Chapter #9 - The Bestest Boy & Divine Right Bestowed

The once-arid world was swarming with all kinds of lifeforms and species in less than a few decades, but First was not content.

How could he, when the lowly beasts his brother had created were chasing after his Creations, thinking of them as little more than preys? How could he, when the Pleiguseans descended from him were still afflicted with diseases that they had little control over?

How could he, while his people were going hungry—forced away from the lands they had lived upon for centuries?

He had not, however, forgotten his father’s words. “How can I offer guidance? What etiquette ought I to impart to them?”

First contemplated, before soaring above the skies in pursuit of the Creator of All, his determined sight never straying from his worshiping Creations; but, all that met his eyes was a blue sky.

“Father? I plead for your wisdom. How can I support Pleigus without directly interfering?”

First felt frustrated even though he knew his father’s will. Sickness or famine were all easy issues that First could resolve with a single snap of his fingers, but that wasn’t permitted. “A Diety cannot comprehend the suffering of mortals, yet comprehension leads to answers. Fold your wings, walk amongst them, and the answer shall naturally come to you.”

First could do nothing but bow his head, even if he was not entirely convinced. “I understand, Father.”

Going back to the cave at the top of the Mountain where he had made his abode, the Oldest of the Paradisians paced about the dwelling, then made to tear off a feather from his wings that grew to become a regular and unassuming Pleigus.

The Incarnation was neither attractive nor hideous by their standards.

Just one more face among the millions which suited his plans perfectly.

The two who shared the same set of memories needed not to exchange words as the Incarnation prepared to set out to elevate his Creations to a level of civilization that would be comparable, if not superior to that of his siblings’. “You will now be referred to as Shittu the Pleigusean. It is your responsibility to bring them to supremacy.”

Shittu the Incarnation nodded, before setting off towards the nearest tribe.

Sadly, he had overestimated the endurance of mortals.

For the first time since Creation, a Paradisean was able to feel what it meant to be hungry, thirsty; to feel the blisters forming on the soles of one’s feet as branches dragged painful lines across his body every time he entered a bush or walked under the trees.

It’s also the first time a Paradisean sobbed, though not out of pain, but sorrow for the miserable beings he had so carelessly brought into Paradis. But the feelings were short-lived, replaced by a panic triggered by a low rumble behind him.

Shittu whirled around to see a beast his height and he, on instinct, inquired. “Mortal, have you no eyes? Are you blind to who I am?

Shittu had forgotten that he no longer possessed the Paradisean’s abilities and the Aura.

His remarks were reduced to incoherent gibberish to the beast without Allspeak.

Annoyed by the grating noises its prey was making, the beast sprang on Shittu with a push, its breath the foulest thing he had ever smelled, almost to the point where Shittu could taste it on his tongue as saliva that reeked of decaying flesh dripped onto him.

Fortunately, he demonstrated foresight by swiftly positioning his forearm in front of the wolf’s throat, thereby saving his life. This experience marked the first time Shittu truly grasped the concept of Fear and understood the constant horror all mortals must confront daily.

In a state of terror, the Incarnation seized a rock and delivered a blow to the wolf’s face.

Though initially a light strike for the battle-hardened beast, Shittu’s relentless attacks eventually caused it to collapse on top of him, its snout covered in blood, and blue blood oozing from four of its eyes.

Pushing the beast off, he scrambled to his feet, silently staring down at the incapacitated creature. Gasping for breath, Shittu was on the verge of putting an end to its life when he realized the beast that had nearly taken his own was actually an emaciated runt.

Shittu observed the shaggy, matted fur of the beast, noticing its ribs visible under the bloodstained fur. The creature appeared severely starved, possibly for days—weeks perhaps.

Despite his initial hesitation towards his Creations and those of his siblings, Shittu felt a spark of compassion ignite within him for the suffering creature.

With a determined mind, he attempted to channel the Ambient Mana to heal the beast, a power that was usually unnecessary for the Paradiseans due to their intrinsic abilities.

In a truly unfortunate turn of events, Shittu found himself faced with immense adversity as his attempts to heal the injured beast were met with unforeseen complications.

