Last Week’s FFF: Orphan

In the beginning there were two types of beings, those born to nature and those born to magic. For centuries, these beings lived together. However, it was not a harmonious existence.  

The Naturals were still a young race, unevolved, and could not understand that which was magic. They lived short lives and died. The Celestials also had a hard time understanding natural ways. Many looked at them as a nuisance.  The Naturals commonly stole their food or livestock and could not yet understand that they were trespassing on the Celestial’s land.

There was much fighting.  But the naturals were no match for those with magic. Amongst the Celestials, there were varying degrees of power. Those with the most power where higher up in the hierarchy of their society. The ones with the most power were call Gods. The world was in its infancy and still being discovered. One thing these gods agreed on and feared was that the Naturals would be destroyed by the magical population that they so annoyed.

To prevent this from happening, the gods devised a plan, and split reality into two. They made one dimension for the Naturals to roam and live out their existence. Everything mortal was placed there.  They also forbade anyone from crossing the limit.  If the Naturals were to die out, it would not be by their hand.  They had to leave nature to take its course.

The gods kept their dimension for themselves.  The realm was split into kingdoms.  Each god took a piece for themselves. The god ruled over their lands and helped the lower order beings in their daily lives, protecting them with their magic’s. They had families and passed their kingdoms on to their offspring when they felt like it was time.  They lived in piece.

For thousands of years, these gods did not die. They were thought to be immortal.  They occasionally warred with each other.  However, with no death, there was never a victor.  After many years of wars and alliances, one god got frustrated.

Lord Aderic knew that he could destroy a kingdom, but it did not mean anything if he could not eliminate the competition. He knew that gods could not die, but he was determined to discover a way to change that. During the great battle of Elteon, Aderic’s army was failing him, and his magic’s weren’t strong enough to defeat Lord Resil. Aderic was not one to accept defeat, and he was willing to do anything to gain power. He commanded his magi to work day and night, even to draw upon his own power if needed, whatever it took to find a way to kill a god.

It took them nearly three years, and a great deal of physical pain and sacrifice, but he found that way. His magi built him a special sword, the likes of which had never been seen before. This sword used his own life essence, and with it, held the power to kill a god.  Although being connected to the sword made him vulnerable, he was confident.  Besides, without power, he decided that he may as well not be alive.

Aderic called Lord Resil with a ploy to lure him into a face to face confrontation, claiming that he wanted to discuss a truce. Resil brought no backup and happily met with Aderic alone, sure that he was about to inherit his kingdom. They met atop a hill between the two domains. Resil was confident and met Aderic with a smile. As Aderic held out his hand to shake Resil’s, Aderic plunged the sword into Resil’s gut.

Resil fell to the ground, his eyes wide with shock. As Aderic stood there, watching Resil lay bleeding, something happened that had never happened before. A god was killed. Aderic began to walk away. He was more pleased than he could have imagined at what he had just accomplished. He knew that Resil’s kingdom was now his, and that he would never be challenged again. He would have been satisfied at that, but as the last breath left Resil, a surge of power escaped as well.

Feeling this, Aderic turned to face Resil’s body. A cloudy mist rose from the wound. The mist rose up and splintered into many lines, and one of those hit Aderic. It was like a rush of energy that Aderic, as well as all of the other gods, had never felt anything like before. Afterwards, they all felt stronger.  This turn of events intrigued Aderic. He examined his powers and found he possessed more than he had before.

Aderic eventually came to the conclusion that all of the gods powers were collective. Therefore, the fewer gods alive, the more power each would have. He began to hunt the other gods. Not for a desire for their kingdoms, but for a lust for their powers. He quickly became corrupt and obsessed with gathering power.

When word got out that Aderic was killing gods, many of them left their realm. A few stayed behind to challenge Aderic, but they failed again and again. The lower beings knew they were no match for a god, and accepted him as ruler. Those that left traveled to the natural world and stopped using their powers for fear that they would meet the same fate as those who fought. But it was a futile effort. Aderic searched to the ends of both realities, for hundreds of years, and, eventually hunted all of them down.  All but one.