In a time where Gods and Goddesses exist and humans worship and honor them, a young God by the name of Perth controls water - including the rain. He lives in a magical realm where one can see plants and sturdier structures coexisting seamlessly. In that realm, there is an immensely large marble palace, flowering vines weaving across the pillars and interestingly enough, water that defies gravity and never runs out. This water is sometimes at the roof of the palace, forming crystals, sometimes dancing on the floor in ripples. The whole realm is filled with gardens in which flora abound - there are wild grass always at the right height, every color and shade of flower known and unknown to man, and fruits that are never seen on Earth flourish proudly on trees.
The realm is tended to by child-like creatures that are made completely out of water but have a human child's figure and huge wings with patterns of snowflakes. They are more like ice in that they keep their solid form but are translucent like glass. They are nimble and quick but does not speak and does their chores mostly without being seen by their master.
The master, the Water God Perth, is currently at the garden, where he can be found most often these days. He is standing still in the middle of the greenery, barefoot on the soft grass. His eyes are blank, not really seeing what's in front of him. Every so often, he sighs.
For someone immortal, time is but an abstract concept. Boredom, however, is very much real. After years and years of living, there is only so much that holds the interest of a deity such as Perth.
Through a clear mirror made out of water, he looks at the human race, his face remaining emotionless. The humans are living their lives - engaging in social interactions that are very rarely genuine. While they are young, they treat their lives as if they are immortal but then when they are old, they grumble to the Gods about lost chances. Perth considers them petty and insignificant. So to ease his boredom, he decides that he will play a trick on them. And so on that day, the rains stop.
Somewhere in the land of humans, unheard by the bored Water God, a piercing cry of a baby echoes. A baby boy has been born. And with this life, comes death. As the baby cries his first breath of fresh air, his mother dies. She only had time to utter his name - 'Saint'.
Cradled at the midwife's arms, this is not the only bad news the little baby receives on his birth date. For a messenger that arrives at their house brings the news of Saint's father passing away. The man died while working at the field, before even getting the chance to hold his newborn son.
Just like that, Saint became an orphan and from then on, he is treated as a burden - passed on from relative to relative - and became known as 'the cursed child'. Rumors has it, the orphan boy brings bad luck to people around him. Some even believes he brought the curse of the drought upon them.
For 18 years, it did not rain. The humans became more and more desperate as the drought persisted. With every year without rain, the streams and rivers become more in danger of drying up altogether and no matter how they try to limit the usage of water, there is never enough to go around. There is less water to drink, to cook food with, to water the crops and to feed the livestock.
At a loss at what to do, the humans decide to pray to Goddess Aisha, the Goddess of Life. She is considered the mother of all humans and as such, they are hoping she can intervene to the Water God in behalf of them. Every day, at dawn, they go to the temple in groups to pray to the Goddess, giving offerings, asking for her to save them against their eventual demise, promising to do what must be done to appease the God that they believe is angry at them.
Taking pity on her poor children, Goddess Aisha leaves her realm to visit the Water God. Being a God that deals with creation and one of the older Gods, she is powerful and so even though Perth has wards against trespassers, those wards stand no chance against her. With one wave of a hand, she breaks them. She finds the Water God in the middle of his lush garden, sitting beside a fountain. He is in the same predicament as she had last seen him - bored, disinterested, and unenthusiastic.
"A God really should find something worthwhile to spend his time on," she scolds him.
It is such a pity that such a young God could be afflicted with such boredom. And as evidence by the constant prayers of the humans to her, he is dangerous in this state.
But the God only sighs in response to her scoldings, not even bothering to turn to her.
"Perth, seriously, you need to stop torturing the humans. It's been 18 years!"
"Oh has it been that long?" Perth says mildly, absentmindedly playing with flowing water from the fountain.
It is Aisha's turn to sigh. "Yes, and at this rate, the humans will die. You need to give them rain, Perth."
Perth shrugs. "Everyday, they grow greedier and petty and dull. Perhaps if I wipe out some of them, better ones will arrive. The only thing they do that amuses me is their panic. It eases some of my boredom."
Aisha frowns. "Those are my creations you're insulting, you brat."
"Create better ones."
Annoyed, Aisha plucks a purple fruit from one of the low hanging branches near her and throws it right at Perth's head. Perth easily catches the fruit and eats it.
"If you are so bored, why don't you find a companion? Shall I stay here?"
They both know that Aisha's offer is more like a threat. Perth loves his solitude, even though he gets lonely. It's a contradiction that often boggles Aisha but such is the Water God's complex personality.
Beside, Aisha plays the harp. Noisily. Perth hates it.
"You are quite busy," Perth reasons.
Aisha nods. "True. But I'm not leaving here without a solution for my poor children. I am getting tired of hearing them cry." She sits down next to Perth and ponders. "If not a God...perhaps you'd take a human as a wife?"
Perth shakes his head. "No."
"Hmm, they do have that festival they celebrate every year in honor of you. Although they really shouldn't, you ungrateful God," Aisha says like she didn't hear Perth. "They have offerings, you know. Virgins, among them, hoping to obtain your favor. Perhaps you'd bless one of them and take that person here, as a companion. And then perhaps you'd stop being so bored."
The longer she talks, the more Perth seems to be alarmed. "What if I promise to give the humans rain?" He bargains finally.
Aisha shakes her head, unstoppable once she has decided on this matter. "If the root of the problem is not addresed, in a few years, we'll be back to this. You play pranks on humans when you're bored, Perth. I know you."
Perth sighs. "You won't stop, will you?"
"Nope." Aisha is resolute. As a Goddess, she literally has forever to convince him. Or you know, she could always play her harp. See if Perth doesn't bend to her whim then.
Perth looks around his garden. Then his eyes stop on a gold orb on top of a pedestal. The gold orb is a magical item with a life of its own but it is a finicky thing. It chooses it's owner. When Perth was a very young God, he had stumbled on the gold orb and thought it beautiful and so he played with it. Little did he know that the orb will stay with him till now.
The gold orb, which he calls The Oracle, flees from everyone else but Perth. It tolerates some Gods' presence but for the most part, avoids everyone but its owner. It certainly does not go willingly to anyone - God, mythical creature, or human. Because of this characteristic, Perth realizes he has a way out of his predicament - a way for Aisha to leave him alone while ensuring that he keeps his blissful isolation.
He grins. "This festival...is it happening soon?"
"Yes, after the next full moon," Aisha answers, her eyes watching Perth suspiciously. "Why?"
"Let The Oracle choose in this festival then," Perth suggests. "If it chooses no one then you will not bother me anymore."
Aisha narrows her eyes. "And if does?"
That won't happen, Perth thinks confidently. "Then I shall marry whoever it chooses and bring that person here."
"You will give the fruit of life and stay with the person forever?" Aisha confirms. Once a human eats the fruit of life, they become immortal.
Perth rolls his eyes.
"Give me your word, Water God," Aisha demands seriously.
To a God, their word is as good as a promise, an unbreakable vow.
"Yes, I give you my word."
And with that, unbeknown to him, Perth had sealed his own fate and that of a certain mortal on Earth.