Sacrifices To Jupiter V

The Third Thresher didn't stand a chance against the other two in smarts or power.

Yet the third had no bottom line, nothing to protect and nothing to lose.

And it is a known fact that it is easier to destroy than to protect.

So the third did. The third turned hope into despair.

Trillions wailed, billions shrilled, more vanished.

The universe stood on end, about to perish.

Barely any life remained incorrupt.

Yet the creators withstood the destructor by combined force.

The two Threshers sacrificed themselves to eternally seal the third.

With the end of the three, came a new era. Eleven Pillars came to be.

Gray, The Pillar of Life, traversed the universe, settling on a rogue planet known as Nova.

She was mesmerized by its beauty, so much so that she envisioned life on it.

As she felt lonely.

As it'd be such a pity to hoard such beauty to her and herself alone.

Gray wanted to have children, and share the beauty of wonder and wander with them. Gray wanted listeners. She wanted listeners, and those listeners in turn would share the epics with the future generations.

Determined, she extended her hand to the skies. Roaring loudly,

"Let there be frost!"

The skies roared in turn. Storms gathered, the air chilled, and the clouds dusted.

The first goblin came to be.

Winter came.

Gray nodded, smiling coldly at her first child. 

"Your name shall be Neptune!"

Neptune bowed deeply.

"I, Winter, The God of Storm and Conquest, shall carry the name Allmother has bestowed upon me!"

"Neptune! That's my name!"

Gray watched her right hand as it crumbled.

She sighed, gazing at the skies with her right eye. Whistling firmly,

"Let there be bloom!"

The skies whistled in turn. Auroras spread, the air warmed, and the trees blossomed.

The first angel came to be.

Spring came.

Gray nodded, smiling balmy at her second child.

"Your name shall be Mercury!"

Mercury bowed lightly.

"I, Spring, The God of Growth and Cognition, shall carry the name Allmother has bestowed upon me,"

"Mercury, that's my name,"

Gray blinked as the vision in her right eye vanished.

Determined, she extended her left hand to the skies. Shouting joyfully,

"Let there be warmth!"

The skies joyed in turn. Fruits sprouted, the air softened, and the animals sang.

The first beaster came to be.

Summer came.

Gray nodded, smiling brightly at her third child.

"Your name shall be Juno!"

Juno bowed repeatedly.

"I, Summer, The Goddess of Love and Commerce, shall carry the name Allmother has bestowed upon me—"

"Juno— That's my name~"

Gray watched her left hand as it crumbled.

She sighed, gazing at the skies with her left eye. Crying wistfully,

"Let there be rain!"

The skies cried in turn. Winds fluctuated, the air freshened, and the leaves fell.

The first elf came to be.

Autumn came.

Gray nodded, smiling longingly at her fourth child.

"Your name shall be Urania!"

Urania bowed reluctantly.

"I, Autumn, The Goddess of Freedom and Change, shall carry the name Allmother has bestowed upon me…"

"Urania. That's my name."

Gray blinked as the vision in her left eye vanished.

"Children, you are my arms and my eyes!"

"You have a sacred mission to fulfill!"

"And when the dark ages come,"

"I shall return to the lands as a mortal!"

Gray shot up to the skies, her body radiating.

A bright, orange star formed high above.

It exuded warmth, mana, life. The sun.

Her voice traversed the lands of Nova.

"Gray, The Pillar of Life!"

"The Keeper of Truth!"

"Primordial Seeker!"

"Mir! That's my name!"

"Those who wish to obtain eternal life and enter The Kingdom of Heaven shall bear my name!

"They shall worship me! Swear allegiance to my children—"

"Neptune, Winter, The God of Storm and Conquest

Mercury, Spring, The God of Growth and Cognition

Juno, Summer, The Goddess of Love and Commerce

Urania, Autumn, The Goddess of Freedom and Change"

"Those ungrateful ones who don't pray—"

"They shall burn in hell in eternal torment! In eternal damnation!"

***

"The fuck?!" I raise a hand, pointing above. "Who would put their faith in such a deity? She's threatening to burn you all in a hellfire!"

"You won't let me finish first, will you…" Mira mutters, burying her face in her hand. "Allmother gave life to all, so it only makes sense that she decides what to do with it, no?"

