War of the Gods

This is a fantasy (and possibly science fantasy) universe featuring various powerful deities in conflict with each other. I will be writing some stories about this world that involves one or more of these God(esses) in some form. Bear in mind that some of these stories may jump backwards or forwards in time or place. I'll try to make it clear when this happens.

Disclaimer: Worth noting that if you pray to any of these deities, you probably won't get a response from them because they are figments of my imagination.

List of Deities

Lady Time
Brother Void
Father Oak
Ektii
Falkaar
Pestilence
The Destroyer
The Solar Pantheon
Na'sira


Contents

1. The Great Father Oak.
2. Reptilian Visitors.
3. Grim Tidings.
4. Survival.
5. Descent.
6. Disease
7. Battleground
8. The Gift
9. The Youth Who Touched the Face of God
10. Brother Void
11. Healing
12. Naz'shir the Hero
13. 250 Years Later
14. Eden's End (I, II, III)

The Great Father Oak

Father Oak stood tall and proud, an ageless wisdom embedded within the fertile soil. The trunk was easily the width of a large planet, the roots fat tendrils that stretched outwards in huge labyrinthine networks. His body was not hollow but filled with verdant life. A countless myriad of creatures made their home in this haven, nourished and protected from the harshness of the Void. And as this myriad proliferated for aeons in the splendour of their God, they took on forms unimaginable to the outside world.

Father Oak grew without care for the consequences. His only thought was to accommodate his own ecosystem. He began as a tiny sapling that grew ever taller, wider and deeper into the rock that slowly eroded to soil. The roots extended so far through the planet that they eventually emerged out the other side. Soon, the entire planet crumbled away until all that remained was the Great Tree floating through space. And still, The God continued its growth. More roots spawned from the writhing mass as they sought to latch onto other planets. The branches of the Great Tree fanned out until the leaves brushed against a triad of neighbouring moons. Thus, the power of Life spilled its excess onto these satellites, transforming their barren wastelands into lush green paradises.

Reptilian Visitors

It so happened that a giant metal ship approached the largest of the three moons that orbited Father Oak. Bruised by the ravages of space travel and belching jets of black smoke from its vents, the machine gave a final splutter of protest as it landed, as if to say "no more!". The hatch door released automatically after a few tense moments, expelling near toxic levels of the engine waste, and a scaly creature stumbled its way out into the dimness of twilight. It was a muscly sort of humanoid reptile, female, but not obviously so. She had a pair of big, yellow unblinking eyes with cat like pupils that darted back and forth in wary anticipation. Her flared nostrils greedily drank in the air as a slender tongue lashed outwards between a set of intimidatingly sharp teeth.

Seemingly satisfied, the reptile dug her powerful claws into the side of the metal and leapt away from the burning wreckage. Her body scales glittered hues of emerald, turquoise and azure in the rapidly fading daylight as her tail twitched in mild agitation. Behind her, another two hundred reptiles of similar colouring and musculature slowly emerged from the damaged ship, some coughing and spluttering, others unconscious and being dragged out by their team-mates. Meanwhile, the first reptile was momentarily taken by surprise, for when she looked up at the night sky expecting to see it filled with stars, she instead found them all to be blotted out by the leaves of a humongous tree. As she stared up in wonder, she could hear a whispering in the air about her. It was vague and distorted at first, but soon became urgent and rapid. Shelter. Sanctuary. Hide. Run. Flee! FLEE!.

A firm claw on her shoulder broke the woman from her trance. "Naz'shir." The voice growled. "Help the wounded. Fifteen unconscious. At least three dead. Move!" Naz'shir turned back to the wreckage but took one last look up at the Great Tree that glittered in the sky. The whispering was gone. She shook her head in confusion and left.

