ã€ŠThe Raiser of Queensã€‹


 Prologue Arc 1.1 - The Firstborn

    High atop the clouds, where the gazing sun was met as no more than just a companionship, there stood a castle. Not founded on rock, or earth, but on the clouds of the sky itself. The white marble stone that formed it was just untarnished as pure ice, the columns that raised themselves towards the sky, made of obsidian, they mesmerized the eyes of a visitor by giving them a sight equally only to the pure star-lit night, where a planet''s Air Barrier (atmosphere) can no longer hide it. One would think those two elements would never fit together, but here they were forming a tremendously beautiful sight with their contradiction. The entirety of the castle had no roof, it was an endless courtyard, on which grew rather intriguing and beautiful trees and flowers. The delicate craftsmanship of both the marble tiles and the obsidian columns seemed all the more astonishing when surrounded by such nature.

    It was a place of God. In there, above all else, on top of a (rather short) stair, there lay a throne. Made of crude rock, resembling the most ancient of caves, and pieces of trees barks and roots, as old as the world. Sitting on such a peculiar throne, a man. His skin was brown, like the pelt of a mountain bear, his hair was black, as the feathers of a raven, his eyes they were dark, devoid of light, a pool of emptiness and void, and the pupils inside were golden, even golder than the scorching sun of the deserts. He was short, and small. One would take such a man as weak, if not for the pelts and bones of animals and beasts hanging off from his shoulders, arms, waist, and also the brutal muscles hidden below. Were it not for his gentle and delicate outlines of his face, he would be deemed savage because of his attire. But he was exactly that. A savage man, that followed his instincts, yet one with great honor and value, fit of a king. No. Not a king. Fit of an Emperor.

    Despite it all. The beauty that spread around him, the dignified and threatening presence that dispersed from him. His gaze was lost on the horizon, where the setting sun gave off his work and dedication towards his sister, the moon. Yes, lost. His body was slouched, he''s eyes fixated on nowhere and his mind wandering in far away thoughts...

    The Night finally consumed all the remnants of Day''s light, and the Aurora Boreas exploded on the sky, amidst the stars. A nostalgia took hold of the man''s eyes...

    [???????: Why do I still stand... Why do I still force myself to this... They all just... crumble... They will all just be buried by sand and stone... They can never thrive long enough...]

    One may have thought his gaze was lost. But it truly was not. For he could see as far as he would like, from his Throne he could peer at the lives of humans, far below, on that little world, called Earth, but he knew her from many other different names. His eyes were set on one of the many cities built by Men. This one, in particular, was the most thriving of them all, prosper in all of it''s aspects, it''s enemies were afraid of it''s might, it''s allies were desperate for it''s support. Yet, now, with no enemies at the gate, with no traitors or assassins, it was crumbling. This powerful empire, with it''s tower almost reaching the top of clouds, that man himself set foot upon, was being buried, by little more than dust.

    His heart throbbed with pain at this sight. He lost count of how many times it has happened. Doesn''t matter the reason. They all just crumble. He and the other Gods have already took out most of the Magic in this world. He, himself, hunted to extinction all of the magical beasts. He took lives, and he took miracles from this world. Just to see one of it''s races, the most curious of them all, thrive. Yet, Men failed. He failed...

    Him... The Firstborn. The First to Die. The Man in the Stars. Son of the Sky and Earth. In his first life, they called him Ravah, raven. In his second, Rawya, the storyteller. In his third, Radbhoud, counselor of king. In his fourth Rais, king. In his fifth Rajendra, the Lord of Kings. And in his sixth, this last one... he was Rangi, Sky.

    All those names gave him a single one, after all of those lives. He was Ra, the first. He bled so many times. He thought so many times. He tried so many times. Yet, all he could sow was failure. No matter how advanced they became, they would always come to a halt and then simply be buried by the earth.

    [Ra: Oh Mother... Won''t my brothers thrive...? Are they harmful to you? Or are you to them? What can I do? Tell me, Ga...]

    [??????: Are, are. Seems like you''re drowning yourself in your sorrow moods, yet again, little brother. When will you stop with this.]

    A female voice reached his ears. It was gentle and caring, yet mischievously and mesmerizing all at once. When he turned right, towards the source he saw nothing, but the wind gently sweeping the flower fields.

    [?????: Ra-kun, you''re making me worry... all over again...]. The voice whispered in his left ear, seductively and he felt the touch a woman gently caressing his collarbone, then his chest and his stomach... He turned to face her. Face to face, there was a woman with a pearl-white skin, her hair was even darker than his, blending with the Night itself, her eyes were almost the same as his, if not for the pupils that bore a myriad of colors, it was the same is looking into the stars and the nebulae.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.[Ra: Nox... My older sister...]. The sorrow departed from his gaze and expressions. Instead, he had a relieved smile and longing passionate eyes.

    [Nox: Hmfufu... I left you for barely a moment''s notice and you sulk yourself in mortally affairs, yet again. Gee, little brother, you should already know better...]

    [Ra: You still remember I was mortal once, yes? You, too, as well!]

    [Nox: Hmpf...]. She turned her gaze, pouting. [Still, we are now Gods. We must attend to our duties. And I heard you missed the Void Council!].

    The Void Council, the meeting where all divine entities met together to provide diplomatic support and alliances and to hinder direct interference with the mortal world. For now, only Earth had a Void Council for it was the sole planet to bear sentient life for now, a decisive factor for the existence and the rising of Gods and other divine beings. Sadly, Ra, the Firstborn, was severely undermined in reputation with the other entities because of the greatest interference ever wrought by the gods. Ra was the God responsible for ''The Purge'', the event where all magic ceased to exist in Earth, both naturally, in the form of life, or unnaturally, in the form of objects or anomalies. That interference gave way to humans thrive and even more Gods rose among the Celestial Havens, but it also caused a severe handicap in blessing and other less interferences

    [Ra: They already hate me, might as well forget about me, too...]

    *Slap!

    [Nox: D-don''t! Now! Look at me!], she grasped his chin with the same hand and forced his gaze on her eyes, [You! You are Ra! You are the First! You are King among Kings! You are Beginning!], her eyes already watering with tears. She hated it.

    She hated that he could never see himself for what he truly was! He was the First! It was not like her, that became Night, the representation of terror, dread and fear. It was not like her sister Die, Day, that was a representation of when to rise and survive. He was a Man! He was the first spirit, the ancestor of kings and warriors, of storytellers and teachers, of shamans and druids. When Men looked out in the night, towards the stars, and said that the brightest one was Him, watching over them and taking care of them... He became the first God to ever give hope to his believers... The first Hope...

    [Nox: *sob *sob...]

    [Ra: Nox...]

    [Nox: Y-you are the first hope... You are their Light... And you made me a promise!]

    [Ra:...], his eyes that were widened by the sight of his loved one in tears, gave way to a warmer and caring look. [The night will be just as day. A clear and safe way. They will walk under the moonshine and see the star-lit night. You''ll be my Star-night Princess and I''ll be your Prince of Light...], he whispered the words in her ear. She hugged him, tightly, her arms around his neck, and her face buried in his shoulder, blushing and still teary.

    [Nox: I don''t even care for it... I don''t care if they see me as a Goddess of Death, witch and thief, or mistress of the whores or whatsoever... Me and Die have been here for far longer than any other God...]

    [Ra: Nox, I-i...]

    [Nox: Don''t say it... I know... You always do this...]

    Regret started swelling up inside the man... He hated seeing her like this... he hated to make her cry...

    [Ra:...]

    [Nox: You start missing the Councils. Then, miserably gaze towards Earth and the little Mankind. The next thing we now, you''re missing, your divine essence can''t be found anywhere and we find you reincarnated in another mortal!], her voice cracked with rage and sadness all along, [It has been five times already! When are you going to stop!? How many times do you want me to watch you die!? Fall in love with another woman!? Even becoming a whole new god!?]

    [Ra:...]

    [Nox: What if I am not here anymore!? Huh? What if I disappear just like you do, too!?], she slammed his chest with her clenched fists, over and over, but they had no strength in them, she was too sad for that.

    [Ra: You and I... will always come back to each other, my Luna.], his fingers started wandering through her hair that started turning into the white color, the same was also happening through her dress.

    [Nox: I hate this...], her cheeks reddened, both because of the tears that surged before and because of her blushing, realizing what was happening in her moment of neglect.

    [Ra: Your silver-hair is almost as beautiful as your black, older sister...]

    [Nox: ¡°Smooth-talker...¡± Hmph...]

    [Ra: Tonight is your full-moon, my sister... Look there...], he appointed far into the horizon where the moon stood at it''s peak and all of it''s majesty. They stood there in the throne, she embraced by his arms and he caressing her long-hair.

 Prologue Arc 1.2 - The Threat

    [¡­ 2 Centuries have passed on since the Great God Ra, the First Man, reincarnated once again... Since then many empires have risen on the Human World. From the towering stone cities of the Central America, to the desert paradises of Asia, and also the rising of the Great Roman Empire. Even so, many others have turned to dust as well, the great warrior kingdoms of the North Islands, the thriving nation of the Masked Ones in the lower Africa...

    Ra has already lived two lives in these past centuries. On the first, he became Raijin, the great God of Thunder of the Eastern World. On the latter one, he became Raitupan, the forest God of Thunder and Life. He brought prosperity and glory to both of his people on both of those lives, now, satisfied once more with what he lived, he seeks the Haven of Gods, yet again, bearing even more power than before.

    That is also part of the reason behind the hate for Ra, among the other Gods. His love and care for humankind is mistaken for greed of power. So his constant rate of rebirth is seen as an attempt to not lose power and always remain on top. While other Gods have tried, seeking that deranged view, most of them have fallen from grace and became mortals yet again, caught in the eternal Cycle of Life and Death, once more.

    For a God, or any other Divine Being, being reborn and reascending (the process of mortals becoming divine) is not the only means to harness more power. Some Greater Gods, especially the more ancient and vast power or concept that such God represents, may suffer changes as time and civilizations pass by. Such a thing happened with the Nox, the Night, once a being of terror and fear that instilled men, she became not only the Night but also the Moon Goddess, becoming much more than what she already was. But there are a few problems that may come with it. The change is not sudden, it is a stalwart and baffling process that may be harmful to the mind-state of a God. Some times, by not entirely accepting the new powers and the new form, the God may develop a second personality, or third and fourth and so on, by doing so the power and the facets of the God become divided. The process of rebirth and reascendence does not suffer from those problems, because for living another life entirely the affirmation of the new identity can be more easily dealt with and accepted.

    Right now, Ra has 8 forms of power, all of them had a great importance in their own people and civilization. He''s the most powerful God, and still the undefeated and uncontested Ruler of the Heavens. His rules allow to any Pantheon to thrive and prosper, even amongst warring parties there still can exist trade and momentarily alliances. Small Pantheons are advised and protected, so that they do not fall in Oblivion and descend into mortality. Greater Pantheons are called to council and suggest new laws and treaties.

    His Rule has not been the only one though, a Pantheon stolen his Throne during one of his rebirths and tried to subvert the Astral and Cosmic laws to grant favor to their civilization. Of course, that only led to strife and chaos among the other Pantheons in the Heavens. The War of God was a harsh one, and caused the oblivion of many smaller Pantheons, that still to this day, the day you are reading my words, are still lost to both, us, Gods, and you, humans.

    That was the only time that his Throne was usurped. Well, that is... until He came. ...]

    After a peaceful death, the Great God Ra ascended to Heavens of the Gods once again. His soul brimming with even more power than before, he walked the tile stones towards his garden. The Garden of the Night, the one he cultivated especially and only to his beloved sister, and wife, Nox. He did not dare to enter the Halls of the Stars, where the Astral Throne (his throne) stood, he was far too tired and too eager to embrace his loved one for such a foolish matter. Although kind and just, ruling takes too much of a toll on Ra, the ¡°crown¡± is heavy and sometimes is best left delayed, before one gets entangled in it''s ruling affairs, rules and strifes. For Ra, the promises to his loved come before the promises to his crown.

    Ra''s recent life could not have ended in a more timely moment, in one year from now there would be a Council of the Void Legacies. While the Void Council, happens far more often and can be requested by other divine beings, the Council of Legacies, for short, only happens in timely moments or when a great disaster happens in one of the other Universes. Yes. You read it right. It is the council where the ruling Gods of each Universe and Reality meet and convey information and reports, and also elaborate alliances or prohibitions. The rules of power, ascendance and rebirth are all shared by the entirety of the Void Legacies. I should stop worrying you all with this bureaucracy, after all I should not bother you, mortals, with the affairs of divine beings, even more so of the divine beings of other realities\universes and worlds. It was simply to assure you that, even existing such different rulers and universes, there are some rules that are shared despite that border.

    Well, just to end the subject once and for all. The Council of Legacies chooses one God to preside and host the Council, this time it is Ra''s duty to perform it. Now back to what matters.

    By the time he reached the Garden it was already sunset, the twilight veiled the entire sky in an eery, yet fascinating atmosphere. Instead of finding Nox dancing between the trees, a view he grew fond of and would often find her doing so when in a happy mood, he saw a winged man standing next to her, in a quite bold and arrogant way, one that a man would assume when wooing a maiden. The mere sight of the man ignited a raging flame inside Ra''s heart. He had but one absolute rule in the entire Heavens, no God or spirit or any being should ever enter into the Garden of Night without his permission.

    Nox was free to wander out of the Garden whenever she wanted, but Ra created the Garden to be her sanctuary, where she could find peace and just not be bothered, whenever she wanted. It was requested by Nox herself to be that way, one of the few things Nox has ever requested from her brother. One he happily complied.

    And now that safe haven was being perpetrated not only by a male, but by someone who even dares to court on his loved one! The sky blackened with dark clouds as Ra''s eyes began glowing and brimming with a blue shine, and lightnings could be perceived slashing across his muscles and veins. The mere killing intent oozing out of Ra was enough to break the arrogant courting pose of the stranger and put him on the edge and about fall onto his knees. Noticing Ra, Nox quickly enveloped herself in a dark mist and appeared at the side of Ra.

    "Ra: GET AWAY FROM HER!! WHO ARE YOU TO DARE ENTER MY GARDENS WITHOUT PERMISSION!? ", Ra''s voice thundered through the trees, shaking the branches and leaves. It was a voice that would put a mortal on the brink of collapsing from mere fear.

    "Nox: Brother, just make him leave, there''s no need fo-"

    "Ra: He disturbed your safe haven! If I do not make him an example, others may try it as well! I''ll not leave you to be disturbed! Especially when I created this to be yours and yours alone!", he could barely whisper as rage escaped each of his words.

    "?????: Your Gardens? I thought they belonged to that beautiful maiden over there... I am eager to make her my spouse, she is the fairest I''ve ever seen!"

    "Ra: ¡­", he gritted his teeth, rage burning through all of his muscles, thunders roared across the skies and lightnings were ready to obey his command on any second. He was barely keeping control.

    "????: Still, although you are the one being extremely rude, let me introduce myself, before you try to cowardly murder me. My name is Adam, the First Man."

    "Ra: ¡­", Ra simply faced the man with wide eyes in a surprised expression, he looked in disbelief to his sister, looking for reassurance and only found her frowning as if confirming the stranger''s statement.

    "Adam: ¡­", the stranger had a rather delicate figure, his manliness was barely covered by a white-cloth and his skin shaved giving a rather glossy semblance, his hair was curly and lightly brown. His eyes were clear blue and his full lips had a pinkish hue. In other words, he was the utterly opposite to Ra''s, whose ragged and primal looks gave off a fierce and uneven look, Adam''s seemed delicate and perfectly built.

    "Ra: Hahahahahahahahahhahahaa!", Ra burst in laughter and the skies cleared letting the moonlight make it''s way through the dark clouds, the thunders and lightnings also diminished until they completely disappeared.

    "Adam: What are you laughing at, you heretic? Who are you to treat me, the son of God and the first Prophet, in such a way!? "

    "Ra: Hah- ¡­", the ¡°h¡± word cut off Ra''s good mood like a cold blade, that word was forbidden to be used in all of Heaven, he made it so that no Pantheon would ever think themselves higher or better than the others. Not laughing anymore, Ra gazed the man with confidant and irritated eyes. "Who am I, you ask?"

    "Adam: Hmph.", the stranger lifted his chin, looking downwards towards Ra, as if trying to put himself higher and bigger than the God.

    "Ra: I am Ra, The Firstborn, the son of Sky and Earth, brother of Night and Day and the Astral Emperor of the Gods!", despite being slightly shorter than Adam''s, the way Ra imposed himself made him look taller and even more dignified than what he first seemed, the complete and absolute confidence in his voice made the interloper break in a cold sweat and rip away the smug and arrogant smile on his face.

    "Adam: W-wha-....", the man took a step back.

    "Ra: You perpetrated my sacred ground. It''s not because I am the Greatest God in the Heavens and it''s ruler, that you offend me with such a thing. It''s merely because it is mine. Any God or being would feel offended if something of theirs were to be tarnished by a third one''s hand... Don''t you agree...?". Ra slowly began walking towards the man.

    "Nox: Little brother, don''t ruin my garden, please...", Nox whispered softly behind his shoulders.

    "Adam: Wa-wait a second! I was merely passing by! And then I saw her standing all by herself amongst these trees and she looked so beautiful! Father told me to choose the most beautiful woman I have seen to become my wife, and so I did!"

    "Ra: Did He, now? Didn''t he warn not to choose already engaged women!?". When Ra was about to grip the man''s neck with his bare hand the sound of shuffling of feathers and wings, and soon after a landing stomp, behind him stopped him mid-way.

    ''Now, what!? Is my word taken too lightly nowadays!?'', Ra chided himself in his thought while turning to his back. His eyes met almost identical figures to one another, blond hair and blue eyes, all of them winged with white feathers and covered with the same white cloth as Adam, and just as him, they all were barely covered by it. ''Do all of them have to dress like that? Where''s the common sense, for Heaven''s sake!''

    "???????: First Prophet, why are you afraid? Is this being threatening you or about to harm you?", the front winged figure asked with a cold and measured voice.

    "Adam: Samael! Yes, exactly! Would you take care of him, please?"

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    ''Not even a flinch in his voice... what a coward...'', Ra thought.

    "Samael: What of the woman? Is she a threat, as well?"

    "Adam: No, actually she''s my bethroted."

    "Ra: WHAT DID YOU SAY!?", following his voice, thunder and lightning roared in the skies.

    "Samael: Potestae, charge and defend the First Man!". Being in the crossfire, Nox quickly enclosed herself in a veil of shadows and disappeared from the field, appearing just on top of Ra''s garden Throne.

    Ra lunged himself with lightning fists towards the angels, his canines grew larger and sharper and his eyes assumed a more feral semblance, with almost vertical pupils. The angels wielded nothing but a longsword in their hands, and they all looked extremely delicate and fragile. Even the front figure, that had 4 wings attached to his back and seemed somewhat taller than the others.

    The angels were no match for the God. Their swords barely scratched the target''s skin as he easily dodged them with minimum effort, while throwing devastating punches capable of breaking bones with ease. Ra was essentially a leader deity, but in the early stages of humanity to be leader also means to warrior and occasionally warlord. In other words, Ra was a War God.

    As they all lied down around him, except for Samael, who somehow managed to stand on one of his knees, Ra glared at Adam with a content smile and challenging expression. Nox looked annoyed and bored at the scene while sitting sideways on the throne.

    "Samael: You! Who are you to defeat us, the holy children of Our Lord!?"

    "Ra: Tch...", ''These people have a serious higher view of themselves, it''s almost sickly...''

    "I''m Ra, the Emperor of Gods, and you''ve all offended me by trespassing my Garden. Leave now, and I''ll show you mercy."

    "?????: We''re all utterly sorry, for this, Emperor. Me and my children will be leaving now, thanks to your mercy."

    "Ra:...", Ra frowned on the old-looking man that appeared now, even though he gave off a sick and weak look, he could sense that inside that man there was some hidden power, almost equally strong to Ra.

    "Angels: Father! N-no, but..."

    "Samael: Holy Father!"

    "Adam: B-bu-but!"

    "????: QUIET! Now, to home!"

    "Ra: What is your name, Elder?"

    "????: I am yet to be named at the Council, m''lord. Pay no mind to this old being..."

    "Ra:...", Ra frowned on the words of the old man, and stood silent and tense as the trespassers gathered and flew away from his Garden.

    Screee. Not long after, a piercing cry came from inside his gardens. Also hearing this, Nox came to Ra''s side, knowing what was coming.

    Raaaaawwrr. Fwuooooooonw.

    A small and slender figure came from the trees of the Garden. He was taller than Ra, but thinner, and the way that he stood on his knee, bowing in front of Ra and Nox, made him look even smaller. He had the same skin tone as the First God, but many parts of his body were painted with many dyes, white and red mostly, and he was covered by many animal furs. The one on his had had a bone protuberance that made him look as if he had a beak.

    "''Bird-man'': Ravahn! May the spirits bless your hunt, wantar! Noctai, bless us, warriors, and protects us in your nights!", Nox nodded, smiling, at the words of the stranger, while Ra proceeded to lift and hug the warrior."Sorry for trespassing your daywa padu, chief!" (sacred place).

    "Ra(vahn): Agio! Rise, brother!", two more figures also came from the forest, one was hugely taller than Ra, standing at 210cm or even more, it''s hulking muscles looked capable of breaking stone with little effort. It had two bone tusks attached to the side of the pelt that covered his had. On his hand, a giant club made of wood and stone. The other one, stand at the same height and physique of Ra, the pelt that covered his head had two fangs that almost hid his eyes.

    "Ra: Mamuf! Tighra!"

    "Mamuf: Gwaraka aed Noctai!], (Beastmaster and Night), [May the earth give ya strength, little great chief!]

    "Tighra: The Hunter of the Night and the Night, herself, together! We are blessed with this sight...", the middle heighted figure said with a mischievous smile.

    "Nox: Careful, tiger. I still am dangerous, even if you''re blessed by the Fanged Spirit...", Nox rebuked with an equally mocking smile, although her voice was rather gentle and good willed.

    They were all warriors and hunters, wearing the pelts of their preys to honor their sacrifice and harbor their strength. They were the First Men, brother in arms and blood to Ravahn, and his most loyal warrior and counselors.

    "Ra: What are you all doing here? Has something happened to the Hunting Plains?"

    The Hunting Plains, are the heavens of the First Men, or Cavemen as they are called by the more recent civilizations. Ra created that sacred place just for his kin, so that they could live by their customs and be at peace with their brothers and sisters. It was a place where the ancient animals and spirits lived together with the ancient mankind.

    "Agio: No! It''s not that, chief!"

    "Mamuf: We came for you, little raven."

    "Tighra: The Spirits want you to come for the Plains, warchief."

    "Nox: ..."

    "Ra: Brothers, you know very well how much I want to wander the Plains...", Ra had an apologetic expression, "But I have a duty to rule the Second ones and the other Children."

    "Agio: We know the burden you carry, chief, but..."

    "Mamuf: You are in danger."

    "Tighra: The little white birds and that old man are bad mojo, little brother. They want to take you down."

    "Ra: I knew my guts were telling me something about him..."

    "Nox: Are you sure of it, Tigra? He sounded pretty submissive, just now."

    "Agio: That''s not all, brotha and mistress. The Second Ones requested a Council of the Void."

    "Nox: Are they insane!?"

    "Ra: What? There is a Council of Legacies coming on the next winter and they request a Coun-"

    "Mamuf: That is the Dove fault."

    "Tighra: We are telling you, we should fall back, warchief. The next council is a trap, and a deadly one at that."

    "Ra: The Dove?"

    "Mamuf: While you were human an uprising pantheon came to life. Their symbol is, in short words, a white Dove. They''re claiming to be the ''rightful'' gods. That old man is the Dove.]

    "Ra: Do you know his name?"

    "Tighra: No one knows, chief. His kind only calls him, ''Holy One'', ''Father'', ''Holy Father'' and other aggrandizing gibberish. Tch. It gets me on my nerves, I tell ya."

