2 Aedilus

Inside a musty stone ruin, sunlight pours through various holes in the ceiling. A blinding light deposits a panicking Kevin atop a small stone altar. A large crack can be seen running through it. With a painful thud Kevin rolled onto the ground. All around him dirt and vegetation is overgrown between the deteriorated stonework filling his surroundings with an earthy smell. He picks himself up from the ground and dusts off his clothes still feeling quite disoriented. His sledgehammer is lying on the ground beneath his legs while the stone figurine is clenched tightly in his hands.

"Where am I?" It was obvious he was no longer in his basement.

"You're in MY house mortal. How dare you take a hammer to my vessel!" A booming voice was sounding directly within Kevin's mind which caused him to be more than a little unnerved.

"Vessel? What are you?!" Suddenly the figurine that Kevin was holding starts to glow and float in front of him above the altar. Now that he has a chance to take a closer look. It looks like a man but... not quite..is that a.. beaver?

"This vessel that carries my divinity within it. Who knows what might have happened if you damaged it." The figurine remained suspended in the air giving a gentle glow. Despite its odd form it still held a certain dignity.

"Who are you? What is going on here?" None of this was making any sense. A godly beaver idol was in his basement wall?

"Right. I still haven't properly revealed myself. One moment." The stone figure began to vibrate at little until a semi-opaque face of a humanoid creature formed from the divine light.

The face was a masculine one with a stern expression. What made it odd was the silky sheen of short fur, the small black nose and two large incisor teeth characteristic of large rodents.

"Long ago the mortals would call me Aedilus. They regarded me as the one of the patron gods of creation, mainly of artisans and builders. If you need to call me by a name, Aedilus will suffice."

Kevin could do nothing but watch with astonishment still questioning if this was some alcohol induced hallucination and how he would search up the number for CFIA and see if they can look into that beer company.

After a short pause the strange and powerful voice continued. "If you are wondering how you and I came to meet, it is a very long story which for now I will shorten it as best I can." Suddenly more light spread from the ephemeral being and formed images of figures on landscapes. Swirls of colourful light would flash here and there.

"Long ago these lands were inavded with chaotic energies and dangerous beasts. They came through portals from another plane to take over. Mortals of various races living in this time fought fiercely to survive this invasive force. The most powerful warriors would pledge themselves to various gods and goddesses in order to receive blessings and powerful abilities. Some gained strong martial strength while others gained arcane knowledge."

Kevin drank in Aedilus' words. This whole setting was like something out of some typical fantasy novel.

"While the mortals with their new abilities fought back against the chaotic beasts the fight for survival against the opposing forces reached a stalemate. Even with their newfound combat prowess, what still threatened the most lives of mortals was the unstable weather that was brought by the chaotic energies. Scorching sunlight, torrential rains, vicious bonechilling winds. It was at this point I decided to lend my own strength. With my power and knowledge the mortals of various races were able to construct strong homes and fortifications. With their families safe inside their homes, warriors could fight wholeheartedly knowing monstrous beasts could no longer raid their families and that even the weakest members of the races now had a chance of survival. Life began to look far less bleak." Aedilus had a very proud look on his face.

"With the influence of the gods and the will to survive the mortals were able to outlast those turbulent times. In time portals began to close and the majority of the Chaotic being were either slain or driven into retreat. The world became more peaceful. While the mortals were quite grateful for the divine assistance, this gratitude waned as peace reigned and their lives flourished. With this the influence the gods had over the mortals and the power they gained from them through faith, also dwindled in time."

At this point his face looked grave.

"The many gods and goddesses were angered by the mortals for being so fickle. They decided to grant divine assistance to dark and malevolent forces in order to recreate the Chaotic era. My value to the mortals did not wane even in peaceful times so I was considered one of the keystones of those in favour of the mortals. I became the target of many angry gods and goddesses. It took their combined strength cunning to subdue me. My followers were slain and temples destroyed. After a bitter battle in my last temple I was struck down. In order to survive I cast myself to another plane, your plane, where I lay recuperating until today. This place we are standing in was once was a shrine dedicated to me by the mortals in this kingdom."

Kevin looked around the dilapidated structure.

"Judging by the state of the place I take it they don't hold you in high regard."

"You... are not wrong. I am all but forgotten it seems."

"..."

An awkward silence falls within the crumbling ruin. Unable to tolerate it any longer Kevin breaks the silence.

"So what are we doing here? It's obvious we aren't in my house anymore."

Aedilus' face lights up in excitement.

