Perpetual Samsara (Part 10)

Timeframe: Age of Gods

Location: The Thundering Mountains - Elysium

Heaven's lost properties, domains belonging to the original forebearers of the Primordial thrones; each separate and independently run yet unified under the same veil of Elysium all the same. In the highborn peaks of the heavenly realm was the region ruled over by the Primordial God of Thunder, Relepagus. It was from this domain that the skies would weep echoes of rain onto the lower realms be it heaven, or earth…or even to the trace edges of Inferno itself.

Currently, the area was consumed by an insurmountable force of rainfall. The waterfall of endless precipitation drowned the lower layers of Elysium for days on end. The rain was so intense that it drove the other gods and lesser heavenly beings into a state of disarray and uncertainty which essentially drove a sense of hopelessness through the golden streets. Concerned, one man elected to investigate the cause of this seemingly endless trail of tears.

This solitary individual marched confidently yet calmly all the way into the antechamber of a great palace that was fixated at the summit of the mountain range. There sitting atop a throne composed of black clouds and molded steel sat a singular man clutching both sides of his head as his golden eyes were stricken with anguish and frustration. His groans of pain rumbled like quiet echoes of thunder as he battled with this ridiculous headache.

"Relepagus, my dear brother, what ails you so much that you drown the heavens with tears?" spoke the visitor draped in immaculate white robes.

"Big Brother Izunia, apologies; had I known you would seek me out, I would have prepared a proper reception," the God of Thunder sighed as he reclined backwards in his throne.

"Nonsense, such frivolous things are trivial. Seeking out a method to remedy this current matter is of great importance. Tell me brother, what brought this on?" the Great Architect known as Izunia inquired.

"I don't know. My mind has been taken by thoughts; constant visions of our past, present, and even the future. Echoes of war, strife and fears of a break in the balance combined with visions of people yet to come, evils yet to manifest, and so on. It is as if my mind is being taken through an out-of-body presentation of what will happen. But what aggravates me most is this ferocious scratching-like sensation within my skull right now."

"That is rather perplexing, little brother," Izunia pondered, "Maybe you should reach in that oversized head of yours to scratch it?"

"Haha, I appreciate the jest, Big Brother; however, this pain I feel…honestly I believe you may need to cut me open to see what is going on exactly."

"Wait…you cannot be serious, Relepagus."

"I am, Izunia, I very much am right now. If this keeps up, Elysium may never know sunshine again and if my influence trickles down on Earth then we may have yet another planetary flood again."

"I did not anticipate performing surgery on my brother during my venture up here today…"

"I know…"

"If Sakinah were around, she would…"

"Sakinah is too young to use her gifts to perform this delicate procedure."

"That is true…then…it seems I have no other choice then. Just sit up straight and relax, I will try to be as quick as possible."

Relepagus sat upright in his mighty throne and took a deep breath. Izunia stood on his brother's right side and raised his right hand positioning it mere inches away from his skin. With caution and precision, the Architect used a swift motion to cut into the God of Thunder's skull. In that moment, a roaring crash of thunder indicative of the Primordial Storm Lord's pain shook the confines of his fortress down to the base of the mountain leading the lower levels of Elysium to feel the quake. From there, golden streams of blood poured down Relepagus' cheeks. At that moment, Izunia lifted the upper half of his brother's cranium.

A chasm of unbridled luminous energy erupted from Relepagus' head. The great beam of light shot through the roof and to the skies above causing the dark clouds to spiral over the throne room. Menacing rumbles of thunder and brilliant strikes of lightning simultaneously twisted together, mingling with the pained cries of the Thunder God. Such an overwhelming display caused Izunia to stumble back. The seconds that followed were marred by violent bolts of lightning that struck the velvet covered tile below at the foot of the throne. After a few moments passed, the lightshow dimmed. Involuntarily, Relepagus' head sealed itself shut as his wounds instantly recovered. Doused by sweat, he and Izunia were left astonished when they heard the subtle cries of a baby now ruminating within the chamber.

"Is that a…" Relepagus gasped.

"How unexpected…yet intriguing at the same time," Izunia observed.

The two caught the sight of a child wrapped in white, silken robes whose face was obscured by a black and white mask and a long nose protruding from it. Unsure of what to think, the gods looked to one another.

"It would seem your antics with women of all different races has produced something new once more, brother."

"Don't look at me like that, Izunia. I have not encountered any further trysts since Sakinah's birth."

"So you say, little brother. But it would seem that you have a second child born to your name; one whose birth came from a literal brainstorm."

***

As that flashback came to an end before Sivanah's eyes, the next vision arose shortly after suggesting several years passed since her birth. In this setting, she saw a version of herself sitting in the middle of a great library that was often used for basic schooling for some of the younger gods raised in Elysium. At this point in time, she was no more than 10 years or so old; her dark skin, red eyes, and rich, black hair were her key features matched alongside a pair of black wings that she could hardly restrain, pointed ears and a uniquely long tail extending from behind. Wearing a white dress, she sat reading some tales about the early days of creation, the formation of the original Primordial Gods and some of the earliest scriptures documenting the will of Akasha.

