Fabula Obscrua

Branding - 4

He put the needle to her skin, and she held stark still, relieved when she realized it hurt very little.

“Most, now a days anyway, do their best to not disturb the mortal world. Earth once only had only a few native magics in the form of gods who looked over entire regions. The magical creatures were in their domain, elemental spirits and spirits of nature, flora and fauna.” He cleanly finished stroke after stroke, and she began to relax, surely an influence of Elloreah's own magic, but subtle enough to keep Mingan from protesting. 

“The myths you may be most familiar with are those of the Hebrews oral traditions. These old traditions are from a time when Mythics used their powers more readily, but often to better the lives of men.

The god of the Hebrew tradition was the most powerful mythic of that realm. His power is still felt through the region, though he struggles in his efforts to keep the peace.

When humanity was young, the gods of the earth were known to take in humans. As immortals, they had become bored with each other, craving other companions to pass their days with. Humans had developed into a vastly entertaining species.

There was a garden oasis that the Hebrew gods looked after. It was filled with a vast array of plants an animals. They found a child wandering in the desert, alone, and took him in. They realized he was lonely, and found him a companion, a girl. The two humans grew up together, happy and content in this perfect garden, safe and cared for by the spirits.

The spirit of life became so enamored with these mortal creatures, that he loathed the idea of letting them go. His brother, the lord of chaos and death, warned him that it was not wise to become so wrapped up in mortal creatures. The spirit of life did not listen, wishing to bestow upon these humans everlasting life.

This angered the brother, for the god of life had overstepped his bounds, and so had taken death's rightful power. And so, the god of chaos cast the humans out of the garden. It would upset the balance should humans become immortal, deathless and ageless.

For you see, more often than not, the gods exist in a sort of duality. There is often one that is gifted power, possessed by a powerful spirit. One god is more inherently linked to order, the other chaos. Between them, they strike a sort of balance.

Neither is good, nor evil. One simply is a healer and bringer of life, the other completes the cycle with age, disease and death.”

Elloreah, who had been listening all the while, a calming presence for Belita spoke then, nearly causing Belita to start. She was thankful that Mingan had lifted the needle and was dabbing away the ink and small droplets of blood that were welling on the line he'd just completed.

“You have a counter part, then, a balance, don't you?” Elloreah asked, and Belita was surprised that the Fae woman was not aware of this.

Mingan nodded solemnly. “The wolf-god has a brother, the coyote. He has yet to manifest in this host's lifetime.”

Elloreah nodded, silenced by the answer. The strange way in which Mingan, or rather, the god spoke of himself had caused both the women to pause. It was hard to know exactly who they were speaking to, moment to moment. At times, he seemed so natural, so human, gruff and sometimes bemused. Then he would switch, before she'd even realized, into a cold, calculating creature, aloof and beyond understanding. It was fluid, these transitions, and Belita couldn't help but wonder if even Mingan himself was beginning to lose track of where the spirit began and he ended.