Faithless Novella Read online

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  FaithLESS

  A Four Kingdom Saga Novella

  Prologue

  Day of creation...

  They are simply amazing.

  They may be my children but they are so much more than that, more than myself.

  They are my magic but they are the blood and souls of the humans Gaia provided to me. They're an amazing creation of godly design and they will make this place more; more than it could have ever been without me.

  First I created a race that was beautiful and ethereal. They mirrored me in so many ways from their silver eyes and hair, to their long graceful limbs. Gaia had insisted the first of our children should be as much her as myself, so she gifted them all a magic. Engrained in them from birth would be power over the elements. I gave them diversity of talent, kind hearts and a strong work ethic. They would protect our lands and respect Gaia always.

  Second I created our Guardians of the skies. They would be strong of agility and pride in their purpose. As all my children were I infused them with the ability to grow their magic, with work. I gave them impeccable hearing and a deathly quietness. I gifted them with the wings they would use to come close to me in the sky, to see Gaia as I do. My sister, Gaia, she gave them the earthly touch of carnality. They would feed their souls with the sexual essence that passion provided.

  Third came the souls of those with hearts full of strength and bravery. We created a race of humans who contained the hearts of lions and I infused the soul with wild magic to reflect that. They would be able to embrace the magic in their souls and they would bond with the creature inside them. Mother earth decided to gift them with both a blessing and a curse. They would be stronger than any other, faster. They would have the best sight and hearing abilities but they would depend on those who would be prey, for life. They would feed on the freely given blood of the others and if they were not given their meal freely they would gain no sustenance and eventually starve.

  Last I realized I had neglected the abundance of life below the water that would need to be protected as well. With the last of our souls we created a race of humanoid sea people. Together we provided them with skin that would not shrivel, skin that was reminiscent of scales but much less like those of the fish. I gave it a beautiful colour and shine out of my own inate vanity. Gaia gave them the ability to see as the creatures of the deep do and provided their hair with sensors that would feel the vibrations of the ocean. We gave them supreme rule over any and all water ways and oceans. Their job would be the hardest, our water sources were of the utmost importance. No planet could survive without the source of life.

  Travelling with my children under the guidance of my new sister I surrounded the civilization the young human race had created with their new magical cousins by my side. My sister and I had given each race the knowledge they would need to survive the terrain, the languages they would need and the knowledge that working together they could become great. The planet they lived on could be the most successful in all of the universes. The Gods and Goddesses of my old Pantheon would see the error in ignoring my plea for my own race, I would show them how mistaken they were with not one but four. Four amazing races of children. When my children had flourished, when they were ready to conquer anything I would would make the fool Gods listen.

  We approached the humans under signs of submission and friendship and were quickly accepted once we provided a waterway directly into the settlement, showed control over fire and warmth, a quick feed of multiple deer from the shifter children and a show of magic in the form of our sky guardians dancing above the trees and huts, out of the reach of the human's arrows.

  The humans were enthralled by the new people that showed up out of thin air. I could still feel the wariness of some of the older humans. Their fear was warranted but I hoped in time they would become trusted allies and my plan could come to fruition.

  Once the day had come to an end I stood and allowed my magic to flow freely from me in a show of strength. The humans and my new children were all taken aback at the sheer force of it stealing their breath and pressing in all around them. Reining it in to a level that made it easier on my new wards, I let my voice be heard far and wide.

  “I am not like you. As some of you know already I am Mother. I am a Goddess. A being of the greatest power. I promise to watch over you always and protect you from whatever wishes you ill. I will no tolerate hate in our world, I will not tolerate offence to myself or my sister Gaia. The Goddess of the earth you inhabit. Know that I will be fair but I will not be wronged. My rules are simple, you will work together. Never forget I will be watching.”

  I gave my water children leave to explore their new charge and watched as their beautiful shining skin disappeared beneath the water, sparkling in the moonlight until they were out of sight.

  I waved my hand over the group and all of the shifting children instinctively changed into their beast. It was time for them to bond properly. Most rushed off to the west and into the jungle there. Some stayed confused and grouping together for safety. I announced none were to be hurt in this vulnerable time and requested five brave souls to protect them until they were able to change back themselves. I was not disappointed as ten large men stepped forward, their spears at the ready and surrounded the newly changed children, facing outwards in a show of strength against any who would hurt them.

  I asked the children I made in my own image to find ways they could improve upon the things the humans needed in daily life, regardless the element needed. I assured them that it would build bonds and they were certainly free to find the place they were most comfortable to call their hearts home. They were eager to get started and soon paired up with humans that were gathered around the fires and wandered off into their primitive huts.

  My winged children seemed uncomfortable. I approached a smaller group off to the side. “What troubles you my children?”