"Yes. Yes! That's right. I brought you here to this plane with a proposition to pose to you. Judging from what I was able to glean from your time in that house is that you are desperate to fix the house for sale to mend your financial trouble. It also seems as though your woman was unfaithful to you. You have my condolences. Alas both are trifling matters once you agree to work with me." Aedilus bobbed about excitedly. His large upper teeth gleaming with every word, the earlier majestic bearing all but completely abandoned.

The strange glowing creature seemed genuine enough but...

"Work with you? What could I possibly do to help a god?"

"I am glad you asked mortal. Right now I am quite weak. My followers have long since been killed or forced to abandon me or believe I have perished due to my long absence. When a divine being no longer has followers they run the risk of dissipating into nothingness. I was only able to survive how I did because of the talisman I was sealed within. This shrine we are in seems to be the last physical remnant of tribute to me on this plane. If you are able to restore it then I will regain some more of my divine power and can use it to help you." Aedilus stretched his hand out to Kevin with a grand pose every bit shining with pride and promise.

Kevin thought about all of the difficulties he was dealing with with in his life and now how he had been cast into this crazy mixed up mess involving some fallen rodent god. Despite all of that when he looked into Aedilus' gaze he knew that he had already decided. It was not because of the lofty promises or the creature's divine charms.

It was because he had absolutely no $#@%ing clue how he was going to get home.

He clenched the outstretched hand(paw?) tightly and an uncomfortably warm but energizing sensation swept through his body. It felt as if his blood was suddenly replaced with coffee and extra sugar. As fast as it came, the sudden surge of energy subsided leaving Kevin breathing heavily and sweating on the ground. After a short while the discomfort turned into elation.

Kevin was not the only one affected by the exchange. Aedilus no longer was a wispy apparition but became more corporeal. A contented expression spread across his face. He dropped his previous imposing demeanour and seemed much more casual. Not fading into nothingness can have that effect. "Fantastic! Yes! Okay! Now this is the fun part. You can now restore the shrine. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just enough so it's unmistakably a shrine representing me."

Left with little other options, Kevin swept his gaze across the the dank and decrepit ruin and then to his empty hands. Then back at Aedilus with an incredulous look.

'Restore with what exactly? Rock and roll?'

"Aedilus. How am I supposed to doing anything without tools. All I have is a sledgehammer and.." Kevin quickly checks his pockets. "..my wallet and cellphone."

Finally noticing Kevin's confusion and inactivity, Aedilus appeared in front of Kevin embarrassed. "Right I forgot you come from a Plane with little to no magic. I guess we gotta do this from scratch. As my only servant I can devote all my spare divine energy to you so your body should be brimming with it so that shouldn't be an issue. I guess we should go with the signature spells from my divinity. Construct, Deconstruct, and Cache."

Aedilus leads Kevin to a pile of stones. "Construct is quite useful in that all you need to do is channel the divine energy while imagining what you are making and how you want to make it." He gestured with his paws to some crumbled stone which formed into a perfect sphere.

"Strong understanding of the material you are using and a firm image of what you want to create are imperative. Also without physical tools the spell will substitute for them, it just consumes more energy. Next we have Deconstruct. As you might have guessed." He gestured again, the time the stone crumbled into dust.

"It breaks material down into basic components. The more complicated the item or the more thorough the breakdown process the more energy used."

"Last but not least we have Cache. It is a spell that allows you to increase the storage capacity of whatever object you imbue the spell into. It also allows for the items stored inside to be kept in the same condition as when they were placed inside. Keep in mind living things cannot survive within the cache space, at least at your current level of strength. Cache is also something we have to set aside for now as it is too costly even for me in my weakened state. Perhaps after the altar is completed we can try."

Kevin pondered for a bit then asked a question. "What would happen if I tried to cast the Cache spell right now?"

Aedilus looked gravely at Kevin and replied.

"This is the case for any spell you lack the understanding and energy to use. Best case scenario, the spell would fail causing you to lose strength and fall unconscious. Worst case, the spell will extract energy directly from your soul and life force causing you to die an agonising death."

Aedilus looked away towards the altar.

"As my only lifeline right now I would be compelled to try and save you by compensating the missing energy. But the process is not so simple, it's akin to trying to fix the hole in a metal pail by trying to pour molten metal from a foundry. Needless to say quite dangerous." His face softened as he turns back to Kevin.

"It shouldn't be a problem if we are careful. I'll be around to guide you. These spells will become your greatest tools for achieving whatever dream you have. I guarantee you won't be disappointed choosing to join me."

"Choice? What choice is this beaver talking about?" Of course he never spoke those words out loud.

"If you are ready we should begin."