Double
Lord Zee
Goldeagle1221
wintersoldier
Snowdrops
LG
Timemaster
Damycles
Izurich
For Xavior, the journey to the 12th node was an easy one, the chaos of the unclaimed node held up by Benea and the pace kept slow by the tramp of mortal feet. It left Xavior restless, and conversation with his fellow divines could only draw so many topics from their short lives before it became repetitive. He found that while Benea seemed to mean well she was also overbearing in a way he could not yet put words to, to a degree that it made speaking with the rather passive Monica and gauging her own intent rather difficult.
It was then as much to get out from Benea’s smothering will as it was to elevate his boredom and sate his curiosity that he began periodically excusing himself from divine company to meander among the mortals as they marched towards their destination.
The first time he tried this was a frustrating experience, for the mortals shied away from his attempt to interact with them with a mix of wariness and awe, leaving what talk was to be had stilted as a result. After a few failed attempts he retreated back to divine company, only for what had already driven him away to do so once more.
The second time on a whim he trailed back, further and further to the very back of the pack of humans surrounding the gods. There he found something interesting, at least to him. A tall alabaster man with short red hair and the patchy beginnings of a beard, who despite his muscled physique, was walking with faltering steps. Supporting him by draping one of his arms over her shoulder was a dark haired woman who’s sweat gave a shine to her warm brass skin. There were a few others around them keeping them company, but most of the humans were well ahead of them.
Despite the end of the safe boundary nipping at their heels the woman was smiling and talking animatedly while the man looked mostly embarrassed, though as the god watched he did give a brief nervous glance at the chasing doom behind them. Xavier assumed the woman had the right of it, as he did not take Benea as the kind of person who would leave stragglers behind to die in the madness.
Still, it would be better for everyone if their trailing was no longer an issue, and so the god decided to intervene.
“Hello there. What seems to be the matter here?” he asked, strolling back to them, causing the pair to freeze up for a moment before the woman tugged the injured man to keep moving. She put on a smile while the man looked worried, likely thinking he was in trouble. Most of those around the pair quietly tried to move away from them without it looking like they were doing so.
“Ah I’m so sorry. You see-” he began to say falteringly before the woman spoke up and explained “this idiot didn’t look where he was going and stuck his leg in some kind of borrow and ended up hurting himself as a result. Don’t worry though, I’ve got this handled.” She gave him a toothy smile, as if daring him to say otherwise.
“And why are you helping in the first place? You look quite strained from the effort” he asked with a purely curious tone as he matched his steps with theirs, hands clasped behind his back as he strolled.
“Oh well now, it's just the right thing to do isn't it?” she insisted, though he did not quite buy it. A bit too much pride in her voice for it to just be kindness.
“That does not explain why you specifically are providing aid. Why not you for example” he said, pointing at one of the humans who had given them space, a man far more muscular than the woman providing the aid. He looked a touch shocked to be singled out, before saying “I’ve got this pain in my side, you see.” while rubbing it and then adding “Also Annie insisted” which got a few nods from the others.
“Because I’ve got this, and that all there is too it” the Annie insisted once again
Definitely pride, he thought, but there was, he expected, a fair bit of genuine kindness and selflessness in there too. Interesting. A quick survey of the others in the stragglers revealed either injuries or others who, like Annie, were helping out said stragglers with moral support or helping fetch/carry food for them.
A touch inspired by the latter group he instructed Annie and the man she was helping, Edgar, to stop. When they worried about the danger behind, he simply stepped behind them, held up a hand, and when it hit the edge of the protective bubble red lightning coursed against it, stretched the bubble of calm out so that they would not be let into the madness behind them.
“Now then, if you’ll just let me reach down and touch your leg” he said to Edgar, who after a few stunned moments agreed to let him do so, and then a few moments after that gasped in surprise “my leg! It doesn't hurt any more?” he said, taking a few steps forwards to make sure it was so, and then turning and saying “thank you so much. I don't know what i can do to make this up to you?”
“Oh, think nothing of it. It's just the right thing to do isn't it?” the god said, echoing Annie’s words as he stood back up and moved forwards, letting the bubble return to its original shape, before asking “now then, who’s next?”
After that it was a quick succession of light touches on hurt areas and everyone was feeling right as rain. That got lips loosened and wiped away any fear of the unknown among them, which was quite the useful side effect in Xavior’s opinion, though Annie did look a touch irritated about being shown up.
“And is there anything I can do for you?” he asked her, leaving out the implicit to make it up to you part of that sentence
“I’m good, fit as can be. No aches or pains here” she insisted, then after he stared expectantly at her for a few moments said “Well. I don’t suppose you know where any streams or pools are? I’m kind of thirsty after carrying this big guy so far” as she clapped Edgar endearingly on the back.
“No I am afraid I do not, but I can cut right to the water part” he said, flicking a wrist and creating a little orb of water hanging in the air from nothing. Then he frowned, thought for a moment, and created a shallow stone bowl for the water to sit in before passing it to her. She looked amazed, and then even more when she took a sip and found it cool and pure as could be.
He ended up distributing a bit of food by the same method as well upon request. They were a small group, so it was no effort.
They talked a little longer until they caught up to the main mass of humanity, at which point he felt it was time to bid them farewell. But before he did he offered them one last kindness.
“If any of you need help again, then simply come ask, and I’ll see what I can do” he told them.
And that is where the trouble began.
At first he was occasionally approached by members of the group again who asked for things on their own accord or on others behalf. Then word got out and a few others started to carefully approach him, then more and more came more and more boldly until he found himself surrounded by a clamor of humans all asking things of him, from the petty to the serious and with the petty all too often drawing out the serious. Feed me, fix this rash, give me water, make me not tired, they asked, while the more imaginative asked for miracles more selfishly. Make me strong, or beautiful, or let us walk the chaos beyond. While he tried to serve at first it all to rapidly became too much for the god to handle and so he put a stop to it.
“ENOUGH!” he commanded, silencing the crowd gathered around him with a word laced with a trace of power.
“Shame on you all, for expecting something for nothing, even from a god. For drowning out real need with selfish desires” he chided them, and then set down the law “From now, if you want something, you must pay me something in kind, or have a request worthy of a god’s intervention”
There was a heavy pause, and then the uproar began again only now with offers piled on top of requests for aid, but it lasted for only a heartbeat before he silenced them once again with “I was not done!” and then set about dealing with that half of the issue
“Annie” he pointed at the brass skinned woman who had only ever asked him for aid on others behalf, and who had been making attempts at getting the worthy request through the noise already, and charged her with that in an official capacity “pick a group of people. Together you will find those requests that are worth my time, and reject those that are not. Do this for me, and I will reward you handsomely for your services with power and acclaim”
There was a heavy pause as all eyes turned to the stunned woman, before the god broke through it stepped towards her and offered her a hand to shake “just take my hand, stand by my side and we can bring order, such that the needy are helped and worthy are rewarded”
He saw the way her mind turned, and after a moment the woman he had seen prided herself on helping someone nodded and clasped his hand in hers. He squeezed it, pulsing power into her, which rushed to her head and formed into two small horns jutting out from her hairline, and then shook her hand once before releasing it.
“Then it’s a deal” he said with a grin, and thus the first priesthood was born.