    "Agio: So what do we do? The Council is a trap and that Dove fella is a sneaky bastard that want to wipe our kin from the heavens. We can always fall back and retaliate latah."

    "Mamuf: Yeah, I don''t mind that. Normally I''d say no, but if it''s for your sake, little chief, then I am fine with it."

    "Tighra: You know I prefer to be the one making the trap. Not falling in one."

    "Ra: ¡­", Ra contemplated on his thoughts.

    The situation was far more dire than he anticipated. A Council of the Void can easily change any rules and statements of a world, and for one to happen on such short-time before a Council of the Legacies was a pretty bad situation, because recent changes may not be noticed by the other Astral Rulers of the other universes. In short words, they could uncover the hidden change later and retaliate. And if it was not enough, the time Ra spent on Earth may have caused many changes among the mind-set of the other divine beings, his absence may have created an uprising amongst the Pantheons.

    Lost in his thoughts, Ra could not see any light in the end of the tunnel. Until he felt a familiar touch on his shoulder, turning he met the eyes of Nox. The dark-haired beauty stood taller than him, the confidence in her eyes ironed his resolve and clad it dark iron. Just like it did so many centuries ago, when they first met. He, a young hunter, who chose to defy his customs and hunt in the night. Her, a lonely figure, that was the embodiment of the fear of men and women. The first time they met, and every time since, they would find a safe place on each other''s gaze. Nox nodded delicately.

    "Ra: Brothers.", said with a low and strong tune.

    "Mamuf: Told ya...", the strong and tall man on the right bumped his elbow on the crouching bird-man figure on his left.

    "Agio: Hmph, there''s no changin him...", slightly swinging his head from left to right and closing his eyes with a sigh.

    "Tighra: Argh, fine..."

    Ra grinned at their reactions. They all knew how he acted, ever since they first accompanied him on a Night Hunt, ever since he first followed the lightnings and thunders and brought fire to the hearths of men and women everywhere. He would always jump into the danger.

    "Ra: But first I have a request."

    "Tighra: We''re not talking about reincarnation, right? I''m done with that world. Men distance with nature bugs me!"

    "Mamuf: ¡­" the mammoth-man slapped the head of the tiger-man.

    "Tighra: Ouch!", the tiger man rebuked with an irritated gaze, but soon bowed to his leader in an apologetic way.

    "Mamuf: Anything, warchief.", with strong and reliable eyes he met the gaze of his leader.

    "Agio: Name it, brotha."

    "Ra: Whatever happens to me. Protect the Fields and protect Noctai."

    "Nox: Ra, I don''t need protection!!", Nox firmly refused, while stepping back from Ra''s side.

    "Ra: Even so... Promise me, brothers."

    The three men looked to one another. She was right, she was the embodiment of the terror that dreaded the first civilizations, she had the power over fear and over the shadows and dangers of the night, and she even was one of the first deities to ever come to life. If power had a name, it would be her''s.

    "Mamuf and Tighra: ¡­"

    "Agio: Brotha, is that your gut feeling...?"

    "Ra: I''ll talk to Raoni, from the world of Gaia, his world is a young one and there are hardly any sentient beings yet, despite it having magic, he can harbor the fields and Nox in his reality with ease, he''s owing me a favor after all.]

    "Nox: ¡­", Nox gasped at the realization of what Ra meant... He wasn''t planning on surviving... Putting his kin and his loved one in protection on another reality, on another world, he was prepared to die, once and for all. In tears, she enveloped herself in shadows, one last time, and disappeared from the sight of the four warriors.

    "Mamuf: You sure you want to...?"

    "Ra: Yes...", Ra gazed upon the place where Nox was standing just a second ago, "I am."

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    Author''s Note: Big thanks to Vocaloid, for already giving me an insight on how to better develop the dialogues, sorry for the format on the first chapter the prologue submission page didn''t give me much of option, I will see to change it tonight still. Now, about the Prologue Arc, yes, aside from many other fictions, this one is rather long and may be boring, but I thought it would be better so that no one gets confused when the MC finally gets reincarnated in the other world. Any questions about the Council of Void, Council of Legacies, and things like that just give a heads-up. The changes in dialogue are underway so there will be updates on that matter, I am still deciding on the pattern, I will probably listen to Vocaloid... xD

 Prologue Arc 1.3 - Meeting in the Void

    Prologue Arc 1.3 ¨C Meeting in the Void

    Ra was walking through a gigantic staircase that rose towards the star lit sky. It''s steps were transparent and probably would have made him afraid of falling into oblivion, had he not taken this stair many times already. All around him the space filled the horizon, stars the size of gigantic planets and others miniaturized like pins, galaxies wandering without nothing to put them still, worlds being torn and destroyed and others being newly formed. It was a chaotic requiem, and one beautiful to witness.

    When he finally reached the final step, there stood a door, also transparent. Ra stood there and raised his hand in front of the door knob. Uttering a few words and harnessing his power into the door, his eyes and many of his blood veins gleaming with blue light, he touched the knob. The door shone with the same blue light that spread through it''s carvings. And with a *click, it opened. Ra stepped into the room.

    There were no walls. There was no roof. There was no floor. There was nothing inside the room, and when the door closed, it vanished into nothingness as well. With a single step from Ra, there came to be a round table, and with it four chairs, and on the side of each chair, a smaller one, that is except for one. Ra put his hand on the frame of the chair in front of him, the lonely one that stood alone. (A.N.: Now, to prevent you to be confused, let''s take the smaller chairs as ''small chair'' and the four main ones, as ''greater chair'')

    ¡°Took you long enough!¡±, an old-man voice, no not old, it was quite young, but it was a voice filled with eerie and a deathly tune, as if a dead corpse tried to talk. Ra turned left to face the voice, he met the gaze of a young king, a pharaoh, he had golden jewelry adorning almost every inch of his body, his eyes were firm and decisive. He was a bright and beautiful young man, that is, if not for the sickly green skin tone he had. ¡°You dare to make me wait, Astral God? I have an empire, built on the sands of desert, to reign and thousands of dead souls to overseer and judge! I do not have time to spar-!!¡±

    ¡°Now, now, husband, be at rest¡±, a soothing and gentle voice came from the greater chair at the left side of the pharaoh, her hair was darkish brown, almost black, her eyes were mesmerizing and if looked for quite a share of time, they would be seen changing from one color to the other, as if one was looking into a rainbow. Her figure was slender, but plentiful, her skin tone was next to Ra''s, but because it was untarnished, it seemed cleaner and brighter. ¡°We are only what we are, because of him, and he never summoned us before, isn''t that so, husband...?¡±

    ¡°Hmph...¡±, the man snorted and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed from the demeanor of the woman next to him.

    ¡°It is very good to see you again, Great Ra of the Morning Sun.¡±, the woman nodded at Ra while motioning her hand for him to take the seat.

    ¡°Isis.¡±, Ra nodded to her, ¡°Osiris¡±, then to the man, as well. He sat down and took a more through view of the room. On the side of Osiris, he saw a young man with bronze skin, his chest was bare and at the side of his chair there stood an axe-halberd, his face was that of a jackal.

    ¡°Anubis, you''ve grown quite a bit.¡±, Ra spoken in a gentle and caring tune, he taught Anubis many things

    ¡°Y-yes! Thank you! It is an honor, Primal God Ra!¡±, the boy gasped for a moment and almost shouted in an excited manner, Ra couldn''t help, but chuckle at the scene, especially when Osiris reddened his cheeks in anger and started rebuking the young warrior. Ra then gazed to the side of Isis.

    A young warrior with the same darkish brown hair and fair skin. On his head a helmet that resembled a desert hawk, on the side of his belt, lied a sheathed khopesh. Neither of the young boys were as adorned in jewelry as the pharaoh and his betrothed, but they had enough on them to make them look like royalty. ¡°Horus!¡±, Ra called with a thundering voice.

    ¡°Primal God Ra!¡±, the boy stood and bowed to Ra, in a calm and measured manner. He always behaved like this. Calculated and cool thinking, measuring the best ways to act and the swiftest moves to win, but under such a cool mind there was hidden a gentle and warm heart, just like his mother taught him to be, and just like Ra hoped him to be.

    ¡°Anubis!¡±, with the same commanding voice. The scene repeated itself in the jackal boy.

    ¡°Come to my side, both of you.¡±. Both Isis and Osiris witnessed the scene with puzzled expressions, but the boys hurriedly walked to the sides of where Ra sat, it was one of the greatest honors to be called by the one that blessed and care for the rising of their Pantheon. As the boys came closer, Ra also stood up.

    ¡°Anubis, may you be the fairest of the Underworld, may your heart always be true, for you are the one who will judge the souls of those who have lived. Grow and fight. Live and die. I bless you, Jackal of the Dark Sands, to become the greatest warrior and protector of all.¡±, Ra slit his thumb finger with the other hand''s nail, and with the drops of blood drew the ankh(life) symbol in the forehead of the jackal boy. The boy almost lost his ability to breathe for a few seconds, and his eyes were tearing with the joy in his heart, Ra was his mentor in the ways of war, he taught him everything he knew and taught him to be just and always listen to his instincts. And he also never diminished him for being an adulterous son, if not enough Ra was also the one responsible for diminishing Isis anger towards the boy and make her more gentle and caring with him, although that also caused Isis to soothe her anger by giving a cold shoulder to her cheating husband. In other words, his mentor was the main reason of the joys the boy has lived, to harness his blessing meant the world...

    ¡°Horus.¡±, Ra turned to the eagle boy, that was clearly tensed up as he slightly fidgeted in anticipation. Ra placed his hand hovering the boy''s forehead. ¡°Under your rule the Empire will soar the skies and rise with the hope of the Morning Sun, may you be forthright and righteous, may you listen to the words of those who wish you better and may you bring down those that mean you harm. Trust your brother and be worthy of his trust.¡±, Ra motioned his hand to Anubis, ¡°I bless you, Eagle of the Golden Sands, to become the greatest king of the Deserts.¡±

    ¡°As brothers...¡±, Ra put each of his hand the nape of each young boy''s neck, ¡°Rule the living and the dead. Now, go! Let us grown ups to our tiresome affairs...¡±. The boys rushed to the corner of the rooms, brimming with excitement and grins on their faces. Anubis stopped and turned to face Ra one last time, fear tensing him for a slight second, but Horus soon pulled his hand and they left the room, into the dark.

    ¡°It was about time you blessed the boy! Although I don''t exactly see the point in blessing the successor of the Underworld, despite everything...¡±, Osiris stated, still crossing his arms, he had a satisfied smile, although he still frowned at the situation.

    ¡°...¡±, Ra stood silent while he sat down.

    ¡°It finally has come to that point so...¡±, Isis uttered her words with a grieving and disheartened tune, her gaze turned downwards as her face slowly shifted to a sad semblance.

    ¡°Hm? Wait what? What happened? The boy''s have been blessed, why are you-¡±, Osiris tried to inquire his wife, unknowingly and not perceiving, at all, the situation.

    ¡°*Sigh... You always perceive the underlines, don''t you, Isis...¡±, Ra sighed and muttered the words almost to himself, but Isis heard them just as well.

    ¡°Well, of course. How would you want me to be the Great Queen of the Deserts, after all!¡±, Isis shouted and slammed the table with her hands, then she pointed a finger towards Ra, ¡°Now spit it out, Ra! What happened!?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, yet... The problem is my gut feelings. They''re telling me I''m about to descend, Isis.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±, Osiris froze at the statement.

    ¡°W-what!?¡±, Isis gasped, the mere thought of a Primal God, one of the most ancient deities, to simply die and be forgotten in Oblivion is simply outlandish, ¡°Ra... What nonsense is this, it''s merely a feeling, after all... It''s not bound to happen! Don''t frighten me like that, for the burning sands! Arf...¡±, Isis gasped for air as she let herself fell in the chair, relaxing.

    ¡°Isis. Tell me one time, my gut feelings failed when I advised you and Osiris?¡±

    ¡°Hngh-!¡±, Isis tensed up, again, ¡°There''s gotta be a one time, right? I mean there are always exceptions!! Right...?¡±, even though she didn''t want to there was reason behind Ra''s words, and so her voice fell in desbelief.

    ¡°What will you have of us, Primal God?¡±, Osiris simply asked, after recollecting himself.

    ¡°Osiris!¡±, Isis tried to rebuke her husband.

    ¡°There is nothing to do, woman! You heard the man!¡±, Osiris shouted out, grief filled his words, even though he didn''t enjoy the fact that Ra was responsible for his ascendancy, he deemed it proper to relate him as a friend and a steadfast ally, and in so he would honor the favor he owes to Ra. ¡°Let him do as he intends, so he can go at peace...¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my friend...¡±, Ra said, simply, with a sincere but sad smile.

    ¡°I can''t believe this...¡±, Isis was crumbled, but she mustered her strength, took a deep breath and swept away her tears, ¡°Okay... What will you have us do, Ra?¡±

    ¡°I need a safe harbor for my kin and my beloved, Nox.¡±

    ¡°We assure you. They will be well treated in our Pantheon, no harm will ever come to them as long as we sta-¡±

    ¡°I need one in another Legacy, Osiris.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Osiris gasped for words, but he simply could not find. What that man was implying was a deed unmeasurable and never tried before. Yet, he was the First. That man in front of him was the embodiment of impossibility.

    ¡°Th-that... Is that even possible!?¡±, Isis inquired, raising her voice a bit, and gazing her husband in search for a light amongst the sea of doubt in her mind.

    ¡°It is, but it demands sacrifice.¡±, Ra gazed them when their went wide in those words, they feared what would happen to them, ¡°Be at ease, I do not ask you to sacrifice anything from yourselves nor from anyone of your Pantheon. My request is as it follows.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Osiris, I need the Desert Empire to become such a force in this world so that even if it falls, it will never be forgotten and never be conquered by another one. You and your kin must be strong enough to survive and thrive even when you all fall.¡±, the pharaoh simply breathed in and nodded at the words from the ancient God.

    ¡°Isis, I need you to lend me your clairvoyance so that we can request a meeting with Raoni, he is the current ruler of the Legacy I intend to bargain with.¡±

    ¡°Okay... But to accomplish such a thing... I-i can''t do it on my own. It would take too much of me I could be cast into oblivion...¡±, Isis shriveled at that last word, the thought of vanishing and simply fell into non-existence was simply too much. She was losing herself in the storm of her thoughts until she felt a familiar touch in her hand, she turned to face and saw the gentle expression in her husband''s face.

    ¡°You won''t be alone, my dear. We can do this, let''s show the Primal God the power that the rulers of the Desert harness! Together...¡±, Osiris reassured her with iron-willed words, tightly holding her hand, he started surging his power to her.

    The room shook with the powerful transition that was happening. Isis chanted incomprehensible words and her eyes and body markings started shining in white light. Moments later a white-light appeared on the ground. A single spot, and then it started moving around until that one spot became a door frame. And with a surge of light, Isis stopped and gasped for air, exhausted, Osiris was also sweating and seemed just as tired.

    Click. The door opened. Noticing their roles were already fulfilled, the god couple simply nodded at Ra without uttering a single word, stood up, and left the room, into the dark, just like their children did before. Their chairs also vanished and now there only stood two chairs, one in front of the other. Ra gazed the vacant seat, as the door slowly opened and the figure stepped in.

    It was a young man, he had a wavy brown hair and clear green-eyes, that in different angles could be seen as blue-eyes. His smile was broad and he had big and white teeth. His figure was taller and bigger than Ra''s, but his gentle expression and movements shook off any impression of threat. He had a beaded necklace, in two colors, white and red, and also many bracelets and wristbands, all of them made out of seeds or wood.

    ¡°I almost couldn''t believe that someone would be bold enough or foolish enough to summon me.¡±, the man slowly stepped towards the chair and sat down, ¡°That is, until I remembered one foolish thing I did upon causing my world to be encased in Mana Ley-lines just before the Council of Void Legacies, and had said it aloud during the Council. It caused an uproar, all of the other Rulers were simply mad at my behavior, especially when the count of Mana-worlds was steadily decreasing due to hardships in their maintenance. I was about to be kicked out and have my word be cast into nothingness, until one person stood up.¡±, the man gathered his breath and recollected his thoughts, choosing his words.

    ¡°I mean, that guy was shorter than me. I could even say that I could clearly see him as my little brother. Imagine it with me. He stood up, walked around the room, ignoring the shouts and glares, he simply walked. In time everyone began shutting up and started gazing him. He didn''t mind it and simply walked. Chair by chair, he drew closer to me. When he finally reached to the side of my chair, he puts his hand on my shoulder, lean in to face my eyes and says ''I commend you for doing what I was afraid to do.'', all of the rest of the rulers simply wide-eyed at that sight and others even fainted!¡±, Ra did nothing as the young man continued to talk.

    ¡°After the Council, I get to know that that little guy, that fella whom I thought that could be my little brother, was the most ancient god-like deity to ever exist and he was the one who created the Council of Void Legacies, so that every world and every universe would not fall in disgrace because of lack of help or assistance...¡±, the young man finally met the eyes of Ra and smiled, sincerely, ¡°Then I thought to myself... ''It''s gotta be him. He will finally let me return the favor he lent me.''¡±

    ¡°Hmph... Heavens, Raoni, you sound just as haughty as you were in that Council three centuries ago.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I am what I am! Now, tell me what''s up, little brother?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, how fares your world? Did any sentient being resurged ever since they were wiped during the Manastorm?¡±

    ¡°Well... Not yet, although there are some very promising ones this time. Not just the average ''humankind'' ones, there are some more unique ones whom I''ve been naming ''elven''. Well, actually there is already one sentient being!¡±

    ¡°Hoh... Is that so?¡±

    ¡°The thing is, they are simply so over-powered that they simply don''t even need to worship anyone! Hell, when I met one he almost turned me into ashes just for interrupting his nap! These ''dragons'' are so problematic...¡±

    ¡°Raoni... You''re letting yourself too leisurely, you know that beings that can threaten gods are not advisable to grow and exist... You should put them down.¡±

    ¡°Well... I probably should. But what would be the fun of that? I mean, why not wait for the children to do that? I am eager to see them accomplish that! I''ll even descend to throw out a party on that occasion!¡±

    ¡°Sigh...¡±, Ra simply dropped his head, sighing, ¡°How can you be so relaxed, Raoni...¡±

    ¡°I already said how! I am what I am! Haha!¡±, after a brief laughter, the man took a short breath and raised his voice, ¡°Now, what do you need, Ra?¡±

    ¡°I need you to take care and protect my kin and my beloved one¡±, Raoni raised one of his brows, he was expecting something as big, but this surprised him, ¡°in your world.¡±

    ¡°Hm... I see.¡±, Raoni pondered and supported his chin on his hands in a contemplative manner, ¡°And I would this because I owe you a favor.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Ra stood silent as Raoni gazed at him with inquisitive and predatory eyes.

    ¡°Hah...¡±, Raoni sighed, ¡°Don''t get me wrong, Ra. I like you, a lot. Especially when you helped me out of the blue back then, it kinda reminded me of my sister, Tain¨¢, when she would cover my back, whether I''d asked her or not.¡±

    ¡°But put yourself on my shoes for a second. My Pantheon is too weak and too small, for now, there are no other Pantheon of Gods in my world who can help or even rival us. Both myself and my reigned world are still to young in the eyes of the Council of Legacies. Heck! I even lost my sentient civilization! The only one I had, and the one that created me!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Ra stood silent.

    ¡°Now I must deal with the shortage of divine power and the uprising of powerful and fantastical creatures in my world. I even have to lay down an alliance with the Dragonkind due to their almost god-like existence... *sigh...¡±, Raoni sighed and closed his eyes for a second, ¡°Ra, there is not much for me in this deal, I''m afraid I have to turn it do-!¡±

    ¡°Who said that it was only that, big brother?¡±, Ra stated while wearing a mischievous grin on his face.

    ¡°Hoh... I was wondering when you were going to make your move...¡±, Raoni replied with a satisfied grin. ¡°Tell me what you''ve got, little brother.¡±

    ¡°Amongst my kin, there are nearly ten lesser god-spirits, three of them are my trusted counselors with greater god potential. Besides, my kin may be persuaded to be reincarnated, and for living during a very harsh environment, and thriving, are very sturdy and resilient kind, with special care they may even abandon part of their humanity, as long as they are able to continue with our customs. Not even to forget about Nox, who is a Primal Goddess, herself.¡±

    ¡°Hm...¡±, Raoni wondered at Ra''s offer. It didn''t sound bad... it could even be beneficial...

    ¡°And.¡±, Ra continued.

    ¡°There''s more..?¡±, Raoni couldn''t help but be surprised, he was about to accept the deal with a few conditions, yet Ra interrupted him by adding even more to the offer.

    ¡°I''ll gift you my eight lives and my eight names, along with their power. They should be enough to help you maintain both your world and my people safe.¡±, Ra stated in a non-chalantly manner.

    ¡°...¡±, stupefied Raoni tried to utter any word, but none could leave his mouth, he stood there in a surprised expression, while Ra patiently waited for him to calm down and state his answer.

    ¡°I accept.¡±, Raoni said, while massaging his left temple.

    ¡°Good, I appreciate a lot for you to-¡±

    ¡°With one condition.¡±, Raoni quickly cut off Ra''s thanking.

    ¡°Hm...¡±, Ra had a worried and frowned expression on his face, ¡°Name it...¡±

    ¡°We, me and your kin, are allowed to come for you later in time.¡±, Raoni stated with a decisive voice and with shut eyes.

    ¡°...¡±, Ra watched the man in front of him, calculating him, judging him... Until, finally, ¡°Very well... But only when the dust settles down.¡±, Ra still had a worried expression, but he knew it was better this way, he hoped that none of them would try to come to help him, but that was just out of his reach. He could do nothing but accept it, hoping that in time they would forget about him, and just leave him behind, for their sake...

    ¡°Of course. In both Legacies, right?¡±, Raoni had a victorious and satisfied smile. He stood up, nodded to Ra, and left the room.

    Ra stood there. For quite some time. Afraid to come out, afraid to face reality. Afraid to face his Legacy, the one he ruled ever since he was first ascended... The one that would descend him, once and for all... Unless, it sends him to oblivion... ''I wonder what would be the worst... Live again, without ever knowing who I am or whom I should be... or simply disappear into nothingness, knowing who I am, and what I have done...''

 Chapter 1 - Like a Stone, alone...

    Gaia''s Bestiary Journal Entry - #3 The Iaras (Incomplete)

    No one knows for sure how related these beings are to the mermaids that inhabit the northern seashores in the continents of Gaia, but what one can be sure is that these beautiful half-fish, half-maiden, beings are far more powerful and far more mysterious than their cold-weather counter-parts. Found in both rivers, lakes and seashores, but only those close to the Tropical lines, the Iaras are merciless in their hunger for both sex and nourishment. There are reports that some Iaras are even capable of temporarily walking and breathing on land with nothing but their own Mana as the catalyst.

    They always have a brown, tanned skin tone in their maiden upper body, and their fish-like parts are always embelished with beautiful and mesmerizing scales. Legend says when a Iara cries sincerely, her tears turn useless chunk of stones into beautiful and pristine white and\or black pearls. This reason alone would be enough to make any adventurer fall into the hunt for these beings, but never did a Iara cry during a battle due to pain, may it be physical or not.

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    Chapter 1 ¨C Like a Stone, alone...

    [¡­ Ra stood on the battlefield, mountains of corpses all already him. Men, women and beast alike. The blood-stained weapons on his hands were crudely made, but they were effective. The primal man stood with vacant eyes, he saw nothing but despair and death around him... ''This can''t be... There must be something else...'', he thought, desperately to himself.

    ¡°Adau me! Adau m- *cough *cough...¡±, a harsh and desperate voice groaned underneath Ra. The young warrior turned to face it, and saw a man with a stabbed eye and with his guts falling down on the ground, the man was barely alive, he only was in such an almost-dead state because of the two corpses above him that made pressure to the wound on his belly and prevent his innards from falling away from the body.

