[Warning: Premature awakening detected]
[Ascension-1 ruler has detected your presence]
"The hell is bistoned upon us boy…." She whispered, her voice was clearly trembling "Tistra Domiscus has detected your presence. Seems like the genocide will begin earlier than expected".
And for that single moment- Leon's heart skipped a beat.
The night was sleepless for the Tree of Life. Her leaves began to wither as the chaos lingering over the town was echoing within her heart. Even though she had assured Leon that the ruler wouldn't attack until she was weakened, a mild disruption of her thoughts was "what if….. what if the MARCH has already begun".
Meanwhile, Leon was swaddled inside the roots. The roots wrapped around Leon were providing him nutrition and divine power. He could feel it- the power, the pressure- his body was getting excited as if a surge of energy flooded in.
When the first light touched the village, Leon's education began.
"Listen Vale, you are the key man in this new propaganda. So everything I teach you is quite gritty and complicated. You can't be hasty…. Still looking at the time constraint we will try to enlighten you as soon as possible"
"Ok…."
He paused
"Tree"
"You can call me Alice," the pale-green deity whispered.
And so, the Vista of knowledge began….
The whole Ascension system was governed by a currency called Elixir. It's a currency that determines your status in society or more particularly in divine lineage. Subjects of Ascension 1 don't have more than 50 elixirs. A subject who shall surpass 50 elixirs gets the right to ascend into the Ascension 2.
Consequently came a definite question. How can one gain Elixirs? The answer was simple- Kill thy subject and their Elixirs shall be awarded to you by the god himself.
All of these rules and grants were written in a constitution followed by the Gods themselves.
"THE TESTAMENT OF THE ASCENDED" was the name of the book that holds the constitution.
And so the session went on….
"We shall stop here," Alice whispered "talk no more Vale, here comes my another disciple"
Little Agasthus Porsa, close to his sixth birthday, was the disciple Alice was talking about. He was raised by Porsa family whose parental lineage was believed to be the part of the upper section of the Ascension 1.
Agasthus was energetic as every other child, yet a little dent of the loss of his father, sophisticated a part of it….
"I will now leave with my child in your care" said Agasthus's mother with a soothing voice.
"Who.. is this boy?" A slightly faintish, but well spoken by Agasthus.
"He is your little brother. Promise me, you will take care of him" Alice gave a slight pat with her finger.
"You are small," Agasthus laughed, looking at Leon.
"No, Vale" Leon was stifling his fury "he is just a little kid. I can't beat him up, nor should I abuse him. Let's handle it calmly"
"Don't worry little brother, your big bro will protect you"
That day the two little toddlers were romping through the grass, chasing tiny butterflies across the meadows and giggling with the wind. When the heat tensed up, Drasthamus came to take Leon back home.
The family prepared some cupcakes and enjoyed them as dessert. Leon, trying to play the role of a baby, destroyed the batter twice, only to finally help the couple.
Time came and Leon had to go back to Alice. Today the long chats constricted and the energy transfer began. For a while it was silent and calm. He could sense it- Alice's heart beat.
Lub….
Dub….
Lub….
….
….
Lub….
That's when Leon jolted awake. Alice's pulse was weakening, but that was not the complete picture.
They were here….
They were numerous….
Their aura was astonishing….
It was Tistra Domiscus's army. They were gazing right at the village from the shadows- nobody could see them, but Leon did.
The danger was closer now, and the predators were already surrounding the prey through the dense grass. The attack wasn't about to begin anymore, it had already begun.
Removing the roots and dashing out of the pit, he gazed at Alice. Her pale green colour was fading with a yellowish tint. Her leaves had already muddied the beautiful elevation of the grassland. It was clear- Alice was dying.
"Vale….we don't have much time" she stuttered "I need to transfer all the wisdom at once"
"So that's what…"
"Yes, that's what I was doing"
"But it is killing you. Aren't you the only hope protecting the village"
"I can't for much longer. These people, my dear boy, are of the lower section. Tistra wants to annihilate their kind"
"And that is why you are here," Leon was furious.
"Listen Vale…. You are here to build a story, a tale that will never be forgotten in the history of Ascension. You need to be strong, you need to be emotionless. Give up on the…"
"I know what you are getting at" he swayed his hand
"You are willing to sacrifice the whole village for this pity project"
"It's not about sacrificing, Vale"
"Then what it is all about"
"Tell me Vale, every year back on earth many youths, even babies die of thirst, disease and what not. Don't the upper gods want to save them? Don't you think they would try to give everyone the fortune they deserve. But why are these apocalypses still a part of human life? What is your take on it Vale?"
Leon was stunned and couldn't utter anything further.
"Even though we deities have power to change anything, to rewrite anything or manipulate the circumstances according to our will, solving such dilemmas may create further crises. And this time they may be even more complicated" Alice was a bit emotional while sharing this fact. It was surely something from her past that was eating her "please, trust me Vale, and you will understand the burden that we share"
The ritual of complete transformation began. This time, the energy flowing inside him was ounces more than before. It felt as if his heart was throbbing with an even greater force. Consequently, the pain rose in equal measure, commensurate with haemophilic weakness. And through the pain and divine energy, he learned what it meant to be a God.
And within this learning, the sight changed.
It was an old, muddy household with lively people. The mother was serving warm food to the other members of the family, the meal was perfectly set on the dine. The metal dishes- probably made of copper, banged down from the edge of the stove. But the family didn't rattle, instead they shared a fruitful laugh.
"That's my family," a voice whispered.
Turning around, Leon found a beautiful girl with long green hair and a floral crown on either side.
"Who are you?" He was a little suspicious of her identity
"Are you serious" the girl giggled with surprise "It's me, Alice"
"That girl over there beside the man of the family, it's me"
"You look completely different… and beautiful" Leon added
That's when a young soldier brought a sick man, all weakened and thinned by the disease on their doorstep.
"Oh Deity" he cried "please help my father"
Young Alice quickly jumped off the chair and drew her hand over him in a benediction. His eyes opened, still tired but in better condition. He brought his hands together to thank the young deity.
"May God bless you"
That's all she said.
One after another, many people came from the town to the outskirts. All arrived with the same motive- to receive blessings of the Young Deity. Some came for the cure of their disease and some came for stabilising their falling relations. Slowly slowly the town became prosperous and happy.
But the scene shifted again….
Houses in the town burning in flames that took over the sky. People quarrelling over one another, some with the murderous intent shedding blood, the Cataclysm was annihilated everywhere.
"What's this sudden change" Leon was completely shocked
"Its due to your actions young deity" a old man cried over to Young Alice
"The testament of the ascended holds a single most important rule peculiarly, and that's to not bless people without their exaggerated efforts. You blessed everyone with a nonchalantly young deity, and so everybody in the town became hostile. As the one who broke such an important law- I shall command you to turn into a tree of wisdom who will spread its knowledge to prevent such misconducts"
The scene faded….
Tears flooded down as he flashed through the hundreds of years Alice lived as the tree.
"Leon Vale, the process has been completed. You are now a deity yourself. Use your powers to bring harmony and peace into this world" the voice echoed "may God bestow his blessings upon you"....
And his eyes opened….
He could see Alice all wrinkled like a degraded fruit. She was dead as she exhausted all her life source on Leon.
A few more years dropped down….
And that's when he turned to look at the village set on fire.
[Town of Light Canals has been destroyed]
[Tree of life and Wisdom was eliminated]
[You are an unofficial Deity]....