Corlos...I'm hungry," one of the children who I was taking care of whispered to my ear with teary eyes.

I looked over the children sitting around me and pursed my lips in guilt. My heart was tightly squeezed knowing how their stomachs were twisting from the lack of food. My anxiety grew whenever I see them rubbing their stomachs in attempt to soothe the starvation that they were feeling but simple rubbing can't replace a delightful glide of food inside their throats no matter how bland it may taste.

I wasn't the right God for this situation and it still pressured me for not being able to do anything. If only I was a God of harvest or any God that could deliver food in one snap of His fingers then eating more than three times a day wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, I was the God that most people would hate no matter what planet they may be.

Why can't I just be the God of snacks?

'You really can't have everything in life' was what I always say to Guardian whenever he would complain about his face and the same applied to the rest of the universe.

It had been weeks and the scarcity of food had become evident. Chaos and Rupture have been going out to raid in the nearby villages during the afternoon and dawn to avoid encounters with the crazed ones but the food that they collected were not enough to feed the growing population in the temple. Furthermore, I think the Knights have already hunted all the animals within the area. At this rate, we have to widen our parameters to cover the far villages.

"I know you're hungry," I murmured and patted his head. "But the Knights are doing their very best to gather food for all of us. Let us put our faith in them, alright?"

I have to do something. I've been sitting my scared ass for this long and the people here were getting cranky judging from the expression on their faces. Another day without food and everyone will be a ticking time bomb.

One of the priests stood in front of the statue and cleared his throat from any sensible statements and readied his composed stance for more diabolical bullshit.

If I ever become a God of some planet I rather not have this cultish propaganda.

"Citizens of Belraria, we ask of you to lower your heads and kneel to beg for the forgiveness of our sins and to plead mercy for the breakage of the curse that has been plaguing our world!"

"Oh shaddup! Esgard has abandoned us!" a male toscan rudely shouted effectively causing an immediate jerk of heads belonging to the priests and priestesses.

"What blasphemy! You dare accuse our creator of desertion?! You must be whipped!" a priestess whose name I did not bother and will never bother knowing shouted from in front.

Another male toscan from the crowd rose on his feet with a rowdy and eerie ambiance on him. "Touch anyone from this crowd and you'll end up dead like that priestess who we leisurely beaten up to death!"

"Yo-You!"

His threat obviously made an impact to the priest and priestesses especially knowing that their staffs were confiscated and destroyed by the Knights before having them enter the temple. If they weren't such self-important pricks who demanded a hot bath, a grand feast and other birdy treatment from the Knights then they wouldn't be so powerless.

The crowd cheered at the toscan's threat but our eyes suddenly bear witness to something ghastly that would make these lower class priestesses and priests virtuous and worthier to look at.

The one who spoke out the threat was lifted from the ground and his limbs were folded back into an excessive stretch. The sounds of his bones cracking and flesh ripping were audible causing me to shut my eyes in a wince and ground my teeth to prevent a scream from rising up my throat.

Blood curdling screams erupted from the toscan's throat and the people below him ran in panic. An old looking toscan entered the chamber with his functioning staff following him and the lower priests and priestesses instantly knelt in fearful respect. The old priest had grayish feathers and a golden crown sat on his head. His finely sewn robe made him outstand even more among the raging sea of tattered clothes.

"Hide behind me. Close your eyes and cover your ears!" I ordered the children.

It wasn't like covering their ears would make a difference but at least it would conceal some details that would enhance this brilliant experience for the innocent minds. The horrific view and the eldritch screams built a good environment to nurture their knowledge and understanding of how the world worked especially if you weren't in the high-class society. I was excited of how they'll handle their future.

My lack of anger for this situation was obfuscating me. I was terrified of this situation but me being scared was just natural these days that I started to get used to living with it. I began to avoid circumstances in which I would usually solve at first occurrence. I'd stay silent and just smile when someone attacks me with vulgar words when I'd usually deal with them with fists and end them with spits.

I inwardly groaned and lowered my head in shame. I wasn't raised to be a doormat and being like this frustrated me.

I returned my sight to the old priest and glowered at him. He didn't have any expression on his face as he folded the regular citizen like fresh laundry but judging from the lower class of holy servants; he can do this on a daily basis.

He must be a high-level shmuck over these low-level shmucks. Judging from the glowing crimson staff that was unharmed behind him, he must have brutally murdered the Knights outside.

I slowly moved my head to the side and repelled the magic used by the old priest. His eyes narrowed but he did not present any confusion. The unpleasant folded body of the male toscan dropped to the floor and the citizens were driven to the walls in fear.

"How Belraria has fallen..." the old and trembling croak resonated in the midst of youthful silence molded from chilled fear. "It is no wonder why Belraria is in its current state. The servants of Esgard are being discriminated and mocked and are not given their due respect."

