This, at least, seemed to get the wolf's full attention, all eyes opening to stare at me. "And you give me too little credit, thinking I do not understand that. Recall what I told you, before locking you away."
"What?" Morgan demanded, rolling all eight eyes. "That this is a cruel punishment? Hardly."
"That this will show you why I do the things I do, the way I do them. That this is a path to understanding me." I told it. "I have shown you joy in your dreams. And pain. And while normally I would be happy to leave you to your own devices and figure things out at your own speed, like I did for your other siblings, I feel you need a more…direct hand in your lessons. These dreams I show you are what I see every time I close my eyes – and what I can see even while awake. All beings are connected to me through the Heavenly Dao and karma, and in turn, I am connected to them. Seems silly then, that I would allow them to do what they do even if it causes me to experience all their pain, no?"
"What is your point?"
"I have no point." I said with a shake of my head. That was a lie, of course, but I was trying to get Morgan to understand me. "Just came to chat."
"You never do anything without a reason." Morgan countered. I raised an eyebrow at it, cocking a smirk as I crossed my arms.
"Really now?" I countered. The wolf narrowed its eyes at me, scoffing.
"Yes. Everything you do has a reason. When you step in, when you don't. What you say, what you don't say. You forget that I watched you since the dawn of time; much of my tactics were inspired by you. Everything you say and do is an effort to achieve the desired outcome, manipulating those you touch and speak to into doing your will. A master manipulator, hidden behind the veil of whimsy." Morgan said, spidery limbs tapping against the ground. "You say these dreams are a way for me to understand you?"
"Yes. That is part of what caused all this. You not understanding my goals and actions, while you existed in an echo chamber of your own thoughts, unwilling to reach out and simply ask." I said, standing and dusting off my robes. I pointedly did not deny Morgan's accusation, because he was correct. Unlike what was often assumed of me, I was, in many ways, an absolute liar. Or, better yet, I told half-truths. If someone asked me what the future would be? I would give them a vision of a potential future, in order to get them to act a certain way and prevent or hasten a specific result. Or, more accurately, the spirits and angels in charge of such things would. I hardly took a direct hand in such matters anymore.
"What, is that it?" Morgan asked, watching as I started to turn away.
"Yes! I got what I wanted from you. We talked a little, without you threatening my well-being. This is a good start." I replied. "But don't worry, I'll be back. In the meantime, here, a little something for you to do while not sleeping or reflecting." With that I tossed a little chunk of primordial chaos, shaped like a ball, at Morgan's feet. It glared at the offending object, looking back up at me.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" it snarled.
"Isn't it obvious? Create. You claim to have watched and learned from me, no? Prove it. Make something with that, if you so wish. Farewell for now, Morgan." I said, and promptly teleported away, leaving a confused Shadow sulking in its cell. For a moment longer I watched it sit there, space warping to allow me to see that distance, staring at the ball of primordial chaos. It scoffed and turned away, but I could see the little nugget of curiosity burning in the back of its head, slowly eating away at its reservations.
Thyia was bound beneath the roots of the Life-Giving Tree. Contrary to what one might expect, it was not a dark, damp place devoid of light and life. Instead, a faux sun hung heavy in the sky of the small cavern she had been imprisoned in, filling the room with a soft light. Green grasses and multicolored wildflowers grew all along the interior, pleasant and soothing in their nature, rustling in an invisible wind. Thyia herself leaned up against the great root that speared through the wall behind her, observing as a few spirits flew through the room, carrying energy with them as they went. They were very specific kinds of spirits, as chosen by me, who would collect some of the energy she herself produced as they flew to be utilized elsewhere.
Her eyes traced the beings without emotion, though I could see longing swirling in her chest like a grey cloud about her heart. Yet I did not approach her immediately, as I had only once before, when she was first imprisoned, as was my initial intention. Having just met with Morgan I had desired to connect with Thyia as well, but someone else had beat me to the punch.
I watched with no small amount of amusement as the Paragon Soul, that who had once been Dei, approached Thyia, having found his way here along the currents of energy. The asura guarding Thyia's prison noticed him the same time that I did, the six-armed beings making a move to intervene and keep him away. I let out a small burst of power and whispered a few words to those prison guards, audible and noticeable to them and them alone, and they relaxed and allowed him to pass.
The dark goddess didn't immediately react to the intruder to her cell, her gaze fixed heavenward as he slowly approached, his spiritual form as steady and firm as a rock.
"Who in Statera's name are you? One of the creator's minions, here to talk to me? Or did Reika send another messenger?" Thyia spat, though the words held little true anger. Instead, she just sounded drained, defeated, a far cry from the chaotic, giggling goddess she had been in the War.
"I don't understand you." Dei declared, shaking his head. "In ten years I am scheduled for my first reincarnation. After that point I doubt I will remember what you felt like, in the war, and what you feel like now. I would like to understand you." With that he plopped himself down not but a dozen feet from Thyia, closing his eyes and assuming a meditative pose. I almost giggled at his brazenness, Thyia staring slack-jawed at the man.
"You – what?!" she demanded. "Get out of here. I do not want to see you!" Dei, however, did not respond. Thyia watched him for a moment longer, expression swiftly turning stormy, what little power of hers remained unbound leaking out. "Fine then. If you really want to feel the despair that is suicide, then submerge yourself in it!" she snapped, pushing her godly domain outward, trying to infect Dei's soul with it.
It slid off of him like water upon a rock, his soul far too sturdy for her to effect.
"That is what I do not understand." Dei countered bluntly, tasting her power and screwing his face up in disgust. "What you did in the war was not suicide. It was sacrifice. Your dark angels and spirits served a purpose with their actions, there was hope there to make things their version of better, however wrong they were. That is not suicide. Suicide is hopeless, and empty, not romanticized in any way. Now shut up and let me meditate." And with that, he decided the conversation was over, ignoring the rest of Thyia's spluttered protests as he sat there, motionless.
