Sol Questing 1- Of Gods and Flowers

Prompt

A nearby town was completely trashed during a fierce storm. Assist them in the cleanup however you can!

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He gazes upon the open fields as he often does walking down the path toward the center of the small village, taking in the scene before him once more in quiet thought. Beside him a small child also walks with skip in her step, the hum of a delightful song upon her lips. The dichotomy of what he sees and hears bothers him, as it has every morning on their trek, and his insides churn slightly.

The girl at his side, seemingly sensing something coming from him, stops her humming to cast him a curious look. “You always get really quiet when we walk through this part.” she comments, having noticed the trend over the course of the few weeks he has stayed here.

He doesn’t answer immediately, his golden eyes still trained on the valleys before him, deep in thought. “Are they always this withered?” he eventually questions in a soft voice.

The girl shrugs, also gazing out into the mostly barren fields of her village. Pitiful stalks of various crops seem to struggle to stand within their respective pastures, most bent over in browned, crumpled heaps. Those that still remain standing appear visually ill, leaves wilted and yellowed and littered with holes from invading pests. It’s almost impossible to tell what grows in these pastures at all. “It’s always been like this.” she comments, returning her gaze to the path ahead. “The ground here isn’t that good and the farmers have a tough time getting anything to grow.”

He frowns. “Your gods, do they not answer your prayers?”

The girl shrugs again, walking in silence for a few steps before stating, “Maybe they can’t right now.” Quiet follows her answer, and after some moments she looks up and is startled to see the god’s face scrunched in anger. What’s this? In all the weeks he had been living with her she had yet to witness any expression of strong emotion from him, so much so she was beginning to believe he was simply incapable of it. “Eos what’s wrong?”

He does not reply immediately, stewing upon the words she just spoke to him. What arrogance, he thinks to himself. “Foolish.” he mutters like a curse, lips curling around the word.

The girl scrunches her brows, not understanding. “What’s foolish?”

“Your gods, to be of such arrogance as to turn from the cries of their appointed of whom call to them for help.” Eos sneers, a fire burning in his chest. “Twisted snakes that they are who are not worthy of the thrones upon they sit idly upon.”

“D-don’t say that!” the girl chastises after a beat, still caught off guard by this sudden change in her companion. “The gods have been good to us, and they know what’s best. We’re meant to trust them and honor them and they will bless us. The harvests have been slim the past few seasons, but we’ve held on just fine. I’ll start praying more at the temple to-”

“Do not burden your time with empty ventures.” Eos interrupts her. “These gods of yours do not care about you as you believe.”

“Yes they do!” The girl can’t believe what she is hearing, where is this anger suddenly coming from?

“Before your eyes shines a great light that blinds you.” Eos counters, turning to her and she’s startled by the lightning flashing in his golden eyes. “Your blind faith in your gods clouds your judgement. Who of those high ones are worthy of praise if they fail to heed the calls of their anointed one.”

“M-maybe I’m not honoring them right. Or enough….”

“No, of the offerings you bare they are plentiful and of good nature. You are the anointed one of your village Yonah, who has been taught the ways of holy priesthood and obey what has been commanded of you to do. And yet you do all of these things and your prayers remain unanswered. Tell me, in what season were the fields last bountiful with their fruits?”

Yonah’s words catch in her throat, mind searching desperately for an answer. Ultimately her gaze falls to the ground without comment.

Eos lets her remain in her silence knowing he is right, though pains over her distress. He does not wish to harm her, nor disregard her workings. Despite her young age Yonah is, by all accounts, a wonderful priestess for her people. Slaving tirelessly day and night within the temple so much so her knees are raw from praying. If there was ever one who deserved their blessings, it would be her. However he cannot spare her the truth, as painful as it may be.

Their walk is heavy now, both remaining silent as they continue to pass by the rotten fields of grains and corn and vegetables, and each one they pass Eos watches it’s weary farmers and tenders toil in vain, unearthing nothing but scraps. His heart aches to its core, he cannot stand to see the people of this land suffer as they do, especially under the authority of neglectful gods. These poor mortals do all they can and yet receive nothing.

