then it becomes, it becomes, it becomes a problem, then--

[monzun]

Monzun watches over their people. They teach their Creature. That was all they knew and all they really wanted initially, when they were freshly-created, and perhaps it ever would have been if another god's cruelty hadn't cut in.

Their goal had never been to be the only god. It was that, and then it had been surviving to oppose Nemesis, and now he was gone, and it seemed they were the only regardless.

("Eh, screw 'em! What've other gods been but trouble for us, huh?")

("Well...It is a bit lonely. And Khazar's actions are the only reason we're around today, isn't that right?")

The power of the Creeds trickle back alongside the power of the people. And then torrents, and a flood. The Miracles they use grow stronger beyond even Wonders' assistance.

Generations of their people live and proliferate and die, and Monzun's strength doesn't waver, but increases even as the populations settle lower than the war efforts and post-war burst their levels to being.

("Yeah! We're badass! Even if it could use a lil more fireballin' to make all this peace more exciting, Boss.")

 Their Creature and people are safe. They revel in being only gentle without consequence but worshippers' occasional disrespect, and they find they care little about that--unless they harm others in their village, and then Creature gentle scolding or abrupt relocation across the land tends to work nearly as well as lightning would have.

Their intervention is needed less even as they notice more. Little beacons where their people were, somewhere well beyond the seas, still worshipping where it once couldn't reach. 

And something else. A shard of something.

Another...another god? Near their people? The numbers waver, some converting to the other, fewer converting to Monzun, as reasonable without them there to demonstrate their power. 

They need to look. 

("Could be a fresh threat we need to squash.")

("Or they may be a new god in need of a Guide?")

A fragment of them even hopes...

...

...Nemesis' brutality means their consciences say nothing while their Teleports are slowly practiced until they look something closer to a Vortex the old gods used.

It's not quite as large. Redder. But far more than a simple Teleport.

The day comes where they reach across the Lands and place it where they sense their lingering people and that god.

("Let's go!")

("It's so exciting! But we don't need to rush quite yet--")

Monzun takes some time to look over their nearest people and discuss. Khazar brought them Disciples; they could bring some possibly willing to convert to another, although they seem confused by the conversation. Do any of theirs know Miracles? Oh? Yes? One of Sable's decedents picked up the Wood Miracle, they hadn't realized that was possible--

A part of them is distant, distant, distant.

Monzun reaches for their Creature and finds they stare down into the Vortex.

Ah. 

It seems their impatience was noticed and acted upon.





In another part of Eden, a Vortex opened on the side of a mountain that Monzun's old Temple still stands on. The air splits with a shocked bellow as a massive Leopard Creature steps onto nothing and tumbles down into the water.

Ouch.

Only a little ouch. It wasn't that far, but Sweetheart wasn't expecting it. She stands and shakes the water off a little--oooh, fish. Scoops up a handful of fresh fish to eat, and then turns around to claw up the mountain to peek over the edge.

There are a few people! Worshipping wrong, or maybe just frightened. That's okay. She's pretty different now. She doesn't mind when they take off running when they un-freeze.

...Most of the trees she grew are missing. She doesn't like that, she worked hard on those.

She climbs up all the way--oh, the Temple's smaller, or she's so big as to match?--and immediately gets to Miracle Watering the withered ones in the worship sites left.

Comments

[lethys]

The waves lap at the shore nearby, oddly loud in the aftermath of the Leopard's albeit short speech.

Lethys is perhaps less surprised than Monzun. But they seem surprised. He guesses this must be novel to them.

He affords them a moment or two of processing this new information, and then acknowledges it himself.

"She did not learn that from us." In case they were wondering.

Laetes eyes her wildly - out of the corner of his eye, as best he can manage, still fervently biting and scratching at himself. He achieves some interesting levels of contortion attempting this, and barks snappily in complaint. He doesn't want a game. Why is he the only one taking this seriously?

[monzun]

They had visited the Creature Cave recently, but gave the informational scrolls no attention. Sweetheart hadn't been behaving in a way that left them concerned over her learning or losing skills.

It appears they should have.

Monzun wobbles a little in acknowledgement of Lethys' statement.

They are swept up in pride and melancholy both. How long has it been since they were in awe of the Guide teaching the eager Creature and God novices? Monzun had nearly forgotten how badly they hoped their own Good Girl would learn the capability to communicate the same, eventually. To speak with them, and him. And today only they remain.

...The matter of the subject should be addressed, shouldn't it?

Sweetheart is tugged sideways. Her claws leave reluctant furrows into the sand. "This is not the place for games," they tell her.

A pause. Not indulging their Sweetheart doesn't occur to them, after all her loyalty and hard work.

They observe the other scratching Creature. Lethys may be allowed to share their resources, but the Wolf is wild enough they'd rather he keep from wandering too deeply near their Villages.

A spark of ancient resentment rises. "Perhaps near the old Yogi's Temple, some time," Monzun suggests to all. They haven't checked to see if he's kept himself alive. They don't care.

