[0-1]Dawn of the Tide

"It seems a fools errand, even for you. Do not mistake my words for mockery, brother. The repercussions could be endless. What if Yahweh¹ retaliates? After all, he has a fondness for the Huma of Gaia, especially those of Platinum Spirit Level². It's said his spirit forge³ is incomparable yet even his Huma only have 5 souls ranked Platinum & above." said Castor as he looked up at Polluxs' crooked yet intimidating features.

"Besides," he continued "If Soul Lockers were so easily plundered, Divina⁴ greater than ourselves would surely be tempted."

He eloquently swept the mottled dark gray & brown wings protruding from his back. As Castor swished his narrow, forked tail in perfect synchronization for balance; Pollux couldn't help but despise the simplicity of grace in every action his brother took.

The astounding dexterity in every movement Castor made was readily apparent, even in as simple a task as sitting atop his own majestic ethereal steed.

Pollux straightened as the reflection from Castor's gold-trimmed cloak hit his eyes. Although it deeply ached to do so, Pollux reveled stretching & showing his massive visage. Standing at an astounding 8 feet tall, his head was slightly above Castor's.

His face cast with an eerie grin-like expression as he carefully surveyed his brother, whom for all his grace could never match Polluxs' stature & ferocity.

Castor was dark-skinned, with every dexterous movement seemingly rushed yet precise. Today he wore off-white robes trimmed in gold, a hooded fur cloak fashioned from a White Lion gracing his shoulders. His tangled hair & hood hardly hiding his shame; his horns, which he kept ground down to mere nubs.

If not for his cut horns, his face could easily pass as Huma. It was easy enough to hide wings & a tail with a disguise, but all horns were magically infused themselves. Thus it was not possible for Castor to walk amongst most mortal realms.

Pollux chortled an Avian-like laughter; melodic yet haunting. Castor noticeably cringed at the sound.

"You worry for your own sake. Attaining a Platinum soul would make us one step closer to becoming true Gods." Pollux tilted his head as the horrendous chortle sounded from his throat once again.

He knew how to get under his twin's skin.

"You shared your Eternal Vigor⁵ with me... Do you truly intend on turning your back at our quest now? We are brothers! Our goal is to fixate our realm at the pinnacle of all. We cannot allow the so-called rules to interfere! WE ARE GODS!!"

Castor sat in thought as he stared Pollux dead in the eyes. He could hardly stand the sight of himself, let alone what he currently viewed. He could see the fight within Polluxs' spirit. His brother had been tainted by the Dark Matter⁶ he constantly ingested, despite Castors' incessant warnings.

The Dark Matter was slowly tainting Castor as well. Although he had not mutated, he had felt a spike in strength the last few centuries.

Pollux already possessed a fiery demeanor, but when he raised his voice their Spatial Realm⁷ seemed to quake in its entirety. He wore basic trousers & a cape of disarming, made of the finest quality steel silk available within Dominion⁸.

His bare feet ending in talons that could easily slice through dragon scales. His torso was feathered including down his arms; jet black with small patches of dark gray, which matched the wings he kept slightly extended past his cape.

His visage had changed much the last thousand years, yet his ferocity in unarmed combat remained unparalleled. His reach actually extended more now; his powerful arms ending in clawed hands, the talons equally as powerful as the ones on his feet.

Castor let out a deep sigh. Although the sight of his tainted brother made him feel sickly, he couldn't deny his love for him. It was true he had shared his Eternal Vigor with Pollux. He knew the Pollux he had once ruled in unison with was in there; somewhere.

He shook his head as he replied, "I still think such a task to be a fools errand, but if you should be called a fool for doing so then so will I. Your intentions are for the best of our realm even if I don't agree with the means. How do you intend on gaining entrance to another's soul locker?"

Pollux growled viciously as he swept his great wings, quickly ascending several feet off the ground.

"I knew you would never turn your back on me. I'll reveal the plans tomorrow. Meanwhile, tame the fastest steeds you can find & prepare your best equipment." He began laughing uncontrollably as he sped away before Castor had a chance to respond.

Pollux could hardly contain his excitement! To raid the Soul Locker of a higher ranked Divina; no one had ever thought to commit to such a heinous act! Most considered it suicide, but he found information that had clearly been hidden since time immemorable.

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Castor casually knelt & picked a wild healing herb as he patiently waited for Pollux. His mind was far too busy to mind. He had finally managed to tame the fastest & most powerful mount he could find: a Qilin!⁹ It had taken hours to track & tame this legendary creature yet well worthwhile.

