Chapter Text
When the world was new, and humans had barely come to be, the gods were arguing about who should rule above all. The world had been made for them, but they could not agree on who should lead them as their king.
The god of love stated it should be him, for he is the kindest yet most cruel
The god of journeys stated it should be him, for he is exploration and an endless quest.
The goddess of the oceans stated it should be her, for it was her waves that shaped even the steepest cliffs.
The god of the skies stated it should be him, for he is the one blanketing the entire world.
They and many others could not agree on anything, and the fighting went on for eons, until their world, devoid of ruler and direction, caught the eye of a titan- a ginormous, golden beast that sought to claim the world for itself to rule.
Once divided, the gods had to work together united to repel the threat of the titan.
The fight went on for years, but eventually, the gods were victorious thanks to Avery; the god of champions, loyalty, nature and combat. With the titan finally defeated, the god turned towards the others, and with a loud voice declared.
“I have slain the titan that has plagued this world for many years. Therefore, I should be the ruler of the gods.”
None could argue against it, and that is how our current pantheon was formed.
At least, that’s the story we all know.
Avery was walking through the grand halls of the pantheon, admiring the vines that grew around the columns and the glowing fruits that provided light. It was a very beautiful night, the sky painters once again providing the world with a breathtaking, starry sky.
He should be happy; the world was at peace, he was universally beloved and humans loved to tell the story of his victory over the golden titan.
By all means, he should be happy.
He wasn’t.
There was an ache in his chest that had started shortly after the titan was defeated, when he had been surrounded by the other gods who had been present, praised and celebrated for his abilities. Everybody had been there, Avery had checked every face and had concluded nobody had been missing.
But the ache had appeared, anyways, as if something was wrong.
He had visited the god of medicine and healing, he had tried to ignore it, but the feeling got heavier and heavier as the years progressed, demanding to be seen and heard.
It was exhausting.
The god paused, hearing footsteps approach.
He could already tell who it was.
“Good evening, Florian.”
Florian. the god of orchards, chaos and celebration.
“Goooood evening~!” The chaotic god grinned. “It’s almost been 500 years since you took the titan down, so I think it’s time for another celebration~!”
Ah- right. That’s what this was about.
“...You seem excited.”
“Of course! This is the most fun part of being me! We should do something big this time, to celebrate the big 500!”
Avery sighed.
This particular god could be exhausting.
“...What do you have in mind?”
Florian grinned.
“I say, we invite EVERYONE.”
Avery… wasn’t sure what was so special about that.
“We do that every time?”
“Nono! I don’t mean ‘everyone’ as in ‘the entire pantheon’- I mean ‘everyone’ as in ‘every single god there is’.”
Ah-
That could spell disaster.
“...With all the grudges and petty drama between everyone…?” Avery asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’d rather not deal with that on a day that’s about unity.”
“Which is exactly why we should invite everyone” Florian grinned. “Nobody wants to cross the champion of the gods on the day he defeated the titan. It’ll be funny to watch everyone try and avoid starting drama.”
Avery sighed.
“...I trust you’ll keep the celebration enjoyable for everyone.” Avery sighed, deciding to let the other deal with it.
He wanted chaos, he could handle the fallout.
This was not a place meant for gods.
The messenger knew he had been sent somewhere no god had ever set foot before, but he had to keep going- to deliver the invitation to the ruler of this grim, foggy realm.
‘Every single god’ meant ‘every single god’, even the ones that the patheon wasn’t aware of.
But how could they be aware of him? When no god was ever meant to experience what mortals did.
The palace in the distance was shrouded in mist, and as hard as the messenger tried, it’s as if it only grew more distant, the god unable to even get close until he saw something-
or rather, someone, casually making their way over to the palace, unbothered by the foggy terrain.
“Human! Carry me to the palace, and I shall deliver a message to whoever you want!”
The person looked up, dazed, unfocused, and reached out to the god, carrying them closer and closer to the palace.
“Tell my mother I will see her again…” The mortal spoke, before drifting off, the halls of the palace grand and imposing. But whatever god was part of this realm, they had to be inside of the building- the messenger just had to find them.
And so they wandered the halls- ornately decorated but devoid of life- until they came across a grand hallway, which would indicate a throne room-
But instead of a throne, there was a large desk, stacked high with papers. Scrolls hung from the ceiling, not containing information or stories, but instead names and numbers. A long line of humans waited calmly in line, and the messenger almost felt tempted to… skip it. He was not here for business after all- just to deliver a message.
However… something told him it was best to follow the rules and customs of this strange realm, moving to stand at the very back of the line.
It felt like days had passed when the god finally approached the desk, and saw who sat behind it.
A strange god, shrouded in darkness with black robes, subtle golden details and embroidery decorating them.
They looked… tired, weary, and not at all pleased to see the messenger.
“This place is not meant for your kind.” The god spoke, his voice a mere whisper in the fog. “You ought to leave.”
“I will!” The messenger spoke. “Just… came to deliver an invitation.”
The dark god paused.
“And invitation? Who in their right mind would-”
“It’s for the 500th celebration of the fall of the golden titan.” The messenger spoke quickly. “The champion of the gods had decreed that ALL gods must attend- whether they’re part of the pantheon or not.”
“...And what if I don’t? What could he possibly do to make me leave?”
The messenger gasped.
“You’d defy the champion of the gods?! That’s- he’d strip you of your divinity! He’d leave you mortal and- and you can’t seriously be considering-!”
The grim god let out a long, deep sigh.
“...I doubt he can do that to someone outside of his pantheon, but very well. I shall attend this event- just don’t blame me if things get uncomfortable.”
“O-of course!” The messenger spoke, glad to be able to get out.
This realm was not meant for gods, except for the one ruling it.
The day of the celebration was there, and Avery… really wasn’t feeling it. The champion and ruler of the gods knew he had to put on a brave face and just endure the endless praise and flirtations for a few hours, and then he’d be able to retreat back to his chambers and quietly sulk.
The ache was always worse on the day it had happened, as if the titan, with its final breath, had cursed Avery to suffer every single year on that same day.
He had asked the god of curses and grudges about it, but he couldn’t detect any sort of thing, cryptically stating that the pain came from within, so the god should look into himself for the answers.
Avery had tried, but he hadn’t found any answers or truths as to the origins or cause of the pain.
He’d never let anyone know about that, though. He did not want to show the other gods he was hurting. It was already troublesome enough to keep everyone from fighting without them being able to use his pain against him-
Because they absolutely would.
..Well… best not to keep everyone working to make this event happen waiting.
The god got up, checking over his appearance once more before heading out. Not excited about the celebrations, but curious to see how Florian would handle the chaos, for as much as he enjoyed petty drama and fights, he never once forgot that he was the god of celebrations, and he would not let anyone ruin the events he set up.
The celebrations hadn’t started yet when Avery made his way down to the grand hallway, watching servants put the finishing touches on the grand banquet, platters of fruits and cheeses and pastries and cured meats tastefully decorated with flowers and blooms. Banners with the symbol associated with the champion of gods decorating the area.
The one who brought unity- the one who hid the pain he was in to keep the peace.
…Any time now, the guests would start arriving…
Avery took a deep breath, before pasting a casual smile on his face.
He could do this- he’d been doing this for over 500 years now. He could be the same charming champion everyone had always known for just a few hours.
Let the celebration of unity and peace begin…