"Did you ever wonder why the world around you moves faster than your actions? Who's making the rules to which you live by? Who's pulling the strings of your decisions? Is it yourself or something far greater?."
It's interesting how humans assume that their gods are above everything, how they created their world and themselves on a whim. However if you start questioning just a moment, if gods created the humans, who created the gods?
Millions of worlds, millions of humans and other species, millions of dimensions, how can just one god take care of it all? By their own definitions gods are omnipotent and omniscient beings that observe and care for their world and reality. Each world can have one or more gods watching over it, the gods don't only take care of, but also change and maintain the order of things, such as time, space and matter.
However above them, there is something even more impressive, something they don't even dare question or wonder. Gods have learnt to not question their origins, after all, they're already gods, why would they start wondering how and why? After all, those questions when asked before only caused one thing:
Destruction.
Therefore when the gods taking care of Earth from Dimension LII saw the major change on their timeline, they started worrying. Worrying not only for the humans and other species lives but also their own. After all, even if gods are all-powerful, they still can perish.
Dimension LII's Earth is one of many where the presence of gods is known and seen, they even share gifts and communicate with humans. Such actions are carefully planned and have their own consequences, one of them is the lack of omniscience they face, being limited to those who have faith in them. This dimension however is so old that gods came and went as time went by, and they're classified as Ancient, Old and New gods. Ancient gods were mostly eradicated in a war far older than any human, and Old and New gods came after, taking care of the world that was ablaze.
There are approximately twenty gods in this dimension who are currently alive and well. One of them, the god of Sun, can be found in a small march close to the border between the Exos Empire and the Wisperia Kingdom. He's walking calmly on the streets of the march, the figure of a man wearing nothing but a white tunic is quite exotic in the Exos Empire, especially considering that the man in question is extremely good looking. His appearance is second to none, even Prince Nikias, known for his looks, would be outshone by the god. Two meters tall, with a slightly muscular physique similar to those of statues in museums across Earth, the god has golden eyes that shine as the sun itself, his golden silky long hair looks almost as if it was made with thin threads of pure gold and his lips are red like the most beautiful of roses. The way he walks screams 'god', head up high, standing straight and his eyes never cowering.
His presence at the march is one that seeks the attention of the commoners around him, all staring in awe, some even whispering among themselves, not only because of said beauty, but also because the man is the perfect depiction of the statue standing at the center of many Sun god's temples. However even if they thought the man could be their god, no one would dare to say it out loud, as it could be seen as heresy. That's probably why the god wanders the streets of the Empire without worry, the religion within the borders is so strong that even the poor children of the slums believe in the Sun god. Of course he isn't the only god the people of the Exo's Empire believe in, but the other god they believe in is more silent in their actions than the Sun god.
After a couple minutes walking, the man finally arrives at his destination. A small empty cafe, the place has only a few tables outside and its interior is poorly decorated, as if it was put together in a hurry. The brownish colors together with the black ornaments make the place not much inciting, she still has poor taste, the god thinks as he approaches the owner of the coffee shop, she's sitting leisurely at one of the outdoor tables, reading a tattered book that's probably centuries old.
"You're late", the woman says, not looking at the man that approached her. Contrary to the man, she doesn't appear like a god, small stature, her black short hair is wet with sweat from being close to the coffee machine all day, her deep black eyes are as dark as the night sky without stars, her sunburned skin and poor quality clothes scream 'commoner'. The woman that now goes by Heather, is the goddess of the Moon, no one would guess, probably because her statues and paintings portray her with silver hair and eyes, shiny pale skin that reflects the moonlight and height equivalent to the Sun god, however, that's only the case during the night, during the day she looks nothing more than another commoner of the Empire, as her power comes from the Moon, she's the strongest at night, just like the Sun god is the strongest during the day.
"You look filthy as usual", the comment of the Sun god doesn't bother the woman, who closes her book to face the man. Before speaking she scans the man from head to toe.
"Everyone will stare at you if you go out like that", she rebukes with a gaze of disapproval. "When will the others arrive? I'm losing clients ya know". Her tone is the same as it was a hundred years ago. The man thinks with a light elegant smile, his air of superiority isn't unfamiliar to the woman, as they used to fight side to side long ago, it can be said that they're closer than most gods.
Even if the last time they saw each other was bloodier than one would hope.
