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Foolish woke up under a canopy of trees. Dim beams of sunlight shone through the leaves of the tall oak trees. Birds chirped lightly in the trees. He blinked slightly, eyes adjusting to the lack of light. Then a figure covered his vision.
The totem shouted, scurrying backward until his back hit the trunk of a tree. Birds squeaked and flew from the tree. Foolish began speaking quickly. “Get away from me. Don’t come any closer. What the-”
He was cut off by a long:
Baaaaa
Foolish stopped speaking, the fear slowly leaving his eyes. “What are you?” He asked.
The creature let out another noise before beginning to munch on the grass.
“Can you at least tell me where I am?”
Baaaaa
“How did I get here? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
It looked up at him, not a thought behind its eyes.
Foolish raised an eyebrow before slowly standing up. “Fine then, keep your secrets.” He said spitefully. He hesitated and took cautious steps away from the beast. It didn’t react, so Foolish moved faster to get away.
It didn’t take him long to realize that this was not the realm he was used to. The Godly Realm was much, much brighter than this. And there wasn’t much grass, and this certainly wasn’t the temple he was used to.
“Oh Gods,” He muttered in annoyance. He was no longer in the Godly Realm after all… this is the mortal realm. He rubbed his furrowed brow, closing his eyes and sighing. He didn’t remember how he was put down here, but he knew it was probably a punishment for something.
He moved out of the forest and moved towards the only signs of civilization he could find. A large village was in the distance. Houses made of stone and wood encircled a large, grand structure, seemingly a castle, in the center of the village.
Foolish wandered around the streets, eyes on him. He was definitely out of place here. His golden skin stuck out like a sore thumb. These creatures were definitely different from him, and they knew that too.
He eventually made his way to a marketplace. The bustling environment was just busy enough to allow him to blend in. He stopped paying attention to where he was walking taking in the scenery around him. However, he quickly began paying attention again when he was collided with, falling backward onto the cobblestone street below.
“Oh, I am so sorry.” Their deep voice rang out, adjusting their cloak. They offered Foolish a hand. He pulled himself up, dusting off his attire.
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” He said lightly. Foolish looked up, emerald eyes meeting… sunglasses. It was rather peculiar; through the sunglasses appeared to be a light, but it must have been a trick of the mind.
The stranger took in Foolish’s appearance before smirking slightly. “You’re not from around here, are you?” They said, almost knowingly.
Foolish hesitated for a moment. Why should he tell them anything? The two just met less than a minute ago. But he needed to figure out what was happening and why he found himself in the mortal realm. He laughed lightly. “Not exactly.” He rubbed the back of his neck lightly.
The stranger nodded slightly. “I think I understand.” They said. They looked around the crowd before adjusting the sunglasses. “Well, do you want to come with me? I might be able to help you figure out some things.” They suggested.
He opened his mouth, intending to refuse the offer. He had just met the mortal, how was he supposed to trust them? For all he knew this might just be a ruse to steal from him. Not that Foolish had any belongings to get stolen.
The totem looked around before sighing in defeat. He didn’t have many other options other than going with them. “Sure, that would be helpful.” he conceded.
The stranger offered the god their hand. He took it apprehensively as they began to weave through the crowd of townspeople. They moved toward the center of the village, toward the grand stone castle. Rainbow banners adorned the large, sturdy cobblestone walls surrounding the castle. There was a set of large wooden doors set in a stone archway. The place seemed fit for a king, something the cloaked stranger definitely wasn’t. But that didn’t stop them from their trajectory to the doors.
Foolish trailed behind, slowly getting more confused by their actions. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” He questioned.
They let out a low chuckle. Shaking their head, the stranger replied. “I’m fairly certain.” The stranger looked back at him with a light smirk, mumbling something, but the words were lost among the noise of the crowd around them.
The totem followed hesitantly. They did not seem to stop their approach to the castle doors. Foolish waited for a moment or two for them to change their path, and of course, they didn’t waver. “See, the only reason I doubt that is because you seem to be heading right for the castle doors and-” he started before trailing off.
The two stopped at the large wooden doors. Foolish seemed dumbfounded as the stranger lowered the hood of their cloak. The guards gave a curt bow to them before opening the doors.
The King took a few steps into the castle grounds before turning back to the god. A smirk adorned their features. “So are you gonna come in or what?” They asked in a teasing manner.
Foolish cleared his throat, clamoring to regain his composure. “Yeah, of course.” He said quickly, moving to follow the seemingly unbothered king. He couldn’t believe that happened. He just completely embarrassed himself in front of the ruler of the town he found himself in. Surely they would find that disrespectful. “Your Highness, I am so sorry, I-” He started, trailing off when he heard them chuckle.
