Chapter 2

"And so the great beast was downed by a series of fourteen arrows. Thank Geb I managed to kill the Yao Guai when I did, as my quiver was empty," King Atticus regaled the men and women at his table with the tale of his hunt. Those present were a variety of nobility, holy men and women, and friends of the King. They wore an assortment of headpieces and clothing, mostly greens and golds with every shade of brown one can imagine. Their eyes widened as the King told his tale, some impressed at his valor, others in awe of his skill. "And so the beast was brought back here for this dinner."

"Well that is certainly an incredible story," one of the older priests remarked. "I remember in my younger days I killed a Yao Guai. Meat was stringier than this one's."

"Your Highness," a noblewoman interjected. Her golden laurel day atop her silken black hair and her flowery pink robes ebbed to the floor like the waterfalls of Cascadia. Her name was Alexandra, she was former chieftain of a tribe that Cascadia had assimilated into it. They had gone not just peaceably but excitedly. Her tribe worshiped similar gods and wished to serve them more directly. Cascadia would allow them to do that. "What do you think of the recent increase in Yao Guai attacks on villages?"

Her question was a fair one. Most animals in Cascadia lived peacefully with humans. Those which weren't tame enough to be herded generally stayed away from settlements. The increase in Yao Guai attacks has been seen by many as a sign by Geb that they were doing something wrong. King Atticus assured them that Geb had nothing to do with the attacks, though he had no clue what was causing them. "My theory," the King replied, "is that they are growing in numbers and are searching for food. It seems that food is us. Though this is but a theory, Geb has said nothing of it."

"Why not ask him?" Alexandra suggested.

Before Atticus could reply, the old priest who spoke before interjected. "If it is a bad omen, Geb will certainly know what to do. But you have entered his Temple once already, and it will take too long to prepare it again. I suggest that you visit the Temple of Helia at sunset. You have not visited the goddess during your kingship yet, and I wouldn't want to offend her." When the priest mentioned Helia he did not mean Atticus's mother, but the goddess for whom she was named. Helia was the name of the sun goddess, wife of Geb, mother of the dryads and nymphs. Each day she rises and shares her warmth with her children, and each night she rests with her husband as the world grows quiet.

"Then it's settled," King Atticus replied. "I'll be at the temple within the hour."


After they finished drinking wine and breaking bread and otherwise eating dinner, the nobles and priests offered a prayer to Geb thanking him for the bountiful feast. King Atticus then set out from his hut-palace through the foresty city. The ground beneath his feet was somewhere between dirt and mulch, littered with moss and twigs. Trees around him rose like watchtowers, protecting Geb's chosen people from harm.

All through the forest, Cascadians prepared to go to sleep. Children were putting up fusses and warriors were sharpening blades for tomorrow's hunt. Women and men alike rocked babies to sleep as the sun began to set. Atticus wouldn't have more than thirty minutes to speak to the goddess, maybe an hour if he hurried.

He passed dozens of huts on his way, and smiled as Cascadians kneeled. The Royalty of Cascadia was recognized by the people as the conduit to the gods, and as such he was treated like one. Some people even believed that kings and queens became gods when they died, though priests and priestesses refute this belief.

King Atticus approached the twin mounds upon which the Temples of Geb and Helia were set. To his left, the Temple of Geb stood, imposing yet inviting. Moss grew over the marble and trees sprouted from the pyramid shaped roof. To his right, the roofless Temple of Helia stood proudly, the entrance facing east so it would seem one was walking into the rising sun, if he entered in the morning. Both temples looked somewhere between Greek and Egyptian in terms of architecture.

Atticus entered the Temple of Helia through a gap between white walls that seemed to orange in the setting sunlight. The walls of the Temple depicted scenes from historical battles fought in the name of Helia. Remarkably, these were made with gold. This made the glimmer in the sunlight, especially at high noon.

At the far end of the room was an altar. Atop it was a statue of gold, depicting the goddess. She looked basically human, with rubies for eyes and robes that flowed like the rays of the sun. Upon her back lay four wings representing the four cardinal points: north, south, east, and west. According to legend, Geb proposed with the cardinal points, turning them into wings so she could cross the sky each day and return to him each night.

