1 Thundered down
In a far away universe, there is a shining palace standing high in the mountains, radiating a homely feeling, causing fear and awe into the hearts of those that see it. This majestic wonder belongs to a title.
The current holder of the title was deep inside the palace,, past endless columns, endless mirrors,numerous doors and halls, sitting in the throne room.
Upon a grey stone throne sat a young man with his face held up by his hands and legs sprawled out. The man was currently tossing a long stick into the air, watching it rotate and swirl with a still face and lackluster eyes. The current Celestial King that ruled over all Deities in the Immortal and mortal worlds; Taro, was bored.
Near allowed to leave, barely visited by people, his palace was mainly used for meetings. There were no balls, no grand feasts for weeks, no festivals, no games, no laughter ringing in the hallways. After taking the title; Celestial King, over a thousand years ago from the previous holder, he now lacked entertainment in his life.
Overwhelmingly surpassing the last kings powers, and leaving the other gods in the dust, he had lost hope in someone defeating him, releasing him from his prison. In the past he would call numerous challengers at a time, fighting bare chested, with only his fist as his weapons. He even fought blindfolded at one point but to no avail, the throne remained his.
"The God of Death, has accepted your challenge, Taro" A soft sultry voice whispered in his ear, stopping Taro's stick tossing. With a blink of eye, he was gone and only black smoke was left in his place. In the palace gardens, full of tall palm trees, wide green areas and calm ponds, a tall figure appeared surrounded by the black smoke: Jin Wei.
With a wave of his hand directed to the ground, large piles of dirt and rock rose up, and started swirling around Jins body like leaves in the wind. When more than a dozen rocks had floated around Jins body, they all smashed into him from all sides, leaving a jagged asteroid floating in the gardens.
Within moments the 'asteroid' started crumbling into dust onto the ground, leaving a body covered in a light grey, fractured full body armour. It was crudely shaped to Taro's 6ft1 athletic build. Many large and small cracks kept the rock armour uniformed, twisting and skewering around the armour, especially around the joints. The full faced helmet was covered in tiny pieces of square titles layered and joined together, bearing a reptilian look .
{ https://o-blivia.tumblr.com/post/179918686919 & http://conceptartworld.com/news/x-men-days-of-future-past-sentinel-concept-designs-by-maciej-kuciara/ }
In front of Taro, a cloud of darkness rolled in, leaving black bearded old black as the cloud dispersed. The man was dressed in long silk black robes, holding a crisp white stick cane. "The God of Death, Yin Xen greets my Celestial king" Yin Xen said with a bow.
"Long time no see, Old Xen...Who will replace you if you win" Taro greeted the old man with a nod, as he started stretching his arms and legs.
"I will have my son Yin Teng, take over my throne …Now! here I come, my king" Clutching the top of his stick cane, he adjusted himself into a low stance. With a burst of speed he appeared in front of Taro. He swung the cane, aiming his swing for Taro's neck. The air from the swing uprooted the ground behind old Xen.
Taro stepped back, watching the swing only chipping away a little bit rock from his backbone. Old Xen swiftly changed the grip on the cane, swinging back to hit Jins face with the butt of the cane. "Forbidden Dea.." Before he could finish, he felt his cheek being slapped and his waist starting to rotate.
Taro caught old Xen's incoming hand and kicked one of his knees. Old Xens tibia ruptured cleanly from the bottom of his foot. Black blood sprayed onto the ground, corroding the soil and withering the surrounding grass.
Taro grabbed old Xen by the scruff and started pounding him with unrelenting headbutts. OnIy when he started hearing the old man gargling on his own blood, did he toss him to the side.
"You've gotten faster .... you really always surprise me,Old Xen" said Taro, as his rock amour crumbled to the ground. With a wave of his hand, the garden reverted to its original state.
Turning to face the body of Old Xen, he raised his hand and pink tendrils came out of his palm. Wrapping around old Xen's body like a cocoon, and started shining with a pink hue.