And even more than these…. He watches Yonah who trots beside him; he cannot see her face, but he doesn’t need to. He knows the solemn despair in her heart, he has seen it every day when she goes to the temple to give offerings and pray. A soul so giving and charitable, the very same that pulled him from his tree prison all those weeks ago, a soul that still cares for him now as if he were of her own blood. Such kindness and love to give, even to a useless god like him…. And then you have her gods that she pours that very same kindness and love too only for it to be spat back in her face. It’s enough to cause his soul to crackle with malicious magic.

He flexes his hands, feeling the tingle of magic flow through them. These people need a better god to take care of them. To listen to them. To love them. He can do that. He can take care of them. He can listen to them. He can love them. And precious Yonah, who offers her soul for gods and for her people… she needs a god who will cherish her and bless her as she deserves. There’s no one in this village more deserving than she.

Eos clenches his fists and glares up at the sky. He’ll do it. He has the power to help these people, to help her. As he should, he has to repay them for all the kindness they have shown him. If their own gods wont help them then he will.

-----

The next day before the sun rises Eos leaves the small homestead of Yonah and her family, sneaking away on light feet. The world is impossibly dark, the moon nothing but a small sliver in the sky among countless stars that guide him on his way toward the village.

He feels strange. What is he about to do exactly? A foreign feeling stirs in his stomach, one he hasn’t felt in a long, long time. What is it the humans call it? Anxiety? Is he anxious? It sounds like it could be right.

He rarely appears at this hour, when the sun has yet to wake. This isn’t his time, but he found he could not rest during the night, staring holes into the ceiling and walls and floor waiting for hours to pass. So here he is now, slinking through the shadows of nightfall toward the fields to bide time until morning comes when his powers are strongest. Perhaps he should have had Yonah make an announcement to the village to stay inside until well into the day, Eos is not in particular mind to want to be seen. But it’s too late now, and perhaps it’s for the best. He wishes to show them what a proper god can do doesn’t he?

It isn’t long until he reaches the fields, and here he waits more for night to brighten, spending his time in self reflective silence. Seconds creep as after a patient wait, the first rays of morning peek above the horizon. Eos lifts his head to gaze at the sky, tangibly feeling the magic in him gradually swell with each beam of sunlight that graces the earth. It’s time.

It has been so long, how long? Centuries? Since he has used his powers like this. For a moment he believed to have forgotten. But as the morning is born and he steps out into the first field he feels the old magic invigorate in his veins. And even more so, for the first time in millennia, a song in his breast.

---

She knew exactly where to find him. Yonah’s feet pound the earth in a full sprint as she races toward the temple, heart pumping in her throat and the feeling of lightning in her body. All around her she sees it all, the green blurs of vegetation. The fields. They’re thriving. She awoke to the sound of banging on the front door and villager’s voices calling for her. She had been afraid something horrible had happened, as did her parents, but it was quite the opposite. Admittedly she didn’t believe them at first, but on her wild run she now sees how foolish she was. The fields are full. Corn, wheat, potatoes, cotton, peppers…. Every single field she passes is bursting to the brim with harvest, and even as she races she can hear the delighted cries of farmers weeping over their good fortune.

She has to find him.

And she does, right where she knew she would. He doesn’t stir from his meditation until she’s upon the steps heaving for breath. He knows why she is here and waits for her to speak.

“Th-the fields!” she sputters in between breaths, eyes wide. “Th-the fields! The fields!”

Eos doesn’t speak just yet, calmly retaining his seat on the temple steps.

Yonah gulps, slowly regaining the wind in her lungs though her heart still clogs her throat. After a moment when she feels she can speak she gazes at Eos who politely returns it. “The fields.” she repeats once more with shock. “They’re blooming with crops.”

“So they are.” Eos agrees.

Yonah stares at him, mind racing. She doesn’t understand. Why? She knows it was him, it could only be him. But why? What did she do? Did they do? There was no warning or hint. He snuck out in the night while they were sleeping. Why?

Eos watches her expression, one of awe, and he knows of the millions of thoughts and emotions she struggles to sort through. Letting out a breath he stands and indicates the open temple doors. “I wish to show you something.”

