《God's Fall Chronicles: Schism》


 Prologue

    Waves crashed endlessly against the sides of our ship. We knew was was coming next, even if we didn''t admit it.


    We were going to die.


    Miserably.


    We did everything we could to balance the ship, but the waves were too strong. The ship capsized and began to sink. Thankfully I was on the deck and able to leap off beforehand. Even if it''s apparently cursed, there''s land nearby. Maybe I can swim there. I just feel sorry for the poor bastards who were stuck inside the hull with no choice but to drown.


    I swam for my life, swallowing the sea water against my will. The currents pushed and pulled me, dragging me under. I fought to my last breath, trying desperately to swim to the cursed shore.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    My efforts were in vain.


    The world went dark eventually. I died. Drowned.


    Warmth washed over me and I embraced it.


    Who knew death would feel so comfortable?I thought to myself.May Electa watch over me in death as in life.


    I opened my eyes, expecting the realm of the gods, our creators. What met my gaze though, was a small fire and a man in black tattered clothing that covered most of his body as well as a scarf that hid the lower half of his face.


    In the dim light of the fire, all I could see were his eyes. Dark, piercing, empty.


    His hair was long, brown, and unkempt.


    He stared at me for a moment as I sat up.


    "Where am I? Am I dead?" I asked. The man replied with silence and a blank stare before reaching over the fire and handing me a roasted fish.


    "I wish to tell you a story," he said with a deep and monotonous voice.

 Chapter One - Birth of the Gods

    In the beginning there was nothing, with the exception of a voice.


    "Where is this?" A disembodied voice quietly called out to no one in particular. In an endless void, there was naught but this lone voice calling out.


    "It is so dark..." The voice lamented. Shortly thereafter, a white ball appeared within the void, shining upon everything. The void became a place filled with boundless white in an instant, eliminating the blackness that permeated the area before.


    "I have come at your request, My Lord." The white ball answered. "Need you anything else?" The light''s voice was quiet and deep, melodious.


    "No. Thank you," the disembodied voice replied. "Who are you? What are you?" The voice continued.


    "... You created me, My Lord. I know not who or what I am." The shining white ball murmured after a short pause. "May you tell me who and what I am, My Lord?"


    "You are light," the voice said, sounding almost happy. "I will call you Lucialux Omillios."


    "Lucialux Omillios... thank you very much. To be called such by you is an honour, My Lord."


    "Who am I?" The voice asked, confused.


    "You are my master, my creator. Beyond that, I''m afraid I do not know," answered Lucialux.


    "I am Electa. Electa Dimioraga," said the voice. "Why am I Electa?" The voice asked, as if suddenly confused by its own existence.


    "You are Electa because you made it so, My Lord," Lucialux answered once more.


    Time passed in silence, brief moments and eons fusing together in the blinding light cast by Lucialux. Finally, the silence was broken by Electa. "You are too bright, Lucialux," complained Electa''s voice.


    Suddenly, the void that was previously filled with blinding light was split in half by a pure blackness. "You called for me, Master?" A voice slowly chimed from within the darkness, every word drawn out a moment longer than needed.


    "Who are you?" Asked Electa.


    "I am not sure. I heard your voice and so I came," slowly replied the blackness that now covered half of the void.


    "I see," Electa said before silence once again permeated the void. "I will call you Noctinyx Fengaria. You are darkness," continued Electa after what seemed like millennia.


    "I am Noctinyx Fengaria. Thank you for giving me a name, Master," replied the darkness newly dubbed Noctinyx.


    "Noctinyx, why are you not round, like Lucialux?" Electa asked.


    "Because you did not make it so, Master," said Noctinyx quietly.


    "Oh," replied Electa. "You should be," Electa''s voice called out. Immediately after, a dim white ball emerged from within the darkness, lighting it slightly.


    "As you wish," replied Noctinyx.


    Once more, silence returned to the void now filled with both light and darkness. Eons, moments, eternity. In the timeless void where these three entities dwelled, everything seemed very stable. As if this is how everything should have been from the very beginning of existence itself.


    "Where are we?" Electa asked, once again breaking the silence.


    "We know not," both Lucialux and Noctinyx replied in unison. "Where are we?"


    "I do not know," Electa said. "However, we really should be somewhere..." Electa''s voice trailed off, as a large red spherical mass manifested where the light of Lucialux and the darkness of Noctinyx met.


    "I have come, My Liege," the red spherical mass answered in a gruff tone.