Grim Tidings

The humanoid reptiles (that called themselves 'Gashai') had been living on the moon (that was named 'Tefaeron III') for a number of weeks. Though they were a tenacious species, capable of survival in the harshest environments, they were not prepared for the dangerous power that lurked in the forests around them. However, their scientists did attempt to catalogue a number of strange occurrences that could not be explained:

1.) All of the electrical technology failed since their arrival. There seemed to be a powerful interference emanating from somewhere.
2.) Tefaeron III appeared to orbit a giant tree.
3.) Every so often, the leaves of this giant tree would brush up against the nearby mountain peak, causing an instantaneous bloom of flowering beauty to cascade down the mountainside and into the valley below.
4.) Breathing in the scent of these flowers dulled aggressive tendencies amongst the Gashai.

Furthermore, the Gashai were unaware that they were being observed, and had been since the day they arrived...

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There was Lilia; a lithe, alabaster creature with pointed features and wild hair controlled by a crown of brambles. Many of the other denizens called her 'Dryad' because she was often seen tending to the various forests that sprouted on the skin of Father Oak. Since the arrival of the Gashai, Lilia sat on the branch that connected the Tree to the moon of Tefaeron III, as she dangled her calloused feet into the inky blackness of the Void. She liked to watch the funny little reptiles race around on her moon like they owned the place. Usually, it would have amused her, but today her close interest was more concerned than amused.

For the Wind brought grim tidings.

The Destroyer stirs in his sleep, and Brother Void is in no mood to intervene, and so war rages once again.. The wind howled ferociously as Lilia nodded in comprehension.
"As to be expected of Brother Void." She smirked.
The Wind continued. The children of The Destroyer evade his wrath by hiding in the shade provided by the Great Father Oak.
"Oh!" Lilia sat up with a start and fixed the Gashai below with a sour look. "So that is what they are. Well, this is going to be unpleasant. Time to pay them a visit."

Survival

The toxic fumes from the broken down space-ship caused disease and eventual death to the surrounding woodland. The Gashai evacuated the area and headed south into the dense forest. The failure of their electrically charged spears and rifles perplexed them at first, but most of them adapted quickly. The scientists and technicians were the only ones that really grumbled about it, but the rest of the crew shrugged their shoulders and moved on with their lives.

The Gashai had heightened sense of smell, infra-red vision and near god-like strength and speed that made survival child's play. The lumbering four legged 'clompers' proved to be a viable food-source for the clan: a single fully grown male was massive enough to feed the entire crew. Though the clompers were relatively slow moving and unintelligent, the hunters still had to mind their step in case they be accidentally crushed like ants or thrown backwards by an errant tail-whip. The Gashai made crude shelter from the bones and leathery hide of their prey, and for a time they lived like this while the technicians grew ever anxious about their broken ship.

Naz'shir fell into greater depths of solitude as the Wind continued to speak around her. She dared not tell anyone about it, knowing the likely outcome. It was evening time, Naz'shir clung to the upper canopy branches of a pine tree and surveyed the endless blanket of unbroken forest. Her mind drifted sadly through her memories of old Gashai Sethar. While on board the ship, he often complained that he could hear voices in the shadows. She fixed him a powerful, mind numbing concoction that somewhat dulled them. But eventually, word got out of Sethar's nightly hallucinations and he was taken away, never to be seen again.
Nope. She thought. Better to keep this to myself. Tonight, the Wind prattled on about things she didn't understand. It was a bitterly cold breeze that wailed all manner of nonsensical happenings: Apophis did this and Lady Time did that. At one point, it ranted about the transgressions of Pestilence. Naz'shir caught a stray leaf that had mutated into a soggy blackened thing covered in sickly yellow blotches. It flew in from the north, where she could see the crashed ship, and surrounding it, a wide circle of black and yellow. The sweet smell of decay wafted in from this direction and the Wind howled relentlessly, as if angry.

Descent

Lilia made her journey down the branch of the tree that barely lay within reach of the largest moon. Such a commotion was caused as she passed by the multitude of sacred groves. A swarm of dryads followed her down, pleading with her not to go.

