Vrin: Ten Mortal Gods (2 page)

"It is not mercy. His anger is justified and not deserving of punishment. However, I'd like to assure you, I had no part in the events which claimed his son's life."

"Our understanding is limited. We do not know the workings of the gods, we can only judge by what we've seen-- and there has been much pain. Pain which has blossomed into this violence. Thankfully it has ended here. If he had succeeded your death would have no doubt caused a revolution.

A revolution? Against gods?

Sajin sighed. "My people are painfully divided. I wish it were not so."

“Have we caused only hardship?” I said, surprised to note it was a genuine question.

“It is mixed, lord. Some have been generous, picking up the pieces where the two have done battle, but others protect their own interests, or stay out of the affairs of man altogether-- unless they are directly affected.”

“He is the Maker, the god of birth. The great book reveals that none among the gods are more powerful than he, with all due respect, lord.”

“I will think on it,” I stated curtly. "You may go.” With a wave of my hand, I ended my performance and turned toward the fireplace.

As the door closed behind me, my body loosened, and I was left to sift through the preposterous mystery I'd found myself entangled in. If this was a trick it was an elaborate one-- but if it was not-- I was in
way
over my head.

For a long moment I stood motionless, then slowly sank back down into my comfortable chair, feeling considerably
less
than comfortable.

A REUNION OF SORTS

001001011001110

After some time I sat forward; I had come to a conclusion. Although the events occurring were preposterous, it was apparent that I was in fact a part of them. And unless by some stroke of fortune I should wake to find this all a dream, I was going to have to dig to find some answers. Looking about, I took note that my vision had stabilized.
That
at least was a good sign. I stood, hoping the landscape beyond the wind-tossed curtains might jog my memory-- but I didn't make it to the window. Instead a full length mirror caught my eye and I was irresistibly drawn to it. Would I recognize the face staring back at me?

I stepped in front of the glass and could not believe what I saw. My
eyes!
They were
glowing!
Even with my memory loss, I was sure my eyes had never looked like
this
before
.
I moved in closer to examine them. They were cold and hard like steel, a deep blue color, strangely absent of irises or pupils. I experienced an involuntary shudder.
Is it true?
Cautiously I raised my hand to touch one, then the other. I poked at them until tears soaked my cheeks. I didn't know how, but they were real. I let out a cynical laugh; some god I was, confused and paranoid.

For several moments I stood quietly observing the curious stranger looking back at me. Aside from the eyes, I appeared to be a fairly ordinary twenty-something, with black hair, dark eyebrows, and slightly darkened skin. I was of Italian descent but there was something else thrown in there as well. My clothes were basic: hard cotton shirt, blue jeans, a pair of brown climbing sneakers. Coiled around my left pinkie was a gold ring, curious, but quite unremarkable. There was nothing impressive about my visage. I looked like an ordinary guy-- with glowing blue ball bearings for eyes.

I pulled my gaze away and proceeded toward the window. Careful to avoid the shards of broken glass I stepped over the sill and out onto the balcony. The wind tugged lightly at my clothing.

Below, a beautiful lawn with large flower beds encircled by rock spread out before me. In the distance, three moons hovered above the horizon, shedding an eerie blue blanket on the dark silhouettes of the night. In the center of the yard a statue of a woman stood opening her arms to the heavens. The workmanship was breathtaking, every detail captured precisely. Whatever this place was, it was beautiful.

At the edge of lawn a line of trees danced in the wind. As I stood staring at them a strange feeling washed over me. As if
I
were a part of the dance. I began swaying back and forth to their slow rhythm. And the wind grew stronger. Nature itself was moving to the beat of my heart and the world was alive around me. I could feel its power soaking into my skin and permeating my senses.

I longed to be walking along the path which twisted away just beyond the flower beds when suddenly a burst of energy coursed through me and I found myself surrounded by thin blue strands. They traveled away from me in every direction. Oddly enough, however, I was not shocked by their presence. Somehow I knew it was my will that had brought them to life, and instinctively I knew their purpose.

Caught up in the chain of events, my body responded to the force of my will, my essence melted into the strand that would bring me to the path, and with a crackle of energy, I found myself standing on the spot I had wanted to be. The wind brushed harder against my face. The sweet smell of flowers filled my nostrils.

I turned and looked back up at the balcony. The strand I had used was still floating in the air. The others had vanished, but this one still had a glow to it.

It seemed Mr. Barrows had been correct, I did possess some sort of power. I wanted to be on the path and the threads had reacted to my will. I looked around. Could I I spotted a small rock.
consciously
control the threads?
Be an egg,
I thought. There was no response. I increased my concentration and felt another energy burst. It started from behind my eyes and worked its way down to my hands. I waved my arms back and forth. Although I couldn't see the threads, I knew they were there; my arms tingled as they passed through them. Then all at once the web was alight once again.

I looked down at the rock. Like everything else it got its shape from the blue threads, which acted like an internal skeleton or a wire cage. The colors and textures of the rock were wrapped around this framework. Using the energy emanating from my hands I tried to bend the wire structure. I touched a nearby thread, closed my eyes, and pictured a sphere. Energy left my hands and when I looked down, the rock was completely round.

The web faded away-- and there I stood, smiling at my creation.

"Deep in thought?”

I looked up to see a beautiful young Asian woman, perhaps in her late teens or early twenties. Immediately I found myself drawn into her eyes. They were exquisite, like two blue embers casting a soft film of sapphire across her lovely features. They were similar to my own, only much brighter. My gaze drifted downward. Her tiny form was distinct under the thin colorful fabric of the dress which fluttered slightly in the wind. She was absolutely
breathtaking.