The Sun god and Moon goddess are what most would consider 'partner gods', differently from another couple of gods, their relationship is fraternal. The Sun god is older than the Moon goddess, but they're both the last Ancient gods alive, as they were there from the birth of Earth, when not a single species yet lived on the surface of the world. As a relationship that lasted millennia, no one could understand them like each other, so when the Exos Empire was birthed from both of their Saints, it was natural for them to become even closer.
They meet from time to time, for a drink, however as most siblings, their nights ended in fights, and the last time they saw each other was no different, causing the Moon goddess to acquire a scar in her collarbone and the Sun god to acquire one in his left shoulder. Although they hurt each other, they don't hold any grudges, as they still consider each other as precious friends, despite their differences.
"You don't have customers, ever, my lady", a man leaves the shop, holding an apron, the sun god recognizes the elf. Most elfs were scattered around Earth, running from slave traders after their community was mostly killed in war a couple hundred years ago, elegant creatures that resemble humans, they're praised for their beauty and connection to nature.
"Kane, you're still alive?" The man's words are more sarcastic than what he intended, the oldest elf in the current dimension and a king that abandoned his people to serve coffee with the moon god. It's pathetic. Kane is the perfect representation of what an elf looks like as once he was revered as their King, his blonde hair has a dull tone close to the Sun god's, it reaches his chin, cut sloppy by a dull weapon, his eyes are of a gray tone, proof of his punishment for deserting the god of Nature, his skin is of an ash brown tone, once again showing that his once devotion to the god was severed by his own choices. Humans usually think that elves have porcelain skin, however most have their skin resemble the tone of earth, and their eyes are green like the foliage of the sacred tree, when they deserte from their faith on the god of Nature, the pigment of their eyes and skin are stripped away as punishment.
The elfs that humans mostly came in contact with were after the desertion, that's why they're mostly known for porcelain and clear skin.
Heather gets up from her chair, standing next to the elf, her small stature is almost funny close to the 3 meters tall elf. Kane, contrary to most people, though, treats their difference with care, he kneels to the Moon goddess, to meet her eyes with his "My lady, I will be back in a couple hours". He's probably leaving to avoid meeting the god of Nature, that insane man would probably pick a fight if he saw Kane. The Sun god thinks as he takes a seat in front of where Heather was seated.
"Remember to stay by where I can feel you", the woman's tone is serious, as the patron goddess of the Exos Empire, her reach would be the whole Empire, but as they're close to the god of Nature's reach - the Whisperia Kingdom -, the woman can't avoid but be wary. Kane nods, preparing to leave.
"I knew I smelled a traitor!" A high pitched voice startles the gods present there. By appearance he wouldn't be much different from an elf, however his long green hair, brown eyes and extremely tanned skin rattles his identity. The god of Nature, Lucifer, and before you question, yes, he chose this name himself. "I can't believe you still keep this rat next to you", the tanned man sits next to the Sun god, who skirms away annoyed.
"I'll take my leave", Kane gets up and bows shortly to Heather, before leaving fastly.
"Leave him alone", the Moon goddess sits again, her tone is one of warning. Right now, Nature's god doesn't have a chance to fight her, not in her territory, so the man resorts to just clicking his tongue immaturely. Lucifer is an Old god, one of the firsts to be birthed after Earth stopped burning, before the new era he was known as Xylo, some of the elder elfs still call him that, gods change names as humans change clothes, their name change as the environment requires, their name can also be changed by the faith of their disciples, as most names are given not chosen. Lucifer had his name changed after the elven war, he changed himself as an answer to the betrayal he felt from the species he created himself.
Before we continue it is best to explain how different species came to be. Humans are the biggest constance across dimensions as they're the main species on Earth, they could even be considered to be the Universe's favorite. As gods' main goal is to take care of their planet and dimension, their main activity is supervising humans, however most gods also create their own species apart from the natural flow of the world. Not all gods take part in said practice, as the Sun god doesn't have a patron species. The god of Nature created the elfs, so to him a betrayal from them weighs heavier than a betrayal from humans. Heather, as the Moon goddess also has a patron species, sprites or fairies, most would associate them with nature, however they were created to exert the power of the Moon in Earth, such as controlling tides, breezes and light, also supporting nocturnal species, they're mostly known as agents of protection, reflecting one of the Moon goddess symbols.
"Who's left?" Nature's god asks after a while, breaking the deafening silence between the three gods.
"The annoying couple, the vampire and that annoying wench", Heather says quickly, playing with her wrist, she appears to worry about something, but no one questions it. The woman sighs, "I only called those who have Saints representatives".
After a few minutes more of silence. "Wait, but this old geezer hasn't had a saint in a millenia". The god of Nature points towards the Sun god next to him, who pretends to be offended by the remark.
