MANDATES OF DIVINITY

EPISODE 2

The creator knows all things,

the creator made all things, except the fallen,

they are the product of man’s pride…

-Saint Udias.

The mighty outreach.

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“The tale of creation is one of myth, there exist so much variations that the real event has been lost to time. The truth would have been totally eradicated if not for ‘the chronicles of the giver’ called the scripture, summoned by the godling himself, the scripture contains the detailed documentation of creation.

The giver made man as a powerful race of gods, he endowed them with everything they required and gave them the authority to subdue the universe. There was peace and the universe flourished, man functioned as the gods they were meant to be. A race of immortals that had the ability to do all things, it was supposed to be that way forever.

Everything changed when humans gave heed to the counsel of the damned, a powerful being of mischief and evil. They rebelled against the laws of the giver, evil and strife crept in and they gradually reduced to mortals. In no time the humans became a shadow of the gods they once were and untold darkness engulfed the universe. Many began to seek power from the damned and men gave him control over the entire universe.

            Men continued to drown in their pride and resentment, evil grew drastically and total eradication became imminent until a few sought out the giver. Of the sons of men, the giver made a reincarnation of himself to save them, one who functioned like the gods men once were. He became the very first godling, wrestling the damned and his forces.

The godling became victorious, successfully subduing the damned for a given period of time and he began to teach men to be like himself. His teachings guided man back to the path of immortality and once again, hope was born. The godling selected disciples of the sons of men and thought them to be teachers and masters unto other men, all towards the same end of returning to the human race its lost glory.

The godling suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving only clues about his actions in his previous teachings and his disciples were required to fill his shoes. The world once again descended into chaos, it would seem only a true godling could hold it together. The spawns of the damned began to move once again, monsters were made out of men and the fate of the universe became more and more uncertain.

The disciples of the godling started a movement known as the church, an organization built on the principles and teachings of the godling. They started off as crusaders of peace and they waxed strong striving on the hopes of the desperate. The organization grew and subdued kingdoms, ever ambitious they attempted to build a single empire of all the kingdoms of the world, they still intend to do. The followers of the damned also expand their own territories and various monarchs stood clear of the influence of both and that my little one, is still the state of our world.”

Father Bayo smiled at this part, various kids were seated before him and what he narrated was the church’s account of creation, their account of the beginning.

“Father, why haven’t we seen any of the godling’s original disciples?” A boy questioned from among the children.

“They are in isolation, interacting with the giver. The twelve are immortals and need not to meddle in the casual events of the church, we have the pope to guide us. They will however appear when the situation calls for them to.” The priest answered the question with a smile and his gaze fell on Athion, the latter was expressionless. “We are the righteous servants of the creator, we are the active end of his justice and until the fallen are vanquished, the world is yet to be saved” The priest added and just as he was about to continue, he was interrupted by the ringing of a bell; he turned in the direction of the cathedral and sighed.

“Looks like my time is up, run along little children, I have to head to the cathedral.” Following his announcement, they all rose to their feet and dissipated. Only four teenagers were left behind and with the priest’s gesture, they drew closer. Three boys and a girl, they were dressed in blue robes and they looked void of expression.

“I believe you know that the pope is sending representatives to check on the four of you today. In fact, according to our scouts, a bishop and his company are just minutes away from the city gates.” Father Bayo scanned them with his eyes as he spoke. “He intends to validate the level of your gifts and report back to the pope.”

            The four teenagers nodded in understanding, there were no swings in mood or traces of excitement, their expressions remained frozen. The four were not normal kids, they bore an atmosphere that defied their age and after the address by father Bayo, they merely nodded and made their way to the cathedral.

            Not long after, a convoy made its way into the city of Noonbay. The bishop rode in with an entire cavalry, some of the knights that rode with him were clad in golden armour and they bore a flag that signalled the presence of the church’s forces. The company rode straight to the cathedral where they were received by father Bayo and some other priests. The company contained the bishop, a saint, four crusaders and about five knights.

“The four are ready to be evaluated your grace, I await your instructions.” Father Bayo genuflected deeply as he spoke.

“Excellent father, I will see them right away. Time is of essence; the fate of the entire world might as well lie in the hands of one if not the four of them.” The Bishop replied gracefully and the priest led him to the evaluation centre within the church grounds.

            On a plain field, the Bishop sat along with his company at one end. Four teenagers stood before them and behind them was father Bayo, their blue robes fluttered relentlessly under the mild breeze.

“The pope intends to know how far you four have progressed, how well you have been able to hone your gifts. I believe you know you are different from your peers due to the circumstances that surround your birth; to avoid interference from the enemies of the church we have kept your potentials secret even from your parents.” The bishop began to address the four. “Betty, Watt, Bernard and Athion. Your opponent this time around is a saint from the order of saint Marcus, I heard he was in this city nine years ago for an execution. He will be testing out your strength before the four of you are eventually moved to see the pope.” As soon as the bishop concluded his speech, a man dressed in a black robe stepped forward.

            The four took battle stances and Father Bayo vacated the field. Athion recognized the saint before them, it was the same saint who oversaw the execution, the execution of the fallen sage, the one that failed.

“I am saint Patra of the order of Marcus and I will be presiding your evaluation.” He was just as Athion remembered, the manner with which he spoke and his lofty posture. “Know that I can handle whatever you throw at me and I strongly advice that you do not hold back.” He added with a smile. He still couldn’t believe he was going to wrestle kids.

            There was absolute silence, no one moved or even flinched. Saint Patra stood with his hands behind his back, the four before him bowed in unison and resumed their battle stances. A bright light broke forth behind the four, it was so bright, it dimmed their faces. The saint averted his gaze and soon the intensity reduced gradually, it formed a halo right above the head of the four, each had his / her own halo. Their face shone with radiance and their countenance were altered. Patra took a deep breath; this was going to be way harder than he thought.