In front of the altar, a priestess was blessing the Holy Tea of the Gods. When properly brewed, it combined the earth of Geb, fire of Helia, water of Nethys, and wind of Anemo. These four were the chief gods and goddesses and when their Tea is made, granted the King or Queen who drank it the gift to commune with them.

There are indeed many gods in Cascadia, but these four are the most important. The Geb the earth-father, Helia the sun-mother, Nethys the river queen, and Anemo the wind rider composed their most chief gods. They all had shrines in one place or another, as did other gods for things such as the moon, storms, death, war, and other such things.

As soon as Atticus entered, several priests and priestesses gently removed his robe, crown, and scepter. The gems he bore sparkled in the light of the setting sun and sent small, inconspicuous lights across the room. He was not permitted to wear symbols of his royalty in the Temples because he was still inferior to a god and must show his humility. The priestess who blessed the Tea approached him, her blue eyes piercing his. As the sun began to set behind him, the ritual began.

"Do you, King of Cascadia, wish to commune with the sun goddess, Helia?" the woman asked, playing her part in the ritual. She wore long orange robes decorated with images of the sun. The laurel around her head had bright yellow and orange flowers about it. Someone might've mistaken her for Helia were they not careful.

"I do," Atticus solemnly replied.

"And do you swear to fulfill anything she may ask of you?"

"I do," he repeated.

"Then I commend you to drink," she reverently ordered as she pushed the silver cup to his lips. The cup itself was nothing special, just a shiny, undecorated silver cup from before the war. The Tea had a noxious taste to it, and despite his disgust he found that he was pushing the cup higher and higher, draining the beverage. When he had drunk his full, he saw that the priests and priestesses were gone.

He walked forward, feeling his body tingle and warm. Then, before his eyes, the golden statue of Helia began to move. The wings fluttered and she walked toward him, and he toward her. Her ruby eyes glowed as if they might suddenly begin firing lasers. "King Atticus II of Cascadia, the gods seek to employ you," the statue-woman said in many voices. At this point, Atticus's vision was twisting and curving and turning all shades of yellow. It was his second time like this in just one day, but somehow he was able to hold a conversation.

"What is it they seek?" he asked.

"The Yao Guai that harass your village. They can be stopped," Helia explained as she began walking around the room, her feet golden feet never touching the ground.

"How, my goddess, can I defeat them?" the King asked, his green eyes growing brighter by the second.

"Just as your kingdom is ruled by a king, the Yao Guai are ruled by an alpha. You know this already. You must find this alpha, and tame him," she said, still using many voices at the same time.

"How does one tame a Yao Guai?" the longer he spoke to the goddess, the brighter the room got. It was as if she was bringing the sun into the room with her.

"Yao Guai are wild, ferocious beasts. They can only be tamed by someone who can forcibly ride one. Like you would a horse, force your way upon its back. As it kicks and howls, hold steadfast. If you can ride the alpha, the beasts will submit to you as they do it."

Before he could ask another question, she bent down and kissed his forehead as a mother may kiss a child's. suddenly she was a statue again, standing on the altar. The priests and priestesses returned and began to place his robe back upon his shoulders. The scepter found its way back to his hand as the Tea-brewing priestess placed his crown atop his head. By now night had fallen and his crown would produce no lights.

Without a word, he began waking home under Consu, the moon god. All about him, families slept, crickets sang, and the world was still. It was as if Helia had frozen the world so he could have a peaceful walk. Perhaps she did. But it mattered not, for he approached his palace.

Royal guards stayed awake in the night. They typically didn't appear during the day, but at night they watched over the makeshift palace in case of a sneak attack. With a sword at his or her side, a guard stood at either side of the King's hut-flap. When the exhausted King silently approached, they bowed and allowed him to pass, then returned to their quiet vigil.

King Atticus offered prayers to Helia, Geb, and Consu, and collapsed on a pre-war mattress. His servants stayed awake until they were certain he slept, then offered prayers of their own went to their own beds. It wasn't like their King to go to sleep without a word, but it wasn't their place to question it.

Fires died out throughout the forest village, babies lie cradled in their mother's arms, and Consu looked down upon Cascadia, offering what little light they needed at night. Soon Cascadia would be at war again. Soon nights as peaceful as this would be a rarity.