Immune (NaNoWriMo2014)(Wattys 2014)

4) All But One (Part 3)

Nathan flicked his hand down, as if he was playing with a yo - yo. His pointer finger transitioned smoothly from skin to plant, stretching down and nicking up a golden - red sphere. It landed in his palm as if it were fitted for it, which he supposed that it was. It was a part of his destiny, after all.

So maybe he was taking the whole 'destiny' thing for a bit of a stretch, but who cared? Actually, he did. He loved the fact that for once, in his parents (granted) virtually infinite wisdom, he was actually right! He could get humanity to change, he could get respect for his Earthborn kin, he could get people to respect the world around them. He was actually right.

Even Mother Tree had said so. Well she hadn't said it so bluntly, nor had she outright said that she agreed, but she never did. She was an archaic being, older than Father Time himself. She was always right. She was omnipresent, virtually omnipotent. If she said that it was his destiny, it was his destiny. He could fulfill what he was born to do – save humanity. Save the world.

It was a slow battle, but extremely one - sided. There was no way in hell that they would win, they could only delay the inevitable. The humans fighting for earth were few and far between, and the Earthborn were constrained by rules, immensely powerful but ultimately useless. He was extremely young for an Earthborn, which were for the most part born after time started to run. They consisted of Mother Nature, the she - wolf Lupa, the Celtic nature God Cernunnos, and four or five other, long forgotten ones. Their power was practically limitless, but they were unable to use it to their fullest extent. Not since humanity had forgotten about them.

Many millennia ago, the Earthborn ran free. They had epic battles, displaying their utter power in mesmerizing displays. Mother Tree had even shown him images of battles that his mother had been a part of – she looked completely different than she did now.

She wasn't as peaceful and serene as she was now, at least, she didn't dress like it. She wore a rather normal set of clothing, and she was vicious. She would send ravaging storms to those who displeased her, be they normal villages or god - like Earthborn. Cernnunos seemed to have a personal vendetta against her, pummeling her with a brutal physical assault.

In return, she would send a rain of fire after him, shattered landmasses, and gouged out entire cities just to get even. They were prominent figures that instilled hate and fear to the lowly humans that had to suffer their untamed antics.

Then they diffused. Receded into their own domains, a land of their choosing. The human beings in that specific land still feared, respected, even revered them. They were Gods in their land.

Everywhere else, however, were too busy fearing, respecting, and revering their own monster. They, over time, forgot about the other Earthborn. Thus, Earthborn began to lose power. And without power, they lost status, they lost the hold on their people. They were reduced to a fraction of what they once were.

Mother and Father were spared; everywhere, people still talked about them. They might have been speaking metaphorically or even as a simple life lesson, but it was enough. They regained power, strength, and status. This newfound strength boost had even taken a physical form – Nathan.

He rolled the golden - red ball around, its smooth texture cool against his skin. The ball felt like rubber, even though such an inhumane substance would never be allowed to stay anywhere near Mother tree. It was an insult. Even now, he wore classic Shepard sandals, leather with bronze bolts, covered by his overhanging jeans.

Nathan tipped his hand, letting the smooth ball roll into the pool of green liquid, making a small spout rise up.

Nathanial Arret. You have no need to give me an explanation for your offering. Drop them with caution, however, for if my essence touches you, Earthborn or not, you will be annihilated.