Chapter 22. The Divine

[Zeus: Images & GIFs]

The rain had stopped, the atmosphere quiet with no more thunder and lighning strikes, and, my body was rushing with adrenaline pumping my muscles with excitement.

While the cannoe wasn't a perfect plan, it still presentend me with a chance to get away. However, an invinsible obstacle now stood in my way, just like everything else in this island.

It was crystal clear what the obstacle was, however, despite the lack of physical manifestation. The lightning strikes and thunder, and the voice, coupled with my current existence. They all pointed to a deity that was none other than Zeus, an ancient Greek god.

But as I stood their, the cannoe two steps to the ocean from where I stood, I was only contemplating about one thing. What if, I chose not to listen what Zeus had just told me?

"What will it feel like when lightning strikes my already cold body?" I wondered. "Will I survive since I have cursed energy?"

I looked back to where I had come from, shifting my legs for the first time ever since the weather had improved. I could make out the far mountain way back from where I had come from and hear the sound of the river water hitting the banks and rocks.

I could hear the crunching of dried leaves as mysterious creatures stepped on them. A miniscule amount of curiousity lingered in my mind, forming what-if scenarios about adventuring in Themyscira without the worry of being murdered.

But none of it made me desire to take a step back and walk the way I had come. I had already been through enough. Enough to push me to taking on a lightning bolt or two, if it meant getting out of here.

"I'm a survivor." I encouraged myself as my legs became stiffer than a concrete pillar. "I have survived the Amazons. I'm sure it will be the same case with the gods."

My body jolted with a rush and I found myself reaching out to grab the slightly wrecked cannoe and dashing into the water. My heart pumped in my chest and my groins recoiled in anticipation fro the worst.

But a man has to take chances if he wants to get what he wants. That's something I should have told myself a long time ago, even before all this had happened. But this was my chance to become that man.

The waves that had been tumultuous, stirred by the lightning strike, were now calming down. They pounded the shore with a rhythm that enabled me to plot how I would ride them away from the shore. The salty breeze brushed against my face as I let the canoed down to flow with the ocean, its scent whispering a song of freedom.

The canoe seemed sturdy enough to carry me through the waters, and it's all I was counting on, even as a retracting wave pulled it into the ocean, with me inside. At last, I was out of Themyscira and on my way to greatness. I was already forming a list of the many things I would do.

I would use my powers to make lots and lots of money, all in the name of helping people with their curse problems. The rich would surely take me up on the offer, and I would be in the fast lane to succes.

The canoe rocked violently as it moved into gentler waters, and it crossed my mind just how tired I was after the fights and such a long run from the mountain to the shore. By thought, I summoned the attributes window to see my progress.

Ding!

<No threats.>

I didn't have super strength, or super anything, explaining why I was finally experiencing my exhaustion.

"I guess I'm finally out of the threat zone." I said to myself, with a smile on my face. I relaxed my body and thoughts from imagining what Zeus would do to me.

"Ha ha." I laughed my nervousness away. "The old guy was just bluffing after all."

Careful not to jinx it, I stopped laughing and looked behind me. I hadn't gone too far, but seeing Themyscira behind was making me feel like the luckiest man on Earth.

"Maybe someday, fate will bring me back, under better circumstances." I whispered the thought into the air. Several thoughts shot through my mind just as I finished the last sentence. I had left Diana lifeless, and who knew what the curse balls had done to the rest. What about the prophecy Zeus had talked about? Last time I checked, that prophecy wanted me dead.

My brain started to burn up and I turned my sight away and looked to the ocean ahead of me. None of it mattered anymore. All that I cared about was to paddle as much as I could to get as far as it was possible, and hope for the best.

Ding!

Typical god power (500)

Attributes updated to twice the power of a god.

<Strength: 160 1000>

<Speed: 300 1000>

<Agility: 300 1000>

<HP: 300 1000>

The attributes window disrupted my paddling. Tension returned my body as I realized what this was about, and, I didn't like it. Moreover, it only seemed to have only doubled my pre-existing attributes, instead of giving me the full juice. I didn't like where this was heading. Was I about to engage in a futile fight against Zeus.

