Eternal: Chapter 1-The realm Eternal

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joshmightbe

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My name is Calder, which means rough water. My mother had a knack for foreshadowing. She is Morrigan, a Gaelic war goddess who had hoped I'd be a warrior but blamed my father's influence for my lack of motivation. He was from a different pantheon which is always treated as scandal here despite how often it happens, he a trickster god known as Coyote. It wasn't some great romance or anything just a fling that resulted in me.

I was born in a place known as the Eternal realm, it has been known by many names, Olympus, Asgard etc, it is the realm of gods and angels and all the things now considered myth and fantasy by those outside the realm. There was time when our realm and the one people of Earth consider their universe would interact daily, they formed religions around my kind and bestowed prayer and worship upon us. But that was a long time ago, sure there are the few who still receive prayer from hopeful people who still believe in things they can't see but mostly we're relegated to stories if we're lucky.

***

Calder walks along the path leading to a place known as the Hall Paths, this was a place all but the God Kings had to visit before traveling outside the Eternal Realm, he was to take his first trip away. He was headed down to Earth on a quest to decide what he was meant to be god of, not an easy decision in this day and age, there were very few things that didn't already have several gods claiming it, his elder brother had when faced with the choice went for a very odd choice and selected what humans call action movies. Calder hoped to find something of a bit more importance. Though regardless of his choice it will be a thankless task.

Calder sighed as he saw the god currently on watch, Heimdale had no love for trickster gods or their children. He walked past the hateful glare of the Aesir god and entered the building hoping not to be stopped and forced to answer the seemingly endless questions his father is forced to deal with when ever Heimdale is on shift here.

He was lucky today, there were many travelers and there wasn't time to harass them all. As he walked down the hall he met his friend an Olympian named Aeson who had just returned from Earth. Calder stopped him, "Did you decide on something?"

Aeson gave a shrug, "I'm leaning toward apathy."

Calder chuckled, "There's a shock."

Aeson gave a grin, "Have fun, and avoid Detroit."

"Okay."

Calder then stepped before a large portal and thought of where he should go, his mother had of course suggested many places all in various stages of war torn chaos but he had no interest in watching humans blow each other up so he decided to go with his father's idea to find as peaceful a place as he could and just walk until he found something that inspired him, that'd he'd be comfortable representing until the end of time. He then took a deep breath and entered with his destination in mind.

Seconds later he arrived in the middle of Yellowstone National Forest, he stood looking around at the trees and birds when he noticed some humans staring at him with confusion, he wasn't sure if they'd seen him appear or if it was just because of his clothing but he gave them a waved and snapped his fingers as his cloths turned from the ancient garb he wore into a more modern look that matched the hikers who now held a shocked expression and walked on.

He had been walking for nearly an hour when he heard a weak sounding human voice calling for help, the voice was light and probably wouldn't have been heard by human ears but Calder heard it clear enough and headed toward the source. He came upon a woman with a large rock that was too heavy for her to move sitting on her leg. She looked as if she'd been there for days, she'd almost lost her voice entirely from screaming for hours on end with no help in sight and had been slowly losing blood from a small wound caused by the rock.

Calder quickly grabbed the rock and tossed it away as if it were a pebble as the woman stared up in amazement He then put a hand over her wound and it sealed and her broken bones instantly mended themselves. He then helped her up and waved a hand over her than made her clean from head to toe and even fixed her torn clothing. She tried to speak but was too shocked. He then looked her deep in the eyes and then nodded as he pulled a fresh cheeseburger out of thin air. She had been dreaming of one as she laid under the rock hungry and the one he gave her matched the one she imagined exactly right down to the smell.

He then gave her a flask full of water and patted her on the head before walking off. She stood staring at the burger for a moment then turned to catch up with Calder. As she came up beside him she finally spoke, "How the hell did you do that."

He looked her over for a second as he called the English language to his mind, "It was nothing really."

She was confused by his response, "What do you mean nothing, that rock must have weighed 800 lbs and you tossed it like it was nothing then the thing with the cloths and my leg....Are you an alien?"

He chuckled, "Of a sort, I suppose."

"What sort?"

He stopped, "I'm a god."

She rolled her eyes at that, "You're God?"

"Yes I am a god."

She laughed, "Aren't you supposed to have a big grey beard and a toga?"

He shook his head, "I didn't say I was Zeus."

She burst out laughing for a second, "No I was meaning like on the stain glass windows."

"Oh, that guy, nope, not him either, my name is Calder."

"I've never heard of a God named Calder."

He then sighed, "Of course not, I'm not even 25 Earth years old yet and its my first time here. And no I am not crazy Sarah."

Her laughing stopped as he mentioned her name, suddenly she seemed nervous, "Are...are you stalking me?"

He looked on her as if she were stupid and shook his head, "Never mind, the trail out is that way, have a good day."

He then walked on as she stood there thinking. Suddenly she ran after him to try to ask more questions but stopped as she saw him walk across the water of the river as if it were a side walk. He kept walking for another half hour before she caught up with him, "Okay, if you were a stalker I'd probably be dead or raped by now so how the hell did you know my name?"

"Same way I knew you wanted a cheeseburger, and the same way I know you're about to make another condescending jab about me being a god."

She was taken aback, "There's no such thing as gods."

"Oh good, first human I actually talk to is an atheist. Had to happen, maybe I should be the god of bad luck."

"You're serious aren't you?"

He nodded, "Why would I need to lie?"

