A Different Earth

In the days before our time Gods and humans waged war. Gods were quicker swifter and more knowledgeable, but they were fewer. Humans were disgracing the world with all matters of vile things. People were starving and dying simply because there were to many of them. The Gods set out to fix the problem by sending plague and swift deaths to most of the world. Slowly the population dwindled and those left took their hatred and pain out on the irresponsible Gods who tried to control them. The first God sacrifice was the Flower Goddess who was snuck upon while planting for the spring. Her father painted the field in human blood and now the flowers grow without petals leaving their ugly insides to be exposed to the sun and the humans who enter the place. Humans were quick learners on how to kill the gods and like the Gods had done to them, they killed many.

The God of Wild was sorrowful for the gods but as his brothers and sisters began dying off he knew he should create an heir and live as a human. He disguised himself as a beggar man of homely appearance and decrepit age. He came upon a young pretty maid who helped him as the beggar to become well again. He learned that she was still loyal to the gods and he transformed into himself again. The young woman was filled with fright but he had managed to sooth her. He courted her in as humanly a way as possible but being a God he was impatient. The God of Wild was still fighting in the war and left his beloved human wife alone many days. She discovered she was with child, the god returned to find his wife swollen with motherhood and he rejoiced. He stayed and the baby was born healthy and contented.

The baby’s eyes as black as coal and his hair a seductive honey brown. The parents put the child to bed in the only place they had room a closet off of their bedroom. But the war would not allow the God of Wild to live in peace as the man he was happy to be. Villagers had spread work of a careless God who had stolen a woman and was keeping her captive. The woman had gone to bed with her husband and did not wake until her husbands cry startled her as his sweaty body fell on top of her coating her with his thick rich blood. It burned her some and when she cursed the villagers they took her by her hair and slit her thought. She was a believer and deserved everything that came to her because of her choice. The villagers left without discovering the baby having never heard the rumor of the pregnant woman.

The day after the woman’s friend ventured to the hidden hut and discovered the murdered husband and wife. She heard the soft cries of the young baby boy and found him in the humble closet wrapped in a fine blanket of the purest white silk. She pulled the baby from his crib and left the hut. She knew the baby in her grasp was a demi-god but she was lucky that no one else knew. She shut herself in her hut and did not let the boy leave until the village down the road had forgotten about the God and his human wife.

The Gods who were left went into hiding. The eldest of three sisters seduced a woodsman and became pregnant with his child. She pointed out to her sisters what they should do. So the second eldest found a sword smith and seduced him. Seeing her sister’s success the youngest took a young priest. Together these children would be the links that guided humanity and the Gods to stop fighting. And the three Goddesses gave up their immortality to give their children the chance at a life filled with greatness. They called upon their youngest sibling a god who had not yet come into his right and they placed the care of the children with him.

Three feminine voices rang out into the night.

“Protect them.”

“Guide them.”

“Show them.”

The voices were precise and angelic; the receiver of the words was a young god. He was holding three baby girls who had not yet begun to live.

“They will turn this hell back.”

“They will bring back the flowers.”

“They will make it safe.”

The voices began to fade as the women backed away from the god. Their voices merged into one the further back they retreated. “The age will come upon them quickly. The war has ended but humanity must be restored. The Pure. The Wise. The Strong. Protect guide show. They will be depending on you, brother.”

The voice disappeared with the last flick on smoky dust. The god was left with the lifeless babes and he would need to place them in a mother’s care, only a mother’s love could bring the children to life.

“My dear sisters, how can you trust another to care for your children?” The god asked puzzled. Never the matter, he cloaked himself and began the search for the mothers of his nieces. He took the oldest first. He carried her in a crimson blanket over his chest and wore the garb of a scholar. He traveled far and took his time. He traveled into the forest to paint the baby’s cheeks with the nectar of a flower when he happened upon a huntress aiming her arrow at him. Her red hair back in a tight braid and eyes dark and defiant.

“Sir, remove yourself from this path and be on your way. There are places not everyone needs to see.” Her hand was steady.

“Perhaps, you would be interested to learn of my niece?” He smiled at her sure he read her properly “Or you could invite me to the temple you are so keen on protecting. Surely the sister of a priestess would recognize me.”

“You, your one of the sacred ones.” Her arrow lowered he moved on her quickly pulling a small hidden knife from his tight sleeve.

“No, I am a god. I am not a sacred one. However. I believe I have a deal to discuss with you.” He was certain and to the point. He removed the knife and could feel where she had cut him where a normal man would fall he merely took a step back. “You are good fast and have the intellect to raise my niece.”

