Godly

Godly
Chapter 24: Gathering allies Part 2

"Aw, fuck me..." I mutter as I look at the enraged bull. Of course he's Tahway's brother. "And if I refuse to accept his challenge?" I ask Whisper.

"Then you'll be branded with the mark of the coward and exiled," she tells me.

I sigh and shake my head. "I see. And if I fight and win, but don't kill him, what happens?" I then ask her which is making Gareth angrier.

"You would dishonour the entire clan who would then challenge you as well," she tells me with worry.

"Dammit... So I have no choice but to kill him?" I ask in resignation.

"Yes... " she replies.

"Well, I could just knock him out and then knock out every other challenger until there are none left to challenge me... Fine, he issued the challenge and I don't want to know if a branding will stay on my body even if I change god. So, how is this done?" I say and look to Whisper.

"You will both enter the Kargeth pit where you'll fight till one is left alive. No weapons are allowed but your fists," she tells me. "I'm sorry I got you into this..." she says apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. He was going to be pissed once he found out his brother is dead," I reply making her gasp.

"Tahway is dead?" she asks stunned.

"Yeah. He and some others attacked Dragana's hive and were taken prisoner for trying to kill her. I take it the ones with him returned safely correct?" I reply and ask her.

"Yes," she says.

"While we kept him for trying to murder her, he broke free from his bindings and killed four of our changelings. So he had a hole blown out of his chest by an angry queen," I tell her and look to Gareth who's eyes look bloodshot with how angry he looks.

"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!?" Gareth yells heaving angrily as he trembles slightly in restrained rage.

"He brought it upon himself when he killed four of our people and attacked Dragana. If some of your own were killed by someone attacking you, wouldn't you put them down to stop them from killing more?" I ask him with a raised brow.

"I CARE NOT FOR YOUR INSECT RACE, MONSTER!" he yells, making me frown at him.

I walk over to my mace where I find one of the minotaurs trying to lift it up and only getting it a foot and a half off the ground.

"Excuse me, but that would be mine," I tell him unamused, he grins sheepishly before letting it go and scuttling away.

I effortlessly pick up my mace and heft it over my right shoulder.

"Now then. I came here to make friends with the minotaurs, but I'm obviously not welcome here any longer. So I'll just move on to the next village to ask," I say and start walking off to go around the village and further inland.

"Wait!" I hear Whisper yell at me and run over.

"Yes?" I ask her as I turn around.

"Take me with you, please. I can't stand it here anymore," she tells me pleadingly.

"ENOUGH!" Gareth yells as he raises his hammer and roars out before charging at me.

I sigh as I raise my own weapon and wait for him to get closer before we both swing. My mace meets his hammer which shatters the stone head easily. The vibration of the impact makes him release the branch it was attached to with a mild grunt of pain.

He then balls his fists and throws a punch at me which I return with one of my own. Our fists collide making him stumble back while my arm flinched back as well.

I drop my mace and roll my neck. "You want a fist fight? Then bring it," I say and pull back my right hand and thrust forward right into his gut, winding him for a few seconds before he uppercuts me with his left fist.

I stumble back from the unexpected blow and shake my head. I frown as I walk back up to him where we start trading blows. While not hitting as hard as I am, he’s still leaving slight patches of bruising on me.

After a good three minutes of punching, he gets a solid hit on my cheek making me lean to the right and stumble slightly. With a growl I then use my driving strike to ram him in the chest, sending him onto his back a few metres away.

He slowly stands back up coughing while I stand still and wait. "You got that out of your system yet?" I ask him only getting an angry glare in return.

With a sigh, I ready myself as he charges at me again. I dodge his charge and grab his left arm as he passes me, I then tug hard dislocating his arm and forcing him to the ground.

"Last chance to walk away, or I'll make it so you can't walk at all," I warn him.

"I will not stop until I avenge my brother's death, Monster," he says with conviction.

"Very well, but remember, you chose this," I tell him and pick up my mace and wait for his next move.

With a final roar, he charges with his horns pointed at me. I pull my mace back and once he reaches me, I swing at his legs and with a loud crack, breaking both legs with the hit.

