A Brief Glimpse into the Heavens

     Lahstus, in similar fashion to the other gods, came to be long before any existing history, recorded or otherwise. His existence predated nearly all of creation, as was the nature of most divine beings. Born along with him were his siblings, so to speak. The other gods that went on to govern, and later toy with, the world Will and Charlotte were then tasked with saving. It was not often that so many gods were assigned a single world to nurture together, as such an occurrence could come to be quite divisive for those involved as well as the world's mortal inhabitants. Perhaps that was the reason the world in question was suffering so, withering away at their hands to serve as nothing more than a twisted, adverse sort of entertainment. That is, until they thought to use the already hapless world for one last hurrah of sorts—a grand and explosive final show that would satisfy their desire for entertainment once more before their interest died out at last. However, their fascination with that pitiable world would not be the only thing to die out. The consequences of such an event were all too obvious. That was what Lahstus sought to prevent, though he had already said as much to Will and Charlotte upon their arrival to his domain. What he had not told them, however, was the details of his own origins and relation to the other gods.

     Before the birth of Lahstus and his kin, there was another even greater being that had existed for an indeterminate amount of time. That being remained following the time of Lahstus's creation, but their era had long passed by that point, and they allowed him and his kin to take to the forefront of divine responsibility while they oversaw the guidance of souls between worlds. That greater being did so for good reason, of course. As more worlds came to exist by their power, a greater number of souls were birthed in turn. In time, governing such a vast quantity of worlds grew difficult for even a being of their stature, especially considering what Lahstus had told Will and Charlotte of upon their meeting—aurum and the complex process of recycling souls. So, in an attempt to ensure that no existing worlds would ever suffer without a divine being to watch over them, they created a number of lesser gods in proportion to the number of worlds that required divine supervision. Some gods were assigned to multiple worlds as a way to both prevent the fall of worlds due to the personalities and tendencies of certain individuals, and to ensure variety among the countless worlds via the melding of ideas from two or more gods. Although, it would be prudent to acknowledge the fact that no other world had ever been assigned more than two or three gods previously. The eventual result of their choice was the assignment of Lahstus and three other gods to a single world. And, while Lahstus had only been assigned to that world alone, his siblings were put in charge of multiple worlds. That fact cemented their position, and meant that even if one of the worlds they were tasked with overseeing was to fall, they would not lose their purpose and reason for existence. This led them to develop no significant attachment to the world they governed alongside Lahstus. He, on the other hand, was tied solely to that world. The very world at risk of certain doom at the time of Will's and Charlotte’s joint summoning was Lahstus's sole responsibility, bestowed upon him at the moment of his birth.

     With that in mind, it would certainly be entirely reasonable for him to seek to protect it and all its mortal inhabitants. Unfortunately, for some reason or another, Lahstus being the weakest of the four ruling gods, his power and influence were almost non-existent in comparison, even among mortals. There have likely been few, if any, mortals alive who have revered him for some time. Meanwhile, each of his siblings had been consistently worshipped since the dawn of the world’s religion. Terios, the god of war and combat, Valeria, the goddess of love and fertility, and finally, Gileena, the goddess of nature, prosperity and wealth. Each of them grew twisted in their own right with time, beginning to terrorize and toy with the world they should have been nurturing as per their divine duty, and Lahstus could do nothing to stop them himself. They had cruel plans in mind for the unfortunate world and those that called it home, but Lahstus had resolved to do what he could to keep them alive. So, all of that begs a single important question. How could he be lazing around while the world is coming to an end?!

     Returning to when Will and Charlotte had set out to battle and slay the vampire wolf, Lahstus could be found lounging on what seemed to be a large and luxurious cushion. Laying on his side with his head resting on his hand, it would seem that he was closely watching the events unfold through what looked like a box television. The picture was crystal clear, and he seemed quite entertained with what he was seeing, a wide grin present on his face. He was reveling in the dramatic nature of the expedition as it unfolded, moving about without getting up from his comfortable spot on the cushion. From the outside looking in, one would assume he was watching his favorite show, rather than the real exploits of those he had chosen to save his world, simply from the way he stared at the screen with bated breath. At certain moments, he would jump up and exclaim loudly at what he was seeing, enjoying himself immensely despite the incredibly difficult situation Will and Charlotte had found themselves in at the time.     When Will saved Faris from the vampire wolf's clutches, Lahstus looked on in surprise, nodding approvingly. When Charlotte tackled Will just before he could be crushed by falling rocks shortly after, Lahstus gasped and cheered happily. And, when Will was swatted aside time and again during his several failed attempts to attack the beast, Lahstus could not help but laugh out loud, nearly falling over onto his back. He was absolutely hysterical, holding his stomach tightly as he took pleasure in watching Will's struggles. Then, finally, when Charlotte could no longer keep the wolf restrained, he sat up straight for the first time and stared intently at his screen with wide eyes as he waited to see how the battle would end. He leaned in closer, practically pressing his face to the television screen as the vampire wolf darted straight towards Will. He did not blink even once, dead set on seeing every second leading up to the battle’s conclusion. A moment later, the battle came to an end—Will and Charlotte had been victorious. He finally let go of the breath he had not even realized he was holding. Though, considering he did not need to breathe, the act was entirely redundant. It was purely for the drama and spectacle of it all.

     Even as Will and Charlotte fell unconscious in the cavern, Lahstus was elated. He had found everything he had been searching for within the two of them, and that brought him no shortage of joy. After all, not only had he found two willing and capable heroes to protect the world and thwart the plans of the other gods, but he had also found a wonderful source of entertainment! And, while the pair had remained unconscious for some time following the battle with the vampire wolf, it was no time at all for him. As an immortal, a few days, weeks, or even months held no significance to him. They simply passed by in no time at all. However, the entertainment derived from watching the dysfunctional pair’s exploits seemed to give his time more meaning. Even as the two of them split up following their intense argument, his only concern was how much more entertainment he could derive from their upcoming adventures. He seemed entirely certain things would work out for them going forward, and as he watched them walk their own paths toward the horizon, he uttered a single question under his breath.

     “How are those two gonna entertain me next?”