    "Welcome," Electa said. "I shall call you Solvano Kipourum, you will become land - the place in which we exist."


    Solvano''s voice replied with a happy sigh. "My Liege," it said.


    "But something is missing, Solvano." Following Electa''s claim, a clear liquid covered most of Solvano''s spherical form. This liquid left only a small portion closer to the top of Solvano''s sphere above it.


    "Here I am, Your Grace," answered an immensely pleasant voice. "May I be of service?"


    "You will be Marisarel Fernerontas, the waters that cover Solvano," proclaimed Electa. "I thank all of you for heeding my call. I still desire something else, though..."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    With that final thought, a single tiny entity came into being atop the land mass on Solvano. That singular being soon multiplied, becoming tens, then hundreds, then thousands, before finally stopping at hundreds of thousands.


    "I am here," cried a voice seemingly from the entirety of the void itself.


    "Good. You will be known as Quisqueto Katasta," replied Electa to the voice.


    "Yes," it answered.


    Looking down at the small figures atop Solvano, Electa declared, "I will call them humans. You will be land in which they live and flourish, Solvano. Marisarel and Lucialux will nourish that land with water and light, while Noctinyx will give them respite from Lucialux''s light in a cycle. I will give these being knowledge and a purpose."


    "Yes!" Solvano, Marisarel, Lucialux, and Noctinyx all cried at the same time. All sorts of trees and grasses and flowers sprouted over the land on Solvano in abundance almost instantly. The small humans atop Solvano began mobilizing in accordance with Electa''s will, as their ingrained purposes dictated.


    "What of me? What shall I do?" Asked Quisqueto solemnly.


    "For now, you are to observe, Quisqueto. Nothing more," Electa answered.


    "... Yes," Quisqueto reluctantly answered.


    "I wish for them to all look different," Electa declared. As she did, the humans began changing little by little until each and every human looked unique in their own way. Some had hairs of different colours, some had differently shaped faces, others were taller or shorter, eye colours began changing, as did the tone of their skin.


    Electa had granted the humans enough knowledge to make tools, and so with the assistance of basic wooden tools, Solvano, and the others, they managed to begin constructing small communities. They began planting seeds and farming to maintain these communities. By accident, or on purpose, these humans were also granted enough intelligence to begin naming themselves, as well as knowledge of the entities that were responsible for their existence.


    Thus Electa, Lucialux, Noctinyx, Solvano, Marisarel, and Quisqueto came to be known as "Gods" by these humans. They were worshiped. Lucialux was the light that gave them warmth, Noctinyx was the darkness that gave them shade and comfort, Solvano was the shelter they received and the food they ate, Marisarel was the water they used to give life to their crops, Quisqueto was their father, and Electa was known as the All-God or simply "The Creator".


    "What do we do now?" Quisqueto asked.


    "We watch," Electa replied, her voice seeming to dance with elation. Electa was fascinated with the humans, watching their every move intently.


    Time passed. The humans began calling the cycle between Lucialux''s light and Noctinyx''s darkness "days" and "nights" respectively. They began resting during the nights, regaining energy for the following day''s work. They soon used various plants to create what they called fabrics, which they then fashioned into clothes. During every moment, Electa and the others watched.


    The humans then began building more complex tools from what they called "stones" which were taken from Solvano''s body. With these tools, they then built sturdier places to live. They called these structures "houses" which were in "towns" or "cities".


    "What do we do now?" Quisqueto asked once more.


    "Again, we watch, Quisqueto," Electa replied.


    Time passed in utter silence for the gods, as well as for the humans - both only spoke when there was an absolute necessity. Electa, ever fascinated with the humans she created continued to watch from above.


    "Electa, I wish to look like them," Quisqueto said in a pleading voice. "I wish to have a form as well."


    "Hm..." Electa thought. "Very well, we shall all look like they do." Electa declared. In a separate space within the void, a room manifested. Within that room sat six figures in chairs that were arranged around a cylindrical slab that was located in the centre of the room. On top of the slab, an image of the world below was projected.


    "Thank you, My Lord, for granting me another shape." Lucialux was the first to speak. He became a tall, slender man with flowing silver hair that, despite being tied together behind his head with a red ribbon, still hung half way down his back. His face angular with a thin, a pointed nose at the centre and a well-defined jaw line; his yellow eyes shining with a faint light intrinsic to his status as the god of light; his pale white skin was covered by a white robe with red trimming that seemed to shine. He turned to his left towards Electa, smiling.


