Burning brighter than the Sun Part 2 – A Feast for Gods

Burning brighter than the Sun Part 2 – A Feast for Gods

Nathalia did not know why she ended up in Europe, or where she came from to start with. In the wake of her ascension to godhood Nathalia had to learn several things. How to cross from one Illusion Barrier into another, how to assume human form, how strong she was compared to others, how she could walk amongst the mundane without invoking Gaia’s ire.

God above gods, the supreme deity, Gaia, always watched. Rarely, if ever, did she intervene. Wordlessly, she had relayed one clear intent to the goddess of volcanoes: do not threaten humanity’s natural path.

At first Nathalia barely took her seriously and was reprimanded only in the slightest of ways but as time progressed Gaia became harsher. Gradually, over the centuries and millennia, she separated the Abyssal from the mundane and then finally Nathalia no longer dared to show even a single scale to a normal person. It wasn’t a great loss.

Nathalia also learnt of humans. Much, much more than she had ever anticipated. Most of the mortals were unworthy of her, that much was clear. They were loud, smelly, stupid and weak, relying on numbers for everything. How such a species was able to form the foundations for a being like her, Nathalia never understood.

However, she also learnt more interesting things. She learnt about the pleasures of carnal desires, indulging in both sex and food. She found a large number of people that were aware of the powers of humanity, using magic or other superhuman abilities, with the same restrictions Gaia had put in place for herself. Most of these were about as interesting as regular humans. A human was little more than an ant and an ant that could also spray acid was still just an ant to Nathalia.

Amongst those however she found some interesting individuals. People who had control over Illusion Barriers that managed to shut her out for a while, rarely permanently, for example. There were many other, more aggressive uses of magic. They would organize and create an actual challenge for Nathalia every once in a while. Highly talented individuals that were born with an ability, ranging from something as boring as elemental preferences to unique things like a blessing of Gaia, intact until the loss of one’s virginity. Nathalia regarded that one as a curse. Why would one regard an end to constant sex as a blessing?

The journey took thousands of years. Rarely in control of her own path, she just stepped between the Illusion Barriers she found and looked at whatever she found inside. A journey that, perhaps inevitably, brought her to him.

Nathalia stepped into the new Illusion Barrier she had found while drifting in the flow of the world. Listening to Gaia’s whispers was always tremendously boring so she had grasped at the first exit she could find. She ended up in a city unlike any she had ever seen.Nêww chapters will be fully updated at (n)ov(e)l/bin(.)com

It was massive, unbelievably so. Nathalia could barely believe that so many people could be in one place. It was even more surprising to see thousands of humans gathered inside an Illusion Barrier, trading magical items like it was a mundane market day. Nathalia turned her nose at the smell of sweat and human filth. If she had anything else to do, she would have left to escape the stench. Boredom overcame aversion and she began to walk.

The lack of attention paid to her was unusual. Her enticing form and her height made her the target of the desire of a lot of people, but everybody around realized the three-horned dragoness as what she was, and that it was better not to trifle with her. They scurried out of her way and otherwise went about their business.

Nathalia was happy with that. These humans were dirty and none of them looked particularly attractive, smart, or powerful and she only took interest in people who displayed a combination of all three.

As she walked, the people suddenly went from merely getting out of her way to clearing the street entirely. ‘An appropriate amount of space to make,’ she thought, pleased. ‘This city is interesting. Maybe I can find something to do here – or someone.’

“Get out of the way,” she heard a voice at her side. Nathalia glanced at the blonde in her golden plate armour. A goddess, that much Nathalia could easily make out by her aura.

Nathalia sashayed towards the blonde, giving her a once over. “You dare order me around?” the redhead asked, arms crossed.

“You are in the way of our emperor,” the annoying goddess barked another order, “get out of the way!”

Nathalia just kept eating. None of these gods proved a threat to her. Most of them were Gods of Knowledge, Life or other such pansy things. Not her, she was an avatar of pure destruction. Romulus left Nathalia alone to greet his guests, she let it pass, there was another visitor who had caught her own eye and it was a returned feeling.

A fire elemental stepped towards her. He had the crude shape of a warrior with an axe and a sword hanging from his burning hips. His whole form was just living flame and made any detail a variable. “You and me, we are alike,” he just said and extended a hand. Nathalia nodded, it was true, this one was a fellow god of destruction. “My name is...” there was a noise Nathalia couldn’t interpret as a name but instead was just the feeling of glory, death and terror, the feeling of battle.

“Mhm, you and me will get along nicely,” Nathalia said, ignored the hand and pulled the warrior close, “we will talk after this is over,” she whispered into his ear. Fucking a god was always a worthwhile experience. She pushed him away afterwards, she had other things to attend to. A great many potential partners were around, as were a great many foods and games.

The banquet was a ‘happy’ occasion, with jovial laughter and casual competition. All of that changed when the closed main door was suddenly flung open. One final guest arrived.

A giant humanoid with short black fur appeared out of nowhere. Nathalia was equally disgusted and fascinated by it, as he reared his head. The skinless skull of a rat, crossed with a goat and perhaps even a wolf, four horns extending from it. Hunched forwards, he stepped into the now silent room, his motions an artful mixture of fluid and creepy.

“Romulus!” the Horned Rat said in a very happy tone, “how unlike you to not invite me.”

“It is absolutely like me. After the ruckus your words caused last time, it was the best decision I could make,” the emperor said, stepping towards the big creature. The late arrival grew, to maintain a taller stature than the emperor.

“What is this about?” Nathalia wanted to know from a nearby dragon, much lower in power than she was.

“The Horned Rat spoke a prophecy last time, something about Romulus' greatest project burning in the flame of destruction,” he answered quickly.

“Good boy,” Nathalia patted the lower god on the head and focused back on the happenings.

“Ah, I see, the Abel does not fall far from the tree,” the Horned Rat made a cryptic joke. The words were enough to make Romulus’ face darken with rage.

“Begone, Muris,” he spat out. “Your scheming words are not welcome here.” It was a warning nobody could ignore. Not even the Horned Rat, who was at the peak of his power at this time. A power that caught Nathalia’s interest, even if his appearance did not.

“Oh, oh, I see, oh well.” The red orbs that served as the god’s eyes glanced at Nathalia for just a moment. Then, he raised his voice again, the words carrying an unnatural weight and a meaning beyond expression. Several of the weaker gods collapsed to their knees from the sound. “I already did what I wanted to do here anyway.”

The scene froze. “So that is how you met Romulus and the Horned Rat, huh?” Ferikrona said, “Things seemed pretty dandy back then, and you were both much stronger. I wonder what happened?” She giggled knowingly.

“You looked at my history,” Nathalia responded in an angry tone, “You are perfectly aware of what happened.”

“You are right, I do, Pompeii happened.”