5. Seed of Life

Ardex could not find his father Oeros anywhere. That wasn’t strange, for this was the first time in his life that he could actually travel and discover the Heavenly Palace. It harbored secret rooms, areas, bridges and gardens in every corner. Some were magically locked to him; some were magically enhanced to be more attractive.

His anger had to compromise and let in a little wonder and awe.

Until he realized he had to miss all of this for years. His parents had locked him up, right after being born! So he had to leave, it was the only choice. Loneliness was his only friend and his powers weren’t useful anyway. He’d rather rule over a small planet in no man’s land than ever see his deceitful parents again.

His inability to find Oeros was not due to lack of magic or sight. Oeros simply wasn’t home.

He wandered for a good while—never seeing or hearing Gaia again—before Oeros suddenly appeared back in the throne room.

Ardex had a question mark on his forehead. Oeros was joyful and energetic.

“It has happened!” he said. “The first seed has been planted!”

“Which means?”

Oeros flew towards Ardex, his appearance wide as if he prepared for embrace, but freezing just before it happened. Father and son merely sent each other positive, smiling energy.

“The first life has appeared in our universe! Far away from here, past Dalas, the small red planet. The first life! Besides us! I’ve seen it with my own eyes, felt it with my own soul, my own—”

“Can I go there?”

Oeros froze again. “Wait a little longer, until they’ve developed further. We’ll see how it plays out.”

“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Ardex mumbled. “Give it time, calm down, take a break. Can you say anything else?”

“But it’s the truth!” Oeros exclaimed, his joy untouched by the chagrin of his son. “And Gaia must hear it. Otherwise she moves too quickly.”

Ardex did not believe that this bumbling god, astonished by what was probably some aimlessly swimming worms, wanted to kill him and Mother. All his actions merely seemed to protect and support Gaia.

He was done with games, lies, devious plans. At least destruction is clear and direct—Ardex was the God of Clear and Direct.

“Gaia said you want to kill us both and rule alone.”

Shocked, Oeros lost control and changed his appearance several times in a row. “Did she now? Did you mishear it perhaps?”

“Is it true?”

“Of course not.” Oeros waved his four hands as if that could make every accusation disappear. Then he leaned forward and whispered in Ardex’ ear. “I’m afraid to say it, but the reverse appears to be true! Gaia wants to keep testing if you’re a monster. I don’t agree. She’s planning to take over.”

They studied each other in silence. Ardex saw through all of it. Did they really think they could fool a god this easily? A part of Oeros lived inside of him, and a part of Gaia, although he hadn’t discovered that. He could read their intentions like an open book, their thoughts as if they were yelled across the room.

“And now the truth please.”

Oeros lost his joyful stance, albeit for only a moment. Then he returned to his throne, looking more tired than strong.

“The truth is … that this is another test. But you are no monster. I know it, I can feel it. If you’re a monster, then so am I.” He shrugged. “I’m trying to delay and see what happens, in any case.”

Ardex felt a weight lifted. The fires, ever burning inside him, became warm candles instead of volcanos.

It was so simple. Somebody who didn’t see him as a monster and treated him like a living being.

“I want your promise,” Ardex said formally.

“What must I promise?”

“You do not test me again. You don’t even talk about the possibility of me being a monster. And if Gaia ever wants to hurt me again, you help me defeat her and give me permission to use the full extent of my powers.”

Oeros shuffled uneasily on his throne. Ardex knew his wish was not to be taken lightly. But he wanted security and felt Oeros would honor such an agreement.

His views aligned with Oeros more and more. They had to calm down. Let things happen. Let life appear and develop on its own. Gaia was simply wrong.

That seed of life, on the red planet, would slowly grow. They had billions of centuries to visit it. Why the haste? Why try to control everything?

It seemed that he was almost entirely the child of Oeros. The good bits of Gaia only appeared in his little toe. If she had any good bits at all.

“What’s your answer?” Ardex demanded.

“I see so much of myself in you,” Oeros said. “Make the tough decisions. God of destruction and order. Stubbornness. The desire to flaunt your powers. And you are powerful, Ardex, make no mistake.”

“What is your answer?”

“Even gods can become bored or tired. One day …” Oeros looked around. The wrecked throne room still wasn’t a beauty to behold. Ardex grew eager to add some more burned objects to this collection.

Oeros hugged him, with certainty this time. “One day this is yours. I want to train you, teach you, show you what it means to be Chiefgod. But all in good time.”

Father and son studied each other. “You have my word. If Gaia ever attacks you, I’ll support you and fight back.”

Another weight lifted. Ardex’ appearance grew less solid and more akin the ghostly mists that enveloped his parents at all times. As if a carapace fell to the floor and he finally revealed his true soul.

He asked the question he’d wanted to ask all his life, whispering and vulnerable.

“What is wrong with me?”

Oeros held Ardex more tightly. “I … don’t know. As ice cold as you were at birth, the way you removed life energy—we’d never seen it before. We hadn’t thought it possible! But that makes you no monster.”

“But you are the supreme god, Father! Surely you know everything about how the universe works?”

“I am one of two gods, son. My theory? Gaia merely wants positive powers. She wants to create and to add to the universe. Her intentions are good, but—”

“The path to hell is laid with good intentions,” Ardex mumbled.

Oeros strengthened his communication beams. “So what does she do? She puts all her negative powers in her first child, to get rid of them. You were born with so much destructive magic, that your temperature was below the lowest possible temperature!”

“But then …”

Oeros sighed. “Then I gave you a huge part of my magic. I thought you’d die. You were too strong for a young demigod. But give it time … and you’ll grow into something fierce. Believe me.”

And for the first time, Ardex could do that. Believe his parents. His desire to flee and never come back was suddenly nowhere to be found.

Until Gaia had finally risen and reached the throne room. She approached Ardex with … fear?

“Something changed,” she told Oeros, as if Ardex didn’t exist. She rubbed her whole body and changed colors regularly. “The child … the child inside me … it feels different. Weaker. After … after Ardex …”

“After I did what?”

“Nothing, dear, nothing. An accident.” Gaia trembled. “It doesn’t feel so good.”

Oeros waved his seven arms. Ardex had learned the sign for leave us alone long ago. This time, however, Oeros retracted it.

“Stay, Ardex. We are one family and share everything.”

Gaia grabbed Oeros’ face, eager to change his mind. Ardex made the tiniest sound and made Gaia tremble and shut up.

He grinned. He enjoyed her fear as if it were his favorite drink after centuries of thirst. He grew stronger and more confident from it. It was her own stupid fault. Do the crime, do the time.

“From now on,” Oeros proclaimed, “each child receives one specific power. At birth we decide which part of the universe becomes theirs. We’ll teach them and guide them, never test or stop them. This way, all children will be strong together, but none of them is … overwhelmed by the size of their powers.”

“Agreed,” Ardex said, still grinning. “I can’t wait to welcome my little sister!”

He turned towards Gaia and yelled “boo”. Gaia yelled and floated backward, a weapon forming in her hands, which she immediately dismissed in a puff of smoke.

Ardex left the room laughing.

“See you tomorrow! At my first training!”

What he didn’t know, dear reader, was that Gaia had succeeded in truly making Ardex deaf to her conversations with Oeros. And she talked with her husband for a long, long time after he left. Until they had reached a crucial decision together.