Despite his efforts, the absorbed Mana was instead directed to and devoured by his Mana, leaving him physically unwell and struggling to overcome the nausea rising in his throat while his mortal flesh struggled to contain the energy. However, Shittu’s resolve to help the creature remained resolute.

Promptly, he gathered herbs to staunch the bleeding and combat any infections stemming from Baræque’s twisted perversion on the natural healing properties of the Water of Life. After meticulously dressing the wounds, Shittu prepared to depart, leaving the beast with a solemn declaration: “Your fate lies in yourself, beast.”

Yet, the creature’s feeble cries of distress tugged at his heart, forcing him in an internal dilemma.

Realizing the impending danger the injured beast faced, Shittu sighed and muttered to himself. “Fine... This once, just this once. There will be no second time.”

Despite encountering significant obstacles due to its size and his limited strength, he pressed on with remarkable perseverance, fashioning a makeshift sled for its conveyance.

Fortunately, at nightfall, he found a small cavern that offered shelter, though Shittu reckoned it’s still preferable to being left in the open.

The Incarnation had a tough time getting the beast inside, sweating bullets, but he eventually succeeded.

Taking a whiff of himself, he paled in disgust, but seeing as it’s already dark outside, plus feeling his protesting limbs, Shittu was forced to call it a night. Swiftly, he drifted off to sleep, internally wondering if he’d still be alive in the morning with a carnivorous beast sleeping next to him.

Orion’s Creations may not be the brightest, but even they would at least know not to turn against their benefactor, right? With such thoughts in mind, the Incarnation’s first day as a mortal ended.

After a dreamless night, Shittu was jolted awake by something wet slobbering all over his face. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the beast towering over him.

Skeptical, he watched as the beast dropped to the ground, its stomach growling in hunger, drawing attention to his own churning belly. The two–a beast and a Pleigus–tacitly decided on a silent agreement and headed outside together.

“You’re on your own, aren’t you?”

The beast didn’t respond, unable to comprehend his words. “Well, from now on, you’re with me.”

With a swagger to his steps, the Incarnation led the way towards the nearest creek, guided by naught but his memories of the North.

It was in a remote location, so there would be no competition for resources.

When they arrived, the beast instinctively recoiled, showing fear of the Water of Life.

That reaction wasn’t unexpected since beasts created from Orion’s flesh, like the Pleigusean born from his wing, couldn’t stomach the the Water of Life. Shittu’s about to grab a handful to satiate the pang of hunger, when he sensed something off about the resourceful liquid.

“This isn’t right...” He mumbled in suspicion.

All lakes and rivers ultimately flowed into the Crimson Sea which, encircled all of Paradis, and the excess water was drawn underground by a carefully controlled gravitational force for purification by the Core of Paradis; a force not even the Paradiseans could affect.

It was basically a self-sustaining system where certain trees even produced fruits from the filtered water.

However, the system ultimately relied on the Water of Life, and any disturbance to it could lead to disastrous consequences for the entire ecosystem...

Granted, the Water of Life’s potency being reduced wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the creatures living there, but Shittu was far more concerned about the potential ramificstions and what this could mean for the whole of Paradis going forward.

If this continued, in a decade or so, all the essential nutrients in the Water of Life would vanish. “Did Father do this?”

He wondered, for only the Creator of All should be have the authority to alter the Crimson Sea, but trusting in his Father’s plans, Shittu quieted his racing thoughts.

Grabbing a handful to satisfy his empty stomach first, he then signaled for the animal to do the same, and it did, albeit with a lot of caution.

Sadly, they had both forgotten other carnivourous animals could sniff out and follow their scents. Once they finished, two stripped and hungry beasts were already pacing around the entrance, eager to feast on their tantalizing flesh.

His buddy growled at the unexpected visitors, but was too scared to leave in fear of becoming their dinner. “Hold up,”

Shittu commanded and quickly put together a makeshift spear by attaching a rock to a stick. It was challenging, but the Incarnation’s howls finally succeeded in getting their attention.

