Elsewhere-Most Holy

Step by step, brick by brick. He helped place one stone brick after another, doing the dangerous manual tasks. The heavy lifting to get the work done.

"Yes, just a few more and we're done for the day your uh…your holiness," the people below him said uneasily.

"Don't worry, I can complete the tower by the end of the day," he assured them. "This is easy, just step back and enjoy your day. Let me handle things"

"Oh and you don't need to stand on occasion, I'm not going to bite." The young man who was building the port town lighthouse smiled down at the residents below. He effortless pushed in heavy chunks of stone and carved out intricate aesthetics where mortals were not able to.

From start to finish, this took him less then a single day. A project that would've taken mortals upwards of a decade to build.

Before the sun had even set, he was down on the ground again, having completed the lighthouse.

"So, what else needs to be done around here?" He asked the gawking townsfolk.

"Yo…your holiness, that should be all that we had planned before the harvest festival," the mayor said. He rubbed the sweat off his sweltering chubby face full of smiles.

"Really? I mean your mills looks a little worn, I can upgrade the place as well. And what about that half finished water wheel on the other side of town? Could also fix up your steel tools, notice the degradation when I first arrived."

The mayor and the elders swallowed a gulp looking at each other. The temptation was there, but who in their right minds would ask a god to do manual labours?

"Hey uh, we could cut a lot of costs if he helps out," one of the town folk whispered into the ears of the mayor.

"Are you boys insane? We can't possibly ask a him to do that! Not to mention this is a god from the heavens," he rather aggressively lectured at the two in hushed tones.

"We can't afford to offend a god or we're all doomed. What kind of offerings will we have to pay? We don't have that much to sacrifice. Oh we have to stop him before it's too late."

He panicked in his mind wondering why the deity had descended in the first place.

The young man wearing luxurious white robes had shown up out of nowhere, flying down from the heavens. Over the course of the past few hours, he'd insisted on helping wherever he can. It was honestly quite stressing.

In their panic and awe, they had guided the man, a boy really, around town and could only watch in fascination as he did his thing. That was the only way they could describe it. Even followers, priests and warriors who'd trained in the ways of the True Path could not compare.

It was in this stupor, that they didn't notice a carriage riding into the town in top speed. Pulled by mighty war beasts easily capable of trampling thousands underfoot, the carriage raced around the streets and right before the crowd.

"There you are, what were you thinking just leaving on your own like that," a beautiful woman yelled, racing out from inside. She wore religious robes and wore a crown and held a staff in hand.

Though he'd never interacted with this woman nor seen her in his life, the mayor immediately got an inkling to her identity. Priestesses, followers of high gods of significant rank wore similar clothing to her.

They were akin to miniature gods of their own and possessed supernatural powers that could easily overturn mountains and fill seas. It was said high priests and priestesses even surpassed minor gods in power.

But people like that usually dwelled on the core worlds, not a place way out here.

"Oh hey Sophia," the young man greeted. "Sorry, I was just so excited."

He scratched his feathery hair and gave a hearty laugh.

The priestess, Sophia sighed. "Yahweh, you are not normal people. There's a proper way to do things." She shrugged exasperatedly and walked forwards with dignified poise.

Noticing the divine workmanship around her, she smiled softly. Her charge's antics were something she'd long gotten used to over the century he'd been in her care.

The youngest and latest son of the supreme creator, Yahweh was a deity who at a terrifyingly young age, already surpassed the majority of his contemporaries. Her patron trusted her a lot to place him under her care.

The young Yahweh had the decency to appear bashful. But ultimately he brushed it off and offered to introduce his current caretaker.

For the townspeople of this area, a high priestess to the great king gods Baal visiting was unprecedented. This was a once in lifetime opportunity as well as a terrifying prospect.

What made this fact even more prominent was the revelation of Yahweh's actual status. He was someone they'd definitely need to be on their best behaviour for.

The mayor dropped to his knees followed by many of his people. They sang the praises to Sophia's and Yahweh's visage and hailed them as divine figures. They went so far as to grab a random livestock for sacrifice.

As for Sophia and Yahweh? They enjoyed their stay among the mortals. The younger deity had sought to aid them in whatever way he could much to Sophia's protest. But she ultimately relented each time.

There was that innocent bright smile who showed something who genuinely cared about these strangers that just made her relent. Gods did not often, if ever go out of their way to do this. Yahweh was simply kind, extremely so.

"Wow, so that's how mortals do things huh? All this manual labour with not even the slightest of magical aid or heightened strength?"

He exclaimed as the two sat on a wall watching evening stars. The rest of the day was spent humouring Yahweh as he pushed himself into every situation he could find.

Whenever he could, he would offer aid. Whether they were offerings of food or performing odd jobs, he would do it.

"Indeed young lord, unlike me who follow in the teachings of a religion, or you a deity from heaven. Ordinary mortals must build everything by hand."

"They look to people like me for leadership. They look to gods like you for peaceful living. They come to us with offerings and in turn we offer them to you and it is your job as the patron of these lands to provide good weather and fortuitous encounters. It's the natural order of things."

