(Kingdom of Velkrund)
(Town of Cassady)
8 year old Brill Alpam was standing in the middle of their front room in their house, arms held out awkwardly at weird angles by the conflicting folds and layers that didn't seem to know how to agree with themselves, with him, or with the concept of human locomotion.
Layers of non matching fabric, straps that were too tight or not tight enough, something that may or may not have been a curtain being used as a shawl, shiny plates on a belt that was already threatening to slip, and collars that were stiff enough to stand up by themselves.
His messy brown hair was sticking out in every direction as if it had given up the idea hours ago, the scar across his left eye twitched whenever he tried to blink too hard, which he was doing constantly, as something kept brushing against his face, and the black veins that ran across his right cheek were unnaturally dark against the flushed scarlet color he'd turned.
His mother, Idemay, watched him, tapping her chin with one finger, a cigarette dangling from her other hand, burning down faster than she seemed to realize, the white smoke wove its way up from the tip, up past her eyepatch, and disappearing into her straight black hair.
"Hmm... Do you think I should add one more layer?"
"N-No! Please! I can hardly breathe!" Brill pleaded back.
Idemay didn't answer for a second, a bad sign by the way, before slowly circling him with her boots making a rhythmic tap, tap, tapping on the floorboards. She stopped at his back, reached forward, adjusted a strap that didn't need to be adjusted, tugged at his shoulder, and took a step back again as if she were appraising a particularly valuable piece of jewelry.
"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice unnervingly sweet and thoughtful. "Your first visit to the Choosing, this has to be special, right?"
Brill started to open his mouth, but Idemay was already gone.
Seriously? There was no warning at all, only the briefest zap of fast movement across the room, the sound of drawers being thrown open, something being dropped with a clatter, something else being broken, and she was back with an armful of things that would never have made sense in the same place, let alone on the same person.
"W-Wait, what is that?!" Brill exclaimed.
Too late.
A sequined sash draped itself over his shoulder, a strange, ornate, incredibly stiff thing was strapped across his waist. An enormous, feathered hat or something was tied somewhere behind his head, though he couldn't even turn enough to see where it landed.
"Mom-!"
"Stand still," Idemay replied. "All that squirming and shit. Are you a fish? What happened to my son?"
"I am standing still!"
"Not enough."
Another layer. Another. Something cold pressed into his back, and something impossibly itchy slid underneath his collar.
'ACK! She's gonna suffocate me! Crazy woman!'
By the time Idemay stepped back again, beaming with a terrifyingly complete satisfaction, Brill could barely move his arms and his hands felt strangely far away.
Idemay looked him over for a long moment, a grin spreading across her face. "It'll be fine! If you look all flashy like this, I bet a beast will totally pick you! I remember my first time in the Divinity Gate..."
Brill's head snapped toward her, limited as it was.
"You did?!"
"Total bust. No beast chose me. So I just said screw it and never went back. Haha! Good times…shitty gates."
"Oh..."
The sound was smaller than he intended, and Idemay's smile wavered for just a second, before she reached down and took his hand. "Ah. Don't let my stupid experience with the Gates ruin the fun for you. Yours will be great, I know it. I know it may seem like bad parenting to make a kid attempt to make a Divine Beast contract so you can have magic power, but with how screwed up the world is, a mother must be cautious. Besides, I'm not the only parent doing it, so if anyone tells me I'm a bad mother I'm gonna slaughterize them!"
Brill stared at their hands for a moment before looking back up at her face, at the eyepatch, and at the easy smile that was now back in place.
"O-Okay!"
By the time they were anywhere near the outer plaza of the town, the road leading to the capital had dissolved into a swirling mass of people, and the Divinity Gate itself had been completely consumed by the crowd long before they were even a block away.
….
Under the wide bright sunny sky of Velkrund, the Gate of Ephilm stood giant like a tower. It looked entirely out of place or maybe it simply existed on a plane all its own, far removed from the rough, dirty buildings people were used to in that section of the kingdom. But this Divinity Gate, the Gate of Ephilm, was by itself in a large field of tall grass.