    Ra stepped towards the man, ¡°Adau! Adau!¡±, with a closer view he finally recalled. It was the man that led the raiding party that invaded Ra''s safe haven. They wanted his fire. He would gladly share it with them, but they wanted it all for themselves and leave the others with nothing, Ra could not accept that. There was a struggle.

    ¡°Hey, Ra, we''re done here. The rest of us are falling back to tend to the wounded, you comin, brother?¡±, Tighra''s voice came from behind.

    ¡°Yeah, I am going¡±, Ra said while seeing the moribund man. He lifted his fang-sword. The man''s eye filled with hope, for a quick death. Tchink. The sword laid in front of the man''s eye, next to his face, but unreachable.

    Ra turned back and left. ¡­]

    ''Great... That dream again...'', the boy sluggishly opened his eyes. His body barely moving and obeying his mind. He turned his head to the right towards the nightstand. 9:05 AM. ''Shit... I''m late again.''. He made himself get up from his bed and started getting himself dressed and ready for university. He''s eighteen years old now, finally a fully grown and independent young man in front of society. Not, that he was not already...

    He is Rafael Silva. Eighteen years old, Brazilian. The year is 2021. He''s currently living by himself in a small apartment in a rather decaying building in the capital city of Natal. He has a regular fit corpse, although he does nothing to keep it that way. He has average looks, although his smaller heights, with only 165cm, may be an exception. He is currently a university student of I.T, Information Technology. Before university he was a bright student, no zero-grades, at all. He had a loving and caring family. Yeah... had. They all died three years ago. His brother and sister died in a car accident when returning from work at their medical clinic. His aunt died in a failed attempt of robbery. Both of his fathers, died in a plane crash, two different planes. It all happened at the same day.

    There is no need to say that the fifteen years old was crushed. His dreams and hopes were simply vanished into the tears the spilled from his eyes... He stopped drawing, even though he could easily draw a full-body human anatomy study, in detail, with ease. He stopped writing, even though doing that filled the void he felt at his heart ever since he was a kid. He stopped praying and he stopped loving... No girlfriends ever since that day, no falling in love. No feeling and hoping... Simply living for... the sake of living.

    An empty life. A husk from a former, brighter, self. Even so, he stubbornly lived through. Something inside him, pushing him forward. The reason? He couldn''t tell, but there was something... maybe the same void that filled his heart was the reason. The void, you ask? It is a feeling that lies inside the heart of Rafael, and he simply cannot fill it with anything. Not with the love of his family. Not with love of a girlfriend. Not with the love of drawing or writing. But sometimes he would get glimpses of fulfillment. They were all related to stories about magic and fantasy, about warriors and mages, and things like that. Those tiny moments made him feel a bit better, but the void would soon envelop it...

    Now, there was nothing special left on the boy. Without dreams and without the wills to make them happen... he was simply a depressed boy, that lost his family and lived through day-by-day. He left behind what he liked to do. All those games, MMO''s and RPG''s. All those comic books. All those fantasy and horror books. All of the music, metal, rock, reggae... Even that drawing teacher that almost helped him publish his first comic book, the one whom he looked up to and saw him as someone to inspire himself with, even that teacher was left behind...

    Even so, he doesn''t hate the world. I mean how could he? Would you hate the two airlines whose planes crashed on the same day? Would you hate your aunt''s school because one of it''s employees was assaulted and died next to it? Would you hate the highways or the driver responsible for the death of your brother and sister? There were too many different things to hate, that he would have to hate it all... At first he actually did hate it all, but the void in his heart also devoured that hate. Now, he could not even hate as well.

    After lazily dressing up, he ate breakfast, a glass of juice and a sandwich made of bread and eggs. Then, he sets off to take the bus and get to university. It was 9:30 AM in the morning, more than a class late already.

    After a whole morning of classes, which were thoroughly spent in reading RoyalRoad''s fictions and doodling random stuff in the sketchbook. The day was suspiciously clad in gray clouds that could delve into one''s heart and seep out it''s gloom, and if it wasn''t already enough, the chilly winds were enough to take away the smile of anyone. And so the day went on. A bunch of classes. A bunch of widely diverse teachers and students. Old and cranky, young and devoted, others middle-aged and funny... One should know it is not advisable to have such a behavior in University. Damn, it''s the time you get to learn how to properly work and live!

    But that terrible void in his heart simply would not let him concentrate on anything. Especially because the feeling has grown since that accident. The emptiness would take away everything he was learning and everything he felt, or hoped. And, as said earlier, it would be slightly sufficed with fantasy stories and such. So, there''s the reason for sinking himself in fiction stories and web novels... But the 4G would eventually stop working and then...

    He would be back to the somber reality, where he did not matter and where he did not change the world. Later that day, the night classes went a little bit overboard and ended only after 21:00 pm, but there was no reason to complain, the teachers chose to give extra classes because of the upcoming tests, so he just strolled with it, and for how lucky that boy was, he had to go home by bus. Well, luck had nothing to do it exactly, rather it was because he just barely made 18 years old, and here in Brazil one can only take our driver''s license once you''re 18, so he didn''t have made the test, yet, not that he wanted to do it, anyway... All in all, the boy started hurrying himself a bit before anything bad would happen, despite it, everything just seemed normal. That is... so he thought.

    We was waiting at the bus station. He was waiting for 40min already, and no sign of his bus. Normally, one would be listening to music while waiting for the bus, but he just stared at the street. There was only a single person at the station, besides him. A shady-looking thin man, his clothes were ragged and had a lot of holes, his skin was bruised and filthy. His eyes were frantic and desperate. He couldn''t stop fidgeting his right hand, while the left one didn''t leave his jeans pocket. The boy paid no mind to the man, who constantly gazed at the student. If he started being afraid of death now, it would be a complete hypocrisy to the relief we would feel once he was dead.

    A young woman was coming, from the other direction. It was a young student, raven-haired, fine and delicate lines. Her eyes seemed to be so lightly blue, they were almost white. Her lips were pink and her skin was like porcelain. She was the same height as the shady man at the station. She was carrying books in one of her arms, while checking her cell phone on the other hand, distracted. She passed through the station and turned left on the alley. Let''s make a bet, between you guys and me?

    Yep, lucky shot. The shady man followed the woman down the alley street. Now, normally, call 911 (or 190, here in Brazil) would be your first choice wouldn''t it? Yeah. It would. But what was that student boy first choice? That boy that lost mostly anything that ever meant something for him, either by something out of his reach or by simply leaving it behind. That boy that didn''t smile, for the last three years.

    He followed down the alley. He heard the screaming, before he saw the scene. The man was on top of the woman, she was struggling to stand at her feet. The man shouted, desperately and angrily. He tried to take away her purse, while she still tried to resist. The boy walked, trying to make no sound. The struggle intensified. And.

    Brace yourselves...

    ...

    What a surprise!! The assaulter had a gun, he was pointing at the woman''s head. The boy started running. He lunged himself on top of the man, and tried to immobilize his gunned hand. He started shouting at the girl, trying to make her go away. She ran, tears were in her eyes, and she slipped many times when running. Something inside the boy''s heart was relieved, that girl seemed familiar for him, but he couldn''t tell why. Someone sane enough would say this was a rather suicidal decision that he made. And he would agree. But something in his gut told him it was the right decision to make. A grin started forming in his face. Then.

    BAM!

    He can''t hear nothing anymore, there''s only a buzzing sound, it''s unbearable. Then his head is hit by the man''s elbow. The boy falls down, he is in the ground, and tries to get up.

    BAM!

    The worst pain he ever felt obliterated it''s way trough his right thigh. The stinging pain washing away every reasonable thought I could have had, strangely he recalls a childhood memory, when he burned both of his hands in the stove, he was still learning to walk. Then before he could even think to forget about that another pain burns his nerves, at the stomach... And as the boy was gulping down blood, the thief rushed to his backpack procuring anything that would be valuable.

    ''Hah, good thing I didn''t brought my laptop... Knock yourself out, you fucker, there''s only books in ther...''

    The boy even raised a mocking thought, as he laid down on the ground, blood seeping from his wounds. He was shivering, everything was getting so cold. Yet, in the boy''s heart... something was right, something inside of him was glad and satisfied... He was thinking to himself, ''I did what I could...'', and now the void in his heart was no more... that is except for the void that was taking his sight away, leaving him alone with his mind.

    The boy took his final deep breath. You could say that his soul was finally ¡°desincarnating¡±, or some sort. In the eyes of men, nothing was happening, that is, the dying boy was merely taking his final breath. But, if one were to look with another set of eyes... eyes of more than a mere human... eyes of a spirit, or even so the eyes of a god. One would see. The boy''s soul, binded to his corpse, not allowed to leave.

    The boy''s eyes burst open.

    - - - - - - - - ¨C - - - ¨C ¨C - - - - -

    As the young body stood there, frozen still on the ground, after all the shivering and lonely minutes, as his blood drained down onto the ground. When suddenly a young woman started making her way, headed into the direction of the body. She was quite average woman, apparently a student given the books she had in her hands. She had a delighted smirk on her face whilst she made her way, calmly.

    Her heels stopped right in front of the body''s open eyes, which, unnaturally gazed upwards, to her. She grinned upon that. Then shadows gathered around her, in her feet, climbing up her legs, arms and finally her face. The once fairly-beautiful young woman was now a very sensual and vexing adult female. Her ample bust and bottoms were truly something out of this world. Not only that, her raven hair poured down her shoulders like two tapestries made out of the starlit night, her skin had a slightly red hue, and was covered by many different tattoos and markings, all of them pitch-black. In her forehead, there stood two simple and rounded horns. Her eyes were pitch-black and in their center there stood silver pupils, as if purity amongst a pool of tar. Her dress was a rather simple, though very efficient, strapless and black long dress, cut in the sides leaving her legs partially exposed. She had stockings all the way up to her knees, leaving her thighs bare. As said earlier, she stood on top of spiky high heels.

    ¡°Finally, you complied with my plans, my sweet boy...¡±, her voice demonstrated a mocking tone, and somewhat pleased as well. As if savoring the words, she licked her lips while kneeling down next to the young man, ¡°Or should I say, milord? Hmhahahahaha.¡±

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    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can''t have the luxury to hear your voice, yet. Neither your complaints, I''ll fix it soon though. But for... ''saving my life'' I''ll give you a present.¡±, she looked at his eyes with lust inherently intricate in her gaze, looking down at him as if he was her biggest catch. The boy couldn''t help but shiver at that thought, ¡°Would you like me to give you a present...?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, he looked her in the eyes, then his gaze shifted downwards for a second, whilst that in his mind he wondered about what could she ever be talking about, then it returned and he started glaring at her, again.

    ¡°Oh my! By the Heavens, don''t glare me like that, milord, you''ll frighten me.¡±, she feigned a surprised and startled expression, a rather sneering tone permeated her voice. The boy did nothing but stare at her, wondering why she insisted on calling him ''milord'' twice, after all, he was just a rather boring and unknown kid until moments ago, now he died in a rather miserable and undignified way, and the one he was supposed to save, turned out to be a devil or whatever she is...

    ¡°Oh wait! That''s right! I just remembered that Father first move of action was for us, his cute little winged puppies, to cut down his competition! So, by the hands of those dove-winged blond guys with halos stuck on their heads, you, and many others of your kind, were stripped from their powers and their memories! Although we are getting help from one of them...¡±. ''Come on... Remember...'', the devil silently thought to herself, as the boy confusingly glared at her, without a clue about what was happening.

    ''What the fucking hell is she talking about?''

    ¡°Oh, honey. Believe me! Hell''s got nothing to do with this...¡±, she said in a dejected expression, apparently not happy upon the reference of ''hell''. ''This will be way worse than I thought... I took too long to find you, I am so sorry, my little brother...''

    ''Did she just-?''

    ¡°Oh yes! I did! No need to make such a fuss about it! You''re so humanly boring for such a powerful entity that carved it''s way into human history with glory and war on it''s trail...¡±. ''Well, since he doesn''t remember a thing, why not play roles for a bit...? Let''s have some fun for a change!''

    ''If I could just make sense of whatever nonsense you''re so devoted in blabbering about now, whilst I lay dead here on the ground! Then, yes, I would definitely make sure not to seem anymore boring to you!''

    ¡°Yay! The wolf has indeed kept it''s fangs, even though they may not be as sharp anymore. Well, I really should say tiger, though...¡±, ''Her mocking tone was starting to get on my nerves, fuck why devils must be such assholes...''. ¡°Hmph...¡±, she looked at him, head to toe, and the other way around.

    ¡°Damn... You were cute in this body... Fuck, I should have done it with you before I got you killed, outright. What a shame...¡±, ''Shit! I haven''t done it in centuries, and his soul still smells the same way.... Fuuuck.....'', the moans at the end of her sentence and her lust-filled serpentine voice were enough to make any man fall to it''s knees in front of her and beg for... well you know it. ¡°Well, that''s all right, I''ll just have to hope for your new body to be just as good.¡±

    She was looking at me intently. ''New body? What the fuck is she talking about? Fuck, can''t I just die in my own pathetic way rather peacefully?''

    ¡°Hmrhahahahahahah! Ooh, you''ll make me die, Ra!¡±

    ''What did you just called me...?''. A rush passed through the boy''s soul, as if upon the calling of that word it contorted towards it...

    ¡°Oh, that''s right. I know. Ravhan...¡± That last word. It was like a beacon, and his soul contorted itself and twisted towards it, as if longing to have it. It was like a putting a bait in front of a very hungry and desperate animal.

    ''Th-that''s...''

    ¡°Your true name. Well... At least one of them, acutally.¡±

    ''¡­'', the boy''s mind sparked at that statement. It sounded otherworldly, lunatic and completely insane. But. He was a corpse mind-talking with a demoness. And his mind burst with a strange feeling of familiarity...

    ¡°Don''t worry. I don''t mean you harm. Rather, I need your help.¡±, suddenly her voice shifted to a serious tone. ''After all, you waited long enough! We have waited long enough...''

    ''Could I at least know your name beforehand? As lunatic as this situation as getting, I might as well know your name before I set my way down to hell, afterward. Right now, my mind was in the middle of, one could say, a total shitstorm, after being dead than suddenly talking to a rather vexing older woman, whom could only be described as a ¡°succubus¡± or some sort of ¡°devil¡±, if not the fucking ¡°Devil¡± himself, I am suddenly referred as milord, and if not enough I even get to be called by another name, whom I should not even have heard of, and evens spikes my mind with a nostalgic feeling... So, yeah, your name would be nice.''

    ¡°Lilith.¡±.''Although you should remember my other names... I really hope you do...'', she had a gentle, but sad, smile in her face as she spoke her name. The boy felt his heart tightening as he saw her face, he felt sadness incomparable seeing her like that, and he could only guess why...

    ''Oh... hang on... are we really talking about something like The Lilith? The one who refused Adam and... stuff?''

    ¡°Don''t even get me started with that bastard...¡±, she frowned as an irritated expression took hold of her features.

    ''Okay, I never asked anything about it at all. Now, what about that thing about helping you?'', something in the boy''s mind told him to not anger that woman in front of him, he couldn''t tell why, it didn''t sound like it would be dangerous if that were to happen, it sound more like... not wanting to live through it, again, as if a distant memory whom he could not recall told him so...

    She laughed while elegantly keeping the palm of her hand in front of her mouth. ¡°Ok, back to business. I shouldn''t keep you like this for very long. It''s not right. Well, the thing is. I found a hole in the system, per say. But I need something to exploit it.¡±

    ''What system are we talking about...?'', the confusion that took hold of the boy''s mind couldn''t be elaborated, things were simply happening too fast.

    ¡°You know, I don''t exactly like being a demon! It''s not like I actually enjoyed being the new face of evil for the last nine centuries! I was already sick with the first one, for Earth''s sake...¡±

    ''Ok! I get it! I totally understand it! I think... I mean, my situation isn''t exactly understandable right now! I don''t even know how I am processing it so easily... But seriously what system?''

    ¡°I''m keeping your soul bound to your body, basically. It''s not that much of a deal. That way, neither God or the Devil knows that you''re dead, yet. We''ve got to hurry, there isn''t much more time left¡±, she had a rather anxious expression right now, and then her voice assumed a rather soft and pleading tone, baffling me out, as if I hadn''t enough surprises for the day, ¡°Will you help me or not, Ra?¡±

    ''I don''t even know why you call me like that! I don''t know why it seems so familiar either... Hell, how do I even know you''re not fucking me up and setting me on a eternity-like damnation for my soul?''

    ¡°You don''t. But know this. Your soul, all of it''s prior lives, is a very strong one, strong enough to interfere with the fate of those around you. You were king, warlord and hero and you changed the world! Anywhere and whenever you were! That is... it was...¡±

    ''Sorry, but I can''t say I believe in you given my current-''

    ¡°That''s your fault. You let yourself drown in your sadness in this life. I guess, maybe you really are tired...¡±, her voice softened, tuning down as the words flowed out, ¡°I guess I have no chance at all... I should have known it was a blind shot... I should have known the toll of not having a name for so long...¡±

    ''Hmph....'', the boy had mixed feelings about being the one at fault, especially when he remembers about that day... but he looked at the woman in front of him... she seemed sincere, despite all of things. He wondered what he would to do to help her, if anything could go wrong, but he forgot about that once he remembered the fact he was already dead. What else could go wrong?

    ''Fine!''

    ¡°Hm!?¡±

    ''I sai- I mean I thought ¨C fuck, just... I agree with it. I''m helping you out.'', a glimmer passed through her eyes, a splinter of hope, perhaps, and her downward gazed turned to my eyes, ''But... shouldn''t I be- you know... less dead to help you...?''

    She glared at him, her eyes half-closed, inspecting the boy. ¡°I don''t believe you...¡±. ''Sorry, my love, but you must be adamant in your decision... Please forgive me for this...''

    ''What? I''m dead here, lady. You can clearly see that!''

    ¡°Ravhan Gwaraka...¡±, the names were spoken in a harsher and irritated voice, her silvers started gleaming with power. As the words were spoken out the boy felt his soul longing for them, desperately trying to release itself from it''s invisible chains and claim the names for itself, getting twisted and torn apart, then melded together in the whole process, and it all caused an immense and excruciating pain, that could not be described.

    ''AAARRGH! STOP!'', the boy''s mind screamed for relief.

    ¡°...¡±, she just looked at him with a complicated, but frowning expression.

    ''I''LL HELP YOU! JUST STOOO-AAAAARRGHHH!''

    ¡°Hm...¡±, the pain faded away, and so did her eyes settled down, but his mind was stuck in a blurry and hazy state... ¡°Promise me on all of your names that you will help me.¡±

    ''Fuck! You got me killed and I am the one who''s got to do the promising!?''

    ¡°Ra-¡±

    ''OK! I swear it!''

    ¡°You must speak your true name during the promise.¡±

    ''Fuckin details...How is that even my true name for starters...''

    ¡°...¡±

    ''I promise it, on the name of Ravhan Gwaraka , that I will help you, Lilith.'', the boy didn''t even flinch at the pronunciation of the strange name as he strangely acted as if it has always been his all along. As soon as he finished the thought, a surge of power took hold of his soul, as he felt a bond being formed with the woman in front of him.

    ¡°Thank you so much! Now we can set our way to the new world! I was wondering how fare the others there... I hope they''re okay...¡±

    ''Wait, wait, wait! What was that? New world?''

    ¡°Yes! You and I, will be reborn in a new world!¡±

    ''Come again...?'', the boy just stared at her with wide eyes while she happily grinned at him, brimming with newfound excitement.

    The devil woman then took the young man in her arms, lifting him, effortlessly. With a satisfied smile in her face, and one last ¡°Thank you¡±, she started to walk, and soon they vanished into the shadows of the alley. Soon after that, the police cars passed through the street in a rush. They were looking for the missing bandit. And for a corpse of a recently-deceased student. But they were not there to be found.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Author''s Note: So, yeah, during the prologue I may have vented my anger into the Christian Pantheon, but that is an internal struggle of mine, that I do not wish to bother you with. I am already working on the side chapter that shows Yahweh perspective on the story, to clear off the doubts and to prevent any more misunderstandings. Please, also take in account that I do not intend to offend anyone''s religious beliefs, it is just that some times my own religious frustrations seep into my writing, especially when the Main Characther is basically a written version of myself.  So apologies if I made Yahweh sound like too much of a ''bad guy'', so far, I will clarify it soon enough.

 Inter-Chapter - An Old Shepherd

    [¡­ The old man was sitting on a simple chair. Many of his children were playing and singing all around him, blissfully and grinning in their innocence. Beautiful children with tiny white wings and golden halos hovering their beautiful hair. But the elder''s mind was far from this place... It wandered to his most ancient memory, the memory of his first life...

    It was a harsh time. Mankind just barely learned how to use fire and weapons. One tribe stood above all of the rest, it was a tribe that learned how to hunt in the night and that learned how to pray in order to get fire or blessing during the fights, the tribe was being called Noctumai, children of night. The man that led this tribe was a very young man, despite what one would think, the others called him Ravahn, Raven, because he was smarter than his age seemed and the night belonged to him, just like it belongs to an eerie crow. The Noctumai were a force to be reckoned with, any tribe that stood up against them fell into disgrace and was either obliterated or assimilated into their own. Ravahn was a keen leader, he would accept those that could offer what his tribe did not have, assimilating their knowledge and their ways into his own, and when there was nothing to offer, he would simply obliterate his enemy, without mercy.

    The old man was leader of his own tribe. It was an average group, there were just as many elders as there were young ones, one would say that would be disadvantageous, but the elder could not leave his own brothers and sisters, while he stood at the final moments of his life. But because they weren''t a noticeable group the Noctumai never deemed it necessary to help them and supply them with fire. There was no advantage in that alliance. Still, the elder''s kin strived and struggled to survive, stubbornly not accepting they were being thinned out.

    The elder had a son. A young and brave warrior, that was too brave for his own good. Frustrated for being left out, the young warrior rallied his brothers and sisters and decided they would take the fire that rightfully belong to them by force. The elder desperately tried to contain his son. The Noctumai had better weapons, were better satiated in both food and water, and to top of it all, they even began taming beasts! But the rage of his son was not quenchable... And so he left to war...

    The elder could do nothing as he found the body of his son, left to die, in an agonizing and slow manner, with a sharp blade left right in front of his face. His eyes were already empty and dull, but his chest still moved, very slightly. He was still alive... The elder chest stung with pain and remorse. He promised himself he would never forget this, he promised himself there would be justice. He was too old to wish for revenge, but he could imagine a path where this would never have happened. A world where men and women did not wage war for food, water or fire. A world where everyone would love each other, like brother and sister. A world where he would show and teach the way for anyone who wished for his help, and he would punished those that are guilty too... Oh, and they will be punished...

    Standing on his feet with the help of his rod. The elder man looked to the skies and saw a tiny dove passing by, when it stopped in the branch of a tree, it was stroke down by a black-winged creature, blood seeping from it''s recently slit throat. The raven started bickering on the wound, eating slowly. The man sighed at this sight, and only hoped for when the time would come that nothing of that sorts would have to happen ever again...

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    ''None of my children will have to suffer... Never again... You will be punished for this, Ravhan, in time you will pay for this... Punishment will come for those that are guilty, and those that are not will be protected in my herd...''

    Time passed and that elder tribe vanished, forgotten and left behind, they died. But the elder one reincarnated, over and over again. And every life he would dream of this, and remember, and his will would be furthermore fortified. By every life, he gathered believers. By every life he gathered faith around him. He preached his ways, he preached what he thought was right. Many pursued him for this. He was cast out numberous times. But he did not falter. Until... Finally he arose. And many of his believers with him as well. He was finally a God, and now he could find that merciless hunter''s soul and finally punish him... But, what he found...

    He found out that he became a God as well. In fact a far more powerful God than the Elder could have ever been... What was he to do now. He was nothing but an ant compared to that ancient and savage god... So, the elder one decided to seek allies, there''s bound to be someone who did not like that god, just like him.