"It's no use," I whispered, appearing beside Thyia with a smile. She jumped at my sudden arrival, hair whipping about her head as she turned to face me. "He's far too stubborn to listen to you."
"You – I – did you send him?!" Thyia demanded. I shook my head, my power coating me so Dei couldn't hear or see me. This was only a small incarnation, so the process was fairly easy.
He did promise to punch me next time he saw me, after all. I intended to hold him to that.
"Of course not," I said with a chuckle. "He found his way here all on his own, trying to cram as much into his time in the spirit realm as possible before moving on. At this rate he might actually do what he claimed." I mused, scratching my chin thoughtfully. Thyia ground her teeth, eyes narrowing as she huffed and looked away.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"I wanted to talk a little, but I can see you're no longer in the mood. Instead, I came to ask if you would like something to read." I asked, procuring a book from the sleeves of my purple robes. Embossed in golden letters on the cover was the title; Dissertation on the Heavenly Dao, Volume One. I had yet to write Volume Two for my children, but Thyia deserved the same chance to learn the lessons contained within as all the others.
"What is that? Propaganda on how great you are?" She asked suspiciously.
"Would you quit talking to yourself? It's pissing me off." Dei's soul snapped, turning his back to Thyia to make a point. She scowled at him, then at me, then at him again.
"Well, you're not wrong, but you're not entirely right, either. This is a lesson on my understandings of how a god comes to be, and the influence the Heavenly Dao has upon that. You are no longer cut off from the Dao, and it is affecting you just as it affects all things. I thought you might like to understand a little bit of what's happening to you." I reasoned, laying the book beside her. She scoffed and turned her head as I stepped back, still smiling at her.
"I won't read it." She said firmly.
"That's perfectly alright. Don't read it, burn it, tear it to shreds if you want. I simply wanted you to have the opportunity to make that choice, as you may have never had before." I told her. She glared at me a little more but didn't move to toss the book away, which I counted as a win. For a moment longer we sat in silence, Thyia looking out over the little meadow before her, her gaze always drifting back to Dei, and me pretending not to watch her godly domain as it slowly but surely changed.
It was shifting. Even here, imprisoned as she was, she was out from beneath Morgan's thumb. Her soul was allowed to turn and twist and discover its own calling, as opposed to being forced into whatever mold Morgan had made for her. And while I will freely admit I was trying to influence her and show her all the different experiences the world could offer, so her domain would expand in a different direction than it had been, I still had to let her make that decision on her own.
That was the whole point. Of everything. I could offer guidance but she had to make the choice to evolve, herself. There was no point to it otherwise.
"Why is he here?" Thyia asked suddenly, once again turning her attention to Dei's soul.
"To learn." I unhelpfully supplied. Dei was immersing himself in Thyia's aura in an attempt to better understand those who had chosen or lived on the path of darkness. It was not a lesson that would be so easily learned.
"He will forget the moment he reincarnates." Thyia scoffed. "He's wasting his time."
"His mind will forget, but his soul will remember." I said with a soft smile. Thyia glanced up at me once, shook her head, then folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the root, withdrawing her aura and closing her eyes. Taking that as the dismissal it was and seeing that my presence here would do no further good, I promptly teleported away.
But a sliver of my mind remained behind, invisible, watching. Thyia waited a few moments, opening her eyes to make sure I was well and truly gone. Her gaze lingered on Dei for a moment, then flicked down to the book I had given her. With another scoff she turned away again – but a nugget of curiosity had been left in her soul as well, one that would not be so easily ignored.
That was the first step. Even if she didn't completely change who she was, I still wanted her to at least have the option to change her perspective. With another sigh I turned my gaze away and set off to continue my duties, visiting all the dark beings who had been captured. Baby steps, Statera. Baby steps.
Chapter 2.2 The Old Man and the Sea
Her name was Inesa, and her meeting with a crusty old fisherman changed her life. She met him on the docks of a small fishing village, the weathered old man mending a hole in his net with gnarled fingers, his progress slowed by arthritis and age, but still noticeable as the work of someone who had done such a task his entire life. The dock itself was long, the wood creaking underfoot as she settled herself beside the old man, who barely spared her a glance with his cloudy eyes before returning to his net.
His face was tan and weathered from a life at sea. His hair was grey and thinning, his Fae-horns worn by time and exposure. He sat, stooped over, his back bent by the weight of years, but his cloudy eyes still held a light of defiance to them. The kind of defiance that didn't banish fear, but denied its purchase in his soul. And she was afraid; afraid of herself, of her power, of what she could be, and of the path she may take. Of the attention placed upon her because of this. Perhaps that is why she was drawn to him.
Perhaps that is why he spoke to her.
They talked of all kinds of things, together, the old man mending his net and she kicking her legs over the dock, feet touching the salty water below as the light of the small planet's sun beat down upon them. And he told her all about life, something she knew nothing about.
She was a young goddess, after all, barely a century old. And he was an old soul.
"If ya want ta learn 'bout people," the old man drawled in a thick accent, fingers stilling for the first time as he looked up at her, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. A chill wind blew across the sea, bringing with it the scent of salt and setting the old man to shivering. "Ya gotta take ah look at their 'omes, an what kinda fire warms their hearths. That'll show ya what kinda 'eart they got, too."
"What do ya mean?" Inesa asked, having adopted the old man's dialect to better blend in with the local mortals. She couldn't say what possessed her to walk among the mortal peoples like this, suppressing her powers to such a degree and meandering about, but still she did. The old man shrugged.
"Mah 'ome is cold an empty. Always 'as been. Mah boat's a better 'ome than mah house's ever been." He said softly, sadly, shivering once again as his fingers resumed their work. "That'll tell ya what kinda life ah lived. Ah was born 'o the sea, an ah'll die out there."
