MAHITERRA’S GODS

Nid opened his eyes, his vision clouded, hearing weakened with feet flapping front to back. He had his bow clutched in one hand and a nocked arrow held by the other. 'Swoosh', the arrow bursted off his bow, creating trails of bubbles along the way. Nid tilted his head looking towards the sky, and padded his feet harder along with his one free hand that no longer held the nocked arrow.

"Hah! Whoo! Got another one, I think that's enough." he said after surfacing from the river while wiping water from his face, as he swam to the shallows. Upon securing a firm foothold, he started tugging into what first looked like thin air, but upon closer inspection a fine wire glistened under the sunlight. He tugged on it until his catch surfaced in the water, a fish the length of Nid's arm.

"Nice catch master!" the fire elemental greeted the dark elf with his flame tail wagging.

"Thanks." Nid said with a smile, "This is enough right? I mean three of this big fish added with their catch is a lot already."

"I think that's more than enough master. Besides we don't want to overfish in the river, we might upset her more if we unknowingly took most of their food source." Santelmo replied. "By the way, maybe we can get herbs in this jungle?" he added.

"What for?" his eyebrows furrowed, curious from the sudden suggestion by his summon.

"Well, if I remember correctly mistress Andrasyl and Emerwyn used herbs in their cooking right? Maybe we can impress the young mistress Alper and make her feel better with good food?"

"Hmm. Yeah they did, but I was never really much of a cook even back in my old world. I'm the only one who can stomach my cooking back then. Hahaha. Well, there's no harm in trying, besides I haven't found much of a use with my [Analyze Life Form] ability." Nid stood up, and stretched. "Let's go!"

They entered the woods with lifted spirits, having small talks along the way. They searched for plants, fruits, and small herbs that might be useful for their purpose. Using [Analyze Life Form] at every find they had, trying to see if it can be used for their purpose. Before long they had collected a small bags worth of loot, when they noticed a dark bird hanging upside down, sleeping.

[Analyze Life Form]

"Name:Wakwak

Description: A nocturnal vampiric bird which have wings of blades and sharp talons, usually lives in highly dangerous areas.

Ability: Flight

Steel Feathers

Skills:

Wing Slice

Sonic Speed

"

"Sweet! I should use this skill more. The more I learn about the things around me, the better I can handle any situation." Nid mused, taking care not to disturb the sleeping creature. It was almost midday, yet dark shadows dominate the land. It was also humid even when most of the light were blocked by the gigantic trees that grew here.

'Grumble'

"Was that you?" Nid asked his companion.

"Master I do not eat, nor do I have any stomach. I only eat fire to replenish my essence."

"That's weird, I don't get hungry this fast." feeling his stomach with his hand, after realizing that it was him producing the grumbling sound. "Maybe I used up more mana and aura than I thought in our previous fight."

"We should return master, after all we already have picked up a full bag of herbs."

"I guess we should." while walking along the river, Nid noticed a familiar figure. Sitting with feet splashing in the clear waters was a radiant beauty. "Alper" he gasped.

Flying closer to Nid's side, he looked at his him and said, "This is your chance master."

With a nod the dark elf approached Alper, "hmhm" he faked coughed, "Hey, umm. Nice view isn't it?"

"It's the same view as with our camp, trees, bush and river. What are you doing here?" She replied with a straight face, her eyes focused in the distance.

Nid sat beside her and looked at the clear water running along their feet, "I guess it is? I was just out gathering some herbs and stuff."

"Hm? What for?'

"Well, I don't really know but we figured it might help with the food."

"I see. I don't really know how to cook so. . ."

"I'm not that good at cooking either." he smiled wryly. "So about before? Umm. I'm sorry. . . about before. . . with the gods and everything. . I didn't know." the volume of his voice weakening at every added word he spoke.

"No, I should be the one who's sorry, you merely asked for information. So sorry." She paused, inhaled and faced Nid with a smile. "Let's forget all that. Let's be friends?" Alper extended her hand towards Nid.

Not knowing the customs in this world when it comes to friendship, he thought of the medieval movies he saw back in his old world. "Shaking hands might be inappropriate, she might be a princess. Back then the knights would be on their knees and kiss the queen's hand." He nodded to himself in his mind. He extended his hand to meet hers, gently clasping it. Nid moved his lips to her hand and gently pressed it her hands. "Yes, let's be friends." he smiled looking at her.

