We Were Gods: Oleander: Book One

To The Meeting

"I really don't want to leave you here." I mutter as I press an inked hand against Colby's face. She rolls her eyes and swats me away. I can feel Daniel looming over my shoulder and it doesn't take much brains to know he's irritated by me touching her.

"Knock it off, Ole-poley. I'll be okay. Me and Daniel will go back to doing our mortal things while you go on to do the fun God stuff." She's attempting to reassure me but falls flat of doing so... very flat. "Besides, I doubt your brother or anyone is going to be coming for us anytime soon. I'm sure we'll manage for just one day." She lets out a laugh and I can almost feel my heart sing with hers.

"You'll keep her safe, right?" I ask, turning to Daniel who was just boring holes into my head with his dark glare.

"I've been taking care of her since we were kids, long before you came along." He snaps and both me and Colby chance a look at one another.

"I'll take that as a yes then." I say after a moment's pause. "She's just important to us winning this so I can't have her dying. If she dies, we lose... all of us lose."

"Go!" Colby laughs, pushing on my arm. "Quit worrying and go to your meeting!"

"Gee, some send off." I grumble though I can feel the skeleton of a smile on my lips. "You'd think you guys would be begging me to stay and keep myself safe or something... or I'd at least get a kiss goodbye." Before either one of them could speak I am gone and taken to my tombs.

It is in my tombs that Ra has agreed to meet me. I'm nervous about meeting so many Gods and Goddesses. And a small part of me is terrified that my brother will show up with a whole army at his side though Ra has promised me that restrictions have been put in place to keep the meetings safe. The meeting is the one place that any God or Goddess can come and not have to worry about fighting with each other. It is the one place where we can let our guard down and leave past rivalries at the door and focus on the matters at hand.

But nothing is ever 100% safe. No plan is foolproof.

"Anubis, my boy!" Ra beams making me jump as he pats my back. I hadn't even heard him enter my tombs. "It is wonderful to see you! It feels like it has been ages since you have joined your old man at one of these meetings." He gives me a smile that takes up a lot of his face.

"Why are you talking like that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm attempting to be more laxed... is that what the kids are saying these days?" He leaves a hand on my shoulder and instantly my body feels warm.

"Stop."

"Is that not proper slang?"

"You're embarrassing me... and yourself."

"Oh, who cares anyways? I do not have to worry about slang or anything like that. I am Ra. I am already cool." He shrugs and I can feel my face going red. He truly is giving me second-hand embarrassment.

Without a warning the world around us shifts and everything goes black and then it all goes white... blindingly white.

It takes me a minute to adjust to our new surroundings. The room is large and it appears to go on forever, adjusting to our needs. Every so often a large door will appear on the one wall I can see in the room and someone will enter or exit and then the door is gone. It is full of many different beings; some in God/Goddess form, some in mortal form, and some more confusing than anything I've ever seen. Though there are so many of us it is not crowded. Everything seems to expand to our liking. Even the main round table seems to change size and shape.

There's more furniture in the room that allows the beings to sit and chat or sit and eat. Some are even playing cards! My stomach grumbles when I see the buffet. It is full of so many foods; foods I've never seen or heard of before. There's food that I am certain hasn't been made in our day and age for thousands of years, and there's stuff that I'm sure is made from extinct creatures.

"Careful, Anubis." Ra warns, hand on my arm. "You are allergic to some stuff up there."

"Like what?" I ask starting towards the food.

"Honestly, I do not remember." He frowns. "Just stick to eating what you know, my son."

I roll my eyes and grab a plate. I fill it with anything and everything until it is a small mountain of food. Ra heads towards the mysterious door and I go to follow him with plate in hand. After he enters the door it instantly closes in my face and I'm left staring in confusion at it.

"Can't go in there, bro." A man with long dark hair says from the small table near the door. He's eating a loaf of bread and bits of it appears to have gotten trapped in his beard.

"Why can't I go in there?" I ask, taking a seat across from him.

"It's for the head Gods." He shrugs, long hair gracefully dancing on his tanned shoulders. Now that I am closer I realize that it's not crumbs of bread in his beard but tiny little flowers. He also has some flowers in his hair. "Oh, dude, if you want some flowers you have to hit up Dhat-Badan. She's decorating everyone! Or Qu Yuan; he's got some lovely orchids he's decorating people with." He lets out a small contagious laugh and I decide that I'd like to party with this guy. He's wearing a BE THE CHANGE shirt and has many different bracelets on his wrist. BLACK LIVES MATTER, EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS, FRAK FRAKING, ASPCA, ANIMAL AWARENESS, STOP THE ANIMAL ABUSE, STOP POLLUTION, ;, SAVE THE RAINFOREST, POLICE LIVES MATTER, LOVE TRUMPS HATE, W.W.J.D?, I'M AN ALLY, SHE PERSISTED and so many more. He was like a walking billboard for social justice issues. "Here, you want some bread?"

Instantly the one loaf in his hand becomes two and my eyes go wide. I accept the offered bread and quietly eat it though my eyes never leave him.

Eventually the shock wears off and I began shoveling my pile of food into my mouth with the bread. To be honest it is the most amazing food I have ever eaten. There are so many flavors and spices and my tongue is in full orgasmic mode. I could probably spend all day at the buffet and still my mouth wouldn't have a chance to taste everything.

"Hey wait a minute..." He stares me over before a smile overtakes his lips. "Oleander! Right? Patricia's boy!" My eyes go wide in disbelief, the food threatening to spill from my mouth. "Ah, man. Your mother is an absolute angel. She prays for so many people and I hear those prayers, so does my father. Shoot, I remember when you used to pray too. You were just a little dude back then." He reaches out to hand me a napkin and I take it to wipe off my mouth. I cannot believe I am eating with Jesus Christ.

"I'd ask for an autograph but I don't think she'd believe me." I admit after a moment. "And I'm sorry for taking your name in vain so many times."

"Water under the bridge, man. It's all good!" He's beaming wildly at me and I can't help but feel warm and safe.

"You're not how I imagined you at all."

"What? Loving? Kind? Caring? Compassionate?" He's raising a dark and full eyebrow at me and I can feel my face going red. "Look, the only thing I tried so hard to get people to learn was to love. Open your hearts and love. Quit fighting and quit judging and let my Father do all of that nonsense. Just live your life in peace and love."

"You are the coolest!" I chuckle. "I just did not expect you to be so cool and laidback. I-"

There's a loud gong-like noise and the place goes quiet.

"Meeting's starting. Come on." Jesus grins and stands. "Leave your food, it'll be cleaned."