"You don't have to think too deeply about it now. You'll learn more in the coming days. This town is just one in a sea of settlements in a kingdom which itself is one in a sea of kingdoms. They're too minute for your full attention."

Sophia spoke with a firm and warm tone. Her educational duties were handpicked by her patron to show Yahweh the way deities interacted with their mortal charges.

"I see," the young god muttered.

Yahweh sat back thinking. He starred out at the down that had long settled for the night rather than the stars above. Unlike Sophia, he couldn't stop thinking about the people.

"Hey Sophia, why do they have to struggle so?" He found himself asking.

"Hm?" Sophia flinched, a little startled. "I've already explained that as the natural…"

"Yeah I get that," he responded looking right at her. "But couldn't I as a superior being do more?"

Sophia was taken aback. "I suppose you could young lord. But that is not the way things are done. Lord Baal and the others learned long ago to not meddle too much in the lives of mortals."

"But why? With a flick of my hand I could materialise a city. With a flick of the wrist, I can bring about more food so no one has to starve. With a single breath I can stop natural disasters from ever happening."

As an example, Yahweh flicked his index finger and casted his divine power across the rocky lands outside the fishing town. In mere moments, he'd transformed the arid texture into lush fertile farmland.

The transformation was so seamless and so instantaneous that no one had noticed yet.

"Because if we baby mortals too much, they'll never learn to stand of their own," she argued pointing up. "You must understand, that eventually, these people will come to expect you to work for them, to cater to their every whim. They'll stagnate and live in complacency and eventually fall to decadence."

"Lord El shares his wisdom with us all and it is by his decree that we stand by. Young lord Yahweh, you are still young so you don't fully understand. For mortals to receive your benefit, they must be worthy of it first. In time, you will know I am right."

Yahweh hummed in confirmation. "I suppose you have a point," he blankly said. Sophia could tell he instinctively did not fully agree. Following that she frowned wondering how she'd approach things.

"Big brother could still be doing more though," he said. "All we do is study the heavenly mysteries all day and everyday. I don't think big sis Anat has left her room in ages."

"Studying Lord El's legacy is far more important," Sophia gasped. "It is the fundamental laws the universe functions on. You must put precedent on it above all else. I would kill for an opportunity like that."

"Then maybe I should take you up there," Yahweh suggested.

"Definitely not, I am a mere priestess of Baal. I do not belong in the heavens unlike you."

"I'm sure big brother Baal won't mind."

"I would rather not offend my patron young lord," Sophia sighed.

"Oh but come…huh?" Yahweh ceased his chatter when he took notice of another incident.

A dispute had occurred as a man approached another accusing him of stealing his belonging. Yahweh's ears told him the former had discovered it missing and immediately ran to confront the latter.

"This doesn't warrant your attention," Sophia said.

He on the other hand got up and prepared to spring into action.

"Young lord wait…" Sophia shouted after him even though he ignored her. He appeared between the two in an instant and held his hand before both.

"Stop this now," he commanded. It was a good thing he did as it looks like a fight was about to break out.

"What the?" The accused stammered even as the accuser growled in anger. The scent of alcohol was prominent from his breath.

"Some squirt thinks he can stop me? I need to teach this fucker a lesson," he yelled.

Yahweh immediately frowned feeling the unfamiliar feeling of offence coming from within him. "I am a god, your god," he stated beginning to glow. "Cease this nonsense at once. Talk it out, I'm sure you can…"

"Yeah I tried weeks ago, but this guy won't listen."

"Ah screw that, this smug fucker is the one at fault. He's already stolen everything from me. My inheritance, my wife, my…"

"Me? That was you, you insane psycho. Dad split things even and she chose me!"

"Hey you guys shouldn't," Yahweh tried to say in between.

"Even? I barely got a dime."

Yahweh looked back and forth as both men raised fists. "I said STOP!" He roared freezing both men in place.

"Yahweh, don't run off like that," Sophia shouted overhead as she finally arrived. "What did I just say?"

"Solving their dispute," he said without looking back. His powers came to light and his light penetrated into both men's skulls. "Go back, don't cause trouble again," he commanded the accuser and force teleported him away. The accused was compelled back into his house.

Sophia looked at the aftermath and sighed. "That solved nothing, they'll just be back and argue again."

"I'll just stop them again. Compel them if I have to."

"This is just one incident among trillions. You can't expect yourself to come running every time right?" Sophia asked.

"Naturally, I'm their god, Baal made me overseer of these lands."

"Young lord, eventually that'll just tire you out. Domestic disputes like these are up to the authorities. They're too low to be of concern to you."

"I'm their god, it is my concern," he stood firm.

"Well…" Sophia stopped mid sentence when she noticed people beginning to come out after the commotion. She turned and sighed intending to address the crowd.

"We should inform them of what happened, mortals aren't used to displays of magic," she said motioning him forwards. Yahweh nodded following after her.