[Chapter 3.2] - The Name
“Huh?” The girl pulls back with a startled expression, as if what I had asked was totally ridiculous. After all, what sort of god doesn’t have a name?
However I just chuckle and gently step back from her before swirling one of my fingers. I get to watch with some amusement as the girl suddenly finds herself being turned around in a complete circle with my magic, causing her to give out a soft squeak of a scream. It wasn’t too fast though, or too harsh.
The girl calms down after only a moment of finally standing on her own two feet again, although she’s holding her hands to her chest as if she’d just witnessed something miraculous. Then again, she doesn’t remember most of what I’d done to her before. Her expression makes me grin widely.
“Yes, a name. It has been so long that I no longer have one. I’m what you could call a Lost God. The reason I appear this young is for the same reason. A god with no name cannot grow out of what you’d consider the teenage years.”
I speak gently to her, and even explain a few things at the same time. You see, the names of gods are important. When a god is born they have no name, and thus must develop one. This is usually a very long process, which can take centuries.
Only two types of beings can give an unnamed god a name. The first is other gods, their family. The stronger the god who gives the unnamed god a name, the stronger the name is reflected within both the heavens and in the mortal world. Those whom I personally named where the greatest of the gods, second only to myself.
The second type though is on the other end of the spectrum. Mortals can also name the gods. Not just any sort of mortal however. Only a believer, a true believer is able to name their god. It is through this way that the greatest of mortal potential can be expressed.
A god given a name by a mortal believer is the truest expression of the bond between gods and mortals. This is reflected upon both the god they name, as well as the mortal who does the naming. Kind of like a magical contract, for those of you idiots who cannot understand the concept.
For a god like me though, it only lays a foundation. To other gods, this sort of thing would usually express their true potential and raise them to that limit. For me, it is only a starting point. In effect, it’ll simply give me a name to be called by while increasing my god powers efficiency somewhat.
Still, it needs to happen, so why not get it done and over with?
I’m not really worried that the girl would pick something silly or stupid. There is too much awe and shock and joy in her face for that. Her belief is strong, so I’m willing to take the gamble.
Still, my words move her out of her shock and her cute face scrunches up as she contemplates. I simply wait, folding my arms over my chest. Although I have the appearance of a twelve to thirteen year old child, my body has the proportions of a man of a far greater age and maturity. Even through my clothing one could see my musculature.
She does look rather cute like that though, no doubt furious thinking.
“Ah. My father called you most vexing. He was quite in shock, learning that a god had come and even destroyed the altar we had worshipped at for so many centuries, only to find out that the altar wasn’t from the gods at all… So I shall call you Vex!”
I get to watch her face light up with clear admiration and determination as she makes her choice, which is even more cute. Before, the girl was rail thin and pale enough to look like nice. Now her features are alive and bright, and even make my heart pound a bit looking at her.
Her words though startle even me, and for a moment I stand there dumbly before laughing. This laugh though is more of a gentle chuckle, like the babbling of a brook instead of the rough, powerful laughter I’d expressed before. My hands come up and I clap a few times.
“Good. Very good! I have received the name of Vex, and henceforth I shall take the name of Vex as my own.” I say with a wide grin. A sudden halo of golden god power appears around my head like a headband, beating along with the rhythm of my heart while at the same time one forms around her own head.
She gasps, but I had already expected this to happen. I grin all the wider. Outside, my banner swirls and flutters wildly before another CHIME sound emits from it, followed by another wave of magic power that suffuses everything and once more pushes out its which. This one is different from the others though in that it it stretches out like a blanket to cover the earth within the area it controls.
I can feel the build up and then the release of magic from both within my body and the world around us. Magic energy itself starts to fizz and bubble across the bubble of this space, almost instantly returning the magic to levels that can once more support life. Aaaaah, it feels as if this small pocket of the world had come alive again.
The girl, Lusia is standing there wide eyed, utterly speechless as the halo around her head suddenly disappears. However, the expression doesn’t change, and instead her eyes are darting in every direction, looking at things only she can see. She even holds up her hands to look at them in rapt attention.
“Hehe. It seems the naming has been successful. As the God of Magic, not only am I the wellspring that brings magic into the realms, but I’m the sole contender of the use of magical energy. Now you, as a priestess of the God of Magic Vex, have been raised to the greatest potential any mortal can have in the use of magic. You are now second only to myself in using magic, and only the greatest of beings of other races can hope to equal you.”
I tell her while laughing at her strange, excited and confused expression. Hehehehe. It looks great to see such awe on her face. I don’t give her any time to understand it though, cause I reach out to her and hook my arm around her waist, only to draw her out of the stone house and onto the village square.
Everyone is looking and waiting, having heard the sound and felt the rush of energy that had been emitted from my banner. Although they dare not get close, they all know that something had happened. Only Luisa's father, the village elder dares to close in on us soon after we come out.
I ignore him though, and tighten my arm around the girl before making a sudden jump, launching us into the air. The girl suddenly lets out a squeal of a scream, but I simply hold onto her tightly before we land on the stone podium before my banner, so we can be seen and heard by the entire village. The impact is as light as a feather when I bring us down gently.
Still, I release the girl and take a short step forward, smiling before clapping my hands to make sure everyone’s attention on us. The village elder is shocked and only then steps out of the crowd to see what I have to say. No doubt he’s worried about his daughter.
