Before he was the god of justice and peace, Dolis was an anguished god of war and destruction. Cursed with the blood of Dulo, the primordial god of chaos and sired from the mighty god of death, Xiros, Dolis was a deity feared by many, including the gods themselves.
It was their fear cleverly disguised as disdain—devoid of compassion or understanding—that Dolis had longed to avoid.
But events like today were unavoidable. The primordial council, which consisted of the highest ranking ascended gods and their brethren, was hosting a summons. The primordials hardly ever attended a council in person, but today was the exception.
Xiros and Dolis were not welcome to such councils that he knew, yet the invitations he had received from the messenger gods were not something to disregard. It was clear it was to be a council of all gods and goddesses, deities from all walks of life, no matter how small or scorned they were.
Dolis did not want to attend, nor did his father; after all, who would want the harbingers of death and destruction at any joyous occasion?
But refusing to attend a council summons would only further ostracize them from the others. After all, this was no simple council meeting, as today marked Lady Terah's awakening from her one-hundred-year slumber. A centennial event that graced the land of Estruela with fertility, prosperity, and healing.
As the legend goes, her spirit remained in a great tree nestled deep into the eastern forests that brushed the clouds, blooming in abundance with leaves that are said to grant the people their wishes. It was said that those lucky enough to see it can be healed from any ailment and have an overwhelming sense of tranquility. Humans and gods alike have ventured into the treacherous forest to find it, and very few have been lucky enough to reap the rewards of Terah's blessings.
The journey to the council was long, especially from their underground homes beneath the tallest peaks of the Estruelan mountain range. It was treacherous terrain that only the gods could scale, nestled just above the clouds that the wind god Aethis had created to shield from the mortal's view.
They were the last to arrive at the council, and by the looks on the gods' faces and the stillness of the air, they had been anticipating their arrival for quite some time. The gods parted ways, leaving a wide opening for Dolis and Xiros to approach the dais that sat the ascended gods and primordials, mainly deities of the elements and natural phenomena. It was customary to greet the council and the primordials, in this case, upon arrival, but Dolis hesitated. It had been centuries since their last attendance at such an event before the Great War, which signified the deities' disproval of him and his father. Xiros placed a gentle hand along Dolis' back, urging him forward.
"Showing them distaste or fear is not an option in front of them," Xiros reminded him as Marth, the god of the seas, beckoned them forward with a finger motion. "Remember your worth, Dolis."
Had they been anywhere else, Dolis would've voiced he had lost the answer to what his worth was centuries ago.
As expected, Dolis could feel the heat of the other's stares on them as they approached the dais. The gods whispered amongst them, none too sensible to quiet their negative comments and opinions as Xiros lowered his head before the gods on the platform. Dolis followed him, bowing as low as possible without any form of eye contact. The council of gods was silent as they did so, stoic and still compared to their greetings with the others who bowed before them.
Even amongst the elite primordials, none favored the two that carried Dulo's blood; their silence was enough as an opinion.
It was not a surprise to Dolis and certainly not to Xiros, but it didn't ease the pang of hurt that ran through them. It was one thing to be isolated, away from the opinions and hateful looks; it was another to be in their presence and shunned so publicly.
Dolis preferred the dreary home he and Xiros resided in beneath the craggy, rocky mountains of Estruela, with only the dead to grace their presence. They were far better company than the living and even more so than the immortal beings.
Dolis felt some relief as they returned to the shadows, isolating themselves in a quiet corner that others had disregarded. Xiros sighed before turning to his son. "The hard part is over; we've done the expected pleasantries. Now we wait for the announcements, and we can slip away from their celebrations and incessant drinking and celebration."
"You'd think by now; the other primordials would send us those announcements via the messengers. There's no reason for us here."
"We shouldn't disrespect their invitation," Xiros' words were spoken carefully. He cleared his throat when Dolis sneered. "Regardless of their taunts, we shall not speak ill in their presence."
Xiros' eyes traveled to his peers on the dais with pursed lips. He, too, was old enough to be a primordial god; having been created by Dulo and Naga, he had every right to be on the dais if it hadn't been for Dulo's curse running through him. With his blood running through him, the chaos and evil that Dulo had succumbed to in the Great War was a ticking time bomb that Xiros was burdened with, and subsequently Dolis.
Dolis had almost lost and succumbed to it in the Great War if it hadn't been for Xiros and Thova, his sister and goddess of healing. He had spent nearly two centuries recovering from the war under the careful watch of Xiros and Thova in their underground home.
Dolis bit his lip before saying quietly, "they do not respect us; why should we do the same?"
"They are not all like that." Xiros glanced over at the other gods on the council, Thova, and Dauna among them. Thova was also a child of Xiros, sired by him and Terah, while Dauna, the goddess of animals, had been a close friend. Like a few of the other minor deities, she was indifferent to the idea of bloodthirsty and dangerous gods the others made them out to be. "Thova, for one, cares for you a great deal."
