Chapter Text
The realm of the gods is a place of unmatched beauty and splendor. The sky is always a clear blue that shines brightly with the rays of a gentle sun. Roaring rivers pour down from majestic mountains, flowing with water so pure and clear it looks invisible. Lush forests sweep over the land, filled with mighty trees nearly as old as the universe itself. In the middle of this beauty is a city, an opulent city crafted out of lapis lazuli, gold, and mother of pearl, a city full of lofty halls and palaces, of expertly crafted gardens full of colorful and exotic plants and intricate fountains made by the Divine Architect himself. The city of Ayd is truly a sight to behold.
At least, it is normally. But now, gardens were torn up and trees were uprooted; fountains and statues had been smashed, their rubble spread about the golden thoroughfares of the city; and the windows of the great halls and palaces had been shattered, their interiors ransacked and destroyed. The city of the gods, a place of unmatched beauty in the universe, had been destroyed and brought to ruin.
A woman walked through the rubble, carefully stepping so as to avoid the debris. Her chocolate-brown eyes glanced at the mess around her, and she tutted quietly as she kicked the destroyed head of a statue out of her path.
"What a mess," she muttered as she adjusted her red-framed glasses.
She walked for a few more moments before stopping in front of a golden gate. Inscribed upon the gate was a symbol vaguely reminiscent of an arrow; the symbol had been smashed and the gate was left ajar. The woman stepped through into a front garden overlooked by a formerly opulent palace; now, the garden was full of the dead bodies of demons and divine soldiers - many of them speared with arrows - and the palace had multiple holes in its walls and dirt smeared all over its side. The woman looked around calmly before a gentle hum escaped her lips.
"It seems the fighting was bad here, hermano," the woman bent down and picked up the shattered remains of a statue, staring down at it contemplatively for a moment. Suddenly, her face twisted with rage and she threw the stone at one of the few intact windows. "GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, PENDEJO!"
THWIP!
Faster than she could process, an arrow flew by the woman's face, missing her by just a few inches. A groan came from behind her, and the woman looked over her shoulder to see that a still living demon had been sneaking up behind her. Now, it had an arrow through its eye and a soul on its way to the underworld. A smug laugh resounded from the mansion.
"Don't let your guard down, hermana." A young man was leaning out of one of the windows, a bow held lazily in his hands. His bright red eyes were filled with mischief and a smug joy; this only made her more pissed off.
"YOUCH!"
The young man fell from the window as another piece of statue hit him squarely in the face. He landed directly in front of his sister, who now looked down at him with the same smug look he had before.
"Guess you're not the only marksman in the family, Cazado." She held a hand out to her brother to help him up, a hand that Cazado took after glaring at her for a second. He dusted off his tunic and fixed his gold headband as he stood up, centering the red gem inlaid upon it, a reflection of the blue one on his sister's forehead.
"That was a good shot, Camila. I'll give you that." He rubbed his bruised jaw for a moment before continuing. "So... how mad is he?"
"Well," Camila put a hand on Cazado's shoulder. "Let's see. You're responsible - albeit indirectly - for the ransacking of Ayd. For the first time in the history of the universe, heaven has been raided by demons, its palaces have been destroyed, many of the gods have been kidnapped or injured, and all of its splendor has been tainted by the rotten stink of these creatures. So, I'd say that he's pretty mad, hermano."
Cazado groaned. "I suppose you're here to take me to him."
"Si."
"Well," Cazado slipped his bow over his shoulder, "vamanos."
The two walked through the ruins of Ayd, taking in the destruction of the city. The dead littered the golden streets, filling the normally sweet-smelling air with the stench of death; majestic buildings that had stood since the beginning of time itself were reduced to ruins; gardens that the two had fond memories of playing in during their youth were stained with blood. Cazado gulped as he looked around, eventually opting to look down at his feet.
The two came to a gate that, unlike everything around it, had remained untouched. Inscribed upon the gate was a symbol reminiscent of a pyramid split into three sections, each section having a different colored gem: red, blue, and a black that sparkled with stars. Behind the gate was an oddly austere garden set before an equally austere building. Unlike the opulent, high-reaching palaces that flanked it, this building was a squat, one story affair. Yet, one could not help but feel a sense of authority emanating from it.
The two walked through the gate, making their way to the front door of the building. Camila turned to face her brother. His normally tanned face was pale, making the red markings on his cheeks stand out even more. The normally stoic god had noticeably shaking hands; Camila put a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him.
"Cazado, you'll be fine, hermano."
"Yeah," the god nodded. "Yeah. Let's do it."