Alper's cheeks turned rosy in color, "Oh my, you have weird customs back in your world. A simple handshake would have sufficed."

At the mention of this Nid scuttled away his face flushed red with shame, prostrated himself and started apologizing towards Alper. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought. . . . I'm really sorry!!!"

"Hahaha. It's quite alright, it's not a big deal. Want to head for our camp?" She asked, her aura was much more cheerful.

"Yes mistress." Nid stood up, still red and unable to look Alper in the face.

"Stop calling me mistress, just call me Alper. We're friends after all, right?"

"Yes mi. . Alper" As he was standing up, he noticed that her three Kimats were not with her. "Where are Asha, Misha and Greysha?"

"Hm, they're doing something for me." She started walking along the bank, following the flow of the water to where they stayed. "Come, let me tell you about the gods."

"Are you sure?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, I figured it's better that you have some knowledge about them." she turned facing him with a smile, still walking downstream "In case you meet one, you'll know how to deal with them."

Nid followed Alper with Santelmo silently trailing behind them not wanting to disturb his master's moment. "So let's start with what do you know about the gods of this world?"

Putting his hand on his chin, "well. . . like I told you before. The only thing I know about them is that they are living with mortals in this world. . . and like you told me I shouldn't meet one. I don't quite get why though?"

"Hm. I see. Let's start with how gods were born. It is said that the gods were the first beings to come to this world. They helped shape each corner of Mahiterra, and in return they ruled over said area." She turned forward and walked. "I'm not familiar with the gods from other continents but in Magi'nu there are quite a lot of them belonging to different pantheons. Among them are demigods - half bloods that are also considered as gods"

"Really? So they're like a race huh? Something like god-race?."

"Hmm. something like that, gods in this world being the first borns are immortal in the truest sense. They cannot be killed, and they do not age beyond a certain point."

"Are they omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent?"

"What's that?"

"Oh, We have a concept of god in my old world, but he's like unlimited in power, everywhere and he knows everything. Something like the ultimate being, the creator and stuff."

"Hmm. I don't think the gods here are like that, but they are powerful from the weakest a six-pointed star (six-star) to a ten-pointed star (ten-star). Comparing it to normal a five star which has an affinity to two elements one major and one minor, the strongest gods command most of the elements."

"So they can't be beaten? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"No I didn't say that, they are most certainly powerful but they can be defeated."

"But I thought you said they are immortal?"

"Yes, they are immortal, so there is no use in trying to kill them. However I did not say that they are unbeatable. One legend tells of a story of a god being sealed."

"Seal them? What do you mean?"

"I mean like imprison them with special bindings. There are ancient magic and magical devices that are able to do that. If these magic and magical devices exist, they would be rare. Or they might have been hidden away by the gods. You're not planning to fight them are you?"

"I see, I'm not planning on picking a fight with them, i'm not stupid. I could hardly win a battle with a wakwak. I was just thinking, if avoiding them is impossible then I might have to fight them. Isn't this continent divided into two nations does that mean there are only two gods in Magi'nu?"

"Yes this land is divided into two political regions, however there aren't just two gods but two major pantheons. They are the one who are controlling said lands. The Ogaron pantheon led by Gugurang and the Ma'ilika pantheon led by Bathala."

"Pantheons huh? Like the greek gods and things." Nid remembered about the different pantheon of gods worshipped by ancient people back in his old world. "Wait did you just say major pantheons? If there are major pantheons, does that mean there are minor pantheons?" he asked, after noticing Alper's phrasing.

"Yes, as far as I know most of them have a neutral stand in the conflict and chose to live in remote areas to avoid getting mixed up in the war."

"Are there such gods in this jungle?" he asked, his eyes scanning the jungle surrounding them.

"I have not encountered one so far, still, it's good to be on guard just in case one shows up."

"Can I ask something? I hope you won't get offended but i don't understand the hatred you have for these beings, I mean what did they do? Are they all evil?" Nid asked with genuine curiosity, having been asked to be wary of this beings.

"I think it's better for you to develop your own judgement, but keep in mind not to fully trust them or anyone you do not know for that matter." Alper advised, calmer than before.

A warm and fuzzy feeling welled inside Nid, seeing Alper smile genuinely again. She was back to her old self, and for Nid this was bliss. His eyes followed her every movement, trying to memorize every bit of detail.