    One by one, he found them. One by one he convinced them. Some other gods tried to stop his plans, but the elder god was becoming more and more powerful as his faith started spreading throughout the world, once those that pursued and hunted him started praising and praying to him. He grieved on this, but he couldn''t let himself be noticed, so he waged those other gods down. He too was a force to be reckoned with, now. Those that disagreed kept themselves away from him, those that agreed would flock into him, into his herd, seeing and deeming him as the only way out from the reign from that Savage...

    Now he had allies all around him. But he still didn''t have his son... The son that was taken from him on the first life, and the son he never had in any life that followed through. So he decided he would create his son, again.

    The other gods told him it was non-sense. No god can create sentient beings, that is impossible. True, they never tried before, especially because that Savage ruler never allowed them to, but there was no god as powerful as the Elder Yahweh now, and with the allies he gathered into his pantheon, he brimmed with almost endless power and knowledge of all sorts. So, together with a various amounts of other gods, he started studying the matter.

    And so the First Man was created. Yahweh thought about the name, he couldn''t remember the name of his first son, when he realized that the floor crumbled beneath his feet. After all of this... He couldn''t remember... But then his heart was warmed by the voice of his creation.

    ¡°I am Adam, you''re my Father, right?¡±

    The joy that filled his heart was unmeasurable, such was it that he almost forgot what he was trying to accomplish ever since he became a god. But then, that savage finally died and reascended to the Heavens as a new god, yet again. Upon seeing him with even more power, Yahweh remembered himself what happened when that man was allowed to gather power. And so he continued his endeavors to bring that savage down. Until that happened, none in his flock would ever be safe from his dark clutches ...]

 Chapter 2 - Nightfall

    Gaia''s Bestiary Journal Entry #5 - The Curupyr (Forest Fire Demon) (Incomplete)

    The Curupyr are an extremely controversial existence. Their unique origin and behavior, controversial to that origin, is the sole reason behind this. Born as demonic and tainted entities, the curupyr are a special kind of demon that learned, or rather, developed a henchman behavior to most civilizations. Their diminutive and child-like body not often tricks traveler and not-knowing adventurers into their traps and mischievousness, should the approached person not gift the Curupyr a batch of tobacco or some other form of ''smoke'', the curupyr may unleash what can only be described as a ''nature hell'' of pain among him\her.

    For the Curupyr is not a child, nor an infant demon existence. It is an old and trickster being, that made forests and natural environments as it''s home, and if the time comes he needs to act to protect such home, the forest demon will leave his child-like body and take on the form of a gigantic 250cm tall black being whose long hair in his head, and the furred spots on wrists and ankles, are made of nothing but green ghost-fire, his teeth are entirely white and resemble more sharp edged knives and his eyes are ever-burning flames. No survivor has ever overcome the trauma of looking at an ''enraged'' Curupyr, spending the rest of their days in lunatic and psycothic screaming episodes in their sleep, invalid and disabled for the rest of their lives...

    Should you ever come into a Curupyr, always give him some tobbaco, and never, I warn you, never, do anything that should hurt the forest or it''s inhabitants... Remember that for being a demon the Curupyr respect the ''survival of the fittest''law, it is not offensive to kill for food or safety, but killing for sport will surely cause the rage of such demon...

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 2 - Nightfall

    ¡°Uhm... Ok, I think I''m ready for Hell, right now.¡±, his mind was a chaotic mess after suddenly being enveloped into shadows and appearing at what could only be described as a chess table in the middle of the Cosmos.

    ¡°What to do you mean?¡±, the woman was sincerely confused at the boy''s statement.

    ¡°What I mean is that I''ve grown tired of this crazy shit, and I''m done trying to understand this maze of a shitty situation I am currently in. Get me down to Hell at once and just end this bullshit, for Christ''s sake...¡±. The young man left the arms of the woman, as he felt his body once again. He looked down and mired his form in a faintly golden and transparent glow.

    ¡°*sigh... There is no catch. Seriously, you''re not going to hell, Ra...¡±, the woman sighed, sounding annoyed at the boy insistence on that matter.

    ¡°Ok, stop calling me that! Whenever you call me like that I feel...¡±

    ¡°What? Fidgety? Haha... just embrace it, honey. It''s yours.¡±

    ¡°You know what I just remembered something.¡±

    ¡°You did? What!? What did you remember!?¡±, excitement filled her voice, as her eyes started gleaming with hope. ''Finally! I knew it! If someone could pull through it would be him!''

    ''Tell me once again why am I not angry with you for getting me- oh I don''t know... KILLED!?'', the boy tried to find reason as the logical reality around him crumbled down to tiny bits as he walked as a golden ghost in and endless horizon of stars and planets. His mind was the eye of the storm right now, he didn''t even know why he accepted to help the woman, his mind screamed at him that she was the one at fault for his death, even though he wasn''t too much a fan of living as well, but something inside him, he felt that it was only right to do so... Still, the frustration of not understanding what was happening was being vented out at the woman, who could be claimed as guilty, depending on your perspective...

    ¡°...¡±, the woman had no words, her hope was utterly crushed by a young man simply raging at her for a tiny circumstance that could be hardly attributed to her in normal situations while she desperately tried to have a glimpse of the loved one she lost so many centuries ago, and for whom she faced, literally Hell, so that she could keep an eye on him and help him get back on his feet once the time came...

    ¡°Don''t you dare try put the blame on me!! You were the one at fault! You chose to be left behind while the rest of us would be safely protected in another Legacy! You didn''t even care to think about how we would feel without you! You just did whatever suited you, JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS DID!!¡±, her voice burst out in anger while her voice started crackling down in sobs, her heart ached and her love was not there to comfort her... The only thing she had in her arms reach was but a husk of him... It''s essence, it''s soul, smelled just like him, even this mortal body resembled his, but it just wasn''t him... It was so unfair...

    ¡°¡­¡±, the boy''s mind went blank, the sound of her tears were like battering rams crushing down his heart. He couldn''t tell why, but her sobbing voice just cracked his soul at his core...

    ¡°Nine centuries... Nine hundred years... Three hundred twenty-eight thousand and five hundred days... I counted every second, every minute... Each time the day ended my heart skipped a beat hoping for your brothers to contact me and say that it was the time...¡±

    ¡°Look I-i...¡±

    ¡°Every day I would wait... And every day I would watch you from afar... Each one of your lives...¡±

    ¡°Hey let me apo-!¡±

    ¡°Dawns!! How it hurt to see you suffer in so many of them... The times you had your loved ones taken from you... I remember each one of them. Still! You just would reincarnate every time it ended! By your third time, you couldn''t even muster the will to live anymore...¡±

    ¡°I AM SORRY, OKAY!?¡±

    ¡°*sob *sob *sob...¡±

    ¡°I shouldn''t have said it was your fault, okay!? I was the one who chose to go there and stop that robber, I was the one who chose not to call 190 and I was the one who got killed by my own volition. So could you please stop crying...?¡±. ''God, seeing her crying is tearing me apart... but why...? Seriously, who is she? Why do I feel so... connected to her...'', the thought raced through his mind, not paying attention that he was no longer subjected to having the woman reading his mind. After all, they were no longer at Earth, at the Void, one cannot bend reality to obey one''s whims for there isn''t one to bend in the first place.

    In other words, the demoness bended the reality tissue so that she could communicate with the imprisoned soul in the body, but now in a sortf of spiritual realm, his soul was free to do what he pleased and was allowed to freely talk, think and do as he wished with none to fret or interfere with his actions.

    ¡°Hm... *sob...¡±, the woman took a deep breath, trying to calm down as her emotions poured out of her with no restraints.

    ¡°Damn, chief, shouldn''t you have learned already not to make ''er cry? I mean she is the Mistress of the Night, even though she doesn''t seem so, right now. It gives ya bad mojo to make a beautiful lady cry like that.¡±, a strange and accented voice came from the sides, as the sound of steps only grew louder and closer.

    The boy turned to see the source, only for his eyes to meet a tall man, 210cm, slouching and casually walking towards them. His body was covered in scars, animal pelts and on his head there was a headdress made out of a very big eagle. His skin was brownish, and his eyes were slightly greenish. He had a smile on his face and a nostalgic look on his face.

    ¡°Ma''am Noctai...¡±, the bird-man bowed to the woman in front of him. She took a deep breath, contained her tears and gave a dignified nod to him.

    ¡°Okay...¡±, the boy stared at the man, even slouching the bird-man was taller than him, not that he was already used to that, I mean even the woman here is taller than him. Hard to be taller than someone when you have only about 165cm tall. ¡°What is happening...?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the bird-man stared at the boy, he brought his face closer, eye to eye. It was like looking into the eyes of an old eagle, ready to strike at it''s prey, and how little was this prey at the eyes of the eagle. ¡°His spark... it''s too dim, m''lady... what happened? It''s even like his empty inside...¡±

    ¡°I''ll tell you what happened! You and the others took too long!¡±, the woman raged as she poked her finger in the man''s chest, pushing him back. ¡°Do you know many times he died? Do you know how many times he watched his family all around him dying while he could do nothing!? Without a name he can''t have any power, he can''t have even a potential fate like the rest of the mortals!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the man dared not to speak a word, he knew it would only suffice to ignite even more her rage, he just bowed his head lowly, in shame.

    ¡°Dawns! His soul is barely mortal after all the stress it went through! Where''s Raoni with his name? We need it before he starts thinking about going back!¡±

    ¡°We cannot bring Raoni over before our... ally appears. Right now, there''s only me, Mamuf, Ursus, Tighra and that four-winged fella, Gabrieli or something.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel? Archangel Gabriel? He is the ally?¡±

    ¡°No, he is the message-boy of the ally.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Nox couldn''t help but be surprised, if an Archangel was being the messenger... there could only be three persons that could be that powerful and respected... and one of them was Ra''s enemy, while the other was his jailer. ¡°Take us to the others, then. Lift him up if you have to, I''m done trying to make him remember.¡±

    ¡°Hang on! Don''t I have a say in thi- Woah!¡±, the boy tried to rebuke, but the bird-man easily lifted him on his shoulders and walked behind the woman, who was clearly irritated as her steps were hard enough to leave small cracks in the ''chess table'' beneath her feet.

    ¡°Sorry, chief, you heard the lady... Woah, you''re so light! Heck, you''re not even one hundredth of the power you had... That is so strange... and sad... Damn...¡±, the bird-man had a joyful tone at first, but as he realized the situation his voice grew somber and gloom, now he just silently walked by at the side of the lady as they crossed the Void space.

    ¡°...¡±, the boy just stood silent. Trying to set his mind right, his thoughts racing from one side to the other, trying to remember as those strangers wanted him to remember, but he simply couldn''t, it was like something was missing or taken. But there was another strange feeling, I mean he just met these two people, but deep inside he felt as if he had known them for ages. Total strangers, crazy ones at that you might say, but his gut kept telling him they were dear to him... ''Fuck... How more crazy can this get?''

    They kept walking until five figures came into sight. One of them was a heavily armored eight-winged blond man, his features were fine and delicate, almost feminine. The other three remembered the bird-man, but there were differences, like there were two gigantic figures, one taller than the other, that is the mammoth-man, and the other sturdier, bear-man, the third one was about the boy''s height, but his muscles were far more stronger and his body also showed many scars, that is the tiger-man. The fifth figure, that stood between the angel and the other 3, was a tall man with gentle eyes, he had a long hair and a short-beard, his skin was not white, rather resembled a lot of the skin from the animal-men but it was much more ''untouched'', and looked indeed brighter. He had a worn-out jeans, a pair of leather sandals and a simple white shirt with a three coloured circle, saying on top of it ''Olodum''. One could see a beaded necklace, blue and white, as well. The boy stared at that strangely casual-looking man, something was off. He remembered seeing that man''s face somewhere, but he couldn''t tell where...

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Noctumai¡±, the three animal-men bowed at the sight of the woman. She nodded back at then. She looked at the other two figures, and bowed to him in a noble manner, even though she seemed not wanting to do so.

    ¡°Yehsu, Lion of Judah.¡±, the words slipped through her teeth as she gritted them. She was not fond of doing this, apparently, or rather she wasn''t fond of that person.

    ''Oh shit, you got to be kiddin'' me...'', the boy stared slack-jawed and wide-eyed at the young man with hippie style. When they were alive his family was rather religious, even though they mixed other beliefs, one could say that they believed in God and Christ together with afro-brazillian religions... So... meeting Christ, in flesh, well, sort of... Let''s just stick with the rest of the dialogue while the boy tries to put his jaw back into place.

    ¡°Careful with how you refer to the Lamb of God, yo-¡±, the angel started unsheathing his sword, furiously.

    ¡°Gabriel!¡±, the hippie man yelled at the angel. He looked at the woman who already stood proud again. On high heels she was even taller than him. ¡°Please, Lady Nox, you mustn''t bow to anyone... Rather, I should be the one bowing...¡±, he started to bow, ¡°I''m deeply sorry for the wrong-doings of my Father, m''lady.¡±

    ¡°Hmph...¡±, the angel twisted his nose seeing this.

    The woman lifted her brow. She wasn''t convinced, not after nine hundred years of seeing her loved one suffer at the hands of the so called ''merciful and glorious Holy father''. ¡°Remind me again, Yehsu, why did you come...?¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡±, the man chuckled as he realized the woman was still clearly mad at him, rather his father, but he paid no mind, ¡°For years me and older brother Oxalah have counseled Father to relieve Ra from his punishment. But the shame of his actions and the fear of retaliation took the best of his actions and he simply let it slide on...¡±

    ¡°Shouldn''t your ''Holy Father'' be bigger and more powerful than a simple fear...?¡±, the woman sneered with a frowning and angry look in her eyes. It was just so hypocrite...

    ¡°Ahh...¡±, the hippie-guy sighed, ¡°What is God if not a man trying his best to keep his loved ones safe? A man with other-wordily powers and just as humanly intentions and feelings?¡±

    ¡°Tch...¡±, the angel clicked his tongue... hearing, from the Son itself, the Holy Father being diminished to simple mortal man was just...

    ¡°...¡±, the woman''s eye flickered for a moment, perhaps he was not as bad...

    Seeing her still silent the man turned to the animal-men, ¡°Should we continue, then? Brother Oxalah is keeping Father distracted but it shouldn''t take long for him to become watchful again.¡±

    The three-animal men looked between themselves them turned to the boy on the eagle-man''s shoulder. They could feel it, the essence of their leader, their warchief, but it was so faint and deep inside that boy. It had to be done and quickly before his soul started denying the Void and vanished into oblivion. ¡°Yes.¡±, the bear-man spoke.

    The hippie then proceeded to make a cross in the air in front of him. And closed his eyes and mumbling prayers, with his hands in a praying pose. Then he suddenly stopped and turned to eagle-man. ¡°Hey, Agio, I forgot to bring my stuff, mind lending me your mojo charms for a while?¡±

    ¡°Heh? What? Aren''t you supposed to be fine with that cross-thingy?¡±

    ¡°Wel...¡±, the hippy just casually started scratching the back of his head, with an embarassed expression on his face, ¡°It is exactly that thing I forgot back home...¡±

    ¡°By the Skies, brotha...¡±, the eagle-man face-palmed... ¡°You''re kinda careless for a holy Son guy, aren''t ya? Here.¡±, the eagle-man tossed an engraved wooden totem with feathers and a tiny skull attached to it.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±, the hippie man grabbed it with both of his hands and closed his eyes, once again he began chanting. The others, whom appeared concerned, were now relieved, and patiently waited for the outcome. Then...

    ¡°Nope, it won''t do. I''m gonna break if I try it with this one.¡±, the hippie guy suddenly stated, breaking his focus and opening his eyes again.

    ¡°What!?¡±, Ursus was startled.

    ¡°You''re kiddin!?¡±, Tighra snapped.

    ¡°He doesn''t even know what he is doing!¡± Mamuf accused.

    ¡°Have some respect for our Lord!¡±, the angel vociferated.

    ¡°SHUT IT ALL OF YOU!!¡±, silence filled the space as Nox screamed them down. ¡°Now, Yehsu, please elaborate, I am no mood for your plays...¡±, Nox''s face was twitching as she held herself down in control... Agio was the only who kept silence as he thought to himself.

    ¡°Well, the thing is if I channel the amount of power this totem here might break just at the exact critical point of the summoning. It is not fit for this huge amount of power.¡±, the hippie guy explained while wearing a ''I can''t do much'' sort of expression.

    ¡°Hmpf...¡±, Nox sighed as she massaged her temple wearing a tired face... ¡°I can''t believe I trusted you...¡±

    ¡°Hey, brothas, do you have ya totems wit ya, too?¡±, Agio suddenly inquired his kinsmen.

    ¡°Yes.¡±, Mamuf responded sincerely.

    ¡°Hm!¡±, Tighra suddenly jumped out realizing what Agio was planning, ¡°I''m not trusting my totem to that softened junky!! He might as well be coacting with his damned and treacherous Father!¡±

    ¡°That''s it! If you''re not going to respect him I am not letting you breathe anymore!¡±, the angel lunged himself at the tiger-man.

    ¡°Bring it on, dovey-boy!¡±, Tighra prepared himself to battle. The angel sliced down his sword, aiming from his target''s right shoulder to his stomach.

    Raaawr, the tiger-man roared and jumped to the left, while raking, with talon-like blades, at the stomach side of the angel, but his target barreled to the side and using his wings to cover, a few feathers scattered in the air. They faced each other.

    ¡°I''m totally not releasing your seals, Nox.¡±, the hippie said as he ignored the other two fighting, as if he already expected that.

    ¡°Then tell me why shouldn''t I force you to do so!?¡±, the woman yelled the words through her teeth while gritting forcefully.

    ¡°That''s actually pretty simple. Lucy is the one that have the power over your seals. Father wouldn''t trust me with them, he knew I would have set you free once I had it in my hands.¡±, the man explained nonchalantly, lifting his hands in the air in a ''I can''t do nothing'' pose, while casually ignoring the threat the woman just muttered to him.

    ¡°By all the darkest heavens... WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO ANNOYING!?¡±, the woman''s voice became thunder as darkness seeped out of her and an extreme pressure exhaled from her, forcing the tribesmen and the angel into the ground with devastating strength. Only the hippie guys seemed to be fine with it, although he started sweating a bit on his forehead. The boy could do nothing as he felt as his bones were being crushed down to mush...

    ¡°M''lady!¡±, Agio tried to talk while he could barely lift his head up from the ground, ¡°There is a way! Calm down! Plea-se...¡±.

    ¡°Fine...¡±, the woman backed down her pressure. ¡°And you two stay down or you gonna get more than just pressure...¡± she hissed to the two fighters that could barely standing up after fighting and being knocked to the ground in the slip of a second.

    ¡°Whoosh... Damn, that was some nice pressure... I even sweated a bit¡±, the hippie guy was strangely excited when everyone started looking at him strangely he lifted his hand, apollogetic, ¡°Okay, sorry, my bad, hehe...¡±

    ¡°Agio, what are you planning?¡±, Ursus was the first to ask, while Mamuf stared with inquisitive eyes at his eagle-kinsman.

    ¡°Maybe one of our other totems is strong enough to harness the amount of power needed to complete the summoning. Eagle may be a major totem, but it never was the strongest one in the first place...¡±

    ¡°Which is the reason why you let a stranger harness your spirit totem, because you knew he would not tap from our strongest source.¡±, Mamuf muttered with a strong voice.

    ¡°Yes...¡±, Agio admitted.

    ¡°Even when I am the helping you guys won''t budge... People weren''t joking when they said primal men are sturdy and stubborn...¡±, the hippie guy casually stated while sighing, once he noticed the frustrated looks at him he lifted his hands in a ''not-guilty'' manner.

    ''What a Jesus, huh...'', the boy couldn''t help but be a bit disappointed at the careless attitude of the ''Lamb of God'', he wasn''t sure what he expected from him either, maybe something more... dignified...?

    ¡°Brother.¡±, Ursus called to Mamuf, ¡°Maybe we should try that.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Are you crazy? Ravahn was the only one to ever accomplish that. We can''t possibly do it, even with the four of us, together. Especially the four of us together.¡±, Mamuf rebuked.

    ¡°What is ''that''?¡±, Nox asked coldly.

    ¡°To unite several different spirit totems into one, increasing it''s power by manyfolds.¡±, Ursus replied, he then turned to Mamuf again, ¡°our descendants pulled it through. You saw it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Mamuf had a worried look.

    ¡°Brother, who are we to our ancestors if we cannot do something even those after us, our children, pulled through!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Mamuf stood silent.

    ¡°What have we got to lose anyway!?¡±, Ursus yelled. When his words stopped spreading through the horizon, a thunderous drumming sound started resonating in all of the space.

    DRMDRUMDRUMDRUMDRUM...

    It could hardly be noticed, but if looked at closely one could see moving outlines, dark silhouettes, lurking in the infinity of the Cosmos around them. They started lurking, and when the sound stopped, they stopped too. The group was left with an eerie feeling inside them, but they shook it off. The boy, though, he had a gut feeling, screaming at him to prepare for battle or run away, and the feeling just wouldn''t leave...

    SCREEEEEEEEAAEEEEWW. BRRRRAWWWWIIIAAAAH.

    Deafening screeches pierced the ambient while creatures made of cosmos lunged themselves at the group. Void beasts...

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Author''s Note: SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER! But it won''t be long I promise! Thanks a lot for the feedback so far, and for so many followers in such short time xD! Keep up with me, we''re almost at the reincarnation scene \o\! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Also, I''m trying to keep most (if not all) of the chapter titles as real music titles, so if you wanna enjoy music that slightly influenced the chapter\story development, take some time to give it a shot xD!

    First Chapter - Like a Stone - Audioslave

    Second Chapter - Nightfall - Xandria

 Chapter 3 - In the Shadows

    Gaia''s Bestiary Entry #61 - Void Beasts (Unconfirmed\Unproven)

    Well, I''m terribly sorry for writing down an unconfirmed existence, but due to the nature of the source, I decided against my better judgement, to share this rather unusual and unusual and disconcerting information.

    As you all are well aware, I''m greatly fond of and am a sponsor of the scenic arts. During a rather lowly and not divulged theather presentation, on the streets, I came to meet the director of said play. He was a dignified man, the man smelled royalty, although I could not make myself recall of where or to whom he was related to, his skin was strangely and profusely pale, almost nearing white, and he was clad in dark refined clothes, but I decided to pay it no attention when I asked for the gentleman''s name. He dubbed himself ''Dream'', but stated that I could refer to him as Mr. Morfeus. I could not believe so, it sounded utterly lunatic! But the confidence and pride behind his words got me curious. So I offered the man to pay a drink in order to unmask the masquerade of the impersonator. I was horribly astounded. The amount of knowledge the man spilled out from his mouth was simply outlandish. And, for the sake of irony, the more we talked and chatted about, the more veracious his stories and tales seem, and the more would I be charmed by his weird charisma. We reached the point he finally mentioned the Void Beasts... In his own words:

    ''Beasts made of the "absent" matter and that only obeys to the Legacy''s, or in mortal terms, the Reality''s Astral Ruler. Those beasts are created, no, it''s more suitable to state that they are born and surged out of masses of floating chaos amidst the Cosmos and only heed to the innate characteristic "Alpha" ability of a Astral Ruler of a said reality. They come in many forms and shapes, sometimes they are defined by the star constellations defined and discovered, or not, by a sentient civilization\people. In other times, they appear as ilogically and irrational amalgams that defy what a mortal deems as natural. Either way, they are born to the sole purpose of taking down Gods. Should these beasts and creatures ever run rampant, in any Legacy, they would devour the reality tissue and time itself, until nothingness was the only left in that Universe.''

    I dare not to add or take any word from this quotation. I can only shiver and tremble in front of the dread that this statement predicts and defines... May the Gods protect us from ever confirming this existence...