"Now I do", the Sun god says with a shrug. Most gods are quite active, not only having a patron species but also a Saint. Saints are representatives of the gods on Earth, they not only carry their mark but also a portion of their mana in their blood, to more religious Kingdoms they're regarded as messengers of gods while in others they're seen as rulers and wisemen. Most gods use Saints to show to humanity that they still love them or as ways to punish them just as well, regardless of the objective, Saints are a tool of both war and benevolence.
"You make it sound like it wasn't your choice!" The woman almost screams with anger clear in her voice. "What were you thinking! Blessing an… an anomaly again!" Her words are filled with emotion, the Sun god can understand her worries even if he doesn't agree with them, he remembers when he last had a Saint and she was just as angry then.
"An anomaly?" The face of Nature's god contorts in disgust. "For a righteous god you sure like the dirty ones". As the Moon goddess can be seen as the goddess of protection, the Sun god is seen as the god of justice, that's why most wouldn't expect him to constantly enjoy those that break the rules of the world.
How can one justify blessing those that come from other Dimensions? They can't, after all, it is an unspoken rule between gods to only bless those born under their care. However, the Sun god always enjoyed those anomalies. Change only comes when something unexpected happens.
"If the course of history is changing, I would like to bet on the winning side again, was I ever wrong?" Those words silence the other two gods, after all, they can't deny that the birth of the Exos Empire was solely by the god of the Sun's Saint doing.
Even if the bet is risky, he seems to always choose the winning side.
"Has he ever lost a bet against us?" Another voice comes from the shadows, the tall woman comes from the darkness, her skin is light like marble, with black long straight hair and dark purple eyes, the goddess of Darkness, Amaya.
A deep laugh comes right after her, and glowing as ever, the god of Light appears, clear eyes that his irises are almost transparent, combined with his white hair that is cut in a military cut, combined with his bulk build and pitch black skin draws attention to wherever he is. Uri and Amaya, their relationship is rare amongst gods, especially considering that their elements are complete opposites, however their love could be one of the most romantic stories in history. As one would expect, they're inseparable since their "birth".
Heather clicks her tongue with annoyance, she was never fond of romance, as one would expect of the goddess of the Moon, that not only symbolizes mindfulness, nurturing and protection, but also loneliness. The couple sits beside the goddess, staring at the god of the Sun, who seems utterly uninterested in their conversation.
"So, who is the said Saint?" Amaya asks, resting her cold hand on Uri's warm one.
"We intercepted the anomaly, but we couldn't determine who it was because of the distance from our protection", Uri completed his wife's question.
"I don't even want to say it", Heather groans with frustration, resting her head on the table, her eyes on the Sun god. She really acts like a younger sister annoyed at her older brother's actions sometimes, Amaya thinks with a small smile, after childbirth the woman can't avoid but to see those around her like children, even if they're considerably older than her. Not that age matters much to gods.
Lucifer snorts, his brown eyes reflecting his amusement. "I'm quite curious myself, it's been almost a millennia after all".
"There isn't a Kingdom that hasn't heard of his Saint", a sweet voice creeps in as a woman materializes in front of the gods. A tall and lean figure with silky straight light blue hair reaching her feet, her turquoise eyes glisten like water reflecting the sun, and just like the god of Nature with his elvish ears, the woman has gills on her neck, symbol of a mermaid. The goddess of the Oceans, Hali, not only one of the more good-looking gods, but also the one the others despise the most.
"Ugh, it stinks here", the Moon goddess pinches her nose with disgust. "For someone that lives in water, you sure never showers, witch", her voice is harsh, and all Hali does is roll her eyes in response, sitting next to Lucifer and continuing her words.
"Prince Nikias", Hali says, playing with her hair as she stares at her colleagues. "The useless prince, the petty villain". With her words the table becomes silent until the god of Nature breaks it with his laughter.
"The right side of history? It would be a miracle if he doesn't bring forward a fifth loop", his comment is met with worried expressions from the other gods.
"It could happen?" Amaya asks with a sigh, "A fifth loop? I know that it's beyond our control since we can't break the magic of an Ancient God, but this could derail everything".
Heater raises her head, nodding along the Darkness goddess' words. "That's what I would like to discuss today, we just need to wait for the vampire to arrive".