Alper gracefully turned around to check on the dark elf, "Is there a problem? You've become silent, did I say something unpleasant?" one of her brows raised, her lips pouted.

"Huh? Ah. . No. . Nothing's wrong at all." Nid said with an awkward smile."I think I'm in love." He immediately told to himself. "Is there something on my face? You've been looking at me for a while now?" Alper leaned over the water, trying to see if there's anything wrong in her face.

"Fufu." snickered Santelmo who was observing Nid from the back.

"Ah. . Haha. ." Nid just turned his head sideways, his face red with shame. Then turned to Santlemo and give the elemental a glare. Satisfied that there was nothing on her face, Alper resumed walking.

"Fufufu." Santelmo giggled, as he mocked his master by miming out what his master did earlier.

Nid let out a 'Sigh', then turned back to Alper. Noticing that there are no other people in the jungle, he asked, "Alper, I have a question? Are you the only one here? Where's your family?"

Alper paused for a bit and with playful tone said, "I'm the only one here, my family's not around."

Nid saw this, "She seemed sad? Have I messed up again?" the dark elf focused on Alper, trying to confirm what he saw. The woman on the other hand was skipping over the rocks playfully. "Maybe it was just my imagination." he said to himself.

Nid shifted gears and thought of another topic, wanting to have more time conversing with her, "Alper, do you have any recommendations as to which place to visit first?"

"Hmm. Ah, I almost forgot. Be cautious of the people here Nid, as I have said earlier, the gods here command a lot of power. Not to mention they also own and lead their own lands, in turn the people under them generally follow these gods blindly." She said with a serious expression on her face.

"So, are you saying I can't meet the local people here?" bummed out at the thought of not being able to visit populated villages and cities of Magi'nu.

"Like I said, develop your own judgement. I'm not saying that you should not go, I'm saying be careful when you're in one. Another thing, I don't think I need to remind you but just in case, try to hide your ears, being different is a sure fire way to get attention"

On the horizon, the silhouette of their camp made its announced the end of their walk. Alper leaned back and looked at Nid and Santelmo with a playful smile, "Hey! Let's play a game!"

Nid and Santelmo looked at each other, the fire elemental shook itself side to side informing Nid that the summon didn't have any idea either. Nid faced back to Alper and asked, "What kind of game?"

Eyes twinkling with excitement, Alper explained her game. "It's a race, the first one to reach the camp wins!"

"I see, that's easy enough to understand. Where do we line-up?" Nid asked.

"Wait, this isn't just a regular foot race. We can use magic!" Alper added.

"This side of Alper is cute too!" He internally screamed in admiration. "Wait, magic? You mean like to attack and stuff?" Nid asked as the sudden realization hit him.

"It would be unfair if we can attack each other, I mean I don't see any way you can lay a scratch on me." Alper said without any hesitation, which made Nid and Santelmo sigh in relief. They knew that what Alper said was true, and this truth stabbed their hearts. "So, let's do it this way. We can use magic to boost ourselves or hinder the opponent. We however can't use attack spells aimed directly at the opponent. Agreed?"

Nid and Santelmo nodded in agreement, this way they had a fighting chance. Even the fire elemental, who was not confident about his fighting ability brimmed with conviction to win. "I may not be strong in fights yet, but my speed is something I've been proud of ever since."

Alper then fell into deep thought for a few moments, then jumped up and said, "It would be a boring win if don't have any stakes. Here's mine, if I am beaten the winner can request anything from me as long as it is within my ability to fulfil them." She then looked at the two other participants and asked, "What about you guys?"

Nid and Santelmo brainstormed, thinking of what they can offer to the winner as a consequence of losing. Santelmo's eyes brightened, and announced "i'll be the servant of the winner for a day."

"That would mean things will stay the same between us if I win." Nid countered, but was met with a sarcastic answer from his summon. "That is, if you win master. Fufufu." Santelmo answered with his head (and his whole body) held high.

This lit a competitive flame under Nid's eyes. "Oh really? Let's see about that. Then I also wager to be a slave of the winner for a day."

Seeing this, Alper's excitement went through the roof. She's rarely played in her life, and this was the first time in a long time that she can play with others. The kid inside her emerged, savoring the moment for she did not know if she'll ever have this chance again. "YEY!" she yelled in exhilaration, "This is going to be fun. I'll shoot a light spell and once it disappears we start!" She said with a child-like grin. [Faint Light], a small ball of light shot through the air and hovered for a bit. As the last bits of light faded, they started.