    Sincerely and truly yours,

    Sir. Gallaghan Merlintius, Magical Biologist of the **********

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 3 ¨C In the Shadows

    [¡­ Now we¡¯re standing here together

    At the crystal borderline

    All my memories are shattered

    Nothing¡¯s left of what was mine

    I¡¯m tryin¡¯ to hold you

    But you slip away

    A candle cannot burn forever

    To whom am I to pray ¡­]

    (I do not own these lyrics, they belong to the musical band Beyond the Black, the music in question is In the Shadows)

    ¡°VOID BEASTS!¡±, Nox was the first to act as she raised shadows in her hands and by clashing her palms into the ground, spread a wave of tangible darkness that created a bubble around the group.

    ¡°Gabriel, I thought that jewish spell of protection-thingy was supposed to keep them at bay?¡±, the casualty in the voice of the hippie man simply did not fit into the faces of dread and anxiousness that took hold of his companions.

    ¡°Yes, and it did, mlord! I personally oversaw it and guarantee it!¡±, the angel responded rapidly. ¡°There was no way that it could have happened! Unles-¡±.

    ¡°Well, obviously you made a sloppy job at tha''!¡±, the tiger-man quickly snapped at the angel as the creatures moved closer and closer to the dark circle around them. But as the angel was suddenly interrupted by the tiger-man, Jesus realized what happened and his casual look went somber and grim, he had a serious and sad expression as he stared at the beasts, his thoughts only kept to himself...

    The sight... The beasts... They were... chaos. There can be no description for them, their forms are a terrible mayhem of deadly and awfully-looking parts jumbled together of what appears to be the sole purpose of instilling fear and dread into the hearts of it''s preys.

    ¡°WHAT THE SERIOUS FUCK, MAN!?¡±, the boy screamed as his mind was being obliterated by the sight in front of his eyes. His heart was frantic, his hands and feet trembled, and his eyes just wouldn''t stop staring at those things, as he realized it was the first he ever this feeling... Complete and total dread... Horror filled his being and took hold of every bone and muscle, he became motionless at this sight... All of the horros his mind could not imagine, were right in front of his eyes, bashing at the invisible barrier with tremendous and inhuman strength.

    ¡°Damned be you, you savage heretic jungle man!¡±, the angel yelled back at the tribesman, sadly fear took too much a toll in him and made his voice sound less dignified and much more desperate than he would have liked.

    ¡°STOP WASTING TIME, YOU BRAINLESS OAFS!¡±, Nox howled at the two instigators, her voice carried a tinge of both disappointment and pain. Her face was clearly contorted in exertion and pain. She was putting all of herself in the barrier. All of those around her stood silent as they shivered after hearing her voice. ¡°PROTECT RA WITH ALL OF YOURSELVES, Noctumai! GET THE SUMMONING DONE, NOW! ¡±

    The tribesmen gathered around Agio, who put the boy carefully on the ground, then each one of them took a small totem from their pouches, or belts, and together they started putting the pieces in a single whole, soon after they chanted and channeled their powers to it.

    ''We are the predators of the night, the hunters and huntresses of the veiled darkness, under pale moonlights we rise to take down our preys. May them be gigantic and strong, like the Mammuthus. May them be fierce and zealous, like the Ursaeni. May them be deadly and cunning, like the Tigris. Or may them ingenious and observant, as the Aghias. We bind our animal spirits into one, so that our strength can be one. We bind our souls into one, so that our stronger self may thrive, where we have perished...''

    RRRAWWWAAWRR. KYAAAAAARROOOOOAHHHHRGH. The deathly screeches sounded even more desperate and frenzied as the beasts started slamming their whole bodies into the protection. Their mouths full of teeth were drooling and foaming endlessly as they screeched and screeched, again and again... Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom... sounded their bodies into the wall...

    ¡°Aaaaaarrgghhh!!¡±, Nox screamed in pain as she poured even more darkness to hold the protection. ¡°Yehsu! Help me!!¡±, Nox cried for him to help. Seeing this, the boy couldn''t contain the feeling of jealousy he started feeling, but, yet again, she was merely a stranger to him.... wasn''t she...?

    The hippie boy walked to the side of the woman, made a cross signal. He said a silent prayer, and blood started pouring down his forehead, his hands and his feet, the clothes were being torn apart, though nothing moved to do so, until he stood almost bare-naked and his body was sickly thin and scarred. A golden light came from his mouth, and he started spasming. When he was done, he had regurgitated a thick and old scroll.

    ¡°For when I utter these words, they shall have but one meaning. The world of Men is no more. And silent shall be the Earth once again. For I, the Lamb of God, have broken the First Seal. And from my limbs there shall come to be a beast made of white mist. On top of it there will be a rider, armed with a bow, with no quiver, crowned, but not enthroned. His eyes will bear a sickly look, just like the plague he will wrought. He rides the White Steed, and his name shall be Conquest.¡±

    A bright white light surged from the ground beneath one of the creatures. A giant white mist poured from it and took the form of a gigantic eight-legged steed. On top of it, there was a rider, rather a ghost, formless and without outlines, but one could clearly see the bow and the crown. He started aiming his bow and pulling the string, white mists would propel into the creatures waging them down.

    ¡°When the land is entirely conquered, and no coward is left on the face of the Earth. The skies will be died in red, to mirror the pain wrought into the womb of the Mother Earth. Fire will surged from the invisible veins of the Old Mother. And from that fire there will come to be a terrible beast. For I, the Lamb of God, have broken the Second Seal. And from my blood there shall burn into existence a beast made of both blood and flames. It will stand on top of four legs, and it''s head will be a torso of a man, horned and blind. Armored with dark steel on his chest, and crimson blades on his hands. On it''s bareback there will ride a maiden, her skin will be dark as the dirt and her eyes will be flames, her teeth shall be spikes of earth and her nails, sharper than any blade made by man, she will wield lashes made of dark and crimson roses that will make any sinner and guilty, even the innocent souls, repent. Her cries will be deafening, for she is the herald of the Old Mother, that perished in pain and anguish. She rides the Red Steed, and her name shall be War.¡±

    A red thick liquid, apparently blood, poured from the ground flooding a pool on the ground. Then it burned, and from that the Red Steed, exactly as it was described came to be. What came next was a painful screech that made one''s soul shiver in regret. Her hair was orange, like fallen leaves, and floated like flames, but it had no gleam. She was the rider, and with her lashes she lunged at the creatures on top of her frenzied steed.

    ¡°When the guilty are slain, and the Old Mother''s cries have been heard and terrified their hearts. Then the moon will turn until she becomes two halves, one made of light, and the other of darkness. The Moon shall crash unto the Earth, and from it''s two halves there will be born one being. For I, the Lamb of God, have broken the Third Seal. And from my mind there shall be split a beast. With two heads and six legs, it''s pelt will be both dark and white. On top of it there shall be a rider, a two-headed creature with no eyes and on his torso there will be attached four arms, with four hands, on each of them there will hang a chained balance plate, beneath those plants there will hang, yet again, a meathook. He rides the Black and White Steed, and his name is Famine.¡±

    The ground split as the figure formed itself from both shadow and light. When it was finally formed, it was torn asunder by one of the creatures, but the steed charged fourth, each of his halves, and both of them lashed their hooks and plates at the creatures, tearing and bashing them up, down and back.

    ¡°When there is nothing more left. No weak, no sick, only dead. From the dark necrotic dirt there shall form, yet, one final beast. It will stand on two legs, and wings sprout from it''s back. It''s feathers will be rotten and worn. On it''s head there will stand three eyes, the third will hang as the head moves. On top of it, there will stand a maiden. She will be the most beautiful of them all, but she will be the saddest of them all. For she brings the end of men and beast, consuming all of the souls left on the world with her never-ending hunger for life. She will be bare skinned and she will look fair. When time comes, and as her flesh falls down from her rotting bones, life will sprout from the dead earth beneath her rotting corpse, and she will sow the whole world with her dying flesh and bone. Neither the steed or the rider will come from me, for I, the Lamb of God, have broken the Fourth Seal, and I will be one amongst the piles of corpses. She will be hers and hers alone. She rides the Pale Steed, and she is Death.¡±

    The ground became dirt and as flies came out and rotting scent invaded the surroundings, a gigantic crow burst out of it. A rotten, three-eyed crow. On top of it there stood a maiden. Half-alive and beautiful, and half-dead and rotten. She and her steed launched themselves at the creatures, as they frenziedly tore at their flesh and devoured it, at almost the same time. And she would pour her sick and tainted breath on them, and they would perish and rot in the ground.

    The riders and their beasts valiantly and ruthlessly charged at the creatures, who were flooding the surrounding with a never-ending tide, an endless number. They were a chaotic swarm that would never stop.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Huuuugh....huuugh... huuugh...¡±, Jesus was standing on his hands and knees, his breath was ragged and his body hardly seemed to be able to stand itself. It''s stomach was slit open, from side to side and his innards were pulling out, no blood flowed out from his wounds, his limbs were not his own, they were wooden sticks attached to his torso. His eyes looked vacant. ¡°No... more power...¡±

    ¡°Huuf...¡±, released her breath as she took a moment to rest while the battle reached a draw point. Sweat rained down on her skin, and her muscles trembled in exhaustion, her pale lost the healthy glow it once had, and her hair seemed dim.

    ¡°My lord!¡±, the angel rushed to Jesus''s side. ¡°Come, we must leave at once before the worst can hap-!¡±, Jesus wooden right arm slammed the stomach of the angel as he tried to lift him up. ¡°I WILL NOT LEAVE THEM TO THEIR OWN!¡±

    ¡°Hugh... but my lo-¡±, the angel recovered his breath and tried to make his lord see reason.

    ¡°Sound the trumpet... Before he gets here... Sound the trumpet...¡±, Jesus slipped the words between his irregular breath.

    ¡°The angelic castes...¡±, the archangel wide-eyed as Jesus talked he looked at him trying to find whatever sign that would say he was not meaning it, that he did not wish to do it, but there was none, ¡°They will die... m''lord...¡±

    ¡°Heed my word for I am the Martyr of Mankind! For I am the SON OF GOD! Obey me, Archangel! Or burn in the wrath of the LION OF JUDAH!!¡±, Jesus vociferated at the angel.

    ¡°Aaaaarrrgghhhhhh!!¡±, a scream pierced through the sounds of battle. It was a scream of young man. He was surrounded by other four men, and they were lunging a strange-looking piece of wood deep inside his chest. In his heart.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    While Yehsuh summoned upon The Four Horsemen, the tribesmen came into a stop. They just couldn''t merge their spirits into one totem. Their minds, their feelings, their intentions, they were all too disparate from each other. They could only chide themselves for not being as their chief told them to be... Brothers in arms, and brothers in the soul... They never truly saw each other as brothers. Surely in the heat of battle they would risk themselves for one another, but that was just in the middle of the fight where thoughts wouldn''t always be rational and thoroughly thought over. In peace, they could not make themselves love each other, as brothers and kinsmen, there was always a tinge of anger, or jealousy, or simply envy of one another. They looked at the situation outside the protection, that already bore numerous cracks, and it was only getting worse, even with the creatures that hippie-guy was summoning, even though they were powerful, they were simply being outnumbered. In this point, putting up a totem for a powerless god to summon up a portal to another entity? It was just pointless to do that.

    The four of them started arguing to each other, driving themselves even more apart from each other, with a sigh Agio just hung his head and swayed. Then, he stared at the scared boy on the ground. No... wait... not scared, rather... he looks... angry? The eagle-man was puzzled. How can a brat on his age and size, that never saw a real battle in his life, that never faced a man or beast running rampant towards him with killing intent, be glaring and gritting his teeth at an inter-dimensional creature that was out for his blood?

    Then he remembered his childhood, back when they were in the dawn of mankind. He once saw a young kid, shorter than him, looking to outside the cave, looking at the twilight. The boy was about two or three years younger than him, and didn''t look like much of a fighter material. But Agio was curious about him, because the boy just kept staring outside, whilst everyone else started going even deeper into the cave, so that no beast would try to come to them, they were desperately trying to keep the tiny ember they still had left still lit up. But that boy, he just stood there, then Agio noticed his fist, he was clenching his fist so hard, that blood started to slowly flow down through it. Agio went in closer, then he started hearing what that little boy was mumbling to himself.

    ''I''m not afraid! I won''t be afraid! I''m not like the rest of them! I''m not afraid of you! So, please, protect me! Protect me, Night! Protect me and fight by my side! Help me bring food and shelter to those around me!''

    Agio was sincerely surprised at what the boy was saying. No one would dare to pray to the Night, for she was the cause of their terrors and fears, and protected the predators lurking in the darkness. But Agio was soon unconvinced when he saw the boy fidgeting and his limbs trembling. Back then, the little Agio thought it was because the boy was afraid, and so his mumbling did not work, rather he was just a coward that hid behind his mumbles.

    But later Agio found out, when Ravahn was already the most promising hunter in the tribe, that he was not trembling because he was afraid. He was trembling because he was angry. Angry for being too young, angry for being too short and angry for being too weak. Agio didn''t believe and said to Ravahn prove it. Then later that day, for the first time in his life, Agio went on a night hunt with Ravahn... They nearly got killed and mangled on the first minutes. Then, Agio trembled and shivered. Because he was too weak, as well.

    That boy on the ground. That boy that did not know nothing of what he used to be. He was making the exact same face as that chief. That chief that taught him not to be afraid, but to be angry, with yourself, for being too weak, whether to protect yourself or those around you. Unnoticed, he nodded at the boy. His was resolute.

    ¡°QUIET!¡±, Agio shouted at his kinsmen. ¡°By the ancient spirits, WE ARE BROTHERS!¡±, Agio was disappointed, frustrated, and furious on himself for letting this happen and for also being one at fault, ¡°This is not what he taught us! This not how we should do! Do you all even remember, the way he died!?¡±, the boy started staring at the scene too, Agio smiled at himself inwardly, ''Hang on, chief! I''m gonna get these dumb-heads to do the right thing, just you wait!''

    ¡°...¡±, the other three stood silently as they hang their heads down in shame.

    ¡°Fuck! It was a messy night... Two enemy hunting parties crashed with ours during a night hunt... I mean they were out there for us, even though they looked like they lost a lot of their own for the beasts already, their numbers still was way higher than ours...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The four of us... we were there, together with his wife and some other fine huntresses, but we only summed up to nine, we didn''t even bring the war-beasts because it was rest night for them... And the enemy? Woosh, I counted thirty one heads back then...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ursus and Mamuf wanted to bring it on right in the front, but I told Ravahn I glimpsed a cave a few steps back. He made us go there, and the enemy started running into us. I don''t even know how we got there in one piece. When we got to the cave, we asked what to do. Again you two meat-heads, and you too, stripy, wanted to take them on. Chief, told us to press deeper. We thought it was crazy, I mean we would cornered in the worst way ever, with a lot of enemies to face it. But he insisted, and we followed, some of us, convinced, others, just to prove him wrong and die fighting.¡±

    ¡°Tch...¡±, Tighra clicked his tongue, his eyes were about to burst in tears, and his face was contorted in anger.

    ¡°When we got to the end of the cave we were stunned. It was a freakin tunnel! I mean how did he even know that? Was it a memory? Or a guess? Or that sick gut feeling he had, sometimes... Whatever, we went through the tunnel, reached a very thick patch of woods, we could hardly walk side-by-side inside it, relatively safe if we pulled the right way and just waited there sneakily...¡±

    ¡°Fucking tunnel... It would be better if it was a cave...¡±, Ursus clicked his tongue and muttered, gritting his teeth.

    ¡°Yeah... Maybe... But it wasn''t. It was a tunnel, and that exit we just left, was barely kept open, as loose rocks were on top of it about to fall down and crash anyone who might be the unlucky bastard... When we looked back, we saw him grinning at us and saying something but he was too far for us to hear it... And then the rocks came down...¡±

    ¡°After that, the cries started...¡±, Mamuf continued, his head standing high and proud, as tears poured down his hard and strong face.

    ¡°Yeah... The cries...¡±, Agio stated nostalgically, ¡°He died for us... He¡±, he pointed at the kid on the ground, ¡°died for us! Are we gonna let him die in front of us, again?¡±

    The other three looked into the eyes of one another. Their eyes were decisive and furious. They looked back at Agio, who was grinning with a twitching face. ¡°Chief.¡±, Agio called out to the boy.

    ¡°Hm?¡±, the kid slowly stood up.

    ¡°We are not your name. We are not your power, we cannot offer you anything of what you had or used to be.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the kid bit his lip, after all this shit that went through just now, he was just dying to have something. Anything! Even if it was just a freakin memory from his first crap! He was tired of being looked down by these people that seemed to know him, but he couldn''t remember them at all! He was tired of just standing by, while he saw Nox standing up and defending him! But... why her, though? Why he was so mad at seeing her tired and weak, and in danger?

    ¡°But you are tired, right? You''re angry!¡±, Agio continued as he walked closer, ¡°So... Do you want to have our power? After that, you''re just gonna have to take the woman there and the hippie-guy, channel their power with yours, then *click¡±, Agio snapped his fingers, ¡°Portal to another reality done and ready to go!¡±

    The boy stared at Agio. Then at the three other men. He thought for a second, he thought and he thought so many countless reasons why he should not accept. Why he should just let it go, and end with that already. When they were all finally dead, there would be nothing to feel, because they would be nothing. He just had to let it go, and quit it mid-way. Just like he has always done in his life, so far. Just like he feels he has done in every other life, too...

    ¡°Fuck it! I''m done being a coward! I''m done quitting! FUCK THIS AND BRING IT ON!¡±, as the boy thought out loud, just the second later he realized he yelled it out and the the tribesmen were grinning at him, he met their gazes with a furious and decisive look, too.

    ¡°Yeah! That''s the chief we talkin about!¡±, Ursus cheered.

    ¡°That''s the look that turned a sabercat into a giant and needy big kitty! Haha!¡±, Mamuf also celebrated.

    ¡°Yeah, I got nothing else better to do right now, anyways...¡±, Tighra falsely sneered with a satisfying smile.

    ¡°Hey, kid, I gotta warn ya though! It''s gonna hurt, a lot!¡±, Agio advised the boy, just to make sure he wouldn''t back down now.

    ¡°Is it worse than a bullet?¡±

    ¡°What is a bullet?¡±, Mamuf asked.

    ¡°That mini-arrow thingy that comes from the metal barrel-thingy. It burns when it touches, though.¡±, Tighra replied.

    ¡°Oh... So it''s like a burning arrow?¡±, Ursus tried to rationalize.

    ¡°It hurts more than a burning arrow, I think...¡±, Tighra replied back.

    ¡°It will hurt like a hundred burning arrows puncturing your stomach, then igniting your soul.¡±, Mamuf stated coldly.

    ¡°Tch...¡±, the boy shivered a little, but he remembered the pain he had when that woman tortured him with his ¡°name¡±, it doesn''t even makes sense how she could do that, even though she herself didn''t have his name with her, from what it looked liked, or whatever it meant to ¡°have¡± his name... All in all, he would take in anything, right now, in order to be able to do something, ¡°Yeah... Bring it on. I already tasted a bit of that earlier...¡±, the kid had a sneering smile, even though cold sweat swept down from his forehead.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A.N.: Okay... Things have stretched a bit more than I presumed... I''m so sorry for spending two and a half chapters in the Void, guys. But Ra needed some... well, some "shaking" to get in the right spot. I''m already finishing up on the fourth chapter, where Ra FINALLY get to the other side. Hope you guys enjoy it, although myself don''t feel I did my best here.

 Chapter 4 - Into the Void

    ¡°RAA!¡±, Nox yelled out as she saw the boy screaming in pain, but when she turned she met a dazzling almost dazzling light, but she could still see the outlines and shades of the figures before her. After lodging the totem in the boy''s chest, who fell down to his knees, the tallest figure started contorting in pain and when his back finally stood straight he was deformed. His already gigantic body was becoming even more so and a lump was forming on his head, a trump could be seen sprouting from his face and long and sharp tusks with it. When the man fully became a giant and absurd humanoid tusked creature, he lifted his hands and his lump in his air in a defying pose.

    Fuuuuuooowww. When he finished sounding his trump, his form started twisting and was sucked in to the boy''s body, more precisely into his wound. The boy''s eyes and mouth shone with power, his veins budging out and forcing the skin of his body, he tried to scream, but he was forced to focusing on absorbing the name and the power of the sacrificing soul.

    In the other side, a short but sturdy figure also started contorting itself. A tail sprouted from his spine, his hands turned into the sharpest of claws. He swayed heavily his head as he felt his teeth sprouting out and becoming longer and sharper.

    Rooooooaaaaawrr. When he leaned back and roared, his form twisted, being sucked in by the boy as well. Again the boy tried to scream, but his subconscious knew that no effort should be wasted in such function, all of it was being invested in surviving and absorbing the soul of the sacrificed ones.

    ¡°Tch. Your eagle shaman is smarter than I thought, Nightbeast...¡±, Jesus uttered while sparing a tiring look at the scene, he then turned to the angel who was stupefied with the scene and the sacrifice of those men, ¡°Now that we''re not the only ones sacrificing anymore... Sound the trumpet, Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the angel looked at the beasts and then to the man that commanded him, his eyes were that of a frightened coward, on the edge. He stood up, even his wings were twitching and trembling, his hand slowly and shiveringly moved to his belt, seeing this, Jesus looked a little bit relieved.

    ¡°What-? Agio...¡±, Nox had a sad look in her eyes, as tears slowly fell down, but her eyes soon broke contact when suddenly one of the creatures got hold of one of the Horsemen. It resembled a crab but with far more claws and gripping hands as well, it''s body was almost entirely covered by small eyes and the huge spiky fissure, that was it''s mouth, crossed it from side to side. It was a far bigger creature than the rest of the others, easily surpassing the horsemen in height. It stopped the advance of the red steed, and while it gripped the blades with it''s claws, it started putting his weight beneath the steed and lifting it in the air with his gripping hands. The rider lashed out at the beast, but it endured the pain with a demoralizing roar. The creature leaned back the rider and the steed and...

    THUDUUUUUUUUUM . The War Horseman fell down on top of the barrier, spreading even more cracks on it''s surface. Nox was forced to pour even more power to hold of what little was left of her protection as the horseman''s weight forced the barrier down to an almost disrupting point.

    Seeing this the angel reached his limit. It was the last drop. The angel desperately and frantically started flapping his wings and ran to the corner of the barrier, where there were fewer creatures. He forced himself on the barrier, mindlessly afraid.

    ¡°Gabriel! STO-aauhgh...¡±, Jesus tried to yell out to the angel, but he was too worn out, ¡°Stop! Ple-as-!¡±.

    Brrmuuooooooowwrr. The man besides to Mamuf started roaring as his form became much more the semblance of a bear. His form twisted and was also absorbed. Almost used to the numbing pain cycling his being, the boy started turning his head downwards, miring Nox and Jesus. He frowned upon seeing the horseman struggling to stand up on top of the barrier and with the woman panting as she put up even more power, she shivered in pain and exhaustion. The boy gritted his teeth.

    The eagle-man turned his head to take a look at the woman. He muttered something, but his voice could not be heard. He arced himself in pain, holding his hands next to his heart. Feathers sprouted from his skin, talons formed from his feet and a beak out of his nose.

    Kyiiiiaeeeewwww. The man-eagle flapped his wings and screeched. His form twisted as he was twisted by the kneeling boy. He tried to stand up, he was shivering and trembling, the veins still budging. The boy was breathing harshly and loudly, his arms arced in a wild manner. And stared.

    The red horseman was struggling with the gargantua-crab creature, it''s blades were getting stuck in the creatures bodies and no matter how many eyes were lashed out there were always more of them open and still functional. The creature lifted the steed once again, pushing and forcing him to the barrier. The third Horseman, Famine, lashed his hooks at the crab and pulled him back. The creature was forced several steps back, releasing the second horseman.

    The rider, War, launched both of her lashes at the crab as well, forming something similar to a tug of a war between the horsemen. Furious, the creature started swaying from side to side, the riders stood solid at first, but they soon were won over by the creature''s strength and lost their grip. The creature propelled in the air and aimed for the second horseman. Famine could do nothing as he was dragged in the air by his own chains...

    ¡­.. Thuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum.