  “Goddess,” they said as they bowed. These children were learning quickly the concept of respect. “We not feel right here on feet.” one responded with a bare grasp on the language.

  “And I am not happy if you are not happy my child. You see there to the north-west, the mountains that loom over the horizon? You will be high there, with easy access to the skies. Until we can fix this problem permanently.”

  The sky child nodded his head and in unison they raised themselves into the sky and made for the mountains. I knew they would be back when they realized their hunger could not be sated without a variety of passions. They would need my other children, it would keep their pride in check.

  I looked over those that remained and smiled to myself. The God of Gods had made it look so hard. He had thought his children perfect but they had turned on him and without their praise to him he was weakening, I knew it. This didn't seem so hard but I would not get cocky as he had. I knew better, even deities made mistakes.

  Chapter One

  200 years after creation

  It was a beautiful night on Gaia. The skies were clear and our children were doing exactly as was expected of them.

  Together our children and the humans had developed much more of the lands than the simple grass huts the original race had had in the beginning; when I brought much to this place. The homes were still simple but they had solid walls, and wood shingle roofs. They had set up a trade system and they delegated tasks by someones skill. Everyone depended on everyone else for the needs they did not posses the skills for. The were evolving and it seemed it just yesterday I taught the first to tap into their potential, to create fire and assist in growing their food or creating tools.

  I was worried about their acceptance levels. It seemed none of my chi
ldren save for the Firsts wanted to mate with the magic-less humans. The sea people refused to have relationships with those who flew, their instincts telling them it wasn't natural and all the races seemed to fear the inner cat of my third creations, which left them by themselves.

  It was a small blip in my plan. I had faith that it would all work itself out. They all still coexisted peaceably and that is what is important if this planet is to the be birth place of the super-race.

  Living comfortably in my own pocket dimension, away from the prying eyes of my old brethren, I could keep tabs on the races and set things on the path I wanted them to take. I avoided visiting their realm, fearing my presence would make them want more of their own lives. I was light years more advanced than my children in knowledge and intelligence. They didn't need a superiority complex, especially this early in their development.

  I had my favourites and occasionally I would visit them in their dreams, sway them one way or another for the betterment of all. Some were highly susceptible to my influence, some were too bullheaded for their own good. But, I loved them all, or at least that's the feeling I assumed this warmth inside my immortal form was. I refused to mess with their free will but a whisper in their ear here and there couldn't hurt. I was leaving no room for debate when I presented this earth in comparison to the one my Pantheon collectively created and protected.

  I turned my attention back to the task at hand, it was time to check in.

  Nia, the first of the cat-shifters was a favourite of mine to watch. She had rallied her people together and implemented protections, trades, rules, and delegated tasks to the people of her kind. She was a fierce leader and her compassion made her the perfect voice for those like her.

  I came together into a corporal form and slowly waved my hand in the air in front of me. A quick shiver of magic coated the air and I was able to see through it on to Gaia. I directed my vision to where ever Nia was. It took a moment searching but soon an image of her came together in front of me.

  She was currently running. Her long sleek white body stuck out in the foliage and she wasn't trying to be quiet. She was breathing laboriously. I zoomed out on the moving picture of Nia's reality. Maybe I would better understand what was happening if I saw the bigger picture.

  Chasing her were two humans,clubs and slingshots in hand. If the idiots thought they would catch the woman I'd started to refer to as Queen of the jungle, they had better be bringing more than those primitive tools.

  Nia's sleek coat sent out flashes of white through the low ferns and alocasia plants. Her speed was unmatched and the hunters were soon lost in the middle of uncharted territory without anything to show for it, she had disappeared. I could still see her of course, my children could not hide from me but the hunters were blind to the place she crouched, ready for the kill.

  The hunters began to panic then, more concerned with finding their way home then the killing machine peering at them from between the leaves of the plant life behind them. Even when they turned in place to try and navigate their way back their eyes swept clean over her hunkering form.

  This is why I loved to watch Nia. I never knew what I was going to see. It seemed she was often in a fight with another of her kind for status of strength. The cat-shifters seemed to need to battle for supremacy, if that was what my children needed to keep their cat at bay then I would not intercede. It was natural, not senseless violence. Although all of my children were equal to me, she was clearly the strongest and smartest among them. This is how she earned the name Queen, even if I was the only one that called her that. To have peace none of my children should really hold anymore power over another in any real way, I planned to keep it that way.

  I focused back on Nia's reality too late to see any of the action. The hunters laid dead. Survival of the fittest I guess. I would look back on the fight another time, for now I wanted to see how my daughter would handle this act of violence.

  Nia laid beside her kill and closed her eyes. A few deep breaths and a short moan later she laid in her humanoid form. Beautiful ebony skin was paired with coal black hair that she wore in tight knotted braids. She stood fully nude to her full height which was much shorter than anyone would guess by her large cat. Her body was muscular but curvacious and feminine.

