Does God exist?
Such a question had plagued many worlds and countless people across the Main Universe, almost always in places where Mana is inaccessible. And even where Mana can be utilised, worlds without in-depth access to the System are still plagued by this question. Those with sufficient access will answer in the positive, but they are not truly right either. While "Gods" do exist, they are often not as they are betrayed in myths and legends. These "Gods" are beings that have Levelled high enough to break free from their mortal shackles and achieve a higher state of being. Yet does that qualify them as true Gods, if they were once mortal?
Certainly, a God a portrayed in an Abrahamic religion does not exist. There is no sole, omnipotent, omniscient God is the Universe, not even the System can claim that title freely. The closest entities to such a stature would be Celestials, Denizens of Infinity and the System itself. Yet all three parties fall short of reaching "true" Godhood as presented by their believers. In a place where anyone can become a God, faith and reverence are naturally reduced. Gods are still feared and idolized, but it is on a personal level, unlike a more ignorant world where Gods are seen as unreachable and perfect.
As a world where Magic and Mana was rampant, you would expect the people of Orvonia to have such views, but this was not true. For while it was theoretically known that one can achieve Godhood with a sufficient Level, therefore nullifying the mystical atmosphere of a God, people still worshipped them regardless. Ascenders and Magi held absolute faith in their hearts towards their Gods, despite being aware of their mortal past. The origins of a God, no matter how meagre, did not diminish their authority and status for the people of Orvonia.
But perhaps this is an unfair example. After all, the Gods of Orvonia were heavily invested in the affairs of the world, unlike most Gods who merely use their believers are a faith farm. These Gods have personally intervened and guided Orvonia many times throughout its history, with a time where the Divine walked the earth still being fresh in many powerful Ascenders. In order to enable this, the Gods have direct connections to the mortal plane in the form of their Churches. They hold the Authorities and Laws of Orvonia tightly in "Their" hands, and are aware of any brewing undercurrents. One such undercurrent was spread when Endyr bloomed his Seed, and again when his Double was created.
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Within a great bustling city, a large and imposing cathedral lay. It was constructed of a dark and glistening wood, that emitted an aura of nature, vitality and tranquillity. Here and there, brilliant flowers bloomed in vibrant colours and the front of the cathedral was lined with beautiful trees and shrubbery. This was the headquarters of the Church of Gaia on the Continent, where the Cardinal stayed and received messages from the Goddess "Herself".
The inside of the cathedral was decorated quite lavishly, but not to an overbearing extent. The walls were lined with ivy and other plants, and the ground was a soft field of grass. There was a nice amount of light present, with a soft and continuous breeze accompanying it. Anyone within the cathedral would be enthralled and pacified by its contents. There were several dozens pews and a podium set up, with a large stained glass depicting a woman made of grass with flowers of her hair holding a baby in her arms. Beside her, a male figure sat on a wooden throne as trees grew around him. These were Gaia the Goddess of Earth and Fertility and her brother Dendron, the God of Wood and Forests.
Two people, a woman and a man, were kneeling before this picture and praying. Both had green hair and fair skin, though the man's was slightly darker and more coarse. After several minutes of uninterrupted silence, both stood up in uniform and opened their eyes. They turned to face each other, and a silent conversation took place. Both stared into the eyes of the other, before the man sighed and broke eye contact. He turned away and began to walk towards the door. The woman watched him go, a slight smile building on her face as she did so. Just as the man touched the door handle, she spoke.
"You should probably send Gordan" her words were spoken lightly, but they gave the man pause. He turned back to the woman and responded "Is that not a bit excessive? The Lords have stated this Abomination is younger and weaker than most. A talent like Gordan would be wasted on them, especially since it would require him to divert from his training."
The woman shook her head and and smiled softly "Our Lords mentioned Sky Cross Academy, did "They" not? Gordan is the best person for such a task then, as he fits the age requirement to enter the institute." The man frowned and spoke with disapproval to his colleague "Sky Cross is a neutral zone, yet from the sounds of it, you plan to kill the Abomination there. Le'garde will be keeping a very close eye on Gordan because of his identity, and will almost certainly hinder his mission. We should kill the Abomination before he reaches the Academy."
The woman shrugged and turned back to the picture of the two Deities. "We are not the only ones who would have been told about the Abomination. It is likely being watched and protected by those people, so an attempt now would be fruitless. They have no reach in the Academy however, making it easier there. Trust me on this" she pleaded. The man furrowed his brows before sighing again and nodding.
"I will call for him them."
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Amidst a towering mountain range lay an ancient and gigantic temple. The structure was built from a strange type of marble that seemed to glow in the light. It was a stark white, unblemished and exhuming as aura of majesticy. Golden veins ran along the stone at points, forming intricate patterns and art. Inside, the temple was just as foreboding and authoritive. An aura of oppression and holiness penetrated every aspect of the structure, filling any who enter with extreme piousness.
In the temple, two thrones stood side by side. One was a red-tinged gold that was the source of the holiness, while the other was a greenish white, that felt ethereal and soft. Two men occupied these thrones, and they oversaw the procedures going on before them with undisguised boredom. One man was brown of skin, with locks of red hair and soft gold eyes. The other was of a fine white colour with brown hair turning a turquoise green as it neared the tips. His eyes were a a mix of green and white, and they swirled.
Just as the red haired man was about to yawn, he stiffened and shot up. Beside him, the other man did the same. They turned behind them, where two statues stood. The one behind the red man was taller, with broad shoulders and wearing a remarkable mix of armour and a suit. The other statue was slimmer and smaller, wearing a toga and holding a feather and scales. Both held a disturbing likeness to the two men who bowed before them.