It was impossibly tall, two symmetrical glowing white doors that didn't so much reflect the sky as they held it, as if some great force within pushed relentlessly. They were covered in almost impossibly fine carvings and markings of creatures overlapping and interacting with one another, wings beating against horns, claws wrapped around jaws, patterns that seemed to twist and turn if you look at it a certain way; and refused to make any sense whatsoever if you looked too long.
White hot vapor puffed out in spurts from the base of the doors, creeping across the stone like snakes.
At the entrance, were the Caretakers. They were unmoving and not reacting in any way, tower female figures that wore only white and pink flowers on their body as armor, with their skin being pure white and pink as well. They also had large, white feathered wings extended perfectly and some folded, their golden edges shining without dimming and without ever changing their position.
Their weapons were long and perfectly smooth golden blades rested by their sides, and above their heads, golden halos the same color as their weapons hovered. And their eyes were pure white, nothing at all.
Still, a few of the children edged forward. One small boy, reaching out toward a wing that seemed within inches of his fingertips-
He was yanked back so violently his shoes skidded on the grass.
"Stop, don't touch them with your dirty hands. They tend to the Divine Beasts within the gates, you know." The boys mother said.
The boy crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks and glaring up at her. "But I just wanted to see!"
"And lose your hand? No, thank you."
He lowered his head, grumbling, though his eyes remained looking on the Caretaker's wing, as if already planning how to try again.
There was no blaming him though, the Caretakers were radiant entities, beings who were a marvel to look at and even be around.
…but the amount of adults who tried to get with them is embarrassing, knowing they have no chance is baffling.
Some children everywhere wore armor that had been polished to an almost unbearable shine, their small bodies swaddled in gold plating like they were expected to march into battle, or that it would make the beast pick them first.
Some were garnered in long and luxurious capes, having very detailed family insignia symbols. Some wore feathers, jewels, or small glowing devices. Most had enormous, impractical weapons strapped across their tiny backs, heavier than they were, just in case.
Anything…
Anything at all, to make them seem worthy to the Divine Beasts, to make them get chosen, even before anything actually happened. People willing to do absolutely ANYTHING to appear worthy of in front of them.
There wasn't proof that it worked, and there wasn't proof it didn't, so nobody held back.
Adults occupied the spaces between the children, some stoic, some muttering to themselves, some looking at the Gate as if studying the hieroglyphics on them.
Some people had beasts beside them. A massive, horned, scaled creature sat placidly at the feet of a young man who was casually leaning against its flank. A lithe, multi eyed creature with way too many legs surveyed the crowd with an unsettlingly steady stare. A quiet, elegant, feathered creature perched on a nearby pedestal, its eyes sharp and knowing. The appearances were divine, some rugged but not too shabby.
There weren't as many people who had beasts as there were those who did, not even close.
"I can't wait for my beast to choose me!"
"The beast chooses us, that's how it works! You just have to stand really straight and hope for the best!"
"Or look strong! Right?"
"I've always wanted to know what the inside of the Divinity Gate is like!"
"My mother says the Caretakers keep the Divine Beasts inside, that's where they nurture them and grow strong until they find the perfect contract!"
Brill stood among them, his ridiculous ensemble making it impossible to ignore his presence here. His chest felt tight but not just from the suffocating layers on him but from sheer and overwhelming excitement.
'Yes...! It's happening. I want to be the first one through. Should I? No, I probably shouldn't. Yeah I won't run in first.'
He craned his neck.
Idemay was a few feet away, casually throwing ashes from her cigarette as she pointed with open amusement at another child draped in what seemed to be the entirety of their family's gold stash.
"Look at that one," she said with a wide grin. "That big ass helmet on his head, he's going to topple over before he even gets inside."
She pointed her finger towards another.
"And that one, how many capes does a person actually need? You're just gonna melt with all that heat trapped inside. You look like a wrapped piece of bread."
Two people nearby overheard and leaned in towards one another, their whispers low in the surrounding noise.
"Is that not Idemay Alpam?"
"It is. Former Knight Captain of Velkrund, but ever since her husband died..."
"Shhh. Not the time."
Brill looked away, back at the Gate.
'Today, I'll finally get a contract!'
CREAKKK!
The sound came from the base of the doors, the release of vapor growing stronger; The Caretakers parted their wings, their weapons dipping down only a little as the great, impossible doors of the gate began to open.