"I already said that your annoying nicknames would be the death of you, dear sister", cold hands touch Heather's shoulder, making her jump in place. From behind her surges what appears to be an adolescent, the same height as the moon goddess, with pale chestnut skin, red eyes and short curly hair the color of fresh blood. The goddess of Blood, one of the newer gods in this world, patron of vampires, also a newer species found on this Earth.
Heather turns to stare at the goddess, "I don't see how calling you exactly what you are could be a nickname". Her words are curt and her eyes are one of annoyance. As expected, the goddess of the Moon doesn't really work well with other gods. She enjoys mocking the god of the Sun for being old, however she is just as old as him, and for such she doesn't have good relationships with the newer gods. Or any god, the Sun god thinks with amusement. She hates them just as much as she hates me, should I be flattered? However, differently from their sibling banter, what the Moon goddess feels towards the other gods can't be seen as anything else than pure hatred.
"Ahava, you're late", Lucifer comments, resting his face on his hand, his hair falling over, revealing his pointy ears.
"Well, not my fault that you scheduled something at noon, y'all know that I'm not a morning god". She sits next to Heather, resting her head on the Moon goddess' shoulder, the woman seems annoyed but doesn't complain. "So, what's this thing about?"
The goddess of the Moon changes her expression from annoyance to seriousness, her previously black eyes now silver just as if it was night. "We are meeting here because of the changes an anomaly will cause in the nature of this dimension". Before she can proceed, Ahava, the goddess of Blood interrupts her.
"What is an anomaly?"
"Oh, right, you're new", Havi comments with a soft laugh, "An anomaly is a mistake of our superior", the woman points at the sky "A mistake of the Universe". The other gods nod in silence. "We can't "fix" the mistake" she says, making air quotes with her hand, "Because we're not supposed to directly change this world, that's why we have delegates, Saints".
"Saints", Ahava nods as she understands what they mean. "So if we can't kill the mistake or order someone to do so, what can we do?".
"I suggest we just observe," the Sun god comments nonchalantly. "It worked just fine last time". Of course the man would say so, the previous anomaly was his Saint as well, Aelius not only changed the fate of the world but also created a completely different future as well.
"I know you enjoy things like this Akino, but we can't allow this now!" Heather says, raising her voice, punching the table. The god flinches with the use of his old name, as gods that lived since the beginning, they had many names, and sometimes it is hard to hear the name the very first humans used. "We need to avoid a fifth loop, Aelius changed a lot, sure, but he never got involved with the affairs of us Ancient Gods, that's why I didn't complain or interfere when he stole Nyx from me, but…"
"Let me interrupt you there Alcmene," the sun god returns the favor by using Heather's old name, making her flinch as well, noticing her mistake. "Nyx made her choices as a free-willed human, you didn't have a say since the beginning. And I don't think Nikias wishes for a fifth timeline as well or that he would ever become a follower of the god of Time".
"We don't know that!" She raises her voice again, the other gods watch as the two gods discuss. "Blaze…", she lowers her voice, using the Sun god's current name, fixing her previous mistake. "Nikias isn't as kind-hearted as Aelius".
"Again, you're judging based on what?" Blaze retorts, pushing his hair back, letting his annoyance show on his previously stoic expression. "We can't know for sure as his soul is different, and he's been quite amusing until now if you ask me".
"If I may," Amaya, goddess of Darkness interrupts, "I agree with Heather, even if the Prince isn't a threat, things aren't ideal right now. The power balance of the Kingdoms is awry."
"I wonder who's fault is that", Lucifer snorts, staring at the couple who flinches with his comment. "In three timelines you didn't even think about choosing a Saint. What changed?" The god of Nature clenches his fist. "He didn't even exist before, if you wished to have a son why now?"
Amaya opens her mouth but is interrupted by her husband. "Lucifer, it's wise to keep your mouth shut, our son has nothing to do with the situation in the Kingdoms, it's not his fault that your Kingdom is falling apart".
Moss starts growing under Lucifer's fist, letting his animosity show at the mention of his protected Kingdom.
"That's why protecting a Kingdom is a bore", Ahava comments as she plays with Heather's hair, not even glancing at the other gods. "You old geezers enjoy creating species and protecting a bloodline as if you depend on it." Her long nails on her other hand scratch the table with boredom. "I may be a child in your eyes, but even I know that we will never understand human choices as they'll never understand ours".
"Then why choose a human as a Saint?" Havi retorts, making the young god glance towards her.
"Because she's amusing, isn't that why you choose your Saint as well? Or maybe it's because she's valuable? Don't make me laugh, you guys are just as bored as me, righteousness? That's bullcrap, all you wish for is entertainment!" Her voice fluctuates with anger at the mention of her protegee. "The only one's breaking the nature of things are the lovebirds over there. I wouldn't be surprised if the universe was punishing them".
