Chasing Dreams (Discontinued)

Chapter 203: The World of Spirits

"Let's continue." said Maija as she motioned for Ren to come to her side. "Even if you are my Raja I am still your mentor. I want you to be prepared when you meet our elders."

Ren sniggered at that. "Aren't you an elder?"

Maija flashed Ren a stiff glare and considered hitting him. "Fuck off." She snarled. "Just because I was trapped in a sword for a couple of centuries doesn't suddenly make me a Baba (Old Hag)." Maija shifted her hands, drawing attention to her skin. "I'm 23 not 323, dumbass."

"Relax. Relax." Ren laughed. "I was just kidding. Try not to get so worked up."

Maija looked displeased. Instead of showing Ren a Bengal smile, she offered him a sinuous frown. "Oh Byakko give me the strength to deal with this boy." Maija ran her fingers through her white mane and sighed. "Renji how familiar are you with our gods?"

Ren blinked. "I know about both tales of the Garuda."

"Good. What else?" Maija asked expectingly.

"What else?" Ren was stunned. He assumed his answer would've been good enough. He didn't know more than one god existed within the Fujiwaran pantheon. "Homura is a god isn't she?" Ren guessed. "But I still don't know much about her other than what you and Ikumi told me."

"Renji." Maija snarled. "Are you a god ?"

"No." Ren answered. "I don't think so?" He sounded unsure. "I don't know." He eventually concluded.

Maija slightly tilted her head. "Think Renji." She commanded. "What makes someone a god."

"Gods are powerful." Ren answered.

"You are powerful." Maija shot back. "Mataji is powerful, and so is Michael."

"Gods are supernatural and divine." Ren specified. "They aren't restricted by the mortal realm and can't be confined by life and death."

"Renji, you are the Garuda." Maija reminded him. "You also don't follow the rules set by life and death. If you die your spirit is reincarnated and placed back into your body. You are no longer restricted by the mortal realm, and are no longer restricted by life or death. The same goes for Mataji and further extends to that gadha, Michael."

Ren furrowed his brows. "Then what would you call me?"

"A fool." Maija answered innocently. "But I suppose even gods are capable of foolishness."

Ren wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult from Maija's mouth. Regardless, he accepted her words and continued on.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Ren asked.

"Isn't all of this a bit much?" Maija suggested. "Renji, you're a man of multiple responsibilities and infinite possibilities. I would be disappointed if your life wasn't a bit much."

"Stop doing that." Renji frowned.

"Stop doing what?" Maija grinned.

"Twisting my words." He flared.

"I'm not twisting your words. I'm just telling you things as they are. I want you to think. I want you to question everything and derive your own answers from the questions that the world gives you. What is a god? What makes someone a god? Are gods that different from you and I?"

"They are." Ren concluded. "They have to be. If they aren't then what's stopping anyone from becoming a god?"

"Willpower." said Maija. "People only ascend to godhood if they have the will to do it." Maija stepped away and walked along the stone path. "I for one have no intention of becoming a god. I wish to serve not to lead. I do not possess the will to ascend nor do I have the disposition of a king."