The door opened and the two stepped into a dimly-lit hall. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, a sharp cinnamon smell filling their nostrils. They stepped forward across beautifully crafted rugs depicting all the stars and galaxies in the universe; the walls were decorated with finely made tapestries that depicted the entire history of Ayd, from its creation, to the birth of the two siblings, to its current ruin. The two walked forward until they stood before a dais, looking at their father.
Four steps beyond the edge of the universe sat a being so beyond the material world that even gods could not look upon his true form without being burned to a crisp. He was everything, a force that pervaded every single thing in the universe. He had no physical form, but at the same time he was everything physical. He was the beginning, the origin, the progenitor... and their father.
"Cazado," He spoke in a voice that you both heard and that reverberated throughout your body. "Would you care to explain yourself, mijo?"
"Well, father..." Cazado trailed off. He jumped when Camila elbowed him in the ribs. "Uhmm... it was... a bad decision."
"Hmmmm," The god put a hand on the chin of the physical form he presented to his children. "Explain yourself, Cazado."
Cazado began to sweat. "Well... father... I'm sure you-"
"I want to hear it from you."
The young god stared at his father for a moment before taking a few calming breaths. "Well, you see..."
-The Owl House-
Fifty years ago a young man climbed a mountain. He had no equipment and no supplies. He climbed the mountain through sheer strength and determination, and he foraged for his food on the rocky slopes, surviving on a diet of small plants and whatever animals he could capture. It took days, weeks, but he eventually reached the summit of the mountain. Then, his work truly began.
He sat upon the summit and centered himself, taking deep breaths and quieting his racing heart. He calmed his mind and emptied it of all thoughts. Then, he began to sing.
Devotional songs spilled from his mouth as he gently sang hymns to the god who had claimed this mountain as his sacred land. He sang and he sang, only pausing to eat, drink, and sleep. He kept singing and singing, even as his hair grew long, his beard became bushy, and wrinkles began to appear on his face.
He had climbed the mountain as a young man, and now he was old. His hair was turning gray, his skin was becoming wrinkly, and his body was beginning to turn weak and feeble. Yet he never turned from his work; never did the thought enter his mind that he might die before he finished. He focused only on the task at hand, a fanatical devotion that allowed him to keep going for fifty years.
At the end of those fifty years, on the anniversary of his having climbed the mountain, the man became aware of a presence on the summit with him. He let a small smile form on his face as he realized that his efforts were coming into fruition. The vague feeling on that summit, hanging in the air like fog, coalesced in front of the man until it took the form of a young, tan skinned man with a serene smile upon his face.
He was not all that imposing, shorter than the old man in front of him, but he had a strong build. He was dressed in pants made of majestic black silk and a maroon tunic. He was adorned with a golden headband inlaid with a sparkling red gem, and he wore the pelt of a wolf tied around his waist. An expertly crafted bow was slung over his shoulder, made of a wood that probably did not even exist in this realm. The old man let his face break out into a full grin. The god was here.
"O, my lord, God of the hunt, god of fire, god of destruction. You grace me with your presence. Truly, I am unworthy!" The old man bowed before the god in front of him.
"Rise, mortal," the god said, extending his hand to the worshiper. The old man took it, a look of awe on his face as he rose to his feet. "Your beautiful singing has graced my ears for many years, a boon on good days and a much-needed comfort on the bad ones. For your extreme devotion, I think it only fair that I offer you a divine gift to reward you."
"My lord, you bless me! My horrific vocalizations do not deserve such praise from you!" The old man once again threw himself on the ground, bowing vigorously before the god.
"Do not speak of your devotion like that. In this day and age, such devotion is hard to come by!" The god laughed. "Many have forgotten the old ways and the ancient rituals; it is only small groups that burn offerings to us anymore. We have not had large groups of dedicated worshipers in hundreds of years."
"So to see someone displaying such piety fills my heart with joy. I insist, you must be rewarded."
"If you insist, my lord, it is beyond me to refuse," the old man continued to bow.
"Ask, and I shall grant you anything within my power."
"Lord Cazado, you are among the most powerful of the gods! With your sister, Lady Camila, you represent the holy cycle of creation and destruction! That eternal cycle, the greatest thing in the universe -"
"Please, mortal, be quick and ask for your gift," Cazado said with the wave of a hand.
"My lord, I want freedom from that cycle. I wish to be immortal, untouchable by god or demon!" The old man looked up, his hands clasped in front of him.
"Hmmm," the god pondered it over for a moment. "Immortality is nothing new, but being immune to injury from god or demon... that's an interesting request... "
A panicked look appeared on the old man's face for a second before he once again began to sing, the summit being filled with the gentle notes of devotional songs. A calm, satisfied look appeared on Cazado's face as the old man sang.