He grinned as he stood. Offering the freshly picked flowering healing herb to his new companion. A soft, warm melody sounded from the astounding creature.

Castor had a natural fondness of all animals & they seemed to all be fond of him! This lead to him being renowned in Dominion as one of the greatest beastmasters. Still, it was difficult for even himself to believe he was in the presence of this outstanding Divina.

However, Qilin are highly intelligent.

They are peaceful, sociable creatures but they rarely agreed to meddle in the affairs of any humanoids, especially ones that were also divina. It took much convincing on Castor's end. If not for his inner virtue being true & just, he would have never convinced such a being to help him.

Qilin are gentle by nature & took great pride in their grace. No blades of grass bent, nor surface of water rent by the benevolence of their flawless movements. It could be said a Qilin almost reflected Castors' own character, though they most assuredly were not ashamed of their horns...(if they have them!)

Qilin did not possess names pronouncable by tongue, so Castor wanted to politely ask if he could name his new companion. It would be much easier to address this fantastical creature in tongue. Luckily, he was blessed with a rare attribute...

"Oh, great Qilin, most graceful & benevolent; your knowledge surely surpasses many. I humbly ask to grant you [The First Oath.¹⁰] This skill, as you well know, allows me to bestow you with your True Name¹¹. A name etched in to your very existence!"

It was believed each individual Qilin could easily rival his own power. For example, their trait called 'Guardianship' separated them from many divina. Guardianship would bind them to an item, place, person, or even concept! They naturally enhanced whichever they chose. It was rare for them to do so, yet the power was worshipped & renowned throughout countless realm.

'Truthfully, Qilin so rarely meddle with any humanoids that their skills haven't been fully recorded.' Castor thought to himself.

Being a rather astute & scholarly Divina, Castor was excited to work beside this fantastic creature!

Yet his offer wasn't wholly selfish; for if it were, this Qilin would surely object. The Qilin made an audible sound; radiating appreciation from its aura.

"Dear Castor, you are the most kind two-leg whose character can never truly be tarnished. I know it so by way of 'Morality Viewing'.¹² It would be an honor to receive a name in tongue, especially by your grace. 'The First Oath' is surely a rare & extroadinary

skill. It will make me amongst the most revered in my clan." A female voice made of honey echoed within Castor. He gasped. She had only communicated by emotional force before now.

His heart sank, realizing such a sound would never truly tone within his ears. Such a loss for all creatures, Mortal or Divina! The energy passed from the Qilin was soothing; her aura began radiating happiness.

The only prerequisite to using 'The First Oath' had been met: consent. Castor seemed to levitate forward as he gently placed his hand between the Qilins' great horns.

As he activated 'The First Oath', a bright, golden light flashed in his minds eye & he was suddenly filled with knowledge on every aspect of this Qilins' existence!

"ORUGLE!" Castor shouted as the brilliant light faded & he dropped to his knees. It was the unescapable, overwhelming feeling loneliness from the shared memories that made his knees weak & eyes cloud with tears. The name itself meaning "lonely, excitable and graceful."

A being of good fortune yet she had been an outcast simply for her variance. Orugle was a dragon variant while her tribe revered the feline variant. The high ranking tribes of Qilin were strict on their aesthetic.

The final judgement of the Grand Council within the Qilin was rarely overturned. Yet Orugles' good nature had never allowed her hope to falter, even fighting her loneliness by occasionally becoming the acquaintance of lesser forms.

However, it was now a possibility for her to return to her clan, revered & even granted the title of Grand Priestess.

Orugle bowed. A motion she made by bending her front legs and lowering her dragon-like head. Her 'Fire Aura'¹³ seemed to flare; the flames surrounding her body turned white.

"Orugle.... it is a name I will treasure for eon. I can never express how much this means to me, Lord Castor. I can finally return to my family when we conclude our quest.... with your permission, of course."

Suddenly feeling rather shameful for his tears, Castor quickly wiped his face against his sleeve.

The previously smooth & melodic voice resounding in Castors' head was clearly under toned. He knew Orugle was overwhelmed with a turmoil of emotions. He needed to uphold the stature expected of one in his position.

Castor stood, quickly finding his composure. Bowing deeply to Orugle, he said "Please stand, my friend. I am no Lord of yours. Truth be told, the honor is mine. Although the benefits of 'The First Oath' are clear, it's extroadinarily rare for any Qilin to choose to do so."