When they tried to come in, he crasily stabbed the first one with his makeshift weapon.

Unfortunately, the tiger managed to pull him out along with the spear before breathing its last, its unfocused eyes boring into its partner as if pleading for its death to be avenged.

Luckily, instead of attacking him right away, the other tiger just nudged the body a bit, trying to wake it up, which gave Shittu just enough time to climb up a tree for safety.

Unluckily, he hadn’t the time to grab the weapon he had painstakingly made, which was still stuck in the corpse. With its eyes red from bloodlust, the remaining tiger dashed under the tree, digging its claws into the bark trying to reach the Pleigus responsible for its mate’s death.

What was once a mere hunt had escalated into an unresolvable blood-feud between the two.

Shittu knew he couldn’t survive without his weapon, so he jumped off right before the tiger caught up to him.

As he made a move towards the corpse, the tiger nipped at his heel but Shittu was able to escape miraculouely.

However, he overestimated his capacity for such strenuous physical activities and severely underestimated the beast hounding him. Before he could retrieve his weapon, it’s already on him. Closing his eyes, Shittu braced himself the worst, but the expected pain never came. Surprisingly, the beast he had spared came to his rescue, leading to a chaotic tumble of fangs and claw, with a tiny pinch of roars and whimpers echoing through the clearing to set the atmosphere.

Muscles bulging, the Incarnation groaned as he managed to tear the spear free at last.

The first thought that came to his mind was: ‘I have to run.’

First, Eldest of the Paradisean had not once had to worry about any other creature, but Shittu?

He was just a weak and pathetic Pleigusean.

The smart thing to do here was obvious: Flee, but… Gritting his teeth at the second round of painful cries, he jumped on the tiger’s back and jabbed his spear into the crevice of its ribs.

The beast roared in agony, trying unsuccessfully to shake off its unwanted passenger who was clearly determined to ride on its back. Alas, an utter stranger to physical discomfort, Shittu wasn’t able to last, tumbling off its back and into a roll to reduce the impact. Bleeding heavily, the tiger let out exhausted sighs. It could barely catch a breath when the wolf’s jaws clamped on the loose skin hanging under its neck.

It tried to fight, but its body had clearly weakened under the combined assault of the two. Its swipes were no longer as fierce; its snarls no longer as loud; its bites no longer as powerful. Still, neither the Incarnation nor the the wolf wanted to give it breathing room.

Biting; clawing; punching… They pulled every card in the set to bring the tiger to its knees, dancing around the beast to tire it out, until it was reduced to a trembling, bloody mess on the ground. Yet, there’s no fear in its gaze, just a brewing bloodlust. A glance, and Shittu knew it’d not let bygones be bygones, unlike the wolf, hence fixing his mental state, he stabbed in its throat, ending the feud between them.

“You saved my life… I suppose this means we no longer owe each other.”

Curiously observing, the Incarnation held his spear aloft, witnessing the blood on its jagged edges defy gravity by flowing upward instead of down as expected.

Before he could really figure out what was going on, he already felt the urge to bless the weapon with a name entering his mind.

“Foremost.” Shittu blurted.

A name as simple as the weapon it represented, yet the very act seemed to bring about a turbulent storm within the metaphysical currents. “FATHER?!” The Incarnation yelled in confusion and terror as a suffocating pressure descended on him, or more precisely the spear in his hands.

Releazing what was the crux of the issue, Shittu hurriedly tried to throw the weapon away, but as if aware, Foremost stubbornly remained in his hands.

“Father! Have I done wrong?!”

Implored though he might, the vehement wails of the winds continued unabated, as did the deafening thunders capable of shattering one’s eardrums. Despite the bleak situation, the Elder Incarnation maintained a sense of hope that his Father would show leniency towards him, whatever his transgressions might be.

Regrettably, he really ought to have utilized that time to prepare himself rather than directing his prayers towards his heedless Creator.

The thunder struck Foremost first, the sheer impact causing his legs to buckle as he tightened his fingers around the wooden shaft of the burning spear. “Father, I beg of you, have mercy!” But that only seemed to cause an enthusiastic shiver across the metaphysical web.

