Chapter 54: Rax the Sun God

We transition back to the fight where Rax is fighting Christian and Koa. The heat around Rax is growing as he throws a variety of slashes with his sword at both of them.

Koa and Christian both dodge the relentless attacks but the heat starts becoming unbearable for both of them. Koa communicates to Christian about the situation, "We have to wrap this up soon this heat is becoming ridiculous."

Christian responds, "Yeah the heat is even making the electricity around my body kind of wonky. I can barely keep up the lightning coat to protect me from it."

Rax is laughing maniacally as the heat around his body starts growing hotter and hotter.

We then flashback to Rax's memories.

Rax was born in a small village in the middle of nowhere. The people there lived a very simple lifestyle with no technology, their own culture, and their own language. This village had no contact with the outside world and followed a very specific set of traditions.

The people in this small village were tannish-skinned with everyone having natural colored hair such as brown or black. All the residents of the village were filled with tattoos over the age of 12. For the most part, the villagers were completely indigenous and would do anything that was natural for hunters and gatherers.

However, one day a child was born that changed everything. This boy was Rax. He was born with red hair and an unnatural birthmark on his arm that looked like the sun. The moment this boy was born he was immediately praised as a god. The child was given the best foods, the most comfortable clothing, and overall was praised throughout his life.

This was Rax's life, when he turned six years of age the only thing that changed is Rax would start receiving tattoos on his body. Rax was confused at why he had to go through this painful experience as a child. It was custom that you only started receiving tattoos after the age of 12.

Rax did not mind though, he was still given everything in the village. He was living the best life a child could live in the village. He would still receive these tattoos periodically 4 times a year until he turned the age of 12.

Once Rax turned 12 everything changed. The people of the village would still praise him as a god, however, something started seeming off amongst the villagers. Even Rax's only family was acting different around him when he turned 12 years old. At night villagers would show up with offerings in the front of the hut Rax was in and prayed for hours. Rax as a boy accepted his role as god and didn't think too much about this.

Then one day Rax was about to receive his final tattoo. The entire village was there awaiting this experience. At this point, Rax was used to the pain and didn't utter out a single word. There was blood dripping from the tattoo which was placed on one half of Rax's face. This final tattoo resembled the birthmark Rax was born with. The moment the tattoo finished the villagers started cheering and threw a celebration afterward. Everyone was having a good time drinking, eating, and dancing.

Before the celebration was over, the village chief gave Rax a very special drink to commemorate Rax's final tattoo. This was Rax's ascension towards godhood is what the people believed. Rax drank the drink and after he took a sip, he started to feel dizzy. Everything around him was spinning and Rax completely passed out.

By the time Rax wakes up the next day he notices he was tied up being carried by a group of villagers. Rax was not sure what was going on as he looked around and started panicking. Rax yelled at the villagers to let him go but no one would listen to his pleas. Rax looks forward to where he was being taken to and sees a volcano.

Rax was frightened and didn't know what to do. They arrived at the top of the volcano which was active with lava resting inside the volcano's mouth. When the villagers arrived they started praying once again while Rax is still screaming to be let free.

The villagers then took a rope and tied a different rope around each of Rax's limbs. Four villagers then took each rope and went to four different corners of the volcano tying the ropes to the ground. This left Rax's body just hanging above the volcano in fear. Although the lava was not hitting him, the heat from the volcano was unbearable and the fumes were exhausting. Rax cried in terror and pain to the villagers. Rax then sees his parents and asks them to let him go.

However, all they did was pray, all the villagers just started praying to the sun as Rax was held over the volcano. Rax did not know what was going on as he hung there in pain. The villagers kept praying until the sun went down. Rax fell unconscious.

A couple of hours later he started to gain consciousness. Now that the sun was gone Rax tried to plea to the villagers again to let him go.

That is when the village chief finally spoke up, "My dear boy hush now. You are a child of prophecy and an important sacrifice to the Sun God. This is your final trial as you bask in the heat of the volcano and absorb the sun's almighty power."

Rax listened but all he could see is a mad man spouting nonsense. As they all started praying to the Sun God once more. Then they all started to leave.

Rax was confused as they all left him there. Hanging above this volcano.

The villagers would then return the next day as the sun rises and begin their praying again. This process would repeat itself each day for an entire month. They would make sure to keep Rax alive with the bare minimum of nutrients. Rax's skin was bubbling and peeling off, his body was losing muscle mass and fat, he was pale and in pain. That didn't matter to the villagers as they continued to pray.

Then one day as the villagers continue their ritual the village chief spoke a few words. "My brothers and sisters the time has come for the sacrifice to fulfill his role to the Sun God." All the villagers were cheering in celebration as Rax hung there almost unrecognizable and not able to utter a sound.

The village chief continued, "This is the day of reckoning everyone prepare to fulfill the ritual." All the villagers circled around the crater of the volcano. In fact, it looked like every single village adult appeared from the village. They all held hands and started chanting. Four of the villagers went towards each rope that was in the ground holding Rax up above the volcano. They all held a knife looking like they were about to cut the rope.

Rax watched all this happening, not being able to do a single thing all he wanted was for it all to end. All of a sudden all the villagers stopped chanting and looked at Rax. The village chief spoke one last time, "Now my brothers and sisters it is time." Rax looked onwards toward the people who were watching him suffer, but then right in front of his eyes, all the villagers jumped into the volcano.

Rax could not believe his eyes. The people who were torturing him for so long just willingly jumped into the volcano. Rax was confused, he didn't know whether to be happy, sad, mad. As all the people were being burned alive in the volcano the village chief was chanting loudly towards the sun shining down upon them.

Then the volcano started rumbling, the four villagers then cut the rope and at that very moment, the volcano erupted completely enveloping Rax in the midst of his release.

Rax's body was being burned alive too by the volcano, but something felt different.

That is when Rax's tattoos started glowing and the sun's rays as well as the lava started swirling around him.

The village chief prayed in glee, "THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE SUN GOD!!! THE ORACLE WAS RIGHT, OUR SAVOIR IS FINALLY HERE!" 

While the heat from the sun and volcano was surrounding Rax his body started to restore itself to normal, and Rax opens his eyes as they are glowing. Rax at this point looked like a boy covered in fire as his hair was burning, his tattoos and his eyes were glowing, and he was surrounded in flames looking like a human sun.

Rax frightened of this newfound form screams out to the Village Elder, "What did you do to me?!?"

Village Chief cheers in joy, "I MADE YOU INTO THE GOD YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE! I AM ONLY YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT, PRAISE THE SUN..."

Before he could finish his sentence Rax obliterated all the leftover villagers without a second thought.

His anger fueled him. He eventually landed on the edge of the volcano all the villagers dead around him. 

Rax did not know what to do, he walked down towards the village and it's empty. He continues to walk through the village and realizes the heat surrounding him is dangerous. He manages to deactivate his power as his appearance returns to normal and his tattoos begin shrinking to only his left arm. He then looks into some of the huts to get something to eat and sees something horrible. The children in the huts were in bed with their throats slit.

Rax ran out of that hut and checked another one. Again children dead, he keeps checking each one and every time he sees a child dead. He thinks to himself, "All of this, all this suffering for what..."