This was the first time I'd gone so far from Zandavere, something I refrained from doing in fear I'd end up lost. Even when outlining the border of the empire, I only went as far as the sea, but now, I was far east, outside of the empire and in an unknown land.
I scoured the land at a blinding speed in search of any trace of my enemy's trail, but I would find nothing but emptiness. There was no sign of any civilization, and I had managed to search across millions of miles in the week I had been away using my divine sight, which had a limit to the range I could see and hear.
Eventually, I grew tired and hungry, so I went hunting for a meal. I came across an animal that I had never seen before, at least, not up close. It resembled a crocodile, yet its size was far too great to be the same creature that I knew in my time. I had seen crocodiles on ever on the internet, in videos and pictures, and this one, I would assume would be its ancestor, as it measured in length to a whale. Of course, at the time, I had mistaken it for something else.
'It's a fucking dinosaur!'
I killed the creature, skinning it and roasting its meat over a flame. When I ate my fill, I would wait out the night in rest, yet I was foolish at that moment, foolish to have let the fire's smoke reveal my location.
In the dead of night, I would awaken to the presence of something. I opened my eyes only, not moving any other muscle as I stayed still. I could make out the area around me clearly, even in the clutter of the darkness. I saw figures, humanoid in form, but not human. They had certain features about that, ears, a tail, fur, and eyes that glowed. There were five of them in total, each one prowling as quietly as they could.
I waited to see what they would do, but they did not attack me. Instead, they passed me and began feasting on the meat I had left. My curiosity got the best of me, so I sat up and began watching them. They continued eating the meat like savages.
'Strange... These aren't humans... They almost look like cat people? No, no, no... That's not possible... No... It is... Centaria is proof.' The realization began to set in, and I began to feel a sense of disappointment. '...Someone fucked a cat.'
One of them, in their feasting, happened to turn their head to see me staring at her. She froze for a few moments, then continued to chew. Eventually, they would go on to continue eating without a care in the world.
They were of no threat to me and my curiosity had been sated, so I laid back down and waited until sunrise.
By the time I had awoken again, there were more of them, all trying to tear away at the crocodile's flesh.
I felt bad for them, so I decided to skin the rest of the meat, which had them scurry off scared. I cooked the rest and gave it to them, curious creatures who despite their wariness, eventually warmed up to me and ate the food I offered them.
I had experienced this before, with my first ever friend in this world, Deer. The wildlife for some reason, seemed to find comfort in my presence, as not long after, many of them began to rub against me. They were more cat than human, with paws, claws, and with most of their skin being covered in fur.
"Can you understand me? That was the first time I spoke, but they would only stare at me in silence. "I suppose not."
I had perceived them as animals, like pets, to be played with and fed, but I began to realize that the only ones to approach me were the women. One of them began tempting me, licking me and rubbing her body against me, before falling back onto the ground and spreading her legs. I then realized completely how wrong I had been, and I had been shocked stiff, unable to look away.
'This is truly a difficult matter... In my old life, I was the one who played online fantasy games and played only the furless races, while actively hating on the thirty-year-olds who played furries. If I lay with any one of them, wouldn't that make me a furry? Would it be wrong of me to wipe their species from existence? Of course it would...'
'But should I do it anyway?'
'I refuse to lower myself to this! So why is my body reacting this way!!' Despite my thoughts, my lower self had a mind of its own. It prompted me to stand up and leave, but as I was doing so, they began to follow me, both the men and women. I sighed.
I allowed them to follow me as I continued on my journey. I would encounter even more of their species, each one with different patterned fur and different features of fur. Knowing that the god who created them was from the same time and world as I was, truly disappointed me. However, I knew that only a god could have made them, and for there to be so many of them here, meant I was getting close.
I began to scour for mortals across the land, following wherever there were more of them. They lived like uncivilized animals, roaming the wilderness and hunting for food. They lived in the forests and mountains, and the farther south I seemed to go, the more there were. Eventually, I would come across my first settlement, only to find a repulsive land in chaos.
At the foot of the mountain, surrounded by forests almost as dense as jungles, lay a settlement as large as a city, yet calling it as such would be a lie. It was nothing more than a cesspool. Everywhere I looked, I saw both humans and hybrids, procreating by the hundreds. Women held on to children, while men forced themselves upon them. There were no homes, no order, no structure or decency. The land was less than tribalistic. The people were starving and dehydrated, and I knew the reason why.