Havi nods. "Even if the child is annoying I must agree, having Saints is completely acceptable, but a child? What were you both thinking?"
Amaya grips harder at Uri's hand, "It wasn't… planned".
"Listen, I don't think we should worry about the flow of things, but if you think that Nikias will be such a game-changer, I'll take a step back". Blaze sighs as he sees the uneasiness in Amaya's eyes, "I'll allow you to observe the Exos Empire until the final fight".
Heather opens her eyes with shock, jumping from her chair in protest. "I don't agree! Things might be changing, but this is our territory! Allowing them the right to observe is outrageous!"
Alcmene, remember that you were the one that called for this meeting, what were you expecting? For me to agree to assassinate my Saint? Don't forget why we rule over this Empire together.
Blaze communicates with the Moon goddess directly in her mind, as to avoid the prying ears of the other gods.
Akino… you know why I'm worried, Nikias presence isn't a small matter, he was supposed to be dead! And he's not an orphan like Aelius, his death affects much more than just himself!
I understand, I do, but I wouldn't do something that would harm our beloved Empire, knowing why he must die doesn't mean I believe his presence will harm the future. And both of us know that following the future we know won't make things happen exactly the same, the universe has its reasons.
The universe could be wrong!
Maybe, but it isn't up to us to judge.
"Could you include us in your secret conversation?" The two gods are interrupted by Lucifer who's staring at the gods with annoyance. "To be fair, I understand why you're attempting to keep us away Heather, but change happens, especially when you're dealing with humans. My Saint isn't even in my Kingdom…" the Nature god sighs, closing his eyes and leaning back on his chair. "Just because 1000 years ago things became better for us, doesn't mean that all change will be good, however, it isn't up to us to decide what change will happen".
Uri, the god of Light, speaks up. "As gods it is our duty to the Universe to supervise and contribute to the proper flow of life. Each one of us takes care of humans and our patron species, but even if we don't agree with their choices, there is a limit to our interference."
"The universe sparked a change we couldn't predict or control, what we can do now is balance the world and help those poor souls to reach their future with safety." Amaya continues her husband's words, her hands shaking slightly, even if no one notices because of Uri's hands on top of hers. She continues, "Our son doesn't know that he's ours, nor he will know about it, if he's still standing because the universe allowed it". The other gods nod, even if they wouldn't like to admit it, the woman was right, when something or someone will interfere with the proper flow of life, the universe will find a way to get rid of it. And if an anomaly was allowed to exist, it means they can't decide to end its life because it'll become bothersome or complicated.
"Then what can we do?" Hali says, tossing her hair back. "If we can't interfere with his existence, should we just let him be?"
Heather shakes her head. "We can perhaps interfere slightly? Divination is something only Saints can do, and since the balance is off we can use it as an excuse to give them hints over the future".
"I'm against", Blaze says, "Humans shouldn't be influenced by divination".
"Let's make a vote then", Ahava says, raising her hand, "I'm in favor of Heather's suggestion".
The other gods except Blaze raise their hands in favor. He sighs, "If you choose this path I'll also influence my own Saint, are you sure this is what you wish for?" There are mixed reactions to his words, the couple seem conflicted while the goddesses seem confident, and at last Lucifer speaks.
"I don't know exactly how things will change, but go forward with it, at last it'll be interesting".
❥
It'll be a busy day, Lowe thinks before the first rays of sunshine creep into the room he shares with his brother at the Palace. He's already up and ready to start his day, his brown hair slicked back making him look more mature, while the dark bags under his eyes make him look unkempt. He leaves the room entering the servants hallways, bustling with voices as usual, some speaking about his master's coming of age while others are talking about the festival and whatnot.
The man ignores the stares of curiosity and disgust as he makes way to the second Prince's room. Lowe spent a good time the day prior trying to get all the documents and books Nikias asked for, and to his surprise the young man even asked for his opinion on some of them. He's changing, it's a fact that before Nikias would never even strike a conversation with the servants, especially the commoner ones. But now he treats them as advisors and friends.
Lowe looks at his right hand wrist, where the symbol of his pact lies, I just hope he keeps changing for the best. After arriving at the Princes' corridor, the servant faces a familiar man yet again. A groan leaves his mouth as he tries to pass by unnoticed, and to his dismay he failed to.