“There’s no need for the formalities.” They said with a wave of the hand. Foolish blinked a few times, trying to wrap his brain around this situation. “Especially because I believe that your title may supersede mine.” They said, giving a knowing look.
Foolish let out a sigh of relief. So they were aware of his godhood. That was relieving to know, but also terrifying. Were they planning something? What were they going to do with him? They didn’t seem to have any bad intentions, but who knows?
He didn’t get a chance to say anything in response, as a servant approached them with their crown. The ruler ran a hand through their curled locks. They rested the crown on their head while listening to the servant’s word. The crown sat gracefully on their dark hair; it looked like it truly belonged on the silhouette of their regal figure.
“I’m going to take my guest to my chambers. In the meantime, can you prepare a room for him?” They said to the girl. She gave a nod before giving a bow of respect before heading off down a hallway.
They took a deep breath before turning back to Foolish. “Sorry about that. I know your time is valuable.” They said before continuing their way through the halls of the castle. Foolish looked around, getting caught up in the architecture and art along the walls. The place looked perfect. There wasn’t a single thing out of place or a thing the god would have changed if he was the one who built the palace.
The ruler moved toward a door, opening it slowly. “We can talk more here. I don’t want any listening ears to hear. Rumors spread like wildfire.” They said. They held the door open for Foolish to enter.
He entered the room, looking around. The quarters were definitely grand compared to a normal bedroom, but Foolish would consider them humble compared to what he expected from a king’s chamber. Light seeped in from the sheer curtains. The king led him to a sofa toward the corner of the bedroom, taking the cloak off and draping it across the bed, revealing formalwear. They must have worn the cloak as a disguise to go into the marketplace.
“Your Highness, I-”
The king chuckled, shaking their head. “I told you not to call me that, but I never introduced myself, how stupid was that.” They said lightly. They sat on the chair across from Foolish. “Please, call me Eret.”
Foolish was suddenly aware of the fact that he had never introduced himself either. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Eret. My name is Foolish.” He said with a grin.
“So what’s the occasion that our little kingdom is being visited by a god like yourself?” They asked softly. They adjusted their position in the chair before chuckling. “If I would have known you were visiting, I would have cleaned up a bit.” They said jokingly.
“Cleaned up a bit? This place looks pristine.” Foolish mused. He looked around the room with an excited smile. “Also, I love the architecture, and did you see the chandelier in the entrance hall, it’s amazing.”
The king chuckled. “I have seen the chandelier.” They said lightly.
Eret seemed like a weight lifted off their shoulders. Their posture was no longer as straight as a board, and their shoulders were considerably less tense. It had been so long since they were able to be this informal with someone. Everywhere else they were the King, but in this room with Foolish, they were Eret once again. In fact, it had been so long since they heard someone use their first name.
“But I highly doubt you came here just to compliment our castle, though I do appreciate it.” They said. They absentmindedly fidgeted with a button on their shirt, listening intently.
Foolish chuckled nervously. “That’s the thing.” He said. He took a deep breath, looking around the room. “I don’t remember what happened. I remember being in the realm of the gods, and then I remember waking up in the woods.” He was being straightforward because that’s all he knew. There wasn’t much else to say. “There was a creature who looked like a cloud and ate grass and he was not very helpful in my search for answers.” He began recounting the events of his arrival.
Eret laughed genuinely, a sound they hadn’t heard in a long time. They clearly overestimated how much understanding Foolish would have of the mortal realm. “It sounds like you ran into a sheep.” They said with a grin.
“Well, this sheep was not very helpful.” He said spitefully. He sighed in annoyance, to Eret’s amusement. He continued, losing his anger toward the animal. “I left him in the woods and I started walking toward your city. It was the only thing I saw.” He said.
Eret nodded. “I’m just wondering why you got sent here of all places.” They said before their face paled slightly. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company, that’s not what I meant. I just mean that our small kingdom is hardly worthy of a visit from a god.” They rambled nervously.
“Eret calm down, dude. I’m not gonna smite you or anything.” Foolish joked, laughing. Eret laughed, nervousness still filling his voice.
Once the moment passed, Eret looked up at him, bright eyes peering at him through their sunglasses. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you the god of?” They asked. The kingdom wasn’t exactly known for being religious or knowing much about the pantheon of gods. They were free to practice any religion, and there wasn’t much of an emphasis on it anyway.
