Of Gods and Men

The inner sanctum is a place of prayer and a refuge in times of crisis. It is a hallowed place, blessed by the gods whose statues gaze down upon the inhabitants from around the circular chamber. The material here was far different from the rest of the castle, the floor looked like it was made of black opal, reflecting those walking upon it like a mirror. The same material was used on the walls, but the walls and ceiling were trimmed with gold. It was clear that this was a place of great importance to the kingdom, and just being here at all was just as serious, especially for an outsider.

“Where are we?” Renji asked, his voice echoing within the well-sealed chambers. The door echoed shut behind them, allowing Renji to drown in the sheer opulent surroundings that could only have been provided to him from a world unlike his own. “You’re an outworlder, Renji, so allow me to be the one to illuminate you: This place is one of our most sacred temples. This place is one of the closest links we have to our gods. Many things are yet unknown about our gods, but we do know that they exist, they walk amongst us, and they watch over us. I do not know why they stand by while The Dark Lord threatens everything, but I am sure they have their reasons. They must.” Illya let go of Renji’s hand, her gaze fixed firmly on one of the statues circling the room; an older gentleman with a long, puffy beard and strong body held his hands in front of him like a bowl gently below his stomach. Renji wondered if these depictions are accurate, or if they are simply conjured from the mind of a sculptor. Either way, Renji held his tongue, not wanting to offend with unwanted questions.

“We’re sure there are more gods among the pantheon we haven’t discovered yet, but while not all are depicted here, many that we do know are among us here. Adelphel, my patron—patron to all of my blood, stands before you now. He is the God of law and order.” Next, she gestured to a statue of a woman holding some form of citole. “Clockwise from here, we have Cetra, Goddess of culture and the arts. Tiamat, Goddess of beasts and monsters. Many call her the ‘all-mother.’” Renji could see why, the figure depicted with this statue has a very motherly appearance, wide hips, soft face, but her body is unique. One hand is clawed, a single horn adorns the right side of her forehead, and surely more covered by the “flowing” robes depicted in the statue.

“Next, Magus, the great wizard. There are two Gods of magic, brothers, who bend the aetheric arts to different means. Magus seeks power, those who follow him are often called artillerists for the sheer destructive power their magic can cause at far distances. His brother, Soren, uses magic to further his understanding of the field, always seeking to uncover the next big secret the universe holds. Many consider him to be the ‘God of knowledge.’” Magus’ statue clearly gives the sense of a powerful magical user. His chest held high, staff aloft, his hair was wild, his face was stern. The brother, meanwhile, almost looks like a normal person in comparison. Long flowing hair, smaller build, with a tome held at his side, he appeared exceedingly ordinary, if not cold in his depiction.

Three statues left. “Caelira, Goddess of light and shadow, sometimes known as the Goddess of dusk and dawn. Shadows cannot exist without light, in a sense, she is a keeper of balance, or so we believe. Balam here is a fervent follower of hers, am I correct?” All attending turned to Balam, whose cheeks flush a gentle pink in embarrassment. “Well, yes, I do. I agree with a lot of her tenets, and hope to one day receive her blessing. Though for now, all she does is listen to my prayers, but that’s alright. I can tell, at least, that she is indeed listening.” Balam’s eyes lock onto the veiled figure depicted in the statue. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking, but it’s clear that this goddess means a lot to him.

“Next we have Gravock, God of war. He is often depicted as a barbarian among gods, but his might is said to be able to move worlds. Many theories say he was once an ancient barbarian who ascended to godhood from his feats of strength. Beside him stood Kalthera, Goddess of life and death, sister to Caelira. It is said the Goddess takes a form fitting how you lived your life. If you lived well and did a lot of good, she will appear as a beautiful woman and help you have a wonderful afterlife. If you were scum in life, only taking and hurting others, she will appear to you as a grim reaper, and you will experience the worst kind of punishment eternally when she drags you to the afterlife.”

Renji wasn’t surprised by how big and tough Gravock’s statue looked. “A warmonger to the core,” was the first thing Renji thought. Meanwhile, the statue of the goddess, Kalthera, had more defined facial features. The “skin” seemed smoother, smiling softly as she looked down upon those before her. “Perhaps,” Renji wondered. “Whoever made these statues followed this Goddess?” Given the incredible beauty depicted in the statue, Renji couldn’t help but want to know the truth. “Hey, Illya—” His words died in his throat as he turned around. Everybody is standing perfectly still, not in horror or shock; they are simply frozen. None of their eyes moved, no matter where Renji went, and nobody responded to his words. It was as though time itself had frozen.

“Hear me…” A soft, feminine voice called. Looking around, Renji could not find the source of the voice. “Who’s there?” He finally asked before feeling a soft quake. The floor beneath him shifted, becoming as loamy as the earth. The visages of the others who had accompanied him faded away, Illya being the last to disappear. All that remained were the statues of the gods and goddesses as Renji found himself in a cave, but one by one even those had disappeared, leaving only one.

