16 - Deity of Mount Carion

My travel south went by faster than I thought. There was quite the stretch of land between the start and where I arrived even when I decided to fly or when I ran at full avatar speed.

The location I chose was the best for many reasons. Out of the way of several prying eyes. The next kingdom was leagues away to the east and the villages scattered all over this lands were vastly backward.

Once I spotted the first two villages I decided it was here I needed to get my priest.

Not a problem reared it's ugly head. Well beautiful head actually but still it was a problem. The villages in this area all worshipped different gods or deities. Some even made ghastly sacrifices to spirits or ancestral images that the believed would give them strength.

But no that wasn't the problem, the problem was the very first village. The deity within it having already noted me before I made a retreat.

The villages worshipped at a lake at the very center of their village. The lake was located at the center of what should have been a woodland forest but had been cleared out around to form the space for the growing village.

The village chief lived at the very center closest to the lake that was a sea green. Behind it rose was a cliff with a high drop. It was here at the base of the cliff and ascending up to about half of the cliff itself that it stood.

Carved out of stone and polished beautifully the statue of the female looked north to the distance lands into the woods. Atop the cliff a smaller statue faced away to the south.

My voice already warning me about a possible encounter with a deity I had turned to leave and get to another village when the woods got strange.

At first I had figured the deity lived within the lake. But it seemed I was wrong. The forest was her playground and the lake her rest. Trees creaked and bent as various shapes and forms can out of the trees and the corners of the bushes.

Humanoid forms with branches for hands and leaves for hairs came out, Their roots made walking motions as the crossed the meters to me.

"Ents, or treants? . Never noted the difference. Oooh that one is a dryad" I spotted a more humane looking one with a beautiful face walking through the crowd of wood creatures.

Hips swayed as she stepped, hair made of green leaves or sea weed cascading down to her waist. Her figure was a good one but well she's wood.

If I hadn't reacted to humans then I wonder what would make me react. Maybe gods.

Either way the dryad stopped a few meters away while I titled my head. Her face was nothing like the statue made at the cliff so I was certain it wasn't her.

"Who are you stranger?."A soft melodic voice reached my hearing making me blink. Still I kept silent watching.

" I'm asking you a question human?" she hissed annoyed at being ignored.

That cleared things up for me. My worry had been the dryad noting me as a god in my avatar. So with that clear I turned and walked on eager to leave before I was noticed.

"Halt human. I Tremarys speaks to you " the dryad was obviously loosing her temper but of course I had to leave before suspicions began.

Completely ignored she acted out though, as a hand waved and a tree root shot out of the ground up into the air straight at me.

Once the root was about slapping my face I snagged it and ripped it right out of the ground. A tree to my left shook and made a trunk bellowing scream as the root pulled right out of it.

Tremarys and the other treants all froze and I stared at them before turning to leave mentally relieved when a word was not said.

I could have left in a run but then speculations could have been made which I wanted to avoid. I didn't need any god spotting me while I was here.

A fight between two gods would end bad for me since I didn't have a good divinity source to back up my attacks.

So I was really trying to just leave without a flashy scene. But things didn't work out well. The ground in my path ripped apart sd the floor got separated and the trees on its edge uprooted out and moved away.

The entire forest actually came alive as the trees walked back and away till the halted as far from the falling ground as possible. Me I stopped there just contemplating. Damn it and leave or just fly off.

Both ways were worrisome. The sound of parting earth and my radar warned me of something rising out of the ground.

I turned just as the earth gave way after forming a tall mound of mud, leaves and branches. Finally it all fell way to a heap on the ground and out stepped the human model of the stone statue.

"It dos her no justice " I muttered.

[ I AGREE]

The beautiful face of the girl scrunched up as she stared at me. Thin lips, big green eyes, a green hair adorned with crowns of roses and other flowers. A light green gown that hugged her form while weaving itself like vines around her till it trailed on the floor while a slit from her waist to the ground let fair legs grace the world.

"Finally. I knew I was alright. Just had to meet the right girl apparently" I rejoiced once I felt a familiar jolt in between my legs.

Still I coughed and controlled the lust that nearly clouded my mind. Focusing on the girls face I frowned while sensing and seeing something.

She was translucent. It was barely visible but it was there. It felt like she was real but not real. Was this a mirage?.

"Who are you human?. Wait not human... you... you feel different"

"Watch your next words of you wish to keep yourself and those here alive" I spat trying to shut her up. The last thing I needed was a deity announcing my identity to some tree dwellers.

