Just as quickly as it came, the brightness died down. Yarro opened his eyes to reveal the four elderly ladies had turned into the Deities themselves. They looked as androgynous as the old statues in front of the castle depicted them--the Deities held no gender. They could have chosen any form, but they chose to show their true form. These must be truly desperate times if they have shown themselves in such a way. It was said that only those truly worthy would see their true form. But the way they just spoke to the Queen...
On the most left, was the Earth Deity. They had a short afro, as brown as their skin and wide open eyes that were mixed with equal amounts of light brown and green. Their square face was as still as stone as they scanned the room. They wore a simple outfit: A deep brown gambeson, with beige pants and matching brown leather lace up boots and gloves.
Next to the Earth Deity was the Water Deity, a bit softer than the previous. They had long blue hair, as dark as the depths of the ocean, parted slightly off center and waves curled near the edges beside their shoulder, giving them a wind blown dried look. Their epicanthic folds held deep dark eyes with flecks of turquoise, and their skin was tinted a slight shade of blue. They wore a turquoise short sleeve robe embroidered in gold that ended at the knee, over a white tunic and pants. Over the robe was a sparse amount of silver interlinked chains, held in place by a silver dyed belt. Complete with silver bracers decorated in gold.
Next to the Water Deity was the Fire Deity. They seemed to command all attention in the room and was easily the brightest of all the Deities. The large ears were the first thing Yarro noticed. Their gravity defying hair was a red-orange, and and burned like the sun. The tips of their hair swayed and flickered. They had a long, thin face, and skin that was an almost unnatural orange, only ever so slightly darker than their hair. They wore a bronze cuirass over a simple brown tunic, and a leather pleated skirt that went to the knees over brown pants. The pants were tucked into plain brown leather boots.
Lastly, beside the Fire Deity was the Air Deity. Their skin white as snow. One eye was a warm red while the other a cool blue, and around their eyes were veins of mixed blue and red that came out from around the eyes and spread outwards. Their hair was bleached white, not gray, but white. Their hair ended only an inch below the ear, and wisped behind their face, like it was being blown in the wind. Eyebrows barely visible. Their face was narrow but with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. The Air Deity didn’t even wear armor. A simple white robe that shimmered in the light, with sheer long sleeves and a thin white belt. There weren't even any shoes.
Kael, being the first to recognize them, took a knee and formally bowed down to them, and the rest of the room quickly followed suit. All except the Queen. Her fists balled up in a fit of rage. He could practically hear her teeth grinding from where he stood. This posture, with a knee on the floor, was reserved only for the Deities. They began to move forward to the center of the room, and all those inside the room moved to the side to pave a path to Queen Illa.
The Water Deity banged their staff against the floor. It echoed against the walls of a completely still and silent room. “Your selfish kingdom shall forever be condemned to ruin and chaos unless you return what you have stolen from the earth.”
The Queen sneered. “I beg your pardon?” she asked.
The Fire deity crossed their arms. “Then beg.”
“We sent the Master Earth Elemental, as well as the Master Water Elemental, as a warning that you tread too close to the brink of extinction--" The Queen tried to interrupt here, but the Earth Deity simply raised their voice. “And judging by your actions here today, you will continue to move forward on this path of destruction.”
The Queen crossed her own arms and took a few steps forward. If Yarro didn’t know any better, he might say she was even pouting. “You are all acting foolish. I am doing no such thing,” she said.
“You dare lie to us? Your Deities?” the Fire Deity roared out. Their voice came out of their mouth but it echoed all around them, sounding louder than when it was spoken. Was it the result of the large and empty room, or an effect of their powers?
The Queen faltered for only a moment. “You all travel with nary a penny to your name, or you hide out in some cabin or cave. Not knowing this way or that of the economy or our political situation. You gave us the elements and then left us. We need to protect ourselves. And we can do that by mining the earth of its materials.”
“You take too much from the earth, which is the problem we are presenting,” the Air Deity finally spoke. They sounded more gentle and soft spoken than the rest of the Deities. Like soft whispers echoing directly into his ear. “I'm sorry it felt like we abandoned you. To us, whose existence began when the universe began, and will end when it ends, a few years is all but a few moments. A blink of an eye, as you mortals would say.”