The statue shuddered before disappearing. In its place, a much smaller woman stood before her. One horn, clawed left hand, eyes that held the very stars within, Renji knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was Tiamat. “You can…see me?” she asked. Her voice as motherly as the statue might have made him expect, but far younger than he had expected.

“You’re…Tiamat?” Renji asked, his confusion palpable, and his naked confusion could be seen as rude.

“Yes. I understand your confusion. You expected my other form? I hope I do not disappoint, but I just had to see you, even once.” Her voice sounded so sad, so lonely. It made Renji want to reach out and hug her, assure her everything was alright, but his senses reminded him that a true goddess stood before him, even touching one would surely be a blasphemy punishable by death, wouldn’t it?

“No, not at all, I’m just surprised. I guess capturing the likeness of a goddess can’t be easy for a sculptor, huh?” Renji deflected her doubts with rationale, hoping to provide some comfort to the goddess, though she didn’t seem to heed his words.

“You’re very kind, aren’t you? I’m afraid however, that is not the case. The statue, at least mine, is pretty accurate to one of my forms. However, it is more like my form when I have the power to truly manifest. My power, however, has dwindled significantly these last few centuries. Few believe in me, and many now disregard me as an evil goddess, complete make-belief by savage tribes of monsters.” Slowly, Tiamat began to approach Renji, her little hand clutching his. It was strangely warm, like her presence alone was enough to tell him that he was alright, and that he wasn’t alone anymore, even though he hadn’t felt such isolation, what remnants of it there were suddenly adrift.

‘Renji Naoki, the man who comes from another world. I have peered into your history. I have seen your world, and I have seen you. When you looked upon my statue, you did not recoil in disgust, you did not stare and abhor my features, nor did your gaze condemn me for being the mother of monsters. Just as you try now to comfort me as you see my weakened form.” Tiamat squeezes Renji’s hand tighter, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“To me, ‘beasts’ and ‘monsters’ are all animals, all of them my children. If you receive my blessing, you are sure to face some strife. I am not a popular goddess, many misfortunes are blamed on me. Many believe me to be evil. I don’t need you to defend my honor, or spread my word, I simply wish to help you. Would that be alright?”

She held Renji’s hand in both of her hands, holding it up to her chest, giving away her anxiety and leaving herself open to him. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and if nothing else, Renji respects that. Even more than that: Renji didn’t care what people thought of him, he’d never turn down help so earnestly given to him. Besides, he could not say no to that look in her eyes. It reminded him a lot of when he was a kid. He had stopped a group from bullying a young girl, and she gave him that exact look. Even though Tiamat was offering aid, her eyes seemed to plead “help me” instead. He didn’t know what she gets out of this, but with how tightly she is squeezing his hand, he wondered if it has to do with her dwindling power, or if she had become lonely due to it. Either way, his choice was made.

“Of course. I accept your blessing, Tiamat. What do I need to do? Do I swear an oath, become a paladin or something?” As Renji speaks, he slowly lowered himself down to one knee, letting Tiamat continue to hold his hand.

“P-paladin!? So soon?? Oh gosh, I wouldn’t make you do that!” Her cheeks flush a bright pink, but she maintains eye contact with him.

“No, you needn’t do anything more than be yourself right now. When I bless you, you shall return to everyone as you were, they will not know what happened between us, but you are free to tell them of my blessing. They, at least, shall not shun you for it.” She whispers, stepping even closer towards Renji.

“Before we do this, I have one more question. You said you saw my home…do you know what happened after I came here?” A reasonable question, and one he hadn’t expected her to have an answer for.

“Time moves a little differently. It is already ‘tomorrow’ in the world you are from. When you didn’t show up to work, a coworker tried calling you, and later drove to your place to find you. Seeing your car present, the house door opened, but you were nowhere to be found, he called the police. They are treating you as a missing person with kidnapping as their primary guess. They will search for you for some time, and your coworkers worry for you. Your parents…” Tiamat stops, she didn’t want to tell him what his parents were doing.

“It’s okay. I don’t need to know what they think. I’m sure I can already guess, anyway. Thank you, Tiamat. Will I be able to speak with you again, after this?” Renji didn't shy away from her gaze. She is surprised momentarily by his easy dismissal of his parents, being considered the mother of all beasts, but she cannot blame him for it either, having peered into his past.

“Would you like that, Renji?” After a quick nod, her soft smile widens. “Ask for a symbol of my faith. Should you wish to hear my voice, merely pray while holding it close to your chest. I shall hear you, and if I am able, I shall respond. I hope that I will be able to, my champion.”

Pulling Renji’s head down, she laid a gentle kiss on Renji’s forehead, and a great heat flowed through his body. It was like fire flowed through his veins, but it didn’t hurt at all. If anything, he felt invigorated, refreshed and sharp of mind. “It isn’t much,” Tiamat whispered, “though it should help you on your way.”

Her voice fades, Renji’s vision is consumed by an overwhelming white haze, and he felt himself standing up once again, Illya’s voice explaining the gods and goddesses to him, just finishing her description of Kalthera.