Light poured through the widening crack, washing over the crowd as their chatter turned to complete silence, every eye paying attention on the unfolding spectacle:
The Divinity Gate of Ephilm opened.
As the door kept opening the markings on the doors writhed in the light, beasts unraveling from one another in the brightness, wings flicking up, maws dropping open,forms parting just long enough to be seen before collapsing back into the flat surface of the wood as the opening dilated further. The light that leaked didn't diminish: it deepened, as though a being had stepped closer, and pushed its presence through the gap.
Idemay didn't look impressed, saying, "Soooo slowwwww…"
Brill whispered to her, "Shhhhh! It's starting!"
"Oh sorry sorry, dear."
The Caretakers elevated just a fraction off the ground in unison. Their wings drew back and then opened in a wide motion. Their halos glowed brighter, their golden rims catching the Gate's outpouring of light and then the Caretakers began to sing.
The music traveled through the air itself, overlapping voices blending into tones which couldn't possibly exist together, but did nonetheless, a rising beautiful harmony which shocked the crowd without so much as a word.
At the same time their blades rose, each aimed toward the doors and strands of light and gold extended from their edges into the opening like ropes.
Grass parted, bowing before the Gate in waves; flowers along the fields turned toward it all at once, petals of reds and yellows and blues opening wider as the light spilled over them as if they too recognized what lay beyond and sought to emulate it.
The doors reached their full width, opening all the way, and Brill wasted no time.
"Here I come!"
FWOOM!
He launched himself forward, dashing ahead of everyone first in eagerness, his arms pinwheeling in a way that only partially helped him maintain his balance, and his grin was wide enough that it pulled at the scar beside his eye. He ran forward through the front of the throng.
For a fleeting moment, he turned his head. Idemay was still where he'd left her, one hand up waving at him, looking composed..surprisingly.
Her cigarette jutted from between her fingers, the ash an enormous weight perilously close to breaking off. Her uncovered eye remained looking at him, it nearly smiled before she tamped down the flicker of emotion and her lips pulled into the familiar look of her usual grin.
And all she did was simply wave, and Brill turned his head forward once more and ran on.
'This is it!'
Behind him the crowd pressed close to the threshold, though not all moved through.
At all.
Those already bonded to Divine Beasts froze at the edge, a barrier like the air itself suddenly growing unyielding as if trying to force its way through. It was a resistance you could feel and not physically see, and it barred their progress as if some ancient contract had forbidden second bonds from joining existing ties within the same entity.
When this happened within the same being, a conflict arose : a clash between differing desires, competing priorities, a phenomenon which people attempted to explain and rarely managed to get right.
And so they stopped. Across every kingdom and at every Gate, the rule remained the same. Those with a Divine Beast contracted to them cannot enter the Divinity Gate. Any of them.
Idemay did not cross either, she stopped a foot short of the threshold, her fingers twitching at her sides; the ash on her cigarette finally succumbed to gravity.
She watched the open doors for a second, and something in her posture tightened for an instant before she sighed and looked away as if she had seen all there was to see on the other side of the opening and didn't require a second look.
And so the doors began to close.
It happened gently, the same slow movement which had accompanied their opening. The light darkened up as the voices of the Caretakers lowered as the gap sealed.
And within…
…Everything changed.
Brill tripped one foot, a movement which carried no intent on his part; he crossed the threshold, his eyes widening as he opened his mouth in a gasp.
"Whoa....!"
'This is amazing!'
The sky vaulted high above him; a boundless field of colors which he could not adequately name, far brighter than any blue and yet not something else.
Wide fields rolled out before him, a riot of flowers so densely packed together that they resembled a smear of paint across a canvas; rivers swam through the fields in glittering pathways that were branching off and rejoining for reasons unclear.
And everywhere...
Divine Beasts. Hundreds upon hundreds thousands, maybe even thousands. No one wanted to try counting, they wanted a contract.
Creatures of every shape and size roamed through the fields, some galloping placidly, others at rest, others interacting with the landscape in ways both bizarre and perfectly comprehensible.
A monstrous creature with a crown of branches dipped its long neck into a river, drinking water which reflected the blue green colors of itself only moments before.
A creature which moved solely by its countless legs literally walked in the air, finding purchase on something unseen.