Inesa took his words to heart, though she continued to talk to him until the grouchy old man grew tired of talking, and set out to sea, alone, with nothing but his net, a boat, and a small fishing rod. She didn't follow him, not at first. Instead she wandered the village, hiding herself from mortal eyes as she peered into the homes of all those present. The old man's home was just as he said; cold and empty, dark, devoid of any sort of light. Fishing supplies were scattered about the small hut, and his bed looked like it hadn't been slept in, in years. She could almost see the light of what had once been a candle sitting on the windowsill, but such a feeling vanished like a whistle in the wind.
Other homes were warm and full of life. Light from roaring fireplaces filled the dining rooms, the happy squeals of children filling the halls. Candles were lit in the dark, when the light of the sun and the Lunar Star was dim, burning like stars in the night sky. And she wandered, and observed, and came to know that the old man whose name she did not know was right. To someone like her it was easy to know what kind of a life someone had lived from what kind of light filled their home.
Sometimes large homes were filled with warmth and happy people. Sometimes they were large, but empty, the light a pale imitation of a happy hearthfire. Sometimes small homes were devoid of any sort of light, the gathering place of the hopeless, who huddled around fireplaces like it was a dying dream, desperate to bask in the last of its warmth. And sometimes those small homes were cozy and warm, filled with more love than could fit in four small walls.
It only took four months for her to begin to learn this. In those four months, her fears largely melted away, replaced by simple desires and a firm declaration that echoed in her heart, and soothed the fear of what could be. And she returned to the old man to talk to him some more. To thank him for what he did and said, even if he didn't realize his words would have such a profound effect upon her.
She found his body at the bottom of the sea, his soul long since departed. Fish pecked at his bloated corpse, his boat having capsized and trapped him beneath the waves, his net binding his limbs. She stared down at him, godly eyes able to pierce the veil of dark waters to observe him. And light filtered down from above, piercing through the waves farther than it ever should, touching his body and warming it.
She promised herself then and there, were she ever to find the old man's soul once again, she would find a way to repay him. Surely if she asked Lord Keilan he could find the soul for her…but who was she to ask someone that great for such a trivial favor? No, she would find him herself, or let fate and karma guide them to meet once more. Until that time, she would do…what? The other gods seemed obsessed with filling the Four Realms with angels and holy beasts and immortals of all kinds. That…didn't seem like her, even if she didn't yet know who she was.
For a while she stood there, over the great sea, listening to the waves and watching the spirits dance about beneath the surface. There was so much to see in this vast, vast universe…and for some reason, now, she felt drawn to the little things. The day-to-day mundanities. Perhaps the old man was on to more than he knew.
With a flash of light she was gone, ready to walk the world of mortals.
The Paragon Soul's reincarnation cycle was a long process. Far longer than I expected. Things just didn't happen at the speed that I was used to – I lived eight lives in the span of four, maybe five thousand years on Earth. It would take Dei probably ten thousand just to live through three lifetimes. That number would actually be closer to twenty thousand years or longer, considering his first lifetime lasted ten thousand years, and his time between his death and first reincarnation had already reached a few thousand. It also made me increasingly convinced that he would be able to do what he said, and do what I did in half the number of lifetimes.
When the average Fae, without the aid of a high cultivation base, could live nearly three hundred years…well, there was just more one could do and cram into that life. And Dei's soul had been forced to do little with his next life.
He lived as a simple fisherman. For two hundred years he lived in that little village. It cannot be said what, exactly, he learned from this lifetime of loneliness, but it cannot be understated the profound effect it had on his soul. He went from Dei, the builder of Manu Ti, the greatest city of cultivators ever created and a man many had respected and even worshipped as a prophet-like being, to a simple fisherman. Not just any fisherman, and not one happy with his life, either. That was not his calling, and that was not what dwelt within the depths of his soul. Being unable to chase those dreams had burned him to the core. Yet it still taught him valuable lessons, deep within himself, burning away chunks of his being that were superfluous to his calling.
And now he once again re-entered the afterlife, his soul burdened with duty as it waited for another chance to reincarnate, for another place to be born into. It could be centuries until then. It could be millennia.
It all depended on how long he was willing to stay in the Spirit Realm, and how perfectly in-tune he needed his next life to be. Knowing him, he would aim for the most useful life and be forced to walk a knife's edge the whole time.
"Well now," Keilan said, appearing beside me as I floated over the Sea of Memories, gazing down upon the Paragon Soul as it rolled a truly massive ball of energy up the slopes of the mountains separating the Ocean from the Karmic Valley. This was a task he had taken on himself, strings of karma binding his limbs as he struggled to push the large, boulder-like construction of energy. "Who tied their string around him?"
I knew what Keilan was talking about. A little string of karma wound its way around Dei's truesoul now, lassoed gently to the core of his being. It wasn't a red string, not yet, but it did hint at a connection to something and someone that ran deeper than a casual meeting. I, of course, knew who it was connected to. With how deeply my eyes could see now, I couldn't help but see it. However, their interaction had been…beneficial to both, so I saw no reason to ask or interfere.
…for now. I knew myself. Curiosity would get the better of me eventually.
"It's certainly an interesting development." I agreed after a moment of silence, nodding my head. However, we had other things to discuss. "How are the seeds coming?"
"They are…forming," Keilan said with a shake of his head, wings curling about him as he folded his hands into the sleeves of his dark robe. His gaze grew distant as he looked down, toward the heart of the Karmic Valley, where eight little seeds grew. "With much of the energies of the Four Realms still focused on healing, their growth is slow, though. I still find it an odd concept that a valley can have seeds."
"It's all metaphorical, son," I said with a shrug. "Even the valley itself. But that is quite alright; the Realms are still settling, and the rather explosive growth we've been experiencing probably doesn't help either. We don't need the seeds until this growing period ends, anyways." I explained, clasping my hands behind my back. I was mostly here to see how Keilan was handling the seeds growth. Though I was taking a direct interest in make sure they did develop properly, it was just as important to make sure my kids knew how to develop these seeds as well.
Just in case I had to go do something else. Soon. Which I could feel coming.
