My story – the chronicle of my deeds – has long since been concluded. The final page had been written and the book closed. The heroine had defeated the monsters, saved the village, and, by the benevolence of the gods, ascended into godhood herself.
Many centuries may have already passed in the mortal realm I had left behind. Or perhaps no time has passed since. I know not their fate. I am afraid I may never know. Returning to that realm – to that universe – seems impossible as of now.
No. Thoughts of such things would do me nothing. As a mortal turned god, I had certain duties to fulfill. The great gods of old – divine beings who had shaped and controlled the realm I walked in – had given me a challenge. In order prove that I deserved the godhood I had been given, I had been tasked to choose a champion from the mortals of this new realm I would be transported to and aid my champion to do great deeds, much like my gods had done to me.
In a fit cockiness that had always been my downfall, I had agreed. In hindsight, I should have gathered more information and analyzed the situation to create the proper strategy in order to tackle the situation in a manner most favourable to me. This was what my dear friend and advisor had always said to me. Then again, he had always shook his head and fixed my mess in the end. Now, I had once again foolishly dived into something without first looking, but for the first time, I would not have my dear friend to support me when the tides inevitably turned against me.
I should have followed his advice. I should have, but I had never been able to back out of a challenge. It had been the cause of one or two of the scars that painted my body.
There was no going back. Not even an all-powerful being could turn back time in the realm of the gods.
The Elder Gods, as I had taken to calling them, had grinned maliciously at me before snapping their fingers in unison. In a flash of brilliant white light, I found myself in the clouds, high above a mortal realm that was foreign yet oddly familiar to me.
Monsters fighting heroes. Heroes fighting monsters. It all seemed like home.
I had taken a step forward in the vast emptyness of the clouds when a sudden structure manifested before me, rising up from the now white-tiled floor like stone monoliths. I had been hesitant to approach it at first – who knew what it held – but ultimately, curiosity and bravado won.
Upon closer inspection, I found that it was some sort of control panel. Something similar to it could be found at my home – a small table imbued with magic where mages would enchant artifacts. What I had before me seemed like an advanced version of the enchantment table. There were no buttons or symbols directing me to do what or not. Instead, the most prominent in the control panel were the bright yellow lines that accented its surface and two square pads. On impulse, I placed both of my hands on either pads and gasped out in surprise as a chair befitting a king manifested under me, forcing me to sit on its comfortable cushion.
As I looked up after the surprise wore off, I noticed that words appeared out of seemingly nowhere above the control panel.
‘HELLO, LEOVEN.’
Leoven. That’s right. When I ascended into godhood, that was what they called me. Leoven which, in the ancient tongue of my people, translated to ‘tamer of the sun’.
“H-Hello,” I chanced a reply. To my astonishment, the words disappeared only to be replied by what seemed to be the machine’s response.
‘WELCOME TO GODVILLE. IN THIS REALM, YOU ARE ONE OF THE MANY GODS WHO FAVOUR ONE OF THE NATIVE MORTALS AND GUIDE THEM TO GREAT DEEDS. SHALL WE GET STARTED?’
This machine seemed to be my companion in my foray into godhood. It had no name, and I suppose it held no being. It was simply a guide – inanimate – like a piece of paper transformed into a map.
‘WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRING UP A MAP OF GODVILLE?’
Truly marvelous! It seemed to be able to breach my thoughts. Was it because I still held physical contact with it with my hands? I removed them from the pads and noticed that my companion’s words had changed.
‘CARE FOR A REST, LEOVEN?’
A rest? I looked around the white room I was confined in and found that more items had been added to it since my arrival. There was now a bed, something similar to what I’d seen the High King sleep in. Despite the addition, the area still felt empty. Perhaps, there would be a way to add to it – to make it my home. Another time, I suppose.
I returned my hand to the pads and my companion seemed to awaken once more.
‘WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND YOUR CHAMPION, LEOVEN?’
My champion. My hero. The mortal whose life I will watch over. I could feel the small grin make its way to my lips.
“Yes.”
tbc