"Okay, if you're a god then what's the meaning of life?"

His condescending look returned,"How the hell would I know?"

"You're God right?"

"I'm not a creator."

She then sat down on a log, "Okay, then what are you the god of?"

"That's what I'm here to figure out."

***

The Eternal Realm, Alfheim

Aeson walks along with his friend, a young Valkyrie named Helga on their way to a gathering of young gods. As they go a group of three frost giants wander by and one called Olaf looks down with a condescending grin, "Look, more of the little lost gods."

Aeson looked up in defiance, "Be on your way monster."

The giant laughed, "Big words lost child."

Helga gripped her sword hilt, "This lost child can find your throat to cut just fine."

Olaf glared at her, "You aren't worth the time to scrape you off my boot, your time as lords of the realm nears its end."

She kept her eyes locked on the giants as they marched off laughing, "If I had my way those things would be wiped from the realm."

Aeson sighed, "If it weren't them it'd be something else. So what will Zan make a speech about tonight, will it be another call to revolution?"

Helga shrugged, "More empty words, I'm just going for the ale and the music."

***

Aeson and Helga stepped into a valley and looked on hundreds of young gods gathered drinking and carousing while Zan sat on a stage looking on them with disgust. Zan was the son of Hercules and an Egyptian goddess named Ma'at. He often spent weeks planning these gatherings to attempt to spread a message of reform to his fellow young gods but they invariably turned into nothing more than a party.

Aeson came up and put a hand on his shoulder, "I take it the speech was a bust."

"They're just as much a problem as the old ones, too interested in self gratification to see what we're losing."

Aeson nodded, "That or they just don't care. Have you ever wondered what exactly you're going to do if you actually do convince them to revolt?"

"I'll drag the old ones into the present kicking and screaming if I have to and show this world that we don't need some monkey's praise to show our worth."

Aeson chuckled, "Good luck getting this crowd to do anything important like that, I can see why it might be confusing. They all talk about how the world needs to change but the very second they get the chance to do anything about it this happens. I wonder if our kind is even worth the effort when I see them."

Zan sighed and looked over, "Where's Calder?"

"He went to Earth, apparently he's on a quest to find purpose."

Zan chuckled, "He isn't the only one."

***

Earth

Sarah sat in silence as Calder finished telling her of his realm but after a few seconds looked angry at him, "So you're people just sit up above us watching all the suffering and war and misery and do nothing?"

"What should we do? Do you want us to come down and punish you like misbehaving children? Would that stop mankind from acting up?"

She kept her glare, "You could at least ease up on the natural disasters and diseases."

He rolled his eyes, "Those disasters happen for the same reason that life is even possible on this planet, we can't stop hurricanes without stopping the wind altogether, the best the weather gods can do is nudge it a bit any more than that and we risk ending this world. Are you really going to make me explain nature to you?"

He then noticed the sun rising and realized he'd been talking with her all night, "You should get some rest, I must be off but don't worry none of the animals will bother you, I'll tell the birds to spread the message, at least they still have a bit of proper respect for my kind."

He then stood and gave a nod, "Have a good nap Sarah."

Before she could say anything he was gone and she leaned against a tree quickly falling asleep.

A half hour later Calder stood in the middle of the road pondering which direction to go when a speeding car came roaring down the road. Calder waited too long to move and the car slammed into him and the front end bent around his lower body and a man flew out the windshield. The man stopped mid air as Calder stepped away from the wreckage and turned "Sorry sir, I should be more careful."

The man looked back in shock as his car seemingly repaired itself and his few injuries rapidly healed. Calder then put the man on his feet, "I'm told that seat belts prevent you from going out the front like that."

He then walked on as the man stared in astonishment.The man then got back in his car and buckled his seat belt as he turned the key.

(To be continued)

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Omniscience

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joshmightbe

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The name isn't quite set in stone, I just needed a working title.

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4donkeyjohnson

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@joshmightbe: The title reminds me of the KLF song www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXEOESuiYcA

She rolled her eyes at that, "You're God?"

"Yes I am a god."

She laughed, "Aren't you supposed to have a big grey beard and a toga?"

Ha ha very good. There was a movie where all the gods were like 20 yr old and super model material and people complained and the director replied if you were immortal would you rather look like Sean Connery at 75 or Taylor Lautner at 22 forever? Not comparing talent just physical looks. Most would go the younger model. Now if I could remember the film that would be helpful, regardless nice weaving of Celtic mythology...it is Cletic/Gaelic/Druidic right?

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joshmightbe

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@4donkeyjohnson: Well I will be drawing elements from many mythologies, the main character is the son of a Gaelic goddess and the Native American deity Coyote, not sure god is the right term for Coyote in the actual mythology but here he's a god.

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joshmightbe

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batkevin74

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#8  Edited By batkevin74

@joshmightbe: "I was born in a place known as the Eternal realm, it has been known by many names, Olympus, Asgard etc" So they're all the same place, that's kinda cool.

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joshmightbe

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@batkevin74: There are different place names within the realm but it is all one big world.

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#11  Edited By cbishop

You do something I have a hard time with- follow permutations on an idea, writing each one out to see where it goes. There are similarities between Eternal and Legendary, just as there were between Wolves and Hungry. I like that you explore both ideas, until you find the one that works better for you (or find that they both work).

I drive myself crazy trying to figure out which idea is best before I write anything...which is probably why I don't write as often as others. (Just loooooots of notes) :}

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#12  Edited By cbishop