The Choice of Gods - Found Fragment II

type=book

title=The Choice of Gods

subtitle=Found Fragments: Part II

author=Acidrik Fenlapanse

'Ten gods are gathered around Osamodas. Ten renowned gods who heard the hymn of the new world. Tradition is that each of the ten gods must make a gift to the world.'

You should have seen the two dragons Ouronigride and Helioboros sit enthroned at each end of the world like shining pillars, one black and the other white!

You should have seen the blue curls gently twisting around this new world and Spiritia clasping it delicately in between its rings!!!

You would have seen it... if only you were a god... And a god who can approach Osamodas. Indeed, his aura is so powerful that it can push away all weak entities protecting him from intruders. 'All those minor gods who are dreaming of going up the pantheon ladder...

deserve to be slowly torn to pieces by Tofu pecks!'. This last remark that the god would proclaimed to anyone who would listen, was all he needed to keep potential intruders away...

Until now, nine gods have been able to approach Osamodas and his dragons. At this very moment, four are around him: Sram, hooded in the thick dark curls of his cloak whose only teeth gleam like pale crescents of the moon; Sadida, frozen in a sacrificial posture, bits of light clinging to his painted mask; Enutrof, blazing golden dragon which doesn't seem to stop burning and melting. And finally, Xelor who hammered quite a few skulls, and who tolled the bell for many gods; and it will be all the same in the future.

Suddenly, there was a kind of gobbling sound - half-organic, half-metallic... 'What's that noise? Could it be the swinging of Xelor's Clock rumbling again?!' Iop says as he arrives.

With his prominent muscles, Iop gave Xelor a reproving look.

'Your armor looks oxidized, glorious warrior!' Xelor says with detachment, 'The metal of your armor might be strained, unless it's one of your muscles!' he adds.

'Heads for Xelor, Tails for Iop', Eucaflip continues... to avoid the conversation to grow acrimonious. The cat god who reigns on fortune and accident, takes a coin out of his pocket smiling in his moustache.

'You should have asked your believers to address you more refined prayers!' Eniripsa exclaimed, goddess of care and remedies. And the goddess Feca, the protector, to add: 'You should especially tell them that 'I beg you to squash this Crackrock head, please god Iop' or 'I beg you to mummify me, please god Xelor', are not what we call prayers inspired by a genuine faith!'.

'Enough my friends!' the goddess of the archers said, the beautiful and fearsome Cra.

This world has just come to life. It deserves all of our attention... or at least, as much attention as theirs.' Indeed, Osamodas, Sram, Sadida, Enutrof and Xelor, were leaning over this world, gazing lustfully at it.

'Does this world have a conscience?' Eniripsa asks.

'A newborn conscience, it's just been created...' Osamodas answers, 'I was waiting... for us all to be gathered. We're not going to botch this one up!'.

Eniripsa didn't expect such a repartee. This situation was quite strange... Since when did gods of Black Magic create worlds? They were usually better at destroying them!

She looked at Osamodas intently, flanked by Sram and Xelor. From what she can tell, Sram is smiling at her, all teeth out.

As for Xelor, it's action stations inside the wrapping! He can try as hard as he wants to hide he's a mummy, he becomes dust everytime he moves. Worse: he's putting some everywhere! A real pulverulent plague, full of fungus which can give you allergies for a lifetime... (at least that's what Eniripsa thinks).

Osamodas remains silent. He's thinking: create various species either winged, legged or feathered... to see them annihilated some thousand years later by a disaster... All this due to a careless mistake of the god-who's-cleaning-his-teeth-with-his-dagger-during-the-gods'gift! I won't take it!! I won't let it happen again!!! No way!! This time it will be all about Order and Method'!' create various species either winged, legged or feathered... to see them annihilated some thousand years later by a disaster... All this due to a careless mistake of the god-who's-cleaning-his-teeth-with-his-dagger-during-the-gods'gift! I won't take it!! I won't let it happen again!!! No way!! This time it will be all about Order and Method'!'

'God Iop! Your careless attitude cost us a fair bit in the past... Last time we created a world, you abandoned it, leaving it to the mercy of the Universe. And a meteorite crashed on it. Razed to the ground! Annihilated! Did you even think of the souls? You know how much I care about souls, don't you god Iop?!'.

Iop raises an eyebrow. What's with the old Osamodas? Considering his mood, he shouldn't kick up a fuss... but still! The meteorite thing, last time, was really not his fault. Plus it was at the other end of the universe, on a teeny tiny weeny blue world. It's true that he also left a whole lot of creatures burn over there - they were more or less reptilians, they did have the makings of a devil! Besides, from what he knew, this world was much better without them. Truth is Osamodas is jealous. But jealous of what? Iop has been wondering for ages. He's drumming his fingers on the sheath of his sword in a phlegmatic way, sign he's actually a little irritated.