He roars out in pain as he tumbles away and this time stays down.

"Now then, I'll be on my way," I say and start walking off again as the other minotaurs glare at me and their wolves snarl.

I glance back to see Whisper looking between me and Gareth before running off after me.

"So, why do you want to follow me?" I ask her making her yelp at the sudden question.

"W-Well... Since I was born, I've always been told what to do, where to go, what I can and can't do... I want to travel, see new things, meet the other races, learn more about magic!" she tells me with a smile which then fades. "I've always been weaker than the other Magai when it came to using magic, and I don't have the physical strength for a warrior... but when they told me I was to be bonded to Gareth, that's when I decided I wanted to leave," she replies.

"So what was stopping you from just leaving before I arrived?" I ask her while I see a couple of white furred minotaurs, a tall female and a young male, running up to us from behind. So I stop and turn to face them.

"Whisper!" the female minotaur yells getting her attention.

"Mother!?" Whisper says in surprise as she looks back at them both.

"What are you doing?" Whisper's mother asks her.

"I... I can't stand it anymore, mother... I don't want to be bonded with Gareth, I don't like him and he's too aggressive," Whisper says quietly while looking down at the ground while on the verge of tears.

"I know, my dear. But the elder has foretold that you will be bonded to the strongest male, and Gareth is our strongest warrior," her mother replies.

"Foretold? As in they saw the future?" I ask getting their attention.

"Well... she is an old heifer. Her magic is not what it once was. So it's more like getting a glimpse into the future... A very blurred glimpse..." she tells me.

"Ah," I say and Whisper then slowly looks up and at me.

"The elder did not say who I was to be bonded with or what race they would be, only that it would be a strong male... and I've never seen anybull or male stronger than Gareth other than you... maybe, you're the one I am to be bonded with," she says making me go wide eyed.

"Woah now, I already have a girl back home and we just met. What makes you think I'm the one?" I ask her as I take a couple steps back.

"It may not be you, but I can still travel if I follow you!" she says with a smile.

I've lost count of how many times I've sighed today. "If your mother is okay with it then I don't mind, I could use a guide through Minos anyway," I reply and look to her mother.

Whisper also looks at her with pleading eyes.

"I don't know. We know nothing about this bull..." her mother replies and looks at me.

"Perfectly understandable. But should you allow her, I'll do everything within my power to keep her safe," I tell her and lean on my mace.

Whisper and her mother share a look before looking back at me, her then mother sighs. "Okay. Whisper? Please be careful," she says and gives her slimmer daughter a hug.

"I will, mother..." Whisper replies.

"Oh, don't worry about getting homesick. I can just make a portal back here whenever you want from wherever we are," I tell Whisper making her eyes widen.

"You mean you can make a portal to go anywhere?" she asks in excitement.

"If I've been there before then yes," I reply.

"I wish I could do that... What are we waiting for? Let's go!" she says and grabs my left hand and pulls me along with her.

For saying she's not as strong as the other minotaurs she sure can pull when she wants to.

I chuckle and let her pull me." Don't you need to pack anything for the trip? Like food or camping gear?" I ask her making her stop as her face flushes a bit.

"I forgot about that..." she says and runs back over to her mother.

"I'll wait here for you," I tell her.

"Okay!" she yells back before talking excitedly with her mother and I'm guessing little brother.

I glance back over to Gareth who is still glaring at me as the others are tending to his legs.

I shake my head at him but I can't exactly blame him for his aggression, his brother is dead and he's going to be pissed about it. But at the same time his brother attacked Dragana for no reason other than honour and murdered four of Chrysalis' changelings.

The minotaurs keep their distance from me while I wait for Whisper to return. I yawn as I sit down and look up to the clear sky.

So far this hasn't been a very good start to minotaur relations and I'm starting to wonder why I'm even doing this.

The Changelings in Khepria are now self sufficient with my help and we're friends with the Crystal Empire and Zebrica. I'm pretty sure the queens, Amore, and Cadence along with myself are enough to subdue Celestia. All I’d really need to do is portal into her castle and then portal her and myself to a barren area where we can then slap the shit outta her... Or maybe dump some liquid love onto her and see how that'll effect the nightmare possessing her.