    ¡­

    What followed next was hell. The angel, free from the barrier, flew through the battlefield, until he was suddenly gripped by one of the creatures, that slowly ripped apart two of his wings. As the angel yelled and screamed with all of the air inside of his lungs, the beasts started gnawing and raking his limbs. Wings were severed and broken in half, hands and feet were torn and devoured, although he did not bleed like a human, but his golden essence seeped out from his wounds and was thoroughly savored by the swarming creatures. His face was frozen in a terrified state.

    Jesus couldn''t even spare the time to see the fate of his terrified companion, even though he was one of the Archangels, next to none of the children of Yahweh ever dealt with something as terrifying as what they are facing now. The matter at hand was the swarm coming his way and the woman, who collapsed in the ground after wearing out all of her power. ''Tch... She didn''t even had her full power and she lasted this whole time... Fuckin seals...'', he painfully got up, his wooden limbs hurt him, but he made an effort nonetheless, he reached for the woman and tried to lift her, but he strength failed him and he futilely tried to drag her as he watched the incoming swarm...

    The creatures were foaming in their direction, clickling their claws and gnawing on their own spit. A particular one, the size of a puma, an amalgam of slug with many thin insect-like legs and claws, was licking it''s mouth with a several inches long tongue as he reached for the woman''s legs. When it was about to chomp on it...

    BAH! A sturdy bear-like figure mauled away the creature, and started stomping and raking at the other ones incoming. Jesus could barely recognize the figure, until he saw the lodged totem on his chest. He was taller now and stronger, he had brown fur all over him, but his dark hair could still be noticed in a patch of fur just above his head. Ra roared as he forced the creatures away with his claws and paws. When they were just a little bit more relieved from the swarm, Ra turned back took both Nox and Jesus in his arms and started charging back. His corpse started shifting and becoming bigger and heavier, tusks sprouted from his mouth and a trump above it, he was changing between the four spirits he received. Jesus looked at the away the angel went, just to see a mesh of feathers and flesh, he grieved for this, but looked more attentively looking for something. His expression softened when he found what he was searching.

    ¡°There! Ra, go for the trumpet!¡±, Jesus pointed at the left, in the direction of a rather swarming patch of creatures that gnawed on body parts. ¡°Horsemen! Protect your Lamb!¡±, he yelled out again to the riders that struggled with the bigger beasts. Both Famine and War were battling the gargantua-crab, whilst Death endlessly assaulted a creature that resembled a humanoid squid with multiple bat wings. Jesus clicked his tongue when he perceived the situation, it was a mess, none of them could him and his companions go through, until he remembered something.

    ¡°Con-!¡±, when he was about to call for him the First Horseman trampled through the creatures on Ra''s left side, stomped by the hooves of his eight-legged steed. He then aimed his bow and shot a barrage of multiple mist arrows that cleared away as the creatures twitched and winced in pain. After that, the 200cm tall mammoth-man ran into that direction.

    His fur was flawed and he was bleeding profusely, but the fortitude on his new form pushed him forward, unstoppable. With both of his arms occupied, he relied on his strong trump to sweep away the swarming creatures. When they reached the place, he put Jesus on the ground while keeping the creatures at bay. Jesus knelt and reached for a carved wooden horn. Jesus put it on his lips and soared it.

    Ra had to put one of his hands on his ear as an incisive sounded pierced through his eardrums. ¡°Ok, that''ll do the trick, we should try to get away from this swarm while they distract it.¡±, Ra tilted his head, he knew about the current situation, the riders were struggling to survive even for themselves, how would they be able to distract the whole swarm for their sake? ¡°No, no, it''s not th-¡±, when Jesus started explaining blinding lights started surging on the battlefield, amidst the creatures. Then winged soldiers poured out from them and lunged directly into battle. Ra was nearly blinded when one of those appeared right next to him. Jesus turned and smiled at him. More at ease Ra quickly grabbed Jesus into his arms once again and started running, away from the creatures.

    The endless tide was now occupied with the almost as endless tide of angels that just kept appearing in blinding and shining explosions of light. Ra didn''t even had to sweep away the creatures with his trump like before, because Conquest rode just next to them, and either trampled or shot away any creature that would dare come close. As they ran, Ra finally thought over, now that he was more at ease...

    Gladly the creatures were much more numerous than they were big in size. This endless tide... were each of these creatures any bigger than they are... I think they wouldn''t be able to be stopped or idled by angels or the Four Horsemen. Obviously there were exceptions. The gargantua-crub and the Ctulhu-like warrior proved it. But... why?

    ¡°Here! This is enough!¡±, Jesus told Ra, ¡°Conquest! Keep them at bay!¡±. Ra put them down, he carefully laid the woman on the ground, as she slowly opened up her eyes. Ra slowly turned back to his human form, although the thrill of battle and escape still urged for him to keep his form, or one of the other three. When she met his eyes, a glad smile broke through her exhausted expression. ¡°R-ah...¡±, her voice was hoarse and dry, she barely spoke. The boy felt joy, his feelings conflicted with one another, as he resented for not remembering, or should it be better to say, not knowing anything about his first life as ¡°Ra¡±... but still he could feel, truthfully in his heart, happy seeing her smile...

    ¡°Ok, here is the thing, channel your power to this totem.¡±, Jesus touched the carving figure in the chest of the boy, ¡°Then you repeat the chant after me, and voil¨¢ portal to another reality all set up and done!¡±, the man seemed more desperate than excited as he said this.

    ¡°But, how is it supposed to go to the right reality, or something?¡±, Ra was concerned, something didn''t feel right, his gut was warning him.

    ¡°Well, agh... It''s not a portal to another reality. I don''t have enough power to do that, anymore. Will have to make do with something else! A portal for your own essence. You''re going to create a pathway to meet your essence that lies there in that other reality, when you bargained your names for protection. You set up your own pathway to it, nine hundreds year ago... Otherwise, it would be impossible for you to escape this reality without help.¡±, Jesus admitted, ¡°You are the most unscrupulous tactician I''ve ever known... I''m glad we never met, haha...¡±

    ¡°Hm...¡±, Ra thought about it, his gut was screaming at this situation, something was definitely off, then a sparkle went through his mind, ¡°What of her?¡±, he asked about the woman, who was slowly standing up, recovering just a bit of her strength.

    ¡°Um- Yeah, yeah, she just has to hang on tight with you!¡±, Jesus hesitated for a tiny screen of a second as he sounded desperate, Ra''s gut screamed at this!

    ¡°No way! I''m not leaving her behind!¡±, after all they passed through, he''s not leaving her behind, not after all she passed through to get to him and have the both of them reincarnated in another world, or whatever.

    ¡°...¡±, she just stood silent as she screamed, guilt feeling her face, but a little joy sparkled in her heart.

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    ¡°You prefer to die with us!? Let''s do it before it is too late us to try anythin--!¡±, Jesus tried to reply, but.

    BRAAAAWWIIIIAAHRRRRGHHH! A gigantic roar thundered the place, bigger and louder than anything before, when the three of them turned to face it. They saw the gargantuan-crab devouring the Second and the Third Horsemen, when it was done with them, it started swaying aside the swarm of lesser creatures around him, and devouring them too. He grew bigger and stronger by each creature that disappeared in the abyss of his maw. The angelic hosts started charging against the enlarging creature, only to be devoured by it as well.

    ''Fuck... No. no. no. no. NO!'', Ra could only anger at the sight. ¡°Repeat after me! And channel your power to the totem!¡±

    ¡°I am the First of them all. And shall I be once again. As I bend void and time. Matter and energy. To reunite myself with what I lost. As I lay empty within, I rip the cloth that separates the Legacies so that I make myself whole!¡±, Jesus quickly stated, ¡°Repeat these words until you feel... something!¡±

    ¡°Something!? You kidding, right?¡±, the uncertainty at this plan didn''t suit Ra, he didn''t like it at all.

    ¡°Hell! No one ever tried this before, Ra! You guys are fuckin trail-blazers even at this point where you''re at the bottom! Just get to it before any more creatures start devouring each other and growing bigger until we are surrounded by gigantic monsters for heaven''s sake!!!¡±, Jesus snapped, clearly affected.

    Clicking his tongue, Ra started chanting. Nox approached him, putting her hand on his shoulder and leaned in. Ra stood still as the woman kissed him on the lips, softly, closing her eyes and resting her forehead on his, she whispers... ¡°Thank you, Ra... For turning me into who I am... but... it''s time I turn back... okay?¡±, her voice was full of sadness and gloom, her hands trembled in anxiousness.

    She stepped away. She looked at the boy. It was not him, but at least there was some of him in there. That was enough. She remembered the words he once told her. The words that formed her. The words that made her. She only had to undo these words, now... ''Even now, I disappoint you, undoing the greatest gift you ever gave me... Oh my love... please... live on''.

    ¡°N-no... Wait... Nox! WAIT!¡±. The boy tried to reach for her. ''He remembered!'', she thought to herself as her chest throbbed with pain and anguish for not being allowed to cherish this moment, she retrieved her hand before he could touch it, and in tears she stepped away from him and turned back. She hated this... her cursed existence... in the end she would vanish just as she appeared... clad in fear and sadness. But at least she had some joy in the mid-way, right...?

    ¡°I neglect the words once given to me! I neglect this beautiful and defined side of myself! I neglect the forms and shapes you saw in me!¡±, her face was washed in tears as she yelled, ¡°I accept! I accept my cursed true self! To be formless and shapeless! To be an abyss of fear and dread! I shed this beautiful skin to unleash the horror that once inspired nothing, but fear into the living!¡±

    She turned to black, in her entirety. Clothes, skin and hair alike. Then her form contorted and twisted, and many more arms sprouted from it, forming claws and maws... she looked exactly like those beasts, but... instead of seeming a living cosmos, an agglomerate of stars in the darkness... she was just black. Pitch black. Like a night, without any light...

    ¡°She broke them... she broke the seals... Fuck, she even turned back to her original form...¡±, Jesus mumbled, ¡°what kind of monsters are you, people...¡±, Jesus chuckled while he watched in horror the battle in front of him. ''What should I be afraid of... these beasts or these monsters that I was helping...''

    The creature that Nox became mindlessly assaulted the swarm of creatures. Whilst in the far corner, the gargantuan-crab finished devouring the ctulhu-warrior creature and the Fourth Horseman, Death. As the last rider Conquest rode forth, charging against the devouring creature. Jesus just stood there, powerless.

    ''No... No... Fuck, even with this power... Even with this...'', Ra swayed his head and gritting his teeth he put his hands together and chants. He gritted at the fact that he called that woman ¡°Nox¡±, without even remembering why or how did he know it, and he pushed away from his mind the fact that she just turned and sacrificed herself... He pushed away the fear he felt of that creature, growing bigger by the second. He pushed away everything. Until nothing was left in his mind, but his will to survive.

    Time sluggishly went by. As that creature came ever closer, swallowing angels and beasts alike. Jesus was just staring with empty eyes, his power was tapped, he gave his all in summoning the Horsemen. To Ra there was nothing but noise, screams and roar, around him. He just focused on the wood stuck on his chest, from which blood still poured out, slowly. Suddenly a sound. Actually it was the exact opposite. It was like ''silence'' suddenly formed between his hand, in front of that totem.

    The sound and what one would deem as an anomaly, a rift, enlarged and took hold of Ra''s body. A rip in the reality, in the void. It grew larger and larger until it enveloped his whole body. The last thing he saw was the sight of that giant creature and the ¡°Nox¡± creature clashing with each other. ''¡­'', his mind was blank... in the end he didn''t know what to feel about her... something inside him missed her, but the actual him knew her as a total stranger. In the end she died for him, sort of. And he couldn''t even properly reflect if he could ever return what she felt...

    I mean, how could he fall in love for someone who he doesn''t even remember? And who did nothing but plot his death and bring him to space where they were cornered by dimensional(?) beasts...?

    ¡­ Well... in the end when he got that ¡°power¡± from those other four he really felt something different in his heart. It was like the void that he always was just a little... satisfied. In that point, he felt gratitude for them... He thanked them, but... they died...

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¨C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Jesus just watched as the boy was enveloped in that anomaly. When he vanished, he sighed in relief. The gargantuan void beast gnawed on what seemed to be the throat of Nox, who in turn winced and screeched painfully, the void beast twisted it and forced it down to the ground. The beast was larger than Nox, yet again, she lost a tremendous amount of power keeping that protection barrier up. When she was overpowered and contained in the ground, deep inside she felt a little relieved... at least she would no longer feel anything, right?

    Jesus watched with a complicated look as Nox was being gnawed and thoroughly raked to death by that giant void beast, and once it was distracted, the smaller ones started swarming over her body and doing the same thing too. Jesus was disgusted, he felt sorry for her... especially because...

    ¡°Oh my... Dad is sooo not going to like this...¡±, a voice came from Jesus''s back. ¡°Especially about Gabriel... but... I guess he just wasn''t ready to cope with this... Umph...¡±, Jesus could imagine the figure of someone massaging the temple with a tired look in the face and closed eyes, although the one he was imagining would definitely be faking it.

    ¡°You sure took your time, Lucy...¡±, Jesus said with a hoarse and tired voice, ¡°I mean creating big ones just for the sake of breaking the barrier and then splitting them into a tenfold of smaller ones just to swarm us...¡±

    ¡°Yes... I wanted to give you guys a shot, you know...¡±, the voice replied. Jesus turned to meet the figure. It was a young woman in a ravishing and expensive tuxedo, he had blond hair, but his eyes were deep crimson red. His lines were feminine and sensual.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±, Jesus inquired.

    ¡°Well... I felt sorry for her... She spent the whole centuries in hell, watching him... It was just so sad...¡±

    ¡°Hoh? The devil being compassionate? Mankind would be slack-jawed...¡±, Jesus joked.

    ¡°Fufu... Mankind''s too stupid to realize that even we have feelings, little brother...¡±, after chuckling for a second, Lucy replied, with a disappointed tone.

    ¡°Sadly... But he wasn''t... He made The Nightbeast fall in love with him after all.¡±, Jesus stated, simply.

    ¡°Yes. I can only shiver at what he will do in the other world... It thrills me with curiosity... That god? He is mankind instincts incarnate...¡±, Lucy uttered her words in a rather lustful manner.

    ¡°So. Tell me. Why aren''t you stopping it now?¡±, Jesus hissed at Lucifer.

    ¡°You truly don''t understand?¡±, Lucy asked in a serious monotone.

    ¡°Hm?¡±, Jesus raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh my... Don''t blame me for spoiling it then... You would figure it out sooner or later anyway...¡±, Lucifer mumbled and took a quick breath before continuing, ¡°Do you know how the Universes come to be, little brother?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Jesus stared silently waiting for an answer.

    ¡°Legacies. Realities. They are void beasts.¡±, Lucy stated quickly, rather careless, ¡°They are so full and filled with positive matter and spiritual essence, that it finally reaches a breaking point. The dark, negative matter that forms them can no longer contain the endless amount of those two components. So, just like any other instinctive beast, from any world or reality, it simply walks away, knowing that it''s death nears. Once they find themselves in the in-between space of dimensions... they explode. And just like that... another Legacy is woven into the tapestry that is the Multiverse...¡±

    ¡°Guh...¡±, Jesus widened his eyes and stared at Lucy, slack-jawed.

    ¡°It gives quite a somber and unique reason for why Realities are called ''Legacies'', don''t you think? Each Reality is a Legacy of a beast, born from chaos, that spent it''s entire existence devouring matter and spirits...¡±

    ¡°Hugh...¡±, Jesus swayed his head to regain his composure, ¡°But! Still, why are you lettin her die!? Just for the sake of filling up a Void Beast so that it can blow up and ''breed'' another Universe?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Lucy glared at Jesus, ¡°Let me just state the fact that if I, indeed, had said yes as an answer for that question, in no circumstances would I ever be wrong, little brother!¡±, after snapping out a bit, Lucy breathed deeply and continued, ¡°But no... that''s indeed not the reason...¡±

    ¡°Then what is it!?¡±, Jesus''s voice hoarsed even more as he pushed his throat to raise his words.

    Lucy sideglanced at Jesus...

    ¡°Do you really believe that something as old as her will just accept being consumed...?¡±, Lucy''s voice was dead serious...

    ¡°...¡±, Jesus then turned his head to the swarm. The void beasts were already retreating after the command of the Lord of Hell. But one of them was still finishing it''s meal, savouring every bit of it. When there was nothing more left, the void beast leaned back and roared triumphantly... as his little brothers marched steadily to the brink of the horizon, as they climbed the ''walls'' of the Cosmos and took their rightful places among the stars, once again... That Beast stood... After roaring it simply stood... still.

    When Jesus was about to turn at Lucifer and inquire him, the beast started twitching, as if synchronized. It contorted and winced in pain, as the stars that embellished it''s dark skin disappeared, one by one. When the beast was nothing, but blackness, it recomposed itself and stared. Stared right into the place where Ra ripped the Legacy.

    As Lucy watched for Jesus''s reaction... ''But I assure you, little brother... That is not the only reason, either...'', she silently kept to himself...

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Author''s Note: Okay! Guys, it''s 0300 AM here, and I have classes in about... three hours. So please forgive me, but I''ll put this chapter''s Bestiary Entry tomorrow, morning or afternoon. SO! What do you think the other side is gonna be like? What will Ra do... Are you guys okay about how he felt about Nox, in the end... Or that spoil on Lucy''s part was too much... Leave your reply, your opinion, or even pull out some chat with me! Thanks a lot for reading!! xD

    Today''s Chapter Music - Tanelorn (Into the Void) by Blind Guardian

 Chapter 5 - Curse my Name

    Kingdom of Aiura Pioneer - The Truth of the Past by Sir. Gallaghan Merlintius

    <del>Contrary to the current popular belief of our Kingdom,</del> Mankind is most definetely not the first intelligent civilization that evolved and thrived, in that matter we are, of course, disregarding the ancient elven-folk, who has been here for more than our minds can think of. Setting that aside, let me clarify your <del>current hazed</del> minds with the knowledge that me and my dexterous expedition team have uncovered.

    The first civilization that rose from the perilous and harsh lands of our world was none other than the Primal Men. Yes, the ancestors of the Beast-folk. The original "skin-changers". Now, if you''re still reading this essay that must mean that either you are very open-minded and values, much more so than others, the treasure that is knowledge, or you are simply stubborn and want to finish until so that you can try to prove me wrong. Well, my dear friend, if you''re the second one I am afraid you may not be able to undervalue my reputation, for I have already done that, and due to the fact that I''ll simply write down my thoughts on what happened in the evolutionary story of our two species, I''ll not print down any proving example of what I uncovered, <del>after all the Royal Crown may as well try to take it from me.</del>

    From what we''ve found, the fossils and relics found related to the Primal tribe were much older and much more developed than our ancient ancestors in there current period. I''ve even found evidence that our kinds have met and interacted with each other much more than <del>our economical and political superiors may want to transpire</del> and what is displayed in our archaelogical archives. My expedition have found inumerous fossils and ancient tools that not only prove that our two kinds have lived during the same period, that theirs was much more developed and evolved, but also that the Primal Men were part of, if not the sole reason for our rising into civilization!! While I am not sure as to why our kinds have not merged into one another and become an entirely new species, which was totally plausible given the assisting behavior the Primal Men had to our ancestors, I may be close to uncover why their descendents have originated so many different tribes among the Beast-folk!

    It appears that the Primal Men were strong mana-infused beings that could mimic the genes of many of the species of that period, and they should be able to do so now as well, if at least there still was a living specimen in our Era... Should they mimic those genes and copulate with a mate while not receding the transformation process, their offspring would permanently carry those turned-animal genes in their bodies. But I dare say that our kinds have interacted with one another sufficiently to the extent that most of our human population, if the not the whole of it, may be the descendents of the hybrid offspring between Primal Men and Homo Sapiens, and since the Primal Men gene, according to recent mana-biology studies, is recessive, many of our current population may generate "skin-changers" children.

    PS: HAH! TAKE THAT, MUNFRED! In your ugly pork nuzzles, you bastard!

    <del>PS2: Try containing this information, Royal Crown.</del>

    Yours truly,

    Sir. Gallaghan Merlitiuns, Rogue Magical Biologist

    - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - -  - -

    Chapter 5 ¨C Curse my Name

    [... *army drums sounding

    Let him curse my name!

    On these blood-stained pages of misery!

    Let him call me a tyrant so cruel

    Let him curse my name!

    But remember the truth...]

    Today''s song brought to you by the Blind Guardian(s) - Now back to the story!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - --  --

    Ra, or the boy, well, he was already getting used to being referred as Ra, and his last name also started with Ra, so he didn''t bother anymore. Well, actually there''s a more deeper meaning behind this. He decided that he would not let Nox die in vain. He merely remembered her name, but nothing else, so he would remember her as best as he could for the little time he came to know her and he would make everything to make her memory proud of him, as Ra would. That''s why he will forever call himself Ra, and let others know of this name from this on. For her, he would do that.

    Setting that aside, once he got out of the rift he was once again in a ''Cosmos chess table'' place, but this one felt much more different than the other. Different from the last, that mostly had red and purple colors between in the nebulae and stars, this one was mostly colored with cyan blue and emerald green. It was a quite relieving sight actually, it seemed more... peaceful or soothing than the last one... And since there were no void beasts around him anymore the boy allowed himself to breathe in and relax.

    He looked around him looking for something, and a majestic view came into his sight. A huge blue planet, with three surrounding moons, purple, red and white were their colors. It was beautiful... Ra always saw pictures of Earth from outer-space, but looking at this, now, was an entirely different thing! It seemed so... real. And something in the back of Ra''s mind was telling him that this planet was way bigger than Earth, although there was no way to compare them both, really.

    Out of a sudden, Ra heard a static sound, as if a TV lost signal or something. He turned his head towards the sound and found a floating giant screen in front of a simple wooden chair. The screen was making the static.

    ¡°He-heh-huargh-....¡±, a strange and robotic voice, while the screen static tried to form the image of what seemed a man, and finally, ¡°He-llo, Ra.¡±, a serious and clear voice and the image of a young man.

    ¡°What the...?¡±, the boy was a bit confused... Ok, not that much confused, after all he already died, faced interdimensional black beasts and saw Jesus summoning up the Four Horsemen, in front of him, all in one day! But, yeah, he was slightly surprised with what he was seeing. What puzzled him, though, was the irritated tone the voice carried... ''I don''t think this will end up good...''

    ¡°It seems that it''s already been...¡±, his voice shift to a genderless and complete robotic voice, ¡°1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...¡±, it shifts back to the young man''s, ¡°Nine centuries since we last met.¡±, the young man was lifting his chin and looking down on Ra as he finished the sentence.

    ''Ok, this guy, definitely does not like me anymore...'', Ra sighed as he came to this conclusion... Things were already going downhill before he could even start living!...

    ¡°You may not be aware of this, since we have made that deal...¡±, the appearance of the young man started changin, his skin was shedding, revealing black wounds, and green blood came out from them, his eye¡¯s whiteness turned to black, while his pupil shifted to a neon-green, ¡°You have gifted me with the eight of your names. That means their memories, essences and powers.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Ra just watched silently, he didn''t know if the image would reply back if he talked anything anyway, but he was feeling a little bit... concerned with the way things were going on... so he decided to keep to himself.

    ¡°The first thing I decided to do with your powers was incubate my word from the Tapestry of Multiverse... Using your second name, Storyteller, I made my world''s timeline much more denser that omniversal line. While for you, the time passed was the amount of nine hundreds years. For me and my world, we have already lived 90,000 years. Empires rose and turned to dust all around Aiura...¡±

    ''Shit... I was that powerful...?'', Ra shuddered at that thought, then his mind was startled when he almost slipped a bit of the information, ¡°Hang on! One name? You only used one name to do that!?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the decrepit green-eyed figure stared at Ra with rage, ¡°Yes. A single name was able to do that...¡±, the figure sighed in gloom and continued, ¡°Oh, the wonders and miracles I''ve done with your names and powers... I was so caught up in what I could do, now, that I could not see what it was causing to me...¡±

    ¡°Uh-oh...¡±, Ra allowed the words to skip from his mouth...