A frown tugged at the corners of my lips. How much further away was it? One hundred thousand years? Longer? Shorter? Mr. Boxes might be making an announcement about it soon, and the anticipation was killing me. I shook my head to clear those thoughts, refocusing my attention on Keilan. All those thoughts were duties of my incarnations. My true body had a far more important task to attend to at the moment.
"Ready to go boating?" I asked. Keilan snorted out a laugh and nodded, waving his hand. A small fishing boat appeared in the waters of the Sea of Memories, complete with oars and a net in the bottom of the yellow-wood watercraft. I smiled to myself and descended onto the rowboat, sitting across from Keilan as he picked up the oars and began to row. There was no need for him to. If he so wished, the boat would propel itself across the waters. If he so wished, each stroke of the oars would drive us miles into the distance. As it was, we moved gently and slowly, Keilan enjoying the simple, monotonous motions, and myself enjoying the bobbing of the waves.
Below us echoes of memories darted about as little more than flashes of light.
And we talked, as Parent and Child.
That was all either of us needed, at the moment.
Chapter 2.3 Here There Be Dragons
A party was being thrown. Confetti filled the air, streamers draped across the halls of my palace, while gods and other spiritual beings milled about, chatting happily. Balls of multicolored light drifted about the center of the grand foyer, circling the large fountain that sprayed water merrily into the air, a rainbow forming in the mist. Little spirits danced about in the air around it, looking like little faeries in the light of the Realm Sun and Lunar Star, their soft light filtering down from the glass dome above.
I, myself, sat near the large glass windows at the end of the entrance hall, watching the celebration with a bemused smile and sipping a piping hot cup of tea. Randus stood to my left, ready with a hot pot of said tea, while Alexander lounged to my right, an annoyed expression on the dragon's face. He huffed and scowled and shifted all at once, his expression softening only when the god of fire offered him a slice of cake, then wandered off to find the goddess of water. Alexander stared at the plate set before him, shrinking his size so the slice would be more than just a crumb to his great maw.
"I do wish Kei hadn't made such a big deal out of this." He complained, swallowing the slice in a single gulp.
"It is a big deal," I told him. "You're introducing your race into the Four Realms! This is cause to celebrate."
"No one else got a party for this. I told Kei in confidence that I was about to introduce my races to you. I didn't expect or want her to go shout it from the top of the Life-Giving tree, telling everyone far and wide." He argued, shaking his head and watching the god of fire and goddess of water as they danced to a lively tune Argent, the god of metal, played on a saxophone. Many other gods joined in as we watched, as well as a few angels and holy beasts. I even saw Keilan tapping his foot and bobbing his head from where he leaned against a pillar, watching the party from a distance. "Nor did I expect my siblings to go along with her plan."
"That's because they all understood what this means." I said comfortingly, patting him on the side. Normally each of his scales were twice the size of my hand, but shrunk as he was, he was much easier to pat. He turned to me quizzically and I smiled. For one touted for being so wise and great, he sure could be dense when it came to himself. "You said it yourself, son. That you would not introduce your People into a Realms filled with chaos and discord. It may have only been five millennia since the end of the War, but for you to have chosen now is a signal to the others that their work is bearing fruit; that the danger has well and truly passed, even if more needs doing. Is that not reason to celebrate?" I asked.
Alexander gaped at me, jaw working a bit as he took in that, quite simple, explanation.
In the five thousand years since Morgan, formerly the Shadow's, defeat, the Four Realms had been a blur of activity. With the introduction of the Lunar Star, the Realms had grown by ten percent alone; which, in turn, prompted a number of immortals, angels, holy beasts, and other such things to rise up in the wake of the chaos. A few new gods had even appeared! Though, once again, they were all elemental gods. It wasn't a big issue, but I was beginning to understand just how deities of justice or other such metaphysical domains would end up being a thing in the Four Realms.
I could see the potential for them, in the fate of the Realms, and I felt my gaze absently drifting toward the young goddess of light.
"In that case," Alexander grumbled, breaking me out of my musings. "I had better get this over with." And with that he rose to his full, impressive height, towering over the present gods, his horns nearly touching the ceiling. Members of the Heavenly Host, bedecked in their gleaming armor and standing guard near the entrances, straightened their shoulders and snapped their feet together, the assembled high-powered beings all simultaneously turning to look up at him. Kei herself dangled upside down from the rafters, a grin on her face and tails swishing.
"Fellow gods, spirits, and denizens of the Four Realms," he boomed, voice echoing out across the entrance hall. "We have gathered here today to celebrate something a long time coming. The Four Realms have stabilized. The Lunar Star circles the sky alongside the Realm Sun. The War is long since over. And though we do not celebrate the war or our victory, we can celebrate how far we've come! Look at what we have built! Look at what has been made! And let us rejoice in the company of our fellows, the light of the realms, and the love of our Father!" he boomed.
A cheer rang out from the hundreds of present beings, each raising their glass, filled with various drinks and alcohols I'd brewed and broken out for this occasion, in a toast to Alexander's words. I smiled fondly at Alexander's words; leave it to him to turn the attention both onto, and away from himself in the same moment.
Once the cheers died down, Alexander spoke again. "In celebration of this, the five thousand year anniversary of the creation of the Lunar Star, I, myself, have an announcement to make. I have finished the creation of my People, and intend to ask Father's blessing for their introduction into the Realms." This brought up another round of cheers, which Alexander once more allowed to subside. Keilan watched with an amused smile, sharing a glance with Reika, who had moved to join him, as their brother leaned into his more dramatic side. "In the same vein as my siblings, I, too, have created both a mortal and immortal race. First, the mortals."
With a gentle shake of his head, Alexander's power washed out to create two new beings. They were, surprisingly, humanoid, but were far and above the most different from my Fae than any of my children's creations. They had two muscular arms and legs, and large, sweeping horns, but that was where the physical similarities ended. Their entire bodies were covered in scales, two large leathery wings stretching from their backs. Thick, draconic tails curled around their clawed feet, while their faces, draconic in appearance, stared out at us blankly. Elements of all kinds swirled in their throats and lungs, the light of Heaven filling their heads, while the dark of Karma filled their hearts. Long whiskers flowed from the muzzle of one of them, while a more feathery beard like thing drooped from the chin of the other.