Foolish thought of a way to phrase it. “The easiest way I can explain it is ‘Undying’. I help things last. Permanence and equilibrium. Saying ‘the god of life’ doesn’t do it justice, because life implies death, implies an end. That’s just not what I do.” He said, being careful with his words. He didn’t want to be misinterpreted. He didn’t want Eret to assume he was something he’s not.
Eret listened, taking in everything he said. They nodded. “Well, we are happy to have your presence.” They said, giving a slight bow of the head.
“No, you don’t have to do that stuff. The bowing and formalities. I was never one for being worshipped. Just consider me a friend.” He said, a smile forming across his face.
They smiled slightly in response. “Of course.” They said. They leaned back in the chair, brushing a few loose curls from their eyes. “Although we will have to introduce you to the people. The whole marketplace saw you. I wouldn’t want any rumors to start to spread about your intentions. The last thing we need is an angry mob.” They said, furrowing their brow slightly as they thought.
“Oh well, that’s no problem. I can just go out and talk to them, I’ve always been a people person. I-” Foolish started, a grin on his face before Eret stopped him.
“No, no, no that won’t do.” They said, shaking their head. “I know you don’t like the formalities but I feel like your arrival warrants a bit more than a trip to the market.”
“So you’re gonna throw me a party?” He asked, growing excited.
“You could say that. A little bit more formal than that. I can have the tailor make you a formal outfit and I can have a banquet planned for the end of the week if you wish.” They said.
“What’s a banquet?”
Eret sighed, a soft smile appearing across their face. “A fancy word for a party.”
Foolish grinned. “I’m in.”
The next few days were filled with making preparations for the introductory banquet and getting used to the mortal realm. Foolish didn’t seem to have any of the powers he displayed in the realm of the gods, but he was hoping they would come back in time. What’s the point of a party if he couldn’t do his best party trick: summoning lightning?
He was still getting used to the kingdom. It was cold compared to the weather he was used to in his desert domain in the godly realm, but he was growing accustomed to it. He was also exploring the different options of food the castle could provide. He was a god, therefore he didn’t have to eat mortal food, but that didn’t mean it didn’t taste good.
Eret was helping Foolish adjust to his new situation. When they weren’t in meetings or busy preparing for the banquet, they would be introducing Foolish to concepts of the mortal realm. It didn’t always go well. They had to drag the disgruntled god from the royal stables when he began to give a sheep a piece of his mind, assuming it was the same unhelpful sheep he met on his first day.
But most of the time it went well. Seeing Foolish have a lack of understanding of basic concepts was quite funny, but Eret displayed nothing but overwhelming patience.
Eret was working hard to make the banquet a success. They didn’t just consider Foolish a royal asset like they believed he would be at their first meeting. They were growing to consider him a friend. And if the gods allowed it, they were going to throw their new friend the best banquet he could ever want.
Indeed, it was the best banquet he could ever want, because Foolish had no idea what to expect, and he had nothing to base his expectations on. When he walked into the ballroom, he was amazed. It was his first time in the room, and he was amazed by the architecture of the room. When he spent time building his own grand structures in his realm, he always struggled with the interior the most, so seeing such a magnificent design inspired awe.
Eret was busy getting any last-minute preparations in order when they noticed Foolish walk into the room. They finished up their conversation before heading in his direction.
“I hate to break it to you, Foolish, but you have your bow tie on upside down.”
Foolish broke his attention from the light fixture to his outfit. The tailor did a wonderful job on the suit, Foolish just had trouble putting the ensemble on correctly.
“Is it really that big of a deal?”
Eret laughed. “I suppose not.” They said. “It gives character.”
Foolish chuckled before giving a confused look. “Is that a good thing?”
“I’d say so.”
“Well, I’d say thanks.”
Eret raised an eyebrow at the weird wording of his reply before brushing it off. “Anyway the guests are expected to come any minute now. I’m probably just going to say a few words of an introduction and explanation, and you can say something if you want. No pressure or anything. Then it’ll just be kind of a mingling kind of situation.” They explained.
Foolish nodded slightly. “Rodger dodger.” He acknowledged.
It didn’t take long for the guests to start filing into the ballroom, chatting in hushed excitement over the expected announcement. They had all heard about the stranger with golden skin who wandered the marketplace, and no matter what kind of rumor they heard, they were excited to finally figure out the truth.
The king eventually stood up from their seat at the head table, smoothing out their semi-formal gown instinctively. They tapped their silverware against the champagne glass, the soft clinks enough to mostly quiet the crowd of guests.
“So by now, I’m assuming you’ve noticed the elephant in the room? Or should I say god in the room?”
Half the crowd responded with laughter, while the other gave gasps of surprise.