I'm broken out of my thoughts as I see Whisper lean over me with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?" she asks me.

I didn't realise I was frowning, so I change it for a smile. "Yeah, just thinking," I reply and stand up. I notice she has a wicker basket with a strap over her right shoulder which goes between her breasts and down over her left hip to hold it against her back. "What do you have in there?" I ask her as the basket is bigger than her torso.

"A week's worth of food, water, and a sleeping bag," she replies with a smile now on her face.

"I see. Well then, will you lead the way to the capital of Minos?" I ask her and hold my left hand out towards the open plains.

"Okay, I've only been to Hornhiem three times when I was sent to magai gatherings over the last ten years," she says and starts walking north-west.

I change to Chiron which makes her stare at me wide eyed. "So you're one of the centaur race?" she asks me.

"No, This is just one of my many godly forms I can change into," I reply and trot over to her.

"Godly? You're a god!?" she asks and backs away slightly looking a bit fearful now.

"Yes, but why are you afraid now?" I ask her.

"The gods have not been known to be merciful. Lavian, the god of fire erupts volcanoes and destroys villages. Aeris, the goddess of wind causes tornadoes to tear up the land. Aquaria, The goddess of water sends floods, ruining crops and killing wildlife. Geodus, the god of earth who makes the ground tremble with earthquakes. And Discord, the bringer of chaos who warps the lands around him," she tells me still looking fearful.

"Have you or others seen or met these gods besides Discord before?" I ask her.

"No, they think we're not worthy to be in their presence," she replies.

Sounds kinda like earth gods, we have so many of them yet not a single one has shown themselves to anyone in the modern world.

"So they may or may not be real? Sounds to me like you're just giving natural disasters a personification," I tell her making her look confused.

"Personification?" she asks slowly as if unused to the word.

"It means giving something a personality, making it seem alive. Volcanoes erupt due to the pressure of magma build up deep underground which escapes through weak points in the planet's crust. Tornadoes are formed by warm, moist air meeting with cool, dry air which then force the two types to swirl around each other. Floods are just overflows of water from heavy rains or a damn bursting, even by a massive wave from the ocean called a tsunami slamming into land. And earthquakes are caused by plates of rock along a fault line underground breaking and rubbing against each other, causing seismic waves that make the ground shake," I explain to her. At least that's what I think I remember from my science classes.

She just stares at me with a blank expression.

"Didn't understand a thing did you?" I ask her making her shake her head. I chuckle and shake my head. "Don't worry about it. Just know that you're gods may not exist and all the natural disasters that happen are just that, natural," I say making her gasp.

"They are not real?" she asks warily as I start walking again. After a few seconds of staring at me walking away, she hesitantly follows.

"Possibly. So until they show themselves, I say they don't exist," I reply and yawn as I look up. It's starting to get late and I think we have about three hours till sunset.

Whisper has gone silent and I lightly whistle at her, making her yelp and look at me.

"listen, I'm not going to hurt you. You've done nothing to anger me or upset me unlike Gareth. So relax, enjoy the trip, and know that I'll protect you should someone or something tries to harm us," I ensure her, getting her to calm down a bit.

"Sorry... You're the first god I've met and well, I'm not sure what I should be doing. Do I bow to you? Do I need to offer you tribute?" she asks me.

I stare at her for a few seconds before losing it in a fit of chuckles. "No, you don't need to do any of those," I reply as my chuckles die down.

"Oh... Okay," she says as she adjusts her basket and speed walks to keep up.

"So what kind of magic do you like the most?" I ask her to start up a conversation.

"Well, I like water based magic. With the right amount of mana, water can be infused with it to help speed up healing or clean out injuries to prevent infections. But last I knew, there are only twenty-two magai among the minotaurs, me included," she replies.

"Water magic? Okay, try using this water then," I say and change to He Bo making her go wide eyed again.