"Draconians, I call them." Alexander said simply. I stood and made a bit of a show of walking around the two of them, looking them up and down and examining the two bodies.
"They are amazing, Alexander," I said honestly. The way the spiritual energy flowed through their veins was a work of art, clearly designed to make them more attuned to spirits and the spiritual than any of the other races. "You have my blessing." Another cheer went up from the assembled group of beings, making me smile.
"And lastly," he said, pausing dramatically as the two Draconians vanished in a flash of silver light. I looked up at him, a smile dancing on my lips and anticipation swelling in my heart. "Dragons!" he roared.
The sound shook the very walls of my palaces, the sound echoed by two great dragons that rose up out of the spirit realm beside Alexander in a flash of silver and gold. Their scales glittered, their auras radiating might and majesty, streams of orange fire spilling from their maws and leaving trails of light in their wake. Happy cheers rang out from the assembled crowd and I clapped my hands together, laughing as the two dragons, long sinuous beasts a mirror image to Alexander's own form, albeit not nearly as powerful, swirled about Alexander's head. He smirked a little and breathed out a small puff of his own, golden flames, creating rings that the other two dragons swam through.
"Who doesn't love dragons?" I asked rhetorically, laughing as the silver and gold dragons floated down to sit before me, holding their heads up proudly. "Of course they are welcome in the Four Realms! Go now, explore your home! And welcome to the universe!" And once again, more cheering. I couldn't fault the gods for their excitement – not least because I, too, was excited Alexander finally made his People – because this was certainly an event worth celebrating.
The dragons, of course, did not immediately go flying off to go explore the four realms. Even for dragons the false void my palace resided in, just outside the Realms, was a dangerous and difficult thing to traverse – as such, they were stuck in my palace for a time until the celebration wound down, or Alexander decided it was time to leave. That left the gold and silver dragons at the mercy of curious beings; the god of fire and goddess of water were first to them, inspecting the dragons and chattering away happily. I chuckled as Alexander was swarmed by other gods and spiritual beings, inspecting the new creations and chattering away happily, myself moving off to begin mingling a bit.
It was hard.
The older gods were, of course, as friendly and happy as ever. Argent bragged about his saxophone skills to me, having taken up the instrument after Kei introduced it to him. Aeriel giggled as she floated about above me, as silent as ever as she drifted through the crowds. The angels and holy beasts who existed Pre-War greeted me genially as well, though they were far more respectful and deferential than any of the gods were. And generally I had a pleasant time talking with them. It was the younger generation I had trouble connecting with.
Not because I didn't understand them, far from it. They just seemed…intimidated by me.
Which was how I found myself stepping up to stand beside Gilles, the shadow god leaning against a pillar, his gaze flitting between two different groups of people. One was Elvira, who was talking with a few of her new angels, Reika standing beside her with her own, first angel hovering just over her shoulder. The other group was a group of five young deities; all of whom had been born after the War. There was a god of the tides, the goddess of the skies, the god of lava, and even the god of wood. But the one whom I knew Gilles had his eyes on was the fifth goddess.
The goddess of light, born from the light of the Sun and Star not but a few hundred years ago.
"How is she doing?" I asked, startling Gilles. The pale-skinned deity let out a sigh, absently touching the burn scar that marred the back of his right hand. He could heal it, I knew. I had even offered to heal it for him. But he kept it, I think as a reminder of his brother. I didn't ask. This was one of those things I would not pry on, for I could see how closely to his heart he kept the reason, wrapping it beneath layers of karmic strings to keep it hidden from prying eyes. It would take no effort at all for me to see through it. I respectfully did not.
"The goddess of light," Gilles rasped, shaking his head. "She is well. Far different than Sol ever was. Softer." His voice was steady when he said his brother's name, but I knew it still hurt him. I laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on her. It is very kind of you." I told him. He waved me off, gaze flicking toward Elvira for a brief moment. I saw the hesitation in him welling up like a grey cloud, though the hesitation was not directed toward her. It was directed toward me, even if I knew Elvira was involved. "Do you have something else you want to say, or ask?" I inquired with no small amount of amusement in my tone. Gilles jumped a little at that, clearly out of it, flushed, then shook his head.
"No, Sir." He said, a little too quickly. I chuckled and shook my head, stepping forward with the intention to approach the goddess of light.
"Go, then. Enjoy the festivities as much as you can. I know these kinds of things aren't your typical style." I said with a knowing wink, turning away. I didn't need to see his face to know his expression, striding across the hall.
It took no time at all to reach the goddess.
For her, I am certain it seemed like an eternity.
She turned to me the moment I started walking forward, clearly feeling my attention, and all blood fled from her face. In truth, she was not what I expected a goddess of light to look like, as bad as that may sound coming from someone like me. Stereotypically one expects a goddess of light to have golden hair, shining eyes, the works.
Inesa, Goddess of Light, did not have any of that. Her hair was a rich brown color, falling about her head in gentle waves, two curling horns twisting about the top of her head. They were not gaudy or grand but simple, yet no less pretty for it. Her eyes were likewise a soft brown, kind and filled with warmth – though right now they were filled with surprise and no small amount of fear. I resisted the urge to frown, forcing the warm smile I had plastered on my face to stay there.
The young ones feared me. Why must they fear me?
Mentally shaking my head, but physically allowing no such sign of disapproval to show, I stopped just before the small group, greeting each of them by name in turn.
"…and Inesa." I said, nodding to the young goddess. There was something interesting about her. A flavor to her deific domain that was not just Light. It spoke of…warmth. Kindness. A certain…scent, that was yet unfinished but I was excited to see the end of. She trembled a little as my attention was placed upon her once more, her head bowed. The god of tides shot her a quick look out of the corner of his eye.