My body shivered from the thought of being struck by lightning. And just after I had relaxed from that haunting thought. What I would give to be made out of rubber right now.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The air became charged with an ominous energy and the ocean started to churn with an eerie intensity. I scanned the horizon, a sense of foreboding settling over me.

Out of nowhere, a voice echoed through the air, deep and resonant, carrying an authority that surpassed mortal understanding. "Mortal," it intoned, causing the very water beneath the canoe to vibrate. "You dare go against a god and enter the realm of Poseidon, the God of the Sea."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked around, trying to discern the source of the mysterious voice. The sea around me seemed to darken, and a misty fog began to rise, cloaking the canoe.

I swallowed hard, petrified from the thought of all the gods ganging up on me all at once. I wasn't sure that I could take that.

An abrupt, immense shockwave shook the water as a giant monster shot from the ocean, right beside the cannoe. It flew to the sky, its gigantic mass making me look like a small insect.

My cannoe shook violently, threatening to topple over and submerge me into the depths ot the ocean. I held tight to the wooden edges, as my body banged on the planked floor.

The giant sea beast flipped just as its huge tail fin emerged from the water. Gravity pulled it fast and it submerged into the water quicker than it had come out. The second shock wave flipped the canoe and I found myself gulping the water.

When was this going to stop?

I frolicked desperately, trying to find my way to the surface of the dark waters, but the erupted waves only plummeted me further into the depths. My limbs flailed in the dark waters, disoriented and struggling against the powerful currents. Panic set in as I fought to find the surface, my lungs burning for air. Just when it seemed like I couldn't hold on any longer, the chaos around me ceased.

As the water cleared, I found myself suspended in a calm, translucent bubble. I could see the ocean around me, but I was no longer submerged. The mysterious force gently lifted me to the surface, and I gasped for air as I broke through.

To my surprise, the tumultuous sea had transformed into a serene expanse. The mist that had shrouded the area dissipated, revealing a vast horizon and a clear morning sky. I floated on the surface, bewildered and grateful for the sudden change.

Then, a majestic figure emerged from the water. Poseidon, the God of the Sea, stood before me, his trident in hand. He wore a crown of seashells, and his eyes sparkled.

Poseidon regarded me with a measured gaze without a word. He raised his trident, and the water around us shimmered. Suddenly, a team of magnificent water horses emerged, their forms dancing upon the waves. Poseidon gestured towards them.

"Zeus showed you mercy, and so must I," he explained. "Take these horses back to the shores, and I will spare your life."

I coughed as the same anger that had engulfed me when Zeus tried to order me erupted like a volcano.

"I don't care what your agenda with me is, but I am not going back to that cursed island." I shot out to the towering figure before me.

Poseidon looked at me with a gaze as if understanding my situation, but the water beneath me shook violently as if channeling his anger before it erupted.

"Forgive my brother, for his luck of etiquette and manners." Poseidon said with a calmer voice. "The gods need your help with exorcising the curse in Themyscira. In exchange, we will give you freedom."

I listened to what he was saying, noticing the sudden change in mood. Was he striking a deal with me?

"Then what about all that stuff about the wrath of the gods..." I asked, not knowing exactly how I was feeling.

"That is why we are giving you a chance at freedom." Poseidon answered. "By dismissing you of a heinous crime."

"What crime?!" I couldn't believe he was accusing me of something. "Trying to be killed by everyone I have met ever since I got here?"

"Didn't you take Diana's life?" The question hit me suddenly, leaving me speechless.

"But even before that, you were guilty of a worse crime." He added. "Take the deal, and get to live. Refuse, and die this instant."

I weighed the options in the brief silence that followed Poseidon's ultimatum. The turbulent waters beneath me mirrored the uncertainty in my mind. Going back to Themyscira meant facing the unresolved issues left behind. On the other hand, accepting Poseidon's deal seemed like a potential path to freedom, albeit with unknown consequences.

