When I opened my eyes in the morning I saw the Root and stone ceiling of the elven castle. The roots seemingly shivering under my waking gaze.
Slowly feeling the aches that came from sleeping in a hard bed I stretched with a groan before getting out up.
I lit my feet ablaze for a moment to warm them before putting them against the cold stones. As waking up and touching the floor with already cold feet is not my favorite thing in the world I decided this was a good option. And much to the surprise of some I didn't catch anything on fire. Despite being in a large tree house... nevermind.
The others had woken up before me and had decided to let me rest as much as I wanted. After all a decision like becoming a patron God was not an easy one to make. But seeing as nobody else was stepping up, it made the most sense.
I rubbed the back of my neck as the stress finally started digging into my brain again. But I managed to sit down and fill a plate before continuing my thoughts.
A patron gods duty is not only as a protecting power but also a duty of blessing their retainers or believers. Much like how the dwarves are doing so well with mining and technological development. That is what it means to have AED as their patron. He is the fire of their hearth and heart of their forges. His power enables anything forged to be at its best. Not to mention he helps spur on the ideas that help with progress.
Elevators, new material combinations, the list goes on. These are caused by his influence.
But there lies the rub. As a new god my influence was unstable and had no truly clear foundation besides a balancing aspect. I held little positives and many negatives compared to Mercury and his apparent commercial blessing.
And so I pondered as I ate. (What is my blessing going to be? Is there a way to make it so they receive a specific part of my blessing? maybe I should ask AED.) I thought as I bit into a chunk of thick, juicy, heavy meat.
My talents were balanced but held an almost chaotic nature to them. It would be like blanketing the entire continent in balanced rotating chaos. Some parts could suffer famine while others would be getting a great harvest. Others would suffer from overbearing heat while their counterpart would suffer from monsoons and flooding.
These were my worries as to the effects my blessing could have on Melra.
I finished my meal in earnest as I turned back to my room and paced about in thought and worry. It was almost an hour later I felt a familiar warmth rise from the window.
"You seem agitated my friend." Aed's voice sizzled out. His body was still made of flames as he stood on the stone parts of the floor careful not to touch the tree's roots and branches.
I nodded as I turned to face him. "Yes. You could definitely say that." I said as I stood there stumped as to what I could possibly do.
"Mercury has decided to leave this country without a patron God. And now I'm to be shouldered with it. But I can't even fathom the consequences of such a thing." I said still pacing.
Aed nodded thoughtfully before sitting on the floor leisurely and seemed to have a playful and entertained smile come across his face. "You would probably be the first god in history to actually care about subjects that aren't even fully his yet. But that also proves that you'll do well with them. So the best thing I can tell you is let things happen. Let the stone roll where it will and the mortals will figure out the rest. Not to mention it's good for your franchise as a God." He said.
I turned to him and realized what he meant.
A god was above subjects. Like a king on a throne. And now that this people had no support it would descend into chaos. But if I took it they would just have to adapt and overcome vs kill each other or worse be killed and taken over by something they couldn't even begin to understand.
"You make a fair point. As a god of balance I suppose that Karma certainly would have her fill of leaving things to chance. And letting a little chaos in is never bad. Because without it there would be no order." I muttered in thought as I stopped pacing.
I turned to thank Aed and found he was gone. "Not even a good bye. Well I'll thank him later." I hummed as I turned and walked out the door to my room.
I found the queen in the throne room. She had changed and seemed much more calm than before. She was previously sitting on her throne with the room full of high class elves. Many were shouting and arguing protests. Not at me though. But at Mercury.
"He didn't do a damn thing when we prayed for his help and now he abandons us to a newer god who still wet behind the ears! If he was here I'd see if I could wring his neck!" Said a muscular elf.
"Why do we need a God!? All they do is take! Mercury never once gave a blessing to this land since his rise. So why would we need one?" A female elf shouted. Her age showed in some minor wrinkles on her face. But she was still beautiful.
And many others followed suit in their complaints. Even as I entered the room the people didn't notice because of their anger. All shouting at the queen.
It was only when the guards separated allowing me to get closer to the throne that the elves began to notice me.
"Who is this!? Why is this dragon - man here? Why would you let a fire breather in here?" Many began to shout out in protest. Till I raised a hand and snapped my fingers that is.