"Oh, look who it is", Rainier Baudry seems to be leaving the Crown Prince's room when he notices Lowe, his eyes scanning his face before speaking. Shivers run down the servant's spine as he tries escaping towards his master's room, however the knight grabs his wrist before he can knock on the door. "You'll make me sad, puppy", his tone is of mockery, making Lowe flinch with anger, not that he let it show in his face.
"My apologies but what does the Captain of the Silver Crows have with a mere commoner servant like me?" He's impatient, it's already the second time he talks with him but it's just as unpleasant, the man that despises the second Prince, someone that every servant in the Palace is familiar with. The Crown Prince's close friend and a formidable knight is a former commoner that was lucky to be adopted by a Duke. To every commoner in the Empire he is a source of inspiration, but if you think that the ones that had the same past and had a much more unfortunate destiny will see him just as favorably, well, you're wrong.
The children locked up in the northern tower heard about the feats of Rainier, but all they felt was… It's unfair. So yes, Lowe and Raphael not only dislike the man for his hatred towards their master but also for his superiority. Maybe it's jealousy or maybe it's justified, either way, they hate the man just as much as the man hates the second Prince.
"Ha." Rainier snorts. "Be careful puppy, if you keep wagging your tail, it might get cut off", his words are accompanied by his gaze towards the door behind them. The second Prince's room, his words of caution are also an insult to Nikias. Lowe pulls his hand from the knight's grip.
"I will not thank you for the unsolicited advice. Especially not from you", if his words were venom it would be dripping from his mouth, Lowe wishes that they were far from the Palace, so that he could show the knight that he isn't someone to be played with. However his moves inside the Palace reflect on the Prince he serves, so he just takes a step back. Rainier on the other hand is used to the atmosphere at the Palace, he grew up in these walls, to him, his actions will never get him fired, he's the heir to a Dukedom, not a mere servant.
"What's that supposed to mean, puppy?" His question isn't answered as the door opens behind the servant, Nikias' expression is one that makes Rainier hesitant. To someone that saw the second Prince grow up will say that he is immature and spoiled, so even when he was angry his expression will be one of a spoiled brat. How do you explain that right now said man has the same eyes as his brother? Eyes of a predator, shining with danger at the sight of its prey?
"Lowe, we have a busy day today, so if you could stop chatting with…" Nikias hair drips with sweat from his run a couple moments ago, his eyes go from his servant to the knight. "Whoever this man is". Lowe bows.
"I'm sorry your highness, I'll tend to you immediately" after the servant enters the room the door closes, Rainier stares at the closed door for a few moments before walking away. Something's wrong, his thoughts are troubled, if and just if the second Prince really doesn't have any memories of the past, then…
The knight stops on his tracks, turning to the other way. I should tell Evangelia about this before the ball tonight.
❥
After lunch with his mother and brother and the meeting with Fleuri, Nikias was absolutely exhausted, the ball will be hours from now and I already want to go back to sleep. His golden eyes scan the cold room before resting on the book in front of him again. The marital costumes of the Imperial family of the Exos Empire, the long title is a reflection of the long and boring book, 600 pages of boring information, no wonder the author just skimmed through Alkaios and Evangelia's wedding. Even the amount of flowers and the type of bedding in the honeymoon is described in those pages in detail. The gifts and dressing code of guests is also something to pay attention to. If I get married to Lyor will we have two ceremonies in both countries or will I need to learn the customs of the Morke Kingdom? Before Nikias could think more about the 'what ifs' in his future, another headache hits him.
But this time the memory doesn't belong to Vahe.
A boy running in a garden with wilted flowers, his hands and knees bleeding and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to die", the boy whispers to himself while he runs. His silver hair glued to his forehead because of the sweat and his golden eyes express his fear clearly. The young boy is a five-year-old Nikias.
His steps are loud as the garden is empty, not even the birds are heard in the distance, behind him not even a soul to be found. What could the boy be so fearful of? But the question is soon answered when a dark figure appears in front of him, grabbing the young boy and lifting him from the ground. Nikias kicks and punches the air trying to escape the adult's grip, to no avail.
"A Prince needs to behave himself" the words that leave the figure are filled with anger, the deep tone reveals that the figure is a man. "You need to be punished against your highness", the adult says, pulling the boy's pants up, revealing his bleeding legs.
"No, please, I'll be a good boy", the five-year-old begs, but isn't listened again, being dragged to the darkness of the building. The sound of a whip hitting skin is heard in the emptiness of the garden.
