Chapter 28 . True Styggs, and his desire to give blessings.
Dhira stood up, and stretched, it ached. The weird creature's energy has gotten a toll on him and it was well written that the creature is finally dead. You can see the relief of that on his face, he looked down on his pants that were wet with mud and dirt. He looked around for the wooden mace when he heard it again.
He stopped his head. And sighed. The sound of the forest moving was all too familiar by now.
He had to fight again. He turned, but what he saw was different from what he expected.
The center where that weird creature was. A beautiful white light filled the forest, and wherever the light went, the forest became greener, healthier. Even his wounds and the effect of rotting were gone. He looked ahead in surprise. The white light illuminated the dark forest. Even the sky became clear. Everything became beautiful and sunny, like the previous state of the jungle was just a dream.
And in the place where that white light was coming, a figure slowly emerged.
It was- he was ethereal. He was the most handsome male he had ever seen, even more handsome than him, he had to admit that. He wore a white noble dress of the West with beautiful golden deer embroidery on his clothes with nature motifs. Both of his hands were behind his back and he had a gentlemanly smile. His whole presence gave a divine vibe, like he was the son of the sun itself.
Dhira looked at him, confusion clear on his face. His Western face seemed to remind him of someone. He asked tentatively, "Samuel is that you?" Then he himself denied it. Samuel's eyes were blue, his were green.
And the man in front of him chuckled and said,
"No Dhira, I'm not your friend Samuel. I'm Stiggs, bastard son of Loki. I like to thank you for freeing me from my imprisonment and releasing me from my cursed state. I'll be forever indebted to you from ages to come."
Hearing all his thanks, he really didn't care, but him being the son of Loki, even if a bastard one, he didn't like it. He was ready to fight again, and before he could do anything, the ethereal man said,
"I, Stiggs, am willing to grant you any wish you desire, Dhira, to prove my gratitude." Hearing this, Dhira, who was thinking of opening his brains, paused and looked at him. He was smiling with a sunny expression.
And Dhira hearing his last words, Dhira without thinking said, "Kill yourself." Stiggs' smile instantly stiffened.
He really didn't expect it. But he said calmly,
"Dhira, I'm already dead. What you killed was my physical body. Now I'm just a form that'll leave for Valhalla soon. Ask something else and I promise to fulfill it."
And Dhira without thinking said, "Kill Zeus." His smile stiffened again.
And he said, his smile breaking a little, "He is a God king. Only another God king or higher being can kill him, Dhira. He is beyond me. Ask something else. Maybe eternal life!" He suggested, but Dhira didn't care. He immediately said his next wish.
"Kill Loki then."
Stiggs froze immediately. And seeing his reaction, Dhira understood he couldn't do it, this guy was useless. He turned ready to walk away when Stiggs hurriedly stopped him. And said, "Wait, I can grant you something else. Just don't ask me to kill someone." Hearing this, a distasteful, and cool look appeared on Dhira's face and he said, "I don't need anything else." And started to walk away.
Stiggs, seeing this, said, "What about a Divine mace? I can give you one. It's better than that branch you're holding." Hearing this, Dhira waved his hand and said, "Nah, I already suffered in the hands of a divine mace. This branch is better." And hearing this, Stiggs said,
"Then what about some ever-clean clothes that'll never get dirty?" Dhira paused. "That's actually good."
Stiggs smiled finally.
"But no thanks." Stiggs' smile froze again And he heard him saying,
"I don't need something fancy. I need something that can kill a God. Or at least help me." And hearing this Stiggs sighed, one hand still resting gracefully behind his back, his ethereal form shimmering faintly in the white light. "I don't have the capability to kill a God or give you a weapon that can kill a God, but what I do have is an advice and a blessing. I, Stiggs, grant you, Dhira, the mortal ability to resist all kinds of illusion, no matter the size or power."
The jungle shook for his words and Dhira felt something, like a message settling deep within his chest, steady and cool. And then Stiggs said, "This ability will grant you the resistance to my mother's most troublesome ability, and as advice I like to say what you sought to achieve is difficult. To kill a God you must be aware of his godhood. A God with and without a godhood is two different concepts. I being the son of Loki don't have any godhood even though blood of Gods flows through my veins."
" If I had this fight might have had a different ending. A godhood is the strongest weapon of God. You can suppress a God in all formats and even survive his primordial form, but his godhood will be very troublesome for you. A godhood is not just a title but also a source of power and weapon of God." And he waved his hand and through magic illusory figures appeared in white light.
" A God of forest will gather power from all forests in the world, it'll nourish him, make him stronger, and this godhood can be used as a weapon. Once a God feels he is in danger he will use his godhood, which is also called God's might. Once a God uses it, no matter who it is or what it is, it won't survive. I'll advise you to dodge it at any cost, cause once you are hit with it. You are dead."
Words landed, the magic disappeared and Dhira felt it, this guy wasn't lying. Whatever that God's might was, it was very dangerous. Dhira nodded, one thumb idly brushing the Shiva pendant at his chest, and turned to leave. When he suddenly remembered his previous words. "About that ever-clean clothes, can you still—" Words were left unsaid, and a forced smile appeared on Stiggs' face.
And with Dia and Aatreya they were outside the forest when they noticed the forest around them changing. Dia was surprised by that.
"What happened?" And Aatreya said " He did it." And they went inside the newly regrown forest.
They walked inside and saw the half-ruined settlement was now like a new place, no destroyed huts or anything. She even saw a few animals running around, their small movements quick and cautious. They walked in near the center, and saw Dhira pushing the wooden statue of Thor back in place, one hand idly brushing dust from the base. Dia looked at him and he was wearing new clothes with a little bit of Nordic style to it. His pants had changed with straps crisscrossing below his knees, and he had two arm bracers which looked like they were made out of copper. He looked pristine without a spot.
She was surprised that he wasn't a single bit dirty and had no marks of battle when she heard loud explosions and monstrous wailing and screeching coming from inside. She went near him and tried to hand him a flask of water, which after a thought she placed near him. He grabbed it and drank.
"What happened to this place?" she asked, looking around, her fingers tapping lightly against her arm. "Why this is all new? Where is the ruined huts and fog?" And hearing this, Dhira replied after emptying the bottle.
"I don't know. After I killed Stiggs this became like this."
And hearing a foreign name she asked, "Who is Sticks?"
And Dhira said,
"It's Stiggs not Sticks and he said he is Loki's son which I doubted." And hearing this Dia was stunned.
"You already killed a God?" And Dhira said, "He wasn't a God, just a half maybe." And Dia asked, "How did you even kill half of that?" And he said, "By breaking his horns," and he tossed a bag filled with the broken horns of Stiggs towards Aatreya and asked,
"Aatreya can you tell me about him?"
And in the night inside the empty tavern, Dhira and friends sat near a fireplace.
Dhira was leaning back on a wooden chair fully relaxed, one hand resting on the armrest.
Dia had her arms folded and she served hot bowls of food to them, her movements precise yet carrying quiet tension. Aatreya stood near the fireplace, which was like a pizza oven three feet above the ground, and he started the tale.