The sound of my snapping fingers echoed through the chamber in a blast of wind that made the ground tremble and the roots making up the walls shiver. Many of the people in the room fell over as they tried to cover their ears at the defeaning sound.
Many screamed as they fell or cursed at me angrily as they began to rise from the floor afterward.
I lowered my hand as I put them behind my back calmly. I wouldn't allow these idiots to have the last laugh at my expense. Or any gods for that matter.
"I am the god who is willing to take you beneath my wings as another has forsaken your sorry ungrateful hides. Many horrors and powers lurk around the cosmos ready to feast on the unprotected like wolves in a herd of sheep. As such your queen has been humble enough to ask for a favor from the one who saved your sorry hides. Me. As Mercury has forsaken you and ran from his duties I have decided to step up in his place. To do better. To be better. As should you all."
The ground rumbled as a throne of roots, gold, and marble rose from the floor behind me and I sat upon it. It's back was large and it's arms thick enough to hold up my own.
"I will bless this land. But as a god of balance I will also place a curse within it to make sure those who seek to receive my blessing are the ones who get it. The ones who abide by the laws and traditions that bring about good will receive every thing necessary to sustain themselves. Their crops and cattle may flourish. The fishermen find their nets filled to bursting. The Forges fires will never cease. And the riches of the ground shall be yours." I said as a wave of energy exploded from me throughout the room. Then the City. And out across the continent making the trees shift and the grass sway with its force.
I could feel a little tired from the draw of covering an entire landmass in my power. Like a spring being drunk from in abundance. But I had more to do.
"To the criminals. The monsters bearing skin of people but having hearts of demons. Those who hunger and thirst for that which is not theirs and seek to take it by whatever means they deem well enough. To them I give a curse. That they fail in all they seek to grow. Their bellies remain empty and their harvest barren. Their home will be the ground as no roof will willingly shelter them. The beasts will hunt them and justice find them no matter their hiding place." I said as a more ominous wave slithered out from me. Slower, Colder, and Nerve-wracking as it passed the crowd before me and into the world outside.
The tiredness really began to kick in as I felt the blessings and cursings take hold. I felt and saw them happening even as I sat on my throne. A man who was blackmailing a shopkeep suddenly found his pockets emptied and the floor flinging him out the door.
A woman attempting to kill another felt the knife in her hand slip out of her grasp before she too was thrown from on top of her victim and into broad daylight outside screaming vicious curses at the woman she just tried to murder.
But then there was the good too. A poor man who had always paid his dues. He had given to the poor when he was rich and had forgiven every wrong done to him. This man was sitting on the street as a beggar. A humble man with no more power or hope left. Till he found ten silver coins in his bowl. An unknown power having placed them there. And it was enough he needed for a set of better clothes, a month's rent for a room, and perhaps a little investment money.
Many others I saw as they suffered the consequences of their actions forcibly. Some grieving their sins. Others swearing at me through my link with the world. The ones who were blessed began to understand a new god or being had taken hold of Melra as news quickly spread from hamlet to hamlet, city to city. And then I opened my eyes.
The crowd bowed down low before me and I felt a churning power in my head.
/Updating profile...
Ignatious Soulsmith
Race: Asura Dragon God
Job: Minor/lower god of Balance
Followers: 1,843,967
Dwarves- 10,423
Elves- 1,833,544 (Entire Melra Continent)
Spouse- 1 (Human)
Offspring- 2 (Asura Dragon Race)
Godly followers- 1 (Shattered Nox) ( In progress of reassembling and purifying.)
Powers
Godly Blessing - Minor level
Godly Cursing- Minor level
Omniscient Battler Skill (Passive-Mastered)
Flame Monarch (Passive-Mastered)
Phoenix God Body ( Passive- Mastered)
True Elemental Control ( 90% Mastered)
Mimicry (Mastered)
Shape Shifting (Mastered)
Shadow Monarch Skillsets/
I raised an eyebrow at the stats it read off to me.
(Very little description this time I see.) I thought at Sin.
/If you didn't know your abilities and powers by now you'd have to be an idiot of godly proportions./ It chimed. And I could sense slight sarcasm as well as a joking feeling from it. And I just shook my head as I waved for the people to leave. "You may all go. After all that you will see how much better I am than my predecessors."