"...Ness! Your highness!" Cold hands shaking his shoulders bring Nikias back to reality. The man finds himself on the floor of his room, blood on the floor and Raphael kneeling in front of him, his eyes filled with worry towards the Prince.
"What happened?" Nikias touches his nose slightly just to feel the warmth of his blood, his voice hoarse as if he was screaming. Differently from the previous memories of his childhood as Vahe, the memory completely made him black out, the headache was also more intense, however he didn't pass out this time afterwards. Is that memory real? Why couldn't I see who that man was? The pain was… he thinks, subconsciously touching the back of his leg.
Raphael analyzes the Prince's face before pulling his handkerchief to Nikias' nose. "The tailor came again, but you wouldn't answer, I was going to return later when I heard you scream…"
Nikias' golden eyes are dull, and he doesn't attempt to get up from the floor, his hands holding the handkerchief are shaking slightly, almost as if he's still out of it. "How long was I out?" He asks, his voice still hoarse.
"You screamed for about six full minutes," Raphael answers, biting his lip with guilt. "I think the other servants heard, I apologize, I tried waking you up but it was… almost as if you were in a trance."
The Prince nods, holding onto the servant to get up, he remains silent until he sits back on his desk, removing the handkerchief from his face, the nosebleed already stopped. "Thank you Raphael, could you help me to the bathroom?" He says after a moment, noticing his legs were hurting, almost as if he was really just whipped.
Raphael nods, following Nikias' instructions, assisting the man with the warm water to clean his face, and later helping him to go back to the room, sitting on the table in the middle of the room.
"You can ask them to enter now", the Prince says, recuperating from what just happened, his hair slightly dripping water from washing his face, when the servant leaves the room he sighs, leaning back onto the chair, his hands still shaking from fear. "Whoever that was, I'll kill them" he whispers under his breath, and after a few moments the man looks down, pulling his pants up, to find his legs to be completely devoid from wounds. At least it was just psychological, he thinks with relief as he wouldn't be able to explain the wounds to others. Was that really Nikias' memory? How can I have a memory of something that never happened to me?
Divination. Something usually used by Saints to foresee the future, however sometimes they could be used as a tool to untangle the past. But even with the Sun god's powers, some memories are filled with so much darkness that the subject's brain can't see the full picture, in this situation, the face of the perpetrator.
Just like Vahe has memories he wished remained forgotten, Nikias also has such, and the moment their memories began to be entangled is hard to separate. Where does Vahe ends and Nikias begins? Or vice versa? There will come a moment where Vahe won't be just a fake Nikias but the man himself? Such answers will come later, but their wavelength already became the same on the first day Vahe's soul entered Nikias' body.
The door opens, this time only the girls from before enter the room with Nikias' clothes, the tailor that pissed the Prince the day prior is nowhere to be seen. The girl that seemed like his daughter steps forward. "I greet the second star of the Empire", the girl behind her also bows as Raphael enters the room closing the door behind him. "We finished your clothes as requested, thank you for the opportunity to atone, your highness", her tone is devoid of emotion, she seems smarter than her father, avoiding to meet the eyes of the Prince. She opens the case where the clothes were, revealing the new tailored clothes.
Nikias nods, "It wasn't that hard, right?" The girl nods, giving the clothes to Raphael that gives them a pouch with the payment. "Now, I hope I'll never do business with you again, you may leave", his words are short and cross, he didn't have a choice but to use the clothes tonight, but he can't keep giving chances to those that don't respect him to begin with.
The women leave, Nikias' glances at the pocket watch he placed on the table. Is it already this late? His stomach starts knotting, anxiety creeping in his heart. What if he doesn't show up? What if things go wrong tonight? He asks himself, sure, as a confident person most would assume that he was an enemy to anxiety, but even those that already died once would cower in face of death.
"Lowe will arrive soon to help you get ready", Raphael says, "I'll be picking up our suits that you ordered we use", Nikias nods, closing his eyes and laying his head on the table in front of him. "Are you ok, your highness?" Overstepping again, Raphael can't stop himself, the last few days were more eventful than the last two years for the young Prince, and considering the man even became amnesiac, he can't even begin to imagine the pressure.
"Thank you for the concern Raphael, but even if I wasn't, there's nothing we could do. As a Prince I need to attend my ball and push my limits even if my nose bleeds and my heart aches". With his words Lowe enters the room, but even if the conversation was supposed to stop, Raphael feels the urge to speak.