[lethys]

Lethys is not listening for the most part. At least, he can hear, but clearly none of this is aimed at him and so he's not paying notice. He is busy with other thoughts, like how the Leopard's size and booming voice have a disturbing familiarity to them.

Thus the silence stretches between them, until the back of Lethys' mind nudges him that the last thing Monzun said sounded a bit like a prompt, and how he is one of only two here that might respond to such a thing.

They were talking to him.

Lethys quickly re-runs the conversation and struggles to understand.

"What suggestion are you making," he says, tone flat with suspicion.

[monzun]

...What suggestion are they making, in particular? Hm. Monzun arcs lightly downward. "What is a Creature game?" they ask Sweetheart.

Sweetheart's jaw works, though her voice didn't come from there. A small rumble escapes. She can't explain! She doesn't have enough words yet.

A claw rises to start a swirl of a Gesture, carving red in the air, but she cuts it before it can form anything, and her hand and head both droop in frustrated disappointment.

"Whatever it is," Monzun offers peaceably to Lethys, "it can be done away from any Villages of mine and territory of yours."

[lethys]

At the sight of Monzun attempting to converse with Sweetheart, Lethys is thrown somewhere else. He keeps his grip on the present just fine, but there is an echo here. He focuses on their next words and stiffly responds.

"We are no match for you in a show of strength," he points out. "But we will rise to any challenge you set."

Laetes has pulled himself up to his feet and begun backing away and scrabbling at himself with an angry scoff. He saw Sweetheart gesturing, and it spooked him.

[monzun]

Monzun stills, then makes their light move a little ways away. Sweetheart's head swivels between them, Laetes, Lethys, back again.

"I am not trying to set much," they point out in return. "Only fulfillment of my Creature's desires."

[lethys]

"As you wish," he curtly replies. "If it pleases your Creature."

They can frame it how they like; it is bound to be a challenge. There is no other game gods play.

Laetes narrows his eyes, shuffling like he intends to begin again his obsessive stalking, but the plague of buzzing things distracts him from the task.

"We will meet there - and I will bring my Creature. Is there another rule you would have me follow?"

[monzun]

Monzun is dissatisfied by this. They don't know how to express it, or if they should. They are getting what Sweetheart wants, after all.

"...I will interfere if they do anything to the point of one nearing unconsciousness." Tactfully, they do not say that it will likely be his Wolf. "I plan on only observing otherwise. You...do as you like. And what your Creature may like, as long as it doesn't harm my Villages or Temple."

Because they will be fairly near their Temple, after all. A battle there will not cause harm. A Storm might.

[lethys]

A fight, then. Of sorts. Monzun is being strangely cagey about it, but it sounds like a fight.

They will lose, of course. Lethys steels himself to accept this inevitability. It is a necessary part of staying in Monzun's better graces; but that doesn't make it less humiliating to agree to.

"I will not try your people's faith," he declares, since they're performing the dance of setting rules. "Nor will my Creature. I will see to it personally."

Laetes is grumpily trying to lick and chew parts of himself untoward. He has already stopped listening to the gods overhead.

[monzun]

"Very well," they say cautiously. This is sounding far more serious than it's meant to be, from how Monzun has seen Sweetheart's previous attempts to be friendly. They've done all they can to protect what is theirs, however, and even the old Yogi (if he still exists) doesn't need a Temple in the way a god does, should it end up ruined.

("Not like it'd matter anyway! Stealthy ol' bastard.")

("And it might be fine, in the end! And...well, our Creature may be big, and his may be ferocious...but we can repair it later, still!")

Perhaps. They require and desire his regard less than ever.

"We shall meet when your Creature is recovered?" Monzun suggests, tugging a lightly-vibrating Sweetheart away further. Holy Flies can linger for quite some time.

[lethys]

Laetes is scritching and scratching and it is really quite distracting and so Lethys Leashes his Creature and gives him a light tug.

Laetes reluctantly staggers to his feet and thumps to his god's side - that is, on the ground, below. His face turns up briefly to take stock of Sweetheart standing there, almost shoulder to symbol with her own god, and then he makes a wet ruffing noise through his teeth and whips back to bite at the itching.

"Very well," he gravely agrees. "I will bring my Creature as soon as your curse fades."

With that, he snaps the Leash home - lingering only to watch Laetes haul his body in that direction before flitting ahead, back to his Temple.

He has no reason to linger. Monzun has set the rules. He will be there, as agreed. Dragging out this conversation any longer would be... unwise.

[monzun]

Their curse. Well. It is their curse, in that they worked to teach their Creature to use it, but they hadn't been around when it was cast. They say nothing to it.

"Farewell," is instead said to the pair's retreat, too quiet to be heard, while they pull Sweetheart in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, Sweetheart's head snaps back, nearly goggling at the disappearing wolf silhouette and gleam of blue upside-down and almost unbalancing backwards: "Farewell! Fare-WELL! Faaaaaarewell!" she sings, and goes.