"Ahh, I see…" I wave, tilting my head. "Afterlife, after all, is the sweetest of promises. A foundation of every cult. The shitheads will hang themselves on a cross for a granule of hope if push comes to shove."

"Hope is the cruelest of things and the damndest dream." I run a hand through my dark hair, toying with the few scarlet strands and adjusting my supermagical supersexy hat.

"What about you, Princess? Do you believe in gods? Because if you do, you better not hang out with a demon."

I joke halfheartedly, yet she stills, in deep contemplation.

"It doesn't matter," she babbles.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"Whether there is a god or gods or not, I don't intend to bow before such beings." Mira smiles lightly, glancing sideways, toying with her hair.

Ho… Would you look at that? "Why so?"

"Because we are no better than demons."

She locks her eyes with mine. Her lips tighten, while them, her eyes, pierce.

Wrath. I can see her wrath. 

"Children starve to death while dregs who do nothing have everything."

Mira raises her right palm, glancing at it.

"Some are born as slaves, their lives meaningless from the beginning, their existence merely a charm to the eye of a beholder.

Then she raises her left palm, gazing at it.

"Others are born as nobles, predestined to shine brighter than the stars despite the lack of qualities to be one."

She tightens her hands into fists, her knuckles whitening.

"If there truly are gods, then they didn't inherit the eyes of Allmother as they seem to be blind, and they didn't inherit her arms as they seem to remain inactive, uncaring."

Sixteen? Wow. She's wiser than I am in my forties.

What was I when I was sixteen again? What did I do besides swallowing condoms again?

"You mentioned goblins, angels, beasters, and elves. What an assortment of races. But what about humans and demons?" I ask, tilting my head and mimicking her by crossing my arms. "Or is there even more? Fucki— meeting a mermaid has always been a long dream of mine."

"Each race has three species," she says, raising three fingers. "As for humans…"

"There are dark angels, light angels, and fallen angels. Most refer to fallen angels as humans. What separates us from other angels is mostly the birth rate, the short span of life, and the lack of wings," she mentions, lowering her fingers one by one.

"Umm… regarding demons…" Mira licks her finger, lightly biting on it. "I'll get to that, if you don't interrupt me…"

I point to Gunter, whose corpse lies with dead fish eyes a few steps away from us. "What species is he? Do all the goblins look this fucking scary?

"Have you seen a shark?" I ask. "I always thought the fuckers look scary, especially when they smile. But this guy beats them in that regard, and he's not even smiling!"

"You serious…?" She asks, raising a brow. "You really have the audacity to ask that… After killing the poor guy… I only met them for a week and we barely talked, so it's not like I have a mortal grudge against you… but showing disrespect to the dead is the lowest one can get. Besides, have you ever seen a cute corpse?"

"I don't think you'll look scary after I kill you," I tell her, smiling. Ahh, the urges. Maybe I'll calm down if I punch her once. Not twice. Just once.

Unbeknownst to me, my hand moves.

I strike.

Plucking a few of the strands of her hair and immediately tearing them apart.

"Ouch!" Mira shudders, her lips downing and quivering in anger. "Why hair?! You realize how painful that is!? Don't do that!"

Still better than body parts, organs, and skin.

"Move on," I say, waving.

She puffs her cheeks, a sole tear trickling down her eyes.

Ha, sometimes I forget I'm talking to a kid.

"Here, here." I pat her head. "Is the pain gone, Princess? Do you need a healing kiss on your temple?"

I slap her. On the right.

Wait, why did I slap her?

Then again. On the left.

Hahaha, it feels so good!

Then more—

She grabs my hand, her face seething like a kettle.

"Haha… I didn't mean to slap twice, only once—"

"Just shut up!" She breathes, in and out, tears welling. "Shut up and let me talk!"

Her face red, she crosses her arms, looking at me like I'm a piece of shit.

Well, why did I slap her, indeed? I should've just punched. Bet she wouldn't make such a face.

"Look," I force myself to say. "I'm sorry. I really am. But…"

"But?" she asks, her expression soothing.

"I really doubt this is gonna be the first and only time…"

Mira blinks blankly, looking at me like I'm not worth being a piece of shit.

"Just move on." Before I slam that annoying face of yours.