Gods of Creation

Chapter 21

Wren

We had been walking for what felt like hours through woods and tall brush. We were clearly not on a path, not even a beaten one. I was getting restless because everyone was so quiet and serious. I knew this journey required a lot from us, but the least we could do is have a little fun along the way. It was seriously killing my vibe walking along side these ladies. I felt like I couldn't breathe this closed off in the trees. There was no air flow, and it was making me anxious. Mix that anxiety in with the dead silence of my travel companions and you get a really overly board Wren…and no one wants that. I had to think of something to brighten the mood a bit.

I didn't want to stray too far from the group, we all know what happened last time I did. I ended up a bobbery mess on the ground, crying my eyes out. I would prefer to stay out of that kind of situation, so here I was stuck in silence between all these somber faces.

"Geilas, where are we heading to right now?" My curiosity got the best of me. I had spent that last 15 minutes debating on whether to ask or not, guess which side won that debate.

Geilas giggled quietly and answered.

"We are heading to the port city of Everbloom Bay. We need a ship if we want to get to the Fire realm before the end of the year." She joked. "Everbloom Bay is the closest port to where we are located. There shouldn't be an issues acquiring a ship for our travels. We should arrive there late tomorrow afternoon. Soon we can stop for the night to rest. Tomorrow is a special day after all! We need our beauty sleep." She spoke cryptically as she smiled at Meadow.

"What is so special about tomorrow?" Meadow took the bait.

"Why it is your solar return my dear…your birthday. You will officially be 19 tomorrow!" Geilas replied with a little too much cheer.

I knew we had been in Bavilan for three months, but I guess with everything going on we didn't realize it was so close to Meadow's birthday. I felt a little ashamed to have forgotten our sisters special day, that was the only time back at Ms. Hanafry's that we felt loved was on the day of our birth. We would get small gifts but cherish them with our life.

"I can't believe that it is already here. Three months flew by quick! I'm not ashamed to say this is the most excitement I have ever had on my birthday. I'm glad I get to spend it with the four of you, my sisters." Meadow smiled softly as she pushed a branch gently aside to allow us to pass her.

Tomorrow was March 20th, the beginning of the Spring equinox.

Winter in Bavilan was different from what we expect on Earth. I'm assuming the life cycle of this world is not the same as back in our solar system, so the seasons work differently. I wasn't complaining, we have had some amazingly magical weather here. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we are lucky to call this place our real home. The longer we stayed, the more it felt like we were in a place meant for us.

"The port city will be bustling with life as the locals prepare for the Solstice. I'm sure there won't be many outbound travelers as people love to come to the Earth realm to celebrate the Equinox. Timing and luck are on our side!" Geilas adds as she continues walking through the brush.

Speaking about Meadow's solar return brought life back to our party. Everyone started talking more, laughing together, and just enjoying the nature. It was a much-needed change. We walked for another hour before Geilas directed us to stop in a small clearing. I rejoiced at the rush of fresh air that hit my being. I could finally breathe easy again, even if I was still surrounded by stuffy trees.

We could hear running water from a nearby river, bringing a musical joy to our ears. The clearing was a circular patch of soft and plush grass. It was free of any trampling, showing that no others, including big critters had made this part of their route to the water. I guess that's why Geilas has been walking us through the wilderness, to prevent us from coming across unruly characters. She can't help herself but to protect us. We settled in, building a small fire, gathering water and laying out the sleeping contents of our bags.

"Geilas, can you tell us more about Bavilan? Surly this land has a lore of sorts. You have told us about our lands, people and families, but I still feel like I don't know much of this world." Meadow mentioned as she stared into the Vex ball she had pulled from her backpack.

"Of course, I would love to tell you more about your home! Let's see where shall we start?" She trailed off, thinking deeply.

"How about the beginning?" Ember snaps with a small attitude. She rolled her eyes and laid down on her sleeping kit.

"Very well, the beginning it is!" Geilas shot back with some peppiness. "As you know, Bavilan is another realm outside of Earth. What you don't know is that it is not the only one. Earth and Bavilan are a mere two worlds in a universe of countless others. Each planet is assigned their own set of rules, and rulers to uphold those rules. The rulers are referred to as the All."

