I sat on Thatcher’s shoulder as he trekked through the wood with sluggish movements and stopped every now and then to rest, unable to ever catch his breath. I stayed quiet, not wanting to push his stamina through talking. I wished to be able to help and it was killing me to just sit on his shoulder, being so helpless while Thatcher struggled so much. It was horrible to watch someone so strong and independent rely on tree trunks and branches to help him walk. Eventually I decided to talk for the sake of noise, rather than listen to his shaky breath. ‘I’m going to talk, Thatch, but you don’t have to respond, you’re already working hard. So, if I was a God… I would be the God of Flowers. Could you imagine how beautiful that would be? Everywhere I walk a rainbow following me.’

Despite my words he could manage his voice. ‘There is a Greater God of Nature.’

‘Do you know them?’

He leaned against a tree for a rest. ‘Every God innately knows the others. Like an ocean and each God a wave. They all know what’s been happening. They know I’ve been corrupted.’

‘Will you be welcomed back?’

‘Yes, it’s as sure as rainwater meeting the ocean again, and as natural.’ His expression suddenly grew very pained making I quickly looked to see if he was impaled. ‘… The snatcher was right.’

‘…What?’

He took a long breath. ‘Gods, we, do watch… as you get torn apart by vicious beasts. We could make the world a utopia if we wished.’ His legs shook and he gave away. He had to sit down on the grass, back supported by the trunk. ‘A Greater God could’ve killed the snatcher before things got so out of hand. Before you or your people were even involved. It’s not fair. My people and I watch as our own worshippers get shredded, killed, disfigured, in a cruel world we helped form.’

‘Well, you’re here. You’re saving my people.’

‘Not very well, a little too late and despite the rage of the other Gods. Thea I’m sorry. This mess didn’t begin because of me, but because of me it hasn’t stopped. I dared used my own force in diplomatic meetings, I disturbed and changed it, like throwing rocks in a glass store. Maybe we’d be in a better situation right now if I kept shut. A truly better one if I was honest with you...’

‘Stop it Thatcher. You’ve risked everything by helping me, while other ones like you do nothing but watch. You have nothing to apologize for you’re going above and beyond for me and you were never asked to.’

His face contorted and quickly looked away from me, I just caught the glimmer of shine from his eyes. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger and after a moment turned back like nothing had happened. ‘Let’s change the subject.’

‘Okay… What’s it like up there? To be a star…?’

‘… Very beautiful. In truth, indescribable. It’s more of the feeling then how it looks.’ Slowly my gerso hopped into view, it was managing to keep up with ease. I jumped from his shoulder to the ground beside my pet and climbed on its saddle. ‘Don’t go far from me.’ Thatcher breathed.

‘I won’t.’ I added ‘Thatch.’

‘My name is God of the Hunt, or Hunter, I made the name Thatcher up.’

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‘Well, I like it, so I’m going to call you it.’

‘Very well.’ He struggled to stand up.

‘Thatcher, we can take a longer rest if you need it.’

‘No, the longer we wait the worse the snatcher will become, we have to keep going.’ In a wave of light-headedness his legs buckled and he fell back into the tree. Gasping the God pulled himself up and uttered ‘ok, maybe a little bit longer.’

‘I wish there was some way I could help.’

‘You’re presence is enough.’ For the first time, he smiled. ‘Talking helps, for once.’

I picked up on his dry humor finally, and laughed despite not finding it very funny. ‘Very well. You have the other form? A pure white one?’

‘Starlight. My “God” form.’

‘It looks powerful, why don’t you use that one to help walk?’

‘It’s powerful but designed for the divine world. Gods have three bodies. The most natural is when we are the stars themselves, the second is a starlight incarnate form, and the final one is a mortal-looking one, when our powers must be repressed.’

‘If it’s not?’

‘If I walk the planet as an Untethered God the world would become strange as multiple dimensions, or worlds, clash into each other. Nothing would be the same, I’m not sure if everything or nothing would survive.’

‘Oh…’

‘But it wouldn’t happen instantly, it would take a long, long while for something like that, perhaps a few hundred years before anything even seems wrong.’

‘Oh.’ My fear vanished. ‘So why don’t you use it now?’

‘Starlight Incarnate would be effective if not for this corruption in my chest. I fear that true form is lost to me forever. It’s a grand struggle now to go into, to change forms at all.’

‘Which God is the strongest?’

‘It’s not as simple as that. Any God could beat the other it depends on the amount and dedication of our worshippers. I suppose… the God of Fate is arguably the strongest because it is everything itself, and it doesn’t rely on mortals as much.’

‘It’s not a God you can speak to?’

‘No, but we’re all aware of it. Like people living in a house, the God of Fate is the house itself, holding everything together.’

‘So what are their powers?’

‘They are everything.’

‘Then why are you a Lesser God?’

‘Lesser refers to age, a Greater God would be something which has always been around and will always be, like water or light. A Lesser God has… been invented by culture. I’m a concept that could be lost, but I can never truly vanish.’

‘You’re like a little brother to the others?’ I chuckled.

‘I’m… yes,’ he chuckled ‘I suppose.’

‘But… he said something about the Folly of the Gods, what did he-?’ His groan of pain cut me off as he touched his chest.

‘Does it hurt?’ I asked.

‘It’s draining… but it doesn’t hurt. I think we can continue.’ He extended a hand for her.

‘I’ll ride- and I won’t go far from you.’ I added.

He nodded, before forcing himself to stand with a groan.