"I see you are isolating yourself once more, my dear daughter," Relepagus said whilst looming over his daughter's head.

"If by isolating, you mean educating, then yes…I am doing that, Father. Something many of the other gods could stand to do," she dismissed with a heavy sigh.

"You truly are a troublesome child. Unlike your older sister, you have the opportunity to experience the fullness of heaven with all the lavishness it offers but you choose such a meager behavioral pattern. Why not try and associate with the other gods and goddesses of your generation?"

"I see no point in such interactions. If I did that, then my cognitive potential would decrease roughly by 85%. Bragging about one's own strength, overblown achievements, and superiority complexes halts one's development in intellect and insight. Honestly Father, do you not see how our fellow gods choose stagnation over progress? All they seem to carry about is ambition and power while exploiting the suffering of humanity for their own benefit. That will destroy us all in time."

"It amazes me how much you and Sakinah sound so much alike yet have never truly met," Relepagus observed with a disconcerted sigh.

"I suppose relishing in one's studies can make one's mind sharp; however, take care not to become too detached from your own kind. If you lose your way, even I may not be able to save you."

Left alone, Sivanah continued her observations. She documented how her fellow gods acted; their arrogance, hubris, indifference towards humanity, and their overly inflated egos. In tandem, she would also study the behaviors of the mortal realm. She saw how they struggled with day to day life succumbing to famine, disease, war, poverty, and old age; however, she also saw their potential for good with innovation, civilization development, compassion, and unity under insurmountable circumstances. There was a certain appeal to that level of evolution among these creatures who had lives that were vulnerable and temporary. However, she was vexed by the gods whose idiocy only contributed to their suffering further.

One day, Sivanah was minding her own business acting on an idea that came to her. The gods needed to be humbled so the best way to go about doing that was making sure that they would feel the full effect of actions having consequences. As one who was blessed to hold power of karma, she felt that the karma coming to the gods was one that was long overdue.

Unbeknownst to any individual, the second child of Relepagus snuck away to a special botanical garden that was overseen and often personally cared for by her Uncle. She reached the base of a mighty tree that would become known as the "Tree of Knowledge" and quietly ascended towards one of the branches and plucked its fruits. Then she would later find a way to sneak down to Inferno and grab a local fruit known as Ambrosia from its dark vines. No one knew how resourceful the girl was, but because she kept to herself and resigned herself to being a background-like character, it allotted her the opportunity to pull off stunts like this.

In the midst of her father's home, the girl had a special laboratory that she kept secret. It was her safe place to escape from everyone, even the oppressive force of her father when need be. Furthermore, it was also where she would conduct various experiments and arrange special tricks or pranks to play. After all, she had a reputation of being a jokester in "poor taste" that she proudly wore as a badge of honor.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Sivanah was carefully cutting up the two different fruits and dropping them in a chamber pot that created a unique elixir. She then plucked two feathers from her back and crushed them up to create a powdery substance before throwing it in the pot as well. Last, but certainly not least, she took advantage of her father's DNA coursing through her veins and summoned a small rain cloud over the pot to fill it with rainwater before finishing it off with a mighty strike of her divine lightning. The potent mixture caused the lab to quake uncontrollably. Then in a violent burst, a giant cloud of miasma erupted before expelling itself from the laboratory.

Relepagus' castle shook violently from its weight then as if spurred on by divine fortune, the miasma created its own unique thunderstorm that covered Elysium's layers almost instantly. A great chaotic uproar soon followed as all of the gods of the hierarchy were soon affected by the intrusive anomaly. 

The result was catastrophic. While some gods lost their powers temporarily and were no better than a mortal residing in the throes of heaven, others went insane. These gods fought one another indiscriminately causing the holy cities of Elysium to fall into ruination and destruction. Some became more docile as their psyches were dragged into states of deep hypnosis causing them to curl into fetal positions in the streets. Lastly, there were the unfortunate souls that could not handle the strain of the elixir which drove them to the point of deicide. This event not only altered the fates of the divine, but caused a period of time where humanity was left alone without the influence or presence of the gods–a period known as the Dark Ages.

Unable to study and develop a cure, it took The Architect to rip a page out of his sacred book and set it ablaze using the ashes to cure the illness affecting the divine realm.

"That is quite enough of that nonsense…who is responsible for this blasphemy?!" the angered voice of Izunia echoed throughout.

Eventually, the origins of the tumultuous phenomenon was traced back to Relepagus' castle. That was when the secret laboratory was discovered. Within its confines wasn't a scared child who didn't know what she was doing; instead, it was a child laughing triumphantly over the results as if she held no remorse whatsoever.

"Your daughter will be imprisoned within one of your temples, isolated from all within Elysium until I can determine a proper course of action for her," Izunia coldly expressed towards his brother to which the God of Thunder merely submitted to the holy entity's will as the Head of the Table.