After a moment, the tendrils retreated to Jins palms, leaving a full healed Yin Xen on the ground. He quickly stood up and bowed, "Many thanks, Celestial King… I still have a long way to go it seems" old Xen slightly frowned as he said that.
"Don't worry old Xen...like I said, you've improved … come, join me for a drink …. that means all of you " Taro said, as he turned around and started floating back into the palace. In space around them, a crowd of demi-god & gods came to view out of thin air. " We pay our respects towards our Celestial King" they spoke in unison.
Some of the gods wanted to decline but the invitation came from their king, and it felt more of an order than invitation. As the drink flowed, Taro became more loose and weaved in and out groups, striking conversations with no pause. Most of the gods present, had become too old for this type of celebration and stayed sitting.
They admired the youthful energy that their Celestial King had, many of the gods had doubts he would be able to lead the realms due to only being a thousand years old. They had spent billions of years under the reign of the previous Celestial King , who used to invite them to the palace to play board games, gossiping, teas. However Their young king rarely invited them for games and only focused on training,resting or taking walks.
Finishing the party, the gods bid their farewell to their king and returned to their perspective territories or domains. Isolated and left alone within his palace, Taro floated back to his throne and resumed his stick tossing. "Moon, are you there?" Taro said to the air in a low voice.
A purple form took the shape of a woman and stood next to Taro throne. She looking down onto him in a loving manner and spoke with a soft and sultry voice " I am always here, Taro" She ruffled Taro's hair with her hands, licking her thumb, tidying it up.
"How strong do you think Old Man Xen is now?" Taro tilted his head to look into her eyes, before standing up from the throne and slightly walking down the steps in front of it.
Moon walked around, and sat upon the throne with a chuckle at his antics. " I would say, Old Xen's power, is almost near the previous Celestial king, if head the title… who knows, he might even surpass him" she said as she leaned back into a comfortable position.
"Mhmmm...this should work then" Taro nodded and smiled, turning to look upon the now vacant hall. Moons eyes slightly moistened hearing his word.
"All have been summoned" a wave of energy burst out of the palace, taking with it the part of it's aura across all the realms. All the Gods heard his call, many were slightly started, trying to guess what the summons was for. Some even equipped their amour or even brought their pets with them to the palace.
In just a minute, the hall was filled with as twice as many gods as before . " We pay our respects towards our Celestial King" they spoke in unison.
' Damm, that never gets old' Thought Tarl as he looked over the crowd and animals, as he raised his palm to the crowd.
"In front of the eyes of the Moon Palace, I hereby announce the next Celestial King as old Xen. I will abdicate and relinquish all my authority as the Celestial King" The crowd was stunned even the animals.
"Please think carefully, my Celestial King" The shout came from the god of wisdom, after he had quickly recovered from the news. He was drenched in sweat on his back and his face showed grave concern. The crowd immediately ruptured into a frenzy, animals roaring, hollering, jeers, and yelling, all aimed at Jin after his word.
"At ease…" the voice of Moon travelled throughout the hall, soothing everyone to their core. Taro turned around and gave a nod to Moon, before returning to face his 'ex-subjects.'
"I understand your concerns, but rest assured, old Xen's power is almost within the reach of the previous Celestial King, this has been confirmed by the Moon Palace…. As such, he will be able to defend our Universe. The other 3 will notice the transfer of the title but act they will not, as the balance will still remain so giving the throne to Old Xen will not be a problem"
' They'll be more than likely rejoicing when they hear news ' thought Taro.
" Regardless, if they did attack, I can act as a spiritual Asura, if the Moon Palace declares it. I will not stand by and watch our universe being conquered..I'm cruel but not that cruel" Taro said with a slight smile, the hall ruptured into laughter from the Gods who had seen old Xen's and King's fight earlier on.
"Now, old Xen come up here " He gestured to Old Xen to move.
"Are you really sure about this Celestial King?" asked a nervous Old Xen. Taro patted Xen's shoulder with a wide smile " Of course..".