  She looked to the hunters with tears in her eyes. “Why you do this!? Why you make me do this? Nia did not want this, it not need to happen!” she knelt to the man closest to her. “Nia will take you home...” she choked on a sob and hefted the man over her shoulders.

  Nia started in the direction the hunters had chased her from. Before she disappeared into the dense jungle she turned her head back to the other dead man. “Nia knows dead men cannot collect debt. I owe you still, you will go home too. Nia will come back for you.” she swallowed down another sob and trekked her way back to the settlement in the middle of the continent where the hunters came from.

  I knew she would travel to the edges of the land where the humans deemed safe zones and lay the men for their families to find. She was one of few of her kind that had the control to act like this after a kill. Most of the cats we had created could not control their shifted forms yet, they were instinctive and impulsive. Nia however had fully bonded with her cat, in extreme cases where she feared for her life, or her mate was in danger her cat would take over but for the most part they were of one mind; perfectly in sync. She never killed for anything but food, except defence and in those cases it hurt her to do what she had to do, you could see it.

  I was proud of her. She was definitely growing into her potential.

  Chapter 2

  600 years after creation...

  I could feel the unrest. It was time to find out who was causing the problems and do my motherly duty to make it right between my children. Gaia provided them with shelter, food and any other natural resource they could possibly need. I on the other hand kept the peace, bestowed magical gifts and gave the people a reason to believe there is more out there to strive for.

  I rarely made appearances though. I preferred to let them work out what they could when they could, on their own. When I felt the disturbance I knew it must be serious. The peace was in danger and I was going to have to step in.

  I waved my hand through the air and the trademark shimmer waved through the space, directing my view to the reality that was interrupting the peace of Gaia. The image came to focus on Llŷr of the sea-people.

  He had stopped the flow from the ocean into the main river. I didn't understand the reasons behind his actions and I wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

  I closed my eyes and pictured where I was needed. Soon my surroundings switched from the quiet stillness of my pocket-world to the loud vibrant sounds of Gaia. I heard an audible gasp among the people gathered. It wasn't the first time I had visited but it was probably the first time these specific people had seen me. My water children usually kept to themselves except when they came to land to barter with their fish and pearls. They had advanced in language and tools at a much faster rate than their counterparts.

  Standing on the beach close to the surf of the waves were my sea children and opposing them were the forest protectors and the humans. I was not surprised, the humans and the forest children seemed to get along the best of all the five species.

  “Llŷr Farriage!” I let my voice boom to its divine volume. “Come forward.”

  The sea of my children split around one young male. He raised his chin and strode forward with confidence. When he reached me he dutifully knelt and bowed his head.

  “Dear Goddess, ya bless us with your presence.”

  “You should never celebrate my arrival young Llŷr, I will only ever come when unrest threatens to upset the peace I work for. Are you the cause of this unrest Llŷr of the sea?”

  The young aquatic man tried to pull some response from his mind. Like many before him his confidence and determination deteriorated in the presence of their creator. The young man nodded.

  “Do you t
hink you have a divine right to decide who has access to the life giving water? I created you to protect the water, not keep it from your brothers and sisters.”

  The boy started to visibly shake, finally realizing I wasn't here to praise him or gift his people.

  “I, I was protecting it Goddess. Tha humans and 'ar land brothers have no respect for the sea. They pollute it with their waste. They dump their carcases and entrails from their kills, the dye water from their boiling pots, we even found a creature of our kingdom this morning beached. The sea serpent was strangled in damaged nets left behind from their fishermen. I only tried t' help, Goddess.”

  I knew the boy was young and still learning. I would show him compassion and hopefully teach him a lesson at the same time.

  “Llŷr for your crime against the people of Gaia I would normally take your gift of control over the water. Maybe temporarily, maybe not. I do not take kindly too those who try to hold power over their brethren. What say you to that my son?”

  The boy paused, unsure of himself. There was no harsher punishment than making him live his supernaturally long life with no gifts; with no connection to the part of the world they had already bonded with. It was the equivalent of stealing a loved one from them.

  “I think that if that is the punishment you believe I deserve than I deserves it,” he finally answered.

  “That may be what you think young Llŷr, but how do you feel about it?” I asked hoping the young man's pride would not keep him from being honest in front of all his peers. I knew how he felt inside, I could feel his emotions with a simple thought.

  “I willna lie Goddess, it scares me but you are right, I 'ave no power over the actions of the others and I should not have cut off their supply to water. If you or Gaia had wanted it t'be cut off it would'ave already 'appened.”

  I paused to let the crowds hear and understand what the young man was saying before I doled out a punishment.