Over near the edge of the field, two beasts attempted a mating ritual, the one puffing itself up to appear larger than it was; the other seemed to show no particular interest and began to walk away.
A group of children near the Gate erupted in a chorus of laughter.
"Look at this one!"
"It's trying so hard!"
"Why did the other one just walk away?!"
Brill stared, his mouth hanging agape. "Incredible…"
'I wonder what Divine Beast will choose me!'
Throughout the field the Caretakers moved, their numbers far exceeding those outside. They drifted from one beast to another, performing any task required: guiding smaller creatures out of danger away from other beasts, tending to wounds, feeding them, bathing them, and simply observing with their empty white eyes. All in all, their weapons never left their sides.
A man just beyond the entrance took two steps forward then staggered.
"I… I can't… it's all too-"
He fell unconscious, his voice a whisper which faded into nothing, his body hit the grass with a dull thump that barely made a dent in the immense spectacle around him.
Before anyone could respond, a creature approached. It was a bull-like beast with a wide, stout body; its hide went from a light brown to a deep dark red, each hue blending into the other like water paint. Wide, feathered hawk-like wings extended from its back.
It lowered its head to the unconscious man and sniffed. A soft breath exited its lungs and settled over him, surrounding him in an invisible shroud which seeped into his skin.
He opened his eyes, and he pushed himself up onto his knees, confusion written all over his face while the beast stayed close. It lowered its head and then light bloomed between the man and beast, creating strings of light which connected them both, forming connections before winding around the man's arm and the creature's horn. The light tightened up… and then it was done: The bond had formed.
The nearby people watched saying:
"Ohhhh!"
"So that's how it works…"
"Hell yeah!"
The man stared at his hands, then at the beast, then back at his hands as though trying to ascertain which part of him was more real. The doors behind them opened again just enough for a person to walk through. He stood, still awestruck, and began to move toward the exit, the bull at his side as he already got what he came here for.
But he didn't get far. A Caretaker appeared in front of him immediately at full speed and he was forced to stop.
The Caretaker said, "Congratulations on forming a contract with a Grey Wing Buffalo. Dietary requirements include high-fiber grasses, certain mineral-rich stones, and occasional exposure to elevated magical fields. Do not feed processed grains. Do not attempt to restrict its movement during seasonal migrations. Failure to meet its requirements may result in aggressive behavioral responses, including but not limited to trampling and direct physical harm."
The man blinked, and the Caretaker continued without a breath of pause.
"Additionally, ensure regular wing maintenance. Feather degradation can lead to instability during flight. If neglected your Grey Wing Buffalo may become irritable and could maul you."
The man gasped and inhaled hard, "M-Maul?!"
The Caretaker placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kidding." It said, like it was trying its hardest to act like a human, which it wasn't. It was an entity designed to care for the gods' divine beasts, extensions of the gods' power.
The man managed a short and uncertain laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes and facial expressions. Now he just wanted to get out of here."
"R-Right…ha…"
The Caretaker stepped aside and the man moved past, the unwavering stare already moving on.
Brill watched them leave, then he focused back to the field, and his heart pounded like a drum against his ribs.
'Okay! Okay! My turn! Should I show off? Yeah, I totally should.''
He puffed himself up as much as his absurd clothes allowed himself to, tilted his chin up, and strode forward, and he passed a group of Divine Beasts.
Time for the shitty lies.
"I've fought three monsters already today," Brill said conversationally, without actually looking at any of them. "Huge ones too. Took them down by myself."
He passed another group, and another lie came.
"I don't even need help, honestly. I just came here for a stronger challenge."
He passed a third group.
"They say I'm the strongest kid in Cassady. Probably the entire region, actually!"
He continued, weaving statement upon statement into a verbal bullshit tapestry; he barely paused between them and his voice loud enough to be overheard but not so loud that it sounded desperate. Eventually he ambled away from the largest group of beasts, the surrounding chatter quieting enough that he could hear his own footsteps.
'That should be it. I started running out of things to say.' He stopped, and he turned around.
A slow grin stretched across his face, and a wild look twisted itself around his expression and his eye twitched once.
'No way! T-They're looking at me?! I'm so good! They looked at me! So that means one of them HAS to choose me right?! Yes!'
Behind him, those cluster of Divine Beasts were looking, and they walked in his direction.