The Village and the Deity
Author's Notes
Prompt: Swamp
The people of the swamp lived in the swamp, cared for the swamp. It was a small village, and their neighbors were a day's walk from here (not that their neighbors really knew of their existence anyways). It was a peaceful life.
They were protected by the mist, food provided to them, and best of all: a field of water lilies and lotuses.
For years these flowers came and go, adored by the children and admired by the inhabitants. And everything was fine.
Until... one foggy morning, a healer rushed into the village, crying out that they had seen a ghost. Now, the people of the swamp believed in no spirits. Someone must've been there, and the poor healer was just being paranoid.
Gently assuring the healer that it was perhaps a trick of the light, they resumed their day as normal.
Twice was a coincidence.
The next time, it was an army who proclaimed that he saw a figure in the mist while hunting. Once more did the rest of the village brush it off but found themselves intrigued. Was it a phenomenon? Was it actually a ghost?
Or...was it a god?
The third time was no coincidence.
A guardian, elated and face flushed with awe—proclaimed to have spotted a beautiful Noxiie among the lotuses and lilies.
“A guardian!” He proclaimed, “a god, deity, even!”
There was no way someone could have inhabited the swampy area alone. Not while wearing lilac silken clothes and sparkling jewelry.
So of course, every inhabitant went out to see if the guardian was spewing words of truth.
His words rang true.
As they reached the clearing, they were greeted with clear mists and a slender figure among the flowers. Long lavender hair and porcelain skin, adorning lilac robes with glinted golden and sparkling red jewelry.
Then, their magenta eyes locked eyes with the audience they had gathered.
Silence.
It was a moment before an army Noxiie called out that this deity was moving backwards and away from them.
A few started to move, ready to give chase—when the mist started to roll in again.
In the eyes of the chief, it was clear:
A deity was here, and here to stay.