You could have heard an embarrassed silence falling on the gods assembly! Enutrof was casting little circles of fire and Sadida made sure there was as much space as possible between his Leafy lining and himself. Sram, was still smiling (well, showing his teeth). Xelor tried to stifle an emerging coughing fit while Eniripsa did not let up her vigilance. She won't let the miasma of the mummy god reach her nostrils.

The goddess Feca was shining her shield to the rhythm of the bowing-bowing sound made by the goddess Cra with the string of her bow. Feca arrived last, all dishevelled. Ecaflip got imperceptibly closer to Iop and was rolling a coin between his fingers. Then, from here, he could part Osamodas and Iop if needed.

'Here I come! I'm ready... What are we waiting for to make this circle?' the goddess Feca says. With a smile on her lips, admiring her shield, she had not listen to anything that

had been said till then.

'Let's get closer and may the circle be!' the goddess Cra says, taking this opportunity to relax the atmosphere...And, the circle of gods was formed.

'By our presence, our breath and our voice, we give this world fire, earth, air and water. Each creature which will happen to live on it will have to respect the laws of these four elements. We will decide on the strengths and weaknesses of each of them...'

May the ones serving the Black Magic go on the side of Ouronigride the black!

May the ones serving the White Magic go on the side of Helioboros the white!

May the Shimmering Serpientia unite our wishes into one single will!!'

Eniripsa came closer and said:

- My eniripsa disciples will be intelligent beings and the flame of the white fire will burn into their spirit. May mountains raise from the Earth's crust and may they bathed in light and heat. Eniripsas will live there, and will reap flowers, plants and stones they'll need to make the boiling and decoction of their care...

- Intelligence!? May the disciples of Xelor have it on top of their sharp mind! May they stir up the black fire and the black fire attract them in return... I give them arid deserts. They will revel in drought and will play with time.

- I want my feca disciples to be as intelligent as the previous ones! They will be the protectors of the white fire. The white fire will be their guide and beasts will trust them. May sunny plains be created and given to them!

- For two white fire disciples, two black fire disciples! Osamodas disciples, you'll be just like me! You'll be frighteningly intelligent and your resistance will be astounding! You'll live close to volcanoes and inside sulfur mines!! You'll be respected by dragons and creatures will rush up on your call!

Iop burst out laughing and bellowed:

- Disciples of Iop, your blood will be red! You'll take your strength from the fire, the earth or the air as long as they're white... May a thousand mountains be created! They will echo your warriors' hymns, and they'll welcome you when you will need to rest... - I like it! May it be the same for the cra disciples! They'll follow the law of air as well as the law of earth and white fire. They'll have a sharp eye whether they live in trees, in mountains or in the trees of the mountains!

- I Sadida, I'm putting my disciples under the protection of the black fire, may they serve it in return! May they serve the black air as well! They'll feed themselves on water and earth. They'll live in forests. Intelligent sadidas, you'll make compliant, faithful and murderous creatures. I'm donating to this new world an anthology of trees, plants, mosses...

Satisfied, Sadida sniggered... so Ecaflip said:

- Ecaflips! Your spells coming straight from the white earth will equal your strength! May mountains and forests rise to give you a home, a shelter and a fighting area up to the power of your claws!

In a husky voice, Enutrof said:

-They'll use black magic... my adventurous enutrofs... They'll have the greatest luck... drawn from abysses and depths... and on their heart I shall blow! No matter how deep down the bowels of the earth they are, no matter how far from the living they are, they will never weaken... never!

- Robbers, pilferers, thieves, shoplifters, snatchers, plunderers and cheaters! Srams, my disciples, I'm giving you strength and agility. You'll be as fast as the black air, and lovers of the black earth. Its fineries will conceal you, and its rocky attire will hide you... You'll be invisible to everyone but me!

Osamodas clapped his hands:

-'It's time to give this world a name!!' he said in a light-hearted tone.

-'Did you think of something already?' Iop asked.

-'Obviously! I found this world! It will therefore be called 'Osamodia'!!'

-'You 'found' it? Does this mean you did not create it??' Eniripsa retorted, dumbstruck.'

-'And why should it bear your name?' god Iop raged.

-'It would be too much of a privilege to grant it to you! Why shouldn't it be called 'Xelor's World' in this case?'.

-'Xelor would really appreciate this noble deed and would show his eternal gratitude to you!' Xelor proclaimed.

-'I'll think about it in about a hundred billion years, god Xelor' Iop muttered.

-'Sexifocsee is quite a nice name. I particularly like it.' Sram said.

-'What the...??' the goddess Feca choked.

-'The initials of each of the ten gods gathered here!' he proudly answered.

-'I remind this divine assembly that we already reign on other Worlds including two of them that are called Esscofixee and Secoxisfe....' Enutrof answered

-'And the sound of this name hurts my eardrums, god Sram' the goddess Cra retorted.

-'Why not the 'World of Ten'?'

-'...'

Unanimous, the gods repeated all together 'World of Ten'. And the world was born. It had a name, was populated by beings and creatures, and it was arousing the interest of the most powerful gods of the Universe. All conditions were gathered to make the destiny of this world epic, heroic... at least anything but common.