[Earth Bind] Nid cast his spells silently, and set two of them ahead of Santelmo and Alper. He then sprinted, "Man, I need to learn a sprinting skill" he thought.

Santelmo on the other hand used his flames to propel himself faster. He had his flame-tail set behind him as it blazed with flame like comet that blasted in a straight line. As he sped through the area where Nid set his [Earth Bind], it activated the rune circle. Earth rose, like a cage trying to eat the fire elemental. Santelmo however, was too fast as he continued blazing forward confident that he was going to win.

Alper all this while hang back as Nid and Santelmo raced and fought for the lead spot. She calmly cast a spell, [Fleet Foot] wind twisted around her feet, forming a small tornado that enclosed her feet. She continued casting her spells [Bubble Prison], a rune embedded itself faintly on the paths of both Santelmo and Nid, then [Blinding Light] a white line shot in the air then exploded, white light covering the whole area.

Nid noticed Alper, she was way behind casting spells. "This is gonna be trouble, I need to think of something fast."

Santelmo was blazing through his path, not looking back and focused on reaching the camp as fast as possible. "As I thought, master's [Earth Bind] is a bit slow. Fufu. As long as I keep my speed up I'll win." As the fire elemental was thinking this, a white light enveloped the area. He was forced to shut his eyes, dazed and blinded he activated the trap set by Alper. Water rose fast and formed a bubble, confused and robbed of sight Santelmo was unaware of his current predicament. Before the water could engulf the fire elemental Alper cast, [Wind Cage] as she passed by the elemental thus imprisoning the summon in a swirling wind.

Nid was more prepared, having witnessed Alper casting her magic. He noticed the rune trap set on his path, thinking of a plan he sifted through his limited arsenal of skills and magic. "Hope this works." he thought, as he set into action his plan. Before he could even enact his plan, white light filled the area in an instant, blinding him. His mind used to being in a daze, focused on his next step. "The rune trap." remembering the spell Alper laid out, [Fade Back] activating his skill as he stepped back to his previous position. As his eyes adjusted from being overwhelmed by light, he saw a ball of water in front of him. "Whew! Almost got trapped in that." his gaze then shifted to his racing opponents. His vision scanned the area then caught sight of his summon, trapped in a cage of wind inside a ball of water. "I guess you're out Santelmo, good job though, that's quite a distance covered." he praised his summon in his head. "Now where is Alper?" his head sunk, after realizing what had happened.

Alper during the commotion, used her [Fleet Foot] spell, the air around her got sucked by the tornado on her feet. This created wind blast on her feet that propelled her, pushing her to the air creating a constant lift. She passed by Nid who was able to escape the [Bubble Prison], "Impressive." she commended Nid, and saved Santelmo who was caught in the trap. Alper breezed through the game. "I won! I won! Hehehe. Well that was obvious enough." She celebrated, jumping up and down as she waved her hands in the air. "Nid! Santelmo! I won! Hehehe!"

The two loser dragged their themselves to the camp, disappointed on how they lost so fast. "Master look. Mistress Alper is happily calling to us." Santelmo said with a lifeless tone.

"Well at the very least she's happy." Nid consoled himself.

As they approached the camp a jolly voice boomed,"Good job you two. You faced the mighty Alper in a race, I commend you for trying. Hehehe." Alper greeted them in a child-like manner.

"I almost died!" Santelmo cried, remembering that fact that after regaining his sight he was imprisoned in water.

"Oh come on. I planned all of that, of course you won't die. Hehehe." replied Alper, who was still ecstatic on her win. She then turned to a sulking Nid "What's wrong with you?"

"I just lost so fast. It's quite disappointing. Haha." he stated with a tired smile.

"Hmp. Since I won, you will now be my slaves for a day. My first order, stop sulking and prepare for a feast to celebrate my win! Hehe." she said, while standing on a slightly elevated rock.

Seeing Alper happy and childish for once, removed all the negativity in Nid. He smiled and turned to Santelmo "You heard her! Let's go!" then ran to prepare for Alper's feast. A few steps in, Nid turned back, and said "You did great by the way, I'm proud of you."

Seeing his master smile and praise him, filled Santelmo with bliss. "Hai!" he answered his dark elven leader with a smile, as he flew towards his companions to prepare for a feast.