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Hero Delivery
Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Somewhere, where none dared to tread, on a broken world, in a storm of sand, Del, and Ge walk covered head to toe in cloth wraps, masks, and goggles, through the cyclone of sand and debris traversing a wasteland searching.

As the roaming storm passed, the two were left with just the sand under their feet, during this respite, Ge pulled down her mask, this being the first chance to do so since they arrived at this desolate planet, “Where are we?” She asked spitting out the dirt dirt that made it through her mask.

Del paused in his steps pulling of his mask and gave it a good dusting off. It had been getting a bit hard to breathe in it. “Beyond the void.” He belatedly answered.

“No!” She yelled annoyed. She knew they were somewhere deep in the chaos, where she was altogether surprised that there was even a planet. She didn’t understand why they were there or how Del even knew to come here. What was worse was as soon as they entered this damned world, they were consumed by the sands. He hadn’t explained anything just tossed her the outfit, telling her to bundle up, and hopped out, after putting on his own coverings. “This is a desert, and why are we walking?”

“Have you ever tried to drive a truck over sand dunes?” He asked as he locked eyes both giving the other a hard look, before he relented, “It's the only way we can move here.”

“I thought you could drive anywhere?” She asked sarcastically, Del having told her just that on multiple separate occasions, even going as far as driving across an ocean to prove it.

Del, looked away instead focusing on cleaning out his mask, deliberately not looking at her, a little chagrined at having bragged about that. He shook his head an placed the headpiece on his belt, before answering seriously, “Not beyond the void.”

Hearing his tone, Ge bit back her reply, instead looking around the sand, seeing nothing for miles in every direction, except for the wandering storms. “Why are we even here?”

Del turned and started to continue his way across the dunes, “For a delivery.”

Ge followed, “To who? There's no one on this entire planet.”

Del shook his head, and looked far off into the distance, “No, there is one left.”

——

On an empty stretch of glass, the only place in this world where there was no sand, a God sat, trying to understand.

“I watched as my world fell. Taken by the chaos as the last creature fell, and my world died. Nothing but husks of what once was life.” The God had long forgotten his name in his grief but could never forget, the events that lead to the death of its world. He and the others argued for so long, but could never come to an agreement.

First, it was the monster, bringing chaos into their world, and the first meeting was called. There were arguments, rehashed, from centuries of back-stabs, betrayals, and broken contracts long forgotten. The monsters from chaos were forgotten and left alone, letting them fester upon their world, and nothing was done as the world itself fought back the creatures.

Centuries later, the sentients of their planet were forced into settlements barely holding on to their stone cities, their last bastions of hope. Again the Gods met, unlike before they did not argue over the past, they looked upon their dying world, and saw a single chance to save it. They knew it would cost them their godly realm, but it was the only thing left they could do. They descended upon the world itself, sacrificing their place of power, to lead an army of mortals, and for a time they were able to turn the tide.

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For the next century, there was peace, as they helped their people to rebuild, but the old grudges ran deep, as the Gods began to plot and scheme. Which would be their downfall when one had schemed with chaos itself, and one by one, the Gods fell. And with each death, the people fell along with their Gods, until in the last bid for peace they struck the traitor down, but not without a cost. Only the nameless God remained.

He remembered it all, but could no longer remember their names, not even the name of the traitor. In the aftermath, he had raged. In his anger, he destroyed everything that was left. All the lives he had shepherded, were gone, all records now destroyed. He had raged until the world was nothing but a desert.

The nameless God stopped his pacing, and looked around, "What is left?” He was lost. “What do I do now? There is nowhere for me to go. The other Gods fell, fighting, and only I hold what's left of the world together.” Falling to his knees, he asked a question he asked a million times, “Why didn't they come after me after the others fell?”

“Once a world is consumed, they no longer hunt.” A voice said, right next to the God, causing him to jump, startled. It was impossible everyone was long dead. Turning towards the impossible voice, he saw two people standing, covered in sand, taking off a pair of masks.

He was stunned into silence, seeing these two, he began to wonder if he had finally snapped. His voice shaky he asked, “Who are you?”

Trying to get some sand out of his mask, for what felt like the hundredth time, Del answered, “I’m a delivery man.”

“How?”

Placing the mask atop his head, but leaving his face exposed he looked down at the God. “I'm here for a package.”

Anger filled the God as his voice boomed, “What use do I have for trinkets? My world has ended.” Power gathered around him, a new storm brewing with him as its source.

In the face of the entity's power, Del didn’t even flinch, though Ge did take a step back, as sand blew around her face. “Yes. It has, but I’m not here for a delivery. I’m here for a pickup.” Del replied calmly.

The God was caught off guard by the man’s calm reply, the storm stopping before it even started.

“Hey.” Ge tapped on Del's shoulder, wiping away the sand off her head, “What are we picking up?” She was still trying to understand just why they were here and get the damn dirt off herself. There were no people left to pick up, she could feel it. This world was dead.

“Yes. I would also like to know.” The God asked, staring hard at the man, ready to destroy him.

Del smiled staring the God in the eye, “A god.”

Fear, filled the entity at his words, “Are you my end?”

“In a way.” He replied with a sly smile.

The God's eyes widened, as he began to understand, that it was an option they had entertained in the first meeting before everything went to hell. The God could hardly believe it, "You are..."

“Yes.” Del interrupted him.

The deity began to laugh and laugh, bordering the edge of madness, before shouting. "Yes! Yes! Let us go, beyond. Beyond, everything!”

——

No storms hindered them as they all made the long journey back to the truck. The God willingly, entered the trailer of the truck, waving goodbye when as the door closed. With the God loaded into the back, Del and Ge entered the cabin, where Ge finally asked, “What was all that?”

Tossing off his cloak, and mask Del answered tiredly, “I did my job.”

“But you deliver Heroes.”

“I do.”

“But...” Cogs could slowly be seen turning in Ge's head. She had understood the implications when they brought him here, it was just not something that she thought was even possible.

Seeing her disbelief he let out a laugh, “I can see you’re getting it.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as he confirmed it, “There's no way.”

Del raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“Be...Because he's a God.” She stuttered, in disbelief.

Del had a smug smile as he replied, “Why would that make a difference?” Then added, more serious, “Sometimes gods can be Heroes too.”