Let us speak a bit about the girl known as Aamil.

She lived a humble life, all said and done. Growing up on a small farm run by her father, her life was always steeped in rural work. From a young age she learned the delicate art of planting seeds, understood the importance of timing and care, and developed a sort of pride in watching the fruits of her labor.

Each morning would be a repeat of the last, but not once did it ever feel redundant. Sure, the scent of earth and animal skin was an everyday thing, but in a way, they carried the whiff of hard work and responsibility.

Living in a remote area her entire life, she was never able to do the things most girls could at her age. Like going to school, making lots of friends, or partaking in the latest trends. While other kids were probably playing video games or running around at amusement parks, she was often found in the fields, her hands caked in dirt and heart filled with purpose. But all the same, this was a life she was grateful to have. The bond she shared with her mother and father were both unbreakable and forged from mutual respect. They spent almost every meal around the dinner table sharing stories and laughter.

Their days were filled with gratitude, as they prayed before each meal, toiled diligently for a fruitful harvest, and cared for their animals. Each prayer was a reminder of their blessings as well as a moment to reflect on the beauty of their simple lives. Some would say it wasn’t much, but they cherished the small victories -things like a bountiful harvest, the birth of a new calf, or the first blooms of spring.

Yet, despite all their prayer, everything changed dramatically one fateful day.

A devastating hurricane struck, bringing with it a flood that threatened their hard-earned crops and very way of life. The sky darkened ominously, and the winds howled like a wild beast, tearing through the landscape with a ferocity that left no room for hope.

The three could only huddle together, their hearts pounding in unison as they desperately prayed for safety.

Eventually, the storm -a howl of misery incarnate- died down. But by that time, it was too late. The crops were swallowed whole, the soil was damaged and reduced to rubbish. Most of the animals also died during the storm. With little food left, the once-humble family found themselves facing the harsh reality of starvation. It was a stark contrast to the simple joys they had known before.

“Where did we go wrong…?” They questioned. “…What have we done to deserve such a fate? Were we not grateful? Did we not pray before and after every meal? We didn’t harm anyone. So why? Why…?”

In the end, both her mother and father ended up dying. They’d prioritized the survival of their daughter, giving her most of anything they could scrape together. But even still, Aamil did not once falter. If she were anyone else, she would probably curse her fate, maybe even abandon her beliefs. Instead, she prayed once more.

“One more time...” She said to herself. “…Just one more time.”

Aamil poured everything into that last prayer. More than anything, she refused to reject her fate, because to her blaming God for her situation would be an act worse than sin.

For a moment, it seemed as if she’d slowly passed away, clinging onto the naïve hope that something or someone would save her. But then, something that could only be described as a miracle happened.

A magnificent white horse with an ethereal sheen to its coat. Beside it was a teenage boy, his features obscured by the sun’s rays as well as her blurred vision.

He reached out to Aamil, his voice resonating with a mix of warmth and mystery as he spoke.

“Sorry about that. It looks like you’ve fallen victim to the curse that binds me. That Poseidon is truly unrelenting. I mean all I did was steal his horse and murder his children. Did that really call for this?”

With her body weakened, Aamil’s vision began to fade. With the last remnants of her strength she asked the mysterious boy, “Are you… God?”

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“God, you say… Hm… What if I told you I am? Would you believe me?”

Aamil could only nod her head slowly. Though it prompted a radiant smile to spread across the boy’s face.

“Yes. I am God. I wield the power to cure your disease, give you new clothes, nourish your body and bring you to another world. One in which you shall have much more fun.”

In that instant, Aamil began to glow with a brilliant light. Soon her malnourished body was filled with vigor. She glanced around in confusion as her body lifted gracefully into the air and noticed her fingers beginning to fade from reality.

“Oh, and before you go. I’ve decided on what world I’ll go to next, so if you can, I’d like you to take care of Pegasus for me. I have a feeling he’ll be much help.”