Yonah blinks, growing more confused by the minute. Just what is he doing? And why in the temple? He hates the temple, sure he waits for her upon the steps while she finishes up her priestess duties, but he’s always made it obvious he wants nothing to do with it. So why go inside now?

She burns with a hundred questions but swallows them down for now, instead following his lead. Inside the temple are simple stone walls, the most a small village like theirs could make, but Eos ignores it all, heading to the back of the altar room to the door leading outside which confuses her even more.

Treading behind him he leads her outside into the garden. Or what should be the garden. The earth of which is supposed to be holy and grow all manners of religiously important herbs and flora lays dead and barren. Nothing but a plot of dust she had tried and failed to revive.

She doesn’t understand. Yonah looks to Eos, and something in his golden gaze almost… entrances her.

Eos says nothing as he steps delicate foot into the center of the dried flower beds feeling both magic and nerves electrify his body.

Yonah has no idea what he’s doing, watching in enchanted puzzlement as Eos gathers himself and closes his eyes.

And begins to sing.

Yonah freezes, breath almost stopping completely, overcome with what can only be called worship as the most lovely melody she’s ever heard plays before her ears. Eos sings in a language she’s never heard and yet the words stir the very depths of her soul, an angelic voice that sounds like sunlight and clouds, light and indescribably beautiful.

He moves about as he sings, delicate airy steps, dancing through the garden. The hairs on the back of Yonah’s neck stand, feeling powerful magic fill the space. And then, unbelievably, fronds begin to sprout from the earth. With each of Eos’ steps saplings burst forth around his feet, growing and sprouting in time with his singing. Flora of all kinds color the garden in a rainbow, the magic that brought them to life making them far more vibrant than anything found naturally on earth.

Yonah can’t move as Eos completes his song, voice petering out like the last twinkle of sunlight in a dying sunset. Around them the temple garden flourishes with life and magic; Yonah doesn’t even realize she’s crying until she brings a hand to her mouth.

“Th-th-this i-is…” she can barely stutter out, completely overwhelmed. The garden is back, the garden she spent so many years trying to revive. It’s alive, and it’s beautiful. She fights back the urge to sob, lost in the wave of emotions threatening to consume her. She doesn’t even realize Eos has moved until she feels hands gently take her own.

“If there ever was a sheep,” he speaks in a soft voice that immediately stills her frantic heart and kneels to be at her level. “you are a sheep.” he assures her. “You, who are called to follow the faith, do so as certainly as the sun follows the moon on their treks through the heavens. It is by no fault of your own that your shepherds do not care for their flock.”

Yonah takes a shuddering breath, struggling to find her voice. So that’s what this is about. She feels a stab of hurt, remembering his words from yesterday. Her gods… they could have done this after all, but they didn’t. Even though she prayed and made offerings as she was supposed too, in excess even, they ignored her. She and her people needed them, she cried for them, but they did nothing… her shepherds did nothing….

“But you’re my shepherd too.” she declares, finally understanding. “You tried to tell me and I didn’t listen.”

“You did only what you believed to be right, nothing more. You can not know that the gods you served had abandoned you.” Eos assures her, and the way he looks at her, she believes him.

A strange feeling comes over her then, a mixture of grief and relief that she struggles to swallow. “But not you.” she manages to choke out. “You’re a god too, but you did not abandon us. You care about us.”

“I do.”

For some reason those two words, after years and years of the gods not answering her, almost break her. “And y-you care for me, right?” she sputters, hands shaking.

For the first time since they met that fateful day Eos smiles at her, a gesture that warms her to the depths of her soul. “I do.”

That's all it took.

Eos doesn’t flinch as Yonah breaks, welcoming her into his arms even as she sobs her hurt and sorrow into his robe. “Your years of being forgotten have passed, little one.” he reassures her, cradling her to him as a father would his young child. And my years as well, he adds to himself as an odd feeling overcomes him. Is it? Joy? It’s been so long he almost forgot what it felt like, but he knows this swelling he feels in his chest. It was one he used to feel often eons ago. Back when he was remembered. Eos feels a single tear fall down his cheek.

They stay like that, locked in an embrace, for the first time in a long time, Yonah and Eos both felt… whole.