Taking a deep breath, I addressed Poseidon, "If I help you with the curse in Themyscira, you promise me freedom?"

Poseidon nodded solemnly, "You shall be free, unbound by the chains of this island, and your position to the gods of Olympus. But remember, mortal, the gods do not forget debts. You will have to fulfill your end of the bargain."

The water horses, once a force of intimidation, now stood docile, awaiting my decision. I hesitated for a moment, contemplating the possible outcomes. Then, with a resigned sigh, I agreed, "Fine, I'll help with the curse. But under two more conditions."

"You are in no position to-" He started but I cut him short.

"One. I get a larvish life in the world beyond this island. One that the gods won't interefere with." I said. "I'm sure that's easy peasy for the almighty gods."

"And, two. We make a pact to seal this deal. One that will resort to the death of either of us if any of us is to back out on the deal." I dug out graves.

Poseidon's expression twitched slightly, hinting his mild uncertainty, or worry, as if he knew something I didn't. But despite that brief woe that had engulfed his heart, he extended his hand to accept the deal.

He knew what the consequences of leaving Themyscira cursed would be. He certainly didn't want to witness the evolution of the Curse that would lead the Amazons to destroying everything.

"Very well. The fate of everything rests in your hands, mortal." he said as our hands touched.

My hair spiked up and my senses heightened as if I was listening to every negative emotion in the entire world, just as we made contanct. The energy that errupted in my body felt both foreign and familiar at the same time.

It was massive, and it felt like cursed energy just as much as it didn't. But what troubled me the most was how it felt. It felt as though the entire universe was suffering through something so bad, that I felt nothing more than the desire to save it.

He let go, and as fast as the energy had wrapped around me, it dispersed instantly.

"What was that?" I asked, wondering if that's how it felt to touch a god.

"The pact has been made." He said, knowing the touch of the Divine that he had felt, just as soon as he had touched my tiny hand.

As Poseidon's words echoed, the water horses circled around me, forming a protective barrier. With a wave of Poseidon's trident, the bubble of calm water lifted me onto the back of one of the majestic creatures. As they surged forward, carrying me towards the distant shore, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions — relief, uncertainty, and a lingering sense of responsibility - for more than just the island I was going back to.

The journey was swift, and the water horses moved with a grace that defied their colossal size. As we approached the shore, the waves gently deposited me on the sand. The misty fog that had accompanied Poseidon's entrance enveloped the horses, obscuring them from view.

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I looked out at the vast ocean. I then looked back to the familiar terrain of Themyscira and breathed in the fresh air as the sun came up. I took a step forward, knowing that I was walking back to my help, all in the hope of fighting for my life. It was better than constantly running away from gods and Amazons, and whatever else. Better to be free.

To add to my inventory, I made my first summon using the Cursed Coin, in an attempt to tame more shikigami. It was time to rid Themyscira of the curse, and, buy my freedom. And it would take everything I had got.

[End of Time skip Narration]

And now, I was ready to face my last shikigami, one that I thought would be the death of me, even after days of practicing on strengthening my spirituality inorder to make the most out of my jujutsu.

Standing up from my lotus position in the cave, I wiped the dust off clothes I no longer recognized. They had so much blood on them from all the Amazons I had had to kill.

I had done so much to prepare for this moment. The moment that would make my quest easier. The only trick up my sleeve that could defeat the Oracle of Themyscira.

I knew the words for the ritual, just as much as I understood the Ten Shadows Technique. I took out the Cursed Coin from my pocket, and rubbed it in the palm of my hands. There was no need for doing this outside. Out fight would lead us there.

Extending the coin, I began the summoning. "With this treasure..."

CN:

I have skipped 30 (fiction) days worth of summoning and taming most shikigami, getting the hang of Themyscira and marking survival spots from cursed Amazons, and mostly, the Evolution of the Amazonian Curse, which I will introduce in the next chapter. Thank you for reading, and your patronage. I wrote my first long chapter - 2500 words.