7. The First Heavenmatter

Ardex could kill his parents. But, well, to do so he’d first have to find a way back to the palace.

Always the same. He said no to their missions, so they just forced him to do them. Father needed him on another planet—and, what do you know, he was just thrown at it with force.

He floated high above a yellow-red planet that didn’t seem special to him. Was this the home of the only life in the universe? Surely they were tiny and nearly impossible to find.

He started searching.

The gods, dear reader, didn’t see the world like you. All that was alive was bigger to them, and connected through glowing lines like a gigantic spider web. They could feel if a soul was near, even if it lived several planets away. So the fact that Ardex did not feel life … scared him.

Were they right after all? Was het the monster? He surely wasn’t what a god was supposed to be. Could he truly not care about life and not feel it as he almost stepped on it?

But … he could feel his parent’s soul. Clearly, even, as close as they were in the palace. All those years he spent locked up, he could feel exactly where his parents were at any given time, like a pungent odor with nowhere to go in a locked room.

“Hello?” he yelled. “Is anyone there? Living creatures, show yourself to your … god!”

The planet just about turned away from its sun. Ardex heard shuffling, but the surface became too dark to witness what caused it. He created light the only way he knew: lava rivers that traveled through the yellow-red crust like thunderbolts.

And that’s how he saw his first ever sign of life in the universe.

It was wonderful and disappointing.

Whenever the gods wanted a solid appearance, they’d usually assume one of three silhouettes. Gaia called them Earthwaker, Skydancer and Sunbeamer. Ardex assumed it were ancient forms known to each god at birth, just like his Mother said the prophecy came from “ancient forces”.

These animals had exactly those three forms.

The one at the back had a beautiful, dark green fur that grew roots and sticks from the back. Large, gleaming eyes shone a wisdom that Ardex felt was beyond his comprehension.

Another had feathers in all the colors that gods could witness, shining as if they were made from droplets of morning dew. When this creature moved, gusts of wind appeared that sang songs.

And at the front stood a lion with fur made from tiny glittering stars, of which Ardex could feel the heat at a distance. The creature looked at the sky and gave a powerful roar.

Ardex almost felt small and insignificant before these creatures. Almost.

The three creatures stood at a distance from each other, as if the other species were all contagious. Was that his mission? Healing these creatures from some illness that Father had invented?

“I, erm, came to take a look. How’s it going?” He sounded like a little boy. Ugh. He should have practiced speeches as well.

No, wait. This was the practice, right?

“You’re a god and you ask us how it’s going?”

The Sunbeamer studied him with disgust, shaking shiny gold rings woven into his manes. Then he turned his back on Ardex and walked away, together with all other Sunbeamers.

“I just wanted to test if you spoke the truth! Of course I know what’s happening. I know everything. I’m omniscient. And yes, sometimes I repeat myself, but using different words. My father—the Chiefgod—taught me this.”

Ardex felt like an entirely different person. He kept talking and explaining himself, as if he had to prove his worth before these animals.

Well, they were kind of his animals. He was one of only three gods in the universe. These creatures, of which hundreds more were gathered in the distance, were almost his … children.

The Skydancer laughed. “Ah yes, I already assumed you weren’t the real Chiefgod. Otherwise I’d be truly disappointed. No, you’re just his weak aid.”

Ardex shapeshifted into a Sunbeamer lion himself and dug his claws deep into the dirt. “Weak? Weak?”

He roared at full power. A volcano rose from the floor, simmering and shaking, which drove the groups of creatures apart.

“You will respect your gods, as you respect your elders!”

“Who must demand respect,” the Earthwaker said, “is not worth it.”

“Oh shut up and put a piece of seaweed in your mouth.”

Ardex calmed himself and his volcano. He studied each creature, one at a time, locking eyes with them. Then he climbed higher on his own volcano.

“I merely came to watch you. To observe. Pretend I’m not here and continue living.”

Multiple Skydancer birds laughed. “Ha! Easy! We pretended you weren’t here the whole time!”

Ardex’ volcano came alive again. No, stay calm. Stay smart. This was the first time these creatures saw a god! And hadn’t he pestered his own parents in similar ways many times?

He felt weird. He couldn’t see or feel the souls of these creatures. The planet seemed faintly familiar. Didn’t Oeros practice with him here, long ago? Was this planet already under Oeros’ magical protection?

When he looked down, he was surrounded by a circle of creatures. Only the Sunbeamers kept their distance, gathering at the horizon. He heard their whispers, asking how long Ardex would stay.

Perhaps they thought he’d only stay a few heartbeats. But no, he knew better. He’d observe these animals for years if needed. And then he’d return home to let his parents know what he though about this challenge.

A bird near him whispered softly. “There … is an actual problem.”

“Finally,” Ardex mumbled. “Tell me and I’ll see what I can do.”

Zyme. He heard father’s words again. Let things happen and only interfere when truly needed.

“And that might mean I do nothing,” he was quick to add.

Whatever it was, they barely dared speak it out loud. Ardex leaned forward and encouraged them.

As he listened to their struggling sentences, he noticed the Sunbeamers gather and create an even larger circle around everyone.

“The lions … they … they attack us … and kill us.”

The Sunbeamers felt they’d waited long enough. They stormed towards the Skydancers and Earthwakers surrounded by a deafening roar. They tried to flee and climb up Ardex’ volcano, but it was too steep and too hot for most, while smoke clouds made it impossible to fly.

The first lions grabbed their prey. They bit right through them, ripping them apart, like it was nothing. Like they were toys to play with, not living creatures.

“Stop! Now!”

Ardex didn’t even believe it himself. He sounded like a tiny mouse, scared of everything. He subconsciously shuffled backwards, further up the volcano, out of reach of both prey and predator.

Doubt made him freeze.

In front of him, animals were killed by wild lions, much larger than the others. It wasn’t a fair fight. It wasn’t a fight, it was a slaughter. Each doubt, each moment of indecision, killed twenty helpless creatures.

Oeros’ voice, screaming in his mind, told him to let it happen.

Gaia’s voice told him to interfere and save the larger group.

Both choices meant death and destruction.

He was the God of Death and Destruction.

He bellowed and created several earthquakes with his voice.

“My flames will feast on you!”

Columns of smoke shot from the volcano’s opening like fiery tentacles. Hundreds of steaming snakes reached in every direction and found the heart of all Sunbeamers. The fearful yells of all animals were replaced by fearful yells from the lions. One by one they burned away in the heat, before they could even blink, and left nothing behind.

With a god at your side, each war would be won within five heartbeats.

All lions had changed into ash, picked up by a powerful wind. Only one lion, the one to address him in the first place, was smart and fast enough to flee.

Ardex would not accept it. He chased it at full speed, underneath stone arcs, squeezing through a crack between mountains, towards a cave where the lion hoped to be safe.

He thought wrong.

Ardex overtook him and cut through the lion using the appearance of a spear. The lion disappeared in a puff of smoke, but not before Ardex could grab one ring from his manes.

Distracted by the shining object, he didn’t notice that this entire part of the planet was covered in a suspicious purple mist. A thick mist he should’ve recognized.

Before he could return to the animals and accept their gratitude, he teleported back to the Heavenly Palace.

Oeros and Gaia stood before him … and sent him all the positive energy they had.

To you, dear reader, they would look like proud smiling parents, clapping and cheering. For Ardex, this was the biggest gift he could ever receive. He finally felt love and support from both his parents. He could ignore how tired and weak he felt, while the shining ring closed on his appearance like a tight bracelet, and spit out an endless array of sparks.