"Oh, must you truly mingle with the Incomplete Ones below? It is a most unpleasant duty." One of the Dryads questioned in disgust.
"Indeed." Agreed another. "It is dangerous to leave the Supernal! What if you were to be eaten by the savages?"
"Sisters, please." Huffed Lilia. She honestly thought the other dryads to be a bit fluffy at times. "I do what must be done. I did claim this moon as my own, after-all."
One of the other sisters, named Raeya, sighed with a melancholy huff. "I wanted that moon. Instead, I was granted the smaller one."
"But," Lilia retorted. "Yours has the Tear Drop inside it. It is quite a rare honour to guard such a treasure."
"I do not care." Sniffed Raeya. "You must lend me some of your savages: they are rather amusing! You know how I am taken in by such novelty."
"I cannot." said Lilia in exasperation as she turned away from the crowd. "I must be going. My boat awaits." The cacophony of distressed dryads rose to a clash of ear splitting wails, but Lilia ignored the horrific sounds as she embarked onto the waiting leaf at the end of the twig. She took one last look behind her to see a wall of bark and brambles suddenly spring up behind her, blocking the exit. And with that, there was a snap as the leaf broke free of its master and plummeted through the ocean of Darkness. It drifted its way towards Tefaeron III in a very unhurried manner.

The landing upon the mountain-top was gentle. A hush fell over the land as the power of life bloomed all around for miles. Lilia noticed with great trepidation that Time seemed to have suddenly slowed to a snails pace. No longer was perspective counted in millennia, but it now seemed to be governed by the smaller cycles of day and night, which made her body feel quite sluggish.
"Darn the Lady and Her persistent laws!" Growled Lilia, already sickened of her task. But she pushed the sudden regret away and climbed down the mountainside...

Disease

The Gashai began to show symptoms of the same disease that inflicted the forest. The first case was Technician Oriens, and Naz'shir was brought in to investigate the matter. The sick house sat alone on the very outskirts of the village, and was a place shunned by the healthy. As Naz'shir approached, the unmistakable stink of rot filled her nostrils, and suddenly she was fighting back an impulsive need to vomit. After regaining her composure, she entered through the wooden doorway and into a single room that closer resembled a morgue than a hospital. There were about fifteen bodies, all covered in varying degrees of black and yellow blotches. She approached the nearest patient, and looked him over with a scientific interest. Technician Sar'gyl. His breathing was heavy and ragged, his yellow eyes open but staring at nothing. After a long moment, Sar'gyl appeared to zone back in. He looked at Naz'shir and weakly growled at her.
"Ironic, isn't it?" Sar'gyl struggled to force the words out as a bitter snarl crossed his features. "Survived civil war only to die like this..."
"We'll find a cure." She replied unconvincingly. "Rest."

She took blood and saliva samples before moving onto the next patient. She soon discovered that all the infected were technicians; specifically vent and engine fuel workers. When she reached Oriens, she could barely recognise him. A puddle of black liquid gathered on the floor around him. It dripped from his eyes and nostrils, and some of the boils on his face looked as if they were about to burst. His mouth was set into a permanent grimace, and his body shook uncontrollably.
"Oriens." Naz'shir said softly. He turned to face her; half relieved, half worried.
"Naz'shir!" He wheezed. "I thought they'd...given up."
"Never." She murmured.
"You should find a better mate before breeding season." He chuckled.
"Don't say that." Her voice was pained. "We'll get you through this." Oriens looked like he didn't quite believe her.
"Remember Sethar?" He asked slowly, his words sounded strained. "He could hear voices in the vents." Naz'shir nervously glanced towards the doorway at the far side of the room.
"We shouldn't talk about this."
"What's it matter? I'm dying anyway." Oriens doubled over and coughed up more of the black mucous. Naz'shir quickly moved to wipe his mouth.
"Don't!" He warned, wincing in pain. He continued. "I heard them too. They wouldn't stop. Kept telling me that it was all futile, that they owned me, that It owned me."
"It?" Asked Naz'shir. Oriens' eyes looked terrified.
"Please..." He answered. "Don't go back. The ship...it's, - there was something in it." Oriens closed his eyes as if sapped of energy. His breathing became laboured. "Get far away..." He mumbled incoherently before drifting off into a restless sleep.