I hold out my right hand and create a gentle flow of water from my palm to the ground where Whisper steps up and stares in wonder at the water.

"Where is it coming from?" she asks me with awe in her tone.

"I'm turning my mana into physical water. Since this is already mana turned water, maybe it'll be more effective with your water magic?" I suggest, making her put her left hand through the water. I only now notice they have only three fingers and a thumb instead of four.

She giggles before her horns glow with a golden brown aura as she levitates a bubble of water as big as her head. She places her hands on each side of it and I watch as the aura from her horns spreads into the water which now has a slight golden colour to it.

"This is amazing! The spell is three times more effective than with normal water!" she says with excitement as she quickly takes off her basket and dumps out a waterskin of water before carefully placing the golden water into it.

"So... Wasn't that your drinking water?" I ask her with a smirk. She inhales sharply before face palming herself.

"I'm always doing things without thinking first..." she says and sighs.

"Don't worry about it, the water I make is safe and drinkable," I tell her and hold my hand out to her. "Cup your hands together," I tell her and she does so.

I make some more water in her hands and only stop once they’re full, she then slowly brings the water to her lips. She takes a small sip and gasps before guzzling down the rest.

she wipes her hands on her robe and smiles at me. "I can feel my mana increasing! The mana in your water is helping to replenish mine!" she says and grabs me by my shoulders. "This means I can practice my magic more often without passing out! I can show those arrogant old magai that I'm not wasting my time!" she says and then brings her face an inch from mine. "You can't tell anyone about this! This is the only way I can catch up to those old wrinkled jerks and show them I can be just as good with magic as them!" she then tells me, her tone nearing manic levels.

I grin as I hold my hand over her head and without warning, drench her head with water. She sputters and lets go of me as she backs away.

"Why did you do that!?" she asks me angrily.

"One, you need to calm down. Two, I'm glad my water can help you practice your magic. Three, you really can't expect me to not give someone water if they need it. And four, I'm not going to be here for very long, so I won't be able to keep supplying you with my water," I tell her making her slowly wilt as she realises.

"Oh, right," she says sadly.

"You’re welcome to come to Khepria if you want to, I can always make a portal back to your home when you want. Plus, you can tell me more about Minos and minotaur history," I offer her. Even if the minotaurs come to hate me due to Gareth, at least Whisper will give me a good word and possibly convince others to give me and the changelings a chance. "Oh, which reminds me," I say and change to Janus.

I open a portal back to Luna's Hospital room and cough politely to get their attention. "What dost thou know? He's learning," Cadence says with a giggle.

"Ha ha. Just letting you know, that minotaur who charged me is Tahway's brother, the minotaur who broke free of his pod and who Chrysalis killed. And I kinda broke his legs as he wouldn't stop attacking me. On a happier note, Whisper Wind here has agreed to show me to Hornhiem," I tell them.

"Tahway's brother? That is unfortunate..." Luna says as I notice Cadence has the chunk of moonstone and is examining it.

Whisper leans over my shoulder and looks nervous.

"So this minotaur is Whisper then?" Luna asks making Whisper yelp and try to hide behind me, as much as a minotaur slightly bigger than me can hide.

"Y-Yes. Are you the alicorn of the m-moon?" she asks nervously.

"I, was. Although the moon moves on its own now, I shall use my magic to aid those having nightmares," Luna replies with a sad smile. "As soon as I can get a new horn that is..."

"How's that going by the way, Cadence?" I ask the pink alicorn.

"Tis not going well. This moonstone dost nary wish to form how we require it, and as such may need thine metal forging skills to mould it," she replies with a frown.

"I see. Well keep at it, I'll come back after I'm done with the minotaurs and see what I can do as Vulcan. Perhaps as Geb as it seems to be a type of stone," I tell her.

"We shall, but we dost not think we can do anything with it," she says as her horn glows brighter.

"Alright then, we'll be off. Do let Chrysalis know I'll contact her tonight," I tell them getting an okay in return before I close the portal.

"Okay, Whisper. Lead the way," I say and change back into Chiron.

"Erm, sure," she replies and starts walking off where I follow behind her.