“But I am a human how can I be worthy?”

“Because you believe and you know.” Terrin pulled the oldest babe away from him with the hammock she lay in surrounding her. “She will wake when you give her your love. I will return often and I will always be in this guise. She is yours now to raise until it’s time to meet her cousins. You are the only on in the temple to know who I am. You found her.” He kissed the child and gave her to the unguarded arms of the huntswoman. Without giving the hunter a chance to protest he disappeared and she was left holding the baby who was slowly coming to life in front of her.

The god returned to his dwelling and rested. The huntress had been strong and he would recover soon but the next woman he knew would be one who he would need his strength with. He rested for three nights the wound healing rapidly. He drank from his flask and grabbed the purple blanket of soft cotton and created the same hammock for his second niece. He traveled earning mere pennies from strangers as he sang his way from town to town tipping his hat at the rich to collect the coin and them giving them to the poor. “By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes When the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond” His voice carried his to a valley between two mountains. Midway down the first mountain he could see a village not far off and another much further. He used his walking stick and balanced himself still singing. “Where me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.” He continued down the mountain when he reached the invisible past to the temple he knew he would find. There was the rustling of someone trying to asses the best way to discourage him from moving forward. She was fast, the god had to give her that. He continued of the unseen path. “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road. I’ll be in Scotland before Ye.” He felt her circle around behind him. He continued on the path, now she would know where he was going.

She pulled him down and he landed on his back careful of the baby. She was quick to pull the tall grass to her advantage as she darted behind it again.

“Go home musician. Your going the wrong way.” Her voice was cold and

The god laughed as he rose. “I wouldn’t suggest you trying to get me down again. Woman come out here and greet me properly.”

“Why should I do that musician?” The voice had moved without his realizing she had moved.

“My niece needs you warrior. She needs a mother and I can not provide one for her.”

The woman stepped out of the weeds into the small clearing they had made as she had brought his down to the ground. Her dark hair was cut short and her dress was that of a divided skirt her breasts were covered in a tight skin that once had contained fur.

“I’ll not marry you or take your child. Leave musician.”

“I am no musician. Look closer.” She glanced over him and then the knowledge rose to her eyes for a second.

“A god. Tell me then. The child she is the one the villages are speaking of. She’s one of the three that are made to be a treaty from the gods to the humans?”

“Yes. You have already proven yourself. She will wake when you give her your love. I will return often and I will always be in this guise. She is yours now to raise until it’s time to meet her cousins. You are the only on in the temple to know who I am. You found her.” He kissed the baby before handing her over to the woman and he walked slowly “T’was there that we parted by yon bonny glen. On the steep steep hills of Glen Ben Lomond. Where in purple hues the highland hills we view” He made himself into a pixie and watched from above as the warrior took the child and she began breathing.

He traveled back to his third niece and was greeted by another three days of rest. It had taken too long to find the temple in the valley and the woman who guarded it. He woke and took his final niece in the dark sea colored blanket and turned a log into a small ship after traveling to the shore. There was a temple on an island he would have to find. He could feel the vague pull of it as he traveled further. The island took his three weeks to find sailing in good weather. He turned his vessel to a humble fisher and himself into a lightly bearded fisherman. He made the island and walked not long when he was greeted by the priestess who knew him immediately, her long gold hair and downcast eyes giving away her religious leanings.

“A god has chosen to visit our humble temple. Be brings a sacred gift.”

“It is a gift because you have been faithful in your love. She will wake when you give her your love. I will return often and I will always be in this guise. She is yours now to raise until it’s time to meet her cousins. You are the only on in the temple to know who I am. You found her.” He kissed the baby as he had done before repeating what he had said twice already. He handed over the youngest and the young woman bade him follow to the temple and he did. HE would travel to see each girl but for now he would spend the fortnight with this young one who opened her eyes and stared at the priestess.

When the girls were old enough to have friends the three women would gather at one of the temples and the girls would spend three months together before being separated for the same amount of time. Slowly they learned about each other and the ways of the world. And they too found out who they were and what they were destined to do. They each grew to love each other and respect the ways each of them were different. The oldest was very intelligent and could hunt with the stealth beyond the others. The second would stand out in the wind and dare it to knock her over then she would find some hidden weapon and use it against the wind as her mind connected to the wild powers coursing through her. The Third was a gentile soul and could swim better in the hard ocean currant then either of the other two girls. She kept the other two out of as much trouble and had the best connection to the Gods and the religion they were born into.