As Orugle stood, Castor suddenly realized another detail that would make his new companion stick out amongst her tribe; her size had almost doubled. Even though she had suddenly shifted in weight & mass, her 'Cloud Walking'¹⁴ trait allowed anything under her to go undisturbed.

Orugle turned to the creature beside her, suddenly curious, "Allow us to drop the pleasantries then. What is this quest you hinted at earlier? And why must I share burden with this... beast?"

Castor laughed as he walked up to the intimidating yet less intelligent Kludde.¹⁵ He materialized raw meat to feed the huge oversized black hound. It quickly responded by roasting the meat before Castor let go & snatching it away.

Orugle scoffed at the spectacle.

The blue flame around the Kluddes' neck radiated heat. These beasts were incredibly quick, but vicious. Only a Beastmaster of Castors' rank could attain these.

"He may not match your grace, Orugle... but he may rival your speed!" He chuckled as his innate 'Self Mend'¹⁶ healed the burnt flesh of his hand & wrist. "I was thinking about seeking 'The First Oath' with him as well. I think it's a task better suited to my brother. It will be his mount after all."

Orugle scoffed yet again, "You mean to allow your kin to attempt to temper his flame? Are you sure Pollux won't become a roasted crow?"

Castor laughed, a genuine smile finally lighting his face. "Pollux knows exactly how too handle such a brutish beast. It will be no challenge to him."

Orugle stopped & looked around.

"Speaking of your brother, he does seem quite late. Are you certain he meant to meet here?"

Castors' smile faded as he shook his head.

"Polluxs' favorite saying is "Better late than never."" We will be lucky if we see him this evening. However, I thought it would be a good idea to camp below the stars tonight..."

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Miles away, Pollux was high atop trees similar to redwoods; hurrying around his rather intricate structures suspended amongst the trees at varying levels.

At the moment, his arms were full of scrolls & he needed to find a very specific one. The scroll in question was an ancient manifesto of Yahwehs' personal Soul Locker. Some dolt had dropped it in Dominion City¹⁷ millenia ago & Pollux had finally learned to translate the lizard kin language.

He hummed, occasionally laughing out loud. Today was very exciting & tomorrow will only get better.

He hadn't expected Castor to be quite so agreeable.

'I suppose the hopeful fool will never learn.' Pollux thought to himself.

'He had better get the best mounts possible. From what I remember, speed is absolutely imperative...'

He shuffled close to his desk & released all the scrolls in his grasp.

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[Yahweh¹: A lizard kin deity that is the Watcher of Gaia(aka Earth) Prominent in Judeo-Christian religions.]

[Spirit Level²: The ranking system of a souls true strength. Green is most common. Platinum, Crimson & White are the most rare. Most known deities started as Platinum until ascension. ]

[Spirit Forge³: a forge for souls. When Gods ascend to Creationists, they may create sentience by gathering mana of dead or dying stars.]

[Divina⁴: Ascended forms of sentients throughout the entire Cosmos. Their strength far exceeds the normal standards.]

[Eternal Vigor⁵: Lifeforce of an immortal being. It may be shared; at the price of vulnerability to certain metals or magics.]

[Dark Matter⁶: A mysterious energy thought be a sort of Mana Font for evil & dark magics...]

[Spatial Realm⁷: Gods that are Watchers, Rulers, or Creationists have complete control & command of entire kingdoms known as spatial realms]

[Dominion⁸: A name the Gods use to summarily state "all of creation."]

[Qilin⁹: Also known as Kirin. These chimerical creatures of Japanese legends that have many different forms referred to as variants.]

[The First Oath¹⁰: A rare skill that gives the target a true name pronouncable in the original casters native language.]

[True Name¹¹: The true name of the essence of soul present with a being. It allows for certain species to have functional names while amongst other realms]

[Morality Viewing¹²: An attribute of few races that allows one to see a person's true character & intent.]

[Fire Aura¹³: Qilan(Kirin) are granted different elemental auras that vary in strength.]

[Cloud Walking¹⁴: Innate skill of the Qilin race that allows them to pass over anything & leave it undisturbed.]

[Kludde¹⁵: Fierce yet loyal mounts. A winged demonic canine the size of a horse. Often gifted with inate 'Fire Aura' or 'Dark Aura' that must be tempered.]

[Self-mend¹⁶: The skill of immortals that heals all physical mutilation.]

[Dominion City¹⁷: A major place of commerce for all Divina. Strict law prevents ANY violence and/or crude activity]