“A-Are you really God?” Aamil questioned as her body faded.

The mysterious boy chuckled at the thought.

“No.”

***

From all angles, thick foliage of various kinds. She was standing on the outskirts of Amazonia, the massive forest that surrounded the village. Of course, she had no way of knowing that.

It was right around then that she noticed the large, brown-furred horse standing beside her. Its fur wasn’t the same mythical white as before, but for some reason she could still tell it was the same horse from earlier. Perhaps it was thanks to all the years she spent around animals.

“So, you’re Pegasus…” She muttered to herself, gently stroking its fur. “…Well, my name’s Aamil.”

She started to inspect Pegasus’ body and confirmed his gender.

“…So, you’re male… Not that it’s my first time seeing a male animal. It’s just that you feel different somehow. Well, it’s nice to meet you, man.”

With no real way of greeting Aamil back, Pegasus chose to playfully lick her face. Or maybe that was just his way of greeting her. Whatever the case, the two seemed to hit it off almost immediately. A bit too well actually…

He hadn’t felt emotions like these in centuries. The warmth from being with family, as well as the joy from playing with them. In that moment, Pegasus accidentally unleashed his devastating power.

In an instant, a thunderbolt zipped down from the skies and doused them both in flames. For a moment, Pegasus was worried that he might’ve put Aamil in grave danger. But strangely, she didn’t seem to be affected by the flames around her body. She was coughing a bit, sure, but her skin wasn’t burning nor was her temperature rising. Even the thunderstrike hadn’t registered for her.

Though, the same can’t be said for the forest around them. A massive fire broke out, one that aggressively spread throughout the entire forest.

Aamil panicked as she looked around. Was this her fault? Did she do something without realizing it? With no way of knowing Pegasus could summon such power, she blamed it all on herself and curled up on the ground.

The flames around her had long dispersed but there was no real way to stop the wildfire around her. Which is why she was beyond confused when they suddenly dispersed all at once.

“For a child to have found themselves in this forest. And to wield such power at that…”

The source of this extraordinary display was a small girl with striking dark hair, clad in robes that remained pristine despite the wild surroundings.

“…Clearly you are no ordinary child. I can’t even tell if you’re human or not.”

The mysterious girl held out her hand to Aamil. And with a welcoming smile she greeted her.

“My name is Arboria, and I am the chief of this land… Tell me child. Should I kill you?”

This was Aamil's first encounter with another girl her age, and she felt woefully unkempt for the moment. Her clothes had become filthy, and a bit burnt, and she hadn’t taken a bath in quite some time. But worse than that, she couldn’t understand a word that came out of her mouth.

Staring at Arboria’s reached out palm, she concluded that the girl before her must’ve been trying to form some kind of friendship.

“My name is Aamil. It is nice to meet you.”

Arboria’s expression flicked as she heard Aamil speak.

“The language of the gods…” She muttered to herself.

“Oh, I understood that one!”

Arboria turned her attention to the horse beside Aamil. For a moment they glared at each other in caution.

“I see now… Yes. You are an interesting child indeed… Come with me, child. I will give you shelter and food.”

“Really? Thanks a lot, man.”

“I am not a man.”

“Oh… Sorry, ma-! Ah, I mean Arboria.”

“Much better.”

Aamil went on to be welcomed into the Amazonian village. She was treated as a cherished guest of the chief and embraced as a fellow villager. They seemed to have strange obsession with her language, so she taught them and along the way, she managed to pick up some of their language too. She was given new clothes, put in charge of scouting the forest, and even became close to the chief. They took baths together from time to time, especially on her birthdays.

A part of her occasionally longed for her previous life, often drifting into memories of her parents. Alas, this was her new reality. She forged friendships with many girls her age and was surrounded by love from the community.

Nearly nine years had passed since that fateful day, and she had never once doubted the words of that man. Indeed, it was as he had proclaimed… A new world, one where she’d have much more fun.