But as Dolis noted, Thova and Dauna were never around them more than they needed to be, especially with being a part of the council. "That is because you sired her. It's out of respect to Terah, I imagine."
"She stayed at your side for your entire recovery."
"Foolish," Dolis said. "She'd be wise not to associate with me or you again. The council would tear her apart, disapprove of her favor."
Xiros hummed, despite knowing Dolis was furthest from the truth. He pointed to the god at the end of the dais, conversing with Dauna and a few other goddesses. "And Daelia?
Daelia wasn't primordial, but the attention they garnered was enough to be seen as one to the gods and humans alike. They lit up the room brighter than the sun god Sothir, a feat that would've been impossible if it hadn't been for the power they wielded. As the god of attraction, love, and beauty, it was no question that Daelia was the most beloved of all the gods.
Dolis had been trying to avoid admiring the god since they arrived.
"Aren't they lovely?" Xiros' voice was rich and earthy as he gazed upon them. "Breathtaking."
Dolis hummed, biting his tongue from agreeing. His eyes following Daelia practically waltz among the crowd of other gods. He averted his gaze as Daelia turned their face to him. "They look like Terah to you, don't they?"
Xiros' lips turned into a rare smile. "The spitting image."
That was the beauty of Daelia, after all, presenting themselves as the ideal match to whoever viewed them. In Xiros' eyes, Daelia looked like the young and lively Terah that Xiros had loved since the beginning of time. As for Dolis, Daelia was the accumulation of everything he was not: beautiful, majestic, flawless, and well-received. Impossibly beautiful in a way Dolis envied and longed for.
While many gods and mortals viewed Daelia as a goddess of love and all things pure, Dolis saw him as a beautiful god of strength and passion, a beacon of hope. Dolis did not understand the depictions of Daelia that the people and other gods of Estruela had; Daelia was neither frail nor possessed the qualities of a feminine form in his eyes. To Dolis, Daelia was the definition of perfection, sculpted better than the finest sculptors of Estruela. The only flaw to be had was the lack of suitors that Daelia could genuinely call their equal. Many tried to earn their hand, mortals and immortals alike, but no one in thousands of years had ever been successful.
"There's no reason for the god of love to associate with us." Dolis frowned. "Nor even look at us kindly."
Xiros kept his eyes forward. "There's a rare beauty in death, Dolis. An even rarer one in destruction. The two are as powerful together as they are apart."
As Daelia turned in their direction again, Dolis looked toward the space between him and Xiros. It was a crime to even look at Daelia; someone so scorned and ridiculed did not deserve to grace Daelia's presence, Dolis believed. He feared even looking at the god of love and beauty would taint their image.
"It wouldn't matter," he voiced. "To associate with them."
"You'd be surprised," Xiros said. "You two may share a lot in common, more than you possibly could know."
Dolis didn't respond, distracted by the sudden movement of the room as Daelia took to the center of the dais, their dance partner skittering away back to their friends. The other gods swarmed like moths to a flame, entranced by Daelia's beauty, as they appeared ready to make a speech. Xiros pushed off the wall to follow the others, Dolis reluctantly following behind his father.
"As all of you are aware, lady Terah has awakened from her one-hundred-year slumber," Daelia announced, their head held high and shoulders pushed back in exuberant confidence. "In honor of her awakening and Estruela's future prosperity, I will be hosting a celebration—a contest of sorts in her honor. One that I'm certain most of you will find long overdue and very intriguing."
Daelia's eyes seemed to light up like the stars as they perused the crowd. "I'm certain most of you—if not all—have wondered for centuries why the god of love has not found their equal, their lover, as you would say.
"And so," they drawled, extending their hand out to the crowd, mimicking how many statues of Estruela depicted the god. "In light of Terah's awakening, I have decided the winner of such contest I devise will win my courtship, ascending into the high court and earning their place as my equal among the council of the gods. Bring me the most beautifully heart-shaped leaf from Terah's tree, and the prize is yours."
"Courtship?" Dolis whispered under his breath. The gods exploded in chatter, requiring Dolis to lean into his father. "A place on the high court?"
Xiros' expression darkened. "An incredible offer."
"And incredibly—" Dolis stopped, looking at the expression on the god's faces around them. "Terrifying."
Xiros nodded. "I fear what this means for Estruela."
The look of desperation and desire grew as Daelia's words sunk into each deity. Dolis remembered this type of expression of hunger for something he feared. "A war?"
Xiros remained quiet. He didn't need to say anything for Dolis to grasp the feeling of trepidation. The minor water gods in front of them looked desperate for this opportunity, and upon glancing at the others in the crowd, it was clear everyone else had the same idea. After all, a place on the council and Daelia's courtship was inconceivable until now.
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