"Your highness, even if we're just servants, I hope you know that we can share the burden you face", his words are kind, Nikias feels the urge to laugh or dismiss his words, after all a Prince mustn't lean onto no one. But as a fellow human, he whispers a soft 'thank you', Vahe never had friends, but if he did he hopes they would be like Raphael and Lowe.
❥
Chapter curiosities:
The plan is to post one chapter every 4/5 days, hopefully I'll be able to avoid entering in hiatus with this schedule since I have a few chapters written ahead. However if I do enter a break I'll inform it beforehand. The next chapter will be the longest and also the introduction of the ML as also the first proper appearance of the Og!MC/FL, so it'll probably have a bigger gap between chapters, of 7 days before and after, later the break between chapters will go back to the scheduled 4/5 days.
Let's talk about the gods, shall we? When choosing the gods I sorta chose the Saints before, so they're mostly a reflection of their Saints than otherwise. The choice of making the MC a Saint of the Sun god came after writing 4 chapters hahaha, so I changed a few aspects of those chapters to hint towards it to avoid becoming something that comes out of nowhere. My favorite Saints are by far our MC and ML but also the goddess of Blood's Saint, she's definitely one character I'm eager to introduce in the next chapter as her first appearance will be in Nikias' ball.
So, the gods names:
The god of the Sun has two names that are currently introduced: Akino, the first name humans gave him, its of Japanese origin, meaning ''bright'' and ''shining'', the only one that still uses that name is the goddess of the Moon as they were both active during said time. And his current name was given by the new age with the birth of the Exos Empire, Blaze is a name of Latin origin, meaning ''fire'' and ''flame'', reflecting his influence on the birth of the Empire, and also why the animal that represents the Empire is the Phoenix.
As the goddess of the Moon is a goddess that abandoned most of her duties to her patron species, the fairies, I wanted her current name to reflect it. Heather is a name that comes from a plant that is found in barren and rocky lands, symbolizing ''endurance'' and ''beauty'', this name was given to her also by the birth of the Exos Empire, by her Saint, Nyx, who through many tribulations managed to emerge and bloom properly with the help of her goddess. Its also the name of the daughter of Aelius and Nyx, the first Princess of the Exos Empire. The use of this name is mostly a symbol of the goddess' love for Nyx. Differently from her current name, her first name, given to her by the first humans, Alcmene, is a name that derives from Ancient Greek, and means ''strength of the moon'', symbolizing her past as a fierce warrior and protector of the barren lands of a yet unexplored Earth.
From the first gods, the Ancient gods, the only remaining ones are the Sun god and Moon goddess. After them came the Old gods:
The god of Nature is the only one that has two names, the first was the name given to him by the elves that were born together with the World Tree, Xylo, is a name of Greek origin, meaning ''wood'', reflecting the first thoughts of the elves that came from the trunk of the World Tree - a expansion of the god of Nature. His current name as mentioned in the chapter was chosen by himself when the elves betrayed him, Lucifer, a name of Latin origin meaning ''bringer of light'', he chose such name to symbolize turning his back from elves, bringing light towards his life, showing that he came on top even after such betrayal.
Amaya is a name that has different meanings in different languages, in Arabic and Japanese it means ''night rain'', perfectly reflecting the goddess of Darkness origin and personality, cold and soothing like the rain yet still reflecting the darkness in both the world and inside humans. Her name was given by her patron species, dragons during the Earth final formations stage. Her ''birth'' happened exactly at the same time as her husband's as it can't exist darkness without light, their relationship happened just a few moments after their ''birth'' as they said it was ''love at first sight''.
The god of Light, Uri, is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning ''my light'', his name was given by his wife, when they fell in love. His patron species are unicorns as they symbolize purity, he's also considered the patron god of all equestrians, but he doesn't consider himself as such.
The last of the Old gods that have a Saint is Hali, the goddess of Oceans, even if she can manipulate all water, she's mostly known by her presence in the Ocean, her patron species are Mermaids/Merman, as she also assume the same appearance when in water. Her name is of Greek origin and it means quite literally, ''the ocean'', her name came from the first humans that had faith on her, she can also be the bringer of rain, making most of her prayers be from barren lands that wish for such.
And from the New gods the only one with a Saint is the goddess of Blood, Ahava, her name is of Hebrew origin and the meaning is ''love'', as she symbolizes all affairs of the Heart, her birth came from the firm faith of a couple that died for each other in the battlefield, when their blood mixed with each other, Ahava was ''born''. However even if she symbolizes love, she's the goddess of Blood as it was her origin, and ironically she's also a love hater, as she sees love as the origin of all deaths.