    ¡°For twenty thousand years I was unaware of this... Two of your centuries, my friend, was all it took.¡±, the figure was downcast, gloom took hold of it''s face, then he raised it and glared furiously at Ra, ¡°You knew it was happening! Of course you did!¡±

    ¡°Woh, chil-¡±, Ra tried to calm the figure as it started snapping in rage.

    ¡°For years I lived without believers! Without faith! Without devotion! Without anything that could support me through the hardship I was caught up! Without any prayer or zeal that could protect me, your powers CONSUMED ME!¡±, the figure burst into tears while snapping, ¡°So much power! It was simply too much for someone who didn''t have nothing to be his foundation!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Ra stared wide-eyed...

    ¡°Heavens what have I done...!?¡±, his face fell down into his hands, ¡°If I had anyone to believe and pray for me... I might have been able to survive through your endless and monstrous amount of power... But the new races they all had their own Gods, and I was too blind with the power to care for gathering followers and believers...¡±

    ¡°It didn''t took long for the powers start slipping through my fingers and become beings of enormous and monstrous power... But, each on their own, without the amalgam that you were... Every and each one of their personalities became twisted, horrendous... they became monstrosities of pure power...¡±

    ¡°The powers that brought miracles and life back to the world... Started tearing it all asunder and rampaging and destroying the land... In my decrepit state, I could do nothing as I watched the horror unfold. My races were too young still, even the elven-kind... But there was one, that could stand up. Your people.¡±

    ¡°They fought, and though they lost many of their own, they were victorious. But, they contained your names. They knew whom they belonged to and they cherished their leader too much to destroy them...¡±, the last words came out in a mocking tone.

    ¡°Tch...¡±, Ra clicked his tongue as he had a bad feeling about what was coming next... the man wore a complicated expression as he continued.

    ¡°So I cursed them. I cursed your race to a sleep-like death! They will slumber through the ages until their corpses turn to ash and dust! And their souls will be trapped in their body! Trapped in their own minds, alone for the endless time!¡±

    ¡°You son of a bit-!¡±, Ra snapped but the man continued.

    ¡°But some of those sneaky and slithery bastards pulled through and released themselves! Afraid from my rage they hid your names where I could not find and now I can not even take revenge on the powers that made me what I am now! But I made them pay...¡±

    ¡°What did you do them!? What did you do, MOTHERFUCKER!?¡±

    ¡°And now... Finally you have come... And you don''t remember... hahahahhaahahah!¡±, the man maniacally laughed, ¡°Still you shall pay for the sins of... your father? Haha! You will pay for the sins of your divine names, mortal...¡±

    ¡°I AM GOING AFTER YOU, SON OF A BITCH!¡±, Ra was furious, yeah, he didn''t know about his people and didn''t remembered them at all, but if this sick and mad guy was punishing them simply because of his own mistakes, like accepting that deal, this guy was just like any other corrupt political motherfucker that used to be part of the government of his home-country in the last life.

    ¡°I curse you, Ra! I curse you to mortal-hood! You''ll never see the heavens never again! Nor will you be able to free your kind while being deprived of divine powers! You''ll also be bound to life in the body of an animal! Never again shall you walk as human, or any other intelligent race while in MY WOR-ugh-worl- - -ttsssss.....¡±, static took hold of his voice as he started snapping out and his image started twisting too.

    Static emitted from the screen for several seconds, as the image of the decrepit man tried to finish his words, but simply could not. Then out of a sudden the screen blackened, ceasing the static. It was not black as if it was turned off... it was displaying... blackness... Ra squinted his eyes, while he looked at the screen and felt something off... something familiar....

    ¡°How about not being cursed, how does that sounds, huh?¡±, out of a sudden a pristine and feminine voice echoed from the screen, it was joyful and careless, although given the situation it did sound a bit... lunatic. It was quite a young voice, seeming to be a girl in her early teens. ¡°Now, now. Since that ugly man is not here anymore... Lord Ra.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±, the boy jumped a bit in surprise as the voice affectionately called to him as ''lord''.

    ¡°This world is quite different from earlier, it will be very harsh. That is exactly why I''m going to give you a little and funny present! Okay?¡±, the girl spoke up, excited and blissful.

    ¡°Uhm... o-kay...?¡±, Ra was a bit... concerned. The voice was friendly and all of that... but it did sound a bit maniacal... so, yeah... concerned is a good word, right?

    ¡°Ah, I''m so happy! You won''t regret, mlord! But may I say something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, go for it.¡±, Ra preemptively tried to avoid the little girl''s rage, something in her happy voice just sounded vicious and dangerous, he couldn''t tell why. I mean it''s fucking crazy to be afraid of a happy little girl voice coming out from a blackened screen. But, his guts were screaming at him. And so far... Ra learned that is best to keep to his guts... at least nothing bad happened when he followed it... okay, not that bad...

    ¡°That awful and resented God will still try to bring you down, no matter what. It is highly advisable for you to procure your names. And also you''ll need them to save your tribe, so in the end it''s like killing two drakes with one swing.¡±

    ''Two drakes... with one swing...? Okay, lady, that sounded a little too much...'', Ra thought to himself, ¡°Okay, I''ll try and search for them... Any ideas or clues about where they are?¡±

    ¡°Hmmmmmm... None at all.¡±, the voice replied, simply.

    ¡°Ah...¡±, Ra was slack-jawed, sure he didn''t expect an answer not even from the start, but the way she replied without so much as a pause... he just dropped his head in defeat. ''So much for easy way, huh...''

    ¡°Mlord.¡±, the voice called in her happy tune, though this one sounded a bit sad in the end.

    ¡°Yes...?¡±, Ra slowly lifted his head up and stood straight once again.

    ¡°It is time for you to go...¡±, she said, nostalgically.

    ¡°Is that so... Then, I should be off. But, about that curse..?¡±, Ra was still troubled by that snapping episode of the decrepit-looking man.

    ¡°Leave that to me, don''t worry.¡±, she said, gladly, but still sad. ¡°Be safe, mlord...¡±

    ¡°So, what do I have to d-¡±, before he could finish his sentence a light surged from the ground and enveloped him. After it faded, he was no longer there.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°I can''t wait anymore, mlord... Please, hurry...¡±, the voice moaned and whimpered at the void...

    - - - ¨C - - - - ¨C - - - - - - - - - ¨C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¨C - - - - - -

    Deep inside a forest. Under the light of three full moons, while the smallest, the pearled one, stood at the center... In the Northern edge of that forest, there you can find a clearing. Small, but impressively beautiful, because at the center of the clearing there rose a small cliff, made out of stones, that were covered in moss, and on top of that cliff grew the tallest and biggest tree of the surrounding areas.

    The bark''s color of the tree was strangely lighter than the others, and it''s roots spread through the rocky, and tiny, cliff, sliding through it''s hollows and openings, as if they were snakes. The tree branches spread just as much, covering almost the entire clearing under it''s shade. The color of it''s leaves were mostly light pink, a relieving sight among the dark green shades of the other trees around the clearing. Under the roots of said tree, in the middle of the stone cliff, there was an opening, a little cave, protected both by wood and stone.

    Although it''s one of the most rare and beautiful trees to be found in the wilderness, especially in a place rather cold and temperate as this one, this tree is completely avoided by any one, may it be animal, human or from any other kind. This tree is a forbidden place, for those who wish to live.

    Under the cover of shadows a humanoid white figure could be perceived. It swayed it''s head from side to side, attentively, looking out for any threats. It''s fur was entirely white, except for specific red patches over her eyes, similar to eyebrows, and around her neck and spreading to her back, like a crest of red fur. It''s form was very slender and tall, it stood on hind legs and her ears were moving constantly, hearing any sound that could be deemed as a threat. Strangely though, it''s torso had a bulge that didn''t match with her figure...

    Finally satisfied, the figure moved towards the opening under the tree, while using the stones in the middle of the way as support. It could not move by it''s strength itself, either it was too weak for that, or... It hardly stood on by itself and when it reached the opening it winced and whimpered softly in pain. She kept crying as she laid herself on the ground, on fours, and her form started changing, becoming less humanoid and much more animal-like.

    She stood there laid on the ground, crying and whimpering, as the pain in her belly steadily increased, reaching for it''s peak. It looked down to her stomach, with tears in her wolf eyes, but there was no sadness or gloom, even though the screeching pain she felt, her animal eyes were humanly proud and happy...

    ¡°Cain...¡±, she whimpered once more as the pain increased, not standing the pain anymore the wolf started howling in her solitude in the moonlight. ¡°Auwoooooooooooooo...¡±

    She howled. As the winds carried and flustered the leaves of the trees. She howled. As the clouds cleared it''s way from the three bright and full moons. She howled... as her baby was born.

    ...

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have acquired new skills!

    <ul>

    <li>Alpha Mantle</li>

    <li>Omega Mind</li>

    <li>Primal Heritage (Incomplete)</li>

    <li>Living Totem (Broken)

    </li></ul>

    [size]

    Statuses window is blocked until your existence is named and recognised by another,

    until then

    Welcome to Aiura![/size]

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    ''What the hell...?'', was what the ¡°boy¡± thought as soon as the status screen appeared before his blackened sight. He felt as if he was awaking from a very long and induced coma state. He didn''t know yet, but technically he was, because he was a fetus for ten long months. He leisurely opened his eyes to meet the sight of an underground cave, covered in moss and roots, outside the opening the moonlight shone vigorously at what seemed to be a clearing. He felt the harsh ground touching his skin.

    ''Wait, hang on a second! What''s on top of my ski-'', Ra thought as he felt something strange covering his skin, well aside from the slimy and wet thingy, of course. ''FUR!? I''m covered in fur!?'', he was startled by the cover of fur that surrounded all of his limbs and body. And if that was not enough... he had paws. Didn''t take long for him to finally realize he was a wolf, now.

    He looked around and met the eyes of a huge wolf in front of him. It''s pelt was entirely white, except for a few specks of red, especially the crest slightly above her torso and that surrounded her neck and just a small part of her back. Ra''s eyes went wide as he admired the figure, not only was it beautiful, but also had such an elegant and fine ¡°aura¡± around her... ''Hang on a second! Her...?'', he stopped himself and rethought as to why he thought of the wolf as a female... ''Well... She is a wolf... the only other wolf around here... so that makes her...''

    Not waiting for him to finish his thoughts the white wolf grabbed Ra by the neck and pulled him closer to her between her paws. He tries to put up some resistance, ''Whoa, put me down, lady! Just put me do-! Hey, stop! Sto- oh wait, that''s nice......'', she tried to stop her, but in the end he gave in to the tongue shower he was receiving. Don''t blame him, it was quite relaxing and soothing. Ra yawned as sleep began taking over his eyes and body...

    But when he was about to close his eyes and set off to dreamland. Mama Wolf stood up and made him fall of from her furry-paw bed. Ra didn''t realize at first how big she was, but ¡°Mama Wolf¡± was more than 7, or even 8, times his own height. Yeah, he was a newborn, for now, but lets leave him astounded a little, shall we? The white wolf looked at Ra and turned to the opening, strolling slowly to outside the cave. Ra lingered for a second as he didn''t know what to expect from outside, if it would be dangerous or not, but when the white wolf looked back to him, with gentle and caring eyes, he reassured himself and washed the hesitation away. The boy''s heart was full and jumping out of joy for having someone care for him, again... for not being alone again...

    The white wolf walked out of the small cave and waited for her pup. His pelt was black as the night, but, just like her, he had patches of fur made out of other colors. Above his eyes there were two tiny specks of red, and between his front legs a tiny spot of white, that merged with a red crest just like hers, his belly was fully white. In his right hinder leg, on his thigh(?) his fur was colored white in the form of a paw, and on the left one, the same thing happened but in red. On the end of his two tails, one ended in a spot of white, and the other of red. ''Fufufu... You''re gonna be so much more than I though you''d be...'', she chuckled to himself as she finally took a good look on her two-tailed pup. When the black pup looked up to her, as if asking what to do, she walked up to the top of rock hill, towards the tree''s trunk. She easily passed over and jumped over the rocks that made up her cliff, but her small puppy was struggling to do so, so she laid down and waited for him near the tree.

    ''Damned rocks... freakin small... legs! Argh... I hate being small... again!'', Ra cursed himself as he had difficult to reach the place where his mother was waiting for him to reach. When he finally did, he was panting and out of breath, sticking out his tongue in exhaustion, he turned to his mother, who just idly watched him with gentle eyes. ''Woah...'', she was quite beautiful laid under the tree''s light pink leaves. The white wolf, noticing her pup finally reacquired his breath, sat up and looked up into the sky. Puzzled, Ra tilted his head for a second, before doing the same thing. What his eyes saw...

    ''¡­'', his mind went blank as it could not take in what he was seeing. The sky, the night sky, it was so... so full of stars... Stars he never saw, entire constellations and even nebulae could be seen with bare eyes! He remembered his old life, back when he was a child, he would go out with his aunt and see the moon and the stars. But, this! This was completely different! The amount of stars that cover and lit up this sky is a huge chandelier, while the one from his childhood memories would hardly be the light of a lit match! Then, his eyes finally met them...

    The three moons. All of the three were at their full phase. The smallest one, who was standing in the middle, was white, just like the one from his memories, but even though it''s the smallest from the three, it was still way bigger than Earth''s. The one on the left, the biggest one, was a bright crimson red. And the one on the right, was slightly purplish, the middle sister of the three moons.

    The pup and his mother stared at the three moons for a while. Well, more the pup, actually, his mother spent more time looking between him and the skies, as if searching for something, or comparing the stars to her newborn pup. Then she stopped at one cluster of stars, and looked down towards him again. Ra noticed and looked back at his mother, her wolf mouth was expressing what seemed to be a satisfied smile, though that was only a crude guess from Ra''s part... he was just trying to humanize his mother, so that he could understand her, at least a little. ''She''s smiling, right..? But why?''

    The white wolf touched her pup''s muzzle with her own, caressing him gently. Ra felt so happy for feeling a mother''s touch again, he didn''t even realize how wildly his tails swayed behind him, and how loud his right hinder paw was drumming the ground. She stopped and licked his forehead. Then she raised her head high and howled.

    Her howl filled the clearing and spread through the trees, unhindered. Ra felt as if it even reached for the three moons that hung in the star filled sky. She howled, it was beautiful and clear as water, but powerful and unstoppable as well. Ra felt as if he heard her whole life in that howl. A lonely life, of hunting and being hunted, of being afraid and outcast from the world, pursued by many others, that she didn''t know. A life of love and joy and she met him, and of anguish and sorrow when he was taken from her. And now, it was happier, because Ra was born. As she reached the final part of her howl, Ra''s part, she diminished her tone a little, as if catching her breath, and intensified it even more, reaching even louder tones.

    When she did this, Ra understood one thing from this last howl, and as if confirming the fact a screen window came up in front of him.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You are Raganar

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Far from there... much further and deeper... Deep down inside that forest... Inside a moss-covered and plant-filled cave, behind a waterfall. With flowers reflecting the shining light, that barely came through a crack in the stones, of the three moons. There hid a couple of foxes. Both of them were of the same color, a red-cape pelt with black paws, they were normal foxes, in sum. The female fox was pregnant, and from the looks of it, the pup would be born today. But the male fox seemed heavily anguished and distressed for it''s mate... which in turn seemed to be suffering from intense and screeching pain, and because it was their first time none of them could know if it was normal or not...

    And then, the female stopped whimpering and started crying out loud, screaming in pain. She felt as if something was tearing her insides apart and was about to burst from her, she scratched desperately the ground around her and looked at her mates eyes, looking for safety. Her mate was slack-jawed and trembled in his paws, he didn''t know and there was nothing he could do, he was a fox! There was so much he could just being a fox... He looked into her eyes and leaned in his head to touch hers to reassure her. When he did, she screamed even louder...

    CRAACK... PLUUuuuish... (AN: Ok, now that''s some lousy onomatopoeia... Sorry, guys, I kinda didn''t know what to do...)

    She stopped screaming as her own offspring ruptured it''s way out of her stomach... Her mate watched in despair as his mate died in front of him, because of his own newborn pup... He looked at his offspring...

    It was a pure-white fox. Although her white pelt was now covered in the blood of her own mother. One could see a few patches of black fur around her body, two above her eyes, one just before her torso. What frightened her ¡°father¡± the most in her appearance, was the five tails that swayed behind her. She opened her eyes and looked down at her mother... even though she was an animal, one would say, there was no kindness nor pity in her eyes... She then looked at her father, who was trembling as if he was in front of a demon...

    He looked inside her crimson and bloodshot eyes... They were telling him one thing.

    Die.

    ¡­

    Under the light of the three moons. A small figure came out from the waterfalls. It''s fur was pristine and one would say even whiter than snow... But there was something off... this white fox, it had five tails and it''s size could be compared to the size of an adult jaguar... It sniffed the air and looked around, as if looking for something. Not satisfied it rushed into the bushes, and disappearing into the night. The white fox didn''t bother to recon the area around her. She knew where she was going. She was heading for North...

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    Author''s Note: Okay! Damn, I''m late! Yeah, sorry about that guys, I''ll try to keep up with a chapter every 2-3 days from now, since my stretched weekend (religious holiday) is officially over. But at least I got the story running in those 4 first days, right...? Anyway! Hope you guys like ''Mama Wolf'', no that''s not how i call her, i''ll get her a suitable name. A powerful one, she is a powerful wolf after all. Now, what about that white-fox...  Who do you guys think she is...

    ALSO! I am deeply sorry for that rupture onomatopoeia... or whatever it''s called, seriously I could even think up a word for it even in portuguese, which is my native language! And I didn''t upload yesterday because RoyalRoad was kinda moody in the early mornings and because I got caught up with the VisualTable Editor. Yeah, I had some problems with that. Anyway! Have fun and see you guys next chapter! I promise I''ll tidy up the things about Ra(ganar)''s stats and skills on next chapter, today was just a lil'' bit of teasing... Hehe xD

    PS: (Fuck, how much I talk, damn, I should try to shut up...) Don''t worry about RaNox... This little world gonna see a HELL lot of them two... Hehe 3:)

    Let''s hit those 60 Followers, guys! \o\ /o/

 April Fools - Peeking Chapter: God in a wolfs skin... or a wolf in a gods skin...?

    Peeking Chapter ¨C God in a wolf''s skin... or a wolf in a god''s skin...?

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    [¡­ some time in the near future...]

    Inside a certain person''s realm, in a tiny universe inside a living being, four figures stand among the nebulae and the stars. The giant among them, a man of both incredible strength, and weight, has a thick brown pelt of fur covering his head and shoulders and ivory tusks embellishing his neck, he''s a man that goes by the name Mamuf. The second tallest, a man that seems more sturdier and just as strong as the last one, has a dark brown pelt covering his head, he goes by the name Ursus. The third one is a thin and tall man, equal to Mamuf''s height, if he would stand straight, that is, he has an avian skull with many feathers attached to it over his head, he goes by the name Agio. The last one, the smallest one, is in appearance just as strong but much more faster than the others, he has a light brown pelt, with fangs almost covering his face, he goes by the name Tighra. Those four spirits are currently inside the soul of the one who once was their chief and leader, Ra.

    Recently the miniature Universe inside Ra''s soul has been being enveloped by shadows.

    ¡°Oi, Agio, what the fuck is happening? Is Ra dying or something?¡±, Tighra was concerned.

    ¡°Just chill, he''s sleeping, all right!¡±, Ursus chided the tiger-man.

    ¡°That still doesn''t explain these freaking shadows, man!¡±, Tighra continued and was ready to strike at Ursus, which in turn was ready to do the same. They were looking fiercely into each other''s eyes, although a bit playfully.

    ¡°Shush, both of ya! How can ya call yaselves Noctumai if ya can''t even recognize our Mother''s shadows!? Shame on ya!¡±, Agio hissed back at both of the warriors.

    ¡°Hm... Shouldn''t we have noticed it sooner, Agio?¡±, Mamuf asked the eagle-man.

    ¡°Argh...¡±, he sighed, ¡°I don''t know, brotha.. It''s not like we can perceive time and space properly in here, after all...¡±, the eagle man was scratching his neck. ¡°I believe that may be part of her own schemes.¡±

    ¡°You mean?¡±, Mamuf shortly questioned.

    ¡°She has made shadows to protect him from being noticed. It''s not surprising they prevent even us from noticing it taking place on his soul. We are here for so little time, and his soul is as vast as a freakin ocean, mon...¡±

    ¡°Little time? We saw him grow up and even manage to get two women!¡±, Tighra bounced back. ¡°He''s a fucking wolf.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the other three remained silent.

    ¡°How did he do that...¡±, Ursus complained muttering almost to himself, but his brothers heard him.

    ¡°Fuck, I mean, both of them are beauties with no match...¡±, Tighra complained further.

    ¡°...¡±, Agio and Mamuf looked at each other.

    ¡°What are you two hiding...?¡±, the tiger man noticed the both of them being unusually quiet. Well... at least for Agio.

    ¡°Uh... nothin, mon.¡±, Agio nervously backed away.

    ¡°Yep, we know no thing.¡±, Mamuf stoically responded.

    ¡°Spit it. Or I''m gonna start training my roar singing in here.¡±, Tighra threatened the eagle man.

    ¡°Woah! Chill, mon! No need for dirty tricks!¡±, Agio spoke up.

    ¡°Than share with us some of your knowledge, eagle shaman.¡±, the tiger man teased.

    ¡°Argh...¡±, Agio sighed dejectedly, ¡°Fine... we tell ya.¡±

    ¡°Agio, we should keep it to our graves.¡±, Mamuf said, concerned.

    ¡°Where do you think we are now, big guy?¡±, Agio side glanced the big man next to him.

    ¡°Hm...¡±, Mamuf was thinking over his kinsman words, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Agio was a bit nervous, these secrets, ones he should never even have known about are a bit...

    ¡°So...?¡±, Tighra was getting impatient.

    ¡°Me and Agio were remembering when Ra bedded Isis.¡±, Mamuf said, simply, without even a pause.

    ¡°Wait, WHAT!?¡±, the tiger man was startled.

    ¡°You could be more subtle ya know, mon...¡±, Agio dropped his head, while resting it on one of his hand''s palm.

    ¡°Hang on a second! He cheated on Mother Nox?¡±, Tighra was a bit insulted.

    ¡°There was also one time he bedded those musical ladies from that strange place... Greek or Greecia, something like that...¡±, Mamuf said while touching his chin and looking downward.

    ¡°And there ya go, spitting it all out...¡±, Agio rolled out his eyes. ''Fuck, we could spare a few ones! Come on!''

    ¡°...¡±, Ursus was a bit slack-jawed, but he recomposed himself, faster than the tiger-man in turn, ¡°Meh, I believe it. I heard he bedded that Dragon Lady, Tiamat once, too.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±, Agio was surprised, ¡°Ok... that one I didn''t know.¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Tighra just stared at them.

    ¡°I think he got to those northern ones, too, didn''t he?¡±, Mamuf asked to the eagle-man.

    ¡°It wasn''t just one of those norther ones, mon!¡±, Agio was joining the mood and talked while trying to get the whole attention of the group, ¡°It was the northern one! That beautiful virgin girl who tended to the golden apple orchard of Wodan.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Fuck, I can''t believe it! He did it?¡±, Ursus laughed it off.

    ¡°Yep...¡±, Agio was nodding while he replied proudly.

    ¡°How many children did he have, I wonder...¡±, Ursus asked, half to himself and to his brothers.

    ¡°Far too many to count.¡±, Mamuf didn''t even flinch to respond.

    ¡°How come Mother Nox never had children?¡±, Ursus asked them.

    ¡°It wasn''t for lack of trying I tell ya...¡±, Agio said, shrugging.

    ¡°She was worried about breeding monsters...¡±, Mamuf said in a depressing tone.

    ¡°Always hard on heself that one...¡±, Agio replied, also in a sad tone.