The old man continued to walk towards the statue and once he was standing a foot across the line of holy servants, he placed his hand on their heads one by one.

"Belraria is in a crisis and you people chose to ignore your leaders tell me how can you be saved?" the priest asked and twirled around with rage.

He slowly raised his hand and the staff was pulled into his palm. He gave the floor three strikes before calmly giving out an order.

"You will kneel, pray, and beg or... You could be used as a warning decoration for all those who will try to defy the Order."

"Someone kill him before he splits and multiplies..." I gritted out in a way that no one will hear.

The old priest's name was Guta and like any other hoity-toity crooked fancy feather-bags out there I can safe to say that Ebu was more tolerable.

His demonstration of power forced the people on their knees including me and the children for the whole godforsaken day. I didn't know what Rupture and Chaos were doing but knowing them, they must have kept a low-profile to avoid getting the attention of Guta. I was grateful that the shifting started to occur again which stopped every consciousness of those created by Esgard.

I rose up and looked over the kneeling bodies before freezing up when I saw Guta stepping down from the pedestal with his hands on his stomach.

"And where do you think you're going? Despite the fact that you are not from this world, it is only fair that you pray with the rest of us."

How can he move?!

I controlled my expression and left it blank before giving him a short bow.
"Forgive me for disrespecting Esgard but we use this time to hunt for food for everyone," I replied. "I will accept any consequence that you will bequeath upon me to atone for this insolence."

Yes Corlos, I was getting proud of myself here. Who knew I can be so respecting? I think I was becoming the child that Guardian always dreamed of.

Guta hummed in a good way. "You are not like all these useless creations before me however, I have other plans. I already ordered the generals to not head out. When the shifting ends they will be joined by the capable toscans to hunt and raid from farther villages."

I think I already know the gist of his plan.

"What is your name?" Guta asked me before ushering me to come closer to him.

If he was the high-priest then it was only a matter of time before he figured out why the priestess of this temple was infernally beaten to her own death. No one had ever spoken about that matter until now and I was very sure that he would investigate on it further but what will happen if he found out? I'll just have to wait and see.

"My name is Corlos, high priest."

The shifting ended with me kneeling in my agony. Having conscience while this was happening was a torture that I would not pick over being drowned, strangled, and poked with scorching metal.

And just looking at the proud faces of the lower servants who seem like the power of the universe was returned to them made me want to experience death seven times.

I left the children in Croot's care and looked for Chaos and Rupture. I did find Rupture but... I had triple thoughts of approaching him. I never spoke to him since that incident and though I was glad seeing him alive, I was still cautious around him. I didn't tell Chaos of what happened between his brother and I and I would like it to stay that way. They were close brothers and I didn't want to be the reason on why they'll have a dispute that could ruin their relationship.

Once I found Chaos I instantly knew that he already had knowledge of Guta's plans. Chaos didn't look happy.

"What should we do?" I asked him as I approached him.

Chaos turned around and a bright smile straight away adorned his face. "That...I don't know."

I quirked an eyebrow at him in confusion. Was he breaking down on me? "Then why do you look so happy?"

"I...um...cause you're here?" he tried reasoning out. When he noticed that his explanation wasn't enough, his face winced as he pushed on with his reason. "Is it bad that I miss my best friend?"

I released a sigh and placed my hands on his shoulders. "This is serious Chaos. The villagers are in danger. They don't know how to fight out there!"

A scowl worked its way on Chaos' face. "I know that but we'll do everything we can to protect them while the food is transported. Guta is a powerful priest and going against him will only put the people in even more danger."

Damn this...

"I'll come with—"

"Corlos, there you are," I heard Guta announce his discovery from behind me.

Chaos gave a bewildered expression and I composed myself before facing the high priest. What did this old chicken want from me?

I gave him a bow before replying. "Yes high priest?"

"Come and change clothes. Clean and pure will suit you," he spoke in a tender tone. Was he mocking me? Of course not, he didn't know that I was the God of Death, Darkness, Destruction and Battle.

This was downgrading.

Being a pet for a wrinkled geezer was not how envisioned myself as a God. I actually believe that I was overqualified for the job.

Chaos and Rupture weren't able to do anything regarding the matter of sending out villagers back to where they were running from and as the days passed by, the temple was getting decompressed and there were more spaces to walk on because of the death of the villagers who were sent out.

This was the plan of Guta all along and it was causing an inner turmoil within the villagers who had lost their loved ones. The children were the most affected and seeing them weep was the most painful among all. 

Was this really how those in power given by a God work? Should they really make these unwanted sacrifices just to save their own skin? Instead of trying to solve the root cause of all this they sit back and watch these people agonize about being the next one to be sent out.

