The Sixth God (Arc 1: From The Pale Ashes) [BL]

Chapter 1

I loved the snow.

It was beautiful, the way it gently danced in the breeze. Shimmered in the sun's loving light.

It's crisp scent stung Shida's nose. Cool kisses, soft like feathers, touched his numbed bare body.

So pure. So white. Untainted, frozen in time and oblivious.

Reaching toward the sun, the snowflakes tickled Shida's palm as sunlight streamed through his fingers. The evergreen trees rustled above him as a flock of birds flew off towards the sun Shida couldn't reach, no matter how hard he stretched.

Disappointment tinged Shida's eyes red. The sun looked so close, a blazing light the stung the eyes and left afterimages dancing in view. But he couldn't hold the sun.

The reaching hand enclosed into a fist, the few gathered snowflakes melting inside.

And Shida couldn't hold his beloved snow.

No matter how hard he wished.

"Can I become snow and the sun?" Shida's youthful voice rang out into the wilderness, crisp and clear.

Thinking hard, Shida figured it couldn't be too hard to become snow. There was plenty around.

"Maybe if I eat enough..." Shida's hand dropped to his side, scooping up snow. He plopped it in his mouth, dusty white sticking to his lips as the crisp, cool taste melted down his throat. Pale lips parted as his breath released white clouds into the sharp cold air.

A violent shiver through his body.

Maybe eating snow wasn't such a good idea. It was already so cold.

Shida settled back into the snow, closing his eyes as he soaked in the muffled silence around him that was only broken by the foreign yet familiar voice that rarely woke from the back of Shida's mind, full of lonely utterances and painfilled pleas. His body trembled under their weight, those thoughts which were his own yet not as they echoed through his soul when he first awoke here.

Phantom pain clenched Shida's heart, tearless pleas stung his eyes.

Please. Won't someone love me?

I don't want to be alone anymore.

Shida closed his eyes.

Please! Someone! Anyone!

"Shida!"

The voice went quiet. Relief filled Shida as his body unclenched. He turns his head toward the white-haired boy who rushed over, his smile taking up half his face.

"Look! Look! I found more berries!" He shoved the handful in front of Shida's face, each berry glistening with powdered snow. His silver eyes danced as they waited for Shida's response.

"Ina," Shida spoke his name in a daze as if waking from a bad dream. Slowly, a smile grew on his gloomy face. Years seemed to shed off Shida until his silver eyes shined as a five-year-old's should.

 Shida picked one up and popped it into his mouth, grinning. "It's sweet!"

Ina let out a squeal and crushed Shida into a hug, warmth leeching off him. "Right, right?! And you were worried about food. Well, I found another berry bush while you were being lazy. Even though you were supposed to help me!"

"I did!" Shida pointed to the pile of snow beside him. "See? I made a friend. His name is Snowy."

Ina plopped down in front of Snowy, face suddenly serious as he took it in with his eyes. It was a pile of snow with evergreen needles for hair and pine cones for eyes. "Hello, Snowy. My name is Ina."

Shida ran behind the foot tall Snowy and raised his pitch. "Hello, Ina. I'm Snowy. Wanna be friends?"

Ina's face lit up. "Yes!!" He enveloped Snowy in a hug.

"Ina, wait!"

Ina pulled back abruptly, Snowy's body crumbling down half his size.

"Snowy is fragile!" Shida quickly worked to build him back up.

"I..." Tears filled Ina's eyes. "I'm sorry, Snowy."

Shida glanced at Ina, the anger that was burning in his heart dying down.

"It's okay. I forgive you." Snowy said.

Ina sniffled. "Really?"

Shida pressed his lips together. "Snowy said he forgave you so he forgave you. Help me fix him."

Together the two ate berries and juice stained hands worked diligently on Snowy until he was back to size, though a bit lopsided and red.

Shida shivered, goosebumps traveling along his body.

Quickly grabbing Ina's hand, he pulled him away from Snowy. "We can move him to our house once he gets stronger."

Ina glanced back at Snowy. "But- "

"Ina, look." Shida pointed to the velvety sky. "We need to return to our house."

Ina frowned, eyes staying on Snowy until Shida pulled him out of view.

Together they walked, feet shifting through the snow. They stopped to watch the animals or pull the lower branches of trees to create avalanches on each other. The trees soon parted where a small igloo big enough for two sat. The symphony of hoots and howls, chittering, and chirping filled their ears as they crawled into the house.

Ina's giggle danced in Shida's ear as he wrapped his arms around him.

"Cold, Shida?"

Shida nodded, snuggling against Ina.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm here you'll never freeze to death." The heat grew and Shida lazily opened one eye. Ina's skin glowed softly like a star, gentle waves of heat flowed off him.

Ina smiled and combed his hand through Shida's black hair, sighing. "Your hair is so pretty, like the sky at night." He wrapped it around his hand, rubbing it against his face.

Ina wipes the dust white off Shida's head before resting his own against it.

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Author has something to say:

        1st- The POV is 90% Shida, 10% Other. In other words, you will be seeing through Shida's almost always unless to plot elements demand otherwise. 

        2nd- Bold= person who is talking is 'Future Shida' aka the Shida who is telling you his story. 

                  Bold w/ Italics=foreign voice in someone's head.

                 (This 2nd thing is mostly for me so I remember but also for the readers.    ;) )

         3rd: Did you know 'pine cone' is two words? Always thought it was one.

        Lastly!! : Does anyone know a good free fantasy map maker? This story is gonna need one and I can't find any that seem to work for me. 

Let me know in the comments!! Thank for reading!