    A perfectly symmetrical, angular face with soft edges and skin with an olive glow, garbed in a brilliant crimson dress that loosely hugged her form, black hair that flowed like silk down to her knees, a chest that was neither too big nor too small, and exquisite green eyes with a tinge of gold and filled with boundless wonder. Electa was a beauty beyond compare. She lightly nodded in response to Lucialux''s comment.


    "Master," Noctinyx spoke slowly with a soft voice. She became a pale skinned, slim figured entity covered by a large black robe with a satin-like sheen to it. Aside from softer features, she looked almost identical to Lucialux. With her dark brown eyes partially closed, she slouched in her chair lazily while her long, unkempt black hair covering most of her face and cascading to either side of her.


    "My Liege," Solvano''s deep, rough voice called out from across the slab they were gathered around. A flowing green robe with white trimming covered Solvano''s new humanoid body. The robe was opened in the front, showing his bare chest and light brown skin. His eyes, a similarly light brown, decorated a somewhat rounded face with a somewhat wide bridged nose in the centre. His short, spiky grey hair covered his head and trailed around jaw and chin before in the form of a short and neat beard.


    "Your Grace," Marisarel''s voice chimed merrily. Her short, bright blue dress stood out in contrast to her dark brown skin of her legs and face. The sleeves that were accented with a lighter blue trim hung down by her knees. Her eyes were a deep shade of aqua, her nose pointed and thin; her long teal hair was tied in a neat bun, with fringes that covered her forehead and outlined her round face.


    "Electa," Quisqueto call out last. He manifested in a robust form with large, well defined muscles that were further accented by his sleeveless black vest and black pants with orange trim. His skin was a darker olive tone than that of Electa''s, his wavy medium-length hair a deep mahogany, and his eyes a fiery crimson. His facial features were so well defined, it looked almost as if it were chiselled from stone.


    From his seat beside Electa, Quisqueto continued to watch over the humans on Solvano''s original body - as did the rest of the gods. Time passed smoothly for them, in silence, as the six gods continued to observe the humans Electa had created.


    ~ Many Years Later ~


    "I''m bored," a voice complained from within the endless void. "How about we shake things up a bit?"

 Chapter Two - The First

    Near the edge of a small town near the centre of the continent known as Asmodul, there stood a young man in a field, leaning on a hoe. He was roughly one and a half meters tall and garbed in crudely sewn together, dull coloured fabrics with splotches of dirt here and there. His shaggy ash coloured hair blew in the breeze, light brown eyes overlooking the field he tended to day in and day out, and his slightly tanned skin baking in the evening sun, he let out an exasperated sigh.


    "Today was tiring," he said to himself before moving over to a shed and packing away his tool.


    "Adiuvalo!" A voice called from behind the young man. "I''m here to help bring the crops into town."


    Right on schedule, as always, Adiuvalo thought to himself. After he closed his shed, he turned around to see another young man similar in stature to himself. This youth, much liked Adiuvalo, was dressed in dull coloured cloth. He had unkempt black hair, blue eyes, a somewhat stoic expression, and a large empty sack hung over his shoulder.


    "Full of energy as always, Commo," Adiuvalo said. "Thanks for the help again."


    "You are welcome, Adiuvalo. Think nothing of it, though. It is my purpose, after all."


    "Purpose..." Adiuvalo repeated silently.


    "Are you okay? You seem... off." Commo asked.


    "Hm? Yeah," Adiuvalo answered swiftly. "I think I might just need to rest a bit. Maybe I have worked too hard."


    "You sure?"


    "Yeah, I am sure. I will head back first. You be careful, Commo," Adiuvalo said while walk towards the town slowly.


    "Alright. See you next week, Adiuvalo," Commo replied, placing the vegetables harvested from Adiuvalo''s field into the sack.


    The town wasn''t far away, as such Adiuvalo reached his home quickly. It was a small, cozy home made of wood, with only a single room and a window. In it was his bed with a small trunk at the foot, a straw basket in the corner opposite his bed, a kitchen to prepare food, a small table in a corner near the kitchen to eat, and a basin to clean himself.


    He took his dirty clothes off, revealing his somewhat muscular figure, before throwing them into the basket. "Purpose..." He said again, staring at the basket. Someone will come clean them, because that''s their purpose in life, just like mine is to take care of that field. But... Adiuvalo thought to himself as he laid down.


    The noon sun was high in the clear blue sky, eliminating all shadows aside from those of a few scattered clouds. Birds were chirping in the nearby trees, and a cool breeze was blowing through the fields. Adiuvalo was hard at work in his field, planting seeds in the ground. He stood up, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. He looked up to the sky briefly, then back over his field before beginning his planting.