"We understand your intentions, Lords" the red haired man spoke. He turned around and dismissed everyone else from the room with a wave of his hand. The green haired man looked deep in thought as he spoke "So an Abomination has appeared once more...should we considered ourselves fortunate or unfortunate that it was on the Gaia Continent?" His tone was sarcastic, but the question was genuine. His friend laughed and raised both hands "We are both lucky and unlucky, Dymistios. Now come, we will have to compete with those tree-huggers in killing this Abomination. Our Lords said it was heading towards Sky Cloud Academy, yes?"
"We seem to be more lucky than unlucky then. Zeze has just become qualified for entry, Shamash" Dymistios remarked. Shamash grinned and began to stride out of the hall. "Best go inform her then!"
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A palace floated amongst clouds, drifting endlessly from one to another. Dragons soared alongside it, flapping their majestic wings and entering at times. A multitude of towers served as ideal nesting spots for them, and the rest of the castle was more than enough to accommodate them. Within a certain bedroom of the castle, a man lay on his bed. His hair was black, and his eyes were an emerald green. He was seemingly sleeping, but his eyes shot open without warning and he sat up.
"So, an Abomination has shown up once more. The Orthodox Gods won't sit still...sigh, why can I not just enjoy a good sleep, Father?" The man received no audible response, though his eyes narrowed and he ran his tongue over his lips. "I guess I should send someone then. How about Nephelae? She has been asking to go out for ages and this might do her some good."
Again, no one seemed to answer the man but he nodded and grinned nonetheless. He got up and stretched before looking out the window. He snapped his fingers, causing the nearest Dragon to fly over to him. He hopped out the window and onto its back, as it flew towards a different part of the massive castle. The man clapped his hands, causing the scenery to change. No longer was the castle floating amongst the clouds: now, it was situated on an endless waterfall. Nodding to himself, the man got off the Dragon and walked through the castle.
He paused before a painting on the wall, depicting a strange lion-esque creature walking in an endless dessert of grey sand, while the moon and stars shone a bright silver overhead. Before the beast lay a Dragon, its head bowed in subservience and a crack in its head, opening its mind to the beast.
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In an unknown place, the ground was shattered and splintered. Large volcanos burst from the earth, spewing lava and ash in copious amounts. The sky was blood red and the air thick with an aura of destruction and madness. In this land, a pyramidal building was constructed. It was made from intertwined limbs, walls of flesh and congealed slabs of blood. Near the tip of the pyramid, a man was tied with chains. He had been flayed and amputated, his blood and liquids streaming down his mutilated body.
The inside of the pyramid was hardly any better, with pulsating flesh spewing out bile and blood at biregular intervals. It looked like a demented slaughterhouse, with tortured and twisted corpses being stuck on pillars. In the centre was an altar comprised of blood and limbs, where a woman was standing with a look of fervour etched on her face. She was reading from a book made from human skin, with words written in blood. As she read, the words changed to form new sentences. The woman read these eagerly before nodding and closing the book.
She put it back on the altar and called out a name. One of the blood pools began to bubble before a young man emerged, dressed in a blood-red robe and obscuring his face. The woman repeated his name as he appeared. "Nezra. The Lord has issued a command: the Abomination has appeared once more and is heading towards Sky Cross Academy. You will enrol there too, and keep an eye on them. Do not make any moves to harm them, and watch for those who do. The Lord has uses for this one. Am I clear?"
"Yes Mother" the man-no, the boy bowed deeply. He sank into the blood pool and vanished, leaving the woman alone in the building.
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While the various Gods began to move their pieces, one God was sitting on "His" throne. "He" sat at the end of a long table, with 10 chairs on each side and one more at each end. The God occupied the seat of honour and gazed at the person sitting directly opposite of "Them". The figure looked back, unbowed before the gaze of a true Deity, and let out a chuckle. "Are you not going to play a card?" he asked. Before the two figures was a deck of cards, with a few already placed. In their hands, several more cards were clutched.
The figure on the throne let out a chuckle of "His" own as he pulled a card from "His" deck. "I was just thinking how the game will progress from here on, my dear Mirage. So many players have entered the field, while our champion remains unaware and vulnerable. Are you okay with such a boring ending to your play?" "He" asked playfully. The figure opposite "Him" shook its head and tutted.
"If anyone else called me by that name, I would have their tongue out. But you and I are old friends so I can let it slide. Isn't that right, Zephaniah?" Jester, the God of Mischief and Spectacle replied in a humorous tone. Fallacy, the God of Secrets and Mystery, hummed in response and placed the card "He" was holding. Jester leaned forward to look at it and whistled in surprise. "You really are playing for keeps, huh!"
Fallacy smiled and leaned back into "His" seat. Jester put "His" finger on "His" chin for a moment before letting out an "aha!" With a dramatic flourish, "He" slammed "His" own card on the table. Fallacy looked at it for a minute before raising an eyebrow "You serious?" "He" asked. Jester scowled and tapped "His" finger on the table in response. "Why wouldn't I be? Is there something wrong with my card?" "He" asked angrily, before breaking out in laughter. "I just thought it would be funnier and make thing more interesting."
Both Gods then vanished, leaving only the two most recent card behind. On Fallacy's side, the card showed an open book inscribed with glowing words, with an open eye imprinted on the front page. On Jester's side, "His" card held a ball of twine slowly being unravelled on the backdrop of a giant clock, casting an ominous shadow.