Relepagus took on all of the scorn and hatred from the divine once Sivanah's identity and deeds were made public. He was blamed for not keeping a better eye on her, and failing to raise a responsible daughter. This all but drove the Primordial God into a state of self-exile which he became notorious for self-isolation for many years to come. As for his daughter, she merely dismissed the current state of affairs and continued studying historical anecdotes, monitoring the happenings of human civilization as well as studying the Great Mother's texts and prophecies.

The day eventually came when she was meant to face judgment. By that time, she was a teenager, around 16 human years old. As she received word that she was going to be escorted to her trial, she noticed that a small piece of paper drifted into the temple through one of the windows. She managed to grab a hold of it and felt a fearsome pressure from it. She notated the singed edges along its fragile surface giving away that it was a burnt page from the Architect's book. Knowing how powerful it was, she quietly held onto it for good measure.

"Sivanah Ashvi, Daughter of Relepagus, Primordial God of Thunder; I, Izunia, the Great Architect of Elysium and Ruler of Elysium will now adjudicate your sentence. For your heinous crimes of sacrilege and blasphemy by disturbing the divine realm of Elysium, causing instability of the mortal and heavenly realms, theft of the sacred fruit of knowledge, and involuntary mass deicide due to taboo experimentation hereby associate your actions with not only treason, but charge you with intention of insurrection to upset the order of divinity and mortality.

Henceforth, you will be stripped of your position in Elysium and banished to the mortal realm, never allowed to step foot in this holy place ever again as a Goddess or as an ethereal spirit. As long as I draw breath and reign over this place, your visage as a goddess will not be recognized by any living entity. You are no longer a daughter of a god, but an entity to be shamed."

"Heh…heh heh…hahahahahahah….AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Sivanah laughed maniacally without any care over her uncle's words. The other gods behind her in the stands merely passed whispers calling her a curse, saying she was insane amongst other things.

"Oh dear Architect…you honestly think I care? I have no remorse over what I did. The gods needed a lesson and I was blessed to give them one. The nameless wonders who died as a result of my experiment can rest in irrelevance. Such was the fate of all these arrogant jackasses whose karma was coming to get them one way or another. But since you're sending me on my way…allow me to pass judgment myself," Sivanah smirked as she pulled the piece of paper from her hair and held it up for everyone to see.

"How did you come across that?!" The Architect remarked as he recognized what it was.

"By your will…I curse you and all those gathered here; by the power vested in me enhanced by the essence of True Karma. All of your deeds and misgivings shall return a thousandfold. The very manner of cruelty that fuels your ambition shall be your undoing. You all shall fall from grace and lose the power you cherish so much. Those beneath you shall rise above you; in the end, the powerless shall rise in a kingdom turned upside down. So let it be written…so shall it be done."

The page resonated with her words and disappeared in a spark of light. As it did, the resulting curse would eventually lead to a series of events that would alter the course of divinity forever and redefine the definition of gods for generations to come. However, just as she was being taken away, Izunia felt a cruel chill creep up his spine that he tried his best to keep hidden from translation upon his facial expression.

As preventative maintenance, The Architect struck Sivanah's name from every text kept in the Records of Elysium. He even went further to use his powers to alter the memories of all the lesser gods occupying Elysium during the time of Sivanah's presence within the heavenly realm. Then he would go on to swear the members of the Primordial Council to secrecy over her existence.

"If any of you break your word regarding that child's existence, you will lose your powers, influence and titles within Elysium," he would proclaim. Even for Relepagus, he had to forsake any thoughts that he had of his second child.

***

"Didn't expect to be dragged down memory lane…" Sivanah sighed heavily as she was forced to relieve her early days all over again. Having felt like she did what she could to help Raizo tap into the focus he needed, she elected to eject herself from within the boy's consciousness; however, something caught her eye.

The visage of a flawless beauty came into her view; one with violet eyes and dark hair with an all too familiar garb of silken black laced with tracings of golden plated strips of armor. Her voluptuous form and presence was unmistakable especially considering all that Sivanah witnessed firsthand. The identity of the aforementioned individual was none other than her older sister, Sakinah Vashti.

No words passed between them as they stared at one another; however, it felt like both women were having a detailed conversation that only those two could share. Without a single echo escaping them, it was like they shared a lifetime's worth of experience with one another after never knowing each other in-depth during their respective lives. After what felt like hours upon hours of conversation, Sivanah's conscious self reawakened in the material world of her zen garden as Raizo did the same.

"What the…hell? You crippled Elysium on a whim? Then you used your exile as a means to establish your own race of people, forgotten individuals rejected by society?" Raizo recanted some of the details as her life story vividly flashed through his mind.

"Hmph, you make it sound like it's an impossible feat. Going off your memories, the gods are still full of their own hubris as ever and humanity is just even worse. No wonder why you have so many forces trying to upset the natural order by condemning life to a fate worse than damnation. Still…if Akasha sees the potential in sentient life, then I shall trust her judgment with the Tao as my guide," the Great Tengu sighed with a subtle coursing of her fingers through her hair.

"Well…enough dwelling on the past, it's time I kept my promise to train your puppy dog ass and ascend through the Vaitarani."

"Er…come again?"