News spreads.

"I've been on a long walk, stumbled here. Was about to leave though. You don't have to worry about me. Your...Friends weren't letting me leave though just kike you aren't."

She frowned at my words.

"Of course you don't intend on letting me leave after all you already knew I wasn't human. If not.." I looked back to the long and wide rift in the ground.

"...that would have been excessive for a human." I finished. Her green eyes widened a bit before she looked to the side almost like she was attempting to peek at the other treants.

" whatever reason you have me here for I have more important things to do so..."i took a step to leave.

"I know what you want from here. "

I halted then turned.

"Claiming to know means claiming to know what I am. Amd if you do indeed know that would be and for me. Which means I have thing d good" I announced.

Without realizing it I already prioritized my survival. So I was ready to silence any who would out me in some form of danger

"Leave us all of you" her voice thundered. The treants and dryad all looked shocked at first then slowly though unwilling disappeared into the trees.

It was obvious how I didn't detect them. Being one with the trees meant I could sense them without realizing they were there. I needed to train a new method that couldn't be tricked.

Once we were alone she made to speak but I raised an arm.

"The trees babe ears." her eyes shook as she knew what I meant. Sending them away didn't mean anything as the dryad already showed that the could control the trees.

'Can I pull her into the spatial space I made. '

[YES. BUT YOU WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE A LIFE SOURCE AS THE STORAGE IS NOT MEANT TO KEEP LIVING THINGS WITHIN]

'Then I'll just create a new space ' Without waiting I barehanded tore open the atmosphere. Then walked into the still widening space as the girl watched from behind mouth open.

'I thought she said she knew what I was? Why shocked.'

[SHE PROBABLY MADE AN ERROR]

'Does that mean I have to kill a deity. ' I complained not liking where it was going.

"You know spatial magic" she asked bringing me out of my thoughts. I furrowed my brows before nodding. An excited look lit up her face before she calmed amd then stared at me.

"You're the first demigod I've seen with spatial prowess." she said obviously still excited.

"Yeah I..wait what" I stuttered. 'Demi... did she.. does she._ That explains it'. Nodding as I sighed in part relief and part annoyance I just looked to her then left the spatial rift and let it close up.

"So when you said you know what I came for what was it?"

She seemed tk hesitate for a bit as she bit her lip. It astounded me, the deity an entire village looked up to was a child Then it hit me. I'm eighteen or should I say zero. Shaking my head I raised my eyebrows at her.

"You have to swear by a god oath that you won't harm me or anyone around. If you wish to back out you leave. amd if you want it youakw a deal with me. " She announced.

"Wait God oath." I muttered. 'What's that?'

[SWEARING WITH A GOD'S NAME. IF YOU GO AGAINST THE OATH IT'S DEATH INSTANTLY. ]

'Does that mean if I swear by my name kill myself. '

[THE OATH DOESN'T WORK ON GODS. BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS SWEAR IT TO GET WHAT SHE HAS TO OFFER.]

'I'm glad we are on the same page Though to be safe ill swear on myself'

Looking at the girl again I nodded.

"I swear that I won't harm you or anyone around. If I wish to back out I will leave. amd if I want what is offered I'll make a deal with you. This I swear by Erlezos". The sky darkened, clouds gathering as I felt divinity drain from me but not me. From my true form. I could feel the turbulence shake the sky as I stared up.

"What god did you swear by?" she asked petrified as her hair whipped about in the churning winds.

"Erlezos." I replied. I knew what was happening. My true form wasnt a god of this world as such the oath response made with my name was ripping thought space to acknowledge the caster which was me.

Finally a thin blue light dropped from the sky and tbe clouds abated as the light slammed into me and a prompt registered.

[YOU HAVE MADE AN OATH TO ERLEZOS]

[OATH REGISTERED TO YOU]

[OATH UNBINDABLE TO GODS ]

'Why does it feel like I'm different from me'

[THE OATH DESTROYS RHE BODY. NOT THE SOUL OR IN YOUR CARE DIVINITY. AS SUCH IT SENSED YOU AS BEING A GODS AVATAR. AND CAN'T BIND TO YOU AS A GOD]

"Now talk. This drama better be worth it."i finished looking at her pale form.

" Of course. I'm Gerasmine Deity of Mount Carion and it's surrounding forest. But I wasn't always a deity".