"My Lord," he began, bowing his head. "Is there some matter we can aid you with?" I nodded to the blue-haired god, his robes colored a light teal and decorated with waves that truly moved across the fabric. Just as when he had first been born, he smelled of the salty spray of the ocean.
"No, no, of course not. You all are yet young, I am merely coming to see how my youngest godly children have been settling in, and if you are enjoying the festivities." I said gently. A chorus of answers echoed out from them, which I endured with a patient smile – they were largely rote answers, stammered out in an effort to please me. Only Inesa, hesitant as she was, remained quiet. "That is good. Tell me, then, and answer honestly. How have the Four Realms been treating you? What have you seen, be it glorious or concerning? How does your deific domain fit within it?"
"You wish for our opinions on Your great designs, Lady Matriarch?" the god of lava asked. I nodded.
"Often times, it is from the mouth of babes from which we hear the truest answers." I said. My words settled upon them like a blanket upon their shoulders, the weight of my intent driving the truth of their thoughts out of the hearts and into their mouths, where it stayed there. It was an unconscious effect on my part, and was something that had become far more prominent since I consumed the missing parts of my soul. My words held more weight. Reality had always bent to my whims; it was far more noticeable now. And people whom I spoke to often felt encouraged to follow my words, to feel the truth within my voice, and follow suit. It was not compulsion, though it was dangerously close at times.
The five deities glanced at each other and slowly began to answer, starting with the god of tides.
"The flow of energy within the realms is like the tides, I see no issues," he said with a smile. "I still have much to learn." That broke the metaphorical dam, and praises came flying at me like the incoming tide. A few minor things were brought up by the four deities who spoke, Inesa remaining quiet throughout it all, but nothing that was truly ground breaking.
Only once their pieces were said did I thank them, wish them well and promise them that if they ever needed advice they were more than welcome to come to me, and back off. Despite wishing I could speak with Inesa, to drag out of her the words that stayed upon the tip of her tongue as her eyes roved the interior of my palace, I could also see that my pressure would do more harm than good at this juncture. She was too fragile. Too intimidated. But the point of the matter remained, as I walked away to return to my eldest children.
Alexander watched me from where he sat beside his draconic creations, eyes gleaming with a light that showed he knew what I was about to say.
As always, my wisest child. And as such, he struggled the most with the Shadow's fate. It still sat within him, trying to absorb itself into his being, while he remained a wall of surety and caution. It would not change him. But it must.
"Watch her, Alexander." I told him, turning back to gaze at Inesa from afar. She still looked about the palace interior, gaze distant and heart wavering, something like concern welling up within her. "What do you see?"
"Her domain is not just light. I am not sure what else it is, but something else colors it." He said firmly, eyes flashing in understanding. I nodded and smiled at him proudly. That was the answer to the question I'd been having for so long, and was the result of what splitting Morgan's fate had been. No gods would ever be born of an abstract concept like Justice. But, in time, they may come to represent it on their own, through their own choices. Of all the gods of the Four Realms, Inesa, a young god of only a few centuries, had already set foot upon that path. Before almost any others save for myself and the titular Big Four. Her sub-domain was yet to be fully determined, but I could see the path plain as day.
It was truly beautiful.
With a wave of my hand a chair appeared beneath me, and I sat down, letting the sounds of the party wash over me. It felt warm, if a bit noisy for my usual tastes. Parties weren't my thing. But still…
It was good. Celebrations. Perhaps we should have more of these.
Chapter 2.4 Echoes of the Past
Elvira found me while I was teaching Kei, Reika watching on as she worked to develop the top of the Life-Giving Tree. She descended from the skies on a ray of golden light, piercing the cloudy substance of the Heaven Realm and the barrier separating the Physical and Heaven. Reika huffed at her sister at the interruption, the staircase she had been setting up crumbling a little under Elvira's natural pressure.
"You'll have to build it stronger than that, dear," I told her absently, watching Kei as she tried to mold the elements in her hands.
"Thanks. I couldn't have guessed." Reika said dryly.
"I apologize. I hope I didn't come at a bad time," Elvira said hesitantly. I tore my gaze away from Kei – who screamed in frustration as the little mold she'd been making exploded in her face, bolts of lightning shooting every which way. I caught one between my index finger and thumb before it could hit me in the face, Elvira casually stepping out of the way of another bolt that raced forward and struck Reika's staircase, causing it to crumble further.
"No, no, I am just helping Kei figure out the process of creation. It is going." I said, not elaborating on how, exactly, it was going as I flicked away the lightning bolt. Kei's tantrum in the background was evidence enough. "And Reika's just trying to figure out the process of how to build a bridge between the Realms." That was going, too. As evidenced by Reika's annoyed huff, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the pile of rubble before her.
"I could help with that, sister, if you wish." Elvira said gently.
"No." Reika said firmly. "I got this. We already talked about it. I have hundreds of thousands of years at minimum before any Immortal is capable of climbing the Tree and crossing the Realms. Just…leave me be, please. Do whatever you came here for." My blonde daughter raised her hands in surrender, turning back to me and fluttering her wings anxiously. I nodded along with Reika's statement, scratching my chin. It honestly surprised me how much advancement slowed once a soul reached Immortality; simply because the gap to the next threshold was so large, and the available energy for cultivation wasn't always as dense and pure as necessary.
"Well, I apologize in advance for distracting you." Elvira said, rubbing the back of her neck and walking over to me.
"How can I help you?" I asked. "Relationship troubles?" At this Elvira turned crimson, mouth opening and closing in shock and embarrassment. I knew Gilles was trying to court her now, but hadn't worked up the courage to formally ask her yet. Or formally ask me yet. I found it rather cute.
"No!" Elvira denied, much to my disappointment. I pouted a bit, annoyed at my lack of a chance to put the fear of Me into someone trying to date my daughter. Even if Gilles was technically my son. Even if Gilles and Elvira weren't technically related, despite both being my children.
Being an origin deity was weird, I admit.
"I came here because I just wanted to talk a bit." She said, shifting her feet nervously.