The Queen glared. She was finally standing in front of the deities, but they didn't adjust their positioning in a more friendly or open manner. “I am doing what a Queen should be doing to protect her kingdom. If I have to take all the resources in the world and then some to do so, then so be it.”
“It is you who needs protecting from your own self. It is exactly that corrupt thinking that has led to your situation. It is you who created all of your current problems. Including that of Obraria,” the Fire Deity said. They held no malice in their voice, nor pity. It felt like an adult telling a toddler some facts about the world. The Deities truly had quite a difference in perspective.
The Queen's whole façade broke at the mention of Obraria. Her face fell and her arms dropped. The Deities had been watching this whole time. Or at the very least, keeping a close eye on the Queen. But she was still in shock, her body frozen in place as she thought. The room was silent while the company and the guards looked between her and the Deities, silently wondering what to do. Yarro highly doubted they would agree to subdue the them, much less actually have a go at them in combat.
That was when the Fire Deity looked at him, specifically. It felt like thousands of burning eyes bore into his soul and watched his every move. Reading his thoughts and feeling every emotion he had ever had. Deep down, he felt this was a familiar feeling, only amplified, and slightly…lovingly. It felt like a warm hug, in a way. Yarro fought the overwhelming urge to hug them. His own eyes began to burn to the brink of tears. He quickly blinked away the slight wetness in his eyes. And yet. When he did so, the feeling was gone, just as quick as it came, and his eyes no longer burned.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“Yarro,” the Fire Deity said.
Yarro jumped. Hearing his own name from the Fire Deity. He felt…joy? And a longing to come closer. But he forced his legs to stand still where he was. These feelings were confusing. “Yes, Fire Deity?” he asked. He felt all eyes on him, but it wasn’t those in the room that he was paying attention to anymore.
The Fire Deity took a step to him, and he instinctively looked down. He couldn’t place it, but the heat they were emanating was so strong and personal, somehow. It wasn’t a heat that burned and scarred him, but something profoundly passionate and loving. He wanted to glance up, but didn’t out of deference. Yarro began to wonder if all mortals felt this when they had the eye of the Fire Deity. Queen Illa wasn't exactly the best person for judgement.
They cupped Yarro's face in their hand and tilted it so they were eye to eye. Yarro realized this loving feeling wasn’t in his head at all. It was a deep and primal, familial love he had forgotten and came rushing back. Yet somehow he knew what it was. He was a tad weirded out, especially since his element was water.
But he didn't get these feelings when he looked at the Water Deity. Maybe these feelings were a Fire Deity thing. It is said that passion and love were connected to the element of fire. Such emotion began to overwhelm him and tears started to well in his eyes, but they never made it down. He was so close to the Fire deity that the heat emanating from them caused the tears to evaporate faster than they could fall. And yet he himself didn't feel hot at all, for some reason. This Deity was a real mystery.
“Child,” the Fire Deity began, almost a whisper to him. And yet he knew everyone else was hearing what he was hearing. “I have a duty for you. You will be My Chosen. You will root out all corruption in this kingdom as you see fit. Until nature is restored once again, I give you a gift. The gift of sight.” The Fire Deity spoke just as soft as the Air Deity did. Warm. Ethereal. They let go of his face and touched the middle of his forehead.
It burned. Extremely hot. Yarro squeezed his eyes tight as it felt like fire itself coursed through his veins in every inch of his body. He let out a scream and subconsciously reached out to clamp on to the Fire Deity for support. His fingers and toes clenched. His mouth burned. He could feel his face burn up. The feeling passed after a few moments and Yarro gasped at the relief when the heat subsided like a cool wave of water. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. His heart raced a bit longer as he tried to calm down.
Yarro focused on the Fire Deity. They were engulfed in flames that he did not see before. Bright red flames, and blue ones closer to their core. Their eyes glowed an orange-red. He looked all around himself. The room itself was normal. The carpet and curtains were also normal. The flames on the candles had a brighter halo around them he did not see before. His eyes wandered all around before drifting over to Kael. The man was surrounded by a drifting brown energy, with its edges crumbling to dust. “Your eyes!” Kael was the first to shout. “They're glowing orange.”
Queen Illa began to speak once more, pulling him away from the experience. “I will not have some random guard snooping about all over my kingdom for instances of perceived corruption. Concerns for such 'corruption' will be formally requested and reviewed by an official committee.”