“Yes. Our small kingdom is being visited by a god for reasons unknown to myself, or himself for that matter. Foolish, the god of the undying, finds himself in the mortal realm for reasons he cannot remember, but I think it’s only right that we welcome him with open arms.”
The room started chattering, but Eret was quick to calm their concerns.
“I’m inviting him in as a friend, nothing like what you’re thinking, I can assure you of that. Over the past few days, I have been shown nothing but kindness from Foolish and I’d expect nothing less from him to you all.”
Foolish, seated at Eret’s right side, stood up. “Yeah, I’m not exactly into the whole ‘worshipping thing.’ I was thrown here by chance and I’m just here to help out... I think. I mean, I really don’t know what I was put down here for, but I’m gonna help regardless. I didn’t expect anything coming in here, but I’ve received a great friendship from your king and I’m hoping I can make even more friends and prove I’m here to help.” He said sincerely. He spoke informally at the start but quickly remembered the situation he was in. He began acting more proper, but it was clearly unnatural.
The room chuckled at his words.
Eret smiled, knowing that the words of kindness were probably the only genuine ones they had received in a long time. “I couldn’t have phrased it better myself.” They took a deep breath, gesturing to Foolish that he could return to his seat if he wanted. “So I arranged this banquet as a meet and greet situation. That way you all could get to know him better throughout the night. So enjoy yourselves.” They said before sitting back in their seat as well.
The meal went well, and the mingling was going even better. Foolish was a natural entertainer, and the people of the kingdom were loving him. Any fears in their minds dissipated, surely he had no bad intentions.
As the night began to a close, Foolish began to look for Eret. His main objective was to thank them, but he had a couple questions in mind as well. He eventually found them on the balcony. Their silhouette outlines by the moonlight as they leaned against the banister, gazing at the stars.
“Did I scare you off with my extremely charming personality?” Foolish mused with a toothy grin.
Eret chuckled lightly. “More like with your extremely inflated ego.” They retorted, but the smile on their face showed there was no seriousness behind his words.
Foolish laughed too, joining them along the banister.
They looked back out to the horizon. “It’s nothing you did; the parties have always gotten a little too overwhelming for me. Sometimes it’s just nice to take a break and get some fresh air.”
Foolish paused for a moment. “Yeah, I can’t relate.” He said bluntly. “Anyway, I have a couple of questions before you mortals make no sense to me.”
The royal laughed. “Go on.”
“What’s that noise I keep hearing?”
Eret looked back at him. “What do you mean?” He furrowed his brow slightly, assuming that this was a genuine problem.
Foolish, too, seemed confused. “You don’t hear it? It’s like-” he started before hesitantly humming the tune of the melody of the string quartet playing on the stage in the ballroom. “It’s fainter now, but I think it’s coming from those guys with the wooden weapons.”
Eret looked at Foolish, trying to read if he was joking. “You have to be kidding me.” They said lightheartedly.
Foolish only shook his head, his look only becoming more confused.
Eret covered their mouth, laughing the hardest they have in a long time. “Foolish that’s music. They’re playing the music on their instruments. Those aren’t weapons.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s music. It’s a form of art.”
“What’s the point?”
Eret slowly stopped laughing, realizing this would be harder to explain than he thought. He never really thought about it.
“It’s harmony and melody, two forces that are tugging at each other but ultimately work together to form the beauty you’re hearing..”
“But once it’s over, it’s gone. It’s forgotten.”
“But the emotions and memories it leaves behind aren’t.”
Foolish opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. He contemplated the other’s words for a moment. He was used to permanence, to constancy. Everything here in this realm was temporary, but it sure was beautiful.
In the moment, he wondered if his and Eret’s friendship would remain a constant. He hoped it would be.
He had no idea how quickly he would be proven wrong.
The silence was nice. It was comfortable. But it too wasn’t permanent.
“Thank you. For the banquet, and for everything before that too. If you hadn’t taken me in I’d probably still be harassing that sheep. It means a lot.” Foolish said. His eyes didn’t leave the horizon.
Eret slowly smiled. “I should be thanking you actually.” They said. They brushed a few curls from their eyes. “Our friendship has helped me more than you could ever know.”
They stared out to the horizon, both enjoying the quiet moment and wondering what would come next for them. The refrain of the quartet humming in their ears as they took in the fresh air.
Eret was the first one to break the silence. “I’ll help you get back to your realm, if that’s what you wish. But until you find your way, you’ll always have a place at my side.”
Foolish couldn’t help but smile, emerald eyes looking over at them. “And you have a place at mine.”
As the music faded away and the crowd dispersed, the pair’s friendship was set in stone.
This nice, tender moment would live in their minds forever.
Well… one of their minds at least.