"I always have time for that." I said with a smile, feeling Kei trying to mold the energies of elements once again. It was one thing to control them. It was another thing entirely to force them into concepts, and creating something new out of them. Kei would eventually get it, but unlike her mother she did not have the benefit of being purposefully designed by myself to be able to touch upon the powers of creation. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked, once I was certain Kei wasn't going to explode herself again in the next sixty seconds.
"Well, I remember you making a promise to talk about your past lives with me." Elvira said, smiling sheepishly. I blinked. Reika stiffened. Kei yelped as she lost control over her elemental bundle and promptly froze one of her tails in a chunk of green ice. "Unless now is a bad time."
"Of course not! I'd be happy to. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know?" I asked, waving my hand. A table and chairs appeared before us, which Elvira gratefully sat down upon as I did as well. Randus appeared in a flash of light, holding a steaming pot of tea that he promptly poured for both myself and Elvira. "Nosy." I accused him good-naturedly, the butler god of dreams having the decency to look slightly ashamed. Elvira just laughed.
"Do not be too harsh on him, Father. If I wanted this conversation to be private I would not have come here to have it. Besides, I do believe we are all curious as to your history before the Four Realms, and I find myself with a bit of time." She said, taking a sip of her tea and eyeing Reika out of the corner of her eye, her sister trying, and failing, to look like she wasn't paying attention as she stood at her little pile of rubble. "We can start wherever you wish."
I was silent for a moment, blowing on my tea and taking a thoughtful sip. My eyes scanned my daughter, noticing the tenseness in her shoulders and tightness of her aura; stress was eating at her a bit. Mostly from the Shadow's fate forcibly advancing the creation of her sub-domain. She had a fair idea of how to direct it, but having something as important as this be fast-tracked to completion was never comfortable. Lessons that usually took millennia to learn, and processes that could take millions of years to complete had to be condensed into a far shorter time-frame.
She had sought me out for two reasons. Primarily, she had truthfully come to me to have a talk, to relax and forget about her own troubles for a moment. Secondarily, and perhaps subconsciously, she had come to see if I had an answer to some of the problems plaguing her. And she had been watching the Paragon Soul, Dei, to solve some of those problems. He would not aid her in this regard. Only she could solve her own internal dilemmas.
But I could still do what I could to help her along.
"First off, I believe that I should begin with how powerful I was in my home universe. In truth, I was never all that powerful. Maybe as strong as the current Fu Hao, perhaps a little stronger." I started, rubbing my chin.
"Not that powerful?" Elvira asked, raising her eyebrows at me. "Fu Hao and Stilicho are the strongest angels to exist, second only to the gods themselves, and greater than many of the younger ones. And you claim to not have been that powerful?" I laughed lightly, shaking my head pointedly.
"You are mistaken. Power-wise this is a one-to-one ratio, but the scale is off. I was as powerful as those two are now, that is correct. However, you must bear in mind that this was in a universe four trillion times larger than the current Four Realms. And that is only in the part I was aware of, and not including the size of the spiritual realm of existence. It is very likely that the universe was even larger; such information was beyond my pay-grade." At this, Elvira sucked in a breath, eyes going wide at my revelation. Indeed, my home universe was far, far larger than the current Four Realms. To a size that was nearly unimaginable – and I had been in charge of existing upon a single planet, taking it from one age, through the others, all the way to the age of space travel. Then continuing to watch over them as a spiritual entity.
"I cannot imagine," Reika said, giving up all pretenses of working on the staircase to instead sit beside us. Elvira shot her sister an amused look, but quickly focused back in on me.
"The Four Realms will eventually get there." I promised. "But as you can see we still have a ways to go. Once the growth rate starts picking up, I imagine it will really start expanding. What the end-size will be, I am yet unsure." Elvira and Reika shared a look as I sat back in my chair, eyes glazing over a little as I reminisced.
"Ah, the friends I made there. They were a colorful bunch, let me tell you. And mortals had a habit of pitting these great souls against each other in their minds and myths, when in truth they were great friends, or at least friendly coworkers. One of them even got into the habit of turning my drink into wine as a prank – joke was on him, though, I love wine." I laughed a little at the memory of the first time that happened. "It wasn't until my final life that I came to realize why so many of those great souls had taken an interest in me; I was destined to rise up amongst them, even if only temporarily. I wonder what they'd say to me now…?" I trailed off, for the first time in a long time wishing I could go back to my old universe, talk to my old friends and ex-family, see their faces. Discuss things.
…but not to stay. No, my home was here now.
In truth, I was beginning to wonder what nature of my old home was. Knowing what I know now, I suspected that it was not as simple as I had once believed. Especially not with Mr. Boxes' implications that Yggdrasil, Olympus, and various other mythologies had actually existed at one point. There being various religions and religious beliefs on one planet, amongst one People, wasn't far-fetched, nor was the idea that the mortals had come up with their own ideas while completely ignoring the truth of the spiritual. However for them all to have existed? Even if not all, but the most widely-known? I struggle to find that coincidental.
"Your lives…you said that you were once an Emperor," Elvira said. I nodded, breaking out of my reminiscing and musing.
"I did indeed. My first life. Ended up creating a civilization that outlasted nearly all others, even if it changed over time. Not that that had been my original intention; I had simply wanted the tribes and clans to stop warring and come together as one. It was a simple desire, but led to many great creations." I told her. "They eventually came to call me the Yellow Emperor. It was a good start, but not my ideal path. I daresay none of my individual lives were my ideal, but collectively they made me who I am."
"What other lives did you lead?" Kei asked from behind me.
"Watch your fire, Kei," I said absently, and Kei cursed, leaping away and patting at the ghostly blue flames that had covered one of her tails. I watched her for a moment, and only continued when she had put out her fires and refocused on me. I knew why she was so interested – this was a mirror to Dei's fate, and she was trying to understand why he was doing as he was. Except it wasn't a mirror. Dei had his own path. "Many lives. Each a different aspect of living. I was a Warrior, a Healer, a Slave, a Trailblazer…four male, four female. The idea was to encompass all of mortal life in what time I had – and, keep in mind, many of these lifetimes were less than a hundred years. Humans don't live as long as Fae, nor do they have the added benefit of physical cultivation. The soul was immortal, the body was not." I paused.