The intensity of the second strike that he endured unleashed a sudden burst of excruciating pain that reverberated through his entire being. The impact so forceful that it seemed to burst his eardrums, leaving behind a ringing sensation that drowned out all other sounds. The angry red imprints left by the electricty appeared like a menacing map of agony, crisscrossing his torso in a display of violence. “Is- Is this considered ‘interfering directly’?”

He chuckled weakly, before mustering up the last bit of strength and courage in his bones and yelling. “Is that why you’re attacking me?!” Even a deaf person would be able to feel the frustration- the desperation as he begged for an answer he would never get. “I cannot use my Powers directly; I cannot contact them on my own… How am I to teach them then?! Am I to wait, watching as their number dwindles by the day? Am I to watch as my Creations suffer and toil as the lowest forever?!”

As a Paradisean, he had always thought the Pleiguseans were being drama queens with their needs and desires, the whole bunch of them, but in just a day, his mentality seemed to have done a complete 180°.

He was acquainted with thirst, although not in great detail;

He had heard of hunger, but had never known it personally;

He had witnessed fright, yet regarded it as a feeling he deemed incomprehensible… And now that he had, he could no longer criticize his Creations.

The thunder's booming intensified, each clap echoing with a fierce intensity that seemed to embody the wrath of the Creator of All.

The dark clouds above churned ominously, unleashing torrents of rain that fell in heavy sheets upon the earth below.

The flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape, while the howling wind seemed to carry with it a dark and foreboding omen. “What harsh lives they live…” He whispered weakly, voice thick with self-deprecation. “How can I turn a blindeye?” And Shittu even thought he was special to his Father.

He had clearly thought wrong. “I’m unwilling…”

His first rebellious thought against the mighty Entity above stirred within him as he expressed weakly, “To supremacy…”

Shittu muttered under his breath, “With or without your approval!” Wilfully, he turned his spear at Paradis’ Creator, and ALL stilled, as if shocked by the sheer audacity.

Then, everything resumed…

Increasing its initial size threefold, the dark clouds loomed ominously as the winds intensified and the thunder grew louder and stronger.

A tasteful despair arose in his chest, yet his expression revealed no trace of fear as he drew his arm back, before sending Foremost to face the lightning. Shittu had barely breathed a sigh of relief when the bolt froze, teased with a glimmer of hope, when Foremost was blown away, its tip imbedded in the ground.

The good news was: The bolt had weakened considerably, but even then Shittu knew his chances of survivor were slim. “Father, WHY?!!” The earth beneath his feet exploded in a molten splash, his consciousness fading mere moments after he's struck.

Upon the settling of the dust, the calming of the winds, and the dissipation of the clouds, the wolf cautiously emerged from its hiding place, surveying its surroundings for any indications of peril.

It then advanced towards the motionless figure of Shittu, who miraculously remained alive despite being charred to a blackened state. Mournfully, it nudged the Incarnation, only for the black outer layer to collapse in a dust cloud. Startled, the wolf retreated, retching as ashes entered its lungs.

More surprising to the wolf was the sudden appearance of Shittu, who stood with his back adorned with red tattoos meticulously etched across his entire body.

It barked, its gaze vigilant as its sole family member, albeit a diseased one from the beast's perspective seized its detachable claw, brandishing the weapon with grace.

Subsequently, he inspected his body, surprise coloring his features before falling to his knees in reverent devotion. “Forgive my harsh words, Father… I realized your good intentions far too late.”

Once more, he received no response, however, the sunlight appeared to carry a gentle warmth, causing tears to well up in his eyes.

“I won’t disappoint, Father!”

Next, he fixed his gaze on the wolf, a relaxed smile on his lips, “Come, Garou.”

And so, the would-be-Ruler, the High King of Pleigus set forth to the land where his people had been ‘exiled’ to along with his wolf, never realizing the I was watching his every step.

Although I lacked a mouth to smile, my cheeks couldn’t help but lift as a feeling of accomplishment flooded me. ‘No wonder parents like bragging about their children so much…’

"You have my Blessing."