I watch the fathers of families embrace their spouses and children dreading for tomorrow to come because this may be the last night they'll have with their families. 

It was dejecting to see the progress of this plan and while the villagers were mourning for the loss of their loved ones, the low priests and priestesses celebrated for the wave of food that came on their platters.

I sat on the floor beside the chair where Guta was sitting on and nibbled on the bread. One thing good about being this prick's decorative pet was being able to hoard food for the villagers. The lower servants weren't pleased to see me being pampered a lot by the high-priest especially when I clashed with them a lot and questioned every bullshit they do but none of them complained...well until now.

"Priest Guta...forgive me for asking but why is that lowlife eating here with us? Why do you even show interest on him? He has no godly relations and he is far from being sacred," a priest pointed out.

Well he was not wrong on that. I was only born from a tree made up of the Primary Gods; was raised by a God named Guardian and grew up in a prison for Gods in the planet of Gods.

"He should not be of your concern," Guta firmly replied as he swallowed his food. "Not...anymore."

I really thought that his last sentence was meant for me and I could repel the magic anytime and have Guta be suspicious of me but...

I think fate was playing with me.

Guta's staff radiated with a blinding crimson light and the priest who asked had his neck bent back. The sound of his vertebrae cracking caused me to look away and stopped nibbling on my bread. Guta gently rubbed my head as he molded the priest into a wheel and the rest of the lower servants went into a panic attack.

I almost felt sorry for him but then again...he was the one who wanted to sentence a child to death for getting hit by a ball.

But still...seeing this just meant that the toscan ruling over the holy order did not give importance to whoever died and just stamped death to anyone who he desired to perish.

If I had this characteristic, would Fuxborh and the other Gods be pleased with me then?

Guta always had me by his side except for dawn. He would leave the temple which gave me time to slip food into children's pockets and into Croot's room giving her instruction early in the morning to not get too much attention as she distributed food to others secretly. I also get a chance to talk to Chaos and update him about Guta.

"He killed a priest," I murmured and sat on the bed before rubbing my face. I stay in Chaos' room since the guest rooms were occupied by the sick, old and young. Only the Knights' quarters were left untouched by civilians. "How are things at your end?" I asked him and felt the bed sink at Chaos' weight.

My pet zeke sat on my other side completely oblivious of everything happening around it and I honestly envied it.  I would trade being a God to become a pet rock any day.

"Twelve among the twenty villagers sent in the raiding missions died but we did get to bring with us food that could last for another week considering the decreasing population here. "Chaos sighed and placed a hand on my back. "Hey...You really don't have to stay. You can go to another planet instead of being stuck here."

Compared to the toscans, us outsiders had a choice. 

I turned my head to look at Chaos. "And what about you and your brother?"

My friend looked down and pursed his lips. "We'll try to fix things but if everything really goes south, we'll leave."

I furrowed my eyebrows and stayed silent to assess the situation. The Light Stone being stolen and the toscans going into a frenzy can't be just mere coincidence. It may be connected somehow and this connection may only be explained by the missing Kogen.

"We have to find Kogen and we have to retrieve the Light Stone," I told Chaos. If Kogen can speak with Esgard then maybe I can pay a visit to him too?

"We don't know where they are though and we don't even know who stole the Light Stone," Chaos murmured.

"I have a pretty good idea of who it may be..." I stated.

Chaos' drowning mood was suddenly lifted from the ocean. "You do?!" he shouted in excitement.

I covered his mouth with my palm and glared at him. I didn't want to have Guta noticing my closeness with Chaos. You can't be too careful.

"Yes but I'll have to tell you another day," I told him before rising up. I really have no idea on how I can get to Esgard's chamber or how I can hunt down Imjir. I need to make critical assessments by going out there.

I went out of the temple with my zeke in hand. It'll be a few more hours before morning arrived so I'll used that time to try and talk to the creatures that knew Imjir well.

When I was about to shift into my physical form, my feet suddenly felt the sand dampen under me until a puddle of water came bursting out. I bent down on my waist and scooped a small amount in my palm before taking in the scent of it.

"Huh?"

It smelled like the sea but I haven't even shifted yet. There shouldn't be any breakage between the physical world and the spiritual world yet why was there water from the physical world seeping through the spiritual world?

Esgard should maintain the rift of both worlds or else his creations will drown. If water was seeping out then that would mean that something was wrong with the God of Belraria Himself.

I felt a fast drift of winds above me and looked up only finding nothing but the dark skies. There was definitely something flying above. 

"Kogen...where are you?"

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A/N: another updaaate. Hey twinks. This is getting way too long hahahhaa Maybe I should find a way to shorten things up? Crap. Gah.