The Ropen's Legacy

The Furious God

Hoshi and Haru spent the first few days together exploring the beautiful jungle that Hoshi called home. Hoshi showed Haru the different plants and animals that lived in the area, and they would often spend their afternoons flying around the mountains, feeling the cool wind against their faces.

The younger boy couldn't be more grateful for Hoshi having found him. Life was now good. Not only was Hoshi the guardian of the forest, but also the guardian of Haru. One quiet night, while a gathering was happening at the forest, brothers in soul were talking, sitting by a small campfire at the center of the event.

"Haru, what is your counterpart like?" Hoshi asked curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, what kind of manifestation your soul can take through your body. Like me, I can turn into the Ropen, that is my counterpart." The guardian explained, seeking an answer.

"I don't think I have one. I don't remember turning into anything." Haru seemed a bit sad.

"Well, you are not human, I'm sure. Pure humans are not common around here."

Haru looked at Hoshi with a mix of confusion and curiosity. "What do you mean, I'm not human? What am I then?"

Hoshi looked at Haru with a warm smile. "Most creatures that dwell in this forest and these islands are hybrids. We are beings that are connected to this land and have the power to manifest our souls in different forms. Your counterpart might not be apparent yet, but with time and practice, you will discover it."

Haru nodded, taking in the information. He had always felt like he didn't quite belong in the human world, and now he finally had an explanation for it.

"But what about you, Hoshi? How did you discover your counterpart? And how did you become a deity for our island?" Haru asked.

Hoshi looked at the fire and thought a bit before answering.

"I don't remember much from when I was a youngling, but I remember waking up in this forest, with fear and curiosity. An old man, the White Sage gave me shelter and taught me how to survive in this place. One day, he led me to a cave behind the waterfall and there, I learnt how to turn into the Ropen. After that, not even a month had passed and my mentor died, leaving this place to my care."

Haru listened intently to Hoshi's story, amazed at how his friend had become the guardian of the forest and island.

"I'm sorry to hear about the White Sage, but it seems like he left you with a great responsibility," Haru said.

Hoshi nodded. "Yes, it was a lot to take in at first, but with time and practice, I was able to become the guardian that he knew I could be. It's my duty to protect this land and all its creatures, and I take that responsibility seriously."

"But how did you become a deity to those in the city?"

"Oh, people like to create myths and legends around simple things, like me changing the weather and glowing at night. It's not like it bothers me, as long as no hunters appear."

As if on cue, the sound of footsteps and rustling leaves interrupted their conversation. Hoshi immediately stood up, sensing danger.

"Haru, we have to go," he said, grabbing his friend's hand and running towards the forest.

But it was too late. A group of hunters had entered the clearing, their torches lighting up the darkness. They were armed with guns and knives, their faces twisted in anger.

"What is this supposed to be? These are just hippies." One of the hunters said. "There ain't no sacred beast here, boss!" He yelled.

"Our license says anything alive here can be killed." The boss said quietly. "Shoot!" He demanded.

"Haru, run with the crowd to other parts of the forest, I take care of these idiots." Hoshi looked at Haru, for the first time with fear in his eyes, but a smile appeared as the younger ran with the crowd of hybrids and animals.

"Oy, out of our way, brat!" A hunter said.

"Start praying..." Hoshi said while letting out a faint laugh.

Rain started to pour upon everyone in that forest, leaving in the place of the campfire a cloud of smoke and darkness. It all became dark when the raindrops made all torches held by the hunters go extinguished.

"Shoot!" The chief hunter screamed with rage. Shots and explosions could be heard all over that clearing.

"I said start praying..." Hoshi reminded the hunters. His golden eyes started to glow, leaving that as the only source of light around the forest. Clouds in the sky covered the stars and the moon, mist covered the ground. The hunters couldn't see anything anymore.

The violent storm confused the hunters, that kept shooting at what they thought was Hoshi. A lightning bolt created a flash of light, that made Hoshi visible for a second. The hunters aimed at him, but ended up shooting themselves.

As the hunters layed on the ground and their chief stood among corpses and dying people, Hoshi made himself into the Ropen. The deity made a low pitched, deep gurgling sound as it walked near the corpses. The mist made only the glowing spots in the animal visible. Hoshi's animal counterpart stood much higher than the hunter. It lowered its head and started smelling the fear in the chief hunter's breath. The man cried, panted and prayed for forgiveness.

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name..." He muttered to himself, despite not being much of a religious person.

A flash of light came to be in front of the hunter. The light was so strong that the man couldn't see anything. He forced his eyes open, only to realize that now he was blind. He kept praying, waiting on a miracle to save him. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven..."

Hoshi didn't make a single noise.

The boss felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and when putting his hands over that area, he felt something warm and slippery. He was holding his own guts. End came to the chief hunter as Hoshi grabbed his head with his mouth and used his powerful neck muscles to throw the man onto a sharp branch of a tree, impaling him in the heart.

The skies got clear, the stars and the moon appeared once again as the storm flew away. Hoshi turned into his human self again, and as soon as light came to be again, Haru and the other creatures came together to congratulate Hoshi. Haru ran up to the guardian and hugged him tightly, to the verge of tears. The carnivorous creatures soon dragged the corpses to their huts and caves.

"Hoshi, how did you do that?" Haru asked his brother in soul.

"One day you'll learn how to do that too, and in your own way."

Haru's eyes glew a bright red color and sparkled in joy and awe, as he looked up to Hoshi.

"Now let's get some sleep, Haru. Those hunters got me tired." Hoshi looked at Haru with a warm smile as he led them to the treehouse.