THE PROTECTOR OR DESTROYER SWORD!

***This is the story told by Reznor to Gerald***

Bubbling with excitement, God's children waited until the doors were completely pushed open in his special room. Their eyes widened in amazement as soon as they noticed the insides of that room.

Just like the roof of the rest of the palace, this room also faded in the sky. The white walls and big delicately carved pillars stood there as if they were floating in the air. The floor was pristine white that one could see their face on it.

The room seemed very large but as they walked inside, they realised that it had no boundaries. The more you walked further into the room, the more the walls seemed to go away from you.

The whole place was like an armoury of the supreme warrior with a grand collection of such weapons that they had never seen or heard about before. However, they recognised a few of them by their knowledge from the lessons and the stories of the valour of their father.

"Woooowwww..."

"Here look at that one!"

"Oh that is so amazing!"

"What is that?"

"I wish I could touch it."

"I never knew father possess such weapons too!"

God smirked, hearing the children's murmur. His grand frame walked ahead of them, knowing well where he wanted to go.

But the group of the four siblings was at the end, walking slowly, taking their sweet time in observing the place. While their brothers and sisters were busy toggling the weapons and everything that was placed in that room, the group was busy noticing the things that they ignored.

"Have you noticed how this everything is placed at a particular spot as if it was a well thought decision?" Azalea pointed.

"What do you mean?" Theseus asked in puzzlement.

Caelan rolled his eyes at the stupidness of his younger brother. "Like this cannon." He pointed at a four and a half feet cannon designed in gold and white. "It is placed in such a way that if the time comes, then it can be moved in any direction and used without any hindrance." He explained.

Theseus made an 'O' with his lips in understanding. As the siblings discussed the things around them, Azalea noticed how their eldest brother looked detached from their conversation.

"Where are you lost, big brother?" She asked, drawing the attention of the other two brothers too.

They followed his gaze only to widen their eyes in astonishment.

"Woww... That is... that is..."

"Maginificent!" Caelan completed Theseus's statement.

In a transparent glass box was their father's old crown. He had stopped using it for ages after one of his wives gifted him the new and current crown. But he had many memories attached to the old one that he kept securely in this room but in a corner.

The four siblings gathered around the only thing that their brothers and sisters completely ignored, and perhaps their father also didn't have any interest in it. Artemio raised his hand to touch it when his father's loud voice startled him.

"What are you four doing there?"

"It must be a headache for them to remember the names of all these weapons and their uses, So they are practising the punishment of standing in the corner when father will examine their knowledge and they will fail in answering his questions."

All the kids laughed tauntingly at Emory's jibe. The four siblings frowned, looking at him but remained silent due to fear of their father.

God ignored the other kids and tore his gaze from the crown to focus it on the four siblings who stared back at their father with neutral faces.

The God walked towards them with long strides, and after another cursory glance to the crown, he repeated his question. "What were you doing here when everyone was listening to me explaining the other things?"

Artemio stepped forward and meeting his father's blue eyes, replied with confidence. "We were looking at your old crown father."

"And why is that?"

"Everybody likes your new crown and it is indeed beautiful but it can never have that special connection which the old one has." Caelan answered from behind his brother.

"And why is that?" God asked, raising his brow in interest.

"Because you got that crown when you had a blank canvas and with a responsibility of filling it with the galaxies and the planets. You had the task of creating the beautiful magic that is the earth!" Theseus smiled proudly as if he was the one who had witnessed their father going through that laborious task.

"Father, this crown not only rested on your head as a piece of jewellery. Instead, it always reminded you of your duties and responsibilities. Many thought it was a pleasure having it on the head, but only you know the weightage it put on your shoulder.

It has witnessed the wars you have fought, the victories you have achieved over the evil and life blossoming on the earth. And thus, in our opinion, no other crown can replace this older one!"

Not only the children but also God was stunned hearing their explanation.

'And one day I will wear it on my head too!' Artemio wanted to add but held back as he didn't want to sound greedy to his father's ears.

The God was speechless. How could his most rebellious kids understand his deepest emotions and not the others, who he thought were more capable than these four?

If only they could channelise their intelligence and skills into a positive form! He sighed.

There was so much God had to say to his kids, but something about his personality held him back. He cleared his throat and only gave them a curt nod.

"Shall we now see it finally?"

"yes please!" Emory said in exasperation.

"See father always ignores us!" Theseus complained.

But Artemio had a small smile on his face. He patted his brother on the back and said, "Come on, we also want to see it!"

They followed the group and stood at the back of it, as their father finally pulled out a chest from one of the lockers on the other end of the room.

The excitement of the kids skyrocketed as they waited in anticipation.

"Ready?"

"Yes, father!" They all cheered in unison.

The God smiled before opening the chest and finally revealed the most awaited thing- a sword! The God's master sword!

Their mouths remained agape and their eyes twinkled with the dazzle of gold. More than a meter long weapon made up of the five toughest metals that existed in the universe was covered with a layer of gold.

Its edges were so sharp that their mere sight made the hair stand up on many bodies. Its large handle was well suited for the large hand of the God and was studded with gemstones.

Artemio noticed something inscribed on the blade of the sword in some ancient script that he had no knowledge of.

"It says- the protector or destroyer, depends on the hand that holds it." Azalea whispered in Artemio's ear, knowing well how her brother's brain functioned.

God's thick and long fingers curled around the handle of the sword, and he pulled it out of the chest in a swift motion. He moved it skilfully in the air, and the sense of satisfaction and domination on his face was something hard to miss.

"How does it look?" He asked, looking at the children.

"This... this is very beautiful father!" One of his daughters replied.

"More than we have heard and imagined!" The other added.

But for some reason, God didn't look satisfied with their answers. Be it just a coincidence or a deliberate reaction but God's eyes met Artemios.

He stepped in front, coming out of the crowd. His eyes were glued to that magical sword.

"It looks as perfect as a precious possession of the God should look. Yes, it is beautiful to the eyes of a craftman, dangerous to the one with no power, desirable for a warrior and terrorified to its aim!"

Emory fisted his hands to his sides while glaring at Artemios. Why does he always have something wise to say in front of their father?!

The God again nodded his head, keeping his face passive, but only a father could understand how proud he felt at that moment.

God began keeping the sword back in the chest when he heard Artemio's voice.

"Can I touch it once?"

"NO!" Their father growled.

The air around suddenly shifted drastically. Everyone was taken aback by their father's overhyped reaction except Artemio.

"Why?" He asked challengingly.

Azalea pursed her lips as she never understood why her brother had to be so stubborn sometimes. But she also wanted to know the answer to why.

"Because I am saying so!" God hissed, glaring at Artemio.

"But-"

"ENOUGH!"

The ground under their feet shook as vibrations of his loud voice passed through it. The children instinctively took a step back in fear, but Artemio remained rooted to his spot.

That only angered God more, but he was not in a mood to punish him because he knew, punishing Artemio would mean punishing the other three too, as they would never leave him to bore it alone.

"Everyone GET OUT!"