"The All is made up of an infinite amount of Gods and Goddesses that team together to create worlds to rule over. It is inherently in their nature to create and therefore, they create. The All have their own plane of existence that is separate from the universe in which they make their creations. No one goes to their realm unless forced by one of the deities of their world. The All are also not good or evil. The encompass everything and nothing at the same time. They always were and always will be. The beginning archetype."

She paused and let us take in what she was saying. Though it was hard for our minds to grasp the concept of the All, we allowed her to continue without questions. She smiled at us and started again.

"Bavilan has six deities from the All. They created everything that you see and will experience. Though they are the creators of this land, they can not come to us in the flesh. That is one of the rules of the universe, Deities cannot directly interact with their creations. They make themselves known in others ways. Thye may display small actions, interact with you in your dreams or they can lead you to the Land of the Gods. The Land of the God's is a set of treacherous islands in the southeastern region of Bavilan. That is the only land in our world the Gods can walk freely. Not many go there and live to tell the tale."

"These deities, our creators, made the world, but also made us beings that make up this world. It is them that we give thanks and pay homage to on the Solstices! They also each have their own personalities. Though I have never met them, so I can not give too many details on them as Gods. I have only heard tales and read stories. What I do know is the Goddesses are over Earth, Water and the Void, while the Gods are over Fire, Air and Metal. Together the six of them protect our world from outside forces."

"What do you mean outside forces?" Alda suddenly asked with a hint of fear in her voice. She had overcome a lot of her timidness since being in Bavilan, but old habits die hard.

"Well, like the Darkness of course. The Darkness is a deity also, just not one that belong the Bavilan, and they choose a more evil path than most. Though they are not a creator of this world, they escaped the Gods plane of existence and landed here. Apparently, they were being held accountable for some pretty chaotic choices of their own world creation. Not wanting to suffer the consequences of their actions, they escaped to Bavilan, where they took over some lost islands and lived in secret, licking their wounds from the Gods, before making their selves known. When they did make their selves known, the Aspyre jumped at the first opportunity to side with them to take over all of Bavilan. The rest is history."

"Why couldn't the Gods just come here and get the Darkness, then this war would be so much easier?" Meadow asked.

"Remember, the Gods can not walk our world as we do. They cannot remove the Darkness for the Darkness is the same being as them, it would mean them going against the rules of their creation. So, they patiently wait for a resolution. They created you four to be the solution to the problem. They may not fix the problem, but they will help where they can. Ultimately, the task is up to us to remove the Darkness from this land."

"So, we get to do all the heavy lifting, wonderful!" Ember chimes in, exaggerating her enthusiasm.

"Yes, but that is part of the journey. You have so much to learn and do before you take over your thrones. Your world and true beings were kept from you your whole life. There is so much to cover and not nearly enough time. Trust your instincts, trust the Gods chose correctly when creative you. Together you will succeed always." Geilas smiles at us. "Ok, lets get some shut eye. Gods know we will need it in the coming days."

She snuffed out the fire to a low dim, giving off just enough heat and light to keep us warm and protected during the night. I crawled into my sleeping bag and got comfortable. It wasn't long before sleep took me.

11:58pm

I shot up from a dead sleep and looked around me. I got an eerie feeling when I noticed Alda, Wren, Meadow and Geilas had done the same. We were all looking at each other, trying to comprehend what just happened. A minute passes when we are surprised out of our grogginess even more.

A green mist was filling the clearing and was heading directly towards Meadow. She smiled softly as she let the mist surround her and fill her lungs. After a couple minutes, the mist died down and everything was calm in the clearing once more.

"What the fuck was that?" Ember whisper yelled to all of us, hoping someone had the answer. Meadow smiled back.

"The Goddess of the Forest wished to tell me happy birthday. She sent the trees to speak to me and bless me on our journey." She said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know this, Meadow?" Alda asked matching my curiosity.

"She told me of course in a dream. She came to me and spoke to me, then woke us all to celebrate with the forest. Wasn't it beautiful!" She started to tear up as joy took over all her emotions.

"It was indeed beautiful my sister." Geilas whispered.

"Happy birthday Meadow." We all said at the same time. She smiled widely at us, letting us know this was a birthday she would never forget. She laid back down and didn't move for the rest of the night.