Battleground

The tense hush of the peaceful moon was broken by a storm of battle that lasted for many days and nights. A thunderous roar sounded from the north as the very forest came to life. The land tremored and started to split apart in places.

Lilia stood at the border between the verdant forest and decayed remnant that surrounded the crashed ship. Her eyes and hands glowed with green fire and the trees around her were animated with the same energy: Their roots torn from the ground became feet, their branches thick strangling lashers or cudgels. They threw themselves forward at her command and clashed with the twisted husks of disease that blocked the way.
"Forward, my children!" She snarled, teeth bared in a wolf-like manner. "The source must be reached at all costs!"
A sickening crunch resounded nearby, followed by a howl of agony, as a blackened branch-whip tore down the middle of a willow guardian. Lilia growled, and grabbed at it forcefully, reanimating it with her magic, and pushing it back into the fray. The willow managed to break the blockade, momentarily allowing a few other guardians to surge forward into the blackened landmass. However, the tide quickly turned as the ground gave way into a quagmire that trapped the attackers. Without warning, monstrous looking tentacles burst through the soggy floor and pulled them under.
Lilia redoubled her efforts, summoning forth barbed brambles that forced their way through the quagmire, and lashed out at the tentacles.

Though Lilia had full command over the might of the forest, little progress was being made. It soon became clear that she was wasting her time. She was about to retreat into the cover of the woodland, when, without warning, two of her Tree-Guards approached, holding hostage a reptile savage. Lilia blinked in shock before eyeing the creature coldly.
"Tell me your name, child." Lilia demanded. The reptile refused to answer. The Wind responded, a gentle breeze. Naz'shir. Child of the Destroyer. Demigod. Mother of Falkaar. Goddess of Secrets.

The Gift

"It's lying." Naz'shir hissed through her teeth while she struggled against the brambles that entrapped her. "I'm not a mother; I've only just barely come of age to lay eggs."

"Ah, but you will." Responded Lilia with a sternness that unsettled Naz'shir. "The Wind never lies."

"It's also inaccurate." Naz'shir snapped. "I'm neither demi-god, nor Goddess. Such things don't exist. They are just words used to console Gashai."

"Then explain to me the Wind that we both hear; from where does it sound? The brambles that trap you: what brings them to life?"

"Your tricks don't fool me." She growled. "These problems can be solved through science."

Lilia raised a slender eyebrow as she observed Naz'shir curiously. "Not even the Great Tree knows the answers to such questions, and it tortures Him greatly, but the Goddess of Secrets knows everything. It has been such a long time since we have seen her and we miss her dearly. She has always been rather fond of naturalists. Why is that?"

Naz'shir turned away in disgust. "I don't have time for your ridiculous metaphysics."

Lilia smiled to herself, as if revelling in a private joke. Her voice was tinged with humour as she spoke. "Sometimes, divinity forgets itself. It just blindly wanders about the world, pretending that it is savage." Her eyes danced from green to silver with childlike glee. "But it always returns, because it must. It cannot hide for long. Occasionally, we come across it in the wild; dormant, alone, afraid. It flees from itself; hiding within the myriad over countless generations."
Lilia paused to smile up at the angry looking reptile before continuing. "You do not belong down here, child. You should be up there with the Great Supernal Tree. Learning; benefitting from His great power. Come with me, demi-god. My guards will escort you. I promise it will be wonderful! You will stay for many years."

"No!" Snarled Naz'shir as she struggled against the brambles again, drawing blood as a thorn got caught underneath one of her scales.

"What do you mean NO?" Roared Lilia, her voice suddenly like thunder. She clenched her fist and the brambles around Naz'shir wound tighter, almost crushing. They pierced her armoured scales in several places, causing her to wince in pain. Lilia stared at her coldly. "Crude savage. It is unwise to refuse council with the Great One Himself."

"Then you'll have to tell him I'm a bit busy right now!"