"May I ask …. What is the reason behind this, my king?" A woman with jade white skin, white hair and light green eyes asked; the God of rivers asked with her hand raised in the air.
Taro chucked at her actions, " I a…."
"He's bored " Moon cut him off, as she was walking down the stairs to meet Old Xen and Taro.
God of Rivers : 'What your bored?'
God of Wisdom: 'What's there to be bored about?'
God of Arts: 'You're the strongest being in the universe and your bored!
" I...well… maybe..I,I." The god of rivers became speechless, not knowing what to say to change his mind. She enjoyed being under his reign, he barely interfered with her affairs unlike the last Celestial King who wanted to know everything.
"Now, lets being!" Taro's aura changed and merged with the palaces, the wind beside him became playful, hugging him as his if he was a lost friend. The ground shook, the sky's growled with lighting, lava swiled within volcances and the stars danced with light to their king. Taro turned around to face Moon, who was now only two steps in front of him and old Xen.
" As the leaving Celestial King, what do you gift my palace?" Moon said as she looked into Taro's eyes.
"I hereby gift the Moon Palace, my weeping angels" Taro raised his hands in the air, 14 identical chubby marble skinned babies in the fetal position with their faces scrunched, and their mouths covered by their hands appeared in the air. Moon waved her hand and the babies disappeared from the sky.
Old Xen and Taro pressed their palms together, the wind moved and started hugging Old Xen like it was a new friend. The ground trembled, the sky roared with lighting, lava tumbled within volcanoes and the stars shined brightly to their new king.
" We pay our respects towards our Celestial King" the crowd said in unison, as they all kneeled.
"I pay my respect to the Celestial King" Taro said to old Xen with a slight chuckle, as he patted his shoulder.
"I don't think I will get used to that" replied Old Xen as he laughed, turning around to greet the crowd with a nod.
The group of gods dispersed in all directions, leaving only OId Xen , Taro and Moon in the hall.
" Taro, will you leave or stay within the realm?" Moon asked as she walked back up the steps and took a position in front of the throne.
Taro looked up to see her eyes slowly turning red
"I will leave the realm … and the Moon Palace, I want to see what the other realms look like ….I have been in this realm for all I've known" He said calmly, whilst his body was slowly covered with a dark blue reptilian scaled, body armour from all sides.
Clenching his hand into a first, a ball of white lighting started appearing as he slowly unclenched the hand. Sparking and contorting the lighting formed into the shape of a short axe.
"Celestial King, are you sure you want to be here?" Taro said, as his head was being covered with a scaled helmet. On his other hand, slowly morphed a small pink flat shield, that floated parallel to the back the hand.
"No, I'll take my leave…." Xen started floating down the hall but stopped mid way, turning back to look at Jin " She'll miss you.. you know that right"
"I know...now shoo! I don't want you to see my upcoming defeat " Whilst old Xen left the hall, Taro watched the doors slamming shut.
Taro turned around to see a tear dissipate into smoke as it tried to escape down Moon's cheek. He bashed his shield with the axe and started walking up the stairs.
" Being with no title! You are trespassing upon this realm and trespassing in the Moon Palace, your judgement for your crimes is death! " Moon's face turned into a black furred dog, with a long snout and pointed ears. From her back sprung out wings like a bat. Her hair tangled together creating a horde snakes and her once caring eyes only showed bloodlust.
Around the hall and the air, appeared an armada of swords, spears, arrows, axes and arrows. alongside dozens of different circular colored sized Inscriptions in the gaps in between. Taro could see amongst the group that the weeping angels were about to open their mouths and their frowns had taken a picture of serene tranquillity
.................
Above a green and blue planet appeared a black hole, that ejected out a male body and trail of blood. With it's head tilted back, arms and legs stretched out, the body began to descend towards the planet
The body flowed into a fetus position as it nearest the outer atmosphere, flames contorted against its falling figure, as the body thundered down.