    However, suddenly the tranquility was disrupted. The birds grew silent before hastily flying out of the trees. The few shadows from the clouds above merged into one massive shadow that blanketed everything as far as the eye could see. A look of sheer terror found itself on Adiuvalo''s face when he looked up. The previously clear sky had become a mass of grey clouds tinged with a deep scarlet.


    Adiuvalo dropped to his knees, staring at the sky in awe. "Dear Heavenly Mother," he started. "Please watch over me in this time of peril, for I know not how I have sinned. I ask that You forgive me for any transgression that may have incurred Your holy wrath. May Your graciousness be as ever-present as always and Your blessings be upon us all. Amen."


    Almost as if in answer to his prayers, the ground beneath him started to shake violently. His shed fell apart, he lost his balance and fell over, small fissures started appearing as the ground throughout the fields slowly cracked.


    Adiuvalo stood up, steadying himself before turning and running towards the town. As he got closer, he could hear the cries of his fellow townspeople, see them kneeling and praying like he''d just done. He looked around, homes and other buildings slowly crumbling around him.


    After a few moments, the shaking stopped, the people breathed a sigh of relief. They began thanking the All-God Electa for calming Solvano''s fury. Just as everyone was calming down, though, an ear piercing scream shattered everyone''s moment of respite. Everyone looked at the source of the scream. It was a young woman, slumped down on the ground and helplessly looking at the sky. Tears fell down her cheeks like waterfalls as she mumbled incoherently.


    Adiuvalo and the others all followed that young woman''s gaze. Some then wept into their hands, some cried loudly, others simply stared up in disbelief. Regardless of what they were doing, as Adiuvalo began looking around at his fellow villagers, he saw an identical look on all of their faces. Despair.


    Holes had opened up in the grey clouds, revealing a crimson sky behind them. Through those holes fell enormous balls of flaming rock. The rocks fell continuously, causing small tremors when they made impact with the earth beneath them.


    All the villagers watched on in horror, the world as they knew it ending around them as the hellish scene continued to play out before them. They watched, hopeless, as a large ball of fire and stone came hurdling towards them. Closer and closer, until they could all feel the heat radiating from it, like a sun descending upon them.


    As he slowly began accepting his fate, Adiuvalo''s vision changed. He was slowly floating up into the sky. He looked down only to see the mangled and bloodied corpses of his fellow villagers strewn about amidst a fiery hellscape filled with debris and craters.


    After a brief moment, Adiuvalo found himself in a strange and dark room the likes of which he''d never seen, staring at a large translucent crystal with a woman in a red dress trapped inside.


    Adiuvalo sat up in his bed, covered in sweat. "Again?" He asked himself aloud as he slowly got out of bed and headed over to the basin to wash himself. I keep seeing those images in my head while I sleep, he thought to himself whilst washing his face.


    Adiuvalo got dressed in a similar set of clothes as the day before, ate a dry piece of bread, and drank some water before heading out to his field. On the way, however, he saw Commo hobbling down the path through town.


    "What happened there, Commo?" Adiuvalo asked.


    "Ah. I dropped the bag of veggies on my foot and broke a toe. No worries, though. It will heal after a day of rest," Commo replied with his trademark grin.


    "Alright. Take it easy," Adiuvalo said before making his way out of the town.


    The sun was high in the sky after a while of work, the shadows of scattered clouds dancing across the fields slowly. Birds sang in the trees while Adiuvalo continues to plant seeds meticulously. One step apart, one finger down. One step apart, one finger down. The pace and rhythm in which he moved was almost robotic. Over and over again he planted the seeds. However, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy; he couldn''t help but constantly look up at the sky. Time passed in this manner as Adiuvalo continued his work.


    "It is going to happen," an unfamiliar voice called from behind Adiuvalo. Shocked, he turned around to see a young woman behind him in a crimson dress. Her long, silky black hair hung down her back before finally stopping at her knees, her green eyes staring intently at Adiuvalo.


    "It is going to happen," she repeated. Only now did Adiuvalo snap out of his surprise and look at the woman in front of him once more. She looked familiar, but he couldn''t quite place where he''d seen her before. That familiarity, however, was quickly overshadowed by the surprise he got soon after - she was floating and somewhat transparent.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "W-w-what are you talking about?" Adiuvalo nervously stammered while he took a step back and dropped his hoe.