"Really?" Lilia snarled. "Busy skulking in enemy territory; taking away little pieces of Pestilence, probably to infect more of MY forest. I have let you live only because you are a Goddess, even though you are a sleeping one. But my kindness will only go so far."
The brambles started to squeeze the Gashai, causing her to gasp for breath.

"No, wait!" She wheezed. "I'm just trying to study the damn thing. We've all been infected!" The words tumbled out in desperation. "Gashai are dying. I need to find a cure."

"Wait." Lilia's eyes narrowed, the brambles around Naz'shir relaxed slightly. "Pestilence has taken your people?"

"Well, yes." Muttered Naz'shir. "This pathogen is... odd. I can't even begin to understand it."

"Argh!" Growled Lilia, ignoring Naz'shir "The entire forest is probably infected with Her by now!"

"What do you mean by 'Her'?" Asked Naz'shir
.
"She is not fighting fair. The Incomplete Ones do not stand a chance." Lilia shook her head. "This is no ordinary illness; your medicines will not work on Pestilence. Your scientific method will fail to find Her. You can only fight Her with the power of the Great Oak. Give me your claw."

"What for?"

"Damn it, child! Do you want to save your kind?"

Naz'shir stared at the crazy eyed woman before sighing in resignation and extending her right claw. Lilia tightly grasped it as a spark of green light bounced between them both. Next moment, the contact was broken, the brambles receded and Naz'shir stumbled backwards, as if dazed. She stared at her claw that glowed with a soft green light.
"What just happened?" Slurred Naz'shir. "I feel strange."

"Yes, yes!" Lilia waved her hands in a shooing motion. "I altered that stuff you call DNA. Nothing to worry about. Now, run along. Physical contact with the infected should subdue Pestilence. It will not bring back the dead, but it will protect the ones still breathing."

Naz'shir looked relieved to be getting away.

"Oh, and one more thing." Lilia said. "When you have finished your task, you will be escorted to meet with the Great Oak. Your service to Him will be ample payment for my gift."

The Youth Who Touched the Face of God

The village of the Gashai was overwhelmed with the strange decay. The small farmland became foul and damp, and even the dwellings festered with disease. Many of the Gashai were forced to migrate further south, leaving behind the few that were riddled with sickness. Among the ones that remained was a mother, too weak to even stand up, and her young boy.

The child had a wild spirit, and so, instead of following his mother's advice and moving on with the rest of the clan, he instead resolved to cure her. He had heard the superstitions about the mountain and decided to go there. If something up there could make the flowers bloom at whim, then it might be able to heal his mother.

The boy journeyed for several days. It was eerily quiet as he passed through both healthy forest and isolated patches of decaying bog. Upon this journey, he ate the fruit of the still healthy trees, as well as the dried out Clomper meat left at the village. He took great care to avoid the diseased trees. They silently stood, stripped of both leaves and colour, trunks dripping black; the ground beneath them soggy. Though he was scared out of his wits, he reached the base of the mountain without any incident.

There was no sign of disease here; the air was cleaner. He saw the verdant growth of wildflower that seemed to cover every inch of the mountain. The scent was delicious but overpowering, and if he could see colours other than infra-red, then the mountainside might have looked a dazzling array of violet, gold, orange, silver. His determination increased; up the mountain he went. Actually, the mountain was almost like a big hill. It wasn't a particularly perilous climb, and incidentally there was a time-worn path etched through the rock that led directly up to the peak.

The boy soon reached the top, and saw, to his amazement, that there was, indeed, a huge tree branch that extended directly from the sky. The leaves that hung just within his reach were easily twice his size. He extended his claws upwards in desperation, tears filling his eyes. It was just like the stories. This is it. The healing tree! His thoughts and emotions were a jumble of excitement, fear, relief. His claw grasped at the nearest leaf, and suddenly a spike of energy passed down his hand and into his body. Relief and amazement gave way to wild terror; the energy had become a searing heat that burnt through his insides. The fire coursed through his bones and nervous system; the boy screamed and stumbled backwards. He lost consciousness, lost his footing, and fell from the mountain.