“Who...” was all I managed to utter, followed by open mouthed speechlessness.

A chuckle escaped her lips. “Who am
I?”

“Yes, ah... That was what I was hoping to say."

“Well. Who are
you?”
she asked playfully.

“N-no one of consequence.”

She straightened and gave a smirk. "Humble-- for a god."

"A
god.
Yeah...”

She began to back away.

“About that...”

“You should not be in such a rush to find answers. You may miss the moment. And
this
moment is going to be like nothing you have
ever
experienced.” Her eyes sparkled. “Want to have some fun?”

She did not wait for an answer, but turned and bolted down the path. “Follow me!”

There seemed to be no other option. I looked back at the mansion. No one else was around. She was my best chance to find answers. I burst into a run.

Her braided ponytail swung gracefully behind her and her soft black shoes made padded thumps on the stone pathway. Each side of the path was adorned with manicured shrubs which acted as walls. In some spots they formed archways crossing overhead. I was surprised to find myself enjoying the exercise; her playfulness set me at ease.

When we emerged from the path we found ourselves on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking a large expanse of blue ocean. Far below, a village sparkled on the water's edge. Millions of tiny reflections danced on the distant waves, like fireflies playing in the moonlight.

"That's Trinador!"
The wind blew at her words.
"It is my village! I built it from the power of the web! Would you like to see it?”
She looked
absolutely
magnificent silhouetted against the night sky, her delicate oriental curves were highlighted in the soft moonlight which played upon her garments as they rippled in the wind.

I couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else but with her.

"Sure! Why not?"
I hollered back.
"How do we get down there?"

Her eyes twinkled.
"Fly, silly!”

And with that she fell backwards over the edge.

In reflex I grabbed for her, then scrambled to see her plummeting to her death toward the jagged rocks below. I didn't want to watch but was frozen in
horror.

With violence her arms snapped wide and caught the vibrating wind in the fabric of her dress. With a graceful sweep she rose up in an arc-- and hovered before me.

I stared in open-mouthed amazement.

"Come on!"
She laughed.
"Don't just stand there gawking!"

I marveled at the scene before me: the young woman soaring through the air with graceful movements, her form melting into the peaceful backdrop of the twinkling village. She was completely at ease floating in the currents of the wind and there was an expression of total freedom on her face.

Suddenly I felt invincible. I looked down at the rocky coast far below-- but it didn't frighten me. I could sense its curves in the power of the web. With a thought I could easily turn the rocks into sponges. I could change the direction or the strength of the wind. I could do whatever I wanted. In this world,
I
was in control. Somehow I was now sure of this. And whatever doubts I may have had, evaporated.

I stepped to the edge and jumped into the void.

The wind smacked hard against my body. My heart pounded. My eyes overflowed with tears.
Exhilarating!
I willed the web to appear once again and saw that the strands were guiding the wind in upward and downward currents. I needed to be lighter for the currents to hold my weight. I focused on the structure of my body and decreased my density. With this my frame became lighter and the effect of the wind increased. Now all I needed were a set of wings. I transformed the shape of my shirt and spread my arms and instantly I began gliding upon the wind with ease!

The young woman was quite a distance below me now so I put my hands to my sides and dropped like a bullet.

With a twist she turned and rode a current on her back.
"I told you this was going to be fun!”
she called. She caught an updraft and screamed with elation.

We glided back and forth a number of times, exchanging glances and smiles. I didn't know this young woman-- but somehow I felt a kinship with her.
“I don't believe I've ever had this much fun!”
I yelled above the wind. As I spoke the words a feeling passed over me. I was certain I had never allowed myself to be wild or impulsive. But with this young lady it was easy to let go. I felt the urge to laugh at the top of my lungs. So I did! The laughter was contagious and soon we were both twisting and laughing, gliding effortlessly through the night. I wanted this moment to go on forever. But all too soon I began to feel the misty salt air on my face. The lights below grew larger and brighter. As the ground drew nearer, the girl turned and headed toward a strip of beach near the village. I followed.

It wasn't the smoothest of landings. I hit the ground in a run which quickly transitioned into a series of sand flicking tumbles, ending up with me on my back, laughing.

The girl swooped in, rose up for a moment, then landed gently on both feet. Her smiling face appeared above me. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride." I laughed. "That was
amazing!”

She giggled. "You will be long discovering the wonders of this place."

"Of that I have no doubt.” I rolled over with a grunt and got to my feet, brushing sand as I went. I brought the web to life once again and molded my shirt to its original shape.

"You are making great progress,” she said, smiling. “Come. I would like to show you my palace.” Gently she took my hand into hers. We headed up the beach to a path leading to a brown needle road. Thousands of sparkling lights lined its edges.

Trinador was like nothing I had ever dreamed or imagined. Enormous trees had been painstakingly carved out into separate living units all the way up the majestic tree trunks to the delicate canopy of leaves overhead. Slanted wooden walkways provided easy access all the way up to the lofty penthouses. And rope bridges criss-crossed over the brown needle road. Glittering lamps hung everywhere, filling the village with a soft glow.

The workmanship surrounding us was extremely advanced. It would have taken hundreds of sculptors hundreds of years to create these wonderful works of art, yet the villagers appeared completely at ease moving among the fantastic architecture. I was awestruck.

”You
made
this?” I said, craning my neck.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the briefest look of concern crossed the girl’s features. Lightly she tugged on my arm. “Come. This way.”