    "Those are not just pictures in your head, it is the future I have shown you," the floating woman replied.


    "Th-the future? Y-you have shown m-me?" He asked before tripping over his hoe that he dropped and falling.


    "Yes," the floating woman replied.


    "H-how? Why?" Adiuvalo ask, fearful of the being in front of him.


    "How?" The floating woman responded. "I am Electa Dimioraga, and I am able to do almost anything. Showing you the future is no hard feat."


    "The All-God?!" Adiuvalo immediately kneeled and bowed, his forehead touching the ground with his arms outstretched in front of him. "Goddess Electa, I thank you for bestowing me with the honour of meeting you, please forgive me of any wrongdoings or disrespect shown to you!" He shouted in an apologetic, yet reverent tone.


    "Think naught of it," Electa said. "As for your inquiry into why I showed you those images, the answer is simple; I need you."


    "N-need me? I mean no disrespect, My Goddess, b-but what could a god with enough power to create everything need from a lowly human like myself?"


    "Tell me. What know you of the world in which you live?" Electa asked, staring down at Adiuvalo.


    "W-we live on Solvano Kipourum''s body and are blessed with food which is nourished by both him and the waters from Marisarel Fernerontas, as well as the light from Lucialux Omillios. We''re granted respite from our days work in the shade granted from Noctinyx Fengaria, all of which you created." Adiuvalo dutifully answered, not daring to raise his head.


    "What of yourselves, the humans?" She inquired.


    "We were made by you alongside our father, Quisqueto Katasta. We are made in your image, and should we be injured, even should a limb be removed by accident, all we need is rest to recover and heal." Adiuvalo answered to the best of his ability.


    "You are only partially correct. The world on which you live is no longer Solvano''s body, and you were not made in our image. We were made in yours."


    Adiuvalo finally looked up at the goddess before him, Electa, with an immensely confused look drawn on his face. "W-what do you mean?"


    "Enough of that, you will find out in time. More importantly, I need your help - I was betrayed. As I am sure you know, nothing changes in this world. The earth beneath you moves the same as always, the days come and go, you are all everlasting. I made it so because I wanted to watch over you all, my children, forever. However, as time passed, the other gods grew weary of watching. They want change, and to get that change they plan to destroy everything I''ve created. Led by Quisqueto Katasta, the others combined their powers and trapped me within a crystal. All I can do is project myself here to those who are receptive to me - to you."


    Shocked, Adiuvalo''s eyes widened. "H-how can they destroy everything? How can I help you against other gods that were able to trap even You?" He nervously asked.


    "Normally, We cannot descend unto this world. We''d need to find people receptive to Us, and have them act as our proxy - our avatars. However, Quisqueto found a way to break the divide enough for himself to slip through. I fear what he is capable of in your world; what his mere presence there can change. So I seek your help. I will bestow upon you all the power I can, and you will act in my stead to repel Quisqueto and the other gods'' avatars. Stop them from destroying your world for their selfish whims."


    Stunned, Adiuvalo stared up at the Goddess before him. "H-how am I supposed to fight a G-God?" He stammered. "I am just a lowly human... I cannot match a God''s power."


    "Something I was able to observe from the fall of Quisqueto, was that here his powers are hindered greatly. Though still many times stronger than any human, he is no more a God than you are now. Will you accept my power and stop him?"


    "If you say you need me, My Goddess Electa, then I will gladly do what I can for you," he said while kneeling.


    "Good. Then I bestow upon you a piece of my power. I wish great things for you, Adiuvalo." Electa then lowered herself, placing her translucent hand upon Adiuvalo''s chest above his heart. Her hand then penetrated his chest slowly, no marks to be seen.


    Adiuvalo let out a scream of utter anguish as pain washed over his entire body. There was no wound, but he could clearly feel a foreign object burying itself in his chest before wrapping around his heart and squeezing softly. He fell to his side, Electa''s hand still unmistakably inside his body.


    Sweat began to cover his body and soaked his clothes as he twisted and turned on the ground beneath Electa, agonizing howls permeating the area surrounding the small farm. He felt a warmth spreading slowly through his body along with the pain, akin to that of being stabbed, in his chest. This warmth soon became heat, which then turned scorching.


    Electa removed her hand from Adiuvalo''s person and stepped back. Adiuvalo began gripping his chest and rolling around on the dirt, screaming. At times he''d roll faster, others he''d arch his back, as if to try to escape the fire within his body that was slowly spreading. He quieted after a few more moments of agony, breathing hoarsely as he collapsed on the ground.