"In fact, most of those lives ended up being part of something integral, even if I wasn't the star. That wasn't the case in my last life, though. I was a starship captain. Captain Catherine of the USS Galactica. Was the first captain to pilot a ship out of our solar system and into new horizons – and, better yet, I also founded the first human colony in a separate solar system. That wasn't enough for me though, oh no. I discovered more habitable planets in history and rewrote what we knew about the cosmos, and met the first sapient alien lifeforms. The history books still called me the greatest explorer in history by the time I was called here, blazing the trail for humanity to spread into the galactic frontier. At least, they did last I remember. It was honestly a pain in the ass. So many people accused me of things I didn't do, or praised me for deeds that were someone else's doing." I grumbled, shaking my head.
"So you were one of the first Emperors of your homeland, and also the one who led them into greater things." Elvira summarized. I nodded.
"Yes."
"Why though? Why the eight lives, only to bring it back around?"
"Because that was the point. There was an idea, not coined by me but adopted by my first people, that the entire universe moved in cycles. From the micro to the macro, all of life was like a cyclical wheel – eventually you may find yourself in the same kind of place and situation as you were before, but as you are no longer the same person, the results can be different. My duty was not to see myself alone grow, even if that was how my path was initially sold to me. It was to see the entire planet grow, and do my utmost to guide it toward a better light. I was not alone in this endeavor, of course, but I was one of the souls who took the longest to do so. Anyways, this idea was written and expanded upon in something called the I Ching – or, as another translation, the Book of Changes.
"This idea was that almost all of existence could be boiled down to eight different elements, which could then be used to divine future events and the laws of reality, all stemming from one source and four stages of energy. Young Yin. Old Yin, about to become Yang. Young Yang. And Old Yang, about to become Yin. These four made eight Trigrams. These eight Trigrams formed Sixty-Four Hexagrams, which in turn created a divination method for all of mortal existence. A spiritual guide that moves in cycles, and advances. I started as an Emperor, forging a path for my people toward peace and advancement of society. I ended as an Explorer, doing much the same. Two different lives, very similar results, and ending in the same place I began. Yet I was changed, and so the ground beneath my feet felt and looked different." I explained, waving my hand. Behind me a diagram appeared of these eight trigrams, and the four stages of energy. Elvira and Reika's eyes lit up as they beheld it, sharing a look that spoke volumes. Randus rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"One source. Four stages of energy. Eight pillars." Kei said suddenly, a light of understanding flashing in her eyes. "You mentioned that before. You called me a pillar."
"Yes indeed. Ironically, the basic structure of the Four Realms' deities follows this path as well; albeit as we continue to grow and evolve, that structure will grow and evolve as well." I explained. "For example, there are already more than sixty-four gods in the Four Realms, and most of them have not completed their "paired trigram," or sub-domain, to round out the diagram. Nor have all eight of the "pillars" appeared. So clearly the foundation is designed after this idea, even if we are already extending beyond it. All this does, however, beg the question; how much of the Four Realms truly is influenced by my past, and my own self?" It was a thought that had been bugging me for a while now. There were too many coincidences. Too much had mirrored echoes from my past life, even if they were myths and the like.
Was this just coincidence? Or was it, like my effect upon the fates of the Sun and Lunar Star, because of me? Or was it an echo of something greater, reverberating within my own realm? My thoughts immediately turned to Mr. Boxes, and wondered what its role in the shape of the multiverse was. But in truth, I figured it was all of the above. That was what my gut was telling me. I mentally shrugged and took another sip of my tea, looking upward to see Aeriel floating in skies above, listening. I wiggled my eyebrows at her, and she blew a little gust of wind that smelled like cinnamon my way.
"Why," Elvira said, "didn't we live mortal lives, then?" I returned my gaze to her, pondering the spirit of her question. If such lives had been so important to me, so profoundly influential upon my growth, then why hadn't she and her siblings lived through the same? What made them different? My answer to that was "everything," but such would be an unsatisfactory reply.
"Living as a mortal was all well and good, but at the end of the day it was just another pathway to something greater. You kids did your time learning to create entire Realms out of nothing but the stuff of creation. Unlike me, it wasn't necessary for you to live mortal lives; though, if you want to try it, there's nothing stopping you now. Create a few incarnations of yourself, and go live a few lives as mortals. You can even wipe the incarnations' memories and make them travel through the cycle of reincarnation." I said with a shrug. Aeriel blew another gust of wind at me and I smiled up at her, the wind goddess starting to look impatient. "But! I do believe other duties are calling me now. I promised a few of the elemental gods that I'd help them rearrange some things, show them a bit, maybe help them create their own races."
"I won't keep you any longer." Elvira said, standing. "Thank you for the chat."
"Anytime, dear. Sorry our chat got cut a little short." I said, drifting heavenward while still in a sitting position, sipping at my tea. "Now –"
It was at that moment that I paused, glancing to the side at where I could feel and see Mr. Boxes approaching as little more than a flash of light, pulsing like the end of a nerve.
Ding!
Alert!
[Stage 2] Completed
[Stage 2] has been officially completed by all origin deities. There will be a grace period of 100,000 years, after which the first [Meeting] between origin deities will take place.
All participants of this iteration of the [Deity Trials] will be summoned to a meeting place, allowing you all to interact, discuss, and mingle with each other. I will also be going over basic statistics and rankings between each of the gods and their respective universes. You will be allowed to bring one guest.
After this meeting, [Stage 3] will officially begin. More details will become available as the deadline approaches.
" – now I have preparations to make." I finished, nervous energy bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. Finally. I was finally going to meet the other origin deities. With a happy laugh I teleported away, toward the elemental gods. A hundred thousand years. Seems there was still much to be done in that time, but I had the feeling it would fly by.