I looked onto the mortals with pity and fury. I saw them as a lesson; a what would happen if we truly played god, with no care for the mortals.
The god responsible for the creation of the hybrid species was no more a man than he was a beast. After nearly a century of being on this world, he had devolved to an animal who did nothing but indulge in sex. I would find him among the mess of mortals, his body, atrophied to skin and bones and his hair a matted mess.
He would panic at the sight of me, like a cave dweller, stepping out into the sunlight for the first time.
"Who?! Who?!" His cries were like those of a howling wolf, infested with sickness.
I channeled my power, fully intent on killing him, but then I decided against it, seeing myself in his position. I grunted.
I grabbed him by the hair and pulled him away. Like a child, he kicked and screamed, resorting to tearing his hair out of his head to get away.
I kicked him to the ground as he tried to scurry away like a roach. "Get a hold of yourself, fool!"
"Go away! Go away! Go away!! Go away!!!" He hollered.
I was far from gentle in my approach. I grabbed the skinny god once again, this time punching him hard, but not enough to injure him too much.
He began coughing and gasping for air while trying to collect himself.
'This poor fool can barely breathe. There is no way he is Graith. He only cares for sex, not power to the point that he would send demi-gods to sacrifice in his name. I suppose it is possible that I came across a different god.'
I carried with me a waterskin that I offered the rasping man. "Drink it."
He groaned and grunted, but eventually took the waterskin and drank from it. He was parched, and the refreshing water seemed to bring him back to his senses.
"Mmm... Who are you?"
"Orion. You?"
Grumpily, he looked up at me with his mouth hanging open and drool spilling out. He then wiped his mouth with his dirt-covered bicep. "Can't remember."
"I see. How long have you been like this?"
"Like this?" He scoffed. "You're clearly like me, one of those people who was taken, before being thrown into this world."
"I am."
"How'd you know I was?"
"I could sense the divine power."
"Divine power? So what? Are you here to kill me?"
"No. I am here to kill a god, but not you."
"Then leave me alone!" He swatted at the air behind him as he got up and began his way back to the settlement.
"How pathetic." I called out to him. "Do you plan to do this for the rest of eternity? If you haven't realized, we are immortal now. We will live for who knows how long."
"What do you care?!" He turned around in anger. "You must have had it as bad as I did! Living for decades with nothing to do! Having to survive with no internet! No instant food! No people to talk to!"
"I did."
"Then you know!" A grin crept upon his lips as he began to cackle. "These powers were cool at first, but what's the point of them if there's nothing to use em for? Yeah? When I first came across humans, I thought I would be able to build up a civilization! But they're nothing but animals!! I ended up becoming just like them... Those people, you know what they are?"
"Cat people?"
"Cat people!! Did you know we can have children with anything?!"
"Basically."
"Well you can! And I decided, I wanted a cat girl!! Something that had been my dream forever!!"
"You degenerate."
"So you know what I did?!"
"You fucked a cat."
"I FUCKED A CAT! It didn't turn out as I thought it would... But it was fine, cause the humans were able to have children with them, and then those would be more human and less cat."
"You sick fuck."
"You're telling me you haven't done the same?!"
"No. I have not. Look at me. Look what I am wearing. This armor is because I brought order to the mortals and they managed to develop to the point that they can forge iron. I am worshipped by an empire, by millions, and you? Look at what you have done. There is nothing but rot and filth here. Do you feel no shame? Do you have no morals? You should choose your answer carefully."
I fully intended on killing him did his answer only stand to upset me, but my words seemed to have truly impacted him. His expression expressed his shame, and as he lay his eyes on me, I could tell he felt inferiority and guilt. He looked down to the ground in avoiding my eyes, frowning as he grit his teeth.
"What could I do? I was just a normal person... I thought I was the protagonist at one point... But still, there was nothing special about me. I hate this... I hate what I have done. I am disgusted with myself... You understand, right?"
"I do. I once was in your position. I did something I regretted in my blindness, but she forgave me. It was only then, that when she opened my eyes and granted me kindness, did I want to change, and change I did. This is the kindness that I offer you. From henceforth, it is you who should want to change, and only you who can change yourself. I suggest you gather yourself. If I find you here, no better than the animal you were before, you will find no more compassion from me, and I will behead you."
A more childish being would have considered my actions foolish, but I had decades to think about the kind of god I wanted to be. In all of that time, I had decided multiple times to go down different paths, but ultimately, I would decide to be a god to be looked up to, that would set the path that others should follow. I would be better.