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“Thank you all for coming. I have an announcement to make.” My voice carries through the silence, and I just love being in the middle of such attention. I’m tempted to laugh out manically again. I have to hold it in, otherwise I’ll ruin the mood!
“Millenium ago I was the father of the gods, the greatest of them all. I was sealed however, and long since lost both most of my power and even my name of that time. This was done in error, and the destruction, devastation, and loss of life that has happened since that long ago time is directly related to my ensealment. I am the God of Magic, and from me magic energy flows through all the realms. Without that energy, life itself withers and dies and the realms themselves crumble piece by piece. Only darkness remains!”
My voice booms out, as I give a quick explanation of what has happened and why. I have to set my face into stone, as even just talking about it makes me angry. Still, I hide in behind a mask of cool restraint. It wouldn’t do to get angry and go on a rampage here, after all.
“I was sealed under the mountains to the west of here, both with my consciousness pushed into blissful sleep and the core of magic within me sealed as well. This allowed the magic of the realms to be used up without replenishment, like a well drained dry. It would have taken centuries after centuries after centuries for it to finally disappear to the state it is now. Where the soil itself no longer supports crops and the rivers dry up and the air becomes stale and tasteless. Where stone is brittle and fire gives off less warmth.”
“But that is only part of the story! The rest of the gods, my previous family, realized their mistake but feared it at the same time. They cannot exist without magic, because even their godly power cannot extend itself across the realms. They rely upon the magic that my existence brings in order to influence the realms. However, they did not desire to awaken me from my slumber, and thus turned to another being who could potentially save them. The World Serpent.”
This time I let my anger show, on both my face and in my voice. I almost tremble, gritting my teeth. I do finally take a couple of breaths to calm myself and continue.
“The World Serpent is a being almost as old as I am. Where I was born out of the creation of the realms, bringing life and power; he however was born out of the world’s destruction. The ender, the devourer of life and existence. Gorging itself on blood and taint, it would devour everything until only it remains. The gods made a pact with the World Serpent, to grant upon it their godly power in return for their miserable lives. The World Serpent agreed, and thus released upon this mortal realm pieces of itself, in the shape of those accursed blood altars!”
“Under the name of the gods, it would accept blood sacrifices to empower itself while giving just enough of that energy to keep the gods alive at the same time. The Miasma, which were thought a scourge of the gods, are in fact the physical representation of the World Serpent’s growth and power in this realm. As it grows, so does the Miasma! It devours the energy of life, which is based upon magic itself, and twists it into unnatural abominations! Creatures not born of life but instead the negative energies of death!”
I finally have to stop to take a few breaths, calming myself. My face had gone red from my furious yells, even as the face of everyone has gone pale in fear. Either fear of me, or what they had mistakenly believed. I ignore it though.
“The seals that once imprisoned me though have been broken. Once I was awakened, I realized that my magic was still sealed, and thus used up the vast majority of my godly power to break it. That is why I appear as I do, a youngling. A god’s age is represented on how much godly power we have. And why I rapidly aged when I destroyed the cursed altar, having absorbed the godly power laid inside of it into myself.”
I stop for a bare moment, letting the silence hang in the air after my words. The feeling of expectation and apprehension is great. I flash a smile, before standing up tall and holding my arms out.
“As is the right of the greatest mortal believer of a god, by ancient bonds between the gods and mortals, young Lusia here has offered me a name! Upon her words, I am Vex, the God of Magic! This is the name I have accepted, and thus I invoke the ancient pact to promote Lusia, daughter of Quintin, Elder of Zephyr Horn Village, to be the First Priestess of Vex!”
I all but yell the words out, before swirling around to face both Lusia and the fluttering banner behind her. I grin and give her a wink, enjoying the absolutely flabbergasted look on her face even as I hold up my hands to the tall banner. Summoning my magic once more, the air in front of my hands instantly turns into a swirling blue mist that condenses rapidly before streaking out to my banner.
The banner absorbs every drop of it, and with a low rumble in the earth it starts to grow larger and taller, expanding out even as a second, smaller banner forms just under my own. The crystal-like rod splits off a second branch, and from it the magical cloth weaves out. Like my own, this smaller banner is silver with black trim, but the symbol within the center of it different. It is the symbol of a queenly circlet.
A circlet of deep silver, edged in gold and adorned with deep blue gems that sparkle on the cloth as if it were a real object.
Only once the banner, which is only about half the size of mine above it, is complete do I drop my arms and give Lusia another smile before turning around to the villagers who are still watching. Their faces show awe, and many of them are dumbfounded. The village is utterly silent.
“This is Lusia, the First Priestess of myself, Vex, God of Magic! This child, whose body was completely tainted by the worship of the World Serpent, is now mine. Neither men, nor beasts, nor the other gods may break this sacred pact! Not even the World Serpent could hope to undo this vow which I, myself, have made! Upon my name of Vex, I claim her as my first Consort, and any who claim otherwise will die!”
I grin, and motion to her while I speak, drawing the gaze of every single villager to her. She’s both pale and blushing under such attention, even before the rest of my words end. Only then does she go completely red from blushing, which I find quite amusing after looking at her from the corner of my eyes.
After all, it isn’t every day that a god announces that he was basically going to marry someone who was just a common villager before. Her old man, the village elder, actually faints and falls to the ground in front of the stone podium.
Hahahahahaha! Okay, I couldn’t stop it before I started laughing. It is just too great not too!