A pale white energy shifting and swirling around the Queen. Ah, so she was an air element, he realized. This information is never made public, mostly due to a huge security risk there might be, or if she lacked familiarity with her own element, or to stop the citizens who wish to brag about being of the same element.
“The time for that is too late. It is time to act, not to sniff it out like hunting dogs,” the Earth Deity said. "You have already ignored our two warnings."
“But—”
“Do you deny the Deities?” the Water Deity asked.
The Queen shut her mouth immediately. She glared at them, noticeably angry at the Water Deity in particular. To go against the deities was to invite wrath and misfortune upon yourself. For the Queen herself to do such a thing would bring it to all of her kingdom. Her subjects would forsake her, and she would lose all power, more than she already has. The Queen took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Her face reset in to a more politically neutral expression. “Of course not,” she gritted through her teeth. “Yarro is welcome to explore my kingdom, in every nook and cranny, at the behest of the Deities.”
Yarro turned back to the Fire Deity. He bowed deeply and spoke. “I am at your command. I vow to find and destroy any slight against nature, and restore its glory in all forms.”
The Fire Deity put a hand on his shoulders. “You will be My Champion,” they said.
“And I will help,” Kael said. All eyes turned to him.
Lord Marshal Eris waved her hand dismissively. Bubbles of water surrounded her. It looked quite playful compared to her harsh stature. “No. I have a different j--”
“Very well,” the Fire Deity said. Lord Marshal Eris looked between the Deity and Kael, mouth still agape in shock and anger. She was not one to question the deities a second time. Yarro kept himself from smiling, not out of witnessing misfortune on the Lord Marshal, but because he was excited he wouldn't be doing this alone. That Kael would be beside him in whatever dangerous situation he knew he would get in during this journey. They had a bit of a rocky start, but Kael had proven himself reliable.
The Fire Deity stepped back in line with the rest of the Deities. “We will be watching,” they said, before a flash of light appeared. When Yarro opened his eyes again, not only were the Deities gone but his eyesight was back to normal. He would have to figure out how to change them back again willingly later.
“Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!” Lord Marshal Eris immediately stood up. “They know nothing! Nothing! Stars above and below, we’re in the middle of catching spies and they want some lowly guard” –The Lord Marshal pointed a long fingernail at Yarro-- “and my best soldier, and they say to ‘find corruption’ whatever that’s supposed to mean!” She scoffed.
“I don’t like it any more than you do. I suppose you have a second person in mind for finding Seila?”
She sighed. “Of course I do.”
The two began to delve into options for this Seila person so Yarro tuned them out. He instead turned to Kael, who was looking intently at him. Yarro raised an eyebrow, and Kael walked closer to him, staring. Bewildered. He leaned in, until their faces were mere inches apart. Yarro felt his face heat up. “What?” He finally asked.
“Your eyes. They’re back to normal,” Kael said. He squinted. “Almost. There seem to be some...specks of fire in them now.” Yarro blinked a couple of times, and squeezed his eyes. Kael shook his head. “No, still there.”
“Perhaps it’s part of the Deity's blessing then,” Yarro said with a shrugged. Kael stood close for a few more moments before finally backing off. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Yarro! And Kael. Step up to my throne.” The Queen's shout brought them both out of their conversation and back to her. Queen Illa, Lord Marshal Eris, and everyone else stared at them. “The rest of you are dismissed.”
Commander Veer formally bowed before making her exit, and took Aster with her. Yarro gulped as he approached the throne. Both the Queen and Lord Marshal stared at them with a look of disgust on their faces. They were definitely not hiding their disdain for his lowly position. He only just now started to wonder why he was chosen to be champion and how he got mixed up in this mess.
Once they were in front of the throne, Yarro and Kael bowed to her. Queen Illa didn’t say a word until they had fully risen. “The Deities have chosen,” she spat out with venom in her voice. It's not like he asked for it. “And the volunteer.” She sighed. “I am bound by their rules, even more strictly than my citizens. So I am obligated to give you full clearance to my kingdom. But you will swear an oath of secrecy before the council, and any so-called ‘corruption’ you find is reported directly to me first, not the Deities. Do you understand?”
Yarro gulped. Though technically not against the rules, he felt it was still against the spirit of the command. He wasn't about to say that out loud though. “Yes madam.”
“Yes madam,” Kael said as well.
The Queen stood up. “Very good. Follow me.”