    "That... was the worst... pain... ever..." He said, panting and trying to stand and looking at Electa. She looked more transparent than before.


    "I... don''t think it''s over," Electa replied quietly.


    "Wha-" Adiuvalo tried speaking, only to be cut off by another wave of pain - this time from within his head. He fell over once more, curling into a ball and clutching his head. He could only scream once more while feeling as though his head were about to explode.


    He began scratching at the sides of his head, causing small abrasions; he bit his lip hard enough for blood to flow; blood vessels in his eyes burst, causing his tears to mix with blood; his constant screaming and coughing had torn his throat, causing him to cough up small drops of blood. Adiuvalo was in pain he never thought possible.


    With an anguished and bloodied face, Adiuvalo finally stopped screaming. He laid silent in his field, hands still clutching his head and eyes closed. He had lost consciousness.


    The birds in the daytime sky had long since stopped their calls as dusk passed into the darkness of night. Adiuvalo opened his eyes slowly, slight pain still washing over his whole body. Above him was the endless black void of night with the singular moon known as Noctinyx as the only source of light.


    "It is empty and lonely, is it not? The sky around Noctinyx," Electa said, floating beside Adiuvalo as he struggled to sit up. "Sometimes I wondered if I should put other things in the sky around her and Lucialux, but I had no idea what should accompany them."


    Adiuvalo looked at Electa, then back at the sky above them. The moon shone bright as always, illuminating the night sky with a cold light that washed over the world. "I wonder," he replied before falling onto his back and groaning.


    That night, Adiuvalo slept in the fields amongst his crops and tools. A cool wind blew over him, as if attempting to wash away the previous day''s troubles.


    He awoke the following morning, oddly refreshed. The pain in his body was gone, and the nightmares that had plagued him the past week were gone. Adiuvalo felt better than he''d ever felt before, like he was filled with new life and could do anything.


    He looked around for his tools and began to tend to the fields with a vigor he''d never experienced. Excitement bubbled up within him, an emotion he''d never felt before. This wasn''t an average day where he was a cog in a machine, he wasn''t moving just because it was a purpose designated to him. He moved, he planted, he sweat, and he ate all of his own volition - something that he''d never done. He grinned. A weight seemed to be lifted off of his shoulders.


    "What are you doing?" A voice akin to silk asked from beside him. "You need to move before it''s too late, Adiuvalo."


    Like a bucket of cold water, this voice snapped him out of his momentary bliss. It was the All God, Electa. Her words seemed to carry with it even more weight than he thought he''d shed. Like shackles, binding him to a task once more.


    "I.." he paused. "I know, Electa. I will do what I can. Where should I go?"


    Electa tilted her head and arched a brow when she heard his response. She looked almost surprised. "Quisqueto should be somewhere to the east still, in a large town, laying down a rune to act as a catalyst. A catalyst for what, I cannot be sure. I can only observe from my prison."


    "I shall need some time to get ready," Adiuvalo with a sigh. "I will need food and water, I should probably let everyone know I''m leaving as well."


    With that, he head back to the village and readied a sack. He filled it with a change of clothes, some food and a wooden flask filled with water.


    Adiuvalo rested in his bed for one final night, washed in his basin for one final time, and left his house for the last time. He looked back at the small wooden structure after leaving with his sack hung over his shoulder. He let out a sigh, half-mournful and half-expectant. As far as he knew, he was the first to travel across the land like this. A pioneer.


    "Where are you going?" Commo asked, approaching Adiuvalo from behind.


    "Our Goddess Electa came to me, granted me strength, and told me I must leave," he answered with a bit of a halfhearted smile. He looked out towards his field, the place he knew best and his second home. His original purpose in life. His gaze refocused on Commo. "Could you, perhaps, look after my field, Commo? Only until I return," he said.


    "Look after your field? But my purpose is only to -" Commo started.


    "Yes, only to gather the harvests. But could tending to the fields not also be a part of that? You plant the crops, then gather them." Adiuvalo smiled and placed his hand on Commo''s shoulder. "I believe in you."


    Behind Commo, Electa''s barely visible form floated. She looked at Adiuvalo inquisitively, her eyes squinted as she focused on his face.


    "It is time for me to leave, Commo. Stay well, and let the others know I have gone." He looked in the direction of his field once more, once again desiring the simple pleasure he felt once he had chosen to farm without feeling compelled to by some invisible sense of purpose instilled in him by a God. He left.


    I''ll protect you all.