"Oh, well, what's the big deal. Perhaps you will use it to become a heroic demonslayer. We haven't had one of those in a while. Your gift is granted, and it may not be taken from you."
The old man felt a tingle throughout his body, a change immediately taking place. Though he still looked old, he could feel that his body had returned to its physical peak. He smiled as he experimentally curled his hand into a fist.
"Thank you, my lord. Your humble servant is satisfied."
"I am glad to hear it. Now I return to Ayd," Cazado began to fade away, dissipating into smoke. As he did, the old man heard a voice in his head, the voice of the god who had just been in front of him. "I never asked for your name, mortal."
"It is Philip, my lord. Philip Wittebane."
-The Owl House-
"Sooo, you gave a mortal man immunity from the attacks of gods and demons and you didn't think that would come back to bite you in the ass," Camila asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, you know... he sung really well..." Cazado trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Ayyy, idiota," Camila muttered.
"Heey," Cazado whined, turning towards his sister with a scandalized look.
"Don't whine. Ayd is ruined because of you!" Camila huffed, crossing her arms.
"I-"
"Enough, you two," the two immediately went silent as their father's voice boomed. "I am confident that you can come up with a way to defeat Philip Wittebane. The two of you represent the cycle of creation and destruction; Cazado has destroyed, and Camila must create. I suggest that you think of what he did not ask for. You are dismissed."
"Yes father," the two chorused as they gave a small bow.
"What he didn't ask for," Cazado muttered as they left the hall. "What didn't he ask for?"
"What was his wish exactly," Camila asked as the two stepped out into the garden. She gently rubbed the leaf of a dying plant, causing it to once again spring up, full of life.
"He wanted to be untouchable by god or demon..." Cazado scratched his chin for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Camila, ahi esta!"
"Wha-" Camila started before it dawned on her too. "Humans! He didn't ask to be immune to humans!"
"Exactamente!" Cazado grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Hermana, he can be harmed by humans! But not ordinary humans."
"No," Camila shook her head as she pushed her brother off of her. "That pendejo has used his immunity to gather armies of demons under his command, to wield powerful and ancient magics. A normal human would be killed far before they even got the chance to challenge him."
"So, what we have to do..." Cazado looked at her with an expectant smile.
Camila nodded. "An incarnation. We must create a human that has a bit of the divine to give them an edge against Philip."
At that, Camila stuck out a hand into a ray of sunlight. She caught the sunbeam and cupped it in her hands, gently shaping and molding it into a brilliant ball of light. The light shifted and swirled in her hands, already looking alive. She tapped the blue gem on her headband, drawing out a tiny prick of energy and inserting it into the ball. Cazado looked at it in wonder. He had seen his sister create life many times, but there seemed to be something special about this one.
Camila brought the ball of light to her mouth, blowing gently on it with the breath of life. "I give you life, nina. You are my daughter and I your mother. I give you the power to create, the power to inspire hope and happiness in others, and, most importantly, the power of love."
Camila turned to Cazado expectantly, and her brother stepped forward and put his hand over the ball of light. "Young one, you are my niece and I your uncle. You will be that which corrects my mistakes, and for that I must thank you. I bestow upon you gifts to help you in your journey. Your body will be strong and resilient; you will be proficient with all weapons that you come across; the animals of the forest will bow to you; and your mind will be clear and tactical, always guiding you to what is right."
With the blessings of the gods upon her, Camila handed the ball of light to Cazado. The young god brought his bow forth, placing the ball upon an arrow. He drew back the bow with all his might, aiming to shoot through the realms and send the newly created demi-god to Earth.
"Go forth, my Luz, and be our hope," Camila spoke as Cazado got ready to loose the arrow.
As he was about to fire, a screech was heard. A flying demon, having apparently survived the battle, swooped down upon Cazado and disrupted his aim. Camila quickly dispatched the creature with a burst of energy, but it was too late. The arrow had deviated off its original course, hitting the sword of an untouched statue in their father's garden. The arrow - and the ball of light carried upon it - was split in half, each half flying off into the sky and disappearing into the realms. Both gods stared at the sky in front of them in disbelief.
"Well..." Cazado spoke after a moment, "I think both of those went in the direction of Earth?"
"Run."
"Wha?" Cazado's eyes widened as his furious sister stood there with a rock in her hands, glaring at her brother. The young god took off in the other direction, screeching as his sister chased him.
"Hey, c'mon Camila! That wasn't my fault! C'mon, stop chasing me! Lo siento, Cami! Hey, hey!" The desperate pleas of the young god echoed through the empty, desolate ruins of the once beautiful city.