    ¡°No wonder she was worried with an unfaithful mate as the one she had...¡±, Tighra muttered insultedly.

    ¡°OY!¡±, Ursus snapped out at him, ready to pack up a punch. Tiger only side glance the bear-man with disdaining eyes.

    ¡°Calm down, Ursus!¡±, Agio cried out, while also keeping Mamuf from stepping in, the mammoth man who was always so stoic and calm was brimming with anger, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth forcefully. ¡°Look here, Tighra, we know ya. You always pounce before ya think straight!¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I''m thinking straighter than I have ev-!¡±

    ¡°THE INFERNO YOU ARE!¡±, Agio was the one who yelled at the tiger man, startling even his stronger kinsmen who were at his side. ¡°It was painful to Nox, yes. But Ra never. Ever. Lied to her about his feelings.¡±

    ¡°Then he should have stayed with her alone!¡±, Tighra shouted.

    ¡°You little bra-!¡±, Ursus was almost throwing himself on the younger warrior.

    ¡°He cannot!¡±, Agio cried out.

    ¡°...¡±, Mamuf was watching the situation silently, but his teeth were still gritting¡­

    ¡°What are you saying...¡±

    ¡°Nox herself set this up on Ra. When we were young and alive, when Ra first received her protection. One of her blessings were, ''And just like the Moon... you''ll be surrounded by a myriad of stars, they shall be yours and you shall be theirs, to sow your seed unto them and give life to the children of the Night.''¡±

    ¡°Tch¡­ Fuck you should have said what you first said to me back then, Agio...¡±, Ursus grumbled.

    ¡°What purpose? We are already dead, for good, this time¡­ I have no patience ta wait out for him to make up his hea''d.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ why¡­?¡±, Tighra was a bit stunned.

    ¡°Think properly, kid. It is not a difficult reason.¡±, Ursus was grudging, the younger warrior was no longer as worthy in his eyes anymore, to so easily spit at the memory of their warchief is simply outrageous to him. Especially when that warchief is him.

    ¡°She didn''t think she would fall for him, too.¡±, Mamuf was the one to explain.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ it is not everyday da spell bounces back at the sorceress¡­ Especially her...¡±, Agio said nostalgically.

    ¡°Besides, it''s a win for everyone. One like him should leave as much offspring as he can. He is a born Alpha, kid. Ever since he came to that world he was born to lead.¡±, Ursus was avoiding gazing at the tiger-man, he would make the younger warrior have chills up his spine with only an angry look at him.

    ¡°And he could have acted worse.¡±, Mamuf commented.

    ¡°Hm¡­ that is discussable, brotha...¡±, Agio shyly spoke.

    ¡°I agree with Agio, he should have brought in every female he bedded into our pantheon.¡±, Ursus said, nodding.

    ¡°Hey, I wasn''t saying that!!¡±, Agio spoke up tried to clear up the mess.

    ¡°What were you saying then?¡±, Mamuf asked.

    ¡°I-i¡­ Damn, I don''t know! I only had one wife, for the Hunt''s sake! He was the one with more than two or three! Still slipping in and out of their beds in his Godhood wasn''t too wise of him...¡±

    ¡°Mother Nox would have killed them, even indirectly, if he had brought them over.¡±

    ¡°Would she? I mean he could always sweet talk her over¡­ That he mastered.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you remember how she acted when he was down there in the mortal world? Every time he would meet a woman, she would destroy an entire sect of her Garden.¡±

    ¡°And we were the ones to tend and take care of it ta normal¡­ Shee, my backs still ache from those stressing times...¡±

    ¡°Tighra was the only one who escaped it, because he would be cursing him beside her.¡±

    ¡°Tch...¡±, the young warrior chided himself.

    ¡°We already talked too much of him on his back. We should stop.¡±, Mamuf chided them.

    ¡°Oh come on, Muffy, let''s enjoy it a bit more¡­ What do you think about counting up how many he fooled and bedded?¡±, Ursus tried to tease on the stoic man.

    ¡°Hmrf¡±, Mamuf glared at Ursus who commented leisurely ill of their chief, ¡°Warchief Ra always loved everyone of them to the core of his heart. He never fooled a woman before. Much more likely he was the one to be fooled.¡±

    ¡°That part is true¡­ I can''t believe how many times I had to rescue him from being absorbed into another Pantheon because he got tricked by a skirt...¡±, Agio was dropping his head and scratching his neck, as if it was in pain.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sorry! I didn''t mean ill¡­ it''s just that, how can he do it, seriously? Truly love more than one person? Is that even possible?¡±, Ursus tried to right his wrong and sincerely asked.

    ¡°Look out there and ya got your answer. He loves women. They are an inspiration, goddesses in flesh and bone each one of them, in his eyes. He gives all of himself to dat feeling, that''s how he can do it, I think. Or maybe it''s just the aftermojo from the Nox''s ancient spell.¡±, Agio tried to rationalize.

    ¡°Shush, you too. He is waking up. Maybe he will need us, it is better to be attentive.¡±, Mamuf warned them.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±, Ursus moved, he was still avoiding gazing at the tiger-man.

    ¡°You comin, too, Tighra?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, the young warrior was biting his lower lip, Nox has always been a mother figure for him, a woman stronger than anyone in the world and in the Heavens, yet she would always be caring and loving, well at least when Ra was around, when he was not she always seemed so sad¡­ as if a part of her was missing. Tighra couldn''t understand how Ra could truly love her and so many more women as his brothers were claiming he did, but still, he only knew of this now, maybe when he witness it he can understand a little. ¡°Yeah, I''ll be there in a bit...¡±

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    Author''s Note:  Just four dead people casually talking inside a spirit of a living ma- I mean wolf. Anyway, happy April''s Fools everyone, chapter 6 is underwork, it got a bit delayed because I was filling up all of the skill tables (that have currently been developed as of now) and I also sketched the Map of Gaia! YAY! Well... Half of it. But it''s the important half where the story is going on right now, I still gotta draw the zooming versions of where Ra is now and such, I also spent a lot of time sketching the lore of the other races and where they currently are now and things, so that''s pretty much the reason that I didn''t update the new chapter yet. But it will be soon. Happy weekend, everyone! o/

 Chapter 6 - Strange Little Things

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 6 ¨C Strange Little Things...

    While on Gaia, Raganar was finally born into the world, in Earth things were happening a little different. In a golden city surrounded by the ever-moving hills of warm sand, in it''s center a golden palace embellished with many statues of humanoid figures with animal heads. Inside such castle a lone figure in the vacant throne room could be seen. He was looking at a decapitated head, a human head, that was much similar, in lines, to his body. The man with the eagle headed was armed with three golden swords on his belt, albeit he had no armor on his torso, he had a battle-skirt reinforced and ready for battle. His eagle face bore a complicated expression, he looked at the human head with difficult.

    ¡°You seem troubled, brother...¡±, a deep voice resounded from the center of the hall, in front of the throne. Coming to his direction, a tanned man with a jackal head, he had two halberds on his back.

    ¡°Anubis...¡±, the eagle-man said with a gentle and warm voice, ¡°I trust you that all is well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, King Horus.¡±, Anubis replied while bowing, respectfully, ¡°Nightmother Nox has fully taken over the void beast that had...¡±, Anubis voice failed for a moment and showed a bit of anger, ¡°...devoured her.¡±

    ¡°Fuh... That one is a force of Nature, my brother... No one and no thing can stop her...¡±, Horus said, sighing, ¡°What about, Lucifer? I thought she would return with you...¡±

    ¡°Tch...¡±, Anubis clicked his tongue for a second, ¡°I beg your pardon, my lord, for Lucy has also crossed the Void Rupture...¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±, Horus widened his eyes and turned to face Anubis, when he noticed his brother really meant what he just said, ¡°HAHAHA! By the Golden Sands, what a shift in the wind! Hahahahahaha!¡±, Horus burst into laughter, puzzling his brother who had awaited for a harsher and more strict reaction.

    ¡°Hmph...¡±, seeing this Anubis sighed dejectedly, his brother was a bit wind-headed in some situations...

    ¡°Ah, what a lovely turn our game has taken, brother... With Lucy out of the way taking down Yahweh will be so much easier...¡±

    ¡°Hm? I don''t think I quite understand, brother, after all Lucifer was acting as a double-agent for us, whilst fully pledging alliance to you in the next reign.¡±

    ¡°Hoh? You really thought that, huh? I guess women can get to you, after all...¡±, Horus hissed at Anubis, teasingly, ¡°Brother, Lucifer owns allegiance to no one. She has turned on her own father, merely because she was put up on a job she didn''t even get to choose, she was even too prideful to talk it over to her father!¡±

    ¡°Hm...¡±, Anubis stopped for a moment, thinking over his brother words, ¡°While that may be true, Horus, she had the Astral Crown on her when she crossed the Void. Should we take too long and act and, either create another Astral Crown or procure the same one from her, the Void Beasts may run rampant and destroy our world, even our entire Reality.¡±

    ¡°You think too hard, brother!¡±, Horus cried out, joking, ¡°Besides! That just adds even more fun to the table, don''t you think...?¡±

    ¡°By the Moon, brother... you''re too careless!¡±, Anubis hissed.

    ¡°And you''re too strict.¡±, Horus said while coming down from his throne and approaching his brother, ¡°That is precisely why he told us to rule, both of us, together. Your kingdom is mine to rule, and my kingdom as just as yours, too.¡±, Horus put one of his hands on Anubis''s right shoulder, and leaned even closer.

    Anubis was a bit startled by the proximity of his brother, if not for his black jackal skin one might even think he was blushing. In the next second both figures transformed their animal heads into more human-like ones.

    ¡°He knew we belong together...¡±, Horus leaned in and softly kissed Anubis.

    ¡°Brother, what are you doing!¡±, Anubis cried out while stepping back from Horus.

    ¡°Oh, by the Heavens, Anubis, just fucking drop it!¡±, Horus snapped, ¡°All of the Gods are already aware of us, and should they any complaints about they would have already rallied up a rebellion and took the both of us down!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Anubis was a bit troubled, he loved Horus with all of his heart, but... his mind would always wonder if such a relationship was acceptable, especially among two rulers... At least his mind was free of the concern of being an incestuous love, after they both discovered that Horus was in fact a child of Isis and their ¡°uncle¡± Ra... Isis is still recovering from the furious outrage that their ¡°aunt¡± Nox, at the time being called aunt ¡°Lily¡±, it was a brutal and gruesome battle, well... not exactly a battle since it was tide bit one-sided... Whilst that Osiris disappeared in a continuous cycle of rebirths, since he could not even vent off on Ra, who was nothing but a mortal and with no memory. With the two rulers of the Egyptian Empire missing, Horus and Anubis took over their rightful crowns and thus started their reign.

    ¡°Perhaps you prefer Lucifer over me...¡±, Horus muttered in a depressed tone...

    ¡°Tch.¡±, Anubis shivered, ¡°That is not fair, Horus...¡±, the words escaped through his gritting teeth, while he clenched his fists... he hated when Horus would act like this, as an innocent mortal who has nothing to worry about except his lover truly loves him or not. They were gods and kings, for fuck sake! They couldn¡¯t act like some petty little human teenagers who can''t decide on the fact if they''re being loved or not!

    ¡°Hmph...¡±, Horus side glanced Anubis, ¡°Well... Anyhow...¡±, he said while waving his hand on the air nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened, ¡°How fares mother? I believe she''s better? Those shadow strikes from aunty hit her really deep, all those years ago...¡±

    ¡°Argh...¡±, Anubis sighed, while putting his palm on his face for a second, Horus was just like the wind, without even so much as a notice he would change from West to East in a matter of seconds, ¡°Yes, mother Isis will be fully recovered by the time we strike on Yahweh. Her control over the communication and news networks in the human world will facilitate our move.¡±

    ¡°I''m so glad to hear this.¡±, Horus said while sitting down, the battle between his mother and Nox was a huge blow in his heart back then, while Nox wasn''t wrong in striking out of jealousy and anger, Isis was his adored and caring mother. He loved the both of them with all of his heart, and seeing his two motherly figures fighting off in a near-death duel was... devastating. But thanks to Anubis he managed to pull it through and act as a true King would. ¡°Now, about the other gods? Any backstabbers?¡±

    ¡°None whatsoever, they''re all just so angry at Yahweh for misleading them. They argue that at least in Ra''s reign they could spread their religion with no problem as long as their people was the winning one on the battlefields, be it in war or political ones.¡±, Anubis replied coldly, ¡°Yahweh set up his own trap, all those years ago.¡±

    ¡°And we''ll make him fall using the same move he did... Haha!¡±, Horus said satisfied, ¡°Although... I don''t take much joy doing this...¡±

    ¡°You seemed just fine when we all agreed¡±, Anubis simply stated, albeit one his eyebrows was profusely twitching...

    ¡°Hey, you were the one who insisted!¡±, Horus replied in a teasing way.

    ¡°I didn''t tell you to choose her, of all the goddesses!¡±, Anubis snapped out while gritting his teeth, his clenched fists were twitching even more.

    ¡°Just because she''s a converted desert goddess? What''s the problem with it? That''s prejudice, Anubis!¡±, Horus continued with his careless teasing.

    ¡°IT''S BECAUSE SHE WAS MY BRIDE, HORUS!¡±, Anubis barked out, not able to restrain himself anymore... His mind was in a sandstorm, his heart throbbed at the mention of that fact, which he had buried in the back of his mind for so many years, ever since he became closer to Horus...

    ¡°...¡±, Horus stood silent, he wasn''t quite expecting for Anubis to come out like this... ¡°So... you really do have feelings for her, after all...¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Anubis said nothing, his face was contorted in something resembling anger and resentment...

    ¡°Heey! Don''t worry about it, brother!¡±, Horus said in his usual careless tone, ¡°Our prophetess can always be the daughter of the King of the Underworld.¡±, he simply said it.

    ¡°What!?¡±, Anubis was a bit surprised, but mostly concerned, ¡°Are you insane? The daughter of the Lord of the Dead preaching our Pantheon in the world of the Living!?¡±

    ¡°What''s so wrong about it? She''ll be much more able to stand over the prejudice... Her skin will be of a darker tone which will further improve our ''votes'' with the people we want at out side. Heck, she''ll even be prettier! Just imagine yours and Sekhmet''s daughter... the child of the God of the Dead and the Goddess of Love and Vengeance! Damned be, she will be unstoppable brother!¡±, Horus continued excitedly, subversively trying to improve the mood of his loved one.

    ¡°Y-you...¡±, Anubis was stunned, ¡°You would do that...¡±, his words were barely coming out of his mouth, ¡°...for me?¡±

    Horus came down from his throne again and walked to Anubis. ¡°Brother...¡±, his voice was soft and gentle, ¡°There is not a thing I would not do for you...¡±. Tears formed in the edges of Anubis''s eyes.

    ¡°Eh... besides... Sekhmet''s my fully fledged sister.¡±, Horus said while shrugging.

    ¡°Ah...¡±, Anubis was slack-jawed, ¡°WHAT!?¡±, he spoke up, recklessly.

    ¡°...¡±, Horus just idly stared sideways, avoiding Anubis''s gaze, and started ¡°innocently¡± whistling as well.

    ¡°...¡±, Anubis took a breath, then whispered, ¡°You serious...?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡±, Horus responded in a hushed tone.

    ¡°How did...?¡±, Anubis questioned further.

    ¡°Mother commented on the fact that we were born on the same age, I inquired her, then she admitted we were born on the same day, I pushed her a little more, then she came around and said we were born at the same time... From the same belly.¡±, Horus explained in an uncompromising way.

    ¡°...¡±, Anubis stared wide-eyed for a second, ¡°Ahrf...¡±, then he sighed, ¡°Even so...¡±, he spoke up in a serious tone, ¡°I thank you, Horus. I deeply thank you for this...¡±, Anubis was hanging his head down while nervously looking at and avoiding Horus''s eyes.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Horus had a gentle smile, without saying a word he approached his brother and hugged him. Anubis returned the action. ¡°Thank you...¡±, he whispered softly to Horus...

    ¡°No need...¡±, Horus muttered, while his face diminished into a complicated expression... he was frowning and a bitter smile adorned his proud face. The stinging pain he was feeling, right now, in his heart just grew stronger and heavier by the second... but he was putting it aside... for the sake of his loved one, he was putting it aside and focusing on the happiness Anubis would feel soon enough... After all, his and Anubis''s relationship was abrupt and caused pain to Sekhmet and Anubis, both. It was not fair, nor just, of him to be feeling jealousy after having snatched away Anubis from her. Still, his heart was not complying with his morals... So just for now, he would hold on tightly on Anubis, as if it was the last time.

    Anubis was a bit puzzled when Horus tightened his embrace, but he didn''t mind. He was happy, deep down he was glad that his lover accepted so easily the fact that he still loved his bride, and even helped him accept his own feelings. Once, Anubis resented a bit for having chosen Horus instead of Sekhmet, but what he just did... washed away any doubt he had and further fortified the love he felt for him. It was unfair for him to love both Horus and Sekhmet, but his heart was a passionate one that would pay no mind to the advices from his mind. He will have to deal with this later, for now, he''ll just make one step at a time...

    - - - - ¨C - - - - - - - ¨C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¨C - -

    Rain poured heavily outside. It was as if the skies cracked open and all of the water of the world was flushing down upon the earth. The mantle that covered Ra was poor and tattered and smell of piss and mold. The thundering sound of the drops of rain hitting his diminutive body startled him, but the embrace of his mother''s arm calmed him down and prevented him from crying out. His mother was holding him very close to herself, as if she depended on it... She kept humming, softly, to her baby, though in her crackling voice her sweet tune meant more to her than to the child in her arms.

    ¡°Shhhh¡±, the rippling of the water echoed around the small ferry boat. The man in front of them was rugged, looked exhausted and concerned, yet his eyes held a gentle spark, a hopeful glittering through the darkness of this day. He warned his woman to be quiet, they were approaching dangerous places, the more silent they were the safer it would be for them.

    The woman bit her lower lip and frowned. Uneasiness covered her whole self, she shivered and trembled slightly, cold waves crawling up her spine. Ra tried his best to not make a nose, himself. His mind was strangely aware of their situation, and kept his childish behaviors in check. His mother, out of a sudden, pointed out to something amidst the fog, it was the faint outline of a port, his father had a faint and relieved smile when he confirmed what his wife saw, he motioned the boat towards the shadow.

    The man helped the woman out of the boat, who hugged tightly the baby in her arms, the colored cloths that surrounded her head and body were completely soaked by the rain, even though they put up a thicker, albeit smelly, one on top of it to prevent her finest clothing from ruining. He had a difficult expression when he realized the effort was in vain, especially when he tried so hard and went through even harder to get those fine clothes for her. The woman knew what he was thinking, and gently placed her hand on his cheek, she had a grateful smile, then she softly kissed him. That was enough to lift his spirit and put him aware of the situation. The two of them quickly scanned around them, there was nothing to worry about, for now, so they swiftly moved towards their destination.

    The streets were slippery and the large dented stones made it hard to trail, even so the two figures made their way, silently and rapidly, as they could. The fog and the rain barely allowed them to determine what surrounded, all they could see was faint outlines and shadows of stone and wooden buildings that mazed their path, infront of and beside them. Not even moonlight could cross through the thick and heavy rain clouds.

    The man covered the woman under his arms, an effort to further hid her from prying eyes, though it was rather vain. The both of them stopped when they faced a great shadow towering up towards the sky appear in front of them. They smiled in relief and happiness. But then the trampling sound of hooves echoed out of the surrounding streets behind them, terror and dread soon filled their minds and hearts, they hastily stepped up the stairs of the building. The trampling sound approached even closer, like a shadow crawling and looming in.

    The man was to heavily knock the door using the metal handle that stood in the middle of the massive wooden door, but his movements were stopped with a heavy and thick rope. It didn''t stop there, whomever threw it also pulled it with strong arms and forced the man to the ground. Laughter and mockery sounded. The woman tried to scream, but the rain baffled her pleas. Not able to contain himself any longer, Ra also cried out. Two shadows came out of the fog, and recklessly and mercilessly tore the baby out from his mother''s embrace and also forced her down on the ground. Her husband tried to lift himself but the hands behind his ropes prevented him and mocked him for trying. A giant figure, one that stood on the horse, made his way through the fog and just watched as the men under his watch took care of the woman. His eyes were sharp, and under the gray clouds of fog seemed rather cruel and devilish. The henchman that had the baby in his arms shrugged and motioned the baby as if asking what to do. The man simply waved his hand, and moved his horse back into the fog, uninterested. The baffled cries of the woman and the man died out under the heavy drops of rain. Ra cried for hours as his tiny eyes carved those dreadful images, with fire intent, into his unnaturally aware mind. When they were done with their fun, the henchmen sighed as they had to take care of the corpses in order not let any else discover what happened. When they disappeared in the fog, the rain relieved.

    And as if a mockery and an irony of fate, Ra''s cries sounded out into the streets and buildings around him. The massive door opened, and a slightly bright figure came into sight. The white figure took the baby in his arms. He gasped when he noticed what was in his arms, and he simply knelt down, dropped gently the baby in the ground, and left.

    The baby cried for hours until he finally died out of cold, when the first sunlight broke in to that day...

    Ra woke up panting and without breath. Despair, sadness, grief, regret, almost any negative emotion one could feel was piling up and strangling his heart. He jolted himself up and stood on his trembling legs, the night gale was cold and as piercing as a sharp blade on his furred mantle. His eyes frantically moved around, narrowing his sight in every shadow outline he could. The terror he felt within was irrational, and he was growling and drooling unconsciously as fear turned him into a cornered beast...

    Hours went by as Ra kept staring and growling at the void, he even tried to bite away his mother when she stood up and brought him closer to her, curling up around him and caressing him out he phased out of the mindless and afraid state he locked himself. In the morning his mother left him in the den, as she went out for hunting, even though he was the size of a small ¡°earthen¡± dog, he could barely be compared to his mother in size, and if she was this big... just try to picture the size of her prey... besides Ra''s teeth are too small and he is still a little uncomfortable with his new body.

    His mind was in turmoil, no thought was straight nor clear, everything seemed misty and out of place, his members ached, restless, and his eyes were dry no matter how many times he would blink. He barely could put himself up and his throat had a non-stop feeling of hoarseness. And as if conforming what was only obvious¡­

    New Status Effect:

    Dreadful Nightmare: -30% in Physical Capabilities and -25% in Mental Awareness

    The day passed in front of his eyes as if he was watching a slow-motion movie in a tied-up chair. He felt a stranger in his own body, he wanted to stand up and run on his two feet... but he was but a wolf pup... But then, finally in some time his mother came around, he had a slain elk hanging from her bloodied mouth. Ra finally understood how hungry he was, but when he tried to get up he fainted... Back to black...

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    Why...? Why was she covered in blood...? Why was mother so... still? And why father stepped away from her? Why was all of this happening...

    ¡°WHY!?¡±, she thought to herself loudly and the earth beneath her paws gave in to cracks and fissures... Her white fur was bristled and her tails swinging wildly behind her, but most of all she felt a void inside her... her heart ached so much...

    The white fox wandered aimlessly, lost in her own thoughts and fears. The forest during the night was rather quiet, and the full moon gave out enough light to illuminate her way. She didn''t notice when she made her way into a giant snake''s burrow... She was already being stared by a giant snake, with a head the size of her body, ready to swallow her whole in but one bite. That is... until the little fox stared back at the snake. It''s whole body and muscles went limp, even her tongue stayed put inside her mouth, that lasted for a few seconds before it slowly eased down and slid back into her own pit, with glassy and lifeless eyes.

    The white fox tried to step in the burrow, trying to understand the snake''s reaction, but it reacted by hissing loudly, but it wasn''t a threatening sound... rather, it was a terrified reaction... Disgusted with herself, the white fox ran off... not caring where she was heading to...

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    A.N.: So, yeah, I had a blocking over this chapter for WEEKS... And I still don''t like it... I hope I can do better next one. And, also, I''m glad I''m back!